No matter your fitness level, it can be frustrating when we feel like our hard work at the gym isn’t yielding the desired results.
But the physical changes that happen to our body as a result of exercise don’t happen overnight. And a “why bother?” mentality can hurt your motivation and hinder progress, Brianna Steinhilber, certified personal trainer and TODAY.com health editor, explains.
If you’re unhappy with the results of your workout routine, Steinhilber offers an effective strategy:
Fitness Tip of The Day: Change How You’re Measuring “Success”
Instead of focusing on what hasn’t changed as a result of working out, try changing your mindset.
“Seeing measurable progress is extremely important for increasing adherence to a fitness plan and maintaining motivation,” says Steinhilber.
That’s why she encourages people to redefine how they measure success, especially in the first few months of starting a new workout routine.
“Try shifting your focus to more immediate results and use those to gauge if a routine is working or not,” she says. These include changes in energy, sleep, mood, strength and inches lost.
Why It Matters
“Weight loss and muscle building take time,” Steinhilber says.
Even with consistent exercise — five times a week for at least 30 minutes — plus diet changes, it can take months to see visible weight loss or muscle growth. For example, you can realistically expect to lose 1-2 pounds a week, she adds.
“I understand how that can be frustrating for people: You’re working out consistently, and you many only lose 4 pounds in a month,” says Steinhilber.
Measuring success using other metrics like sleep, mood or inches allows you to see results beyond the mirror or scale, also called non-scale victories.
“Being able to see that your sleeping an extra hour a night, are feeling happier or more confident or have lost an inch around your waist are tangible results that will keep you motivated to stick with it,” Steinhilber says.
Focusing on smaller, consistent changes is also a more sustainable way to lose weight and keep it off, she adds.
How to Get Started
First, Steinhilber recommends keeping a journal to track your progress and capture positive trends.
During the first few weeks, measure:
“Start with a sleep and mood journals. Every day, take a few minutes to jot down how you slept the night before and rate your energy and mood levels,” Steinhilber says. You should be able to see improvements within the first week or two.
After about a month or so, start to measure:
Strength gainedInches lost
Strength gained refers to how much weight you can lift and how many reps you can perform — keep track of these during every workout, says Steinhilber.
Finally, take measurements of your waist, chest, hips and arm circumference once a week and track the changes.
“This way you will easily be able to see changes, and proof that your workout routine is working,” Steinhilber adds.
TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.