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MSN Health & Fitness January 30, 2007

Know this scenario? You're in a great dieting rhythm, shedding fat as perfectly as it falls from frying bacon, when the weight loss suddenly stops.  Just like that.

Your mind reels and demands to know, what's going on? Control your panic, say experts, you've hit a well-known and very common phenomenon called the weight loss plateau.

"A plateau is almost always when people give up," warns clinical psychologist Dr. Jeff Wilbert, author of Fattitudes. "If you can make it through a plateau it's really a tribute to your determination."

Here's some advice for enduring a plateau and getting back to paring pounds.

Expect it.

Anticipate a plateau and prepare your mind for the challenge. "People have to realize that everybody goes through it and this, too, shall pass," says Ann Louise Gittleman, author of The Fat Flush Plan.

Be honest with yourself.

Are you sure you're not cheating? (Not even a little?)

Make adjustments.

OK, you haven't slackened on the food or exercise front. So look for inventive ways to budge your butt off the plateau.

"Often it's a good time to see if there's something you can tweak," suggests dietician and iVillage columnist Lynn Grieger. "Maybe it's time to start lifting weights, walk longer than 30 minutes, or stop drinking wine with dinner."

Up your metabolism.

Dieting is a double-edged sword: You modify your food intake to lose weight, but losing weight slows your metabolism, the very thing that burns calories.

Increasing exercise is the most obvious way to speed up your metabolism. Gittleman contends your weight loss may also resume if you eat an extra four to six ounces of protein per day. "Protein has the ability to increase metabolism by up to 30 percent," she says.

Balance your brain chemicals Also according to Gittleman, you can eat an additional serving of healthy, high-fiber carbohydrates every two days while you're on a plateau. These "friendly carbs" balance serotonin, the brain chemical that soothes and satiates the body. Free of irritation, you're less likely to make poor food choices that will bust your diet, she says.

Dump toxins.

Eat high fiber foods (such as flaxseed crackers) or high fiber supplements to spark internal cleansing, too, Gittleman says. "It helps to release toxin-laden fluids and waste, which can sometimes allow you to lose another two to three pounds."

Try a magic bullet?

Conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, is a supplement that proponents claim burns fat and enhances muscle growth. One gram, three times a day, recommends Gittleman.

Ask for help.

Turn to support and motivation wherever you can find it during your slump. If it isn't forthcoming from family and friends, consider reaching out to a virtual community.

When all else fails.

"People can try things, but sometimes the body just needs to adapt for a period of time," says Grieger. In other words, you may stay on your plateau for weeks, even months. Or – the really bad news – perhaps you've lost as much weight as you're ever going to.

Whatever the case, a plateau is an excellent time to reflect on your goals. If you've achieved the other important objectives of your diet, such as lowered blood pressure, you may have to be OK with wherever your body settles.