Conquering the dreaded plateau or not losing weight The final module of this course is largely devoted to the dreaded plateau, that frustrating and often disheartening stage when your weight loss seems to stop dead in its tracks. Assuming you’ve been following the course properly, you will likely have lost a fair amount of weight quite soon after starting out. A fortunate few of you will continue to lose weight at a relatively steady pace until you’ve reached your goal weight. This is more likely if you’re a man, but be aware that your rate of weight loss tends to slow down as you approach your goal. Most of you – and especially if you’re a woman – will probably encounter a plateau, which is an almost inevitable stage of a healthy weight-loss programme. Be assured: hitting the plateau is expected and perfectly normal. If your plateau extends beyond 2-4 weeks, though, it’s time to examine what you’re doing. Beating the plateau will involve determination and honest introspection. There is no point in deluding yourself, but please don’t be discouraged either. By anticipating this possibility you will go a long way to beating it.
Prepare your mind When it comes to the plateau, there are various factors that could be contributing to the hiatus in your weight-loss journey. These include sleep quality and quantity, underlying medical conditions and the drugs associated with them, stress, and mineral deficiencies. We will deal with all of these in this module. First and foremost, though, expect to experience a weight loss plateau. Anticipating a difficult time makes it far easier to bear when it actually happens. Consider it a part of the process of losing weight, and when it happens remember to – KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON BANTING. You will begin to lose weight again, though you may need to adjust your eating pattern or lifestyle. Banting is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s also important to realise at this point that it’s not all about the scale; the measuring tape is also vital and it often tells a different story to the scale. If your body shape is continuing to change for the better as you lose fat and gain muscle, even though your actual weight appears to have plateaued, then you’re still making progress. Weight loss isn’t a linear process and the fact that you aren’t losing weight doesn’t mean the diet isn’t working. So make a point of tracking the disappearance of your belly fat by measuring your waist circumference each week. Alternatively, find an article of clothing that was way too tight when you were at your heaviest and watch it begin to fit – in spite of those disappointing visits to the scale. The results may surprise you and do a lot for your state of mind. And please keep on top of things mentally. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating every little milestone – just not with chocolate!
Go back to the meal tracker Once you realise you’ve hit the plateau it’s time to revisit your daily food intake and make sure you enter everything into the meal tracker. Record every single thing that passes your lips; be brutally honest with yourself and 100% accurate. This record is for your eyes only and there’s no point in fooling yourself. Bad habits sometime creep in without us even realising it. Take note of your habitual lapses and thoughtless eating practices in order to combat them. Ask yourself these questions as you consider what you're eating each day: Am I overstepping the 25g to 50g daily carb limit? If you aren’t, you could be particularly carb sensitive and it might be an idea to reduce your daily carb intake even further. For a couple of weeks eat only protein in the amounts suggested earlier, plus healthy fats and leafy green vegetables. Cut out all fruit, nuts and dairy products. Also, cut down on your food intake: no in-between-meal snacking or second helpings, and use a smaller plate at mealtimes, such as a fish plate or side plate rather than a large dinner plate. Don’t panic. This is a temporary measure. Once your weight starts dropping again you can slowly reintroduce into your diet those low-carb items that you feel make life worth living – but not to the same extent, or you’ll be back where you started. For now, though, pretend that this is forever. It’s better to work on that premise than to dream about the day you can eat carbs again. •
Am I consuming too much dairy? (This question seems to apply to women mostly, but there are men to whom this is also relevant.) •
Dairy products contain varying amounts of lactose (milk sugar), which slows down weight loss. What’s more, part of the protein in milk generates a significant insulin response, which can have the same effect. Consequently, cutting back on dairy products may accelerate weight loss. Though this advice applies especially to dairy products typically lacking in fat such as milk, you should for a time also limit your intake of cream, yoghurt (often laced with sugar and starch) and cheese. In fact, try eliminating all dairy products from your diet for a while to see what transpires. Exempt from these dairy-product warnings is butter, which is almost pure fat. Butter may be consumed as often as you wish, as it has no lactose and therefore won’t spike your body’s insulin. Am I overdoing the nuts? Nuts are REAL food; there is no disputing that. They are also very high in fat – almonds and macadamias, in particular. However, it’s very easy to overindulge on nuts because they have a high energy density that allows you to eat large quantities without feeling full. If you are constantly snacking on nuts, chances are you are consuming too many calories – especially as one bag of nuts contains more calories than a meal. •
If you have been eating a lot of nuts, try giving them up completely until your weight loss is
back on track. If this is the problem, it won’t take long. In future limit your nut intake to no more than ten a day. • Am I drinking alcohol? If the answer is yes, you may need to stop. The consumption of alcohol undoubtedly compromises weight loss by slowing the fat-burning process. In addition, alcohol can stimulate your appetite, loosen your inhibitions and undermine your willpower, causing you to eat more than you’d planned. You can go back to an occasional glass of wine or spirits once you have started losing weight again, but be aware that alcohol is likely to have been one of the major contributors to the plateau you are experiencing. Am I consuming artificial sweeteners? These have been proven to increase appetite and maintain cravings for sweet food. There is also evidence to show that artificial sweeteners actually cause weight gain. •
Am I consuming enough fat? Fat fills you up; if you eat enough of it, you will automatically end up eating less as a result. If you still fear fat, go back and remind yourself of all the health benefits mentioned in earlier modules. •
Instead of treating yourself to sweet things, treat yourself to a couple of nuts or a spoon of nut butter. It is fine to have larger quantities of the saturated fats, but again don’t overdo it. While eating fat is good for you and certainly a part of this programme, the idea is not to eat mounds of fat. Some foods high in fat we need to enjoy but not gorge on, including olives, olive oil, avocados, nuts and nut butters. Enjoy these foods in small quantities and infrequently. Am I eating too much protein? Have you been using the hand-minus-the-fingers rule? Stick to this guideline if you suspect you may be over-doing the protein. Regular consumption of very large portions of protein will compromise your weight loss. •
Am I cheating? You need to remain focused and steadfast throughout the course – and longer if you wish to continue feeling slim, fit and healthy. Don’t give in to temptation by saying yes to that “small” slice of cake or that handful of crisps. Carbs are the enemy – accept this fact. •
Am I eating processed foods? Very often you can be tempted by a ready-made alternative to REAL food, for the sake of convenience if nothing else. But these foods are generally packed with sugar, not to mention damaged oils, preservatives, additives and colourants, which are extremely unhealthy for you and actually prevent weight loss. Eating processed food is one of the most effective ways to consume loads of damaging fats and hidden sugars and carbs, and really sabotage your chances of successful weight loss. Spend more time in the kitchen and use only REAL ingredients. •
Am I drinking enough water? Adipose tissue or body fat is mobilised through a process called hydrolysis, and effective •
hydrolysis requires plenty of water. As a result, dehydration compromises the fat-burning process. Drink plenty of water and (carb-free) fluids, such as herbal teas, iced teas, etc. Avoiding sugary drinks goes without saying, but also steer clear of artificially sweetened carbonated drinks; the sweeteners they contain interfere with insulin-leptin signalling and prevent weight loss, while actually making you more hungry. Could I be eating too much? We don’t want you to begin counting calories as well as carbs. This is a sure recipe for food obsession, which gives rise to feelings of deprivation, and which in turn (ironically) can lead to binge eating, insulin spikes and significant weight gain. But you do need to reduce your calorie intake in order to lose weight, and Banting advocates a high-fat intake precisely to achieve this end. •
By eating fat, you feel full sooner and for longer, and therefore can dramatically reduce your overall food intake; this is in addition to the huge health benefits of good fats. It’s best to stop eating the moment you begin to feel full, and avoid second helpings altogether. Snacking is a no-no, and a road to disaster if it becomes a habit. Am I doing too little exercise? The notion that exercise is the answer to all your weight-loss problems is a myth – see below – but it certainly does help. Being fit gives you a great sense of physical and mental well being, which is beneficial in itself, and moderate exercise helps to resensitise sluggish insulin so that it “works” harder for you. •
Again, be honest with yourself. If you’re not exercising much, it’s probably time to start some walking, swimming, bike-riding – or whatever floats your boat. Am I doing too much exercise? The reality is that exercise is almost always good (assuming you’re not injuring yourself). But don’t expect endless hours of pounding the pavement or working out in the gym to be the answer to weight loss. Very often exercise makes you hungrier than before and you simply end up eating more as a result. •
Exercise builds muscle and gives you physical strength, but as muscle is heavier than fat, your “stuck” scale can sometimes be attributed to muscle development. This is when the tape measure will give you a more accurate picture of what is happening to your body. Remember: you are losing fat and building muscle. Moderate exercise three or four times a week is generally enough – but too much heavy exercise can be problematic. Your muscles can become inflamed, which can lead to water retention causing your body to produce excess cortisol to cope. Because cortisol is a fatstoring hormone, this ends up being stressful in itself; you could even store more fat.