Episode 12: Pushing Through That Weight Plateau Like a Boss Lady

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Welcome to the Reclaim Podcast. I’m your host, Leah Van Dolder. I’m a weight loss dietitian and a mindset coach, and this program is for you if you’re a busy working woman or female entrepreneur and you’re ready to take charge of your health. You’re ready to lose weight and make lasting positive change in your life. The only kicker is that you’re on the brink of burnout. You’re exhausted, you are frustrated, you’re feeling discouraged and uncomfortable, and this is how I help my clients.

Giving you simple, practical, and savvy strategies to help you achieve your goals while reducing your stress, boosting your mood, your energy, and your self-confidence. To learn more about working with me, check out my website at leahvandolder.com. Welcome to the show.

Hey guys, welcome to this week’s episode of the Reclaim Podcast. I’m your host, Leah Van Dolder. I’m so excited to chat with you today about pushing through that weight plateau like a boss lady. How many times have you been so frustrated when you get to that weight plateau and you’re just looking for strategies and even the right mindset to really help you push through that? That’s what we’re talking about today, and let’s get right into it.

And I’m really excited to open up and share a lot of my personal journey too because you know what, you may think that I do not know what this whole emotional roller coaster feels like, but girl, I go through all the same things with business growth. There are so many parallels when it comes to weight loss journey and business journey. So I’m going to open up and be vulnerable and share a little bit about some of the fears that I’ve had to overcome and push past my plateaus. So let’s go.

And hey, before we get into this today, if you’re not following me on Instagram, go do so now. My handle is @leahvandolder. I’m on there every day. I love connecting with you there, and plus it gives you a chance to get to know me a little bit better, right?

Let’s talk about the real frustrations when it comes to a weight plateau because it’s part of your weight loss journey, right? It would be ridiculous not to expect a weight plateau along your journey. And I think that’s one thing that really trips us up, right? And especially if you’ve done a lot of different programs or diets or weight loss coaching in the past, the expectation is unrealistic.

I hear a lot from women that I work with. It’s like, well, if I’m not losing a pound every week, then I don’t get a checkmark on my chart. Or if I don’t have some good news to share about weight loss with my weekly meeting, then I don’t get applause. That stuff irks me. You know why? Because weight loss, your body is not going to lose weight every single week, every single month until you achieve your goal weight. Like, seriously, if it was that easy, we’d all be where we wanted to be right now.

There’s going to be bumps in the road. There are going to be those pauses, those moments where your weight plateaus. That’s part of this. This is real life weight loss. And to me, I mean, I’m here to share not only my expertise because I’ve been doing this for over a decade and I’ve worked with, oh my gosh, thousands of women over that 10 years, helping you with strategy around it and really helping you get in the right frame of mind. Because would you agree that we can be our own worst enemy and the head game is like that struggle is real.

So I want to help you just get your head on straight around the weight plateau. I’m going to talk about four things today. First one kind of rolls along with what I was just saying in terms of real life weight loss. But number one, first and foremost, to help you push past this plateau, girl, you got to have a reality check. That is number one. A reality check.

What is a true plateau? Well, speaking as a weight loss dietician that’s been doing this for 10 years, would it surprise you to know that a true weight plateau is when your weight has been stable for about two months, two months, not two days, not two weeks, two months. So please get out of your head and stop beating yourself up so much when you haven’t seen a change on the scale in the last few days or the last few weeks. Honey, that is not a true plateau.

I have this conversation all the time with my clients and to be honest with you, it’s a huge relief, right? It’s a huge relief and it provides that confirmation and that comfort. It’s like, okay, so like, I’m not the only one that has a weight plateau or, you know, I don’t see a change on the scale for a couple of weeks or even a month at a time. Like, I am here to normalize that for you. It’s so normal.

So when you’re going through one of those times, it’s a perfect time to just take a pause and say, hold on, let’s do a reality check here. Take a step back, gain some perspective and remember, a true plateau is only a true plateau when you haven’t seen any movement on the scale for about two months. So take a step back and take a look at trends over time versus just a couple of days worth because that does not give you a trend, right? Trends come with time, not a couple of days. So that’s the first one. Have a reality check.

I’ve had to do this a lot with my business too, right? Kind of pushing through plateaus in terms of income levels, right? Or bringing in a certain number of clients per month. You know, I have to have a reality check. And instead of being in my head and beating myself up, it’s like, oh, well, I’m not bringing any clients in this month. Or like, oh my gosh, I feel like I’m stuck at this income level for the last couple of months. Like, whoa, whoa, whoa. Just take a pause, gain some perspective, look at the trends, get out of your head, have a reality check.

All right. Tip number two here. Shift your perspective. I love this one because if your perspective right now around a weight plateau is, oh my gosh, this is terrible. What am I doing wrong? And you’re basically trying to avoid weight plateaus at all costs. Your perspective around a weight plateau is not so great, right? And there’s a lot of frustration and shame and guilt and it’s not a great headspace to be in.

So how about this perspective instead? I’m just going to throw this out there. You could totally take it or leave it, but I find it’s helpful for a ton of my clients. Why not embrace it or look at it as a momentary pause in your journey that is there for a reason? It’s just a blip on the big picture and it’s there for a reason because maybe that pause or that plateau is there to teach you a lesson.

Maybe it’s there to help you learn a new skill or maybe develop something within you, develop something within your character, right? To really push you through that next level. I mean, some, well, I’m just going to open up and share personally with you. I mean, when I hit a plateau in terms of clients or in terms of money coming into my business, that’s usually a time where I’m like, all right, what do I need to learn here? Nine times out of 10 and give me a thumbs up if you agree over there. Oh my gosh, it’s a lesson in patience.

The universe is just saying like, just slow down. You got to slow down before you speed up, right? It’s a lesson in patience, usually a lesson in my attitude towards things, being more grateful for what I’ve accomplished, being grateful for what I have, being grateful for my skill set. And I share this stuff with my clients too. They’re like, yes, you’re right. It’s a lesson in patience. It’s a lesson in gaining perspective, really, you know, being aware of my attitude. And another one, a lesson in personal development, right?

I mean, patience absolutely comes along in that, but maybe it’s a lesson in, you know, how to stop caring so much about what people think of you, right? And I’ll talk more about that in tip number four. So stay with me, girl, because it just keeps getting juicier here. So instead of thinking of the weight plateau as this horrible thing that you want to avoid at all costs, embrace it as that momentary pause. It feels so much better.

And it’s that reassurance like, hey, this isn’t a forever thing. And this is here to teach me something. And look for that look for the lesson, look for the skill, and maybe that personal development. And hey, if you’re loving this episode, and if you’re loving this podcast in general, I would love if you took 30 seconds of your time to go rate five stars and review this podcast.

It honestly helps so much with the growth of this podcast. Plus, it helps with the resources that allow me to get these out to you every single week because I got tons to share with you. So give it a five-star rating and a review so I can just connect every single week. Thank you for that.

All right, let’s get into the third tip here, how to push through that plateau like a total boss. Third one, this is a really great time to reevaluate and to re-strategize. I mean, you hear it all the time on social media, right? It’s like, oh, if you’re at a plateau, you know, this is a great time to switch things up, right? There’s definitely validity in that. And the biggest things I’m going to share with you are the three top strategies that I share with clients around a weight plateau.

First and foremost, really looking at changes in metabolic rate because would it surprise you to know that your metabolic rate actually changes when you’re losing weight and your body doesn’t require as much energy or as many calories to move around, say 160 pounds than it did to move around 180 pounds. So as you’re losing weight, your metabolic rate is slowly coming down and you’re losing less energy, losing, or sorry, using fewer calories throughout the day because you’re at a lower body weight.

So at a plateau time, it’s a really great time to reevaluate, okay, well, what are my energy needs? What are my calorie needs? I use those words interchangeably, right? Calorie is just a unit of energy in the science world. Energy, calorie, same thing. Great time to reevaluate intake, right? What’s coming in the tank in terms of food, beverages, alcohol.

And the second one that goes along with that is really reevaluating your portions, right? There’s something that happens along your weight loss journey, especially in that plateau time. I call it portion distortion. And what that means is we slowly just start to pick a little bit more here and there.

You know, you’re eating the crusts off your kid’s plate and you think in your mind this little permission is like, oh, whatever. Like it’s a little bit of crust. It’s not going to make a difference. Like hold your tongue because it makes a difference over time. Portion distortion. It happens a lot. You know, I was just talking to a client the other day. She’s like, okay, like I’m absolutely like putting a little bit more on my plate here or socializing more.

You know, there are more social events on the calendar and like having a little bit more hors d’oeuvres or appetizers. Definitely picking a little bit more off my kids’ plates. You know, I haven’t been as diligent with slowing down and eating. So I’m definitely clearing the plate more often versus eating to the point of feeling, you know, about 80% full and putting the leftovers in the fridge.

So I’m sure as I’ve been talking about this, your wheels are spinning. You’re like, oh my gosh, that’s what I’m doing. Girl, it happens all the time. I know my stuff. I know what’s going on out there. Portion distortion. So reevaluate your portion sizes. Thinking about adding in more vegetables again, right? Reevaluating or even grabbing your measuring cups to look at the carbohydrate portions with your rice, your pasta, your potatoes, your bread, things like that, and your protein, right?

Getting about 20 to 30 grams of protein at your meals, which is about palm size. And the last one, fitness. Stop trying to lose more weight by doing more cardio. It’s not the best way to do it. You’re going to not have a great time. It feels like a chore. So what’s the better way to go? Build in strength, strength training.

And you know what? This is something that I started doing about six months ago because I mean, I think to myself, like I better not be sitting here telling everybody what to do unless I’m doing it myself. So I started strength training just two days a week, right? Got my hubby to put together a strength training plan for me. I know a total perk. He’s an athletic therapist and a trainer. So it’s great to have him around.

So adding in strength training because it helps to build muscle and muscle is more metabolically active than fat mass. So it really helps not only with pushing through that weight plateau, but it absolutely helps with the body composition, right? And you may think to yourself like, oh, maybe I’m not seeing a bunch of changes or as quick changes on the scale. But now that you’ve been leveling or layering in the strength training, you’re seeing a change in your body.

You’re seeing a change in your measurements and you’re seeing a change in how your clothes are fitting. And I mean, another thing, hello, when you’re going to push big weights around, like you feel amazing. It’s uncomfortable to start, but there is such a sense of accomplishment, right? Like, you know what I’m talking about if you strength train and girls, if you don’t, it’s coming. It’s that sense of accomplishment. You just feel so good because you really did something tough. It’s like very calculated stress on your body, right?

It’s tough, but for a short period of time. So that’s the third one, the third strategy to just get the scales moving again, but also really put you in a good headspace using that strength training, really looking at your metabolic needs, your calorie needs, and looking at portions again. Those are three big things that are going to help you.

And hey, if you have ever thought about just chatting with me about your goals, you can absolutely send me a DM on Instagram @LeahVanDolder, or there is a link in my show notes. There’s a four-minute program promo video that gives you a little overview of the program, my approach. And also below that video, there’s an application built into that link. So check out my show notes if you want to learn more about my program, my coaching program, and you want to apply to work with me. I’d love to chat.

Last one, how to push through that plateau. Oh, this is the juiciest of them all. So here’s the thing. If you’ve had your reality check, you’ve had your shift in perspective around your weight plateau, seen it as a pause, a momentary pause, and you’ve reevaluated and you’ve re-strategized, you know what to do. But here’s the kicker. You’re not doing it.

You’re having a really tough go actually executing the things that need to be done. And this is where the fourth tip comes in. You got to overcome your fears. Because if you know what to do, you know how to do it, you’ve got all the skills and you’re not doing it, that tells me that’s like a red flag that says that there’s something deeper going on.

There is something deeper at an emotional level, at a mindset level that is stopping you from doing the thing because there is now fear that is holding you back from doing the things that you need to do. Because our brain is programmed to keep us safe, right? There’s this very powerful programming within our brain, our subconscious brain that protects us from feeling pain and it protects us from feeling discomfort, right? And fear legit, you know, fear legit is there to keep us alive.

But fears such as failure, judgment, rejection, those aren’t fears that are going to kill us. They’re going to be uncomfortable, but they’re not going to kill us. So I help my clients on a much deeper level than just strategizing. It’s really tapping into what’s going on at the emotional level, what’s going on at the thought process level because what you’re thinking about that has everything to do with your feelings, right? Your thoughts, they elicit feelings and emotions, and those feelings and emotions affect your actions or your behavior, right?

Overcoming fear. And you know what, I’m going to open up and share the three biggest fears that I’ve had to overcome over the last three years of building a business. And maybe you can relate to these along your weight loss journey. Surprise, surprise. The first one is the fear of failure, right? That was massive within my first year of building a business. And maybe you can relate to this too, right? Maybe you’re just starting off on your weight loss journey. Maybe you’re within that first year and there’s some self-doubt. There’s some fear of failure. And that little whisper, it’s like, ah, can I really do this? You haven’t had the full buy-in, right? You haven’t had that, like that full commitment yet. And within that first year, I had to get over that real quick and I had to make a decision. I’m like, this is it. Like, I am doing this. I had to stop giving myself an out and stop entertaining the idea that there was a way out of this. So that could be something to ask yourself. It’s like, have you actually committed? Like, have you made the 100% commitment and choice that you’re going to do this thing? Because that fear of failure, that’s like a crack in your integrity. And it just penetrates into you. And it starts to bring up all of this self-doubt, all of these fears. And it’s not a great feeling. So that’s something that I helped my clients overcome as well because I’ve had to figure that out too. Fear of failure, second massive one. So this happened in my second year. Fear of judgment. Who here can relate to that fear? You’re scared of what people may think of you. You’re afraid of getting criticized by loved ones or family or friends as you’re making positive change in your life, right? You’re fearful about maybe losing some friends along this journey. Fear of judgment is like, that comes up a lot. And you know who I was really fearful of judgment from when I built my own business? Believe it or not, I was afraid of judgment from my peers out of all people. I had this irrational fear, this irrational thought in my mind, like, what are my peers going to think of me? What are my colleagues going to think of me that I stepped out of this little clinical dietitian role, nine to five, working in a hospital or working in a family healthcare setting? Like, what are they going to think? What are they going to think about my content on Instagram? Like, heaven forbid somebody have an opinion, right? Can you hear your own story within my story? That’s my objective here. I’m sharing this stuff with you because girl, I can relate to how you feel. We’re on our parallel tracks here. You’re on your weight loss journey. I’m on my business journey. And guess what? The emotional ride. Oh girl, it’s a lot of the same stuff. So I know what it feels like. I’ve been there. I know how to overcome it. And this is how I help my clients. It’s almost like, and it’s so cool because I really noticed this over the last years, but it’s almost like that next level within your weight loss journey requires that evolved level of you. It’s the same thing with my business, right? Like every year it’s like that stepping stone, right? The stair step, what’s pushing you through that glass ceiling. It’s like, all right, what do I need to do? I need to level up as a woman because every step in your weight loss journey requires that next level of you. So it’s very empowering to me anyway. And I hope you too. Third fear that I really had to get over, and this is in the last year for sure. Oh man, good old fear of rejection. Who can relate to that? You’re fearful of hurting somebody’s feelings, right? You’re fearful of hearing no from somebody. You’re fearful of standing up for yourself and standing up for the people pleaser within you. You’re afraid to, yeah, you’re just afraid of that rejection because it hurts. And these fears come up because it’s likely happened within your lifetime, right? Fears develop, they are conditioned early on in our life, right? And when I’m working with clients, that’s something that we have to go back to. Going back to previous experiences in their life, like what is actually holding you back from breaking through that glass ceiling with your weight plateau? Maybe it’s some irrational fear around rejection or judgment from childhood. Maybe some uncomfortable situation or setting, that fear of failure. Who knows? Maybe you saw your parents try to lose weight and they quote unquote were not successful. Or some fear within you, fear of failure because I don’t know, maybe you’ve failed at something else in your life and now it’s holding you back. It’s starting to knock down your confidence and you’re starting to doubt yourself more. Like this stuff goes deep. And for the sake of the podcast episode today, I’m just going to say that, that it goes quite deep. And this is what’s so powerful about working with me. This is why I do what I do because girl, there is such an incredible transformation within our journey together. Why I do what I do. Yeah, you get happiness out of your weight loss, but you know what really makes you happy? You know what really fills you with joy, with pride, with accomplishment? That sense of accomplishment is showing up for yourself. You’re stepping out of your shell. You’ve stopped playing it safe. You stop playing it small and you take risks, and you do those things that are unlike you. And that’s what this is all about. That’s the whole point, right? Stepping out of your comfort zone, gaining a little bit of confidence with doing new things and that confidence just builds little steps, big impact, just blows you out of the water. It’s amazing to see the transformation in my clients. Like I’m getting goosebumps just talking about it.

So overcoming your fears will a hundred percent push you through that glass ceiling. I mean, I was trying to tend to a woman the other day, her and I’ve been working together for a couple of years now, long-term client lover. She got big goals, right? She’s like, I want to lose 50 pounds. I’m like, all right, let’s freaking do this thing. Big glass ceiling of hers, massive fear of judgment and rejection came from childhood, uncovered that big people pleaser within her, right? How did this show up on her day? She knew that she needed to do strength training. She knew she had to really rein in the socializing snacks and the portions when she was dining out, but she was afraid of judgment. She was afraid of rejection. She was afraid of hurting people’s feelings. So we worked diligently on that for months and she just broke through that glass ceiling. She’s down seven more pounds and you know what? She’s feeling more confident than ever. I’m getting goosebumps again here, but she’s like, I cannot believe the amount of confidence that I had. I never knew that I could feel this powerful. Like that is what this is all about. You’re unstoppable. It’s in you. I help you see that. And I’ve had to learn all of this on my own too. So I mean, I would never share something with you that I haven’t had to figure out and get over myself. Overcoming those fears, it breaks through that glass ceiling. You’ve now evolved. Like every single step in your weight loss journey, you’re evolving into this best version of you. And it feels so amazing.

So I entitled this episode, pushing through that weight plateau like a boss lady. Like this is how a boss lady does it. Evolving every single step, learning something about herself, developing skills, open to feedback, open to challenges, open to personal development. Are you that boss lady? And maybe you’re that boss lady that has kind of reverted back over the years. Maybe you’re a boss girl and you want to turn into that boss lady again. You really want to reclaim your power, your confidence, and you’re at that tipping point. If you are a girl, let’s chat. If we haven’t talked before, send me a message on Instagram. Just send me a DM. Tell me that you listened to this episode today. I’d love to chat more about your goals. Or if you just want to get right into it and apply to work with me, do that. Check out my show notes. The application link is there in my show notes.

So action steps for you today. I mean, we covered a lot. This has been a good one. I hope you’ve really enjoyed it, found it really helpful. And just shift your perspective on things, right? Get you all fired up. I know I’m all fired up over here. So now that we’ve talked about reality check, shifting your perspective, reevaluating, re-strategizing, and overcoming your fears, some action steps for you over your journey when you reach that weight plateau. If there’s a stall on the scale for a few weeks, few months, take a breath, gain perspective, right? That’s action step number one. Just give yourself some grace. Look at the big picture. I like to say look over the last three to six months. What has the weight loss trend been over the last three to six months, not the last three to six days? So that’s the first action step. Take a break, take a pause, gain some perspective.

Next action step, ask yourself, what do I need to learn here? What is this pause here for? It’s a good time to ask, hey, what am I struggling with? What are the same things that I’ve been hitting a wall with? Is it getting in that exercise? Maybe that is a wall that you’re trying to get through, having a hard time executing your exercise. Maybe it is the people pleaser within you that’s struggling to say no to other people. You’re struggling to put yourself on the priority map. Maybe you’re struggling with social settings and you find that you’re eating six days’ worth of calories in two nights over the weekend. So it’s a great time to just stop and reflect and ask, where am I struggling? Where am I spinning my tires? What’s going on here?

And last action step two, and I like to do this when I’m walking, right? Great reflection space if you’re exercising or even writing things down, you’re journaling, but kind of going back to overcoming those fears and breaking through that glass ceiling by asking yourself, who’s the woman I need to be to break through this glass ceiling? Who’s that woman? Because you know what to do, but who do you have to be? What do you have to say to people? Maybe what do you have to reinforce in yourself? Who’s that woman you need to be to break through that glass ceiling? Maybe it is overcoming some massive fears around failure, judgment, rejection. Maybe it is overcoming some feelings around shame and guilt. And I know these are doozy action steps. They really are. And maybe you feel really confident with tackling them on your own, right? And maybe you don’t. And you know what? That’s okay. I was not confident with tackling these things three years ago. That’s why I’ve had business and mindset coaches from day one. It’s okay to reach out for help with all this stuff, right? I’ve had business coaches from day one.

So if you’re looking to really gain traction in your weight loss journey, to build your confidence along the way, to look good, to feel good, to take those risks, to live your life to the fullest, you’re looking for some guidance in someone who’s going to be there every step of the way, hold your hand, be there for you emotionally, give you a pat on the back, keep you going. Girl, we might just be the best fit. I was trying to do a woman the other day. She’s like, oh my gosh, I wish I met you five years ago. I’m like, I know. Reach out, send me a DM on Instagram, or check out the show notes to apply to work with me. I’m so excited just to talk to you, talk about your goals and see you for a good fit.

Thank you so much for joining me today. I’ve absolutely loved connecting with you on this deeper level. Like this is meaningful, powerful stuff. And I want to thank you for your attention today. If you haven’t rated this episode today, go check it out. Go put a five-star rating, put a little review, take 30 seconds of your time to do that. And I am so excited to connect in next week’s episode. Thank you so much for tuning in, girl. We’ll talk to you soon. Thanks for tuning into this episode of the Reclaim Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode, I encourage you to follow, rate, and review. To learn more about working with me, check out my website at leahvandolder.com. Thank you again for being here. It means the world to be able to connect with you. Girl, keep doing amazing things. You have everything that it takes to achieve your goals and be successful at anything that you want.