Hitting a Plateau

You've been consistent with your workouts. You're intensity has been really good. You've been at it for a long time. And to your amazement, no results. Sound familiar? If so, you've hit a plateau.

Anyone who has been consistent with a workout over a long period of time is likely to experience this frustrating no results period.

If you perform the same workout over and over, your body get used to it. You are no longer challenging your body to be able to produce results. Changing your routine even slightly will help get you back to seeing results. Below are a few tips that may help.

1. Try different types of cardio. If you always use the treadmill, try the elpitical instead.
2. Do different exercises for resistance training. Change up your whole routine with new exercises.
3. Turn up the intensity. If you've been doing bicep curls with 15lb DBs forever, bump it up and use 20lb DBs. You may need to do fewer reps at first, but that is OK.
4. Change your frequency. If you only workout twice a week, go three or four times a week. And conversely, if you workout six days a week, reduce it to maybe three times per week.
5. Take some time off. This may sound strange, but about every six weeks you should take a few days off from working out. This gives your body a chance to totally recover and allows you to tackle a new workout with a fresh and rested body.

Food Journal Wed 2/18

9:30
less than 1/2 c oatmeal
1 small box raisins
1 scoop protein w/ water
245 calories

12:30
Boca burger on w.w. w/ 1 slice 2% cheese
green beans
305 calories

3:30
yogurt w/ 2 strawberries
5 Ritz crackers
175 calories

6:30
protein shake
-1 scoop protein
-6 sliced strawberries
-1 cup light soy
1 slice w.w. toast w/light butter & sf preserves
3 slices thin slices deli turkey w/ a pinch of 2% cheese
260 calories

9:30
1 svg tilapia
1 cup green beans
120 calories

Approx totals:
calories: 1105
protein: 94g
carbs: 92g

No workout today.

Rundown: Today was really good. Protein was higher than yesterday and carbs were below 100g.

Food Journal Tue 2/17

9:30
less than 1/2 cup oatmeal
1 small box raisins
1 scoop protein w/ water
245 calories

12:30
Boca burger on w.w. & 1 slice 2% cheese
spinach
305 calories

2:30
2 tbs yogurt w/ 2 strawberries & small amt cantaloup
50 calories

4:30
10 Ritz crackers
160 calories

7:30
1/2 turkey sanwich on w.w. /mustard
70 calories

10:00
protein shake
-1 scoop protein
-1 cup light soy
-6 slices frozen strawberries
small bowl Kashi cereal
300 calories

Approx calories: 1130
Protein: 73g
Carbs: 121

Workout: 40 min cardio. 20 min eliptical, 20 min stairmaster
Weights: shoulders

Rundown: Today was pretty good. I could have had a tad bit more protein and a little less on the carbs, but pretty good. The Ritz crackers are not really on the diet. They were out at work and I opted for those instead of the cheesecake that was eyeballin' me all day!