What Actually Happens To Your Body Over One Year of Consistency
Have you ever wondered why your fitness journey feels like it’s taking forever, even though you’re showing up, putting in the work, and staying consistent? Are you frustrated because the scale isn’t moving, your progress photos look the same, and you feel like giving up.
In this episode of Embrace Your Real, I’m diving into why patience is the key to long-term success and how understanding your body’s timeline can help you stay consistent without feeling defeated.
I discuss:
Why quick fixes might give fast results but rarely lead to lasting change.
What really happens in your body during the first 4 to 6 weeks, 8 to 12 weeks, and even after 12 months of consistent effort.
How to track your progress in ways beyond the scale.
The importance of evaluating your consistency honestly.
How muscle-building can transform your metabolism and make long-term maintenance easier.
Why patience and sustainable habits will keep you from ever starting over again.
If you’re tired of feeling like you’re constantly starting from scratch, this episode will give you the tools and mindset shifts you need to see your progress through.
Let’s make 2025 your year of transformation—without the burnout!
If you loved this episode, you’ll also love…
Episode 68: Getting Off Your Fitness Plateau with Progressive Overload
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Website: www.juliealedbetter.com
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Transcript:
[00:00:00] 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 and issue 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 hands, girl. Hello and welcome back to another episode on Embrace Your podcast. If you're anything like me, you probably have those moments in your fitness journey where you thought, Why the heck is this taking so long? Like you are showing up, you are putting in the work, and yet the scale is barely budging. Your progress photos might look the same as they did last month, and it's so easy to feel frustrated and want to give up. But here's the thing Developing patience is the key to unlocking long term success. Let me say that again. Developing patience is the key to unlocking long term success. And so in today's episode, we're going to be diving deep into why long term results happen slower than quick fixes, like the science behind seeing results and how building patience will ensure that you actually never have to start from square one again. By the end of this episode, my hope is that you'll have a very clear understanding of why patience is your greatest asset on your fitness journey that you're on. But before we dive in, I want to share this review A comes from Stephanie H.W.. She gave a five star review and said, Helping me change. Julie, thank you from the bottom of my heart for leading this amazing journey. For me and so many other women. I lacked the confidence and commitment in the past. But listening to your real talk and following the movement with Julie App for exercise has genuinely changed my life. It's only been a few months, but I am seeing so many positive changes in all aspects of my life. My husband and my friends are all noticing them too. Thank you and happy New Year. Happy New Year to you too. I'm so, so grateful for you. And I'm so thankful that the moment with Julie App is helping you and that all of your friends, your husband, everybody's noticing that is that is icing on top of the cake. But more importantly, I am so grateful that you are gaining confidence. Like that is my ultimate goal with my programs, with this podcast, is that you can gain confidence and assurance that you are on the right sustainable journey that is going to last you a lifetime instead of, you know, constantly going back to square one, especially now that we're in the new year. I don't want you guys to be feeling like you're just constantly going back to square one. Constantly going back to square one. I want you to feel like, okay, I have the tools that I need to live a sustainable lifestyle and to continue this fitness journey with the utmost confidence and just assurance, knowing that you're again, never going to have to go back to that square one and that you have the tools to be able to both enjoy your dang fitness journey and enjoy your life while still seeing results, because you can absolutely have both of those. All right. Let's dive into today's episode. First things first Why long term results are better than quick fix solutions. So quick fixes are tempting, but they rarely lead to lasting results. Let me repeat that again. Quick fixes are so tempting, but they rarely lead to lasting results. You've probably seen programing, you know, promising this dramatic weight loss in 30 days or this transformation photos where it seems like these people have lost, you know, 20 pounds overnight or in a month. But the reality is most quick fix solutions. They rely solely on extreme caloric restriction, dehydration and unsustainable workout routines. When you lose weight quickly, much of it comes from water and muscle, not fat. Yes, you heard that right. So when you lose weight quickly, a lot of that is coming from water and muscle, not fat. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, meaning that it burns calories even at rest. And so when you lose muscle during a crash diet, your metabolism slows down, making it even harder to maintain your results or keep losing fat. Now, this cycle can leave you feeling stuck. It can leave you feeling frustrated and in worse shape than when you even started. Long term results, on the other hand, require this slower approach because you're focusing on building habits. You're focusing on preserving muscle and prioritizing fat loss, not just weight loss. And this process really does involve changing your mindset, creating sustainable daily practices and giving your body the time that it needs to adapt to these new demands. Unlike quick fixes which may provide these fleeting results, building a foundation rooted in healthy habits ensures that your progress is both meaningful and lasting. It's really about more than just the physical transformation. It's about understanding your body's needs. It's about respecting its timeline and building resilience through consistency. Over time, these efforts will compound and lead to changes that are not only visible but also super integrated into your lifestyle. Like you just do these things naturally. You never have to feel like you're forcing it, but it takes time to create these sustainable changes and that's why patience is so important. So now that you kind of understand that, I want to talk about the science, you part of seeing results because yes, there is definitely science behind it. But one of the most common questions that I get is, okay, how long will it take to actually see changes? Like first let me kind of break down what happens between 4 and 6 weeks if you're staying. Consistent. So. And during the first 4 to 6 weeks. So that's a month to a month and a half, your body is learning how to move efficiently. And this is called neuromuscular adaptation, where your brain and your muscles are actually figuring out how to work together better. Think of this as your body kind of practicing coordination, balance and form. So you might not see the changes, but inside your nervous system is becoming more efficient. It's helping you lift heavier, it's helping you move more smoothly and recruit more muscle fibers during your workouts. You might notice during this time period that you're getting stronger. But this really isn't your muscles that are growing yet. It's because your body is actually learning how to activate the muscles that you already have. And you'll also probably start to feel less out of breath during workouts and more energized just in general after your workout, within your day to day life, your cardiovascular system. This is adapting and pumping oxygen more efficiently to your muscles, and that's why you're starting to feel more energized in general. However, while it's too early to really see these significant changes in muscle size, some fat loss might start to happen, especially if you're very consistent with your nutrition. Like your clothes might start to feel a tiny bit different or you might notice a little bit less bloating during this period is where you might feel frustrated that you're not seeing changes yet. But trust me, this foundation is what you need and the foundation is building everything. Things are happening. It might not just be physical yet. Now moving on to what happens from 8 to 12 weeks. So this is month, 2 to 3 months. So if you've been consistent for 2 to 3 months around this mark, you'll start to really notice these visible muscle growth, especially if you're really pushing yourself in your workouts. And this is because the muscles are finally responding to consistent progressive overload that you've been applying. So your muscle fibers are repairing and they're growing back stronger after every workout. This is called hypertrophy, and this is what gives you that tone defined look over time, which I know a lot of women, especially in my program, and just that I talk to you on on a day to day basis, week to week basis, this is one of their goals that they have. If you've been in a Clark deficit or you've been counting your macros for your goals, you'll likely start to see that visible fat loss. And this could look like, you know, your waistline shrinking, your clothes fitting differently, progress photos showing a little bit more definition than they did, you know, a few weeks or a month or two before. And with more muscle comes a faster metabolism. You have to remember that muscle burns more calories at rest. So you actually might notice that you can eat a bit more while still making progress. And it's really during this 8 to 12 week mark that you will start to see your hard work payoff. It's super motivating. But keep in mind, you know, 8 to 12 weeks, that's 2 to 3 consistent months of hard work. And at this point, workouts, you know, might feel a little bit easier in some ways. And that's because you're just getting stronger. Your body and your coordination is really in tune with what you're doing because you're staying consistent. And also workouts might feel harder. And this could be because you're pushing, you know, lifting heavier, you're pushing yourself more. So it could be, you know, two in the same. You're feeling like, you know, workouts in general are a little bit easier. Like it's easier, especially mentally, to get up and go for a workout. But during your workout, if you are really focused on pushing that weight, it will start to feel a little bit harder. And that's just because you're pushing yourself, you're pushing your muscles. You're most likely feel more confident in your routine, like I mentioned. And that likely, you know, seeing some strength milestones that's going to really help you in your confidence. And also it's going to really help you in just that confidence to continue to lift heavier or complete more reps. If you get to the 12 week mark, this is around three months and you feel like you are not seeing results, I want you to really evaluate your consistency, your nutrition and your progressive overload. So asking yourself these questions like Have you actually been consistent with your workouts? Be honest with yourself. Remember having that consistency calendar and really marking off each day that you are staying consistent with your workouts. That's going to be so beneficial. Have you actually been counting your macros accurately and consistently? Again, be honest with yourself. Do you even know how much your body needs to function optimally based on where you're at and what your goals are? And really, are you pushing yourself harder each week in your workouts? I know that it's going to feel like immediately you're going to say yes, but look back and this is where having an app to be able to enter in, you know, the weight that you're using for specific movements is going to be so, so, so beneficial because it's going to hold you accountable and it's actually going to be hard fact data that you're able to look back and say, you know what, I'm chest pressed. Like, I really haven't pushed myself. I haven't been you know, I think that I could go up to 10 pounds. I think I could go up to 20 pounds in each hand. And I really haven't been doing that. So being honest with yourself by looking at the data is going to be so important. And again, if you are, you know, have stayed consistent for at least 12 weeks, that's three months of consistency. And when I say consistency, I meaning like if your goal is 4 to 5 days a week in strength training, you have really rarely only missed a couple of workouts within that 12 weeks that you have stayed very consistent with that. Again, this is where it goes back to having realistic goals within your season of life. If you are a brand new mom, you know, trying to get 4 to 5 workouts a week and pushing yourself and doing nutrition on top of that, that's probably not going to be realistic. But maybe you're out of the newborn trenches, maybe you are back to, you know, having a more predictable routine and you feel like, okay, yes, I do have these goals, you know, 45 days per week and really staying within my macros, protein, carbs and fats, my hydration, my sleep, all of those things play factors. And you feel like you are in a routine where you are able to stay consistent. It's really about consistency. And if you're not seeing results within those three months, it's likely due to one of those three things or a combination of those three things. Okay. Moving on to kind of what happens at six months. So at six months, staying very consistent in your routine, you'll likely start to see major changes in your body composition. And this means like your ratio of lean muscle to fat is really shifting more muscle, less fat. You'll likely have a lot more muscle definition, less fat, and overall, your body will just feel tighter and stronger, like your strength levels will noticeably be higher. And things that felt impossible when you first started, like maybe doing a pull up or a push up or lifting heavier weight. This might now be just a part of your regular routine, and your metabolism is likely functioning better than when you started with more muscle mass. Your body burns more calories at rest, making it easier to maintain your results. And so at this point, you'll feel strong, both physically and mentally. The habits that you've built now really do feel natural that consistency is becoming second nature, and you might even start to notice changes in other areas of your life like improve sleep, better, focus more energy to tackle, tackle your day again. This is what happens when you dedicate yourself to being consistent for a full six months. So let's say that you're starting this right now. It is the 13th of January. If you stay consistent for six months, that will likely bring you to what, June 13th? So right around the summertime I know that sounds like a long time, but it actually I mean, I'm telling you, it is so worth it to stay consistent. And just remember those small milestones from, you know, 1 to 2 months, 2 to 3 months, six months. And before you know it, you'll be at a year. Which leads me to kind of what happens to, you know, a consistency of a full 12 months. You'll have experience, likely a complete shift in your habits and likely your mindset. You'll have built sustainable routines that support long term health. Your body has likely found a new set point in terms of weight and metabolism, and this is where your body naturally maintains its weight and energy levels without constant effort thanks to your new lifestyle. Like let me kind of expand on this as it's super important. So this means that your body has adapted to your consistent habits of movement, nutrition and recovery, and now it's operating in a more efficient and balanced way. And at this stage, your weight and your energy levels become more stable. Maintaining your progress feels less like a struggle and more like second nature. And here's why this happens because over the past year, your body has really undergone physiological and metabolic changes. So by building lean muscle and fueling your body properly, you've increased your basal metabolic rate, which is also known as your BMR. The number of calories that your body burns at rest and muscle is metabolically active, like I mentioned earlier. So the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, even when you're sleeping or sitting on the couch. And this allows you to maintain your weight more effortlessly without needing to constantly monitor every single bit of food or push through these grueling workouts every day. But it's not just about the calories. Your body has also adapted to a healthier balance of hormones that regulate hunger, energy and fat storage. So, for example, leptin and ghrelin. So these hunger hormones control hunger and satiation. So feeling satiated after a meal by can eating consistently and nourishing your body, your hunger cues become more reliable, making it easier to eat when you're truly hungry and stop when you're truly satisfied. You also have cortisol. So constant exercise and stress management helps to regulate those cortisol levels, reducing fat storage likely around your midsection and improving your overall energy levels. You also have your insulin sensitivity. So regular movement, especially if you're at that year mark, of staying consistent, that regular movement and balance eating improve how you how your body actually process. This is and stores glucose helping to prevent those energy crashes and weight gain. What's beautiful about reaching kind of this new set point in your lifestyle is that it now feels sustainable, like you've really spent the past year building habits that support your health. Like regular strength training, balanced nutrition, prioritizing, recovery. And these habits are likely now ingrained into your daily life. So maintaining your progress doesn't feel like this constant uphill battle. You've really created a rhythm that works for your body and your life, allowing you to enjoy more flexibility and freedom while still feeling strong, healthy and energized. The best part is that you've really set this new baseline. You're no longer starting from square one after holidays, vacation or life's indulgences. Instead, you have the confidence that your body is resilient, your habits are strong, and your progress is here to stay. And this is what true, lasting transformation looks like. It's a lifestyle that supports your goals without consuming your life. Let me say that again. A lasting transformation looks like a lifestyle that supports your goals without consuming your life. So let's say, you know, you enjoyed a weeklong vacation with lots of delicious food, drinks, minimal movement, late nights. When you return, your body might feel a little bit different. Yeah. Hello. Bloating or water retention? But I guarantee you, within a few days of getting back to your usual routine, you'll likely notice that everything balances out your strength and endurance and workouts. Yes, they might take a tiny hit, but your body will bounce back much faster than it would have in the past. And that's the beauty of muscle memory. So instead of panicking, you trust the habits that you've built over the last year are still there and you know exactly what to do to feel like yourself again. So all this to say this is why patients like I mentioned in the beginning of this episode is so key on your fitness journey. When you take the time to build strength and endurance, you are creating a foundation that will support you for years to come. I'm going to think of it like this Constructing a house. Like if the foundation of the house is weak, the house is not going to last. But if you take the time to build a strong base, it can. It can and it will weather any storm. This is especially important during the holidays or other challenging times. If you've spent the past year building muscle and improving your metabolism, your body will be better equipped to handle indulgences like holiday treats. Muscle tissue burns more calories at rest, like I've mentioned many times in this episode. So the more muscle that you have, the more efficient your metabolism becomes. And one of the best and biggest benefits of patience is that it ensures that you really never have to start over. Like these quick fixes, like I mentioned earlier, they often lead to these yo yo dieting, this inconsistent exercise habits, which means that you're constantly feeling like you're restarting what? But when you commit to a sustainable approach, you are building habits that stick with you for life. So, for example, let's say you spend the next year focusing on building muscle and improving your metabolism, but by the time this, you know, 2025 holiday season rolls around, at the end of the year, you'll have a higher best basal metabolic rate, the BMR, which means that your body will burn even more calories at rest. And this gives you more flexibility to enjoy those holiday treats without worrying about gaining weight. The science behind that is simple like muscle tissue requires more energy to maintain than fat tissue. So the more muscle that you have, the more calories your body burns daily. And another key benefit of having patients on this fitness journey is that you free yourself from the cycle of restriction and punishment that always comes with these fad diets and over exercising. Instead of relying on extreme measures to see results, you've created a balance and sustainable lifestyle. This means no more cutting out entire food groups, starving yourself or spending hours doing cardio to, quote, make up for the indulgences. You'll also have a body that works for you, not against you. And this is so, so key because the confidence that you will have to enjoy life without guilt or fear of setbacks is absolutely priceless. Patience allows you to embrace a fitness journey that feels empowering rather than punitive, right? Making it easier to stay consistent and motivated long term. So when you start to feel impatient on your fitness journey, remember these milestones that I mentioned at 4 to 6 weeks, your body is laying that groundwork through neuromuscular adaptation and subtle changes in your energy and endurance. At that 8 to 12 week visible muscle growth and noticeable fat loss can start to kick in and your metabolism gets a boost. At six months, you're seeing significant body composition changes and hitting major performance goals. And at a year you've likely experienced a full transformation both physically and mentally, and you have totally reset your baseline. I get it, though. If you feel overwhelmed and you're like, That's great, I want you. By by January 13th of 2026. I want to have a full transformation both physically and mentally, but I don't even know where to start. I have two incredible resources for you. The first is called My Macro Economy Simple Online Academy. And this program is going to teach you how to fuel your body effectively without restriction. This is going to give you the tools to make sustainable progress without the overwhelm and throw. So through this step by step guide, you're going to learn how to customize your nutrition to fit your unique lifestyle and goals, all while enjoying the foods that you love. So whether you're a beginner or you've tried macro counting before, this online academy simplifies the process so that you can really focus on building a healthier relationship with food and fueling your body for long term success. If you're like, I've got the nutrition down, but I need help in my workouts. I have a resource for you. It's called the Movement with Julia App. And this workout app is designed to help you build strength to gain confidence and achieve results at your own pace. Every single week you get five brand new workouts that are going to be complete in your strength training. So we're going to be starting with lower body, upper body, cardio and core shoulders and glutes and full body. And with every workout being tailored to all different fitness levels, you can genuinely start wherever you are and continue to challenge yourself over time. All you genuinely need is a few pair of dumbbells and a small space to do it. So again, whether you're working out at home or the gym, this app really does provide you with all the tools that you need to stay consistent to build muscle and to see real sustainable results. It's more than just a workout plan. It's a way to transform your approach to health and fitness for the long term. Both of those resources really do tie directly to what we discussed to you today. Building patients and focusing on sustainable habits and creating a lifestyle that works for you. And both of these tools are going to help you do just that. Just remember this for fitness is a journey. It is not a sprint. And these two resources, these tools are here to guide and support you every step of the way. So if you want to learn more, you can head over to macro counting made simple.com to start with macro accounting and sale. That's s.a l e dot which like.com to start working out with me. Both of those resources are linked in the shownotes. And if you love this episode I know you will also love episodes six eight Getting off your fitness plateau with progressive overload. That is a packed episode that is going to really teach you everything that you need to know about progressive overload, which was mentioned in today's episode. So if that's not something that you're really familiar with, I highly recommend you tune into episode 68. I will also link that in the show notes below. But I hope that this was helpful for you. I really want your 2025 to be a year of consistency. And trust me when I say if you are consistent in both your training and your nutrition, you will be fully transformed and not just in your physical, but in your mental and your habits, in the energy that you have there. It is a ripple effect, which is the most amazing part of being able to take our health and really run with it. And just to see all of the major benefits that you have. And then subsequently, if you are a wife, if you are a mom, if you are a business owner, if you are a leader in your community, the people that love you and rely on you will actually get to reap the benefits of your energy, of you feeling confident, of you feeling all of the the major benefits of, you know, tackling your fitness and nutrition this year. So I want that for you. And so I hope that this episode was helpful for you. I hope that you come out on the other side just remembering that, you know, patience is key. Patience is key, but also consistency is key as well. I am rooting for you. I love you and I'll talk to you in the next one. 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 lot better. 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. [00:00:00][0.0]