This question is difficult to answer as it depends on what you are trying to achieve, what habit changes you are working on and how you’re going about it. As we encourage primarily focusing on one key habit change at a time (although you may have a number of other things you’re working on, one becomes your main goal) results from this style of coaching are often not as fast as other programmes. However, this type of change process is more likely to stick in the long term so they will be habits you’re more likely to sustain.
Because of this, we encourage you to think about results as not just being physical – i.e. weight, measurements, muscle tone, clothing size – but other aspects such as energy levels, how you feel, how well you’re sleeping, whether you’re less stressed, how much stronger you’re getting…
Some things that can affect your results include:
Your definition of results
Essentially, results come in two stages; first we begin to feel a difference, then we begin to observe the difference. If your goal is to lose weight, when you start to eat healthier and move your body more, you will likely feel the benefits of doing those activities weeks before you can observe changes happening physically.
If your goal is to be able to hold a plank for longer, you will begin to feel the strength building in your muscles when you attempt it consistently, and the position will feel easier before you really start to add more seconds onto your personal best.
If your goal is a healthier nutrition change, you will likely feel lighter and more energetic, perhaps less bloated or sluggish, before any outward physical difference begin to take place.
Your rest and recovery
For your body to accept new changes, you want your body to return to a state of homeostasis so that it can heal, recover, process and digest properly. This is why it’s important to incorporate
Your consistency
Most people know what healthy habits they need to work on, but managing to keep them up consistently is the hard part. That’s why we try to aim for simple goals – especially when you’re starting out with new health changes or if you lead a busy lifestyle. If you can stick to your habits consistently your results are more likely to come quicker
Your flexibility
While it’s important to stick to your gameplan for a long enough period to see whether you will get results from it, it’s also important to have the flexibility to change that plan if it’s not working out for whatever reason. Modifying your routine if you hit a plateau or you’re no longer enjoying it is key to keeping things going.
We would typically recommend to stick to a new habit change for at least a few weeks consistently (provided that you’re enjoying it or its not making you feel burned out!) before determining whether it’s working for you or whether you need to make changes. If you FEEL that your body is making progress in any of the previously mentioned ways, keep at it because you’re likely on the verge of results if you haven’t seen them already. Beyond that, a goal-oriented results assessment every 4-6 weeks would probably be appropriate depending on your goal.
