Week 4 of Fitness February: 10 Reasons Why You May Not Be Seeing Results
This is it, the last week of Fitness February! If you have stuck with us this long, then you should hopefully be seeing some improvement, not just in your body but also in your mood. Now, you may ask, what if I am not seeing results? This is a common, and unfortunately, a frustrating question to ask since you have been working hard for what may seem like nothing, but trust me that is not the case! Everything you have been doing is great, there are just a few things we may have to tweak to ensure that over the next few weeks you will get the results that you want and deserve. There may be some things you are missing or overlooking when it comes to your fitness goals and that is okay, this blog is going to talk about some of the reasons that you may not be seeing results.
You are doing the wrong exercises: In our first two blogs this month, we talked about developing your fitness goals and what to include in your workouts based on your goals. If you are not seeing some results yet, then you may be doing the wrong exercises. If this is not the case, then you may be choosing the wrong target exercises. Your goal may be to target your gluts by completing squats; however, there are many different variations of squats and perhaps you are not doing the right one for your goal. In addition, if you don’t squat through your heels then you are not targeting your gluts, you are actually targeting the hamstrings more. The take away here is to go through your goals again and re-evaluate what exercises you are doing. Clarify that your movements are targeting what you hope them to be and then try again!
You are not doing the exercises properly: Maybe you are doing all the right exercises just in the wrong ways. Not only will this cause minor results but it can also cause major injury especially when done repetitively. Improper form is extremely common in the beginning. Don’t feel upset when hearing this—instead re-evaluate your exercises and the forms that you are doing. Check out YouTube or Google for videos and articles on proper form for the exercises that you are doing.
You are not consistent: Some exercise is better than no exercise; however, inconsistent exercise will not produce the right results. You can workout all you want but if you scatter your workouts inconsistently, then the results you see will also be inconsistent. The key to getting results is to create a stable workout plan that you follow weekly. Maybe you want to workout 4 times a week, figure out which days work best with your schedule and then put it into action.
You are not following the correct diet: You can workout all you want but if you do not eat clean, then you are not going to see the results that you may have hoped for. A treat every once in a while will not throw your entire workout off, but if it becomes more of a habit then you can expect your results to be minimal, if at all. There is a saying that one salad won’t make you healthy much like one slice of pizza won’t make you unhealthy. With this knowledge, examine your eating habits and, if needed, make a few changes. If you’re not sure how to start, check out previous blogs where we talked about how the foods we eat either make us sick or healthy.
You have not developed your MMC: What is MMC? MMC stands for Mind Muscle Connection. This is the act of focusing on the muscles that you are targeting during your workout. For example, if you are doing bicep curls then you want to focus on activating your biceps. This can be completed during any exercise that targets a muscle, simply focus on it and in some cases practice squeezing it during the exercise itself. By developing your MMC, you will for sure see results faster than before.
You are doing the same workout: It’s true that we get tired of repetitive behavior. Your typical Thursday workout may be getting old, so instead of not working out, switch it up!! There are plenty of ways to make exercise more fun and enjoyable. For example, grab a deck of cards and label each suit as an exercise, ex. hearts can be sit ups, clubs can be mountain climbers, spades burpees, etc. Once you come up with a key, then pull a card and start working out. If you pull a 4 of hearts then you need to complete 4 sit ups, and so on. This is a fun game to play because you never know what card you are going to pull next, this makes exercising a mystery and intriguing. Set a timer and do this for at least 30 minutes.
You are under a lot stress and overtired: Especially now, life is crazy and all that stress affects our workout results. Stress releases a hormone called cortisol which creates havoc in our body. It can cause our body to retain fat around our stomach, hips, and thighs— usually the areas we want to target! Cortisol also lowers our immune system. Try to learn some stress managements techniques to help you cope with different stressors. Not getting adequate sleep may also affect our workout results, because our muscles need time to rest and recover. Aim for 7 hours a night.
You are not eating often enough: I recommend breaking down your daily menu into 3 main meals and 2 mini meals. This way you are keeping your insulin levels steady. Don’t skip meals thinking it’ll help you lose weight faster.
You’re restricting too many calories: By not eating enough, our bodies enter a “starvation state” and our body will begin to store everything we then eat as fat. This is because our body is afraid of another restrictive state, by storing the food that it has it will be able to survive off of it. If you are limiting your calories too much, expect to either maintain your weight or possibly even gain it.
You didn’t give it enough time: Change does not come overnight. Keep your focus on your goals, be consistent and don’t give up!
