“My Fitness Transformation – The Mistakes That Slowed It Down” – Monica May

 

How long does it really take to transform your body? 

Well, I’ve been into fitness for over 7 years now, and it took me almost 3 years to really start seeing the changes on my body I wanted.

That’s because I was doing so many things wrong for such a long time.

So, today, I’m sharing all of the mistakes that slowed me down in terms of working out and nutrition.

Learn from my mistakes, and get your dream body faster!

We’re jumping into them right now!

Watch The Video

 

I explain everything in details in the video too, so if you are more of a “listener” than a “reader”, head on to my YouTube channel :)

If not, we’re jumping into the article right now!!

 

My Fitness Transformation

The 5 Mistakes That Slowed It Down

Now, let me ask you this, how many times have you seen a fitness transformation picture like mine here, and admired it, without ever asking yourself how long did it really take this girl to get from point A to point B.

Well, for me, it was almost 3 years.

And all because I made some crucial mistakes, and wasted my time on things that actually didn’t work.

And still with so much false info out there, I really don’t want this to happen to any of you.

It can be so frustrating and exhausting, and once you don’t see progress, it can lead to quitting.

That’s why I’m listing the 5 mistakes that made my fitness journey and my fitness transformation longer than it should. 

 

MISTAKE #1: Spending Too Much Time At The Gym

Back in the days when I was first getting into fitness I was spending a ridiculous amount of time at the gym.

Having an hour and a half lifting session followed by 1 hour slow steady cardio session.

I hated cardio so much, since it was extremely boring, and I was obviously overdoing it.

And if only someone would have told me then, that I could do HIIT and circuit training instead, it would have saved me so much time.

And it would have made fitness so much more exciting and fun.

Once I started including HIIT into my workout routine I started getting twice the results in terms of burning excess fat, without tapping into those lean muscles.

And all of that while spending a fragment of the time I was spending at the gym on a cardio machine.

We live and we learn :)

Here’s my program now:

 

MISTAKE #2: The Food I Was Eating Was Boring

Let’s just say nothing exciting wasn’t happening in my diet at the time.

Boiled chicken and broccoli.
Or boiled eggs (only egg whites ofc) sided with a few leaves of spinach or lettuce.

My taste buds were not happy at all, and my dopamine levels were basically below zero when it came down to having a meal.

And of course, since I didn’t enjoy my food, I cheated.

Oh yes I did. 

Especially on the weekends.

This was basically my reward for sticking to such a restrictive diet all week.

And it wasn’t just one meal, oh no no no…

I had full cheat days, with the 3 meals, and sometimes both Saturday and Sunday.

Not to mention the alcohol intake, which also was alarmingly increasing, especially in my early 20s.

So, what I learned from that was really important:

You cannot stick to a healthy diet if you are not enjoying the foods you eat.

It’s just not sustainable. 

Once I found a healthy and balanced meal plan that keeps me excited and fulfilled, I managed to get long term results.

If you are interested in my meal plan now, you can check it out here:

 

MISTAKE #3: I Was Not Eating Carbs

I didn’t know at the time that in order to “tone” your body, or grow bigger muscles, you have to eat carbs.

With keto being so popular back then, I thought I didn’t really need carbs.

Especially not after a workout. Oh, God forbid that!

It just blows my mind how wrong I was about carbs.

Because carbs are the body’s main source of energy.

They actually power the workouts, which means they supply you with the energy to train harder.

And harder training = better results in terms of fat burn and muscle gain.

Carbs play a crucial role in my everyday life now, and I was so wrong to think I didn’t need them.

Food is so much more than just a calorie, and the faster you realize this, the faster you’ll get your results.

 

MISTAKE #4: I Didn’t Do Progressive Overload

I was so focused on changing up the exercises, and exercising longer, that I often neglected this one aspect of fitness that today I swear by.

And that is PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD.

Progressive overload became a crucial part of my fitness transformation.

Now what does it mean?

Progressive overload is actually the gradual increase of stress placed upon the body during exercise.

This means gradually challenging your body more and more each time you workout, by increasing the weight, the frequency, or the number of repetitions in your routine.

Progressively overloading means you are continually increasing the demands on your muscle in order to maximize adaptation gains in strength, size, or endurance.

So, this means that if you squat with let’s say 15 pounds, and you are not really feeling your squats anymore, chances are your muscles have adapted to that weight.
What you need to do is increase the weight in order to see gradual changes.

If you stick to the same weight or the same intensity, you might end up not seeing progress.

And to be honest, I always thought that changing up the exercises was crucial so your muscles won’t adapt to them and get bored.

When actually they are less likely to get bored by the movement.
What they get used to is the weight.

What’s even more important is adding up more and more weight overtime, so that your muscles can be constantly challenged, and not hit that plateau.

 

MISTAKE #5: I Waited Too Long To Eat After a Workout.

And sometimes I would even go to bed afterwards, and not eat anything at all.

Because yeah, I thought if I starve, I will not gain back the calories that I just burned.

Simple math right?
WRONG!

You see, when working out some of the proteins in your muscles get broken down and damaged.

Therefore, after your workout, your body tries to rebuild its glycogen stores and repair and regrow those muscle proteins in order to grow bigger.

And the bond that helps rebuild those muscles and helps them grow is food.

Muscles are built in the kitchen, and that’s a fact!

That’s why it is so important to have something to eat immediately after a workout.

Because your muscles won’t grow, if you’re not feeding them, 

I know this may be obvious to some of you, but again, if you are not eating right, or enough food, or you wait too long to eat after working out you cannot get the results you want.

And I’m not talking only about proteins here.

Yes proteins are a crucial part of building muscles.

But whoever said that carbs are bad for us.. UGH!

So, now I drink my protein shake immediately after my training, and eat my balanced meal in the range of 1 hour TOPS afterwards.

This way, I make sure my body is recovering faster, and growing stronger.

 

My Fitness Transformation

The Conclusion

Lastly, girls, progress takes time.

Making serious body changes takes time.

For some women moving from point A to point B can happen in just a few months, while for others it can take years of dedication and work.

There are so many factors involved, with genetics leading them.

So, please don’t be hard on yourself if you are experiencing a dead end, and you’re taking longer to get the results you want.

What you can do to speed it up is learning more on a daily basis.

And by getting to the end of this post you are already on the right track.

I am so proud of you!

Are you making some of these mistakes?

Let me know by commenting in the comment section below – I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW! 

 

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Till next time, babes!
xoxo

 

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