Do you feel as though you are putting in 100% effort, but not getting any results?  Are you feeling discouraged by the number not moving on the scales?  Here are some reasons why you might not be getting the results you are hoping for!

1.  Nutrition

Have you ever heard of the “you can’t out exercise a poor diet”?  Well it is true!  It is so much more than calories in vs calories out. If you are not fuelling your body appropriately with the correct nutrients, your body will not lose the fat.   This works both ways.  Overeating and under-eating can be just as detrimental to your lifestyle change.

Make sure you are eating balanced, nutritious meal 5-6 times a day to boost your metabolism and turn your body into a fat burning machine.  Buy fresh, whole foods and try to limit foods from a packet as much as possible.  These are generally filled with added sugar, not to mention preservatives and additives that will do more harm than good.  Don’t forget the liquid calories!  Juices, soft drinks, alcohol, coffee (with added sugar and milk) can all add up very quickly.  Cut these out and stick to water and you will reap the benefits.  Make sure you are eating protein, good fats and carbs which all play vital parts to our ability to function.

What happens if you are not eating enough?  Eating less than we need is not only malnutrition, but sends our body into starvation mode.  Protein, good fats and carbohydrates are all essential for your body to run effectively and when we are not getting enough, our system panics and can no longer tell the difference, releasing the cortisol hormone and consequently, storing everything as fat!  Fight or flight mode. Our body then continues to use muscle as its energy source, therefore contradicting your efforts with working out to build muscle, seeking that toned look, because we aren’t building it, we are eating it instead!  It might seem daunting at first, but sure enough, eating regular, small portion meals will FIRE your metabolism.  If you eat the right foods, at the right time, the results will be amazing!

You should always feel energised and nourished.  If you are constantly sluggish, moody and lethargic then take a look at what you are eating and change it!

2. Stress

This is HUGE.  And a hard one!  If you feel like everything else is pretty darn good, and still not getting results, ask yourself, “how often am I stressed?”.  Whilst stress is going to be there from time to time, if you are constantly feeling rushed, tense and highly strung, it is time to make this aspect your priority.  Again, cortisol is the stress hormone, and this is the big one in our bodies just not letting go of the fat, no matter how much we try.  Not only this, when we are stressed, we are much more likely to binge (sometimes even unknowingly) on “bad” foods.

Meditate, read a book, watch a movie, go for a long walk, listen to music, stretch/yoga.  All ideas to help relax your body and mind to help give it a chance to chill out, digest food and work efficiently.  Find your outlet, if you can’t find 5 minutes a day, maybe you need to find an hour.  Trust me.  Sit, recharge, breathe.

3. Exercise

Are you exercising but making no progress?  Look at what you are doing.  Are you known for spending hours on the treadmill?  Resistance training and high intense interval training (HIIT) is 9x more effective at fat loss.  This is based on the principle that we burn fat WHILE we perform cardio, whereas with HIIT and resistance we are burning fat for hours afterwards.  Whilst cardio has its place, if this is all you are doing, I urge you to go outside of your comfort zone and do resistance training.

Also remember, we need to consistently change what we are doing.  Our body is smart and gets comfortable.  Make sure you have variety and push yourself!  It should be challenging, you should be feeling like you have done something post workout!  If it is too easy, or you aren’t changing things up on a regular basis, it is a given that it is not being effective.  Whilst anything is better than nothing, for fantastic results, I would recommend at least 4 x 30 minute challenging sessions a week.

Try to fit in as much incidental exercise as you can throughout the week!

An important note: You can’t spot reduce.  If you are only training the one area of your body, you aren’t going to notice just that area.  Fat reduction is all over and the only way to reduce fat is to train effectively and eat correctly.  Abs are made in the kitchen!  Build muscle, the more muscle we have, the faster our metabolism, the more fat we burn while we rest!

4.  Sleep

While we cannot all get 8 hours sleep a night, make an effort to do the best you can!  What is filling up your time?  Are you wasting the night on social media, watching tv and being non-productive?  Rest is vital for muscle recovery and energy replenishment.  Better recovery = faster metabolism = more fat burning.  If you are one of those who have no legitimate excuses for not going to bed earlier, try it and see your energy improve, recovery times reduce, build more muscle and drop more fat!

5. Hydrate!

Water! When we sweat, and go about our day to day functions, our bodies lose vital nutrients.  The only way to replenish these are to hydrate!  Try to avoid the hydration and sports drinks as these are LOADED with sugar.  Aim for 2-3L of water per day, adding 1L for every hour of exercise.  It may seem and feel a lot at first but it won’t be long until your body is craving and thirsty for it to continue. This also assists with minimising fluid retention which can cause those numbers on the scales to fluctuate.

6.  Muscle

Scales are not effective. If you start a fitness regime and  you find the scales not dropping, maybe even going up?  This could be building muscle!  You might still be losing fat, your body will be changing, but underneath will be muscle tone, strength and fitness.  Don’t be discouraged.  Track measurements, take before and after progress photos, or have an InBody scan to see exactly what your body is made up of.

Everybody is so different and comparison is the thief of joy.  This is your journey and nobody else’s.  Be patient.  Be consistent.  Address all aspects of your lifestyle and be rewarded.  Results will come.  I promise! And it WILL be worth the effort.