Friend of Julie: Plateau Strategy

One of the great things about this weight loss program is that I don't think about food all the time. Yes, I plan what I'm going to eat, but only when I'm going to buy groceries. This doesn't mean I don't have a strategy, it just means I don't need to obsess about food.

Finnian asked:

Hi I have a question about some of the strategies or "tricks" as you refer to them...In the sessions I attended she never said anything about "tapping away hunger" or "don't wanna want it" can you explain to me what these things mean?

Tap, tap, tap, is not a phrase Julie uses. During one of my initial sessions Julie described a technique to use when we have sugar cravings. As she spoke about sugar cravings getting stronger and stronger, one of her hands moved closer to her body and then she gave us the suggestion to push away the sugar cravings. Over the years that I've been following this program, I turned that concept into the phrase tap, tap, tap, which I use as a reminder to push away cravings. 

I don't know about you, but I like having energy to do other things in my life instead of thinking about my next fix, I mean meal. In order for this to happen, having a strategy helps.

What's My Strategy?

My strategy is similar to Nike's famous brand statement, I just do it. I follow the plan as Julie taught me and after three years of just doing in, I don't have to think what I'm doing - I just do what I've trained myself to do. Sure, there are days I wonder about what to cook, plenty days in fact, but this program is a way of life for me.

To get to this zen-like place, I did a lot of thinking along the way. I was full of questions that only I could answer. The question that kept coming up again and again was Why am I on a plateau?

I asked my key friends for their sage wisdom about plateaus and what they do when they're on one. In response, they asked two questions: 1) what are you eating? and 2) when are you eating? Let's take a closer look at what they had to say...

What are You Eating?

We tend to get in a rut and eat the same foods...change is good. Think about what you're eating and change up the foods. Breakfast for example, should not be the same every day. When we repeat the same meals, our bodies think "oh no, another diet" and it starts storing fat because it thinks we're going to starve it.

• Army men - if you're eating anything that will bring out the army men, stop now!
• Too much milk - try two weeks of cutting your milk and see if this makes any difference.
• Cut back on the vodka - the caution here is if you drink to much, you may end up eating things that you will regret in the morning.
• Big coffee drinker - scale back.
• Are you only having breakfast foods for breakfast? Mix it up and have chicken for breakfast.
• Are you eating the same foods - it's essential to eat a variety of foods or your body thinks it's on a diet and holds onto your weight.
• Cheese - it's a condiment and the sooner you accept this and treat it as such, the better for you. 
• Cook simpler.  We don't need to make complicated meals three times a day. Keep it simple. Simple doesn't have to be boring, it's just less work. Less work means more time for fun. Fun is good! Go have some fun.

When are You Eating?

• Eat only when you are hungry.
• Stop eating when you're full.
• Milk - while we are not limited to how much milk we drink, we were warned NOT to drink milk by the gallon. 
• Pepperoni - now that I’ve become a meat lover, I've given up pepperoni as a regular item on my menu. When I started this program I didn’t like meat AT ALL and I asked about pepperoni and was told it was allowed. A few months ago I decided I want to drop another size more than I want pepperoni. It's all about free-will.
• Condiments - a wise key friend recently said: Julie gave us meat and veggies, not meat, veggies, and condiments. We are allowed condiments to enhance our foods, not have the whole bottle. Also essential: “nothing sweet to the lips” means if a condiment (or any food) tastes sweet, we shouldn’t eat it. I no longer using Marie’s salad dressing and I’m looking for new ways to enjoy tuna and chicken — am I really going to say it aloud, omg, yes — without mayo!
• Eating the same food daily - variety in our foods is essential. I make smaller dishes instead of large batches that I ate over the next few days.

What to Do if You're on a Plateau?

1. Accept that plateaus are a natural part of the weight loss process. 
2. Have patience. Your body plateaus so it has time to heal.
3. Look at your fat intake. Are you eating a lot of bacon, hot dogs, butter, mayo? Cut way back on fatty foods. 
4. Get moving - find a form of exercise that you can do and start moving. Set goals for yourself and keep to your commitment.
5. Be gentle with yourself. This is a learning process. Along the way, you may discover things you are eating that are not on program. Realize your mistake and move on - today. There are no tomorrows - we only have today. Seize the moment.

Image source: Fitness Health Wellness Professional Fitness Institute