Jumpstart Your Fitness: Why the scale is stuck (and how to get it moving)

Frustrated because it seems like no matter how hard you try to eat right and exercise the needle on the scale just won't budge? Or maybe you were making progress until suddenly it stopped, and now you don't know why or how to get it moving again?

Ugh, that's the pits. The good news is that it could be a simple situation of you inadvertently sabotaging yourself. Do you ever grocery shop when you're hungry? Take a lot of "taste tests" when cooking? You might be surprised at some of the ways calories and pounds can sneak into your life -- right past you and your diet plan.
Statistics show that people who go grocery shopping on an empty stomach are more likely to pick up foods high in fat, sugar, and salt. The best thing is to avoid the store altogether when you're hungry or having a craving, but if you can't help it then try to stick to the outer aisles (usually dairy and produce) and don't let yourself deviate from your shopping list at all. Or, if you can swing it, shopping online for groceries has been shown to help people make fewer impulse purchases.

Having lots of choices may sound like a good thing, but in reality too many options may lead to too much indulgence. It's all about the different flavors -- the more choices you have bigger your appetite will seem. Keep snack foods limited to just one at a time in the house -- indulge a little bit each day and commit to hold off buying anything else until it's gone.

Sure, a little bit of "quality assurance" is necessary, but if you're not careful you could easily consume a whole meal's worth of calories before dinner is even served. Recruiting a spouse or friend to cook with you can help (you'll be too busy talking to be snacking), playing some music and singing along could work, or (my personal favorite) just chew gum.

This one is generally a good thing (comfortable people are happy people!) but the downside is that if all of your clothes are loose and flowing you're not getting any of the early weight gain hints that you would be if you wore less forgiving fitted or non-stretchy outfits. So go ahead and wear your comfy stuff the majority of the time, but on weekends (when you're more likely to overeat) try to pull out the fitted jeans.

Working 40+ hours per week has been directly linked to bigger waistlines. Stress and fatigue make you less likely to exercise and more likely to crave greasy or sugary foods. Not to mention having less time outside of work means you're probably hitting more fast food joints instead of cooking and skipping the gym. If you must stay late make a point to take a few mini-breaks to boost your mood and energy level. Get a few good laughs in with a coworker, listen to your latest favorite song, or do some stretches or strength moves at your desk.