If you are like many people, then you have tried a number of diets, with varying degrees of success. You probably have dropped a few pounds, until you get to a specific point, and then you don’t lose any more, whatever you do. This plateau that many people hit, is usual with just about all diet plans. You cannot prevent the plateau problem if you don’t figure out how to fool your metabolism.

You most likely have already arrived at the plateau at least once–in fact, it has possibly caused a frustrating end to more than one diet program. This is an odd phenomenon, which happens to successful dieters about the third or fourth week of their diet. Up to that moment, the weight falls off and then it just stops and absolutely nothing you do can get your body to get rid of more weight. This is one way your body reacts to the modifications you have made. Your body shifts into a protection mode to keep you from starving and it will decelerate your metabolic rate. What this does, then, is keep your body from losing any more excess fat.

This is what makes people believe that they simply aren’t capable of achieving their weight loss objectives and they throw in the towel. This is when a lot of people get back to eating and start getting back their weight usually more than they lost to begin with. The best way to prevent this is to go for a diet in which you basically shift your calories. What you want to do is eat a different number of calories daily, which purportedly helps you fool your metabolism. If this works on your body it will not enter "protective" mode. This can keep your body’s metabolism rolling at its current rate as opposed to slowing down and you’ll continue dropping pounds. When you get to this point, you have passed your plateau and your diet will keep on working the way it was made to work.

It is really simple and easy to integrate this type of plan into your day to day life. Most likely the most common method of calorie shifting is the 14 day method. In this method, you stick to your diet for eleven days and then on the 12, 13 and 14th days you eat the things you truly want to eat. You can switch your foods during the day and deceive your metabolism and then for three days eat what you want to eat and prevent the plateau. This actually also keeps you from becoming frustrated at a strict regimen with your eating. You can actually keep on doing these 14 days over and over until you are satisfied with your weight loss.

Another popular program is the 2 day plan in which you eat normally one day and the next reduce your calories by between twenty and thirty five percent. You do this every two days for as long as it takes you to reach your weight loss goals. This is a program that deserves your attention because it could be just what you need to pass your plateau and lose all of the weight you would like to lose.