Anyone interested in fitness and weight loss will inevitably find themselves on a plateau where no matter what you do nothing seems to change.  Those last few pounds simply refuse to move and horror of horrors your weight begins to creep up again.  Most of us have been in this situation, I have found the following reminders useful in my efforts to keep my weight under control.

1. Avoid becoming dehydrated. We become dehydrated when we lose more water than we take in. This has the effect of lowering our metabolism which in turn inhibits weight loss.  It is just a simple matter of drinking a little water through out the day.  It is not necessary to buy flavored drinks or sports drinks, tap water will do just fine.  You can filter it if you wish and store it in a fridge at work if that is convenient. It’s just a matter of developing a habit and once you become used to it, it will no longer be an issue.

2. Avoid convenience food. It is so easy to pick up a sandwich and coffee at your local deli for lunch.  After all they are so tasty and the environment is friendly.  But even if you choose healthy options you will certainly find that the calorie content is much higher than anything you prepare at home.  By bringing a home made lunch to work you will quickly find that as your wallet gets heavier your body will get lighter.

3. Get enough sleep. Healthy adults need about 7 hours sleep at night.  Of course most of us with our busy lifestyles do not achieve this.  Feeling tired during the day is often just the excuse we need not to go to the gym and to give ourselves that extra little treat to make us feel better.  But the fact of the matter is that if you take the exercise you will begin to feel better and you will enjoy a nights sleep all the more.  Try taking only decaffeinated drinks from lunchtime onwards and avoid eating large meals for 3 hours before going to bed.

4. Reduce your stress levels. Obviously this is so much easier said than done.  In todays hectic lifestyle it can often be almost impossible to devote time to our personal wellbeing.  But this is so counter productive.  It is so easy to comfort eat when you are under pressure and to flop down at home instead of taking that all important exercise.  Try to step back, take some time to look at your schedule.  Make a list of things that you could change to give your self some quality time.  This is very motivating and may put you on the right path again towards healthy eating and exercise.

5.  Avoid exercise autopilot. This is really the most important factor to consider in a weight loss program.  It is a very easy thing to fall into doing the same exercise every day.  Once you begin to feel comfortable with your program your body simply adjusts to it and you stay on a plateau.  When this happens you must make some changes.  You can increase the speed of your exercise or increase the intensity of your program.  Even minor changes will have an effect.  Try also to introduce something new such as changing from a treadmill to a bike or a climbing machine.  Whatever you do, try to keep your body guessing, if nothing else it will make for a more interesting workout.

If you think about these five areas which we can have full control over you may find those pounds falling off again.