Every year, millions of dieters experience the same problem. You're going along great, losing weight steadily and then boom - nothing. No matter what you try or how you limit your diet, you can't lose any more weight. There are a few easy answers to this and a few easy solutions that you can use to blast past that plateau and get back to losing more weight. While there is some truth that your body does hit a healthy weight and wants to stay there, more often than not, your body is being tricked into thinking this is the case. Here's how anyone can get past their plateau and keep hitting those weight loss goals.

1. Eat more, not less.

As you lose weight and get more fit, your caloric needs are going to change. If you've been on a pretty strict calorie reduction diet, pretty soon your body is going to think that it's really starving. This changes your metabolism and the way your body stores fat. If you're not eating enough, your body thinks it needs to store every single calorie that passes your lips. Now, we're not saying run out and gorge yourself.

What we are saying is that you need to add a few more healthy foods to your diet in the right balance. In some cases, you may need to add more healthy fats so that your body is getting the right fuel that it needs to keep functioning properly. There is such a thing as good fat - such as olive oil or omega-3 oils.

2. Ramp up that exercise plan.

On the same token as your caloric needs, your exercise needs are going to change as you get fit. Your body will be used to more exercise and your level of fitness will rise to the point that exercise becomes easy. This is a sign that you need to ramp up your efforts. If you're not getting a real workout, then you're not burning enough calories. Sometimes, adding just an extra 30 minutes a week of vigorous exercise is enough to blast past that plateau. Start small and add a little more each day to your workout.

Run for a little bit longer, or increase your cardio workout by five to ten minutes. You'll start to see your results again and you can keep going. There are stages that each of us will hit where it becomes necessary to exercise more to lose weight. Otherwise, you'll just be maintaining.

3. Revisit your food choices.

If you're not keeping a food diary, start one right away. You may find out that you are actually consuming more calories than you thought. A common offender is soda, that is full of empty calories. Try cutting out soda from your diet and see if that doesn't push you past that plateau. In many cases, you can easily lose ten pounds simply by cutting soda out of your life. Look for any empty calories that you are consuming and get rid of them!

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Originally posted 2008-09-10 05:20:34. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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caloric needs, calorie reduction diet, calories, cardio workout, dieters, easy answers, easy solutions, exercise plan, fats, healthy foods, losing weight, metabolism, olive oil, omega 3 oils, plateau, ramp, right fuel, token, vigorous exercise, weight loss goals