Lucy Monroe's Blog, page 57
April 19, 2012
52 Weeks of Romance from Lucy Monroe!
Week 16's Featured BookAnd Able
by Lucy Monroe
3rd Book in Mercenary Trilogy Ready, Willing and And Able
Trade Paperback
Kensington Brava - May 2006
ISBN 0-7582-1176-7
Mass Market Paperback - September 2008
ISBN-10: 0758211775
ISBN-13: 978-0758211774
ISBN-13: 978-0758208767
What readers said about the trilogy...."Oh, Lucy, I loved it! It was sad to see the trilogy end because I loved them all so much, but it was a wonderful ending. Hotwire was every bit as tortured as Nitro, and I adored him. Clare was amazing - I loved her stubborn streak. A+++" ~ Stacy
"Ohhhh, and I finished ...and Able this week and it was sooooo good! It made me want to read all three books in the series over again in a row:) I'm sure the book you're working on now will be just as good, deadline dementia or not!" ~ Michelle
"I just finished reading your books Ready, Willing, & And Able. I love all the characters. I could not put the books down and felt I really knew these people. And Able just arrived from my book club yesterday and I have already finished it. What do you have coming out next?" ~ RobinClick to watch Book Trailer ~ Buy the book.
Contest Question
(Please leave your answer in the comment section. Winners will be announced on Saturday. If you leave your email address in your comment I will contact you regarding the prize otherwise you may check back on Saturday to see if you are the winner and email me.)And Able is the 3rd and final book in the Mercenary Trilogy. It tells the story of which two characters?
April 18, 2012
April 17, 2012
April's Retro Release!
MOON CRAVINGby Lucy MonroeISBN-10: 0425233049ISBN-13: 978-0425233047A Children of the Moon Novel #2Paranormal Historical WerewolfBerkley Sensation - February 2010
Excerpt from book:
Talorc stood before the English priest in the small chapel. The MacDonald warriors and most of the English baron’s soldiers had to remain outside. His own warriors, the MacDonald and five of his men, his bride’s family and a few English soldiers were the only witnesses for the wedding to come.
There were no flowers, no pomp and ceremony for this royally dictated marriage. That should not have bothered him, but the soft-spoken woman he had met the night before seemed to deserve more. Even if she was English. She had been so vulnerable, and yet when he had demanded to know if she planned to marry him, she had taken her time replying.
She had weighed him. He could feel her doing it, and she hadn’t been adding up the size of his lands in her head. She’d been judging him personally and something inside him had refused to be found wanting.
She was nothing like Emily, which was both good and bad. He did not relish the prospect of being likened to a goat by another Englishwoman, but he had no desire to see Abigail Hamilton eaten up and spit out by his clan. Emily had come to the Highlands to protect this very sister from such a fate. He could not help believing her fears had been justified.
Abigail spoke in whispers, seemed oblivious to her beauty and had a nervous habit of holding her hand over her throat when she talked. As if she was preventing the wrong words from coming out. His wolf felt protective toward her like he had no other besides family. Since the only one left, his younger sister Caitriona, was now mated to the Balmoral’s second-in-command, it had been a long time since Talorc had felt those instincts stir so restlessly.
He wanted to believe it was only because the woman was slated to be his wife, but his wolf had shown no such concern for her sister when King David had originally instructed Talorc to marry Emily. The wolf had wanted to howl at the evidence of bruising on Abigail’s pale skin.
And then hunt
Click to keep reading. ~ Buy the book.
Contest Question:Please leave your answer in the comment section. Winners will be announced on Saturday. If you leave your email address in your comment I will contact you regarding the prize otherwise you may check back on Saturday to see if you are the winner and email me.
Last Friday, Monica Burns shared a HUGE secret with us. She was part of new website launch. What is the name of the new website?
April 16, 2012
Getting Fit *is* a Challenge...especially with a chronic illness.
I saw a quote the other day that was very similar to something my mom always used to say and of course I loved it:
Anything worth having is worth struggling for.
Several things about my first ever Lucy Monroe Reader Fitness Challenge have surprised me. The number of entrants overshot my expectations by nearly two dozen. The percentage of those willing to sign up for MyFitnessPal and keep a daily food and exercise diary absolutely shocked me: a whopping 93%! How quickly the entrants started journaling and exercising once they had registered was also wonderfully astounding.
But nothing was more surprising and honestly heartening than the number of women signed up for the LMRFC, who like me, have chronic health conditions often including low to intense levels of pain on a daily basis. It's hard enough for a perfectly healthy person (and believe me, I truly do appreciate just how difficult it really is) to commit to a more fit lifestyle, but for someone who battles their own body on a daily basis? It's darn near impossible.
Or so I believed, before my Heavenly wake-up call and the determination it birthed in me to get my act together so I could be an active part of both my children and grandchildren's lives going into the future.
It's not impossible...it's just hard. And you have to take things in steps - sometimes itty-bitty-baby sized steps, but the goal is to move forward each day toward a healthier you.
As someone with diabetes, a thyroid condition we're still trying to find the right balance for, migraines, agoraphobia and intermittent back and joint pain, I know this to be true. But even more fundamentally, I hear this from the other coaches (who suffer things like fibromyalgia, clinical depression, diabetes, migraines, heart disease, etc.) and entrants (who are struggling with things like lupus, a heart transplant, thyroid disease, diabetes, social anxiety, chronic joint or back pain, etc.).
The really cool thing? Every single one of these women signed up for the fitness challenge anyway and they are all working hard toward getting as healthy as they can be.
In the search for understanding and a sympathetic friendship, we often end up allowing our illnesses to become the focus rather than efforts we can make toward better health. Probably because there is such a terrible prejudice in this country against the obese, we struggle to be acknowledged not just as fat - but as sick and not *because* we are fat.
We aren't defined by our weight...or our illness(es)! That's the truth we need to cling to. :)
Can I run a marathon? Goodness, no! But I can walk to the grocery store which is a mile from my house and three months ago, I couldn't walk around my block without huffing and puffing and lots of pain. I still can't do regular jumping jacks, but I can do circuit training with modified exercises and it's making a huge difference in my stamina, my energy levels and my attitude.
Is it harder to exercise and lose weight with diabetes and thyroid hormone outside the normal ranges than it used to be for me? Yes. Is it impossible? No!
I'm down more than 35 lbs since January 9th, but more importantly...I'm living a more active and engaged life than I have in several years. I'm stronger, happier, and healthier! And that's wonderful to me - I'm just so very grateful! But you know what else I'm grateful for, what makes me smile and really just bask in joy right now? 72 other authors and readers are in this with me - people who took the challenge to get more fit and are running with it because they want to...because they can!
Hugs,Lucy--
http://www.lucymonroe.com/
http://lucymonroeblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/LucyMonroe.Romancehttp://twitter.com/#!/lucymonroe
Anything worth having is worth struggling for.
Several things about my first ever Lucy Monroe Reader Fitness Challenge have surprised me. The number of entrants overshot my expectations by nearly two dozen. The percentage of those willing to sign up for MyFitnessPal and keep a daily food and exercise diary absolutely shocked me: a whopping 93%! How quickly the entrants started journaling and exercising once they had registered was also wonderfully astounding.
But nothing was more surprising and honestly heartening than the number of women signed up for the LMRFC, who like me, have chronic health conditions often including low to intense levels of pain on a daily basis. It's hard enough for a perfectly healthy person (and believe me, I truly do appreciate just how difficult it really is) to commit to a more fit lifestyle, but for someone who battles their own body on a daily basis? It's darn near impossible.
Or so I believed, before my Heavenly wake-up call and the determination it birthed in me to get my act together so I could be an active part of both my children and grandchildren's lives going into the future.
It's not impossible...it's just hard. And you have to take things in steps - sometimes itty-bitty-baby sized steps, but the goal is to move forward each day toward a healthier you.
As someone with diabetes, a thyroid condition we're still trying to find the right balance for, migraines, agoraphobia and intermittent back and joint pain, I know this to be true. But even more fundamentally, I hear this from the other coaches (who suffer things like fibromyalgia, clinical depression, diabetes, migraines, heart disease, etc.) and entrants (who are struggling with things like lupus, a heart transplant, thyroid disease, diabetes, social anxiety, chronic joint or back pain, etc.).
The really cool thing? Every single one of these women signed up for the fitness challenge anyway and they are all working hard toward getting as healthy as they can be.
In the search for understanding and a sympathetic friendship, we often end up allowing our illnesses to become the focus rather than efforts we can make toward better health. Probably because there is such a terrible prejudice in this country against the obese, we struggle to be acknowledged not just as fat - but as sick and not *because* we are fat.
We aren't defined by our weight...or our illness(es)! That's the truth we need to cling to. :)
Can I run a marathon? Goodness, no! But I can walk to the grocery store which is a mile from my house and three months ago, I couldn't walk around my block without huffing and puffing and lots of pain. I still can't do regular jumping jacks, but I can do circuit training with modified exercises and it's making a huge difference in my stamina, my energy levels and my attitude.
Is it harder to exercise and lose weight with diabetes and thyroid hormone outside the normal ranges than it used to be for me? Yes. Is it impossible? No!
I'm down more than 35 lbs since January 9th, but more importantly...I'm living a more active and engaged life than I have in several years. I'm stronger, happier, and healthier! And that's wonderful to me - I'm just so very grateful! But you know what else I'm grateful for, what makes me smile and really just bask in joy right now? 72 other authors and readers are in this with me - people who took the challenge to get more fit and are running with it because they want to...because they can!
Hugs,Lucy--
http://www.lucymonroe.com/
http://lucymonroeblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/LucyMonroe.Romancehttp://twitter.com/#!/lucymonroe
April 14, 2012
Weekly Contest Winners!
Weekly Contest Winners!
Moon Craving
Congratulations Betty Hamilton you will receive a copy of Lucy's Monroe's Moon Craving. Please email me with your name and address so I can get your prize in the mail.
52 Weeks of Romance from Lucy
Congratulations Amy you will receive a copy of Lucy's Monroe's book Willing. Please email me with your name and address so I can get your prize in the mail.
Reader Fitness Challenge - Week 1 Winners
Here are the first week's prize drawing contest winners. If you are a winner, you do not have to do anything (except maybe thank your giver ). Your prize will be shipped (emailed in case of eBook) directly to the address provided on your registration form. Carolyn will be contacting prize givers with your mailing address this week.
Vickie D. Fitness DVD from Lucy Monroe
Tina J. Invitation to Ruin by Bronwen Evans
Stacey D. A Desperate Journey by Debra Parmley
Heather B. Pleasure Me by Monica Burns
Tracy C. The First Bride by Sofia Hunt
Cyndi F. The Greek's Pregnant Lover by Lucy Monroe
Terms:
Prizes cannot be substituted or exchanged. If the prize is lost in the mail or customs, the giver cannot be held responsible and will not be shipping out replacement prizes.
Please do not contact me or the giver about not receiving the prize until a full thirty days have passed from today. I can't tell you the number of people who have contacted me over the years about a "lost" prize only to have it arrive the day after I asked my PA to take some of her very limited time in my office (I'm not Nora Roberts - my staff is small and all work very part-time) to look into it. Which is why I've had to follow in many other author's footsteps and institute the 30 day rule.
Congratulations to all the winners!
April 13, 2012
Guest Blog - Monica Burns
Letting the cat out of the bagHave you ever had a secret so big that every time you open your mouth, you're afraid you're going to let it slip? My friends know me well, and they’ve pretty much had to hog-tie me to keep my mouth shut about all the great news I have to share. For the last several months I've been hard at work with ten other authors to develop a way for readers to find quality reads. It’s been a crazy eight months preparing for the launch of Rock*It Reads, but this week, the group had their official launch, and now, I'm able to shout the news from the roof tops.
So, what is Rock*It Reads, you ask? We’re a group of New York authors who’ve banded together to help readers find quality self-published books. Some of our books are backlist and others are original, written solely for self-publication. Simply put, Rock*It Reads is our solution for helping readers find quality If you're a fan of e-books, you've probably purchased your share of titles that were full of typos, errors, and writing that doesn’t meet the standard you expect from a book. We’re determined to help readers find books that won’t make them regret their purchase. How do we do that? We’ve created this awesome logo that will be placed on all the covers of members’ self-published books. Our brand is like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Quality. It will be a sign to readers that here’s a book from an author committed to quality. It’s a fantastic way to help readers weed through the maze of all the self-publishing books you see online. It also doesn’t hurt to know that these are authors you know with stories you love.
The most important thing to know is that Rock*It Reads is not a publisher. We all publish our own books under our own name. When you see the Rock*It Reads logo, you’ll know the book you’re purchasing is written by an author who understands how important quality is to readers and is committed to a high standard of quality when self-publishing their works.
The members of Rock*It Reads have been handpicked, and each brings something unique and wonderful to the table. We have New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors in our group. All of our members are award-winning writers who love to tell a good story. We have all genres and categories, so no matter what your taste, you're sure to find something you like. We can’t promise you’ll love every story, but we do promise to provide you with quality writing, editing and formatting.
In addition to being committed to ensuring our own books are up to par for readers, the Rock*It Reads group is also excited to announce that we’re teaming up with Barnes and Noble to spotlight other quality indie pubbed titles in a brand new reader column! The column is called Love Rocks and will be hosted on the BNReview.com site.
Beginning April 23rd, Rock*It Reads authors will be spotlighting great indie pubbed books we've come across. These are gems and treasure nuggets readers might not discover without that word-of-mouth we all know is so important when you read a good book. These are books from authors you’ve probably never read or even heard of because we’d never heard of them either until we read them. So you’re going to find even more books that are great reads through our Love Rocks column over at BNReview.com. Most importantly, these are going to be self-published stories that will have to measure up to the same standards we hold for our own books.
I can tell you right now that I’m teaming up with fellow author Mia Marlowe for the first column of Love Rocks, and I’ll be talking about two books I pulled out of the stacks and have just fallen in love with. I loved this author, and I’m EXTREMELY picky because my reading time has really been crunched in the last two years. So be sure visit BNReviews.com on April 23rd for two wonderful recommendations!
If that's not enough to keep me excited, I also have a new book that I am about to release under the Rock*It Reads umbrella. Obsession, my forthcoming book, tells the story of Helen, a woman who is desperate to get away from her tyrannical uncle. Drugged and sold at a brothel, she is at the mercy of the man who purchased her, but Sebastian Rockwood, Earl of Melton, wants only her participation in a harmless charade. The Earl is haunted by his dark past, and values control above all else, but soon he finds holding onto his control is difficult when he is with Helen, and there may be something he values more, love.
Look for Obsession’s release in the next two weeks. And check out Rock*It Reads for more great books from me and the rest of our Rock*It Reads authors.
Indie PublishedLength: Full-length (approx. 390 pg / 100K+ words)
ISBN: 978-1-60504-121-6 (Print)
Coming April 2012 - Read an Excerpt
A woman on the edge of sin…
Helen Rivenall is willing to do anything to escape the brutality of her uncle’s home. But a promise of honest employment is a ruse. Drugged and auctioned off in a notorious London brothel, she finds herself won by a man who wants nothing from her except her participation in a harmless charade. Left with no choice, she reluctantly agrees, but as their web of lies grows, so does temptation and the realization that pleasure and sin are often one and the same.
A man about to lose all control…
Sebastian Rockwood, Earl of Melton is haunted by a dark secret in his past. One that taught him control is a personal trait to be valued above all others. He also learned never to give his heart to anyone. The risk is too great. Yet where Helen is concerned, his prized control is slowly giving way to temptation, and all too quickly he discovers nothing can protect him from the ultimate obsession—love.
April 12, 2012
52 Weeks of Romance from Lucy Monroe!
Week 15's Featured BookWILLING
by Lucy Monroe
2nd Book in Mercenary Trilogy Ready, Willing & And Able
Trade Paperback
Kensington Brava - January 2006
ISBN 0-7582-0876-6
Mass Market Paperback
Kensington Brava - August 2008
ISBN-10: 0758208766
ISBN-13: 978-0758208767
Josie McCall has been raised to be a soldier, and she could be the best—if she wanted it. Instead, she left her dad's mercenary school behind for a normal job in computers. But now that someone has torched the school and her dad is MIA from the hospital, Josie's going to use every bit of her merc training to find him and hunt down the culprits who took him. Josie knows a lot about explosives, hand-to-hand combat, and tracking. What she doesn't know about is sex. She has no idea what to do with the volcanic attraction she feels for her dad's new partner, Daniel Black Eagle. And that feels more dangerous than any bomb…
Daniel knows exactly what he'd like to do about that attraction. The brooding explosives expert can't get within five feet of Josie without wanting to touch, taste, and protect her—even if he's sure she would happily drop-kick him if she knew one sizzling moment of his fantasies. But he'll save it for later. Right now, he's got his hands full figuring out who set that bomb and took Josie's dad. Daniel's sure of one thing, though—he's not letting Josie McCall out of his sight for a single second. Convincing the cutest, most desirable trained soldier he's ever met that she needs a bodyguard isn't going to be easy. But if she'll let him, he'll show her he's willing to do whatever it takes to keep her safe, and along the way, he'll make her feel every inch a woman…
Click to watch Book Trailer ~ Buy the book.
Contest Question
(Please leave your answer in the comment section. Winners will be announced on Saturday. If you leave your email address in your comment I will contact you regarding the prize otherwise you may check back on Saturday to see if you are the winner and email me.)Reread the dedication, a few years ago something wonderful happened in our family. According to the dedication, what was that event?
April 11, 2012
Humpday Hottie!
A little cowboy for the midweek....Howdy!
April 10, 2012
April's Retro Release!
MOON CRAVINGby Lucy MonroeISBN-10: 0425233049ISBN-13: 978-0425233047A Children of the Moon Novel #2Paranormal Historical WerewolfBerkley Sensation - February 2010
Buy the book.
Contest Question:Please leave your answer in the comment section. Winners will be announced on Saturday. If you leave your email address in your comment I will contact you regarding the prize otherwise you may check back on Saturday to see if you are the winner and email me.
Last Friday Debra Parmley shared an interview with us. What did she do that caused her to rewrite the gunfight scenes in Dangerous Ties?
April 9, 2012
Everybody Plateaus Sometimes
It's true and we all know it:
everybody plateaus sometimes
. But that doesn't stop us from struggling when it's our turn to hit the weight loss desert Those weeks when we show little to no loss, though we know we're doing everything right. It almost feels like our bodies are our enemies and it's hard to be good when being good doesn't seem to get us anywhere.
It always makes me think of that song, you know the one...Everybody Plays the Fool Sometimes.
That plays through my head every time I think of plateaus because my mantra for those weeks when the scale doesn't reflect my efforts is - and let me say it again: Everybody plateaus sometimes . It's important to remember that plateaus are as much a part of weight loss as those weeks when we unexpectedly lose more than we'd hoped for. Not as much fun to be sure, but true all the same.
I love the way my husband looks at plateaus because he has them every few weeks and they last a week or two - but his steady progression downward has still been amazing and inspirational. He always reminds me that we all travel along over that plateau desert at some point, but if we stick with it and don't give up - BAM, excess weight is just going to fall right off the cliff. Those extra pounds have no more chance against our determination than the sheep in the picture. :)
The key here is not giving up, not allowing the depressing thoughts to lead us to doing something self-destructive - like eat a half-dozen Krispy Kreme donuts. ;-)
But just keeping on keeping on can get really tiring, and sometimes...it's not the thing to do. Sometimes we need to change things up. Our body may actually need a high calorie, high fat meal (I said ONE, not a weekend's worth ::wink::) to shock it out of a rut.
That's not to say every plateau should be met with a trip to Baskin and Robbins. In fact, there are some really straight forward reasons for plateaus that we can meet with action that will propel us through them. And we all like action, right? The chance to *do* something?
Unfortunately, we first need to face the truth of probably the most common reason for a plateau: some weeks we just aren't going to show weight loss. We can hope those weeks are few and far between but we are not going to get nearly as depressed by them if we acknowledge they *will* happen.
However there are times we plateau because our bodies retain water. Whether that's from excess sodium, hormone fluctuation (and even menopausal women and men have that), or something else out of balance in our bodies, we need to realize this does not reflect our true weight loss.
To counteract water retention, we should always be aware of our sodium intake and how much water we're drinking. It may seem counter-intuitive, but the more water we drink the more water flushes out of our systems. Drinking too much water can cause serious side effects, but imbibing 8-12 cups of water in a steady pattern throughout the day (NEVER all at once) will help our fat cells slough off the toxins and unnecessary energy reserves they are holding.
Sometimes we plateau because our bodies have gone into starvation mode. This is a particularly vicious cycle and the only way out is with patient determination. Eating less is so seductive when it comes with bigger numbers in weight loss to begin with. But the price comes later, when your body refuses to lose weight no matter how little you eat.
There are bloggers and even fitness experts that deny the existence of what is commonly referred to as starvation mode, but there have been scientific studies done that confirm not only its reality but the horribly destructive long term effects of it. And frankly, I've seen it first hand and will never let anyone tell me to eat less than my body needs again.
We really need to make sure our caloric intake is consistently meeting not only our nutritional but energy level requirements. That means that while eating 1200 calories a day might be the RDA for meeting nutritional needs, your body may need more nutrient dense, healthy calories to function properly. What calories you do consume need to be predominantly good calories: complex and fiber rich carbohydrates, lean proteins, a variety of vegetables and fruits, healthy fats and let me repeat: nutrient dense.
As an aside: while taking a multi-vitamin is essential in my opinion, I strongly suggest taking one that digests easily so you are actually getting the benefits of the vitamins and mineral's listed on the side of the bottle. The number of undigested multi-vitamins found in sewer water reclamation is testament to how many vitamins are on the market that give very little actual benefit to the body. Take a Gummy Vitamin, a liquid gel cap or those made from whole foods that digest more easily in the average person's stomach. :)
Eating frequent meals throughout the day will also keep your body from going into temporary starvation mode. This is particularly important for diabetics like myself, or those who suffer from hypoglycemia or people who have energy slumps during the day.
A personal trainer I consulted explained it like this: your body is on a four hour cycle for eating. That means that 4 hours without food and it starts to go into a hibernation mode. Your body is an efficient and inexorable machine and it will store energy as fat for later when it perceives the need to do so.
Going several hours between meals will simply result in your body deciding it has to store more of the calories you do eat.
This is particularly true when you first wake up in the morning and why breakfast is such an important meal. And skipping breakfast is made even worse when you exercise upon waking. You will basically null your exercise by not fueling your body beforehand. Some people get nauseated eating first thing in the morning. Some people, like me, take a medication that requires an hour before eating or drinking anything else. So, give yourself that hour, but don't exercise in the meantime and eat *before* you rush into your day.
Simply put, if you eat the same number of calories as someone else who does it over more frequent intervals - chances are, your body is going to store more of those calories and that could lead to a plateau.
Some people need to eat 4 times a day, some 5 and some - like me and most diabetics - need to eat 6 times a day (which means smaller meals and smarter snacks). Is it inconvenient? Sometimes. But it's also worth it. I have enough frustrations from my health challenges, having dips in energy and times I simply can't function because my blood sugars spike or drop alarmingly doesn't have to be added to them.
Ultimately, you need to find *your* optimum eating schedule and stick with it. You're worth it!
Sometimes, we plateau because our exercise regime has grown stale. Most of us have heard of muscle memory which impacts strength training, but cardio exercise can be impacted positively by not doing the same thing all the time as well. Doing something different from the routine just one day a week can tip you off the plateau and back on the path to your goal weight. Just please don't add ankle weights to exercise to increase your calorie burn. The long term cost to your knee joints isn't worth it. Not even sort of. :)
There are more reasons to plateau, we know that - far too many and complex for me to cover in a single blog post, but the fact is if we eat healthy foods at healthy intervals, drink an adequate supply of water and get a healthy amount of exercise, we *will* find the point where our excess weight drops off that cliff at the edge of the plateau. :)
Hugs and happy healthy endeavors,Lucy--
http://www.lucymonroe.com/
http://lucymonroeblog.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/LucyMonroe.Romancehttp://twitter.com/#!/lucymonroe
It always makes me think of that song, you know the one...Everybody Plays the Fool Sometimes.
That plays through my head every time I think of plateaus because my mantra for those weeks when the scale doesn't reflect my efforts is - and let me say it again: Everybody plateaus sometimes . It's important to remember that plateaus are as much a part of weight loss as those weeks when we unexpectedly lose more than we'd hoped for. Not as much fun to be sure, but true all the same.
I love the way my husband looks at plateaus because he has them every few weeks and they last a week or two - but his steady progression downward has still been amazing and inspirational. He always reminds me that we all travel along over that plateau desert at some point, but if we stick with it and don't give up - BAM, excess weight is just going to fall right off the cliff. Those extra pounds have no more chance against our determination than the sheep in the picture. :)The key here is not giving up, not allowing the depressing thoughts to lead us to doing something self-destructive - like eat a half-dozen Krispy Kreme donuts. ;-)
But just keeping on keeping on can get really tiring, and sometimes...it's not the thing to do. Sometimes we need to change things up. Our body may actually need a high calorie, high fat meal (I said ONE, not a weekend's worth ::wink::) to shock it out of a rut.
That's not to say every plateau should be met with a trip to Baskin and Robbins. In fact, there are some really straight forward reasons for plateaus that we can meet with action that will propel us through them. And we all like action, right? The chance to *do* something?
Unfortunately, we first need to face the truth of probably the most common reason for a plateau: some weeks we just aren't going to show weight loss. We can hope those weeks are few and far between but we are not going to get nearly as depressed by them if we acknowledge they *will* happen.
However there are times we plateau because our bodies retain water. Whether that's from excess sodium, hormone fluctuation (and even menopausal women and men have that), or something else out of balance in our bodies, we need to realize this does not reflect our true weight loss.To counteract water retention, we should always be aware of our sodium intake and how much water we're drinking. It may seem counter-intuitive, but the more water we drink the more water flushes out of our systems. Drinking too much water can cause serious side effects, but imbibing 8-12 cups of water in a steady pattern throughout the day (NEVER all at once) will help our fat cells slough off the toxins and unnecessary energy reserves they are holding.
Sometimes we plateau because our bodies have gone into starvation mode. This is a particularly vicious cycle and the only way out is with patient determination. Eating less is so seductive when it comes with bigger numbers in weight loss to begin with. But the price comes later, when your body refuses to lose weight no matter how little you eat.
There are bloggers and even fitness experts that deny the existence of what is commonly referred to as starvation mode, but there have been scientific studies done that confirm not only its reality but the horribly destructive long term effects of it. And frankly, I've seen it first hand and will never let anyone tell me to eat less than my body needs again.
We really need to make sure our caloric intake is consistently meeting not only our nutritional but energy level requirements. That means that while eating 1200 calories a day might be the RDA for meeting nutritional needs, your body may need more nutrient dense, healthy calories to function properly. What calories you do consume need to be predominantly good calories: complex and fiber rich carbohydrates, lean proteins, a variety of vegetables and fruits, healthy fats and let me repeat: nutrient dense.
As an aside: while taking a multi-vitamin is essential in my opinion, I strongly suggest taking one that digests easily so you are actually getting the benefits of the vitamins and mineral's listed on the side of the bottle. The number of undigested multi-vitamins found in sewer water reclamation is testament to how many vitamins are on the market that give very little actual benefit to the body. Take a Gummy Vitamin, a liquid gel cap or those made from whole foods that digest more easily in the average person's stomach. :)
Eating frequent meals throughout the day will also keep your body from going into temporary starvation mode. This is particularly important for diabetics like myself, or those who suffer from hypoglycemia or people who have energy slumps during the day.
A personal trainer I consulted explained it like this: your body is on a four hour cycle for eating. That means that 4 hours without food and it starts to go into a hibernation mode. Your body is an efficient and inexorable machine and it will store energy as fat for later when it perceives the need to do so.Going several hours between meals will simply result in your body deciding it has to store more of the calories you do eat.
This is particularly true when you first wake up in the morning and why breakfast is such an important meal. And skipping breakfast is made even worse when you exercise upon waking. You will basically null your exercise by not fueling your body beforehand. Some people get nauseated eating first thing in the morning. Some people, like me, take a medication that requires an hour before eating or drinking anything else. So, give yourself that hour, but don't exercise in the meantime and eat *before* you rush into your day.
Simply put, if you eat the same number of calories as someone else who does it over more frequent intervals - chances are, your body is going to store more of those calories and that could lead to a plateau.
Some people need to eat 4 times a day, some 5 and some - like me and most diabetics - need to eat 6 times a day (which means smaller meals and smarter snacks). Is it inconvenient? Sometimes. But it's also worth it. I have enough frustrations from my health challenges, having dips in energy and times I simply can't function because my blood sugars spike or drop alarmingly doesn't have to be added to them.
Ultimately, you need to find *your* optimum eating schedule and stick with it. You're worth it!
Sometimes, we plateau because our exercise regime has grown stale. Most of us have heard of muscle memory which impacts strength training, but cardio exercise can be impacted positively by not doing the same thing all the time as well. Doing something different from the routine just one day a week can tip you off the plateau and back on the path to your goal weight. Just please don't add ankle weights to exercise to increase your calorie burn. The long term cost to your knee joints isn't worth it. Not even sort of. :)There are more reasons to plateau, we know that - far too many and complex for me to cover in a single blog post, but the fact is if we eat healthy foods at healthy intervals, drink an adequate supply of water and get a healthy amount of exercise, we *will* find the point where our excess weight drops off that cliff at the edge of the plateau. :)
Hugs and happy healthy endeavors,Lucy--
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