Losing the Last 10 Pounds

It may be tough, but with extra effort you can succeed!

Born-again exerciser — That’s what Michelle Yocom calls herself, and she firmly believes that “if I can do it, others can too.” Her clients at the Healthy You Fitness Center can’t believe this svelte 37-year-old exercise physiologist was once a 60-pounds-overweight, exercise-hating, stay-athome mother of three. She decided it was time to take action when she glimpsed herself in the mirror a few years ago. The first 45 pounds came off with diet and moderate exercise, but then Yocom hit a plateau. “To lose the rest, I had to get serious about exercise,” she says. Inspired by her own success, she enrolled at Penn State and is now working on a master’s in health and exercise science. Read her inspiring story and exercise tips.

Whether you’re just slightly overweight or near the end of a larger weight loss, it can be tough to shed those last 10 pounds. But with a fresh look at your behavior and a little extra effort, you can get there.

First, make sure your weight goal is reasonable, says internist James Wertz, D.O., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network. Consider getting a reality check from a health care professional, he says. “If you’re 55 and have had three kids, it’s probably unrealistic to strive for the figure you had at 20.”

Then take a look at your habits. “People often plateau because their commitment softens,” says Wertz’s colleague, registered dietitian Robin Gayle. Keeping a truthful food and exercise diary can point out trouble spots.

It also may help to get a metabolic test. You’ll find out how many calories your body burns at rest, adjusted for your activity level. A nutrition counselor can then suggest ways to rid your diet of hidden calories.

Update your exercise routine. “If you keep following the same routine, your muscles become efficient at that level of activity and burn fewer calories than when the activity was new,” says exercise physiologist Jackie Svrcek of the hospital’s Healthy You Fitness Center. Variety also helps you challenge different muscle groups. For example, if you only walk, add resistance training. Or step up your walk with 30- to 60-second bursts of higher-level effort.

Make sure you’re getting enough protein to fuel that exercise. Otherwise your body will burn muscle, not fat, and with less muscle mass your resting metabolism slows down.

Step on the scale no more than once a week. “Much weight variation is due to water,” Svrcek says. As your body composition trades fat for muscle, you actually may gain weight—but you’ll look trimmer and may go down a clothing size or two.

Stay positive. Take small steps every day toward improving your diet and fitness, and don’t give up. Happiness shouldn’t be gauged by what you read on the scale, our experts agree: What’s most important is how strong and healthy you feel.

Want to Know More about varying your exercise program or getting a metabolic test at Lehigh Valley Hospital’s Weight Management Center? Call 610-402-CARE.

Published from Healthy You Magazine, September-October 2008

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