5 Reasons You Aren't Seeing Results

You've finally put yourself first. You're sick of your own excuses and committed to leading the healthiest life you can. You've signed up for your gyms latest challenge or put your own steps in place and you're going to live your healthiest life you can, you're ready to smash this!  There's just one problem you're not seeing results? 

I love when people finally hit the phase where they are ready to give it a red hot go.  They're my favourite kind of clients, the ones that are serious about it for themselves.  They're full of enthusiasm and they are obsessed with making changes and constantly looking for ways to upgrade.  However they're also the clients that can spit the dummy the biggest if they don't get the results they are looking for.  After all what goes up, must come down, and they can fall with a big crash.  Here are a few things that I see all too often and some of the biggest reasons as to why you're not hitting your targets.

1. UNREALISTIC expectations!  Chances are you've gotten to where you have over a period of time.  You didn't wake up 10 kg's heavier over night, you didn't loose all that muscle because you skipped the gym twice, and you certainly didn't bake that new little cherub in a week.  It would have been a steady progression to where you're at.  Therefore don't expect to be able to reverse it over night either.  You  need to trust that every time you make an upgraded lifestyle choice that you are continuing on your journey, your body is adapting and enjoying the new healthy choices and it will take several weeks and months for your body to show these changes.  So don't spit the dummy when 3 work outs don't equal 3kgs lost and that 8 weeks after baby you aren't back to your pre baby body.  It will come eventually (if you're putting in the work) but be REALISTIC about where you are at and how long it will take to get to where you want to want to be.

2. You've gone too hard to quickly.  The biggest rookie error I see and the one that leads to people dropping out of the race the most. It goes a little something like this.  In the first week, you see them every day, EVERY SINGLE DAY, full of enthusiasm, they book in extra sessions with you, they send you snap chats of them at the gym at 5am for 5 days straight hash tagged #gettinghealthy #mynewfavouriteplace #transformationtuesday then week 2 roles around and they cancel their first session, the snap chats stop and they're either too sore to even open the door to come into the gym, stuck on the toilet seat and can't get up or have run themselves into the ground and they're curled up in bed sick. Of they go into the wilderness and I never see them again, because hell if getting healthy hurts this much then they want no part in it. Too hard, too fast = bad news, injuries and can kill momentum and consistency.  If you're starting a new excercise program then ease yourself into it. Start with basic moves (think walking, cross trainer, squats, push ups) 3 - 4 times a week max for the first week or two. Let you're body get used to these new movements and most importantly give yourself some rest to recover.  You'll enjoy your workouts a lot more when you can work through them freely, and you won't kill your consistency by having to take a week or two off.

3. COMPARING yourself with others. Your journey is your journey and not the person next to you or the #fitspo you're following on instagram.  Your journey is unique  to you and the results you get will also be unique to you.  They'll be related to the work YOU put in, the food choices YOU make, the lifestyle YOU lead.  YOUR genetic make up and the training style YOU have chosen and the amount of time YOU have been living this upgraded lifestyle.  So if you haven't figured it out by now comparing YOUR results with the person next to you is rubbish.  Just because they've lost 5kg's and you've only lost 2kg's then that does not mean you aren't seeing results.  They're on they're own journey and have a different set of circumstances as to where they are now. So the only thing you need to compare yourself with....is with the person you were at the start of the journey.  Can you run further now? Can you touch your toes? Can you climb the stairs with out panting? Have you put on 2kg's but lost 10cm around the waist? If the answer is yes then YOU are doing great and you do have results and you need to own the sh*t out of it. Cos babe you're actually doing great!  

4. You're eating too much!  So here's the thing and it's a little hard to explain and really only applies if fat loss is you're goal. Too reduce fat, then you calories in need to be less than your calories out.  I know this is a very simplified version of how our bodies source energy, and I'm aware that not all calories are made equal due to the macro and micro nutrient content of different foods.  However at it's core the equation still rings true.  Even though you've made an upgraded food choice you can still eat to much of it.   I'm not talking about your greens I'm talking about the "healthy" swaps you do. For instance you're swapping out your chocolate bar for some bliss balls or you've figured out how to make low carb bread and muffins.  The thing is just because you're making the swap it doesn't mean you can eat more of them. I often see people make healthy breakfast muffins, but then eat the whole batch.  So while yes you've made some better food choices and thats a great start you may still be over eating on the "sometimes foods". Stay away from any foods that say reduced fat/low fat/no fat too, because guess what they replace the fat with so it's still tastes delicious?... You guessed it, sugar. Learn to read labels, try be really aware of what you're eating and how much of it, and choosing foods as close to nature as you can (unrefined or unprocessed) and as low in sugar as you can.

5. You're going it alone! You have no idea where too start of what you're doing. How to use the weight machines and the style of exercise to perform HIIT, HIRT, EMOM what are all these acronyms? Is almond milk better than coconut milk.  Is fasted cardio a thing? What's this I keep seeing about Intermittent fasting? Should I be doing meal replacement shakes?... Sounds like you? So many questions that it's totally overwhelming and intimidating to even try and can halt any progress pretty quick. Here's the thing.... If you don't know the answers then its OK to ask for help! There are so many health professionals that can point you in the right direction you just need to start asking the questions. The only silly question is the ones you don't ask.  There are so many gyms out there now, that prices are super competitive. Most will have student concessions, mates rates or specials on at certain times. Still can't afford it? Have a think about something in your life that is super unhealthy at the moment.  Do you have 3 x cups of coffee a day. Do you have a Netflix, Stan and a Foxtel account? Maybe you could cut down on the coffee and cut down on the TV watching and put the money towards a gym membership instead.  Where there is a will there is a way. Most gyms you will get a free PT session upon joining and they'll definitely instruct you on how to use the equipment, they'll also give you a fitness appraisal which will be a good starting foundation to track progress.  Still not keen on them gym or you just don't have access to a gym then go online, online PT's are on the rise and there are so many good ones out there. Just do your research. If the money really just isn't there, then get yourself a Pinterest account and start by typing in "at home beginner work outs" or "healthy meal plans" and up will pop hundreds of different options for you.  If you prefer to have someone instruct you, then Fitness Blender www.fitnessblender.com is one of my favourite free at home work out websites. For nutrition component my favourite websites are Danielle Walker against All Grain www.againstallgrain.com and An Apple a Day Nutrition by Nutritionist Alyse Co-Cliff www.anappleaday.net They have a ton of education posts and lots of free recipes.  

Which ever option, you choose there is no need to go it alone.