Breaking the Cycle

Does this sound familiar to anyone:

You’re losing weight at a nice, steady pace, and things are going well...then all of a sudden, the scale doesn’t budge. For a week, maybe two or longer, you don’t see your weight change, even though you know you’re following your eating and exercise program. Are you stuck at that weight forever? Time to panic? Not at all. You’ve probably just reached a plateau, part of nearly everyone’s weight-loss odyssey.

I know that I have certainly fallen into the pit of depression when the scale ceases to budge. But thankfully there is slight upside to the dreaded plateau and some steps that you can take to get that scale moving again and get out of the weight-loss rut:

Generally, in the first few weeks of any reduced-calorie eating plan, you’re able to shed pounds more easily because you’re getting rid of excess water as your body breaks down fat. But once that extra water is gone, the weight loss can slow down, because you don’t have as much fat to lose. Consider it a sign of success: you’ve completed Phase I of your weight loss. Hold steady for a week or two, and you’ll probably be right back in the losing corner.

Keep Reading: 9 Strategies to Deal with Weight-Loss Plateaus