The Fit Lady

Not seeing results can be discouraging. Doing everything right in the gym and in the kitchen will transform your mind and body but the discouraging part is that it takes time and no one can do everything right all the time.

Seeing results is super motivating and helps light the fire within us to press forward.  With no sign of results you may find yourself reaching for too many treats and skipping the gym.

What needs to happen when you stop seeing results is an adjustment to your plan.  That’s assuming you have a plan. Becoming a healthier version of yourself starts with a plan which is different for everyone. Read my lazy girl diet plan If you need help with your plan.

How to measure success

What are you using to determine your success? I don’t recommend using the scale but if you must  weigh in try only weighing in once a week of once a month at the same time of day.  The scale is really deceiving when it comes to the changes that are happening in your body when you adopt healthy habits.

1. Take pictures of yourself regularly.  Pictures don’t lie.  Pictures can also capture the changes in how you feel about your body too.  Eating good foods and challenging your body more and more will start to give you more confidence and love for your body.  You will start to see this new confidence showing up in your facial expressions, posture, clothing choices, and smile!

2. Take measurements.  Get yourself a flexible tape measure and write down all your measurements regularly.

3. How do your clothes fit?  Wearing a lot of stretchy clothes all the time can be deceiving.  Use your favorite pair of jeans as a guide to your body’s changes.  If they are getting hard to button it’s time to make some changes.

4. Take video of your form during workouts periodically.  Seeing progress in this way is super motivating!

5. Track a fitness challenge.  For example, write down how many pushups you can do without stopping, or the weight you can squat, ect.  Check your progress weekly to keep yourself on track and not get too relaxed with your goals.

Time for intervention.

If you are on your fitness journey and stop seeing positive changes now is the time to take a look at your habits and behaviors from a different angle.  Don’t give up!   Have a goal to eat and live intuitively rather than by super strict rules but its periodically check in and make sure your daily habits line up with your long term goals.

How to speed up results

Motivation is fleeting, get your habits lined up with the results you want to see.

Use My fitness pal app or find your own way to track what foods you are eating.  I don’t think its necessary to track all your food every day for the rest of your life but if you are not seeing results the foods you are eating is most likely the culprit.

Through tracking you will find habits emerging.  Have someone you trust to look over your food choices for you.  They may notice something you don’t.

Make meal plans.  Healthy habits come with time.  Having a plan for what you are going to eat during the week will keep impulsive food choices to a minimum.

What’s your treat?  Trying to eliminate all treats from your diet can be real hard if not completely unrealistic.  It is OK to allow yourself the treats you love but you may be overdoing it.   Do you have cheat meals that turn into cheat days or cheat week?

Have you started skipping workouts? Listen to your body and take a rest day when necessary but most days should include a physical challenge.  I suggest six days a week.  When this is your plan it takes away the temptation to skip a day which can turn into more and more skipped days.

Plan your workouts for the week the same way you plan your meals.  Make your workout decisions ahead of time then you can tap into that motivated mindset when you are feeling lazy.

Modify workouts when you are in a time crunch or feeling exhausted.  A modified  or shortened workouts can give you the boost you need to help you get out of a slump.

Start a challenge.  Join a weight loss competition at your gym of start your own challenge amongst friends or family.   Do this as a team or group to keep each other going.  Include a cash prize for the winner!

Challenge examples:

1.  30 Day Push Up Challenge. (Or plank, sit up, pull up ect.) See who can make the most improvement over the 30 days!

2.   Start a private Facebook page for adding a daily pic collage of your foods for the day.  Anyone who doesn’t contribute for the day owes the others cash!

3.  No soda challenge.  If you are trying to give up a vice, team up with someone who can keep you accountable.

4.  Start a pact.  There are actually apps that pay you to workout, one called Pact.  Follow your plan as described in the terms you set and you get paid, if not you pay them.  The loss of your own money can be super motivating to keep going.

If you are not seeing results its time to step up your efforts a notch.   I hope this post gets your wheels turning!