Break Your Weight Loss Plateau

How to Break Your Plateau

Today is a typical morning like any other for you. You get up, go for your workout at the gym or go for a nice run, before you start your day. Or maybe you go from work to the gym to jump on the treadmill for 40 minutes then home. No matter when you fit your workout in, you are to be commended you've stuck to it. SO why isn't the weight coming off like it did when you first started your new workout routine. Everything is the same. Cardio 3 to 5 days a week. Weight training 2 to 3 days a week. Your diet is still in tack (despite the PMS breakdown in the chocolate abyss). If you are still doing everything the same and you can't seem to drop those last 10 lbs then you can't drop those last 10 lbs because you are still doing everything the same. (I know I just reverse the sentence but read it again and you'll catch on if you didn't the first time.)

Your body is a wonderfully efficient machine. Everything from your head to your toes adapt to your environment, your activities and your lifestyle. Your exercise regimen is no different.

Here is the scenario.

Your Story...

You began the new year with a new found dedication to running. After all, you need to drop those extra pounds. So you go for a 45 minute run 5 days a week and weight train in the gym 2 times a week. In January and February the pounds fell off. You consistently left 2 even 4 lbs some weeks, chocking on your dust as you laughed your way all the way to the clothing store. But here we are in April and the scale hasn't moved since the beginning of March. What happened?

Your Body's Story?

When you began your program, your body worked hard to keep up with the new intensity and duration of your exercise regimen. As a result it burned energy (calories/fat) to keep up. Then one day as it accompanied you out the door and began picking up speed, then it said to it's self. Oh I've done this plenty of times before. In fact I am good. I am so good at this now that instead of burning 200 calories on this run, I can do the same run and only burn 150 calories. So it runs with you and indeed it proved that it could do the same activity and burn less calories doing it. Your body has succeeded in doing what it does best...become efficient.

Ah ha! Eureka! Now you know. So what to do about it. Throw your body a surprise party and call it Cross training. Cross training is a great way to condition different muscle groups, develop a new set of skills, and reduce boredom that creeps in after months of the same exercise routines. The term cross training refers to a training routine that involves several different forms of exercise, and/or exercise intensity levels. Get up tomorrow and instead of running for 45 minutes, jump on the bike and take a spin. Instead of doing 45 minutes of a moderate intensity run. Kick it up a notch and do 20 minutes of intense interval training (fartlek run will do as well) Providing different challenges in a workout forces the body to move out of its comfort zone and the body must work harder to complete the activity? Resulting in more calorie burn. More eating the dust off from the bottom of your shoes as you leave those pound behind. But that's not the only benefit of cross training. If sports are your passion cross training can actually help you prevent injury and overuse syndrome. For most sports enthusiasts, cross-training is a beneficial training method for maintaining a high level of overall fitness and that's not all Cross Training

Reduces exercise boredom

Allows you to be flexible about you training needs and plans (if the pool is closed, you can go for a run instead).

Produces a higher level of all around conditioning

Conditions the entire body, not just specific muscle groups

Reduces the risk of injury

Work some muscles while others rest and recover

Can continue to train while injured

Improves your skill, agility and balance

Mubarakah Ibrahim is an AFAA certified personal trainer and owner of BALANCE fitness, a personal training service for women in CT that offers in-home personal training, on-line personal training, outdoor boot camps, and hiking clubs for women. She is the creator of http://www.ctwomenbootcamps.com She also lectures, promotes and conducts workshops on health and fitness through out the northeast. She can be contacted by visiting her website http://www.balanceCT.com or e-mailed at balanceCT@hotmail.com

© BALANCE fitness
Article may be reprinted without permission only in it's entirety including author bio and contact information.

---

6 Everyday Tips For Losing Weight

1. Drink plenty of water. Our body needs a lot... Read More

5 Tips To Losing Weight With Convenience Food

While it would be ideal to make all of our... Read More

Is Emotional Eating Causing You to Blow Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan?

You've done everything right this time. You're eating lots of... Read More

Weight Loss in Children

What is "too young" to begin a weight loss program... Read More

Maximize Your Fat Burning Potential

Do you compete in sports for weight loss or fat... Read More

Are Your Nutrition Habits Robbing You from the Body You Desire?

What if by making a few small changes in your... Read More

How to End the Food Cravings with EFT

Breaking Down Cravings One at a TimeI know you've heard... Read More

Starbucks and Kicking Bad Habits

Many of enjoy sitting down at Starbucks and enjoying a... Read More

Positive Imaging for Weight Loss

Visualization is a powerful technique that can help you make... Read More

Do Diet Pills Really Work?

You've seen diet pill advertisements? You have read the testimonials... Read More

Are Weight Loss Supplements Worth It?

What do you think of the hundreds of weight loss... Read More

Dont Just Melt Fat Off - Burn It Off With A Blow Torch!

Cardio Exercise...A huge variety of fitness activities provide cardiovascular benefits.... Read More

The Perfect Diet Combined with a Healthy Weight Management

The perfect diet should be combined with a healthy weight... Read More

The Importance of Vitamins when Dieting

In our quest to get that "perfect" body, we actually... Read More

Dieting Mistakes - 5 Easy Tips to Avoid Disaster

Looking to avoid the dieting mistakes many of our weight... Read More

Weight Loss, Exercise, and Bodybuilding Tips ? Keeping Your Body-Fat Low: Part 6 of 10

Do you know that while you work out the muscles... Read More

Are you Making these Weight Loss Mistakes?

There are all kinds of fad diets and quick fixes... Read More

Commit To Cardio Exercise For Permanent Weight Loss

Everyone is looking for the secret to losing weight. Everyone... Read More

98 Percent of Dieters Fail: A Sensible Lifestyle is the Answer

What the Diet Industry Does Not Want You To Know:... Read More

Eating On The Run For Weight Loss

"I'm too busy!" "I'm always on the run." "I... Read More

Walking for Fat Loss?

With obesity and disease increasing dramatically, many fitness experts are... Read More

Super Sizing: Money Shrinks While Waist Lines Grow

"Your Eyes are Bigger Than Your Stomach""Your eyes are bigger... Read More

What to Eat After Gastric Bypass Surgery

Many people are under the impression that gastric bypass surgery... Read More

Diet Pills And Safe Weight Loss: A Quick Guide To Diet Pills

Serious diet pills are intended for people who are overweight... Read More

Fast Weight Loss Using Herbs And Spices

I wonder how much it is generally known that the... Read More

Exercise, Diet and Weight Loss ? When Do Your Desires Turn into Lifestyle Habits?

Just one more day I can do this, I told... Read More

No Low Carb Diet Progress? Sleep In To Get Thin!

If your low carb diet is going nowhere, maybe its... Read More

The Psychology of Weight Loss: Part 6 ? Its Not About Numbers!

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE NUMBERS!The health clubs are always racking... Read More

Dieting Obstacle When Life Gets in the Way

Dieting Dilemma No 1: When Life Gets in the WayThat... Read More

Eat What You Like and Still Lose Weight

Did you say there's a way I can eat what... Read More

Find the Right New Year?s Resolution to Get into Your Best Shape Ever!

Yep, it is that time of year again! Time to... Read More

Determine Your Stage and Plot Your Weight Loss Course

We all know that losing weight and improving your overall... Read More

Fad Diets, And Why Theyre Bad For Your Weight Loss And Long Term Health

If you're serious about losing weight and getting fit, you... Read More