Help For Those "

Help For Those "Plateau" Periods

You have been losing steadily and now can't seem to lose anymore....wel, maybe its time to shake up your usual workout regimen by stepping up (or cutting back) your program--just a little bit.

If you're exercising and eating right but find you just can't drop below a certain weight, many experts recommend jolting your body with a change--in effect sending a wake-up call to your system. "When I alter the foods of a client who's on a plateau, she generally loses two to three pounds in a week," says nutritionist Crosby. Sometimes she has clients increase their calories by about 100 to 300 a day for three to four days, then go back to where they were. Or she has them switch from low-sugar fruits like strawberries and cantaloupes to high-sugar ones like pineapples and mangoes, or add lean red meat to their menus twice a week.

The same goes for exercise. Stop your routine for a few days. Or switch from walking to working out on a stair climber. Or start lifting weights. "You need something that breaks the pattern your body's accustomed to," says Dr. McMurray. "We don't know if the effect is physical or psychological, but any kind of change," he reports, helps your system respond.

Finally, be realistic. You can keep lowering your calories, but sooner or later you may reach a point where maintaining a restrictive diet is just too hard. You can ignore a grumbling stomach only so long. "Many people can't stay at a low weight because their hunger gets too overpowering," says Dr. Aronne. If this sounds familiar, it may be time to accept the plateau as your end point. "If you're eating 1,600 to 1,800 calories a day and you're exercising, that plateau may be where you're supposed to be," says Pierre.

And chances are, if you're honest about your caloric intake and work out faithfully, that won't be such a bad place. Maybe not the size 4 you've always dreamed of, but the size that's right for your height and build--and that looks great.