I focus a ton on mindset on the podcast because I think our mindset behind things ultimately dictates our success or failure.

We can have all the right tools and never embrace them or take action if our mindset isn’t there to move us forward.

And I think our brain is often partly responsible for our progress stalling.

We THINK we are doing all of the right things, but the reality is…

We often aren’t.

Yes sometimes we just need to stay consistent with everything because results are building and we just need to be patient…our least favorite thing ever…

BUT often we’ve also let little things SLIDE that we haven’t even noticed.

That’s why I wanted to touch on 3 things you want to assess if you’ve been stuck for awhile or feel like you’re even slowly starting to roll backward in your results…

1: Are You Actually Still Sticking With The Habits Consistently?

What does the data say?

Often we get a bit…well…comfortable and lazy as we go through.

In terms of our diet, bites, licks and nibbles sneak in and go unlogged.

Sauces get added with a few extra grams that we shrug off.

An extra day or two unlogged creeps in.

Our portions slightly grow as we get “looser” in our tracking because we feel confident in knowing our portions.

We start to slack a bit on our warm ups and rush them.

We miss a workout here or there more than usual.

Basically, while we are still overall consistent, the habits are beginning to slide.

And we need to help ourselves refocus a bit.

There will always be ebbs and flows. We won’t be able to drive forward at 110% every day all day.

BUT if we are getting frustrated that our results have stalled, we need to assess the little things that may be creeping in and hurting our true consistency.

The consistency that will make things happen faster.

There has to be a balance between long-term adherence and perfection…knowing that the more we are truly “perfect” with those habits, the faster things WILL happen.

So assess where you’ve loosened the reigns a bit. And then determine if you want to tighten things back up to drive forward OR if maintaining right now IS the win.

2: You Need To Make A Tweak.

Achieving a goal is such an interesting balance of staying consistent when you want to give up, yet making enough changes to help you keep pushing forward.

It’s why I think learning the fundamentals is key.

Nothing works forever and our lifestyle is evolving so we need to shift.

And sometimes we need to make a slight change even just because we MENTALLY need that sense of control.

A true plateau is at least 3-4 weeks. Most of us never wait that long with absolutely not change in anything before we make a change or say something isn’t working.

And I get it…I’m not patient enough for that either.

It’s why I set end dates. I make adjustments and slight tweaks in focus.

But I keep the same foundation.

It’s why creating progressions and macros are so key.

You have that plan. The basics dialed in, but you can also make small changes to give yourself the change you need on every level.

Try a different macro ratio.

Try a new move in your next progression or a slightly different workout design.

Heck even design for a slightly different schedule if you’re busy right now and your usual doesn’t really work as easily.

Make small changes to your plan while staying focused on those fundamentals.

Don’t be afraid to tweak but stop randomly switching and adjusting with no set plan to follow and clear end dates.

3: How Are You Determining Progress?

I know we often want a very specific change, but I think it is key we use a variety of metrics to really see results.

Too often I’ll hear someone thinks they aren’t making progress because the scale isn’t changing, but they’ve lost inches.

So while progress may “stall” in one metric, we may see that our results are still accumulating if we analyze another front.

This is key as sometimes we jump ship on something too soon when it is working just because progress isn’t happening in the exact way we’d envisioned.

Recognize too what your TRUE ultimate goal is.

If it is performance changes, not every day will your numbers increase, especially not in every lift.

If it is looking leaner, realize the scale may not change while you’re losing fat.

So while you want to use those metrics to know if something is working, realize you have to assess other parts of your lifestyle and progress in them.

Because sometimes realizing we are moving forward in some aspect can help us stay consistent enough to overcome what we see as a plateau.

CLOSING THOUGHTS:

And while I said this wasn’t fully a mindset podcast, I think it is key to also realize that sometimes we FEEL like we’ve plateaued when in reality maintaining previous results is still moving forward.

Sometimes we need to maintain because we can’t just always have the focus to push forward.

So even embracing those times MENTALLY can be key.

Because what can be seen as a plateau, can be results building. And it can be us creating that new foundation, that new set point, off of which we can build even stronger!

Build the recipe for lasting results without cutting out the foods you love…

–> 3 Step Recipe For Results!