Weight loss plateaus can be pretty discouraging for even the most motivated and driven individuals. If you don’t avoid or overcome your weight loss plateau you run the risk of losing motivation and becoming disillusioned with your weight loss program. The real shame is that you give up on all your gains when you are so close to realizing your dream if only you just break through the plateau. Weight loss plateaus are a normal part of our life. We encounter it in most things that we do where we have become accustomed to it over time. When this happens we usually find that progress either stalls or slows.

Weight loss plateaus often occur 8-12 weeks into your program. One of the simplest ways to avoid encountering the weight loss plateau is to change your program every 4-5 weeks. As with all things in your life when you start something new you will find most of the gains in the early part, usually the first week or two and then noticeable progress starts to decrease as you continue with a plateau occurring usually around the 8 to 12th week as your body now is comfortable with the program.

So for example with respects to a weight loss program involving exercise sessions at the gym then change either the actual exercise equipment you are using or a variable within the exercise to give your body a new variation to get used to. To get the benefits of aerobic exercise you want to be able to try and maintain your heart rate at around 70% of its maximum for at least 30 mins and up to 60 mins. As you progress on your fitness regime you will find over time that you are able to maintain your heart rate at 70% intensity with less strain and work on your part. So you will want to review your maximum heart rate every time you change your program so that you can continue to keep to the 70% number.

So with this in mind you can change your exercise so long as you are able to keep to the above percentages and duration. One example is if you have started with the treadmill you can now shift to a bike for 4-6 weeks. Or you can change from a treadmill to bike with alternate sessions. It’s up to you. Likewise with weights you want to be either increasing the weights or increase the reps.

There is no reason why you can’t translate this to your meals as well. Why not introduce foods that you haven’t tried during your weight loss regime.

The key is variety, by keeping variety in your weight loss program you are keeping it interesting and enjoyable. We tend to stick better with things that we find stimulating.

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Diet drop out, a significant problem for all types of diets, requires a new dieting strategy. Exchange it…and watch diet drop out rates plummet.

What is Diet Drop Out?

To stop a diet plan before reaching your goal or before reaching a pre-defined time limit is called diet drop out. Not one diet succeeds at keeping diet drop out rates low. One or more of the following strategies are used by diet plans in attempts to eliminate diet drop out:

Shorter Dieting Sessions

This is a strategy that more often back fires, setting the stage for weight gain. Subjects placed on shorter dieting sessions experienced weight loss at a faster rate than those following longer sessions.

Fast weight loss (over 3-4 pounds/week) is unhealthy and negates any progress made on lowering diet drop out rates.

Severe Calorie Restriction

This strategy follows the same principle as faster dieting sessions. Allow dieters to lose weight fast, and they won’t have time to drop out. Unfortunately, severe calorie restriction also causes weight gain.

Diet Holidays

This strategy allows dieters to take long breaks or “holidays” from following the diet. However, the opposite result is often observed. Diet drop out rates increase because many dieters never start the diet again.

In order to provide a strategy that works, diet plans should ask dieters why they drop out. Then simply provide a solution for the reason dieters drop out, problem solved.

Why Dieters Drop Out

When dieters are asked “what is the hardest part about dieting”, the response is surprising. Most dieters say that following strict diet menus, not exercise, is the hardest part.

A good strategy for decreasing diet drop out rates would address the menus. This is exactly what Exchange it accomplishes…giving dieters more control over what they eat.

The exchange process involves substituting healthy food choices for harmful ones. For instance, substitute a healthy fat, like Omega-3, for saturated fats. This allows you to eat more fats, and still remain on your diet.

Article Source: http://www.dietarticles.info

Dieting Strategy