|
Dear WW Philadelphia Member,
One thing many of us know is, if we aren’t feeling confident about what the scale is going to say, we’d rather not know. Something that can be hard to see on the scale is an unexpected plateau; or even a gain.
Why does that happen?
There are many reasons. Sometimes it's about what we ate yesterday, "was it a little saltier than usual?" Or "did I eat a little more added sugar than usual?" Both cause our bodies to retain a little extra fluid. Even eating a lot of good carbs (complex) can cause temporary weight gain.
These situations might look like a plateau when a loss was expected.
Here’s what one professional with lots of letters behind her name said about plateaus:
"The reasons for a weight-loss plateau are as yet un-clearly delineated,
but as people lose weight, they lose muscle mass in addition to fat and water,
which results in a lower metabolic rate.
In addition, at their new lower body weight,
they burn fewer calories doing the same physical activity."
So, a plateau might happen because we’ve done a great job of weight loss but maybe need a little more activity to rebuild lost muscle. Remember the importance of a little strength training. Studies have shown the benefit of weight training, with small weights, is beneficial to even the most sedentary and the very elderly.
If you have already attended your Workshop this week, you heard from many other Members. Plateaus are a normal part of a weight-loss journey. Most of us experience a plateau sometime during the process.
My thought: I’m not that happy with the word plateau, it makes me feel like a failure. I’d rather call it:
An unplanned week of maintenance.
There, that feels better!
Have a great week WW friend, stay well and be kind,
DebW
| 
