Have you hit the wall?

The following is from an email sent by Vic Hubbuch the Red Team Leader (underlining and highlighting emphasis mine):

Some of you are beginning to "hit a wall". It is the way our bodies are made. Here is why. I learned about the General Adaptation Principal. When you get in a routine, working out, work, or just about anything, your body begins to adapt to the stress we put on it. After about 4-6 weeks, your body is accustomed to the the stress. It performs the task more efficiently and burns fewer calories in the process. We call it different names. Hitting a wall. Reaching a plateau. I hit the wall in the first challenge at about 6 weeks in. Some will hit one earlier some later. Now the good news. You can beat it. By changing your routine or the intensity of your routine, your body will not be able to adjust. If you are walking 3 miles a day, push yourself harder and see how fast you can walk 2. Maybe throw in a short jog to get the heart rate up, then walk until you think you can do it again. Add an exercise to your workout. Start to carry small weights when you walk to give those arms a workout. Give yourself some variety.

After talking to some of you, it appears that you may not be taking in enough calories. If you do not get enough calories and proper nutrition, your body will go into survival mode and hang onto every pound it can. Proper nutrition and exercise is the key to losing the weight you want to lose.

Keep it up guys and girls,

Vic

I want to expand slightly on Vic's last remark.  You must eat enough calories to convince your body that you will continue to nourish it.  Everything I've read points to needing AT A MINIMUM 1250 net calories a day.  Just to breathe and digest food and sit and sleep.  This is where keeping that food journal becomes important, it shows you not only when you eat too many calories but also when you eat too few.  I've added a few new links to our list (to the right of this blog).  These are the sites Cyndi shared that are excellent resources for determinig how many calories you need and what your target should be each day as you are trying to lose weight in a healthy and effective manner.  Check them out and see if you need to make some adjustments...