If you're working hard but not seeing the scale move—or your progress feels inconsistent—it might not be a motivation problem. It’s often a standardization problem.
When your calories, activity, and training habits change day to day or week to week, it becomes almost impossible to know what's actually working. That’s why one of the most important things I teach clients is this:
Before we can adjust anything, we need to standardize everything.
Here are the four variables I recommend locking in for at least one to two weeks to create a reliable baseline:
1. Calories & Protein Intake
Your nutrition doesn’t need to be perfect, but it does need to be consistent. If your calorie intake swings dramatically or protein is hit-or-miss, your body gets mixed signals.
Example:
2,500 calories per day, 200g of protein (every day, not just most days)
2. Daily Steps (General Activity)
Walking is one of the easiest and most effective tools for fat loss. It supports recovery, improves energy, and adds to your daily calorie burn.
Example:
12,000 steps per day (tracked and averaged)
3. Strength Training Frequency
Lifting weights helps maintain muscle, shape your physique, and boost metabolism. To see results, you need to show up consistently—not just train hard when it’s convenient.
Example:
Strength train 5x/week with structured workouts
4. Cardio Frequency & Duration
Cardio doesn’t have to be extreme to be effective. In fact, steady-state (like Zone 2) cardio is one of the best ways to improve endurance and fat metabolism—if done regularly.
Example:
Zone 2 cardio 5x/week for 25 minutes
Here’s Why This Matters
If you’re jumping from plan to plan, changing your workouts each week, or eating "roughly" the same, you won’t have any clear data. And without data, we can’t make smart changes.
When you standardize these variables, you create a controlled environment. Now we can identify what’s working, what’s not, and make precise adjustments that move you forward—rather than spinning your wheels.
Sample Standardized Excel Template
