After you have lost some weight, and your clothes are starting to fit more loosely, you may experience what long-term dieters refer to as a plateau.

This term describes an annoying situation — even though you are still doing the same good things, following your meal plan and exercising regularly — your weight refuses to budge downward any further.

Your body has adapted to your current diet and exercise pattern, and has found a new metabolic equilibrium. Here are some tips to get you off that plateau and back on track toward your goal.

Plateau Busters

1. Exercise a little bit more. Be sure to vary your workouts, and don't do the same routine two days in a row.
2. Do aerobics one day, and weight training the next. Or do both in one day, but don't do the same exercises two days in a row.
3. Do upper body exercise one day, and lower body exercises the next.
4. Eat your daily calories in smaller increments. If you now eat three meals and two snacks, spread the food out into four, five, or six smaller meals, with snacks in between.
5. Vary your foods, and don't eat the same foods two days in a row. There are plenty of good foods to choose from, so this should be easy to do. Alternate low-carb days with moderate-carb days.
6. Have a big breakfast and a small supper one day, and the next day have a small breakfast and a large supper. Keep alternating.
7. Have supper foods for breakfast, and breakfast foods for supper. The next day, do the reverse.
8. Once a week do an all-fruit day, having juice, fruits, water, and tea. Only ONCE a week, though. Next day, go back to regular food.
9. Vary the number of total calories from day to day — a little bit more one day, and less the next.
10. Eating the same foods and doing the same exercises all the time can cause stalls and plateaus. Variety is one of the spices of life, as well as one of the secrets of weight-loss success.