Why you may not be seeing results || Part Two ||

Last week I shared a post around why you many not be seeing results from your weight loss/weight gain/body recomp or whatever you'd like to call it journey. This post is the second part to this mini series. Thank you for all the great feedback on that post. I'm happy a lot of you enjoyed it and I plan to share more on my experiences going forward. Just remember, everyone is made differently so progress for everyone looks totally different.

So let's just jump right into it: 

Mind over matter
I believe a big part of loosing weight (or gaining weight) is about your mental outlook on fitness and your capabilities. It takes a lot of will power to make healthy choices when it comes to your diet especially when people around you are doing the opposite. It takes a lot of will power to wake up at 5am to go to the gym when all you want to do is sleep in for another hour or 2. Your mind controls your body. If you tell yourself and convince yourself you can't do something, you never will and this applies to most things in life. Overcoming self doubt is such an important thing. So stop being lazy and stop talking yourself out of things you haven't tried. You can't lift that weight? Well how do you know if you haven't even tried and if you have and failed, try again! You don't always get things right the first time.

I remember last year I was trying so hard to Squat 60kg and I was stuck at 30 for the longest time not knowing how to progress. I let fear get to me because seeing others lift that weight looked so heavy to me and I didn't look/feel half as 'fit' as they did so in my mind there was no way in hell I could. It took a random guy at the gym to notice a strength in me that I didn't know existed and within 3 sets in the same session, I moved from squatting 30 to 60kg. Granted I only did 3 reps of 60 at that point but just being able to do 1 blew my mind. Never let fear get the best of you.

And never let others opinions get the best of you either. So you look stupid doing a particular exercise because it's your first time and you haven't yet mastered the form or it's one of those weird but effective exercises. Well, chances are you do look stupid! But does the exercise work? Yes?! Then who cares? I've just introduced Sumos into my workouts this year and my god do I look stupid doing it. They just look and feel weird and it's all down to the fact that I am new to it. I also do frog pumps, silly crab walks and sometimes I record myself at the gym to track progress and form and I get all kinds of looks from people. You know how many fucks I give? Zero!

Because I know it works, I feel the burn and I see the results so everyone's opinions and thoughts don't and shouldn't matter! And feel free to make friends at the gym (coming from the girl that trains alone and mind's her business lol) and utilise your PTs. Ask questions, learn from others, if you're not getting a technique or don't know how to use an equipment don't be shy to ask for help. Most people are very welcoming and happy to help than you think and those that aren't are just twats and you don't need them anyway.

Rest
Training is fun, training is good but your body needs time to recover. If you want to see results, if you want your muscles to grow, you need to rest. During your training session, your body response to Stimulus by breaking down the specific muscle you're working on. It then rebuilds the muscle (during your recovery) to make it stronger and prevent future Stimulus by making the muscle bigger. So working out 7 days a week for long periods of time or working the same muscle group for 3 or 4 consecutive days at a time  will effectively stunt your growth. So Rest! Rest is just as important as an intensive workout.

the yellow snake art

Consistency & Patience
Now, you've read all these points, you've started to incorporate some or all of these tips in your routine. The only way you're going to see results is if you're consistent. Just keep doing it until you see a change and when it starts to work and you start seeing a difference, keep at it. The key here is to find something you like and that works for you and just stick to it for as long as you can. I've been eating the same meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner 6 days a week for the last 9 weeks. There has been some variations within my training but the core stays the same and for 9 weeks I've lost weight, body fat% and gained muscle mass every single week. No joke! Don't over complicate things. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

And the occasional cheat meals are okay btw. Lacking motivation and missing a day or two at the gym isn't the end of the world. The key thing is not stressing about it and getting right back on track ASAP. It takes a long time to gain weight, believe it or not. I know usually it feels like the fat just creeps up on you. Like you blink for a second and your clothes don't fit you anymore but it takes a lot longer than that, so it's bound to take you even longer to loose it. 

Look at it this way, it's taking you 5 or 10 years to build a habit of eating junk most of the time, sitting on your ass Netflix and chilling, going to one or two gym classes here and there, so why do you think it will take you 6 months to break this habit? Unless you decide to go cold turkey on everything you love & dedicate all your time to training (which isn't feasible for a lot of us), you just have to be patient and remember that it takes time. Don't throw in the towel just yet.

Summary
Eating healthy is not always fun and sometimes I'd rather be anywhere else than at the gym. But if you want something, you have to be willing to put in the work. So prepare yourself mentally, physically and fuel your body for change. I know it's hard but I know you can do it. 

I hope you found this mini series informative. If you'd like more information about my experience or you have any questions, feel free to direct message me via my email or drop me a comment down below. I love reading them. 

If you have a particular topic you'd like me to discuss, research or share my experiences on, drop it all down below and I'll be happy to read through them. 

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As always, I love you for stopping by and don't forget to subscribe for more content like this xoxo.

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***Disclaimer: I am not a fitness professional (e.g. Personal Trainer, Dietician, Nutrition etc.). Content of this post is based predominantly on my personal experiences (and things I've researched and learnt over the course of my 'fitness journey'). Please consult your doctor/physician or fitness professional for any concerns you may have. Thank you.