When you sign up for the FASTer Way to Fat Loss, it’s important to know that while many clients see huge results in the first week or two, MOST will not notice any major changes until about 6-8 full weeks of living the FASTer Way lifestyle. It can then takes up to 12 weeks for others to really notice the changes in your body. That slow progress is completely normal and should be expected. Many of us spent years damaging our metabolism with processed foods, crash diets, over-exercising and under-eating. It only makes sense that it would take some time to repair the damage we’ve done.
While the vast majority of our clients see incredible results after their first and second rounds of the FASTer Way, there is an occasional one or two whose results are minimal. For those that stick to the program as it’s designed, but don’t see real results, there may be some underlying issues going on that need to be addressed.
4 Reasons You Aren’t Burning Fat
1. You are not getting enough sleep
Sleep is absolutely critical to burning fat. I’ve written a whole blog post on this topic so I won’t spend a lot of time here, however, it is absolutely critical that you are getting as much sleep as possible. Sleep helps your body recover, repair, and restore. You can’t get and stay lean if you are not getting enough sleep. This looks different for everyone. Some need 8-10 hours, some 6-7 hours. Figure out what works for you and then do whatever you can to get the sleep you need. This will help get your body in an optimal fat burning state!
2. You have chronic stress
When you’re stressed, your cortisol levels become elevated. When cortisol levels are high every day, your body will store fat, specifically in the midsection. When you are chronically stressed, you won’t see results like those who aren’t as stressed.
While it obviously isn’t possible to eliminate all of the stress from your life, eliminate as much stress as you can. One practice I’ve recently implemented that has decreased my stress level each day is to think through things I’m grateful for each morning. This helps me get into a more positive, relaxed mindset for the day. In addition, I’ve started to put my phone on airplane mode in the evening, and don’t check my phone first thing in the morning to avoid the stress that comes from the constant dings, emails and notifications.
3. You don’t have healthy gut flora
As strange as it may sound, an unhealthy gut flora could truly be holding you back from burning fat. Your gut flora is what tells your body how much fat to store, and has a direct effect on your metabolism (read more about gut health here). In order to stabilize your gut flora, you need a an effective probiotic. My favorite brand is Just Thrive because of its strength, effectiveness and bacterial strands. If you’re following the FASTer Way program by the book, but aren’t seeing the results you want, consider integrating a probiotic into your nutritional routine.
4. You may have hypothyroidism
This is one of the most common problems holding women back from burning fat. So many have hypothyroidism but don’t know it because they’ve been tested and nothing’s shown up. Usually that’s because they have subclinical hypothyroidism, which is mild thyroid failure. This doesn’t show up on tests because, generally, hormone levels are in the normal range but the main stimulating hormone is slightly elevated, which hinders fat burning. Visit your naturopathic doctor if you suspect thyroid issues.
If you follow my FASTer Way plan, and have none of these issues going on, you will undoubtedly burn fat and get leaner by the end of 8 weeks. If you are following the plan but aren’t seeing results, go through this checklist carefully to see if any of these items might be an issue you can address.
-----
If you’re ready to turn your body from a sugar burner to a fat burner, then join us for the next round of the FASTer Way to Fat Loss! Learn simple strategies that will change your health and your life! We’re starting soon, don’t wait!!