Find an exercise buddy and schedule Monday as the day to start an exercise program before or after work. This buddy also can help you negotiate a “plateau.”

Having a buddy who exercises with you on the same schedule and fitness level is a great way to stay motivated when  you want to watch reruns of "The Sopranos.”

And a buddy also can help us overcome the dreaded “plateau” that hits everybody trying to lose weight at one time or another.

You’re going great guns in your weight-loss program when suddenly, you hit the wall. You seemingly stall in your battle of the bulge. This is where you hit what fitness experts call a “plateau” – and its reasons for occurring are complex.

In numerous weight-loss studies with women, all dieters reported a plateau after about six months, regardless of the type of program they were following, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Metabolism at fault?

Some fitness experts believe a plateau relates to your metabolism, the rate at which your body burns calories for necessary functions. When you take in fewer calories, y our body adjusts – and starts to burn energy more slowly while storing up fat to avoid starvation. Then again, your food intake may have crept up without your even noticing it, thus your weight loss stalls.

Karen Collins, a dietitian and nutrition expert with the institute, says that  weighing yourself too often can make sometimes get you to thinking you’re not losing weight. She advises weighing weekly, not daily.

What’s more, hormonal changes, water retention and other variables in your daily physical condition can add or subtract pounds and give a misleading picture of how you're doing, Collins adds.

Tips to get over a plateau

However, you don’t have to remain at the plateau. From the Columbia University School of Public Health and Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, here are a few tips, in addition to finding a buddy, to help get your weight-loss program back on track by practicing a few tricks, such as:

•  Increase the intensity of your workout. For instance, dropping 20 pounds like a bad case of the flu can slash the number of calories you burn by as much as 12 percent during a typical workout. Increasing the intensity, length of time and how often you exercise can help you return to scorching off more calories.

In addition, you can challenge yourself. For example, if you walk or jog regularly on a treadmill, add an upward tilt to the machine. Or if you walk, jog or bike, add a hill or two.

•  Use a heart-rate monitor to help you determine when you’re not exercising hard enough.

•  Avoid seeing impossible weight-loss goals. Fitness experts note a “successful” weight loss is 10 percent of your weight when you started dieting and exercising. If you’re “big-boned,” forget about becoming petite, they add.

•  Watch your portion sizes when you eat. As you drop the pounds, your body doesn’t require as many calories.

•  Keep a dairy of the foods you eat to ensure you haven’t unknowingly increased your intake.

•  Add more weight and repetitions gradually, if you are engaging in strength training. But add just enough weight to tire out your muscles, not more than is mildly difficult.

•  Work different muscles on different days, and don't do any group two days in a row.

•  Hire a personal trainer. Yes, a personal trainer costs, but you may need professional guidance to get you over the hump of a plateau. Dietitians also can help you find the right foods.

Nubella News, a division of Marketing Technology Solutions, Inc., offers content intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We encourage our readers to seek prompt medical care for health issues and consult their physicians before starting a new diet, fitness regimen, or medical treatment.