Have you started your health and wellness journey, but just haven’t seen results? Well, first make sure you have given yourself time to see the progress. Two weeks or even a month or two may not be sufficient time for you to see any results. You must have realistic time expectations. But if you have been in your journey for a while now and still haven’t seen the results you had hoped for, one or more of these might be hindering your progress.

1. You are inconsistent. You need to be honest with yourself. Are you eating properly and moving your body a majority of the week? Or is it more off and on again? If you are only eating well part of the week and then overindulging the rest of the week, you likely won’t see the results you desire. It takes consistency and it takes time.

2. You aren’t challenging yourself enough. To see muscle growth or fat loss, it is best if your workout is at least moderate intensity. If you can make it through your workout too easily, you need to increase the intensity or increase your weights and reps.

3. You are in a caloric surplus. Are you eating too many calories? If you are eating more calories than you are burning, you are in a caloric surplus. To see results you must burn more energy/calories than you are consuming. This is where tracking your food can be helpful.

4. You have been in a caloric deficit for too long. First, you shouldn’t be living off of 1000 – 1200 calories. Secondly, caloric deficits are meant to be short-term/temporary. If you have been eating too little of food for too long, your body may have adapted. It is time to get your body back to its maintenance level.

5. Chronic stress. Life is stressful at times, but living with chronic stress has an adverse effect on your health and body; it increases blood pressure, and increases cortisol levels which can lead to fat and weight gain, among many other negative effects. Try and reduce that stress as much as possible.

6. You aren’t eating enough protein. So many are not getting enough protein daily. Protein aids in muscle growth and recovery, helps you feel full longer, and can boost your metabolism. I am not saying don’t eat carbs and fats, those are important too, but just make sure you are eating sufficient protein for your health, body, and goals.

7. Your nutrition isn’t great overall. If you are eating too much “junk”, your body isn’t getting what it needs and you could be offsetting the hard work you are doing in the gym. Limit the fun, not so healthy foods, so your body gets what it needs to function properly.

8. You aren’t getting enough sleep. It is important to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. Sleep gives your body time to recover, conserve energy, and repair and build up the muscles worked during your workout. It also provides you with the energy you need to exercise and just get through the day.

9. Not allowing your body to rest/recover. Not giving your body the time to rest and recover can actually hurt your progress. Your body needs time to repair, rebuild, and strengthen itself between workouts. When you exercise, tiny tears are created in the muscles (microtears). As you recover, your body builds back fibers by filling in the gaps between tears with new muscle tissue. Growing bigger and stronger. Remember, this process occurs during rest and recovery, not during the workout itself.

If you are struggling with seeing results, it might be time to be honest with yourself and see if you need to make any changes to your habits and routines. Once you do, you are likely to start seeing the progress! Remember, you don’t have to do this alone, there are health professionals who are ready to assist you with reaching your health and body goals!