Losing those last few pounds can be a very tough challenge. It is often said that the first and last ten pounds are the hardest to lose.  If you have been following a diet and exercise routine for several weeks or even months and are almost at your goal, then you may be wondering why you can’t just shake off the last ten pounds.
 
You have already come so far and are so close to your goal, but there are three common barriers you may face while on your weight loss plan.

You have hit a plateau: For weeks, you have reduced your caloric intake by 500 calories a day, which means that you probably lost a pound or more each week in the beginning. As you expend more calories than you take in, your body naturally dips into its fat reserves and starts to burn off excess fat. Then, the weight loss slows down even though your diet and exercise routine has not changed. The reason behind this is that your body has gotten use to your weight loss regimen and has gradually adjusted itself to conserve the fat reserves in order to prevent starvation. So although you are not stranded on a deserted island with no food, your brain sends out a distress signal that tough times are ahead and the extra calories stored as fat should be used sparingly instead of being burned for fuel.

Kick-Fit solution:
Rather than cut extra calories off your diet, kick your exercise program up a notch. Start to incorporate strength training into your exercise routine to build muscle, which in turn will burn fat. One pound of muscle burns at least 35 to 50 calories, which means you can burn more calories just by breathing. Studies have shown that individuals who used a fitness program that incorporated cardio and strength training lost more weight and kept it off longer than those without a strength-training component in their workout. Be sure to make your workouts fun yet challenging. Try to switch up your routine each week to prevent or overcome a plateau. If you need ideas, check back with us each month for some knockout routines!

You have dieter’s denial:  Now that you have lost some weight and are looking good and feeling great, it’s easy to lose track of how much you are actually eating. A very common mistake people make is not keeping track of their caloric intake. You may already keep a food journal, but are you as strict on yourself now as you were in the beginning?  People often forget to count the smaller items snacked on during the day, like extra sugar packets in a cup of coffee, a handful of Hershey Kisses from the office candy bowl, or the few “bites” of chocolate cake at dinner.  Sometimes, we even sabotage our diet by eating high calorie, high fat items because we think our bodies will burn it off faster now than it did before. But as you lose weight, your body actually needs fewer calories to function than before you lost weight. This means that returning to your old eating habits will only result in weight gain. Remember, it’s okay to cheat every once in a while, but you’ll be amazed how much extra calories eating out or snacking can add if you stop keeping track of what actually goes in your body.  Exercise alone may not be able to compensate for the added calories.  For example, if you burned 300 calories on the treadmill and rewarded yourself with a 300 calorie brownie, you have only broken even and that may explain why you are now maintaining your current weight, but not losing anymore.

Kick-fit solution:
Keep a food journal to keep track of what you are eating. There are many websites, like www.calorie-count.com,  that offer free online calorie counters which allow you to keep track of your diet with an online food log. You can even analyze your diet and find out what percentage of your daily food intake is made up of carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber. Simply writing down everything that you eat will not only help you understand how much you consume each day, but can also help you identify what food groups you may be getting too much or too little of. 

You don’t eat a good breakfast: You may be so focused on cutting calories that breakfast is neglected or you have been eating the same thing every day, such as eggs and toast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day that essentially jumps starts your body after fasting several hours while you are asleep. Harvard researchers have found that people who ate breakfast regularly were leaner than those who skipped. Those who ate a breakfast high in fiber kept their weight off longer than dieters who ate meat or eggs for breakfast. Therefore, a meager breakfast will only have you feeling hungry throughout the day, making you much more prone to cravings.

Kick-fit solution:
Feel full on fewer calories by eating a breakfast high in fiber. Go for whole grains, such as oatmeal or whole grain cereal containing about 6 grams of fiber per portion and less than 10 grams of sugar per serving. With so many varieties of whole grain cereals on the market, you can certainly get more fiber without sacrificing flavor. Giving your breakfast a makeover may be just what your body needs to rev up your metabolism. Researchers report that dieters who consume a diet rich in whole grains lose more abdominal fat than those who ate white bread and other refined grains. So set your daily fiber target to 25 grams a day and you’ll get a head start tackling those last few stubborn pounds.

My Weight Loss Story

After my sophomore year in college, I started to slowly gain about a few pounds each year. After graduate school, I was about 30 pounds over weight and desperately needed to make some serious lifestyle changes.

MID-POINT PICTURES

I joined Weight Watchers and started working out 5 days a week.  After 5 months, I lost 25 pounds and have kept it off. However, I am still a few pounds away from my goal. Hitting a plateau, not being honest about my caloric intake, and neglecting proper nutrition have been my recent road bumps. I have been overcompensating with my diet by eating out a lot more often now than I would have ever allowed myself before. So even though I was busting my butt at the gym, burning 450 calories on an average workout, I was sabotaging my diet by “rewarding” myself with sweet treats like ice cream and chocolate (or both, depending on the day).  I guess I figured my metabolism was already turbocharged and my body was a lean mean fat burning machine. Not so much. Reality set in after a recent vacation and my “skinny” jeans were not so skinny anymore.

My 8-Week Challenge

I absolutely don’t want those pounds to sneak up on me again and will be in attack mode for the next 8 weeks to finally knock off those last few pounds!  Over the next two months, I’ll be using the Kick-Fit strategies and workouts to boost my metabolism by being more active, building muscle, and eating leaner and healthier. My focus is not so much on pounds, but on gaining lean muscle that will burn more calories in the long run.

A few weeks ago, my brother, Ray, asked me how bad I really wanted to reach my goal: “If you want it bad enough, then you have to be prepared to work hard and push your body to its limits.” I know it’s not going to be easy, and I’m sure I’ll be tempted along the way. But I know I will feel a huge sense of accomplishment by moving outside of my comfort zone in becoming leaner and fitter than I’ve ever been before. I’ll also be sharing my before and after pictures with you, which makes it a lot harder to slack off.

AFTER PICTURES

Do you have a weight loss story you would like to share? Email me at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , and you could be featured in next month’s edition of
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