by Linda Batey

Created on: October 04, 2008   Last Updated: January 27, 2011

It's extremely frustrating to get so close to your goal and get stuck on a plateau with ten pounds to go. It may seem as though those last few pounds are stuck to you like Velcro, but with a few minor adjustments you can finally say goodbye to that scale that seems permanently stuck . Here are five easy ways to get off that plateau and into a smaller size.

1. Whatever exercise routine you have, do it in reverse. If you've been walking a mile, doing pilates for thirty minutes and weight training for thirty minutes, kick it up by reversing the order. Your muscles actually get a bit lazy when they do the same thing all the time-fool them into moving again!

2. Many of us have tons of pennies lying around the house; roll them up. Thirty rolls of pennies weigh approximately ten pounds. Every time you lose a pound, put three rolls of pennies into a basket. Whenever you get the urge to blow off your exercise or are looking in the refrigerator at midnight, go lift the basket to remind yourself of how much weight you have lost. When you've lost five pounds, take out the pennies and put in a five-pound bag of sugar. Just the sight of what that looks like can be quite inspiring.

3. Enroll in a free online diet program and get a buddy. Take advantage of the forums and get the support you need to lose those last few pounds. Even if you don't follow that particular diet program, you'll find support, plus it keeps you busy when what you really want to do is go raid the fridge. Most of these programs also have an online journal for writing down everything you eat and all of your exercise, which can be an eye-opener.

4. Go play! Kicking a soccer ball around the park or a game of toss with your child is a great way to take your mind off food and give you fresh air and exercise. How long has it been since you flew a kite or rode a bike. Have you tried in-line skating? Shooting hoops? Find new ways to have fun. Right now it's winter and I dug out my snowshoes and a fifteen minute walk in fresh snow BURNS those thighs!

5. Go back to what worked when you first began dieting. Did you carefully journal and watch portion sizes carefully? Are you drinking enough water? Are you getting too few calories, which forces your body to go into starvation mode and not burn off fat? Are you nibbling and not counting those calories? Carefully re-examine what helped and then do it like it was your first time dieting.

It's important to remember that muscle weighs more than fat; if you've converted fat into muscle it's very hard to lose what you think you must because it is no longer easy for your body to burn stored fat. If you've lost inches and are a smaller size then maybe you need to rethink your goal. Was your goal unrealistic for your body structure? Don't use these ideas as a cop-out, but seriously rethink if you need to lose any more weight right now. You may find that you are right where you should be!

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