I received this message from a client and just had to share… because I HEAR this ALL the time… PUTTING IN THE EFFORT and still NOT getting the results they are looking for.
This particular client has been using a trainer versus following the SKFitLife Training because she has the financial means to use an in-person trainer on a regular basis but also enjoys the support she receives from the SKFitLife private Facebook group.
Besides hearing this struggle on a regular basis, I also 
wanted to take this opportunity to tell you a little bit about HOW I design my training programs… They are designed to give my clients that toned, athletic look… strong shoulders and arms… shapely legs… nice, tight abs with a waist that tapers… The added benefits are improved health, increased energy, and overall feeling strong and fit.
Back to the story…
“…Long story but need advice, bear with me; So I got measured this morning and I’m a bit discouraged. It was this time last year when I was measured. I’m sure some of you might say, ‘but you’ve made progress’ and yes, I have but it’s not where I want to be. There are two major problems: 1-I don’t know where I want to be and 2- my eating, probably the most important. I’ve worked my way up from not working out at all, to a steady 4-5x/week. I was barely breaking 300 calories in a beginning workout to now busting out 700-900, between resistance and cardio, during a workout. I work from home so you would think the eating would be easy. However, I forget to eat or just get to the point that I don’t feel like cooking because I’m not creative and feel like the kitchen is my weakness in all of this. I am healthier than I’ve ever been in my life. I’ve cut back the drinking to maybe two nights a week. I’ve gone from smoking on a regular basis to having the occasional with a cocktail (don’t judge, please–it’s a process). My physical two weeks ago showed low blood pressure and low resting heart rate. So—-my question is, why did I feel like bursting into tears when I got my measurements today? Here they are. Year 1 is first number and Year 2 is second: Neck: 12 and 11.9Upper arm: 11-3/8 and 11
Chest: 35 and 33.9 (now I’m really boobless!!)
Waist: 29 and 29 (really discouraged)
Hip: 37.5 and 35.5 (very pleased)
Thigh: 20.5 and 20.6
Calf: 13-7/8 and 13-7/8 My waist and my legs are the most discouraging. Sounds arrogant but I’ve always had good legs from dancing so while they are incredibly toned, I had hoped that they would have thinned out also. Am I missing something? Sorry to dump but would love some feedback on why I’m disturbed!!”
Does this sound like you? Or someone you know? Please keep reading to see my response…
“So, if you don’t know where you want to be, how can you be discouraged?
Yes, nutrition is where it all happens and I know your trainer has been working you hard (as I mentioned above, this particular client has been using a trainer versus following the SKFitLife Training because she has the means to use an in-person trainer on a regular basis but also enjoys the support she receives from the SKFitLife private Facebook group), but is it the right kind of work for your goals… which gets us back to your goals… what are they? It sounds to me like you have some physique goals that you have not identified. Perhaps because you think it is vain to have appearance goals? Perhaps you are not sure about what is possible for your body?
Have you added photos of your goals to your vision board? Or at least pinned them to a board in pinterest? I know you have said that you would like for your arms and abs to come up to speed with your awesome legs, but what does that look like for you?
Now, back to the style of workouts you have been doing and your mention of building a stronger LOOKING upper body (I emphasize LOOKING because there is definitely a difference between BEING strong and LOOKING strong and they are NOT directly proportional…).
I joke about it but seriously, my goal for this year is to become as strong as I look. Well, at least work to close the gap. When I show up to something like Crossfit, some people look at me and assume I am crazy strong. But I am not… I LOOK strong. I have spent years working to LOOK strong. I have done this by lifting heavy weights in the “hypertrophy” range… 8, 10, 12, sometimes 15 rep range.
Lifting like this has built nice, compact, round muscles for me. I look bigger in pics than I am in real life.
So, with the weights part addressed, now I have to address the cardio… if someone does too much cardio, they will NEVER (or at least VERY VERY slowly) actually achieve those strong, rounded muscles because cardio burns calories… which are the building blocks for muscles. 
We don’t get stronger when we are IN the gym lifting… we get stronger during our rest and recovery. We need the calories (and I truly HATE the focus on calories because they are NOT created equally… think about it like this… building a house… you have bricks, wood, and all of the soft materials… you HAVE to have ALL of them in order to build a house, right? That is kind of like your protein, carbohydrates, and fat… gotta have it all or it doesn’t work.)
OK, back to building this more conditioned, muscular, and sexy body… So, if you do too much cardio, you are burning off all of your “building materials”. Your muscles don’t have anything to work with for repair. If you are in a constant state of depletion, you will never build anything.
Your legs are toned from consistent training… and your upper body will get that way too… that is the “conditioning” I am talking about.
Your waist measurements are a function of 3 things… your nutrition (THE BIGGIE!!!! Check out what happened to my waist when I gave up alcohol for a couple weeks… several inches of difference), lifestyle factors such as sleep and stress, and your bone structure…
The first 2 have been covered at length but please let me know if there is anything else you would like to go over again. So, lets go to #3… Once we decrease our body fat levels to a healthy range (which yours are even though you would like to further decrease them), we are looking at 3 things… the size/shape of our hips… the size/shape of our rib cage… and the distance between them (top of hip and bottom of ribs).
Someone like yourself who has some really awesome and long legs (relative to your height) will typically have a shorter torso/waist. That leaves a lot less room for your waist to physically “come in” at its smallest point.
So……………………………
After all of that, my recommendation is to:
1.) Get very clear on your goals. This is all a process… give yourself credit for making such a dramatic and amazing lifestyle change over the past year but it is time to move forward and your discouragement is telling you that you are ready for a change. Go with it. Listen to it.
2.) Stick with the weights routine and the cardio recommendations I have in the program. They are specifically designed to create a body that LOOKS strong and fit. The strong and fit is a byproduct of my style of training.
3.) Get serious about your nutrition. There is not an exercise program on earth that 
will make up for improper nutrition. I know your lifestyle is a challenge but make the commitment and stick to it. Take pics along the way and if you feel weak, look at those pics. The best motivation to stay on track is looking at your own progress.
Please let me know what other questions you have. My mission is to show you all that you have everything you need to reach your goals. Thank you so much for being so open and honest with us about your discouragement. You are not alone and your courage will help more people than you know:). Great topic… Great concern… And I am going to use this as a blog post topic because it is where most women get stuck but don’t ask for help.”
Do YOU still have questions? We would love to hear them!
