I have always heard that plateaus could be physical or they could be emotional. I have encountered my own couple of them along my 6 years of following Weight Watchers during three separate journeys to goal. Following the birth of my first child I had 65 pounds to take off. I encountered a plateau when I was about 5 pounds from goal. I sat there for about a year until I finally became ready to break the cycle. In retrospect I know that I was in a huge adjustment phase. I was trying to figure out just what kind of Mom I was and who I was now that I was a Mom. Could I be skinny and a Mom all at once? It took me a while to embrace all the change, but eventually I was ready and got back to goal.
This time through, following the birth of my second child, I have just pushed past a 6 month plateau. This time I was in the course of buying a new house adjusting to the arrival of my second son, living with my in-laws and trying to figure out how the heck I could possibly get back to goal with two kids. One kid is tough, but two kids eat up every minute of time you thought was for you. In fact I will routinely set my alarm clock for 6:30am to go out for a run, only to have the littlest one sense that I might be doing something just for me, wake up screaming and not go back down. There is no lack of desire, but the time is simply sucked away from me.
Anyway, I digress, the thought I had is that in retrospect my plateaus have always been self imposed. They occur around change and upheaval and allow me to focus on other things while I gather myself. When I am finally feeling grounded, or just get mad enough I decide it is time to put the pedal to the metal and do the program like it always should be done. So I am losing again. What a joy. Funny how in the dark days of a plateau you begin to wonder if perhaps you never will lose again. If you are reading this and are feeling just that way, don't worry about it. This too shall pass. Take a look at just where you are in your life and perhaps now is more of a maintaining phase. The weight loss phase will return soon enough.
Liz