Symptom: You want to throw in the towel.

Underlying cause: The numbers on the scale stop going down or start to creep up and you feel like you’ll never reach your target weight.

The Fix: “It’s important for people to understand that plateaus are a natural phenomenon and they will occur,” says Dr Christine Gerbstadt, national spokesman for American Dietetic Association.

Instead of despair, arm yourself with a list of strategies to help you break through it. Experts recommend implementing small behavioural changes such as taking a walk around the block after the diner or reducing the amount of dressing on your salad by a teaspoon or two.
And challenge yourself to run farther, lift more weigths or experiment with a new activity.
Studies show that dieters who have a postive attitude about their chances for success are more likely to take the weight off and maintain the loss.

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