5 Fitness Habits That Are Secretly Sabotaging Your Results

 

Hey hey beautiful human!

When results stall, the first instinct is always to do more. More cardio. Less food. Harder workouts. But what if the thing getting in the way has nothing to do with any of that?

Most women who feel stuck are already showing up. They are consistent. They are trying. And the habits that are quietly working against them are the ones they would never think to look at because they do not look like fitness habits at all. 

In this episode of Embrace Your Real, I walk you through those five things that are secretly sabotaging your results and what to do about each one tonight.

What's Discussed:

  • Why dehydration is tanking your performance and sending false hunger signals without you realizing it

  • Why working out every day does not cancel out sitting for the other twelve hours

  • Why doing cardio you dread is keeping cortisol elevated and actively working against your goals

  • What body checking is, why most women do it constantly, and why it is draining the joy out of the process

  • Why self-criticism is not keeping you accountable and what the research says actually works instead

Ready to find a program that fits into a real full life without requiring perfection? Head to movementwithjulie.com and get started inside the Movement With Julie app. 

If you loved this episode, you'll also love: Episode 413: The Importance of a Rest Day. It will help you take everything you learned here and apply it in a way that protects your results instead of quietly undermining them.

If you want more from me, be sure to check out… 

Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

Transcript

(0:00) Hey, hey beautiful human. Can I steal five minutes of your time? I have something super important to share with you, (0:06) but I promise I'll be really quick. You're listening to my weekly bonus episode of Embrace Your Reel with me, Julie Ledbetter.

(0:13) I'm about to give you a quick tip for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving your authentic self. (0:19) Stay tuned if you're ready to Embrace Your Reel. Let's get it, let's go! (0:32) Hello and welcome back to the Embrace Your Podcast.

Today's bonus episode is a good one (0:36) and I think it might make you look at your routine a little bit differently because here's the thing, (0:41) most women who aren't seeing the results that they want are doing obvious things, right? They're showing up to their workouts, (0:47) they're trying to eat well, they're being consistent and yet they still feel stuck and when that happens, (0:52) the instinct is to usually train harder, eat less, but that's almost never the answer. More often than not, (0:58) it's the stuff that is happening outside the gym or your workouts that are quietly getting in the way. (1:03) The habits that don't feel like a big deal, but they're actually adding up in the background and working against everything that you're working towards.

(1:10) So in today's bonus episode, I'm going to be going through five fitness habits that are secretly sabotaging your results and none of them (1:16) have anything to do with your workout plan or what you're eating nutrition wise. Before I dive in to today's episode though, (1:23) I want to share this review. I don't have a name but she gave a five-star view and said uplifting.

(1:28) I have recently come across your podcast and I've seen a complete mindset shift. (1:32) I love your upbeat personality that makes me want to also be positive and talk positively about my body. (1:38) I have also shared this podcast with a dear friend and she told me that she's loving it.

(1:42) Thank you so much for my mindset shift. (1:44) Thank you for giving me the motivation to honor the body that God gave me. (1:48) I love this so much.

A few things in here. Number one, (1:51) giving you the motivation to honor the body that God gave you. That is where honor your body with movement came from.

(1:57) The actual honor your body just came from, man, the fact that our bodies are gifts from God and we get to. (2:04) We have the opportunity to honor our body with movement is such a gift. (2:08) Also, the fact that you share this podcast with a friend and she's also loving it, just music to my ears.

(2:14) So thank you so much for taking time out of your day to send in these reviews. (2:18) They really do mean the world to me and our team. (2:19) Just know how a specific episode or just maybe in general, they're helping you.

(2:24) So let's get right into it. (2:25) Number one, you're chronically dehydrated and don't know it. (2:29) So this one surprises a lot of women because dehydration doesn't always feel like thirst.

(2:34) By the time you actually feel thirsty, you're already dehydrated. (2:37) And here's why this matters more than you think. (2:39) When you're dehydrated, your performance in your workouts drops noticeably.

(2:43) Your strength decreases, your endurance suffers, your recovery slows down. (2:47) It can also affect things that you'd never connect to. (2:49) Hydration like hunger signals, dehydration is one of the most common causes of false hunger.

(2:55) Like your brain signals that it needs something and you interpret it as hunger when your body is (3:00) actually just asking for water. (3:01) The goal is to be drinking water consistently throughout the day, not just during a workout. (3:06) A good baseline is half of your body weight in ounces daily and more if you're training harder (3:12) or if it's hot outside.

(3:14) So start your morning with a full glass before your coffee and kind of go from there. (3:17) Personally, I divide my day into three hydro drugs. (3:20) So I have a 40 ounce hydro drug.

(3:21) I do hydro drug 40 ounces before I have my morning coffee caffeine protein shake. (3:27) And then I have my second 40 ounces between the hours of 12 and like 3.30. (3:34) And then I have my third hydro drug between the hours of four and like 6.30 or seven. (3:40) I try to stop drinking a lot before seven or around seven, 7.30 at the latest.

(3:46) That way I'm just not up peeing all night long. (3:49) But that way I'm personally getting 120 ounces a day just from that. (3:53) And then obviously I'm having other drinks like I'm having a pre-workout throughout there.

(3:57) But just kind of dividing it into three parts of my day has been helping so much. (4:01) So maybe that can help you as well. (4:03) Number two, you work out but sit for the rest of the day.

(4:06) So this one is something that a lot of active women don't realize actually applies to them. (4:11) Like you can do a solid 30 to 45 minute workout and still be considered sedentary (4:16) if you're sitting for the remaining 10 to 12 hours of your day. (4:19) And the research on this is really clear.

(4:21) Like prolonged sitting has its own negative effects on metabolism, blood sugar regulation, (4:27) and just overall energy that kind of exists independently whether you've exercised that (4:33) morning or not. (4:34) The fix here doesn't have to be complicated. (4:36) It's really just adding small pockets of movement throughout your day.

(4:39) So getting up every hour, even if it's for one or two minutes, (4:42) taking a walk at lunch, parking further away, (4:44) taking the stairs, pacing while you're on the phone. (4:47) None of these individually feel significant, (4:50) but together they can really add up to meaningful, more active days (4:54) and a body that just responds better to training that you're already doing. (4:58) Number three, you're doing cardio you hate because you think you have to.

(5:02) If you are white knuckling your way through a form of exercise, (5:05) you genuinely just dread every single time. (5:08) Whether that's the treadmill, a class, a routine that just doesn't feel like you, (5:12) that dread is doing something on your body. (5:14) Like chronic stress, including the stress of dreading something (5:17) that you feel obligated to do, that's going to keep cortisol elevated (5:20) and high cortisol works directly against your body composition goals.

(5:24) But beyond the physiology, here's the simple truth. (5:27) If you hate it, you will eventually stop doing it. (5:30) Consistency is the most important factor in any fitness journey (5:33) and you cannot build consistency around something that feels like a punishment.

(5:37) Movement is supposed to be something that you do to honor your body, (5:41) not something that you're suffering through just to earn the right to exist in it. (5:45) So if your current cardio is not working for you, (5:47) you have permission to change it, walk, dance, swim, hike, bike, jog, whatever it is. (5:52) Find what actually makes you feel alive and do that instead.

(5:56) Number four, your body checking without even realizing it. (5:59) So body checking is something that most women do every single day (6:03) without ever having a name for it. (6:05) It's the repeated habit of scanning your body for changes, (6:08) pinching your stomach in the mirror, pulling at your waist when you get dressed, (6:12) stepping on the scale multiple times a day.

(6:14) It just feels like you're being aware of your body, (6:16) but what's actually happening is that you're feeding this cycle of anxiety (6:19) because every check becomes a measurement of whether you're okay or not. (6:24) And because bodies fluctuate naturally throughout the day based on water, food, hormones, (6:29) the feedback that you are getting is almost never the full picture. (6:32) You're making like emotional decisions based on completely normal temporary changes (6:37) and it's quietly draining the joy out of the process.

(6:41) So I want you to notice when you're doing that, (6:43) just start bringing awareness to the moments that you're scanning for flaws (6:47) and gently direct yourself towards a question that actually serves you. (6:50) Like, how do I feel today? (6:52) What is my body capable of right now? (6:54) Those questions alone are going to help you just gently move away from the body checking (6:59) and instead actually serving your body with meaningful questions. (7:03) Number five, the way that you talk to yourself.

(7:05) I saved this one for last because I think it might be the most important on the list. (7:10) The voice in your head, the one that narrates your workouts, (7:13) your meals, your reflection in the mirror. (7:15) It's either one of your greatest tools or it's your biggest sabotage.

(7:18) You would never look at your best friend after a hard week and say, (7:21) man, you're so lazy. (7:22) You've ruined everything. (7:23) You're never going to get there.

(7:25) But we say versions of that to ourselves constantly and we don't even flinch. (7:29) We think it's keeping us accountable. (7:31) We think the harshness is what drives us.

(7:34) But here's what research actually shows, (7:36) that self-criticism doesn't make you more disciplined. (7:39) It makes you more discouraged. (7:41) And self-compassion is not letting yourself off the hook.

(7:44) It's really being honest with yourself without being cool. (7:48) It's the difference between I missed a workout and I'm a failure (7:50) or I missed my workout. (7:52) What got in the way and what do I need to do tomorrow to make sure that I get it in? (7:56) Start noticing the tone that you use with yourself (7:58) because that voice that narrates your journey is also shaping the journey itself.

(8:03) And you deserve a voice that sounds like a coach, not a critic. (8:06) All right, let's quickly recap the five habits (8:08) that might be quietly sabotaging your results. (8:10) So number one, that chronic dehydration (8:12) that's affecting your performance and your hunger signals.

(8:15) Number two, sitting too much throughout the day despite working out. (8:18) So even if you have a solid 45 minute or 60 minute workout, (8:22) but you're sitting down for 10 to 12 hours, (8:24) that is going to affect you. (8:27) Number three, doing cardio that you hate out of obligation (8:30) rather than doing things that you love.

(8:32) Number four, body checking in ways that feed anxiety (8:35) and disconnects you from how you actually feel. (8:38) And number five, the way that you talk to yourself (8:40) because that inner voice shapes everything else. (8:43) None of these are about working out harder or eating less.

(8:46) They're about thinking and looking at the full picture of your health (8:50) and being honest about what is actually getting in the way. (8:53) And if you want a workout program (8:54) that fits kind of seamlessly into your real life, (8:57) one that does not require you to be perfect, just consistent. (9:01) My Mute With Julie app is built exactly for that.

(9:03) I have 30 minute workouts, structured programming. (9:06) All you need is a few pair of dumbbells and a small space. (9:08) If you want to learn more, (9:10) you can click the link in the show notes below.

(9:12) Also make sure you are following the show on Apple Podcasts and Spotify (9:15) so that you never miss an episode. (9:17) And if this was helpful for you, it would mean the world to me. (9:19) If you could just leave a quick review, (9:21) it genuinely helps more people than you know.

(9:23) All right, that is all that I have for today's episode. (9:26) Just remember the small changes in the right places (9:29) make a bigger difference than you think. (9:31) I love you so dang much.

I mean it. (9:33) And I'll talk to you in the next one. (9:43) All right, sister, that's all I got for you today.

(9:46) But I have two things that I need you to do. (9:50) First thing, if you are not already following me on the Gram, (9:52) be sure to do so, Julie A. Ledbetter. (9:55) Yes, it's with an A in the middle (9:56) for that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks, (10:01) and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check.

(10:04) The second thing, be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts (10:07) to never miss an episode. (10:09) Thank you so much for joining me. (10:12) It means the absolute world.

(10:13) And I'm going to leave you with one last thought. (10:16) The most beautiful women that I have met in my life (10:18) are the ones who are completely confident and secure (10:22) in being authentically themselves. (10:26) Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface.

(10:29) So go out there and embrace a real. (10:31) Because you're worth it.

 
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