Everyone that loses weight will inevitably hit a weight loss plateau as some time or another.  It is very difficult to maintain your motivation through a plateau so it is very important to minimize their impact and the duration. 

If you aren’t familiar with the weight loss plateau concept, the best way to describe it is a point where weight loss slows dramatically, stops, or you even gain a pound or two back.  You aren’t doing anything different…you’re eating the same foods and working out like you have to get to this point.

Why does this happen?  There can be a number of reasons so here are a few tips to bust through them and kick start your progress once again:

1.)  Re-calculate your BMR

In June, I wrote an article on how to determine your BMR.   As you drop weight your BMR changes.  If you determine your daily caloric needs based on your BMR and your activity level and have lost weight based on eliminating 500 to 1000 calories from that number, you will, at some point, have to re-analyze your BMR to determine a new calorie level. 

Yes, I know, I have an “about me” page but a lot of people don’t go there and, to be honest, it doesn’t tell all of the story.  Plus, I wanted to give you all an idea of where I want to take Dave’s Press in the very near future.

The “Who”

Surprise!  My name really is Dave…or David…I respond to both.  And, yes, that is my cheesy picture to the left.  It was actually taken two and a half years ago after I had actually lost most of my weight.  I was born, raised, and currently reside  in Georgia (Metro Atlanta).  I did a four year stint in the Navy where I had the chance to live in a couple of different locations: Philadelphia and Charleston.

I’m sure most people find that they traditionally buy the same food and drinks every trip they make to the grocery store.  This can be a good thing but it can also be a very bad thing!  If your usual list consists of potato chips, margarine, baked goods, and frozen pizzas then you aren’t doing yourself any favors. 

So let’s replace those staples with healthy options but still tasty enough to satisfy. 

1.  Instead of chips, choose almonds

Natural almonds are best but roasted almonds are fine (and taste better).  While almonds wouldn’t be considered low calorie, they are extremely rich in Vitamin E and monounsaturated fats.  Monounsaturated fats are great for reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol. 

Talk about confusing!  Check out some of the supplement sites on the Internet.  There’s a couple of things to remember about the supplement industry: they are not FDA regulated and their marketing write-ups make them sound like all you have to do to get in shape is dab a little bit under arms and you’ll be good to go!  Yes, I’m joking about the “under your arms” part but the write ups are truly an art form.  If you’ve ever read any, you’ll know what I’m talking about.

So where does that leave us?  Which of the 50 different protein powders is the best?  Do you need the fat burners?  What about the different types of creatine?  Yep, tons of questions.   Whether you’re just getting started with weight training  or you’ve been doing it for a while, here are a few pointers to help.

When I first started working out a few years back, I was told, “You gotta eat egg whites!” I would even see guys at the gym bring liquid egg whites in the carton and storing them in the gym fridge to cook later. I ate them, but I never REALLY new why I should.

Do you know?

As it turns out, egg whites have no cholesterol, no fats, no transfats, and no carbs…only protein! This makes them VERY low in calories as well. Protein, as you know, is the key building block in building muscle. Not only does the egg white have protein, but it has THE ONLY protein (albumen) that is absorbed into your system immediately with a 100% absorption rate. No other food has this protein! In fact, experts have been trying to recreate this protein in protein bars and protein drinks but have not even come close to accomplishing their goal.

So there you have it!  The next time you make an omlette, seperate out the yolks and make it healthier!