You’ve been exercising regularly. You’re making an effort with your nutrition. You’re feeling quite pleased with yourself!
Then you step on the scales and… absolutely nothing.
Sound familiar?!
It’s frustrating isn’t it? Especially when you feel like you’re doing everything right and that number just won’t budge.
But here’s something I really want you to think about. Just because your weight isn’t changing doesn’t mean your body isn’t changing.
More importantly, it doesn’t mean your workouts aren’t working!
So let’s talk about how to tell whether you’re actually making progress, why your weight might have stalled and what you can do about it.
1. You’re Getting Stronger (Even If You’re Not Getting Lighter!)
One of the biggest mistakes we make is measuring the success of our workouts purely by what happens on the scales.
But think about what you’re actually achieving.
Can you lift heavier weights than you could a few months ago? Are you managing more repetitions? Can you get through a workout without needing quite so many breaks?
Perhaps you’ve noticed that everyday activities feel easier.
These are all signs that your fitness is improving!
You can improve your strength, cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance without seeing a dramatic change in your weight.
Particularly as we get older, maintaining and developing our strength is incredibly important.
So please don’t overlook these achievements simply because the scales haven’t changed.
2. You’ve Got More Energy and You’re Feeling Better
Here’s another question for you.
How do you actually FEEL?
Are you finding you’ve got a little more energy throughout the day? Are you sleeping better? Do you feel more positive after exercising?
Perhaps you’re finding it easier to manage stress or you’re simply enjoying having 20 minutes to yourself.
All of these things matter!
Exercise isn’t just about changing how we look. It’s about improving our physical and mental wellbeing too.
Sometimes the biggest improvements are the ones we can’t see in the mirror.
3. Your Clothes Fit Differently
Now, this is an interesting one!
You might find that your weight has barely changed but your clothes are fitting differently.
That’s because weight loss and fat loss aren’t necessarily the same thing.
If you’re doing regular strength training, you may be improving your body composition by developing muscle and reducing body fat.
That doesn’t mean everyone will experience dramatic changes but it does mean that the scales alone can’t tell you everything.
If you’d like to track physical changes, you could use occasional progress photos or body measurements.
But remember, these are optional tools. You don’t have to measure everything to know you’re making progress!
4. You’re Becoming More Consistent
I actually think this is one of the most underrated signs of progress.
Perhaps six months ago you struggled to exercise once a week.
Now you’re managing three workouts most weeks.
Or perhaps you’ve stopped thinking that missing one workout means you’ve ruined everything.
THAT is progress!
Building a routine that fits around your life is so much more valuable than following a perfect programme for two weeks and then giving up.
This brings me nicely onto something I talk about quite a lot.
You don’t have to be perfect to make progress.
Consistency over time is what really makes the difference.
5. You’re Not Waiting for a Goal Weight to Feel Good
Have you ever looked back at photographs of yourself when you weighed less and thought, “I wish I looked like that again”?
It’s funny isn’t it? Because quite often we weren’t particularly happy with ourselves at the time either!
We convince ourselves that when we reach a certain weight or dress size we’ll suddenly feel happier and more confident.
There’s actually a name for this. It’s called the arrival fallacy.
It’s the idea that achieving a particular goal will bring us lasting happiness.
But what happens when we get there?
Sometimes we simply move the goalposts!
Now, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to lose weight if it’s appropriate for you.
But please don’t put your life on hold until you reach that number.
You can feel stronger, fitter and more confident along the way.
You deserve to recognise those achievements NOW.
Why Are the Scales Not Moving Even Though You’re Exercising?
Right, let’s get practical.
If your goal is weight loss and your weight genuinely isn’t changing, there are a few things worth considering.
Firstly, your weight naturally fluctuates.
Hormones, hydration, digestion, salt intake and even a challenging workout can temporarily affect the number on the scales.
This is particularly relevant for women experiencing hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause.
So a few days without a drop doesn’t automatically mean you’ve hit a weight loss plateau.
How Should You Track Your Weight?
If weighing yourself is helpful and doesn’t negatively affect your relationship with food or your body, try to keep the conditions consistent.
For example, weigh yourself in the morning after using the toilet and before breakfast.
Rather than focusing on individual readings, look at the overall trend across several weeks.
If you’re comfortable weighing regularly, comparing weekly averages can help smooth out normal fluctuations.
You don’t need to weigh yourself every day though. If the number is affecting your mood or encouraging restrictive eating, it’s perfectly reasonable to focus on other measures of progress instead.
What If You’ve Actually Hit a Weight Loss Plateau?
If your weight has remained relatively stable for several weeks and weight loss is still an appropriate goal, I’d start by looking at your overall routine.
Ask yourself:
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Am I being as consistent with my nutrition as I think I am?
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Have my portion sizes gradually increased?
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Am I moving as much throughout the day?
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Am I getting enough sleep and recovery?
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Am I eating enough to support my exercise and general health?
Sometimes we don’t need a dramatic overhaul. We just need to identify where things have changed.
If a small adjustment to your food intake is appropriate, you don’t necessarily need to cut out your favourite foods or entire food groups.
But I wouldn’t recommend automatically reducing everything you eat by 20%. Your body still needs adequate nutrition, particularly when you’re exercising regularly.
The aim is to make changes you can maintain rather than punish yourself because the scales haven’t moved.
Remember, not everyone needs to lose weight. Sometimes maintaining your weight while improving your fitness is an excellent outcome!
Does a 10-Minute Workout Actually Count?
Before we finish, I want to answer a question I was recently asked in our Squad Q&A.
Someone had started a workout but got interrupted after 10 minutes and couldn’t get back to it.
She wanted to know whether those 10 minutes actually counted.
OF COURSE THEY DO!
Think about it.
If you’ve only got 10 minutes available, why would doing nothing be better than doing 10 minutes?!
Those minutes contribute to your overall physical activity and can make a real difference to how you feel.
When you’ve got a busy life, sometimes that’s all you can manage.
It doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you’ve done what you could with the time you had available.
Bank those 10 minutes and move on with your day!
The Bottom Line: Is Your Workout Actually Working?
If you’re getting stronger, feeling fitter, moving more regularly or simply enjoying exercise more than you used to, please recognise that.
The scales can be one way of measuring progress but they’re certainly not the only way.
If your weight isn’t moving, don’t immediately assume you need to eat less or exercise more.
Look at the bigger picture.
Because ultimately, we want to build a healthier, stronger body that allows us to enjoy life. Not spend our lives chasing a number!
Want Some Support With Your Fitness?
This blog was inspired by one of our private Lorna Marie Squad Q&A sessions where we chat about everything from exercise and nutrition to motivation and making fitness work around real life.
If you’d love some guidance, accountability and workouts that fit around your busy schedule, come and join us!
With live online workouts, an extensive On Demand library and a supportive community of women, we’re here to help you build a routine that actually lasts.
Find out more about the Lorna Marie Squad: https://www.lornamariefitness.co.uk
Prefer to listen? You can also catch this topic on the Lorna Marie Fitness podcast on Spotify and YouTube.
