A plateau happens naturally when weight starts to stabilize after a period of active weight loss. Don’t give up! There are ways to jump-start the weight loss again.

• Check your measurements.  How do your clothes fit?  Often, when the scale doesn’t move, body composition is changing. Muscle weighs more than fat, although fat takes up more volume.

• Evaluate your eating habits.  Have you been keeping a food journal?  Review it to see if you’ve been eating high-calorie foods.
• Change your workout.  Perhaps you have improved your fitness level and your current activity is no longer challenging. Now is the time to increase your workout’s intensity or length. Schedule a session with a personal trainer for help.
• Increase calories burned throughout the day − not just at the gym. Use the stairs. Park far from the store’s entrance. Take the long way to the mailbox with a walk around the block.
• Establish small goals and reward yourself! Make sure the goals are realistic and tangible, and rewards are not related to food. For instance, extend your 30-minute, twice-weekly walk to 45 minutes three times a week, and treat yourself to a massage when you meet the goal.
• Reach out for help. Schedule an appointment with your doctor or dietitian.  Perhaps you need a little help figuring out what changes you can make.
• Do not sabotage yourself.  All the progress you have made so far has improved your overall health tremendously. Don’t fall into a “why bother” mentality and go back to bad habits.

Remember, the team at NJBC is always here to help you make sure you are reaching your goals.  Our NJBC Post-Op program is designed to help you at every step of your weight loss journey. Make an appointment to meet with your dietitian to help you figure out the best way to overcome your plateau.