tips for getting past plateaus

[Ciors]

While using the program 'just' works the way it is, many of us have experienced plateaus. Many of us have been told a variety of of 'tips' to get us by. I thought it might be handy to have them listed here, rather than in individual diaries. So, if you have a tip that worked for you..pop it in.

I was told two things by my clinic:

1/. Rotate your meals. Each day I had a different meal for each time of the day, eg breakfast M1, the next day M2, third day M3 etc...I wrote the rotation down so I knew what I was having each day.

2/. Have meat protein for every meal - I did this as I approached refeed to make sure my metabolism kept munching the fat.

[feemonic]

Hi Ciors,
What did you do for meal 1?
I dont have a meat option in that grouping.
Just yoghurt,egg,and cheese.

So every morning I eat yoghurt...

[Ciors]

Hi Fee....I am allergic to egg, so I had a fish option, but the clinic said egg is like a meat protein in that case

[jessicamo]

Great tips! - I did the same protein trick - for M1 I just continued having my yoghurt but did seafood for the M2 and M3 and had a pretty good loss that week!
Would love to try having a M2 or M3 for breakfast - just don't think I could stomach seafood, meat or chicken at 0630 - may have to try doing a cheese dish for breakfast in the weekend

[feemonic]

oh ok maybe I will try egg, I do really love my yoghurt for brekky though... I had fish one day last week and it really messed my tummy up. And I was starving all morning. I find I cant seem to stomach a really big breakfast so I guess thats why I stick to the yoghurt. But I am having fish for the other 2 meals. I am going to do this for a few weeks and see if it speeds things up. I really wanted to be in the 60's by Christmas, and with my current losses I will just miss out. so I am willing to endure fish twice a day for the next 2 weeks in the hope that I can reach my goal that I set for myself.

[Ciors]

Fee...I can relate to the fish thing! I HATED it...but, I did it too, I found a really good shop that sold a beautiful flake and I was ok....am loving having yoghurt and cheese again now though I can tell you! I did it for about 2 months

[Collie]

Well what came from my clinic when my losses slowed to a frustrating speed was this.

No cheese for 10 days, drop the fruit to only once a day for the 10 days too. Up the water (for me to 3 litres), make sure you have fish every day, mine was in meal 3, try having the yoghurt for dinner as it digests quicker than the heavier proteins.

From my personal experience also, I know that for me tofu slowed my losses, was a consistent and frustrating pattern. And red meat did to an extent too.

I was also taking fab iron, and I firmly believe it slowed my losses too.

[Michellebell]

I have found that Fish is definitely the best fat kicker, followed by Chicken, and last of all Beef.

However, I find that I still have to mix up the proteins because if I ate fish for every meal (I've got it listed for breakfast too) then my weight loss would still slow down. For me it's mostly Fish with several Chickens and the occasional Beef thrown in. When the losses slow down it's like the body going on Strike for boredom.

My clinic told me that the size of the apple or orange doesn't matter. But I think it does.

[Dezzy]

Don't forget the water.... Lots of water.

And most important, don't stress. It WILL happen when your body is ready. As long as you are deviation free, everything is cohens approved and you're taking your vitamins it WILL happen. Be patient.

[JayCee]

Well said Dezzy, and very much in line with my thoughts.

In my opinion the best way to get past a plateau is to stay true to yourself and believe in your program.

What Dr Cohen has prescribed for each and every one of us is aimed for RAPID weight loss. Our rapidly diminishing physical bodies just sometimes cannot keep up with these rapid losses and ask for a little time out. During these periods of slow/minimal losses you can bet that there will be cm losses over your body. This is what Shanara called a period of "integration".

In the words of Shanara: a plateau implies waiting, a passiveness when nothing is happening whilst integration means adapting to change and preparing for further changes .....

Now don't forget one of the very first things we are told on this program - weigh monthly. It is our choice to weigh more regularly but we really do need to keep in mind that any daily stagnations should not be taken to heart. Weekly movements will give you a good indication of your body's cycle, but it's the MONTHLY weights that we really need to focus on.

I know, I know, there are still some of us that lose at an astonishing slow rate, I was one of them. I have felt the frustration of the scales moving ever so slowly, wanting to kick the rotten thing just to see if I could get a different number (apart from a bruised toe it did no good lol). My journey through the 80's was epic, and I quite honestly thought perhaps my body just was not going to give it up ... but it did! I tried swapping my meals around (aka "Collie Day"); I tried increasing my water intake until I thought my eyeballs would float; I have tried no cheese ... I did try everything. What worked best for me ... I stopped stressing and accepted any loss as a good loss, I stayed true to myself and I believed that my program would bring about the result I so craved.

Don't get me wrong here, I think different approaches to breaking through periods of slow losses work for different people, just remember that the stress won't help your cause.

Be true to yourself and believe in your program.

Happy losing
JC

edit - this is the link to Shanara's thread on "another way to look at plateauing" - well worth a read

http://newyouforum.com/forum/showthr...ht=integration

[Dezzy]

Goodness JC you said what I was trying to say but waaaay more eloquently and in more detail! Thank you!

[Busybee9]

All great stuff...

My little addition would be cucumber and celery.

I find that when I have either (usually both) regularly....or if I get stuck have more often I can get unstuck.
Yesterday for example I had my fave work day b/fast of melted cheese on a double salada and veg allowance as cucumber. That was a M2. Then for lunch I had M3 which was prawns and more cucumber and some celery. (M1 dinner was yoghurt with fruit).

Also as mentioned, water is a big key and upping it by a litre occasionally for a couple of days works for me...

When none of that stuff works then good old patience is the key...and trust in the programme.

I'm a serial weigher but keeping the monthly total to keep it in perspective is the trick.

[vonofal]

I love this forum! Thanks for sharing all your tips