You’ve done great! You made a commitment to lose weight with a sensible diet and exercise plan and you’ve stuck to it. Everything has been going just as planned and the pounds have been dropping off. Now you’re stuck. You’re still exercising and eating healthy but you can’t seem to get those pounds to budge. Here are some tips to get back on track and to get rid of those last few pounds.

Journal Your Food

If you’ve been dieting for a while, it’s possible that you aren’t eating as healthy and low-calorie as you were at the first of the diet. At the beginning of your diet, you’re diligent and counted everything you put in your mouth but as you get comfortable with your new eating plan, you began to slip up and add just a few extra calories. Go back to being diligent and counting everything you eat. Chances are you’ve let extra calories slip into your diet unnoticed.

Drink More Water

You wouldn’t think so, but water can be the key to losing weight. When your body is dehydrated, your metabolism slows down. Many scientists believe that if you don’t drink enough water, you can’t burn fat efficiently. So drink up! Drinking water is easy and everyone can do it.

Cut Back on Sugar Even More

Even though you cut a lot of sugar out of your diet, you may need to drop it even more. Reduce another 50-100 calories of sugar and see if it doesn’t help melt those last few pounds away.

Try Variety at Meal Time

The same foods over and over are not only boring to you but are boring to your metabolism as well. If you eat the same meals each and every day, change it up. This keeps your body guessing and will result in weight loss. Not only will it help you lose weight, but you will enjoy your meals and have an easier time sticking to your diet.

Be Patient

Sometimes during dieting, your body just needs to "catch up." If you’ve lost weight over a 4-6 week time span, it is actually normal for your body to hit a plateau. Your body needs to adjust to the weight loss, so it refuses to lose weight for a short time. During this time, you will probably notice that your clothes feel loser, so don’t give up. The plateau is just temporary. Try these tips and stick to your exercise and diet plan. Before you know it, your body will start dropping those pounds again and you will meet your weight-loss goal.

Jason Ladock

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