One thing I get contacted about a lot is body transformation results and a lot of the time it’s about the negative side of it, for example – “why am I not seeing results yet?”
I just want to throw some things out there to hopefully help answer a few of your concerns.
BE HONEST
I know this is a ‘thing’ as I’ve done it before. I used to wonder why I wasn’t seeing results and would tell other people that I’ve been so healthy and have been working out a lot, when in reality there was the odd naughty treat or two that I just pretended didn’t happen. No matter how small of a treat you think it is, it all counts and will have an effect on your body.
From a mental perspective as well, how should we expect to see positive results in the mirror if we can’t even accept the ‘cheat foods’ we’ve had. I’m all for balance and having the things I want in moderation, but that won’t be the same for everyone. Remember what YOUR goal is and be disciplined in reaching that goal. Be honest and write it all down in a book. That way when it comes to looking at your progress you can see exactly where you’re going right or wrong.
HOW TO MEASURE
Personally I’m not a fan of weighing scales as I feel that it’s just another number to get transfixed on. I prefer to measure my fitness progress in two ways:
Photos – Before & after photos are a brilliant way to see results, especially the ones you can’t instantly see when you look in the mirror. Having something to compare your current image with will tell you a lot about the ways your body has changed. Just make sure you take the photos in the same outfit, light and mirror if possible, as it’ll be much easier to see differences.
Fitness challenge – I know a lot of people just want to see physical changes when they look in the mirror, but there’s a lot to be said for the feeling of knowing you’re stronger than before and being able to perform better. Set yourself a challenge at the beginning of your workout plan or transformation guide and then test yourself every four weeks. This could be something as simple as how many burpees can you complete in 1 minute!
HOW LONG
This question is like asking ‘How long is a piece of string?’. The BIGGEST thing to remember when you embark on your fitness journey is just that, it’s YOUR fitness journey and each of us are extremely different. It’s amazing to get motivation and inspiration from all of the amazing body transformations we see on Instagram, but it’s so important not to let them rule your thinking of how you should change.
I think I’m quite a good example of this, as it took 6-9 months for me to see changes in the way my body looked, but it only took a matter of weeks for me to feel much stronger. I think this may have been down to the fact that I was already slim and into fitness, but it just goes to show that we’re all different and that we can’t let someone else’s wellbeing journey rule over how we feel about ours.
Just don’t forget to enjoy the journey you’re on – it’s all for YOU.
SHOP MY OUTFIT:
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This post is in collaboration with Juicy Sport, but all views are my own.