8 Signs You’re Burnt Out + What Your Body Really Needs
Today we’re diving into something that a lot of us feel but don’t always catch in the moment: Burnout.
Not the regular kind of tired where a good night’s sleep fixes it. The deep, lingering exhaustion that follows you into the next day, the next workout, the next conversation.
Sometimes, the next level of your results won’t come from pushing harder. It’ll come from slowing down, refueling, and reminding your body that it’s safe to grow again. This season, especially through the holidays, I challenge you to nourish your body instead of punish it.
What I Discuss in This Episode
How burnout disrupts your hormones, recovery, metabolism, and overall progress — even when you’re “doing everything right.”
The real signs you’re burnt out.
Why rest isn’t optional — and how slowing down, nourishing your body, and reducing stress can actually accelerate your results.
Practical ways to support your nervous system during busy seasons so your energy, motivation, and performance return sustainably.
If you loved this episode, you might also like episode 413: The Importance of a Rest Day: Don’t Let Overexercising Ruin Your Progress
If you want more from me, be sure to check out...
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Transcript
00:00
Hey, hey, beautiful human. Can I steal five minutes of your time? I have something (0:04) super important to share with you, but I promise I'll be really quick. (0:08) You're listening to my weekly bonus episode of Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter.
(0:12) I'm about to give you a quick tip for building your confidence, honoring your body, and (0:17) unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned if you're ready to embrace your real. (0:22) Let's get in.
Let's go. Hello, and welcome back to another bonus episode on the Embrace (0:35) Your Real podcast. Today, we're diving into something that a lot of us feel but don't (0:39) always catch in the moment, and that's burnout.
Not the regular kind of tired where good night (0:43) sleep just fixes it, like the deep lingering exhaustion that follows you into the next day, (0:49) the next workout, the next conversation. I'm just going to dive right into today's episode. (0:54) Let's just talk about burnout.
Here's the truth that a lot of people don't talk about, (0:58) which is burnout kills your ability to see results. I'm not just talking about feeling (1:02) tired. I'm talking about that deep exhaustion that lingers no matter how much sleep you get.
(1:07) When you are in burnout mode, your body is not operating from balance. It's operating from (1:12) survival. In cortisol, which is your main stress hormone, stays elevated for too long.
It starts (1:17) throwing everything else off, your sleep, your hunger cues, your recovery, your hormones. (1:21) You might even notice that your workouts start feeling harder even though you're not doing (1:25) anything different. You crave sugar more often, your patience wears thin, and the scale or the (1:32) Why? It's because your body is overwhelmed.
It's prioritizing survival, not progress. It's (1:38) thinking like, okay, how do I keep myself alive? Not how do I build more muscle or shed fat? (1:43) Even if you're eating clean, you're tracking macros and showing up for every single workout. (1:47) If your nervous system is stuck in overdrive, your body cannot adapt the way that it's supposed to.
(1:53) You might actually be sending these mixed signals, right? One minute you're asking your body to grow (1:57) stronger. And the next minute you're flooding it with stress hormones that say we're in danger. (2:02) And that constant push and pull is exhausting.
It really does slow muscle recovery. It disrupts (2:08) your metabolism and it messes with their motivation. Before you know it, the thing (2:12) that once felt empowering, which is moving your body, starts feeling like another task to check (2:17) off your list.
So here's what I want you to remember. That rest isn't a reward. It's a (2:22) requirement.
Like taking a rest day, getting outside for fresh air, doing a gentle walk, (2:27) or even just choosing sleep over another 5am workout doesn't mean that you're slacking. It (2:32) means that you're honoring your body, right? I say that all the time and that's what it means. (2:36) So if you've been stuck in this cycle of doing everything right, but not seeing results, (2:40) I want you to take a step back and ask yourself, am I giving my body time to recover? Am I managing (2:46) stress outside the gym as much as I am inside of it or my workouts? Am I nourishing myself, (2:52) not just feeding it? Sometimes the next level of your results won't come from you pushing harder.
(2:58) It will come from you slowing down, refueling, and reminding your body that it's safe to grow again. (3:04) This season, especially through the holidays, I challenge you to nourish your body instead (3:09) of punishing it. Honor your need for rest.
Move because it feels good, not because you feel (3:14) guilty. You might be surprised how quickly your energy and your results start to return (3:19) when you stop running on empty. So what does it look like if you're burnt out? Because burnout (3:24) doesn't always look like laying in bed all day or giving up completely.
Sometimes it looks like you (3:31) still showing up, still doing all the things, but feeling completely drained while doing them. (3:35) Here's a few signs that your body and your mind might be waving that white flag, right? You wake (3:40) up tired even after a full night's sleep. No matter how early you go to bed, you open your eyes and (3:45) already feel behind.
That deep fatigue isn't from laziness. It's from your body saying, (3:50) like, I am out of reserves. You dread your workouts, even the ones that you used to love.
(3:54) The thought of training feels heavy. If that feels heavy instead of exciting, (3:59) movement becomes something that you have to do, not something that fuels you. (4:03) You're going through the motions with zero motivation.
So you're still showing up, (4:08) but your heart's not in it. That's not a lack of discipline. That's oftentimes a sign that (4:13) your nervous system and hormones are overworked.
You crave sugar, caffeine, or quick energy all (4:18) day long. So when your cortisol stays elevated for too long, your body starts craving this quick (4:23) fuel to keep you going. And it's not your willpower, it's survival mode.
You're constantly (4:29) sore and your strength has plateaued. So no matter how consistent you are, your body isn't recovering (4:34) between sessions. That's a classic red flag that stresses out pacing recovery.
You're clinging on (4:40) to weight, especially around your midsection. So even if you've been training hard, you've been (4:45) eating well, your body might be holding onto fat around your belly because high cortisol tells (4:50) your system, we are in danger and we are storing energy. You have a big appetite, but your weight (4:55) won't budge.
When you are burnt out, your hunger hormones get dysregulated and you might be feeling (5:01) like you're doing everything right, but your metabolism slows down to conserve energy instead (5:06) of burning it. And last but not least, if you feel emotional or snappy or disconnected from your (5:11) body, little things set you off. Like you feel foggy, you feel anxious, you feel numb.
Burnout (5:17) doesn't just affect your body, it hijacks your mood too. If any of those sound familiar, it is time (5:24) to pause. Not quit, not start over, just pause.
Because what your body needs right now is not (5:30) more discipline, it's more care. During those burnout seasons, your body doesn't need the (5:35) punishment, it needs the nourishment. I know that it can feel uncomfortable to hear, especially if (5:41) you're someone who thrives on structure, who thrives on consistency.
You like to check off that box, (5:46) you like to hit your workouts, you like to stay on track, but when your body's already stressed, (5:50) pushing harder only digs a hole deeper. And this is where you have to flip the script. So instead (5:55) of asking, how do I do more? Start asking what would feel good right now? Because sometimes (6:00) your body actually doesn't need another intense workout, it instead needs a slower pace, it needs (6:06) more food, it needs real rest.
And this might look like doing three 30-minute workouts instead of (6:11) all five. Or maybe you get two solid 60-minute sessions in and call it good. That is still (6:17) progress, that counts.
You don't have to max out every workout or earn your rest with effort. (6:23) Movement doesn't have to be punishment, it can be how you honor your body. Some days that means (6:28) it's giving it energy, other days that means it's giving it space.
And as we move into the holidays, (6:34) this is a perfect time to really embrace slowing down, enjoy the season, nourish your body with (6:39) what it truly needs. More protein, more sleep, more water, more fiber, more connection, and yes, (6:44) more rest. You don't have to earn your holiday meals or make up for them later.
You can choose (6:49) balance, you can choose joy, you can choose to take care of yourself without constantly feeling (6:54) like you have to fix yourself. Because here's what happens when you honor your body signals, (6:58) your energy starts to come back, your workouts feel enjoyable again, your results start to follow, (7:02) not because you're forcing them, but because you're finally supporting your body instead of (7:07) fighting against it. So if you've been feeling tired or unmotivated or stuck, I want you to take (7:12) this as a reminder that rest isn't falling off track, it's part of the process.
You don't have (7:17) to lose progress when you slow down, you create the foundation for even more progress to come. (7:22) All right, before we wrap up, I want to bring everything from today's conversation back into (7:27) focus. So burnout is your body's way of asking for care.
It shows up in your energy, your workouts, (7:33) your recovery, your appetite, and yes, even in your mood. When stress runs high for too long, (7:38) your body shifts into conservation mode, which makes progress feel harder even when you're (7:44) putting in the effort. And the most supportive thing that you can do in these moments is to give (7:48) your body space to reset, more nourishment, more slow movement, more fresh air, more sleep, (7:54) less pressure to perform, and more permission to feel supported.
And here's what it can look like (8:00) right now in your real life. When you choose habits that help you feel grounded and restored, (8:05) your body begins to regulate again. Your energy comes back gradually in a way that feels steady (8:10) rather than forced.
Your workouts start to feel supportive and enjoyable, not heavy or depleting. (8:15) You feel more present in your day, more connected to yourself instead of just going through the (8:20) tasks. Burnout is your body's communication that it needs more care, not more pressure.
(8:27) And honoring that message is what allows you to come back feeling stronger, feeling clearer, (8:33) and more supportive. So if you're thinking and listening to this and saying, okay, that makes (8:37) sense, but I need help creating a routine that feels supportive, not draining, this is where my (8:42) program can help. My Move It With Julie community gives you structured dumbbell workouts that fit (8:48) into your real life.
The workouts already have planned, they're planned from you from the warmup (8:54) to actual workout to the cool down, right? We have a 30 minute, a 60 minute option for you. (8:59) All you need is a few pair of dumbbells and a small space. So you don't have to guess or push (9:04) harder than your body has capacity for.
You literally just need to open up the app and (9:08) follow the plan. And if you want support on how to fuel your body in a way that replenishes your (9:13) energy and supports your training, my Macro Academy and Simple Online Academy is going to (9:17) teach you step-by-step in a way that feels steady and doable. I will leave both of those links in (9:22) the show notes below.
If this episode felt supportive, I just want to encourage you to (9:27) share it with someone who might need this reminder as well. And if this hit home for you, I know you'll (9:31) also like episode 413, the importance of a rest day. Don't let over-exercising ruin your progress.
(9:39) And if you haven't already taken a moment to follow the podcast or leave a rating and review, (9:44) that truly helps so much. So you can follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple podcasts and leave a (9:50) rating and review. That would mean so much.
And it also helps this message reach more women who (9:54) could really benefit from hearing from it. All right. I am so grateful that you're here.
Thank (9:58) you again for tuning in. I love you so dang much. I mean it.
I'll talk to you in the next one. (10:13) All right, sister. That's all I got for you today.
But I have two things that I need you to do. (10:19) First thing, if you are not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie A. (10:23) Ledbetter.
Yes, it's with an A in the middle for that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips (10:29) and tricks, and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing, (10:34) be sure to subscribe to Apple podcast to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining (10:41) me.
It means the absolute world. And I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most (10:46) beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure (10:51) in being authentically themselves.
Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. (10:58) So go out there and embrace a real because you're worth it.