Absolutely no progress from anything I do? About to give up.

[station_7]

Hi all,

So, I'm super confused and hope someone can offer insight.

 

I'm female, white, mid-40s, 115 lbs, not really overweight but "soft and squishy" as my body composition has changed from when I was in my 20s! According to the Body Fat Percentage article, I'm somewhere between 21 and 25% (closer to 25% probably). I consume around 1,400 to 1,500 calories per day.

 

Back in 2020, I made a New Year's resolution to "get abs". To that end, I borrowed a couple of light weights (5 lb) and did random exercises I found on YouTube or made up, about 3 times a week. After several weeks, no changes happened, so I consulted an acquaintance who was a former competitive bodybuilder. He suggested I could get toned by working out around 30 minutes, 3 times a week, and gave me some exercises to do. Several more weeks went by, no visible or ability changes (workouts were the same amount of challenging as they had been on day 1).

 

I guessed that I needed more rigourous or frequent workouts than other people. So, I bought a Beachbody workout series on DVD ("PiYo" = Pilates + Yoga). It came with a workout plan which had me working out 6 days a week using bodyweight for 25-45 minutes each. I followed it religiously for 5 months, missing only 2 workouts due to illness. My before and after measurements and photos were identical, and, as before, the workouts did not really get easier over time. Discouraged, I backed off to doing the workouts 3-5 times a week instead of 6. At the end of 8 months - still no progress in any category.

 

I've tried other workouts since, including Chloe Ting, treadmill (where I can only run for about 15-20 minutes) and am currently doing LIST (low-intensity strength training) for 3 days/week and PiYo for 2 days/week.

 

Other than the workouts, I am fairly sedentary, but still - 100% sedentary (before) vs avg 40 minutes of exercise/day (after) - there should be SOME change, right? Maybe I'll never "get abs" or look like the fitness people in the PiYo video (who are my age!), but why can't I see or feel ANY change? At one point I gave up working out completely for 4 months and didn't notice any change, other than more free time

 

And I still can't do a single full pushup, although I try during every workout (I always have to do them on my knees) and to this day there are some PiYo workouts I can't complete. I mean it has been 3 years. I should be able to do them all and then some.

 

Diet-wise, I've tried several things, including cutting 200 calories/day (very difficult since I would feel so hungry all the time), cutting out sugar, dairy, reducing carbs, increasing protein by up to 30g/day, even Whole 30.. again with no result. I read this article about "why can't I lose weight" and it rings true. My body seems to want to eat the same number of calories every day. The past 2 weeks I have tried replacing one meal/day with a large green salad with sprouted lentils and homemade oil/vinegar dressing, and I'm hungry within an hour, so reducing calories has been my biggest challenge and more vegetables is not the answer for me. I don't do well with feeling hungry all day and night, and it's not sustainable for me. Oh, and I'm currently not working, and vegetables are far less affordable than carbs (like rice, pasta, beans and cereal), but I'm still managing to eat veggies plus my salad each day.

 

I feel like I've tried everything and nothing is working, not even a little. Feeling like I should give up on the dream of "getting abs" and sleeveless-worthy arms, and give in to the couch and pizza. I'll probably still look the same either way. lol

 

Anyway, nice to meet you all and thanks for reading this far! Not sure if anyone has been through this before or know someone who has and has any suggestions.

[Artemis Prime]

I am in no way, shape, or form anything that resembles an expert, but I'll share my thoughts on your situation.

 

It sounds like your goal is not really to lose weight but rather to gain muscle. For that to happen, you need to be in a calorie surplus, not deficit. Program hopping tends to not lead to long term progress, but although it seems like you may have done a bit of that, 5 months of Beachbody is definitely a long enough stretch that it should have garnered some results. Again, largely taking a stab in the dark here as I don't really know much about Beachbody at all, but my hunch would be that your diet is the culprit. Building muscle is very taxing on the body, and it needs plenty of extra fuel to use for that. Rest is also crucial to muscle development, so looking at your recovery days and your sleeping habits may be an important step that you're missing.

 

I will say, getting abs to show is a pretty rigorous process. Even super cut people who need them for a competition or photo shoot typically don't have them all the time. And often they have to flirt with some fairly unsafe and unsustainable habits to get them for that day. Your trunk holds a lot of very important parts that your body tries very hard to protect with at least a minimal layer of padding. So it's entirely possible to have an incredibly strong core without having "abs." For that reason, I'd maybe recommend focusing more on "sleevel-less worthy arms."

 

Hope this helps! Hopefully more knowledgeable folks than I chime in, but if you've got any follow up questions, I'll do my best to point you in the right direction.

[station_7]

Thanks for your reply, @Artemis Prime!

To be honest, I'm not really sure if I need to lose fat or build muscle, but my sense is that both need to happen. Fitness videos tend to mention that, even if you have muscle, if it's covered with a layer of fat, no one will see them 😅 I estimate I have about 1" of extra circumference around each of my upper arms and probably 2-3 around my middle. It's not too bad, so when I started, I figured it would come off fairly easily as I burned calories with the workouts. I guess, if I was building muscle successfully, then I would be progressing in ability like being able to complete more reps or accomplish a real pushup, but that hasn't happened. So perhaps you are right about that.

 

I agree with you - maybe I will never have "abs" - but I would be thrilled if I could have sleeveless-worthy arms! Currently, my upper arms are thick and flabby, and, judging by photos of when I was younger, are much bigger than they have ever been. There is absolutely no muscle definition whatsover, no matter what I try. And if I raise my hand and wave, the tricep area literally flaps back and forth (I totally understand why people call them "bat-wings"!) So I feel like pushups, shoulder presses, tricep dips, etc.. should be helping, but they haven't so far. It's frustrating! I feel like I've worked so hard, for 3 years now! and have nothing to show for it. Even a little progress would be nice so I would know I'm on the right track. I am fairly new to my current routine of LIST + PiYo, so I will stick with it until summer since it's better than nothing, I guess. But yeah, it's hard not to program-hop as you say. When you try something for several months and see no results, it's hard not to conclude that it's not working and try something else.

 

Never thought about a calorie surplus. Been trying to cut back, hoping to pare back some of the flab from my abdomen and arms. What type of calories would usually be involved in a surplus? Extra carbs? Protein? Fat? How do you ensure it goes toward muscle-building instead of fat-padding? (Assuming I should eat it at specific times like right after a workout?)

 

Again thanks for your reply and support ☺️

[Artemis Prime]

3 hours ago, station_7 said:

To be honest, I'm not really sure if I need to lose fat or build muscle, but my sense is that both need to happen.

In that case, I recommend this article: Lose Fat and Gain Muscle (At the Same Time) | Nerd Fitness

 

I will say, though, that I think building fat and burning muscle simultaneously is easier to do if you have lots of extra weight to lose. At 115 pounds, my guess is that's not you. Trying to lose that final layer of fat to really make your muscles pop is a lot harder than ditching a beer belly. My advice would be to focus on building muscle, and I think you'll get the results you want. If you build the muscle and still don't have the physique you really want, then you can really dial into the nitty gritty of bulking/cutting. A very common strategy for bodybuilders is to cycle between calorie surplus to build new muscle and calorie deficit to lean out.

[Elastigirl]

What type of workouts are you doing? Are you doing circuit style or strength training? To build muscle you need to have adequate rest times between each exercise.  Circuits are not very good at muscle building.  For example do one or two exercises, then rest about 90 seconds to 2 minutes, then repeat for  3 to 5 sets. Then do the next exercise  for 3 to 5 sets. 

 

How much protein are you getting? At 115 pounds, you are pretty lean, so I'd recommend trying for at least 115 grams of protein. And lots of carbs. I think if you want to gain muscle , you might want to eat in a surplus. Try adding 100 calories a day, and see how that works.

 

Have you tried weights or dumbbells? Maybe lifting heavier stuff will help.

 

Be patient. I realize you've said that you've been doing this for 3 years, but if you switch programs frequently, trying each new thing, it will make it harder. Give a program or method you are using  3 months before you decide it isn't working.

 

I started  the same journey about 10 years ago.  My arms and legs do look more toned, and my triceps no longer flap! But, I don't think most people look at me and think I work out or look strong. It really is hard to put on muscle at our age. Not impossible, but hard. 

[station_7]

@Artemis Prime Thank you!! I feel like I have kind of tried some of that stuff (cut calories, increase protein, prioritizing strength and bodyweight training over cardio). I'll go through it again in case there's something I've missed.

 

@Elastigirl Thanks for your reply! To clarify, currently, I'm doing strength training (technically it's kettlebell workouts, but I only have dumbbells, so I use those) 3 days/week and PiYo (pilates+yoga) bodyweight exercises 2 days/week. The strength training is LIST (low-impact strength training) and it does have rest periods of around 2 minutes between sets. The PiYo does  not have any rest (picture like a Pilates class or something but with lots of lunges, squats and pushups). I've been doing this particular routine around 4-5 weeks. I'm going to give this new routine until May to decide if it's helping or not. My ideal weight is usually around 110-112 lbs, so yeah, I don't have a lot of fat to lose, it's just all around my middle and arms haha

 

I'm not getting anywhere near that amount of protein currently though. Previously I would say I could get around 90g/day, but that was when I could afford protein powder mixes. Also, I'm allergic to eggs, so high-protein affordable breakfasts are really difficult. According to my calculations, I'm getting around 50-60 g per day right now. Been trying to eat more veggies like broccoli, greens, lentils, beans and only having meat like once/day (or less) to try to lower cortisol and inflammation, which I read can also prevent weight loss and progression. Any ideas on how to increase protein?

 

Carbs are pretty much no problem (I think) - I get around 180g/day in the form of oatmeal or cereal, organic bread, starchy veg like sweet potatoes and potatoes, rice, lentils and beans.

 

Great to know that you were able to get your triceps to stop flapping I look forward to getting to that point! Some nice shoulder definition wouldn't hurt either.

[Elastigirl]

I hear you on the cost of protein powder. I love it , it's such a convenient way to get protein, but I may have to make the call that it doesn't fit in the budget if the price keep rising!

 

For protein in the morning, I'd suggest pre cooking some protein. I usually cook some lean protein in big batches that will last about half a week for my husband and I. You could also have leftovers from dinner. Honestly, I'm a big believer in meat, and I'd suggest you have it at least twice a  day. You could sub out beans, but just make sure you are still hitting your protein goals.

 

I wonder if maybe you are doing too much? I don't know how intense the Pilates classes are. You mentioned push ups, and squats. You might be better off with just yoga on your rest days, so you can be more intense and lift heavier on your actual strength building days.

 

One thing thats helped me is doing accessory work. tricep extensions, and bicep curls. Also, I hadn't done actual core work (besides planks) and focusing on that has helped firm up my stomach ( though you do pilates already so maybe this doesn't apply to you)

 

Also, don't be like me: I kept saying I wanted shoulder definition, and now  I am finally getting it, but I was stressing that my shirts were getting too small. Note to self; yes if you want  shoulder definition you will get bigger shoulders. You will probably also gain some weight, because muscle weights more, And, if you eat in a bit of a bulk you will get a small amount of fat. It helps me to measure my waist and belly to see that even if my scale weight stays the same, or goes up a bit, I am not really gaining fat.

[TimovieMan]

First off, your fat % is actually very good.

For reference:

Quote

Women:

• 20-40 yrs old: Underfat: under 21 percent, Healthy: 21-33 percent, Overweight: 33-39 percent, Obese: Over 39 percent
• 41-60 yrs old: Underfat: under 23 percent, Healthy: 23-35 percent, Overweight : 35-40 percent Obese: over 40 percent
• 61-79 yrs old: Underfat: under 24 percent, Healthy: 24-36 percent, Overweight: 36-42 percent, Obese: over 42 percent

 

Also, related to Elastigirl's advice just above: sometimes you can get out of plateau by doing less instead of more.

Rest is important, and as we start ageing, recovery tends to take longer...

[station_7]

Thanks for all the comments guys!! I splurged on some protein powder for this month, so I'll get to add some protein smoothies to my diet for a few weeks at least :) I'll try to increase my protein in other ways too. Budget is very tight so meat twice a day probably can't happen for now, but I can add in some Greek yogurt, milk, lentils, and beans. Am going to monitor my intake and see if I can get my average up :)

I just added in a new daily workout - 8-minute beginner friendly arm exercises for thinner arms in 30 days! LOL (found on YouTube). I *really* want to wear sleeveless tops this summer and not feel self-conscious about the flab. The first couple of days the exercises seemed kind of easy, and I was like, oh, maybe all this weightlifting really is doing something! I even added in weights on day 2. After day 2 though, it was like I went backwards and today (day 6) I couldn't do any - any! - of the exercises without stopping to rest 3-4 times during each 45-second set. The video's comments had everyone saying the exercises were *so hard* the first 2-3 days and then got easier, and many people commented it really worked for thinner arms. So again, I seem to be not progressing like a normal person would :D :D Is this what you mean by accessory work?

Maybe I am overdoing it; never thought of that. My plan was 8-minute arms every morning 6 days/week, 4-minute arms (another YT video with half the exercises) every evening 6 days/week, strength/weight training 3 days/week (MWF) with yoga/pilates/bodyweight (plank, side plank, tricep dips, crunches, situps, rotations, squats, lunges, leg lifts, bowlers, etc) on the off days 2 days/week (T/Th) and weekends off except the arm stuff. I have been trying to make one of the PiYo classes per week the Core class (so we basically do 30 minutes of all core stuff.. and yes, I still can't complete some of the exercises! Like the criss-cross crunches. But I do my best) but no abs are happening yet.

Other than the workouts I am very sedentary (computer work) and pretty much never go outside so it's really my only activity. So basically I am active for about 1 hour total per weekday :) I guess the rest of the time is.. rest? Or do you mean I should take full days off other than Sundays?

Anyway thanks for the dialogue guys.. appreciate it! You're the best :)

[Elastigirl]

Sounds like you have some good ideas for protein.

Days off: YOur muscles need time to recover so they can build . It is usually recommended that you have  a 24 hour break between strength workouts. So if you do a strength workout on  Monday, it would be best to not do any strength training until Wednesday.

 

Active recovery : Active recovery is a good way to get movement in without  stressing the body. It would be things like yoga, mobility work, and walking.Walking is a great way to get movement in and also burn some extra calories.

[station_7]

All right - thanks! I'll try taking a day off in between, and see if that helps. I'll cut out the PiYo entirely and just do the strength training and the new arm YT workouts for a couple of weeks. I have a treadmill, so I can do some walking or light jogging while watching a show on the between-days.
As a side note, I don't own a scale - I just get weighed at the doctor once or twice a year lol. I do have measuring tape and keep track of my measurements every month or two, as well as carefully examine myself in the mirror to see if I can see any muscle definition. (And after one week of 8-minute-arms, I can safely say that there is absolutely no difference in measurement or muscle tone/appearance. :( )

[Elastigirl]

2 hours ago, station_7 said:

nd after one week of 8-minute-arms, I can safely say that there is absolutely no difference in measurement or muscle tone/appearance. )

One week is a pretty short time.  Have you considered taking pics'? Sometimes it's hard to notice body changes because they happen gradually. You absolutely can make changes as a 40 year old female,  but it's not gonna be like the before and after pics(which are often fake anyway) of a 20 year old

[station_7]

Welp, I did my strength workout on Monday and then did exactly what I said I wouldn't, a PiYo workout today. d'ooops. I do take weekends off usually, but my brain is thinking if I take too much time off I won't get any results (even though I don't get any results with 5-on 2-off or 6-on 1-off either lol). Really want to try and shrink my arms. This is my only goal for now.

@Elastigirl :
I do have some "before" pictures from before I started the PiYo program almost 3 years ago. I was thinking at the time I would be all toned up in 6 months. hahaha! I can't tell a difference between the before picture and my current arms/abs. Currently just using the tape measure to check if anything is actually changing. (And yes, looking in the mirror for any signs of looking "toned")

I will say though, I actually believe my legs/rear feel firmer since starting my strength training (around 6 weeks now). They don't look different, but they feel somehow more solid. This is nice.

I added some more protein into my diet, but I think I'm still falling short. Am struggling to find ways to get about 30g protein per meal. I saw in your challenge thread that you are trying for 150g/day so an average of 50g/meal. Wow! I have yet to track my actual numbers, so I will try to start tracking. However! I feel like my PiYo workout was a bit easier today than normal. Can this be possible after only like 3-4 days with a bit more protein? Maybe I am dreaming it, but it would be the first time I can remember not feeling dead before even finishing it.

I appreciate all the encouragement. What a welcoming community!

[Elastigirl]

1 hour ago, station_7 said:

I will say though, I actually believe my legs/rear feel firmer since starting my strength training (around 6 weeks now). They don't look different, but they feel somehow more solid. This is nice.

Woohoo! That is great!

 

1 hour ago, station_7 said:

I added some more protein into my diet, but I think I'm still falling short. Am struggling to find ways to get about 30g protein per meal. I saw in your challenge thread that you are trying for 150g/day so an average of 50g/meal. Wow! I have yet to track my actual numbers, so I will try to start tracking.

I try for 120 grams a day. I find that tracking it really helps.  I usually do a preworkout mini meal, and three other meals. For preworkout I have oatmeal or quinoa cereal with a half scoop of protein, then for breakfast I have eggs and meat (maybe you could do a combo of lentils and meat since you can't do eggs) Then lunch and dinner about 4-5 ounces of meat. If you want more beans instead of meat, you could of course do that, my stomach doesn't like too many beans, so I don't

[station_7]

Ahh okay, thanks! :) Great ideas.

[Artemis Prime]

On top of thinking about your diet, you might also want to think about your sleeping habits. Rest is super critical for muscle growth. Rest days have already been mentioned in the thread, but there's also just your regular nightly sleep to consider.

 

Here is an article on the link between sleep and muscle growth: Sleep And Muscle Growth: How Much Sleep Do You Need? (9 Studies) (builtwithscience.com)

And here is NF's article on building good sleep habits: How Do I Sleep Better? (10 Tips for Improved Slumber) | Nerd Fitness

[station_7]

Thank you for this @Artemis Prime. I do love science!

Both unfortunately and fortunately, I've been off work. I haven't had to use an alarm clock in over a year. Theoretically I should be able to get plenty of sleep, but my brain still frequently wakes me up in the middle of the night, for several hours (last night: 3 hours!), for no reason, just to be a jerk. I have tried things like melatonin, lemon balm, yellow glasses after dark, etc and am now trying the 432 Hz frequency music. Good to know that if I ever succeed at sleep, it will potentially help me make progress! Extra incentive to work at it. And don't you just love Steve's articles?

(As an aside, I clicked on the first link, and it had a "recommended article" about "how to grow your butt fast"! As the owner of a very sad, flat, white-girl butt, I eagerly clicked on the article, only to realize that I really need video workouts to follow as the text descriptions of exercises simply do not work for me Now I have a new YT rabbit-hole to go down later, though lol)

 

In other news, today was 27 degrees C (like 80F) and I realized that I am too embarrassed to even wear T-shirts now. So I wore a hoodie to do errands. I've given up on abs (which can just be kept covered) and am now focused on my arms. I know, I can't spot-train or only lose fat in one place, but am sad that the 7-8 weeks of weight training isn't showing. However, I do feel like I am ready for heavier weights for a couple of the exercises; I don't have any, but am happy there seems to be a glimmer of progress. I have tried to increase my protein as Elastigirl recommended, and I think this has helped!

[Elastigirl]

23 hours ago, station_7 said:

nd I realized that I am too embarrassed to even wear T-shirts now.

This made me sad. Your body may not be where you want. but it is helping you  and your arms are getting strong. I started NF when I was in my 40's .  I started on  the fitness journey because I was unhappy with how I looked. I think a lot of people do. And that's a good motivation to start with. The problem is, it becomes way too easy to set up high expectations, and  be too hard on ourselves when we don't meet those. I remember when I started, there was some fitness gals online, and I really wanted my arms to look like that. But they were in their 30's, and had different genetics than I do. Also it seemed like my progress was super slow. I compared myself to other people on this forum, and felt like  I would never get anywhere. I decided that it was true, I was older, and my progress might be slow, but my superpower was consistency. And I made a decision to just show up, and not worry if I was progressing fast enough. And to enjoy where I was at, while I worked at improving. And I have gotten stronger. I am happier with how I look. But, I still don't look like those gals I wanted to look like. I might some day, or maybe not.  I did decide that I am not going to look like a 20 year old, and that's alright, I have a lot more wisdom I've gained now than I did at 20, and am more satisfied with my life. I don't  need to be or look like I'm  20. Anyway, that's my long winded way of saying, I understand where you are at, but I hope  that as you take this fitness journey you can also learn to enjoy the journey.