What to do when you hit your fitness or weight loss peak?

So, you got off your duff and started working out three even four times a week. You’ve lost a ton of weight and you feel as fit as ever but wait Batman you suddenly notice that the weight is not coming off anymore and that you are not getting any faster, stronger or lighter. You start getting the sinking feeling that maybe…. just maybe you are regressing. Fear not my type A fitness nuts. You’ve simply hit a plateau and are ready to climb to new heights!

Let’s start off with what is happening to your body. Your body is truly a marvelous instrument. Without hurting anyone’s wonky sensibilities let’s just say that your body has come a long way in many ways but in some ways we are still no different than our very distant caveman relatives.

For one thing, fat cells and your waistline have long memories. You see your fat cells never really disappear (insert Left Home Alone movie kid putting on aftershave here). They simply get small but they are still waiting to take on their old size 18 dress or 42 pants. A recent Economist article titled the Caveman Curse breaks down the science of the theory fairly well. In short, the theory goes like this, if there wasn’t enough food for a day or two our bodies needed to adjust our metabolism to conserve energy or else we would starve each time we had a tough day on the hunt. You see our brains think we are starving when we are really just trying lose a little weight.  Since this is a blog and not a scientific journal I’ll stop there. Bottom line, your body is fighting your fitness and weight loss the whole way!

So, what to do? Here are my top three suggestions for restarting your fitness and weight loss goals!

1. Shock the system: Our bodies get used to routine very quickly. If you exercise the same way repeatedly your body will find a way to maximize those calories and effort levels to keep you at a steady weight. So, change up the routine! Think about exercising first thing in the morning versus in the afternoon. It’s a well proven fact that people who exercise in the morning burn more calories throughout the day than those who exercise at night. Change the types of exercises you do. For me this is as simple as running trails instead of hard surfaces or taking Bikram Yoga or spin classes in the winter months. I also suggest kickboxing, Zumba or a cross training class. These are all fun and different types of activities that burn an amazing amount of calories in a short time. Think fun.
2. Revisit your eating habits: I will be the first to admit that I have a chip and beer habit. I can’t have one without the other and they are both typically consumed at night (double whammy!). Like a bear getting ready to hibernate I also tend to consume way too many calories during the fall and winter months when I typically do the least amount exercise. Once your body gets accustomed to a certain body weight your brain will do just about anything it can to maintain that maximum body weight( think caveman brain). This means a 3,000-calorie a day diet for me to maintain my weight might mean a 2,500-calorie diet for you to maintain the SAME weight. I would suggest trying to go vegetarian or cutting out all bread and sodas for short periods of time to shock your diet. Also, think about skipping all wheat products and go gluten free. Rather than having your bowl of cereal or yogurt in the morning try a green smoothie. Try these ideas in very short bursts of a week or two at a time or until you notice your weight or fitness levels have improved.
3. Interval training: All “ interval” training means is that you are mixing up your effort levels. If you have ever taken a spin class for instance you will notice that most cycling instructors are constantly moving the effort level up and down throughout the class.  Interval training has really two parts, one is effort level, and the second (and the most forgotten) is REST.  One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from competing in Ironman events is just how important it is to rest. Your body has to rest or else it simply cannot give you a 100% when you need it to. You also risk injury and burnout. Think about including an “on” season strategy and an “off” season strategy. I know, for example, that I will put on an extra 5 to 10 pounds in the “off” season. I also know that my fitness level will not be where I want it to be during the winter. I’ve simply accepted those facts and try not to panic when my scale isn’t my friend. Which is normally between October and April. I also know that thanks to my “on” and “off” season fitness plan I will be in fight shape by June and should be in good shape for an August or October Ironman.

The bottom-line is to always remember that you doing this for yourself ! No one is going to notice those few pounds you put on or the fact that you are not hitting the gym as often as you would like. Fitness and weight loss do not come in a bottle or a 10-minute video. It comes from long-term life changes that occur over time. So, enjoy your “off” time and have a chip and beer on me. Just know that come April your butt is in gear with a plan and some goals.

Take care and happy exercising;0)!

Chuck

Btw, want to read more of my fitness suggustion? Checkout my website by clicking here or follow my excersie log at Dailymile.