TAKING CONTROL AFTER HITTING A FITNESS PLATEAU
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A few weeks ago, I had my annual check-up with the OB/GYN. It had obviously been a year since my last check-up… a year and a pandemic later.
And, you know how it is… the first thing they do is put you on the scale.
The sweet nurse asked if I wanted to keep it in kilograms or switch it to pounds. I decided to keep it the way it was, of course to not inconvenience her (my enneagram 9s understand), but also because I was a little scared to see what the scale said.
Have I gained the “quarantine 15” or the “COVID-15”? No… but I had been noticing my clothes feeling a little tighter lately and I was feeling a little more “puffy.”
Here’s the deal with keeping the scale in kilograms…
I was weighed in kilograms the year before and remembered the number - and I also know how to convert kilograms into pounds with a simple ask of good ol’ Google.
Sure enough… a 7 pound weight gain.
(Well, technically 5 because I was wearing my running shoes and the year before I wore flip flops…)
Look, I know 7 pounds to some people isn’t a big deal, but I also know that 7 pounds can lead to 17 pounds very easily for me.
So, what do you do when you’re seeing your weight increase, you already workout, and you eat well?
You’ve gotta reign it in!
Here are the 3 things I’m doing to bust through a fitness plateau and get back to my “fighting weight”...
1. I’m committing to tracking my macros.
Before you get your panties in a bunch, I get it. I suffered from disordered eating for YEARS. I tracked calories obsessively to the point where if I went 1 calorie over my self-allotted 1800 calories, I was beating myself up and berating the way my stomach looked in the mirror.
It has taken A LOT of mindset work for me to love my body the way it is… but like I said, I know that 7 pounds in a fairly short period of time can easily lead to 17 if I don’t take control of it.
I quit tracking calories when I was pregnant with MacKenna - and I’m so thankful I did - but I had my macros personalized for me early in 2020 and started counting my macros several days a week and saw a HUGE difference!
I knew that if I wanted to take control of my weight, I needed to get back to counting my macros again. I’ve committed to counting them 4 days per week (Monday through Thursday) and taking the weekends off (mostly because I don’t want to track my beer intake).
I love counting macros SO much more than calories because I still have the freedom to eat the things I want and fit my meals around them. I pre-track most of my days so I know where my wiggle room is.
I’ve been tracking for 3 weeks already and I’m already noticing some changes.
2. I’m limiting my sugar + snacking.
This really goes hand-in-hand with #1, but I know this was the major factor in my weight gain recently. I’d get home from picking up the kiddos and snack along with them, even if I wasn’t really hungry. Then there would be the handfuls of jelly beans after dinner because I “needed something sweet,” followed by at least 4 Oreos or Girl Scout cookies or some M&Ms and a few cookies.
Ummmm, no wonder I was feeling puffy and my pants weren’t fitting.
I don’t drink during the week (I stopped doing that a year ago when I started tracking macros), but that didn’t stop my sweet tooth or “need” for snacks.
That’s really where counting macros has helped a ton - I know if I can “fit in” a snack, but I also don’t have to deny my sweet tooth. I just have to moderate it a little better.
I’m a big believer in “everything in moderation” so I don’t feel like you have to give up snacks or sweets completely, but that doesn’t mean you can eat 4 at a time (or more).
3. I’m switching up my workout routine.
Over the past year, I’ve truly fallen in love with my workout routine. There is rarely a day where I don’t feel motivated to get up and get my workout in, and it’s been working for me really well.
I’ve been doing the PWR At Home program from the Sweat app for over a year now, and while I love it, I know that when I start to see a “plateau,” it’s time to change things up for a bit.
So, that’s just what I’m doing - changing it up.
After finishing up my last round of PWR At Home, I decided to switch it up to the High Intensity Strength program (also on the Sweat app). I used to do HIIT and CrossFit workouts for YEARS and loved them, but I was struggling to keep up with them simply because I was tired of coming up with my own workouts. Now, all I have to do is open up my app and hit start.
(I’m sure that’s part of the reason I’ve been able to stick with the Sweat app for the past year…)
In addition, I’ve decided to add some HIIT runs back into my “training” plan. I use that term loosely because I’m literally not training for anything (except to run across Missouri + back before the end of the year). I had been using the Peloton app early on in 2020, only to decide to take a break from it back in August. But, again, when you hit a plateau, you’ve gotta change things up, so I’m committing to doing two 20-30 minute outdoor running workouts through Peloton again each week.
Look, I know that I’m not overweight and that I’m an extremely healthy individual. But, just like you, my confidence and self-esteem can take a hit when I’m not looking or feeling my best. I don’t believe in “dieting” - I believe in doing the things I need to do that will help me not only be healthy, but look + feel my best.
Counting macros, giving up sweets or snacks, or adding in more HIIT to your workout plan might not be the best choices for you. But, if you’re feeling stuck or frustrated with your health or fitness, don’t be afraid to take a deep look into your habits and see if there are some changes you can make to help you feel better physically + mentally.
Funny enough, just a year ago I was raving about how I was getting in the best shape of my life… only to let that slide a few months later. But, I think I’ve officially learned that these are the things that work best for me. And that it’s OK to take a break from time to time because sometimes you just need it!
Interested in learning more about how to get your macro calculations? Check out Emily Field RD! She’s a former client of mine and is an expert in macros! Her calculations have been so helpful for getting me back on track now + in the past!
