Girl, if you are reading this I have totally been there! You are doing all the right things - going to the gym, eating your veggies, sleeping more - but not seeing the results you want! Eventually one of three things will happen: You give up. You go crazy. Or you figure out what's missing. I am hoping these questions will help you find what to tweak and not make you go crazy or quit on your fitness goals.
It is important to mention before we dive into all of these tips that EVERYONE sees progress differently! Do not compare your journey to your friend's, mom's, husband's, whoever's journey because that will not help you get any closer to your goals!
Now let's figure this out together!
1. Are you being honest with yourself?
I know personally, if I have an extra snack at night it conveniently never gets added into my nutrition app. At the end of the week a couple extra snacks here and there adds up so while you forgot about that late night cookie, your body didn't.
The same is true for your fitness journey! Did you really go all in with your cardio? Did you take it easy during a lift? All that adds up overtime! The more honest you are with yourself the easier it will be to see progress and course correct when you plateau!
For the next week be meticulous with your food and exercise log and see if that moves you closer to your goal! Also keep in mind that not all nutrition info is 100% correct so account for an extra 10% more than what you logged. For example, if you end the day at 2000 calories according to your log add an additional 200 calories to make up for human error.
(If calorie or macro counting isn't for you consider, portion control and eating by food groups! For more help with this, check out Happy BOD Babes)
2. Are you drinking enough water?
This could change your entire life if you have never experienced what it feels like to be fully hydrated! Your skin starts glowing, you have more energy, you're less grumpy - its kinda of like sex in a bottle!
So how much do you need to be drinking? For every pound you weigh drink 0.5 ounces of water. Meaning a 150lb female needs 75 ounces of water or 9 glasses each day. If she also workouts that day she will need an additional glass per 30 minutes of intense exercising!
3. Are you sleeping enough?
On average you need anywhere from 6-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep! That is a pretty big range, but you probably know about know how much sleep you need to not feel tired every day. The real question is are you actually sleeping that much?
Being tired can hinder your success in so many ways! When you are tired you tend to eat more since some your body is trying to find the energy you're missing. It can also cause you to be more stressed which can cause you to crave sugar and other not-so-healthy treats.
Sleep is also crucial for your muscles to repair themselves. If you are not sleeping enough and allowing your muscles to rest and restore, you may experience more soreness after a workout. If you're anything like me, I love feeling sore, but not to the point of taking days off cause I can barely sit on the toilet.
4. Are you ignoring your bodies signals?
Now that we have covered the most common reasons why you're not seeing progress, let's dig deep! It could be possible you have an intolerance or sensitivity to a certain food that is stopping you from seeing great results!
For example many people, over 70% actually, have a lactose sensitivity. While this may not cause fat gain directly, it will cause constant bloating and inflammation in your body. The same is true for some people with gluten, red meat, eggs, and tons of other foods.
Listen to your body this week by keeping a food log. This way if you notice any tummy discomfort you can begin to narrow down which food may be causing it.
5. Are you active throughout the day?
While working out is amazing for you, an hour a day at the gym is not enough if you are completely stagnant throughout the day. I am definitely guilty of this! I do my 30 minute at home workout and then sit all day to work my business, blog, and train my team of influencers online. So I started taking Nala (our little rescue husky mix) for longer walks. The extra 30 minutes of walking her helps me get to my 10k step goal.
If you do not have a puppy, try parking further away, taking the stairs, going for sunset walks, or even just hoping on treadmill every morning to help you get in more steps and keep your body moving!
Hopefully these tips help you narrow down what you can adjust so you can improve and maintain your results!
As always if you are in need of 1-on-1 coaching, support group, or custom plans, check out Happy Bod Babes ! Our next group starts the first Monday of each month and includes access to over 800 workout videos, customizable meal plans, my coaching, and our online accountability group!
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