Written by Megan Higginbotham

You know those people who say the first 10 pounds is the easiest to lose? Well there is some truth to that. There are different stages to weight loss and eventually you hit a point where your body is happy with the weight you are at and begins to plateau. Some of you happy at this spot, others are frustrated and hungry for more gains.

Remember high school biology class and the term “homeostasis”?  Homeostasis is the property of a system within the body of a living organism in which a variable, such as the concentration of a substance in solution, is actively regulated to remain very nearly constant. So, in other words you can exercise more and eat less but remain about the same or visa versa, eat more and exercise less.  Our bodies like to stay in a range that isn’t too underweight or too overweight. Regular exercise and good nutrition help our bodies find that happy range.

Here’s the reality: there are a lot different measures to account for when going from 40% body fat down to 30% body fat and 30%-25% and 25%-20%. Going from 40% body fat to 30% body fat might simply (simply is relative here) mean starting an exercise routine without changing much about your diet. Going from 30%-25% may result from increasing your exercise volume as well as making changes to your diet. The lower in body fat you get the more changes you will have to make.

I often have conversations with clients that have reached a healthy body fat percentage on the lower end of the scale. The topic is usually about what they can do to drop their body fat even lower. The reality is, once most females hit in the lower 20’s, there is going to be much more effort to put forth to further lower the body fat %. The question here is, Is the added effort worth the result. That question can only be answered by you. The lower you want to drop your body fat %, the more extreme measures need to be taken.

With that being said I always encourage clients to strive for better habits that lead to better overall health. Just because our body composition doesn’t change, does not mean that we cannot improve the function of our body.

Here’s the important thing to remember. Celebrate all the work you put into your body to get where it currently is.

Here are a few ideas to make a healthier you:

Take a multivitamin

Add fish oil

Take a probiotic

Eat greens in most meals of the day (if this is difficult a greens supplement is a good choice)

Eat small meals 6 times a day

Get protein in the majority of your meals  throughout the day

Get good sources of fat in most meals of the day

Plan and prepare meals

Eat until 80% full

Eat meals distraction-free (not in front of the TV or screen)

Limit soda/beer/etc to 2-3/week