Critical Threshold (CT) Part 1 of 3

by David Greenwalt
Have you reached your critical threshold (CT)?
PART 1 of 3
CT is a point where returns are less than expected based on true investment (not half-baked, pie-in-the-sky investment belief). Investment of what? Time, effort and intake.
Every single person alive has a CT where effort to move further ahead will be exponentially higher than all previous periods of weight loss. It’s as though everything is cooking along nicely, by the numbers, and then BAM, out of nowhere it seems, the progress stalls (a true stall is one that lasts longer than two weeks) and the weight fighter is left scratching his head.
Before I continue I have to shut off all the people reading this who are two weeks into their program cheering me on because they all feel the pain already–not so fast. I said very early, and not on accident, that I’m talking REAL investment of time (output) and clean input (quality food and drink). Most THINK they are working hard when they are not and most THINK they are eating clean when they are not. That universal law has not changed–nothing has in fact. I’m simply bringing to your attention the idea of the CT point in your weight loss journey. You already know it exists. You simply never looked at it like I’m giving it to you here.
The CT point is real. It’s not in your head.
Another interesting facet about the CT is it can change after a first pass weight loss attempt. You also already know this is true. For example, Sally drops from 165 to 125. During her journey she noticed it started getting “really hard” about 135 pounds but she persevered and blasted on past it for the last ten pounds. Those ten were very uncomfortable and required way more activity and less input than what it took to get to 135–seemed very odd to her but she did it. After a few months Sally blossomed back up to about 150 and vowed she had had enough and was gonna do it again, but this time down to 120 so she could maintain about 127 give or take. Sally is smart–she knows that GETTING to 120 isn’t STAYING at 120 and it’ll never happen that way. So, she starts at 150 and does great for the first 10 pounds but then BAM, again, she starts to experience her CT. This time it started about 140 rather than 135. Hmmm, that’s odd. Or is it? Actually it’s not odd at all. It’s quite common for the CT point to move up on passes beyond the first or second. In other words, it’s going to be more difficult, earlier, on passes beyond the first or MAYBE the second, to get to the lower goal.
The body is smart. Hormonally and enzymatically it “learns” from past experience. It can adapt sooner once it learns from what it has been put through in the past. This is universally true for every mental and physical endeavor you ask of the body. Think about it. Once you do anything once it’s easier (usually) to do it again. Why? Learning in all regards and adaptation by the body. How long would it take you to ride a bike if you hadn’t ridden one in 10 years? My point is made.
In part 2 I’ll discuss how unfair the CT is and what you should do to break through it when (not if) it occurs.