Reasons you might not be seeing results:⠀
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1️⃣ The 80/20 rule gone wrong. If you’re on point with macros 5 days, but then go on an epic weekend bender, you’re missing the point of calorie cycling or attempting fat loss at all. This is why I don’t like the ‘cheat day’ or ‘cheat meal’ mentality. What takes you days of work in a deficit can be erased in one sitting at the Cheesecake Factory. Suddenly 80/20 has become more like 50/50 which keeps you spinning your wheels.⠀
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2️⃣ Lack of patience. Think about how long it took to gain any significant amount of weight. Let go of your timeline and invest in ways to make lifestyle changes to play the long game. It’s not enough to just ‘do the right things.’ You need to do the right things for a long enough period of time to get results. And then keep doing them with modifications as you build in more calories in an exit strategy. I can’t give an exact timeline, but I can guarantee you it will take longer than a 30 day challenge.⠀
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3️⃣ Misinterpreting your metrics. Only weighing yourself sporadically? That’s like only checking your bank account on the days you think you’ll like what you see. I recommend tracking daily, then rolling up the numbers to look at the weekly average...or not at all. There is plenty to be learned from progress pics, measurements and assessing the fit of your jeans as your data points. Remember, you can change what you can track.⠀
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4️⃣ You’re ignoring the low hanging fruit. Sleep. Recovery. Water. Nutrient deficiencies. These are foundational pillars and without adequate amounts of each, fat loss will be so much harder than it needs to be. Hormones, mood and energy will circle the drain, and these are the markers you want in your favor when working toward fat loss.⠀
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5️⃣ It’s time for a break. You’ve been in a deficit so long, it has become your new maintenance. This is your body’s way of protecting itself from starvation, but in pursuit of fat loss, you want to be a gas-guzzler not a hybrid. So plan your cut and go all in. Don’t waste your time OR you body’s finite ability to respond to a deficit.⠀
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Are any of these hindering your progress? I’d love to hear what you’ve overcome to hit a goal!