Have you been maintaining your fitness goals from the start of the New Year? If you’ve given up because you don’t think you’re making progress, you might want to reconsider. You still might be getting fitter even if you haven’t lost any weight.
Signs You’re Getting Fitter
Weight loss plateaus happen. But there are plenty of signs to tell if you’ve already made progress even though the scale says you weigh the same.
1. You Are Getting Stronger
The first sign of a higher level of fitness is your muscles become more proficient. You’ll notice that you are able to start using heavier weights or complete more reps than before.
Try to track this strength progression. Mark down the amount of weight and the amount of reps you’re able to complete for each exercise. Try to increase the amount of weight, reps, or both each week.
2. Improved Sleep
Have you been getting a better quality of sleep? Exercising during the evening has been proven to improve your quality of sleep. The longer you sleep, the more your body produces a hormone called leptin, which can help decrease your appetite.
So as you can see, if you’re sleeping better, it’s a sign that you’re making progress towards a healthier lifestyle.
3. Your Appetite is Changing
You may actually notice that you are hungrier after your workouts. That’s ok, as long as you’re eating something nutritious. Focus on muscle recovery by consuming higher amounts of protein immediately after a workout. If you want to suppress your appetite, make sure you eat adequate amounts of fiber as well.
If you think you’re truly stuck at a fitness plateau or just want other ideas that you can do during your fitness session, schedule a fitness consultation with me!
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Written by Curt Minter, Certified Personal Trainer at Elite Sports Club – North Shore and Elite Sports Club – River Glen.
Curt has a B.S. in Health and Human Performance from UW Platteville, is an American College of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer and American Sports and Fitness Association Cycling Instructor. He specializes in Balance, Strength, Endurance, Weight Management, Fitness Event Preparation, Energizing and Enjoyable Fitness, and Health & Wellness Guidance. Curt lives by the philosophy of “Every Journey Starts With A Single Step.” – Lao Tze. And he believes that no matter where you are in your life it is never too late for a healthy start.