Ploughing Through A Plateau

Weigh Day #34

Sunday, 30 June 2024

Ploughing through a plateau is annoying, frustrating, and downright irritating, but it’s something that every dieter encounters. You can’t shift weight, you can’t stick with your plan, and you find yourself on the verge of giving up because it’s all simply too much hassle and bother. Constantly feeling on edge is not nice but part of the process. Hang on in there. Remember you got this, and keep telling yourself that! Shout aloud if necessary!

Weight – 118.2 Kilos, 18.61 Stone, 260.58 Pounds

Fortnightly Weight Loss – 0.5 Kilos, 1.1 Pounds

Total Weight Loss – 19.5 Kilos, 3.07 Stone, 42.99 Pounds

Song Of The Week

I saw this lot at the brand-new Co-Op Live venue last Tuesday and wasn’t disappointed with either the venue or the band! Of all the songs they played, this corker from the latest album has a title that is repeating in my head! While I object to fans constantly waving their mobiles in the air at gigs and post-gigs, it can be useful!!!!!!

Pearl Jam onstage, Co-Op Live, Tuesday 25 June 2024.

Shared by https://www.youtube.com/@dunkrag

Fortnightly Summary

Weigh Day #34

Ah, summer is always the best excuse for getting nothing done. Here in the UK, we’ve had precisely two days of relatively hot weather—enough for us to purchase an air conditioning unit—but now the climate has descended into what we Brits usually endure during the summer months. Grey and miserable. In a heartbeat (and the older you get, the quicker time goes, trust me!), two weeks have passed since updating. There were half-hearted efforts last week, but wasn’t meant to be. Weekend work, unable to access the website for editing, and basic idleness are just three excuses for not updating. Oh, and Euro 2024 is on as well!

Half a kilo less is better than being slapped in the face with a frozen fish but not putting enough effort in and being stuck in a rut. The figures were a touch wangled last week, but there was a weigh-in. After changing the scales many times, I finally found a spot with a very amicable figure. Deep down, I knew this was not correct. This week’s weight was taken Friday, and it feels like a new leaf has turned once more. You have to plough your way through, as simple as that.

There’s an example of weight fluctuation and why you should never take multiple readings in different places to get the reading you want to see! I’m back to weighing myself at the same time, in the same place, which I did on Friday because I was working at 6 AM on Saturday!

What Exactly Is A Plateau?

You’ve probably heard the term, but what exactly is a plateau, and why do they affect dieters so much? The easy explanation is it’s a wall. A ruddy, great, massive brick wall which you cannot break down. I’ve already written about hitting the wall, much like athletes do, but since then, I’ve done much more reading and getting clued up on what a plateau is and how to deal with it.

Definition

The medical experts can deal with this one! Weight-Loss plateaus explained.

Dealing With A Plateau

Everyone has different plateaus. In my case, it’s taking my eye off the ball and not sticking with the plan, eating too much and the wrong foods. Sometimes, I start drinking again, and this causes a weight loss delay. Admittedly, I came out of alcohol retirement for the England v Serbia match a couple of weeks ago, but didn’t overdo it for a change! Only because we ran out of booze at HQ! I know I’ve not been putting the effort in recently. No matter how you look at it, weight loss is humungous effort and if you don’t put the work in, you won’t be rewarded.

Stay On Top!

Personally, this is the most important thing you can do. Even when things are tough, stay on top mentally and you will get through this. This is the second plateau since starting the journey. I got through the first, and I’ll get through this. Trust me, it’s not easy, but I feel so much mentally tougher nowadays that accepting plateaus is just part of the deal with the diet! There was an air of positivity when stepping on the scales, and my weight was still stable around the 118-kilo mark.

What To Do Next?

The Million Dollar Question!

Whenever I hit a plateau, I go back to basics. Over the past two weeks, I’ve found myself working extra hours but having little or no motivation to write an update or have a good run of great eating. We’re all human, and this happens. In this situation, the solution is to ride it out, but you MUSN’T let yourself completely go. Littered amongst the bad days have been good days. Right foods, not too many calories, enough protein, enough fibre, and not eating late. This is how I manage to get through plateaus. The determination to lose the weight for good continues to fester around me. And that is the best feeling in the world. Keep ploughing through a plateau!

Remind Yourself

Reminders are critical to success, however small they may be. In my case, it’s clothes. I slipped into clothes I could never feel comfortable in six months ago. I bought a T-shirt at the Pearl Jam gig, which I expected not to fit (gig T-shirts always seem tight in size, and XXXL was the biggest available). Fitted like a comfy glove! The little things when dieting go an awful long way!

Back of my spiffing new PJ T-Shirt!

You have to keep going. Am I happy with my weight? No! Do I want to go back to where I was eight months ago? Of course not! But, if you let that guard slip, that’s the start of the rocky road to failure. A plateau is NOT a failure but merely a period where you can maintain weight and not put anything on. And remember, we ALL have to deal with plateaus when dieting. Just another part of the journey. When you accept this, and it sinks in, you’ll find that in the long term, you will succeed. Determination is everything in the weight loss game.

Ploughing Through A Plateau Checklist

• Identify the plateau. Has the weight loss stalled? What have you been doing recently? More bad days than good? Answer your questions five times over if need be. Then five times more.
• Don’t panic; remember, this is part of the weight loss process. When you are addicted to food, you cannot just free yourself of the bad food and overeating shackles completely, and you probably never will. Remind yourself of this!
• Stay focused. Identifying the plateau can help you find a solution and get back on track.
• Don’t be too hard on yourself! We’re always our own worst critics in life. Take the little things as a huge positive. You will go a month or even longer without losing too much. But, take your eye off the ball and descend into bad habits more often than not, and you’re asking for big trouble!
• Keep the weekly weigh-ins! I cannot emphasize this enough! No matter how bad the week has been, get on those scales at the same time and place. Every single time I’ve put on a lot of weight, it’s because I’ve not weighed myself in months. I always promise myself to start on Monday, etc. When I weigh myself, and it’s not good news, I find this gets me back on track.
• Try something new. A slight change in eating can produce wonders. I never tell anyone what to eat, but your body gets used to eating the same foodstuffs daily.
• Believe in yourself. Confidence and determination are everything when dieting. Take plateaus on the chin and accept them. The most important thing is not to put too much weight back on.

Conclusion

Ploughing Through A Plateau

Yeah, it’s a bugger, but life’s like that. The sooner plateaus are accepted, the better. The reality is you don’t lose weight every week, and this is long-haul. Accept this, and you’ll find yourself on the road to more success. Success is fantastic, and failure is not an option. A plateau is not a failure but part of the weight loss process.

As Pearl Jam say in the song, the best way of dealing with a plateau is to react and respond!

See you Weigh Day #35!