(FAQ) I Eat Healthy and Workout: Why Isn’t My Weight Dropping?

 

You’re eating healthy, you’re getting your workouts in… so why isn’t the scale moving? If you’ve ever asked yourself that question (maybe more than once), this episode is here to bring clarity, not shame.

Because the truth is: your body isn’t broken. But there are some sneaky reasons progress might be stalling — and most of them have nothing to do with how hard you’re working.

In this episode, I’m walking you through 8 common reasons women don’t see results even when they feel like they’re doing everything right — and exactly how to fix them.

We’re getting into:

  • Why consistency might not be as solid as you think (and how to track it without obsessing)

  • The problem with cardio-only routines — and why strength is your secret weapon

  • What progressive overload is and how to apply it for real results

  • How protein supports fat loss, metabolism, and muscle building

  • When hormones (like cortisol, insulin, and thyroid) could be slowing you down

  • The role of daily movement outside your workouts (hello, NEAT!)

  • Why the scale doesn’t tell the full story,  and better ways to measure progress

  • How sleep and stress could be the missing pieces in your transformation

If you’ve been feeling stuck, defeated, or ready to throw in the towel — this is your sign to zoom out, take a deep breath, and finally understand what your body really needs.

🎧 Want more encouragement on results beyond the scale? Listen next to Episode 428: 8 Non-Scale Victories for Sustainable Progress (Part 1)

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

Transcript

00:00

Hey there, beautiful human, you're listening to Embrace your Real with me, julie Ledbetter, a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I dish you a dose of real talk and actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned. If you're ready to embrace your real, let's get it. Let's go. Hello and welcome back to another episode on the Embrace your Podcast.

00:32

Today, we're gonna be tackling a question that I know so many of you guys have and that's because I hear it all the time and that is Julie. I am eating healthy, I am working out, but the scale is just not moving and you're feeling super discouraged. First of all, if that's you, let me just tell you that you are not alone. I cannot tell you how many women feel frustrated or confused, honestly, just a little bit defeated, because they feel like they're doing everything right and yet the number on the scale just won't budge. Here's the deal If you're eating healthy and working out, but still not seeing results, it does not mean that your body is broken. More often than not, it just means that there's kind of a few hidden things that might be happening behind the scenes that are keeping you stuck, and that's exactly what we're going to be diving into today. By the end of this episode, a few things that you'll know exactly how to do. Spot the hidden ways. Your consistency might not be as solid as you think. Understand why cardio alone won't get you the results that you want. Learn the power of progressive overload and why random workouts don't cut it. Fix the most common nutrition mistake, which is not eating enough protein, adding more movement into your day outside of your workout. Stop letting the scale be the only measure of progress, and much, much more. So if that sounds good, be sure to continue tuning in. But before we dive in, you know the drill.

01:40

I love to highlight one of your guys' sweet reviews, and this one says complete mindset shift. I was in the mindset to just be in weight loss mode and if I lost weight then I would be happy, but Julie lays it out perfectly and helps me shift my mindset that I don't need to deprive myself and I can enjoy food and workout in a way that's effective and actually helps me keep the body that I want. I love this new mindset and feeling strong. I love this so much. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to send in this review. I completely agree with you. I think that it's so, so important that you find something that's sustainable, and oftentimes the sustainability alone is just going to give you so much more peace. Because if you're doing something, and even if you're losing weight, but you know that it's not sustainable, that's eventually going to creep up on you and you're going to be like I'm so stressed out because there's nothing that I can do to sustain this, and so that constant burden of that is just going to be like weighing over you. But if you know that it's sustainable and you're actually enjoying what you're doing, what you're eating, feeling your best, that is the absolute best. So thank you again for taking time out of your day to send in that review. Okay, let's get right into it.

02:46

Reason number one you're not as consistent as you think. Now, here is some tough love wrapped in truth, but most of us are not as consistent as we think we are. You might be telling yourself like I've been working out for months, but if you actually look a little bit closer, it's usually like a solid week here and a skipped week there, a few balanced meals. Then Friday night hits and suddenly take out snacks, maybe the whole bottle of wine, and that's not a failure, that's just being human. But here's the kicker your body doesn't respond to what you intended to do. It responds to what you actually do, and muscle doesn't grow because you thought about lifting weights. Like fat loss doesn't happen because you usually eat protein.

03:26

Your results come from patterns, not single perfect days. All right, let me say that again your results come from patterns, not single perfect days. And get that. Studies show that most people under report what they eat as much as 40% and they overestimate how often they exercise, meaning that your brain is probably giving you way more credit than your actual actions, which I know is a hard reality. But it also explains why you're feeling stuck, even though you swear you're doing everything. Now let me get super, super clear. Consistency is not perfection. Missing one workout is not the end of the world. Having pizza on a Friday night doesn't undo all of your progress. Having cake to celebrate a birthday, that is okay, but what matters is what you do most of the time. But when the pattern becomes two steps forward and two steps back, that's when the results will stall. So what do you do?

04:14

I want you to track your consistency. I don't want you to obsess about it, but I want you to be super honest with yourself and a few ways that you can do. That is kind of the 85 rule. So if you're hitting your workouts, you know four out of five times, you are in a sweet sweet spot. Elite athletes live here and you can too. Visual check-ins this is important. Grab a calendar, put a check mark every time you complete a workout or you hit your protein at the end of the month. You'll see actual consistency instead of relying on your memory Keystone habits.

04:45

So don't try to nail 20 things at once. First, I want you to focus on one to two big habits, and that will ripple into others, like strength training three times a week, getting protein in at breakfast. When those are consistent, the rest follows. I want you to think of your body as a bank account, like one deposit doesn't make you rich and one withdrawal doesn't make you broke, but steady deposits over time. That's where the compound interest shows up, and it's same with fitness right. Your body adapts to rhythm, but not random bursts of effort.

05:13

And here's the best part you don't have to figure this all out on your own If your workouts are where you struggle. I have my Movement with Julie app. This literally lays out your week to week workouts. All you have to do is follow the workouts, dumbbell only, so you need a few pair of dumbbells in a small space and you can check it off. If nutrition is your roadblock, I have a program for that. It's called the Macro County Meets Simple Online Academy Teaches you how to hit your numbers so that you can measure your consistency without second guessing, and both will give you clarity instead of guilt. So here's kind of the takeaway Stop chasing perfection and start chasing honesty. Aim for that 70 to 85% consistency and just watch what happens. That's when you finally will start to see the results that you've been craving.

05:56

Reason number two is that you're only doing cardio and not enough strength. Now let me start by saying this I do love cardio. I do. I love it for heart health. I love it for mental clarity. I love, love, love that you just sweat. There is something about just sweating and don't get me wrong, there are sometimes my dumbbell-only workouts. I just sweat. A lot of times that's my lower body days, that's my cardio and core days. If I'm really going all out with that cardio, that is my shoulders and glutes or full body, but I would say the day that I sweat, the most typically tends to be lower body. However, sweating does not equate to a good or bad workout, so that's a whole nother podcast. I've done a couple on those, but I'm probably due for another one soon.

06:39

But sweating is amazing and, yes, also obviously, cardio burns calories. Cardio is amazing for keeping that heart you know your heart and your lungs strong, lowering that stress, even boosting your mood. So I'm never going to just tell you to absolutely ditch it. But here's the truth If your main goal is fat loss, looking leaner or building that tone, strong look that most women are after, cardio alone won't get you there. And here's why because cardio burns calories in the moment, but it doesn't do much to build muscle, and muscle is the real secret weapon. Muscle is what keeps your metabolism humming, even when you're sitting at a desk or you're sleeping. In fact, research shows that every pound of muscle burns more calories at rest compared to fat tissue Not a crazy number, like people on TikTok claim, but enough that over time, it makes a huge difference in how your body looks and feels. So if all you're doing is cardio without strength training, you're missing that piece that actually reshapes your body. And without muscle, your resting metabolism does slow down and that means that you end up burning fewer calories overall and, worse, you don't get the muscle definition that you're probably working really hard for.

07:45

So what do you do? Well, I want you to keep the cardio. If you love it. If you love cardio, I want you to keep it. But I also want you to make strength training your priority. Like, three to four days per week of lifting weights is one of the most effective ways to change that body composition. That's how you're going to get stronger. That's how you're going to get leaner. That's how you're going to see progress on the scale and in the mirror.

08:05

Reason number three is that you're not following progressive overload. So here's the deal. Your body is built for survival. It doesn't waste energy building extra muscle unless you give it a reason, and the reason stress. When you lift weights or challenge your muscles, you're basically telling your body like, hey, this load is heavy, we need to get stronger to handle it next time. Now, in the short term, your muscles get these little micro tears. Don't worry, that's normal. With enough rest, with enough fuel, your body repairs those tears and adds a bit more muscle tissue so you're better prepared the next time that you lift. That's literally how strength and definition are built.

08:40

But here's where women get stuck. If you're giving your body the same exact challenge like the same 10 pound weights, the same 12 reps, the same workout, week after week after week, your body's like cool, we're good here, no need to waste energy building more muscle. But progressive overload is going to fix that. It's the principle of gradually increasing the challenge over time so that your body never gets too comfortable. It does not mean that you have to destroy yourself in the gym or in your workouts, but it does mean that it's going to keep nudging your body to grow and some.

09:11

You know four simple ways to apply progressive overload. I've talked about it before but I'll talk about it again. Number one increase that weight. So if you've been doing squats maybe sumo squats and you're doing 15 pounds for weeks and weeks and weeks, try 20 pounds or even try 17.5 pounds, even a small jump is going to keep your muscles adapting. Number two increase the reps. So if your program is saying you know eight to 10 reps and you can easily do 10 and you don't have the ability to increase the weight. Try to push for 11,. Try to push for 12 the next time.

09:43

Number three change the tempo. This is another great way to implement progressive overload, but slow down. Try a three second lower in that squat or in that chest press instead of rushing it, and that time under tension is going to make your muscles work harder. There's also ways that you can like lower it. Hold for two seconds, three seconds, explode up. There's so many different tempos that you can do and I guarantee if you're using the same weight, you're doing the same reps, but you've just changed the tempo, you will see a difference. Like you will be like dang this is harder. Like this is more difficult, and that is placing that challenge on your muscles, which is important.

10:19

And last but not least, the fourth way to kind of apply a progressive overload in your workouts is to shorten rest slightly. So maybe, instead of doing you were doing a minute rest, maybe 45 seconds, or if you were doing 45 seconds, maybe 30 seconds. If you were doing 30 seconds, maybe try doing 20 seconds. Now, this is important. I don't want you to just cut your rest times to zero, because rest is important, especially if you are pushing yourself, like if you're pushing your reps and your last one to two reps of the prescribed reps in the program are nearly impossible but you still have pretty close to perfect form. Rest is so important. I don't want you to just rush right into that next set, but shortening that rest can be very helpful, even in like a cardio circuit let's say, for example, my cardio circuits in the Movement With Julie app. I have a one minute rest. So maybe in there you try and you say, okay, I'm going to do like 50 second rest or a 45 second rest, but keep make sure you're resting. Just make some ways to kind of implement that progressive overload is shortening the rest. I don't want you to do all of these things all at once. These are just some ways that you can apply progressive overload, so you kind of pick what you want to do.

11:27

But here's kind of the fun part is progressive overload doesn't just make you stronger in your workouts, but it changes your metabolism. Muscle tissue is active as it uses calories even at rest, and that means that the more muscle that you have, the more energy your body naturally burns throughout the day, and this is one of the biggest reasons why strength training is such a game changer for women who want fat loss or body composition change is because it also builds resilience. Think about your daily life carrying groceries, lifting your toddler, running up the stairs. When you practice progressive overload, those real life tasks get easier because your body is stronger and more capable. Now, I know that this can sound complicated and if you've never tracked your weights or your reps before, that's why most women either stay stuck doing the same easy workouts or they bounce around to random classes that never really get progress.

12:15

And again, this is why I built the Movement With Julie app. These workouts aren't just random circuits, they're structured with progression built into, especially the move of the month, and you'll see that if you're tracking your weights, if you're tracking your reps, you'll be able to look at your exercise history. And if, for the last month and a half, you've been doing chest press and you've been using 10 pound weights and you have access to either 12 pound or 15 pound weights, then you're like, okay, I'm just going to challenge myself and see if I can do that movement that I've been doing with these 10 pound weights with a little bit higher, and so it's just a great way to know that you are challenging yourself if you're keeping tabs on it, and that's exactly what the Movement With Julie app does. You have the ability to track every single workout and, again, you don't have to figure it out. You literally just open the app, you pick the workout that you want to do. I have them scheduled Monday through Friday, but you can do them whenever you want, like I have people that you know they create their own schedule. They start maybe their week starts on a Tuesday or their week starts on a Wednesday and they go throughout the weekend. So Wednesday, thursday, friday, saturday, sunday, or you can just do. You know three workouts, four workouts, however many fits your lifestyle. There's five brand new ones every single week, but you can do however many you want.

13:30

Reason number four you're not eating enough protein. This is so important and I want to get real about this one, because I know you're eating healthy. Maybe your meals are full of veggies, a little bit of rice, some avocado, maybe even a salad for lunch most days and hear me loud and clear those are all amazing choices. Micronutrients are important, but here's the truth you cannot eat healthy and still be fueling your body in a way that actually supports your goals if you are not eating enough protein, and the number one culprit that I see is that People are not eating enough protein. But protein is hands down the most overlooked nutrient when it comes to fat loss and body composition. Everyone out here is worrying about carbs and sugar, but protein truly is the real MVP. Why? I kind of want to break it down. Protein repairs and rebuilds muscle, so every time you strength train, you're creating those little micro tears in your muscle fibers, and protein provides amino acids which are the building blocks your body needs to repair those tears and build stronger muscle.

14:28

Without enough protein, your workouts aren't going to be giving you the results that you deserve. But number two, protein keeps you full and satisfied. So, unlike carbs and fats, protein takes longer to digest, and this means that it keeps you fuller, steadier and less likely to find yourself in the pantry 30, 45 minutes after a meal looking for snacks. And, last but not least, protein has the highest thermic effect. So this is just kind of a fancy way of saying that your body burns more calories digesting protein compared to carbs and fats. In fact, about 20 to 30% of the calories in protein are used up just by breaking it down. So if you eat a hundred calories of protein, your body really only nets about 70 to 80. And that's like a little metabolic bonus every time you eat it.

15:11

Now here's where most women are shocked. When I ask clients how much protein they're eating, it's usually way less than they need, like most are hitting maybe 40 to 60 grams a day, when the sweet spot for most women who want to build strength and lose muscle is closer to 100 to 150 grams, depending on your body. And this matters because without enough protein, you're basically tying one hand behind your back, like you'll lose more muscle than fat and your metabolism will likely slow down and you'll likely be hungrier and less satisfied. So what do you do? I don't want you to overcomplicate it. Here's some practical tips that kind of make hitting protein just so much easier.

15:48

But you can anchor your protein into every meal. So don't just think about chicken for dinner. Aim for a source of protein at breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus snacks if you need them. Protein forward breakfast. So swap the bagel or cereal for eggs, greek yogurt, a protein smoothie.

16:03

Starting your day with protein sets the tone for steady energy. Double your portion. So if you're normally eating a few slices of deli turkey, make it a full serving. If you're having chili, add extra beans or ground turkey. Small increases will add up. And, last but not least, lean on convenience. So protein shakes, cottage cheese, protein bars, those aren't cheats. Those are tools to help you hit your targets without the stress.

16:25

Now I know you might be thinking but how do I actually know how much protein I need? How do I balance that with carbs? How do I balance that with fats without obsessing? And that's exactly what I teach you in Cyber Macro Academy and Simple Online Academy. I teach you how to calculate your numbers based on your body and your goals, and you're going to learn how to track without obsession, how to adjust when you hit a plateau, how to fuel your body in a way that feels balanced and sustainable. No extremes, no guessing and definitely no boring chicken and broccoli every single meal. Here's the freedom that comes with it. Once you understand how to properly fuel your body through utilizing the 12 macro counting, you stop panicking over every cookie or slice of pizza and you realize that you can actually enjoy the foods that you love and still hit your protein, still support your workouts, still move closer towards your goals and if you mean eating healthy, but the scale just won't budge or you're not seeing the muscle definition that you've been working so hard for. This might be your missing link, like this might be exactly what your body was looking for. So definitely encourage you to at least think about it.

17:27

Reason number five hormonal imbalances. So sometimes it's not about food and workouts. Like you can be hitting your workouts consistently, you can be eating healthy, you can even be tracking your macros and you still feel like your body just isn't responding the way that it should. That's when I want you to pause and just remember that your body might be trying to tell you something deeper Conditions like PCOS, thyroid disorders, perimetopause or other hormonal imbalances these can have a huge impact on weight, energy, mood and even how your metabolism works, and no amount of clean eating or pushing harder in your workouts is going to override those underlying signals how hormones impact your progress.

18:05

So PCOS this is a condition where that can affect your insulin sensitivity. So insulin is the hormone that helps your body use carbs for energy, and when your cells don't respond at all, it can make fat loss harder and craving stronger. Thyroid issues like your thyroid is your body's thermostat for metabolism. If it's underactive hypothyroidism. Everything is going to slow down your energy, your digestion, your calorie burn, perimetopause or even menopause. So that is, shifts in estrogen, shifts in your progesterone during this stage that can affect your sleep, your recovery, your fat distribution, cravings and, last but not least, cortisol dysregulation. This is chronic stress that can keep your cortisol high, which, in turn, disrupts your sleeps. It disrupts your appetite. It affects your fat storage, especially around that midsection.

18:57

Now, none of these mean that you can't make progress, but they do mean that you need to understand what your body is asking for and get the right support. So what you can actually do is work with a practitioner that you actually trust. This could be a primary care doctor, this can be an endocrinologist. This can be a functional medicine practitioner. Not all providers will listen right away, but your health is worth finding the right one. A naturopath there are so many different practitioners that you can go to the second one this is really important is that you need to ask for labs.

19:30

I don't want you to be afraid to ask, like I want you to check my thyroid, I want you to check my sex hormones, my insulin markers. Some helpful tests that you can ask about are your TSH, your free T4, your free T3, which are both your thyroid functions fasting insulin and glucose. That's blood sugar regulation. Estrogen, progesterone, fsh and LH. So those are your reproductive hormones Cortisol, if stress is a big factor. And I also want you to track symptoms, not just your weight. So I want you to write down your energy, your mood, your sleep cycles, those changes that are happening, cravings.

20:07

This is going to give that provider, whoever you decide to work with, just kind of real data to actually see. And also, I want you to get curious, not critical. So instead of saying like, why won't my body just work and do what I want, instead I want you to ask like, what is my body trying to tell me? And that mindset shift in and of itself is everything. And it's really going to reframe your mind to ensure that you are trying to tell me. And that mindset shift in and of itself is everything. And it's really going to reframe your mind to ensure that you are trying to find the solution for what your body needs.

20:35

Listen, needing help doesn't mean that you're lazy. It doesn't mean that you failed. It means that you're wise enough to get that willpower alone. It means that you're wise enough to know that willpower alone cannot override your biology. And getting support is like hiring a mechanic for your car. You wouldn't shame yourself if you don't know how to fix the engine of your car, and you'll find an expert. It's the same here. Like you are not meant to figure it out alone. And here's the most important thing that I want you to hear is when you address these root issues, your nutrition and your workouts start working again, and that's when everything starts to click.

21:14

Reason number six you're working out but not moving enough the rest of the day. So let's kind of talk about something that most people overlook, and that's all the hours in your day that you're not technically working out. So even if you crash like a 30 minute workout, if the rest of your day is spent sitting at a desk or driving or lounging on the couch, your overall daily burn is probably going to still be pretty low. And that's not me shaming you. It's just how the math works. And this is where something called NEAT, which is N-E-A-T, where that, comes in. So it stands for non-exercise activity thermogenesis, which is something fancy. I know that sounds like very fancy and very scientific, but here's essentially what it means it's the energy that your body burns from all the little movements that you do. That aren't formal workouts. So walking to your mailbox, carrying your groceries, walking your dog, playing at the park, cleaning the kitchen, pacing while you're on a phone call, even fidgeting in your chair and here's the wild part For many people, neat can actually make up a bigger chunk of your daily calorie burn than workouts.

22:06

For many people, neat can actually make up a bigger chunk of your daily calorie burn than workouts. So research shows that people who naturally move more throughout the day without exercising extra can burn hundreds of additional calories compared to someone who's mostly sedentary throughout their day. And that's why two women can do the exact same workout plan. They can eat the exact same diet, but one sees maybe faster results. They can eat the exact same diet but one sees maybe faster results. I mean, so many can go into that, but the difference oftentimes does come down with meat.

22:35

So some ways to kind of boost your neat without overthinking it, before you kind of panic and say, okay, great, just another thing I'm not doing enough of. I want you to take a breath. The beauty of me is that it is built into your life so you don't need to carve out extra time or extra workout sessions. You just need to be intentional, with a little habit. So here's some simple, doable ways to kind of get neat more into out throughout your day. You can take short walking breaks, so even five minutes every hour. That adds up. Set a timer. Pair it with something that you already do, like grabbing a coffee, grabbing a water, stand when you can, if you can use a standing desk, or, if that's not realistic, just stand for phone calls or folding laundry or watching part of a show, making dinner. Obviously, those are all things. You're gonna be standing, but just be intentional about it.

23:21

Making errands active. So park further away, take the stairs instead of the elevator, carry groceries instead of grabbing a cart when it's a quick run, move with your family. This is so, so important. Play with your kids outside. Your kids need to be outside. You need to be outside in the sunshine, feet to ground, like walking on the ground, no shoes. Walk the dog, jog with your dog, go for a bike ride, have a dance party in the living room, like. Not only does it add up in your neat, but it also builds memories. And the last but not least is just adding micro movements. So stretch when you get up from the chair, do calf raises while brushing your teeth, even fidgeting yes, fidgeting burns more energy than completely sitting. Still, this isn't about chasing the calorie burn for the sake of it. It's about supporting your body in a way that's designed to move, like we weren't built to sit for 10 hours a day. When you increase your NEAT, you're not only helping fat loss or body compositional goals, but you're also improving circulation. You're boosting energy. You're lowering stress. I want you to think about it like this your workout is the spark, but your NEAT is the steady flame that keeps your metabolism humming all day.

24:29

Reason number seven the scale does not tell you the whole story. I know it's so frustrating when that number on the scale refuses to move Like. It is so, so frustrating. You step on it in the morning. You're hoping to see validation for all your hard work and nothing, or worse. It goes up and your brain immediately spirals into what the heck am I doing wrong? Like, why even bother? But here's the truth that you need to hear the scale is just one tool and, honestly, not even the most important one, because here's why you can be losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time.

25:03

And when that happens, the scale might not budge much, but your body composition is completely changing. Your clothes start fitting differently. You notice your waist look more defined. You catch yourself in the mirror and think like wait, I actually think I look leaner, you feel stronger picking up your kids or carrying your groceries or pushing through that last set of squats. That is progress. That scale just isn't designed to capture it.

25:27

And let's kind of clear up one of the biggest misconceptions that muscle does not weigh more than fat. Okay, a pound is a pound, but muscle is denser than fat. That means a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat in your body. So two women might weigh the exact same on the scale, but one with more muscle will probably look leaner, firmer and smaller in clothing. And on top of that, muscle is actually metabolically active. That's just a fancy way of saying that muscle burns more calories at rest than fat does. So the more muscle that you have, the more efficient your metabolism becomes. And that's why strength training, progressive overload, lifting weights consistently, is the number one way to change your body long-term.

26:12

So instead of letting one number determine your success, I want you to start tracking that progress in a way that tells the whole story, your measurements. So grab that tape measurement. Check your waist, your hips, thighs, arms once per month. Right, it doesn't have to be every week, but it could be every other week or once a month. Sometimes the inches drop even when the scale doesn't. In fact, more times than not, I have noticed that I will be losing inches, but the scale will be exactly the same.

26:40

Photos take progress photos front side back. You don't have to share them with anyone, right? They can just literally stay on an even private album on your phone. Anyone, right? They can just literally stay on an even private album on your phone. But they will show you those subtle changes that the mirror misses day to day, and especially your eyes, because if you're seeing yourself day in and day out, you're likely going to miss that. Strength gains, can you lift heavier than you did last month? Can you do more reps than you were doing? That is your body changing from the inside out.

27:09

Energy and mood. Are you sleeping better? Are you getting into a deeper sleep? Do you have more energy to play with your kids or focus at work? That is progress as well. And, last but not least confidence. Maybe you're walking taller, you're showing up in photos, you're wearing the outfit that you used to avoid. That matters more than the number on the scale. Reason number eight is stress and sleep. So, finally, we have to talk about lifestyle, because here's the truth Even if your workouts are on point and your nutrition is completely dialed in, if you are not managing your sleep and your stress, your body will struggle to make the changes that you want.

27:44

Sleep is your secret fat loss tool. I want to start with sleep, because when you don't get enough, your hormones take a direct hit. Two of the biggest players here are ghrelin and leptin. So ghrelin is your hunger hormone. This lack of sleep makes ghrelin rise, which means you feel hungrier than usual, especially for a quick, maybe a high calorie fat food. And then leptin is your fullness hormone. So you have your hunger hormone and your fullness hormone. Sleep deprivation lowers leptin, so you don't feel as satisfied even after eating. And that combo hungrier and less satisfied it's basically a setup for overeating. And it doesn't stop there. Studies show that just one night of poor sleep can reduce your body's ability to burn calories efficiently. The next day, your body literally runs at a lower power, plus, recovery from your workout slows down, which means that more fatigue, less muscle growth and more craving. So if you're aiming for fat loss or better body composition, seven to nine hours of sleep, that should be your non-negotiable. It's going to vary from person to person, but I want you to think of it as part of your training plan, not an afterthought.

28:56

The second thing is stress. Right, this is the silent metabolism killer. I know that you're juggling a lot. You're juggling work, families, relationship, life, the stress of just being a human being. And when it becomes chronic, your body starts to pay the price. Because here's why, when you're stressed, your body releases something called cortisol and, in short bursts, cortisol is helpful, it can help you handle challenges, but when cortisol stays elevated all the time, it can signal to your body to hold on fat, especially around your midsection. It can mess with your blood sugar levels, which actually triggers more cravings for sugars and carbs. It can slow your recovery from your workouts, which leave you feeling sore, tired, frustrated, and it, last but not least, can disrupt that sleep. So, which we just covered, that can make everything more difficult. So, stress stress isn't just mental, it's also metabolic.

29:52

Now, I'm not just gonna tell you okay. You need to just stress less, because if it were that easy, then we'd all be calm and zen 24 seven. That's just not the case, right? But I do want you to take stress management as seriously as you take your workouts, and here's a few practical tips that can help. So create a wind down routine at night dim the lights, put your phone down, give your brain time to switch off. This is going to improve both stress and sleep. I need you to get sunlight and movement during the day. Even a 10 minute walk outside is going to help to lower that cortisol and boost that mood regulating hormone like serotonin. Practice off switches, journaling, prayer. Even just putting your phone down in another room can help break the cycle of constant stimulation. And, last but not least, say no when you need to Protect that schedule, protect your energy. That is a form of self-respect and self-care. Boundaries, lower stress and more than any bubble bath ever could.

30:51

Okay, let's just quickly recap what we talked about in today's episode. So if you're eating healthy and you're working out, but you're not losing weight, there might be a few reasons, and here are the eight that I just highlighted. You're not as consistent as you think. You're doing cardio but not enough strength training. You're not following progressive overload or even a structured programming. You're not eating enough protein. You may have hormonal imbalances that need to be addressed by a provider. You're working out but not moving enough throughout the day. Just remember that the scale doesn't tell the whole story and stress and sleep might be the missing piece. Sometimes it just kind of takes looking at the full picture and making a few small tweaks.

31:30

And if you're ready for structure, I've got two resources for you for your workouts. I got my Movement with Julie online dumbbell only community, so all you need is a few pair of dumbbells and a small space. I give you five brand new workouts every single week a 30 minute or a 60 minute, which tends to oftentimes be 45 to 60 minutes depending on how slow or fast you go through the workouts. But really genuinely all you need is a few pair of dumbbells and a small space. You can go to sale that's S-A-L-Emovementandjuliecom and you can get 50% off your first month if you are a brand new subscriber. The second thing is Macro Academy and Simple Online Academy. So this is going to be my step-by-step academy that teaches you how to fuel your body with enough protein, with enough carbs, with enough fats to actually see results without obsession, without the extremes. You can go to macrocountingmadesimplecom. Again, that's macrocountingmadesimplecom. But together these are going to help take the guesswork out so you can stop spinning your wheels and finally start to feel confident in the process.

32:29

If you love this episode, I know you'll also love episode 428, eight non-scale victories for sustainable progress. And this is a two-part series, I believe. So this is just part one and then you'll see the link for part two in the show notes there. But, as always, if this episode resonated with you, would you just be able to share it out, maybe leave a review? That would truly mean the world to me and our team. But that is all that I have for today's episode. I love you so damn much. I mean it. I'll talk to you in the next one.

33:02

All right, sister, that's all I got for you today, but I have two things that I need you to do. First thing if you are not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie A Ledbetter yes, it's with an A in the middle For that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me. It means the absolute world, and I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace your real, because you're worth it.

 
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