Motivational Monday: How to Overcome Fitness Plateaus

Happy Monday!

So here we are faced with a new week, a whole week to either make positive decisions or to regress and ruin our progress. A lot of you have been exercising and eating better and you are literally on the edge of greatness. You are noticing changes, people are noticing there is a difference, your weight is going down and most importantly of all you feel confident and healthier. This high is wonderful however, this is where you either move forward or plateau. Where you either commit or give up and go back to your old, comfortable ways.

Overcoming the plateau can be the hardest obstacle on faces when making better decisions for their

life. Once you have lost most of the excess fat and are starting to see the gains in strength from the progression that occurs over time a plateau can be inevitable. Plateaus occur because a fair amount of exercise and a relatively healthier diet assists in gaining results. However, to go beyond this point, you must push yourself and start working harder. This can be very difficult for some especially if you live a busy lifestyle, work long hours or are a parent. When you lead a busy life spending more time working out can be hard to find.

This is when you have to commit to yourself, to your goals, remember why you started and start that final push. Plateaus can feel like you are hitting a wall that just won't come down but that's not true you can totally do this! It does not necessarily require lengthy hours to overcome this hurdle. It just takes more thought, more effort but not necessarily requiring to take over your schedule. Here are a few great ways to overcome the plateau and achieve your final results.

1) UPGRADE YOUR WORKOUTS:
Personally for me, when I had completed several rounds of the 21 Day Fix, I had seen great progress but I really wanted to go farther. I moved on to a program called T25 which involved more cardio and emphasis on working your core. But actually was 5 minutes less in time than the 21 Day Fix. Each week I pushed harder and harder for those 25 minutes and the leaning phase started. Sometimes when you are doing a program for so long, you have to step it up which can be stepping out of your comfort zone and trying a new program.

What I did was also bought Piyo and started doing hybrid workouts between T25 and Piyo everyday. Each week you should strive to alternate between two 25-45 minute full body workouts with a simple warm up routine. You should perform each workout at least two times per week while also scheduling in 1-2 rest days. Your body has to rest, to stretch to be able to function optimally to get over the plateau. On your days off, try to engage in physical activities like bike riding, running or walking.

2) INCREASE YOUR WEIGHTS:
Sometimes a plateau can occur because we are using the same weights as we did in the beginning of the workout phase. The right weights can truly make a difference when overcoming the hurdle. You need to find the most effective load that enables you to get an effective set of repetitions but not overwork your muscles. To low of sets and repetitions with make your workout too easy and will prevent you from success. Over-training can potentially set you up for injury. If at the end of your workout you feel like you could have done more, then increase your weights. However, if you see that during your workout you cannot complete the entire set with the desired weight then you need to lower your weights and work your way up again.

3) DIAL IN ON YOUR NUTRITION
When you are trying to lose body fat and improve your results 80% of it comes down to your nutrition. As much as we think we can eat what we want when we are training hard, we truly have to focus on our intake. What is most effective is creating a meal plan, and tracking your meal plan throughout the week. Stick to your meal plan, really focus on your intake. You don't always
necessarily notice is that handful of chips, that cookie it truly all adds up. By the end of the week you accidentally could have consumed an extra 1,000 calories.What I find most effective for following my meal plan is to make it before grocery shopping and only shop from the meal plan. Then after I prep my food, I check off each meal throughout the day. Sticking to the containers for portioning my food from the 21 Day Fix is what truly has been my game changer for sticking to my plan.

4) FOCUS ON WHOLE NOT PROCESSED
To truly give yourself the best chance for success, you need to really focus on the foods that are making up your meal plan. To focus on whole ingredients not processed refined ingredients. Certain foods such as those that are considered whole have more nutritional value whereas things like donuts and candy have extra added calories that produce setbacks. Your main source of your daily intake should come from proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

• Carbohydrates: whole grains, brown rice, sweet potatoes, beans, fruits and vegetables
• Proteins- always look for the lean meats, the grass feed-chicken, pork, beef, seafood, dairy, eggs, Shakeology
• Fats- seeds, oils and nuts, healthy fats such as hummus

5) DO YOU, DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY

Sometimes we have to step back, look at our goals, and remember why we are doing this. Always remember you are doing this for you. When I am struggling, when I start to compare myself to others, when I love my focus I return to my personal development. This truly is where I gain my strength, from reading courageous words of others who truly help me get my prospective back. Some of my favorite books I have found most beneficial are:

• You Are A Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero
• The Go Giver-by Bob Burg and John David Mann
• The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson

Feel free to email me at: ginamariefit@gmail. com if you have further questions or are interested in joining my next health and fitness group!