Chris, I’m Doing Everything Right…

I hear this regularly, unfortunately. 

Chris, I’m doing everything you’re asking me to do. But it’s not working. I wanna give up…

And there’s nothing worse than feeling like you’re doing it all but not getting the results.

I’m sure you’ve been there before, feeling like you’re doing everything right but not making enough progress. True? I feel like that often too. Whether in my training or in business. Lack of progress. It’s makes us feel like we want to give up. Like it’s not worth the effort.

Thing is, giving up is the worst thing you can do. Because you never know if a break-through is just around the corner.

So let’s explore the reasons this might be happening.

What specifically is not working?

And how do you know? Typically this conversation is about weight loss as measured by some scales. Weight loss is an outcome goal. It’s not easy to directly and accurately influence this. Sure there are some things we can do. Typically eat less crap and move more. But the relationship isn’t linear and it isn’t precise. And a whole host of other things impact it too. Like sleep, stress, recovery, hydration, hormones. And so on… So using weight measurement as a basis to assess results can be unhelpful…

“Everything right”?

Really? Because I know from myself, I’m unlikely to ever be doing “Everything Right”. For any extended period of time anyway. Sometimes, I
do more things right than others. So when you’re reviewing your day or your week, be honest. What about that coffee catch up with your friend? What about your child’s leftovers that you had? And the two biscuits you had while hiding from the annoying kids? And was it 2 glasses of wine, or 3? 

So be careful of absolutes. Instead think of it as steps towards a goal. Review what was good and what wasn’t. Praise yourself for the good and think of ways to improve on what wasn’t.

You’re eating too little

Yes, this is a thing sometimes. If you’re eating too little you may still struggle to lose weight. This is one of the bigger problems with very
low calorie diets.

As your body feels deprived of nutrients and energy it will down-regulate some of the “non-essential” functions. Muscle production / repair
is one of them. Your body will not be able recover or repair efficiently. Meaning you turn up at training knackered and unable to work out to the level you’d like. 

You feel tired and are more likely to lay on the couch than do the vacuuming. Or you’ll drive the school run rather than walk it. All these unconscious
choices means that you down-regulate your day to day general activity. And as a result, your metabolism plummets…

Plus there’s a really good chance you’ll be feeling so deprived that at some point (normally the weekend!) you’ll have a blow up… And this overeating will inevitably stall any progress.

Far better to attempt a modest calorie deficit that you can sustain for a long period of time!

You’re too sedentary

Yes, training and diet are important aspects of managing your weight. But NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) is also really important. This is activity that you do on a daily basis: school runs, vacuuming, walking to work and so on. And whilst there is no scientific basis for the 10,000 step challenge, it’s a pretty good place for most of us to start. 

So think about ways you can increase this type of activity throughout your day.

You’re looking in the wrong places.

Everyone has a body part that they like the least. And when we go on a health kick, it’s usually to change this body part. For me, it’s fat around my belly button. So everyday, I check to see if that has changed. But while I’m obsessing about this stubborn area, I’m missing everything else that is happening elsewhere, Typically in my face first, or in my back. For some of you it may be the boobs or arms.

Point is this: make sure you have a great system for checking whether a health regime is working: photos front back and sides are the best. Weighing scales are notoriously unreliable but could be good over a longer term. Inch tapes are also useful if you can be consistent about how /
where you measure. Best solution: use more than one and make sure you’re looking for every possible sign that it IS working.

Focus on what is working

We should be working on behaviour and habit goals. These are the things we can directly influence. Whether it’s eating more greens or getting to bed at a sensible time, working on a behaviour goal will eventually lead to weight loss. But in the meantime, you should value improvements in these behaviours and habits as wins in themselves. We should take pride in those daily habits and remind ourselves that this is progress!

You need more patience

The reality is that changes will take time. More time than you think. There is no magic transformation programme that will help you lose
xxx lbs in 4 weeks. What you need is patience and lots of small daily changes that are compatible with a longer term lifestyle change.

So stop thinking in terms of “I’ll so this for 4, 6, 8, weeks” and start thinking of “Can I sustain this forever?”

We have such unrealistic timeframes of what weight loss should look like. Thanks to fad diets and quick fix promises. The reality is that sustainable diets will take time. The benchmark I go by is still 1-2 lbs a week. That’s the goal. And some weeks this might not even happen. So it’s hard to stick to it when every other Insta-trainer is promising several lbs per week. The thing is this: if there were an actual quick fix to weight loss, we’d have heard about it. And it wouldn’t be sold be some C-list celeb for £19.99 on Instagram. This quick fix? It doesn’t exist. So put some blinkers on while you’re scrolling and try to avoid being distracted.

Shut Up and Wait

The bottom line is weight loss is not always easy and numerous factors may bring it to a standstill. But I’d challenge whether you are doing “Everything Right” and whether you have been doing it for a long enough period of time.

Some honest reflection will probably show areas that you can improve on. And that’s OK! Because this is a journey and a learning process and
no one gets it right straight off. It requires tonnes dedication, self-discipline, perseverance and resilience. It requires analysis and learning
from mistakes… This is how we grow, and how we learn to embrace healthy eating for life, not just for the “diet

So, stay the course, drown the noise and recognise the progress that you have been making. ==> Shut up and Wait

Because you never know what result is round the corner.

But giving up is means you’ll never find out! And all your efforts so far will be wasted!. 

Need some help?

Join our Nutrition coaching programme. I don’t promise miracle weight loss. But you’ll get 8 weeks of support to help you achieve all
of the above! And to overhaul your nutrition for life.