Why You’re Doing “All the Right Things” and Still Not Seeing Results

If you train hard, eat well, prioritise protein, hit your steps and still feel puffy, inflamed, flat or stuck, this isn’t a motivation problem and it’s definitely not laziness.

It’s a mismatch problem.

For years we’ve been taught a simple rule: Move more. Eat less. Lose weight.

And to a point, that rule works.But it breaks down the moment you stop being sedentary and start training like an athlete.

The threshold no one talks about

If you lift, run, do HYROX-style training, classes or endurance work 4–6+ times per week, your body crosses a threshold where dieting rules change.

Below that threshold:

• Slight calorie reduction + movement = fat loss

Above it:

• Calorie restriction + high training stress = physiological protection

Your body doesn’t respond by burning more fat.It responds by holding on.

That’s when women experience:

• Water retention

• Poor recovery

• Increased inflammation

• Flat gym sessions

• Stalled fat loss

• “Skinny fat” outcomes

Not because your body is broken but because it’s trying to survive.

Energy availability (what it actually means)

Energy availability is not how many calories you eat on paper.

It’s the energy left after training to support:

• Hormones

• Recovery

• Muscle repair

• Nervous system regulation

If you train hard while eating like you’re dieting, your body starts pulling energy from places you don’t want, including muscle tissue.

That’s how women lose weight… but don’t like how they look.

Why this feels so frustrating

Most women in this position are:

• Disciplined

• Consistent

• High-achieving

• Used to pushing harder when things don’t work

So when progress stalls, the instinct is to:

• Cut calories further

• Add more sessions

• Remove carbs

• Be “more strict”

And that’s exactly what keeps the cycle going.

The truth

You’re not failing. You’re applying diet rules to an athletic body.

The fix isn’t doing more it’s changing the framework.