Weight Loss Stalls Are No Reason To Give Up

There's one word in the English dictionary that can be spoken to someone who has attempted to lose weight before that sends shivers down the spine like none other -- STALL!

Weight loss stalls are a fact of life for anyone who wants to shed some pounds. Even the most dedicated and consistent dieters will eventually go through a time period when the weight just doesn't want to go down for whatever reason. Too many people (myself included!) have let these stalls in our weight loss to completely discourage us from continuing on the pathway to a healthier life because we somehow think we have failed when we've stopped losing weight.

Yikes, can I get a witness on this one?!

For most of us, frustration can quickly set in on your weight loss attempts when you allow the scale to dictate your attitude about how successful you are being on your low-carb plan. That was a struggle for me when I was losing weight and can still be a struggle today.

But when you have seen success through livin' la vida low-carb, why should you worry about a weight loss stall here and there? For those of you who read my book, you know I went through a pretty horrendous weight loss stall in the midst of my journey. During this time I could have completely given up on this low-carb thing forever thinking it really wasn't working. What a mistake that would have been!

Who would I be kidding, though? When my weight loss stall came, I had already lost nearly 100 pounds off my body thanks to the Atkins diet. That fat was OFF of me -- FOREVER! Celebrate the achievements you HAVE reached and stop dwelling on the ones you think you'll never meet.

That's the topic of this e-mail that I received from one of my readers on Saturday who has become quite frustrated with not being able to lose those last few pounds. Nevermind the fact that she has already lost 45 pounds and is in single-digit territory of reaching her goal. She's about ready to give up on her low-carb lifestyle forever as a result. But why?

Here's her story:

After losing 45 pounds on Atkins and needing to lose only 6 more to reach my goal, I have completely stopped losing. For 8 weeks (even through the holidays) I never cheated once and didn't lose any.

In January I even went back on Induction for 2 weeks and didn't lose either. Last week I tried Atkins shakes for breakfast and lunch and a balanced low-carb meal for dinner....no loss.

I'm staying about the same on exercise and it's all I have time to do. I've tried to up the intensity but still nothing. I'm getting desperate now. Did you stall? If so, did you do the fat fast, or try carbing up or what to get the loss started again? Any advice you have will be appreciated.

Note that she said she was getting "desperate" now and doesn't know what to do. My initial reaction was to celebrate the fact that she hasn't GAINED any weight during that time period when most people pack on 10-15 pounds. So, in essence, she has lost weight and doesn't even know it! :)

Additionally, she's almost reached the finish line on her weight loss. That's like the leader in a race deciding to slam on the brakes with just one lap to the finish line and victory lane! If you've put in 99% of the time, effort and energy to get to where you are today, then why throw all of that away to keep from having to go through the other ONE percent?! We've got a race to win, so stay in it!

Here was my response to her:

THANKS so much for writing! In my book, I write about my stall. Yep, I had one...one BIG one! Mine last for almost three months! Yikes!

Do you know what I told my myself during that time? I'm not gonna worry, I'm just gonna keep on doing this thing like it's working beautifully because it had up until that point. I encourage you to put away your scale for a month. Keep acting like the low-carb is working fine.

Don't CHANGE a thing! It's tempting to back off on fat or carbs and increase your exercise, but resist the urge. Your body is adjusting and it has to go through this process to reach the next level in your body's transformation. Don't let it discourage you because you are MUCH better off now than you ever were at your starting weight. Right? Right?

Hold your head up high and know that the plan is working. You'll be just fine. Write me back at the end of February and let me know how much weight you've lost since you put the scale away! You will probably even surprise yourself!

I KNOW this reader's concern about a weight loss stall is not uncommon among those of you who have tried to lose weight in the past. Sadly, too many people miss out on the blessing of added weight loss because they get spooked off by a little stall in their weight loss.

If you have seen success on your low-carb program and your weight stalls, then take that time to celebrate what you have been able to accomplish and let it propel you onward. Focusing on the perceived negative (no weight loss) experiences in your life will only lead to needless frustration and cause you to get back into your old habits again which will lead to weight gain and right back where you started -- AGAIN!

But you can allow the stall to MOTIVATE you to make this experience about a change in your lifestyle and not about your weight. After all, we are talking about permanent lifestyle changes in the way you eat and how you look at food for the rest of your life. If and when the weight starts coming down again, then you will be in the right frame of mind to continue on livin' la vida low-carb long after you've lost those last few pounds forever.

Keep your chin up and don't let a silly little stall derail your efforts to make a new you. You've worked too hard and worried for too long about how you could ever become that thin and healthy person you knew you could be.

Don't blow it by convincing yourself that you've failed now. You've got the victory in your grasp. Now you just need to hold on tight to what you know is true (that low-carb works!) and never, ever relinquish it. YOU CAN DO IT!