6 Reasons You Aren’t Seeing Results

Is there anything worse!? You’re working out consistently, making big changes to your diet…. and nothing is changing!

Today I want to chat about a few reasons why you might be working your tail off and not seeing the outcome you want. Because when we don’t see results we tend to quit. And I don’t want to see you give up!

I want to preface this post with making sure you know where I am coming from. I am not an expert. I am not a fitness model. I am not an Olympic athlete. I am not a nutritionist. These are simply things I have learned throughout my own journey. And I can tell you that when I am not making progress, it’s because of one or more of these reasons. I am always a work in progress, but I’m all about sharing what has worked for me and what hasn’t!

But first, let’s talk about the scale….

Before we can even dive into reasons why, let’s make sure you are tracking those results accurately! Are you only stepping on the scale?! I know you’ve heard it somewhere, but the scale is just a number!!!! It is ONE measure of your progress.

I always encourage my clients to take measurements and progress pics…. I think this is the best way to see changes in your body over time. Not even going to lie- it’s annoying to do. Especially on day one. But you will be so glad you did because those pictures will tell you so much more than the scale!

Now that we got that covered, let’s talk about what might be holding you back from seeing those results…

1. You are a cardio queen

I used to kill myself in the gym jumping from the elliptical to the treadmill to the stairmaster. WHY did I put myself through that?! Not only was it boring, but it never got me the results I was after.

That’s because cardio will make you a smaller version of yourself, but strength training is what will actually change your body composition! There’s absolutely a place for cardio in your fitness routine, but it shouldn’t be your only focus.

You can go about strength training in many different ways- so do what you enjoy! Sometimes I love to lift heavy… always on leg days. Sometimes I love using resistance bands, light weights or even just bodyweight strength exercises.

2. You obsess over the numbers on your fitness tracker

I have an apple watch… it’s great! Although I rarely remember to log my workouts and mostly use it for tracking miles when we venture out to greenways.

It seems there is an obsession with these fitness trackers today! They can be a great tool for tracking your progress in some ways (keeping an eye on heart rate, tracking to see if your mile got faster, etc.) but they should not determine the effectiveness of your workout. Of course the calorie burn will be high on an intense cardio day. An arm day isn’t going to look the same on your watch and that’s ok!

3. You aren’t eating enough!

Can we PLEASE let the idea of 1200 calories/day die forever?!

I don’t care what my fitness pal or some random internet calorie calculator told you. Many years ago, I attempted to follow the calorie count that my fitness pal gave me and I was STARVING.

Not eating enough is damaging to your metabolism and it’s just not sustainable! Personally, I just can’t get behind a plan that has an active woman eating any less than 1500 calories. Your workouts and body need to be fueled properly with lots of whole foods!

4. Lack of protein

If you are not getting adequate protein, your hard working muscles are missing out! This one is probably my biggest struggle! I am not much of a meat eater and it takes real effort to meet my protein goal. It seems to be difficult for a lot of women because this topic comes up frequently in my client chats. A few easy sources for me are eggs, plain greek yogurt, and protein shakes.

5. You are trying to follow someone else’s diet plan

I just do not believe in one size fits all when its comes to diet. Some people love the structure of counting (calories, points, containers, macros, etc). Others despise the idea of tracking anything at all.

It’s easy to get caught up in what others are doing and there is always some new fad making the rounds. Ultimately, you have to find what feels right for you and your body. My advice here is stay consistent with your plan and if you can’t sustain it long term, steer clear!

I like carbs- wine, pizza & chocolate are part of my life. I’m not following a diet that completely cuts things out that make me happy. It’s all about finding your own healthy balance.

6. You aren’t taking rest days

Once you get into a workout routine and fall in love with movement, it can be tempting to skip rest days. But if you are constantly putting stress on your body, it doesn’t have time to properly recover and build those muscles you want to see.

This means your progress will suffer and you are also at a greater risk for injury. There is nothing wrong with 1-2 rest days every week! If you really want to get moving, make it an active rest day with a walk or yoga.

To read more about how to make sustainable changes with your health & fitness check out this post I wrote earlier this year!

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