Is your weight-loss "STALLED"?

Are you stalled?  Are you even shooting for an "ideal" weight?

As an administrator on the Trim Healthy Mama facebook forum, I often see questions regarding weight-loss stalls (and perceived stalls.) The following will help you decipher IF you are experiencing a stall, and if so, help trouble-shoot the cause...

First, it is vitally important to be sure we are going for a truly healthy weight goal. Often we ladies (and, YES, men as well!) think we need to lose more than we actually should - so the body puts up a terrible fight, desperate to hold on to those last "stubborn" pounds... not because it is just being difficult, but because we actually NEED those pounds to be held as a "reserve", in case we become seriously ill or stressed.

Other times, the body just needs to take a break from the weight-loss, as processing fats (and the years' worth of stored toxins released as we lose weight) can be quite hard on the organs. A little time (a month, two months, or even a bit longer) can make all the difference.

Now, if we are certain those last pounds are not just "vanity" pounds, and we are reasonably sure our system has not been overloaded by quick or extreme weight-loss, and then we can look more closely at the situation.  Ask yourself these questions:

Am I eating enough?
Am I focusing on whole foods, or eating a lot of "convenience" foods?
Am I eating enough protein?
Am I eating enough E meals/snacks?
Am I eating too many heavy S meals?
Am I eating a lot of dairy?
Am I eating a lot of nuts?
Am I eating a lot of store-bought "bread" products?
Am I spacing my meals/snacks 3 hours apart? (Even FP)
Am I exercising at all?
Am I exercising TOO MUCH??
Am I fueling properly when I do exercise?

While each person is different, any/all of these listed can cause a stall for certain individuals.

When facing a true stall, it can be beneficial to re-read the first chapters of the book ("Trim Healthy Mama"), covering S, E, & FP... If nothing jumps out at you as a potential problem, then the Fuel Cycle chapter is wonderful for trouble-shooting, as are the chapters covering exercise and hormones.

CALCULATING “IDEAL” WEIGHT
Our "ideal" weight should be based on several factors... and comparing from one person to the next, even for those of the same height, is never an accurate measure.  Frame-size and natural muscle mass should both be taken into account, as some have petite skeletal frames, some medium, others larger... and the amount of muscle carried on each frame will vary significantly.

There are online programs which help a person determine ideal weight by measuring wrist and neck sizes, calculating muscle mass versus fat, etc. Some of these must be reevaluated if a person starts off quite overweight, as the measurements will not be completely accurate.

One of my favorite write ups on determining ideal weight can be found here:  http://seethebluesky.blogspot.com/p/how-to-find-your-goal-weight.html

AS AN AFTERTHOUGHT
*If your friends, family, acquaintances and such tell you that you should not lose more weight, it is really a good idea to have your doctor give you an unbiased evaluation before continuing to try and lose.

Hope this helps!
Jaque

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