Photo by Sister72 I recently wrote a post about the 4 P's Of Permanent Weight Loss:
So far I have written about Patience and Planning. Today I'll write about perseverance.
Perseverance
Weight loss is not magical or mysterious. Yet there is a certain magic when you realize that you are capable of far more than you believed. You are not perfect. Expect to have setbacks and failures. Your antidote to failure is perseverance.
Perseverance: steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., esp. in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement. (Merriam Webster)
Never Give Up
Perseverance is the weapon that will see you through the tough times. With perseverance, you will drop the pounds and keep them off. Grit, determination and good old-fashioned stick-to-itiveness will help you rebound from the failures.
There will be weeks where everything goes right and the scale does not move. You followed your plan and the results seem to mock you. You may feel like you have failed and ask yourself, “What’s the point?” Giving up does not erase the bad result or solve the problem going forward. Giving up will add to the problem, literally. People who abandon a weight loss plan regain the weight lost and add a few more pounds.
Plateaus
To lose and keep weight off you must accept that there will be challenges, setbacks and plateaus. You will not lose weight week after week effortlessly.
Plateaus are normal. While food is readily available today, our ancestors did not have it so easy. There was no drive through for buffalo burgers and fish sandwiches. If our ancestors did not find food, they did not eat. As you steadily lose weight, you may hit this plateau as your body slows weight loss to protect you from losing too much fat. It is a built in mechanism to protect you during the lean times.
Change
If you hit a plateau, try changing your exercise routine. If you walk, try biking or swimming. You can also shift the intensity. If you walk for 30 minutes, add 10 minutes or vary the pace during your walk to power up the calorie burn. Mixing things up will help your body to adapt to losing weight again. You will also want to make sure you eat breakfast to kick-start your metabolism at the start of the day.
Recovery
If you have a collision with a bag of Oreo’s or a platter of cheese fries, you can recover without permanent damage. Get over it and get back on track. Failure is part of the learning process. Evaluate what led you to get off track. What can you do to avoid having it happen again? Weight loss is a lifestyle change not a short-term solution. It is important to accept that there will always be obstacles and learn to manage them. Life around you will not change; you have to change how you respond to the triggers.
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**Please consult your physician, registered dietitian, or certified fitness professional before starting or changing your diet or exercise program.**
