10 Reasons Not to Wait Until January 1st to Start Your Fat Loss Journey

We are about to enter the most wonderful time of the year, but it also comes with stress, busyness, and possibly a side of food anxiety.

When I talk to people about their fitness goals, they often tell me they want to "enjoy" the holidays and will focus on their fat loss goals on January 1. Many feel they don't have the energy, capacity, or time to focus on fat loss during these busy times. But they don't understand that being mindful of health and fitness during the holidays will give them the energy to thrive—despite the added stress of the season!

The big mistake is thinking fat loss requires a crazy new diet, heavy food restrictions, or an extreme exercise program that takes hours each day. Who has time for that during the holidays? No one!

Instead, fat loss can involve mindfulness, making the most of each exercise minute, and still enjoying food. The best time to start your fat loss goals is now.

10 Reasons NOT to Wait Until January 1 to Start or Continue Toward Your Fat Loss Goals

1. Get a Head Start
Starting now gives you a head start on your goals. By January 1, you'll already have progress under your belt, instead of starting from scratch. Ignoring your health and fitness over the next eight to ten weeks could mean starting in a worse place than you are today. If you approach the holidays with mindfulness and confidence, you'll build a strong foundation to reach even higher goals in the new year.

2. Avoid the January Rush
Gyms and fitness programs are packed in January. By starting early, you can avoid the overwhelm and establish your routine before the crowds hit. Research shows that many people start strong with New Year's resolutions, but a significant percentage quit early. Here are some key statistics:

• 80% Fail by February – Around 80% of New Year's resolutions fail by the second week of February (U.S. News & World Report).

• 23% Quit in the First Few Weeks – A Strava study found most people give up their resolutions by January 19, calling it "Quitter's Day."

• Less than 10% Succeed – Only about 9% of people who set resolutions feel successful by the end of the year (University of Scranton).

If you've set New Year's resolutions before and haven’t succeeded (join the club!), let’s try something different this time. There is nothing special about January first; every day is a good day to start or start over. So what are we waiting for?

3. Maintain Consistency
The holidays are busy, but starting now helps build consistent habits. You'll learn to fit fitness and healthy eating into your life—even during hectic times. Success toward your goals is more about skills, abilities, and habits than motivation or discipline.

Think about it: if you wait until things calm down, what happens when life inevitably gets busy again? By starting now, you build the skills to maintain your healthy lifestyle, no matter how crazy life gets.

I like to think of health and fitness as a dial instead of an on/off switch. You can dial it up or down depending on what’s going on in your life. If you flip the fitness switch off whenever life gets busy, you'll never make lasting progress.

4. Less Stress, More Success
Waiting until January adds pressure to succeed quickly. Starting now allows for a slower, more sustainable approach, reducing stress. Instead of viewing the New Year as the only time for a fresh start, see every day as a new opportunity to take action toward your goals.

Adopt a mindset of progress over perfection. Remember, consistently good is better than occasionally perfect. This combats the all-or-nothing thinking that kills progress.

5. Small Wins Build Momentum
Seeing small improvements during the holiday season builds confidence and motivates you to keep going into the new year. Non-scale victories like more energy, feeling stronger, better-fitting clothes, and improved sleep are all signs of progress.

6. Control Holiday Indulgences
Being mindful now allows you to enjoy holiday treats in moderation without guilt or falling off track completely. Break the diet mindset of heavy restrictions, which your brain will rebel against! Instead, practice mindfulness with your eating: slow down, enjoy treats in moderation, watch portion sizes, and fuel your body with the nutrients it needs to perform at its best.

During the season, you will have plenty of opportunities to practice and hone your nutrition skills. Your newly acquired habits will make nutrition feel easy when life slows down in January.

7. Strengthen Your Immune System
Staying active and eating well support your immune system, especially during cold and flu season. When you are healthy, you’ll feel better than ever and can enjoy the season the most.

8. Beat the Holiday Weight Gain
It's common to gain weight over the holidays. Treats are everywhere, and most people struggle to maintain their weight. Starting your fat loss journey now can help prevent holiday weight gain and keep you progressing towards your goals.

9. Boost Your Energy
Exercise and balanced nutrition boost your energy levels, helping you power through holiday errands, events, and responsibilities. If you want to feel more energized, fueling your body properly and staying active makes all the difference.

10. Start Fostering a Healthy Mindset
All-or-nothing thinking—believing that if you can’t do everything perfectly, you might as well not do anything—often sabotages our efforts. If we start this mindset in December, thinking we'll hit the reset button in January, it’s unlikely to magically change. Progress is about consistency, not perfection, so making small, manageable steps now builds the healthy habits you’ll need in the long term. Why wait?

Many people think postponing their health goals will let them 'enjoy' the holidays more, but in reality, prioritizing fitness and well-being can boost your energy, reduce stress, and make the season more enjoyable than ever.

Where to Start?

Are you thinking, “But Lea, where do I start? It’s so confusing! All the information I see online contradicts itself!”

The truth is, it’s pretty simple. It takes work, of course, but the concepts are easy to grasp and apply. It takes some focus, attention, and action on your part.

First, it starts with your mindset (you can't skip this part!). Then, we address nutrition, breaking free from the diet culture many of us grew up with.

Next, we talk about exercise. You may have heard myths like burning as many calories as possible, "no pain, no gain," and if you're not sore, you're not working hard enough. That’s not sustainable for long-term fat loss. We’ll focus on maximizing every exercise minute to get the best results. It’s the boring stuff, done consistently over time, that works.

Finally, we cover lifestyle factors: how does this fit into your life? How do you manage stress? Are you sleeping enough to optimize fat loss? Are you allowing your body time to recover?

If you want to learn more, join me for a FREE workshop to help you navigate the holiday season while staying on track with your fat loss goals—without missing out on the fun! In this workshop, you’ll learn practical strategies for enjoying your favorite holiday foods, managing stress, and staying focused on your health. We’ll cover sustainable nutrition tips, mindset shifts for long-term success, and simple ways to keep active during the busiest time of the year. Don’t just survive the holidays—thrive through them! You will enjoy the holidays when you feel your best!

Do you know someone who might benefit? It helps me when you share with your friends and followers.

Questions? I’d love to help.

Coach Lea

I am a master health coach, personal trainer, and running coach, dedicated to helping YOU get strong, body and mind!

@fortworth_trainer

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Leadership Meets Fitness: Lessons for Thriving in Life and Work

My friend, executive coach Briana Sharp, texted me:

"Do you want to do a LinkedIn Live with me on the intersection of health and career performance?"

Briana and I have been friends for about ten years. I'm always impressed by her business acumen and the fact that she has completed an incredible 117 half-marathons! We first met when Sweat Pink hosted Blogfest conferences for fitness bloggers, which were part of the larger IDEA World Fitness convention. We've both come a long way since then, and I loved her idea of discussing on LinkedIn how success in business and health/fitness overlap.

But my visceral response was, No way. I stepped back from my emotions for a second and texted back:

"Live? That sounds scary, so yes!"

Stepping Outside MY Comfort Zone

The worst reason to say no to an opportunity is because it sounds scary. In the past, I might have even convinced myself I had a legitimate excuse (Oh, I'd love to, but I have plans to reorganize my sock drawer!). Deep down, I would know the truth—I was avoiding discomfort. But we don't grow by staying in our comfort zones. If you never step outside of it, it remains small. If you try new things, you win or learn, expanding your comfort zone.

Going live feels scarier than writing, where I can edit until I approve of every word. In a live situation, I'm left with just my brain and mouth. Who knows what will happen?

But what's the real risk here? I stumble over some words? I don't articulate a thought as clearly as I hoped? A coworker from 20 years ago judges me unfairly (or totally fairly)? LinkedIn rises against me, and I lose every client I've ever had? Okay, not that last one. The point is, the risk wasn't as big as my imagination made it out to be.

Saying Yes and Learning from the Experience

So, I said yes. We did our LinkedIn Live, and guess what? It went fine! None of those fears materialized. I wasn't perfect, but who is? I ended the call feeling energized and alive. The lesson: You don't get better by playing it safe. You improve by doing uncomfortable things; the more you do them, the easier they become.

Fitness Success Builds Business Success

The theme of our session was that the skills, habits, and mindset you develop through fitness provide a solid foundation for business success—and vice versa. Many people think fitness is about motivation and discipline, but it's more about skills and habits. What you do consistently yields the best results.

I often work with highly successful professional women who seek help with their fitness goals. Together, we discover that the strengths they've honed in the workplace—time management, a strong work ethic, overcoming obstacles, and problem-solving—are the exact skills they need to achieve their fitness goals.

During our live session, Briana shared that one of her executive clients improved his time management at work and, as a result, gained more personal time as an unintended benefit.

Building Resilience Through Fitness

Fitness teaches us to intentionally do hard things, which builds resilience. Then, when we face hard things in business or life, we have the confidence to handle them. Whether it's lifting heavier weights in the gym, running a faster 5K, or completing a marathon, these goals help us practice perseverance, fail in a safe environment, and ultimately achieve more than we thought possible.

Improved Confidence in Fitness and Business

One benefit of improved fitness is building confidence, which translates directly to business. Building physical strength or hitting a new personal record boosts your belief in your abilities. As you progress in your fitness journey, you realize your potential, leading to increased confidence. That confidence doesn't just stay in the gym—it spills over into other areas, including your professional life.

When you feel strong and empowered physically, you're more likely to approach business challenges with the same confidence.

The Importance of a Growth Mindset

Mindset is critical to success, whether in fitness or business. Developing a growth mindset in fitness—where setbacks are learning opportunities and consistency is prioritized over perfection—helps you push through obstacles and stay focused on long-term goals. Briana discussed how she coaches that same growth mindset in the workplace.

Through fitness, I've learned that failure isn't the end. It's just part of the process. I've failed plenty of times in the gym or on the race course, but I always come back stronger. The same applies to any challenge in life or business.

Learn more about Briana Sharp at www.getrazorsharp.com

So, What's Your Next Scary Step?

Success in fitness and business aren't as different as they may seem. Both require resilience, a strong mindset, and the development of consistent habits. If you're willing to step outside your comfort zone and embrace the lessons from one area of life, you'll find those lessons carry over to every other aspect.

So, what's your next "scary" step?

On November 5th, I am hosting a free workshop to help you navigate the holiday season while staying on track with your fat loss goals—without missing out on the fun! In this workshop, you'll learn practical strategies for enjoying your favorite holiday foods, managing stress, and exercising while staying focused on your health. We'll cover sustainable nutrition tips, mindset shifts for long-term success, and simple ways to keep active during the busiest time of year. Don't just survive the holidays—thrive through them! Save your spot here!

Hope to see you there!

Do you know someone who might benefit from this blog post? It helps me when you share with your friends and followers.

Questions? I’d love to help.

Coach Lea

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Shifting Perspectives: How a "Bad" Race Led to an Unexpected Win

"It's a clear case of the past me being more confident in future me's abilities, and now the present me has to deal with it!" – Me on Facebook the night before the Rock of Ages Half Marathon.

The Decision to Run a Half Marathon on My 50th Birthday

Back in the spring, I decided running a half marathon on my 50th birthday would be a great idea. When I saw that the Rock of Ages Half Marathon was on the big day, I signed up with optimism, maybe a little willful ignorance.

Did I forget that running a September half marathon means training through the hottest part of the Texas summer? Probably. But I trained, for the most part. I managed two to three runs per week, prioritizing strength training in the comfort of my air-conditioned gym, and squeezed in a few long runs, some in cooler weather than race day conditions.

Rock of Ages Half Marathon 2024

Preparing for a Hot and Humid Race Day

I knew going into race day that I was a bit undertrained, so I tempered my expectations. You get out of training what you put in, and I hadn’t quite put in enough. My goal became simple: move as slowly as needed to cross the finish line without too much suffering.

Race morning was exactly as expected: hot, humid, and an hour later than my usual training run start time, meaning it was even warmer. The course was flat, but mostly unshaded—classic Texas weather. It wasn’t ideal, but I was committed to getting through it.

The Race Begins: Keeping an Easy Pace

The race started fine. I kept an easy pace and listened to an audiobook, knowing that starting slow was the key to reducing suffering later on. The course was an out-and-back along the Trinity River, and I felt okay for the first seven miles.

But after the turnaround, things changed. Running into the direct sun at mile nine, I already had to tap into my mental reserves. I switched to music—Jack White was my go to—but by mile ten, I was walking.

Struggling at the End: A Mental and Physical Battle

At mile 11, I was ready to walk the rest of the race, thinking about how much I’d struggled. But then, right on cue, these lyrics from my playlist hit my ears:

I realize that you have tried and tried and are just about ready to give up
But I got good news for you
God has spoken to my mind and told me to tell you
To get moving in the right direction for a change
I'm gonna put you in the fast lane

Archbishop Harold Holmes, Song by Jack White

Jack White (or maybe God, haha) was telling me to run, so I picked up the pace again, pushing a run/walk through to the finish line.

and I am walking. Couldn't even fake it for the cameras. hah.

Post-Race: A Surprise Win

I finished the 13.1 miles, exhausted but happy to be done. I felt accomplished just to have completed the race, but I didn’t stick around for the awards ceremony. Given the walking breaks and struggle at the end, I didn't think my performance was award-winning.

Later that day, I looked up the race results and noticed my name wasn’t in my new age group (females 50-54). Confused, I checked the Masters division. To my surprise, I had won! I was the fastest woman over 40 and placed 23rd overall out of around 500 participants.

Suddenly, my perspective on the race shifted. What I had perceived as a poor performance was actually a victory, considering the conditions.

post race surprise celebration for my “fabulous fifty” birthday!

The Reality vs. Perception of Performance

I thought I performed poorly, but the reality was that I did better than I realized. The heat and humidity affected everyone, and I ended up being the fastest of the women over 40 that day.

Our ability to hold a pace is directly impacted by how our brain perceives effort. It’s worth considering how our perceptions can influence how we feel about a race.

Why Perception Matters in Running

Perception plays a huge role in motivation, mental state, and confidence. Negative perceptions can make us feel defeated before we’ve even crossed the finish line. Strengthening your mindset means learning to step outside of how you feel in the moment and being mindful, present, and objective.

Shifting Your Mindset for Future Races

Changing your perspective can improve both your performance and your enjoyment of running. Here are a few practical tips for shifting your mindset during tough races:

1. Focus on effort, not outcome: Control what you can—your mindset and your effort—not the weather or other external factors.

2. Embrace discomfort: Running in challenging conditions builds mental and physical resilience. The harder effort pays off in future performances.

3. Celebrate small wins: Progress comes in many forms—sometimes it’s finishing the race, running a bit faster or farther, or learning something new about yourself.

Reframing Difficult Races: Lessons Learned

Instead of dwelling on perceived failures, use tough races as learning experiences. Trust the process and recognize that what you feel in the moment isn’t always the full picture.

The Power of a Growth Mindset in Running

A growth mindset is the belief that your abilities can improve through effort and learning. Instead of saying, "I could never do that," shift to, "I can't do that yet, but with practice, I will improve."

This change in perspective can transform how you approach running and your overall life goals.

The Truth About Age and Performance

On my 50th birthday, I can confidently say I am fitter now than I was at 30. While it’s true that age brings some natural decline, how we age is more within our control than we realize. With consistent strength training, good nutrition, stress management, and sleep, we can continue to perform and improve in different ways well into our later years.

Ran it in!

Conclusion: Changing Your Perspective Can Change the Outcome

What felt like a disappointing race turned into a victory when I changed my perspective. Simply by reframing how I viewed my performance, I went from feeling defeated to feeling accomplished.

Running, like life, is about embracing challenges, shifting our mindset, and finding victories in the process. The key to success often lies in how we choose to perceive the journey.

Do you know someone who might benefit from coaching? It helps me when you share with your friends and followers.

Questions? I’d love to help.

Coach Lea

I am a personal trainer, running coach, and master health coach dedicated to helping runners get strong, body and mind!

@fortworth_trainer

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12 Life Lessons Learned in 12 Weeks Running the Trinity 5000 Summer Race Series

What Kind of Psycho Runs a 12-Week 5K Race Series in the Texas Summer Heat?

I’m sure my friends silently ask themselves this question when I tell them about my latest challenge, but I also ask myself it on the car ride down to the Trinity 5000 summer series each week. For twelve weeks, we join to run a 5K every Thursday at 7:30 PM in Trinity Park in Fort Worth, TX.

The Challenge of Running in Texas Heat

To be a runner in Texas takes a willingness to suffer. Even when it's "only" 85 degrees in the early summer morning hours, the humidity makes a run an activity to endure, not enjoy. But we're building mental toughness, right?

I tell myself it will all be worth it on that first cool fall morning when the air is so crisp that my legs feel like they are flying across the asphalt. If I only ran when the weather was ideal, I would hardly get to run at all. Besides, this race series gives me a reason to stay consistent with faster running in the summer; I paid for this, after all.

A Newfound Appreciation for Running

I genuinely love to run, and after almost six months off due to a foot injury and being back at it for about six months before this series started, I've learned to re-appreciate it. Was I taking running for granted, assuming it would always be there? Maybe. So, I've acquainted myself with the mantra: Every run is a gift...even in 90+ degree temps.

I placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd in my age group at least once each during the twelve-week series.

12 Lessons Learned in 12 Weeks at the Trinity 5000 Race Series

Week One: Slow Down (in the Beginning)

• Temperature: 91 degrees

• Result: 2nd in age group, 8:41 avg pace

I hadn't raced a 5K since before my foot injury. I started at a pace typical of my pre-injury fitness, which proved unsustainable in the last mile. I had to run/walk the last half mile. Important lesson: Go out slowly, especially in the heat. This week taught me to pace myself better for future races. Going out too fast can sabotage the end when speed is most important.

Week Two: Mindset Matters

• Temperature: 90 degrees

• Result: 2nd in age group, 8:32 avg pace

I paced myself much better and finished faster overall. These hot races are an opportunity to work on mindset, as the last half mile is a suffer-fest. The way I talk to myself when it gets challenging matters. If I catch myself slipping into negative thinking, I remind myself that I am getting stronger just by being out here—physically and mentally.

Week Three: Worrying Wastes Energy

• Temperature: 86 degrees

• Result: 2nd in age group, 8:31 avg pace

I made it a point not to think, worry, or fret about the race during the day leading up to the start line, including checking the weather. It isn’t productive and doesn't change anything. It only wastes energy. It proved to be a good strategy as the weeks went on.

Week Four: Keep Going; You Will Acclimate

• Temperature: 95 degrees

• Result: 1st in age group, 8:35 avg pace

I was first in my age group! Only because the two women ahead of me in my age group were first overall and first master female. So I was the first age 45-49. I ran about the same time as the last three weeks. It was 95 degrees, and I dare not tempt the heat gods and say, "It wasn't that bad," lest they turn up the heat next time. I must be acclimating—another benefit of these races.

Week Five: Try Different Strategies

• Temperature: 95 degrees

• Result: 2nd in age group, 8:43 avg pace

I tried a new strategy to change things up: the first half was slow-ish, then one minute fast, one minute jog, repeat for the second half. It was mentally easier because I was more focused on the next interval than on how much time was left on the course. It was less suffering, but overall slower. I probably wouldn’t do this if it were a race I was trying to perform well, but since this is a series, I had room to play around. It was a fun way to change it up.

Week Six: Race Against Yourself

• Temperature: 91 degrees

• Result: 3rd in age group, 8:30 avg pace

Halfway through the series! There was slightly less suffering, and it was the fastest I've run in the series. I was third in my age group. It's the only medal I hadn't won yet, so I’m happy because now I have at least one of each—first, second, and third. The paces of the top three winners in my age group were three seconds apart! Fourth place was one second behind me. In the race against myself, I won this week!

Is it possible to run a 5K and not take a selfie? I think not!

Week Seven: It's Always OK to Take a Break

My husband had dental surgery, so my day was weird and off-center. I had low energy and didn't feel like I had what it took to run in the heat. I could beat myself up for missing a week or let it go and appreciate the self-care. I was listening to what my body needed, and that was to rest.

Week Eight: Focus on What You Can Control

• Temperature: 93 degrees

• Result: 1st in age group, 8:40 avg pace

The lesson of these last couple of weeks is that age group placement is not a goal to hang your hat on because it’s less about what you do and more about what the runners around you do. I placed first again this week with one of my slower times and third place two weeks ago with my fastest (so far in the series). You can't control the competition, so focus on what you can control: your mindset and your effort; stay positive, trust your ability to perform, and do your best. It’s enough!

Pro tip: Always smile at the cameras like you’re having the best time ever (even when you are deep in the pain cave). HA!

Week Nine: Paces Slow in the Summer, but the Work Pays Off in the Fall

• Temperature: 99 degrees

• Result: 2nd in age group, 8:44 avg pace

I adjusted my pace for how I was feeling. It was the hottest so far and also my slowest to date. It’s likely not a coincidence. It’s an essential reminder that heat has a significant impact on performance. Paces will be slower when running in the summer, but it doesn’t mean we are losing fitness. It feels harder because there is an increased oxygen need as our bodies redirect some blood flow from our muscles to our skin to help cool us down. It will all pay off in the fall.

Week Ten: You Can Do Hard Things

• Temperature: 97 degrees

• Result: 2nd in age group, 8:35 avg pace

It was not my fastest overall time, but the last mile was my fastest in this series. I didn’t feel like I was moving any faster, which proves the point: Your ability to maintain a certain pace depends on how your mind perceives the effort. It felt okay due to my experience on this course, improved fitness throughout the summer, my acclimation to the heat, and my improving mindset.

After this week, I wondered if I would miss it when it was over. N'ah. Ha. But I like that I am the kind of person who pays money to do something this uncomfortable every week. I am glad it is twelve weeks—a stretch but not unattainable. When we push ourselves on purpose and do hard things, mentally and physically, it sets us up to have more resilience for the hard stuff we don't plan for.

Week Eleven: On Vacation

• Temperature: 70 degrees; 7:12 am

• Result: 8:18 avg pace

I ran a 5K, listening to my Trinity 5000 run fast playlist on a beach-lined flat course in California's cool temperatures to remind myself that the heat makes me slower. I didn’t mourn missing this week at all! Sorry, not sorry! I pushed myself and was faster overall because the weather was 25 degrees cooler, but not as fast as I expected.

Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Fort Worth anymore!

Week Twelve: Gratitude and Growth

• Temperature: 95 degrees

• Result: 2nd in age group, 8:31 avg pace

Thank you to Ricky and Demery Cox and the Cox Running Club for hosting this annual summer event and fostering community among runners for the last 39 years! Yes, for almost as long as I've been alive (okay, I was 11 when they started), a group of Fort Worth runners has been burning up the Trinity Trails on these hot summer evenings. It’s not just a fad, I’d say.

These were the last races in my current age group because when the clock strikes 5-0 in September, I'll move up to race the fast and feisty 50-54s. I'm grateful to close out my 40s with this fun experience under my belt. The sense of accomplishment and community involvement makes it rewarding for runners (and walkers) of all ages and abilities.

photo credit: https://www.instagram.com/ohhhwavy/

Applying These Insights:

For other runners or anyone facing challenging goals, the lessons I learned can be incredibly valuable:

• Be Patient. Understand that progress takes time. Patience is key whether you’re training for a race or working towards any difficult goal.

• Cultivate a Strong Mindset: Your mental approach can be just as important as your physical preparation. Stay positive and focus on your progress, even if it’s slow.

• Stay Consistent: Regular effort leads to growth even in less-than-ideal conditions. Don’t wait for the perfect moment; get out there and do it.

• Focus on What You Can Control: Worrying about things outside your control only drains your energy. Instead, direct your efforts towards what you can influence.

• Embrace the Struggle: Challenges are growth opportunities. Embrace them, and you’ll be better prepared for whatever life throws your way.

Ultimately, this race series wasn’t just about running in the heat—it was about pushing myself, growing stronger, and appreciating every step of the journey. Whether you’re a runner or someone striving to achieve a difficult goal, remember that every challenge is a chance to build resilience and celebrate your progress.

Did you like this post? Do you know someone who might benefit? It helps me when you share with your friends and followers.

Questions? I’d love to help.

Coach Lea

I am a personal trainer, running coach, and master health coach dedicated to helping you get strong, body and mind!

@fortworth_trainer

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10 Reasons Why You Are Not Seeing Results in the Gym

When I talk to women about their health and fitness goals, they almost always tell me they want to get toned. To be clear, having toned muscles means building muscle. However, when we review their habits and routines, most aren’t taking the specific actions necessary to meet the goal of toned muscles. I often say that just because you are holding weights while working out does not mean you are strength training, muscle building, or muscle toning. You must work backward from your goal. If you want to look lean and muscular, there are specific actions you must take to achieve that goal.

Muscle-building exercises are not only for bodybuilders. People with more muscle mass tend to have a higher metabolic rate. Muscles help the body burn more fat than muscle, which can help with weight loss and maintenance. Do you want to age well, maintain and build fitness, be strong and independent, lose fat, and have a lean, muscular body with strong bones and joints? Then strength training and muscle-building exercises are for you!

If you feel like you are working hard in the gym but are not seeing the muscle definition (aka toning) results you desire, consider what you may be missing!

1. Lack of Consistency

To build muscle, most people must consistently lift weights to target all the major muscle groups at least twice weekly. If you frequently miss workouts, you may not be sending the signal to your body to build muscle. It’s like taking one step forward and then one step back—you are never really going anywhere.

If you have trouble staying consistent, try setting a small goal to hit the gym for twenty minutes twice a week. When that becomes a habit, start building to increase the time. It’s not an all-or-nothing choice. If you don’t have time to spend an hour in the gym, it’s ok; it’s better to start with what you can do today and build over time. After all, muscle building is a lifelong endeavor, not a 90-day challenge. God willing, you have plenty of time to improve!

2. Not Focusing on the Appropriate Workouts

To work backward from your goal, you must take the specific actions that will lead you there. For muscle building, that means lifting heavy weights progressively. If all your workouts are HIIT style, then even if you are holding weights while doing it, that type of workout is not sending a muscle-building signal to your body.

HIIT workouts (and cardio workouts in general) are great for cardiovascular fitness and even fat loss goals, provided they are paired with proper recovery. However, if those are the only workouts you are doing, you are likely not building the muscle necessary to get that toned outcome.

3. No Goal or Plan

If you are hitting the gym at least twice a week, congratulations. You are already on the right path to meeting your goals. It is the first step, and you’ve nailed it! But if you walk into the gym without a plan, without notes about what weights, rep scheme, and how many sets you need to do that day, chances are you aren’t consistently providing the necessary stimulus to build muscle. If you are wandering around the gym and choosing your next exercise by what weight or equipment is available without rhyme or reason, you can likely make significant improvements by following a plan and tracking your progress.

4. Adaptation

If you’ve been doing the same exercises, lifting the same weight, and using the same rep scheme for a long time, you may have seen some initial success in the gym, but you’ve likely stalled because your body has adapted to the workout. You haven’t given your body a good reason to build new muscle.

That is why tracking your exercises, weights, reps, and sets is essential. Your weights or reps should change enough that it would be hard for the average person to memorize every detail of every exercise. How can you keep track if you are not writing it down (in an app, on paper, in an Excel spreadsheet)?

Can you squeeze out one more rep with that weight? Is it time to increase the amount of weight in your rep range? Can you decrease the rep range but increase the weight? Can you add another set with the same weight and reps? Can you slow the tempo? There are many ways to progress, but you must keep track. Progressive overload means incrementally increasing some workout aspect, so your body must adapt (get stronger or build muscle). You can do this by increasing weight, increasing reps, increasing sets, decreasing tempo, varying rest periods, or increasing the difficulty of exercise selection.

Of course, don’t attempt to make all those changes at once. See if there is something small you can do each week to make it a bit more challenging than last week. You won’t always be able to, but keeping in mind that the goal is progressive overload will help you maintain focus on this goal. If you keep doing the same workouts repeatedly, your body won’t have a reason to build new muscle. Having a coach can help you make sure you are progressing safely and optimally.

That is also why consistency is important. If you are not consistent, how can you build when you have to start from square one over and over?

5. Not Enough Calories

You need calories to build muscle, plain and simple. If you spend months and years (or an adult lifetime) in a calorie deficit, you may not give your body the necessary calories to build new muscle over time. A low-calorie intake makes it challenging to build muscle after the initial newbie gains. You stop improving in the gym, and you may even go backward. As a sign that you may not be eating enough, you cannot apply the progressive overload I mentioned in the previous point because your body doesn’t have the fuel to do it.

It’s a good idea to cycle in and out of a calorie deficit, to calorie maintenance, and even calorie surplus (of healthy muscle-promoting foods) to give your body the building blocks it needs to build muscle. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but eating enough, potentially more (whatever that means for you), can help you build muscle and look leaner, especially if you’ve been in a calorie deficit for a long time.

6. Not Enough Protein

Your body needs protein to build muscle. For health, longevity, and muscle building, .7 grams to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight (or goal body weight) is an excellent place to start. Start by tracking to see where you are now. Are you consistently getting less than 100 grams a day as an adult weighing over 125 pounds? Your low protein intake could hold you back from building the desired muscle.

The FDA's requirement for daily protein intake is much lower (50 grams per 2000 calories for sedentary individuals), but that is the protein intake they recommend to prevent poor health outcomes from low protein intake; that recommendation does not consider the protein you need to build muscle and lead a fit and active life.

Protein has so many benefits that if you are low on it, you may see and feel an immediate improvement by increasing your intake. Protein helps you stay satiated between meals and helps you maintain and gain muscle. This becomes especially important if you have a fat loss goal, as you want to prioritize maintaining your muscle tissue as you lose weight.

7. Too Much Alcohol

Profound apologies to my wine-loving friends, but it is worth considering if your alcohol intake is holding you back. When your body processes the alcohol in your system, it takes priority over fat loss and muscle building; it inhibits recovery (see the next point) and, potentially, performance. If you want to enjoy moderate alcohol intake (for women, one drink; men, two) occasionally, it may not have any long-term detrimental effects, but routine alcohol intake could be holding you back from reaching your health and fitness goals.

8. Not Enough Rest and Recovery

If you don’t recover, you don’t improve, and this is especially important when you have a goal to build muscle. You don’t build muscle, improve fitness, lose fat, or get faster during the workout; it all happens during the recovery period. So, if you don’t give your body the time it needs to recover, you cannot build the muscle you want. Rest days (or low-intensity movement) between hard workout sessions or taking at least 48 hours between working the same muscle group is essential for proper recovery. Most adults need at least one full rest and recovery day a week; you may need more if stress or workout intensity levels are high.

It is not just about rest days. Are you sleeping properly? The recommended seven hours of sleep per night is for the average sedentary adult; you may need more if you push yourself hard in the gym. Many recovery processes happen during sleep, so if you cut yourself short, you may be sacrificing results. If you are doing everything correctly but not seeing the desired results, examining the quality and quantity of sleep you get could be a game-changer.

9. Too Much Stress

High-stress loads can inhibit recovery, which, as discussed above, can stall results. If you don’t recover, you don’t improve. Stress can be external, like work demands, interpersonal relationships, or money worries, or internal, like a sustained calorie deficit, intense workouts, or insufficient sleep. It’s hard to progressively overload your workouts when life stress is high. You can’t expect your body to do more with high stress, as intense exercise adds to that stress load and impairs proper recovery. I’ve said it once before, but it bears repeating now…if you don’t recover, you don’t improve.

It’s all connected, so consider how your lifestyle may affect your results. Control what you can control. Are you taking time for yourself to relax and unwind? Are you staying connected to people who love and care for you? Are you sleeping and fueling your body properly? We often can’t control some of the stress in our lives, but learning to deal with it productively can help us manage it so we can recover properly.

I wrote more about managing stress in this blog post.

10. Too Much Emphasis on Scale Weight or Calories Burned

When you work to build muscle, you may find the scale weight stays the same (or even goes up), but your pants size decreases. That happens because a pound of muscle takes up less space in the body than a pound of fat. If your fat decreases by one pound and your muscle tissues increase by one pound, then the scale weight stays the same, but you’ve made great progress toward improving body composition.

Muscles are denser than fat and give your body shape and definition. At the same weight, you can look leaner.

The same goes for calories burned. While your watch or tracking device can give you a rough estimate, it is just that, an estimate—and likely overestimated. If you are only measuring your success by the calories burned, you are likely to stay frustrated because you may not burn as many calories during a weight-lifting session as you do during cardio. In fact, a well-designed strength training workout likely won’t burn many calories during the session but will promote muscle building during the recovery period.

If you are goal-oriented, measuring other factors like recovery, protein intake, consistency with workouts, and progressive overload can help you feel you are progressing even if the scale or calories burned aren’t showing that in the short term. Look at the whole picture, not just one aspect.

YOUR Action Plan:

Can you do anything a bit better? Slowly improving your behaviors can lead to big results over time.

Consistency: Aim to hit the gym regularly. Start small and build your routine over time.

Appropriate Workouts: Include heavy weightlifting for muscle building. Complement with HIIT or cardio for overall fitness.

Goal and Plan: Follow a structured workout plan and track your progress.

Progressive Overload: Gradually increase workout intensity to avoid adaptation.

Adequate Nutrition: Cycle through calorie deficit, maintenance, and surplus. Ensure sufficient protein intake.

Alcohol Intake: Monitor and reduce alcohol consumption if necessary.

Rest and Recovery: Prioritize rest days and adequate sleep.

Stress Management: Address both external and internal stressors.

Focus Beyond Scale Weight: Measure progress through muscle gain, fat loss, strength and overall body composition.

Questions? I’d love to help!

Lea

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Questions? I’d love to help.

Coach Lea

I am a personal trainer, running coach, and master health coach dedicated to helping you get strong, body and mind!

@fortworth_trainer

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