Plateau

Is it even possible to plateau when I've only lost a total of 4 pounds? No idea. I'm frustrated that I'm still not dropping pounds. Sure, I feel better and I look a bit better in some places, but it's seriously upsetting to hop on the scale and want to cry looking at that number. I know it's not good to be thinking in such shallow terms, but it's upsetting.

I was recently browsing Taralynn McNitt's blog, Undressed Skeleton, and I found a great post about plateau. I'm honestly close to printing this out and posting it up on my dorm room wall so I can remember these tips for achieving success.

• Increase your calories and increase your workouts.
• Change your workout routine. Try new classes or focus on new muscles.
• Don’t eat the same thing over and over
• Continue to eat healthy, but take a couple days off working out to allow your body to relax and your muscles to rebuild. 
• Have a cheat meal to increase your leptin levels, shocking your metabolism, causing it to speed up. 
• Relax. Find a way to relive your stress. Yoga a couple times a week can help relax your body and muscles.
• Treat yourself. Depriving can cause stress and binge eating.
• Add strength training and weight lifting into your work out routine to speed up metabolism. 
• Calorie cycle. Don’t eat the same amount of calories everyday. Go up and down, but never under your recommended intake. If you go under, you will put your body in a starvation mode. That will seriously damage your body.
• Stop weighing yourself. Focus on the measuring tape. Your scale may not be changing, but you may be losing inches. 
• Be patient. It didn’t take you overnight to gain the unwanted weight. It won’t come off overnight either.
• Increase your water intake to speed your metabolism. 
• Eat more fiber.
• Increase your social life activities. Going out and clearing your mind from a weight-loss plateau can help you relax and push forward.

I understand that obviously weight loss is something that will come gradually, as I am literally starting from scratch -- I'm at the heaviest I've ever been and honestly, I'm just tired of not being happy. I do honestly want change and I am going to try keeping each of these tips in mind throughout my days.

What is your #1 tip for success in your weight loss/journey to health?