Stop Rushing Your Fitness Journey: Why Overnight Results Are a Myth
Have you ever walked into the gym and thought, “I should be further along than this by now”? If you’ve ever felt that frustration, you’re not alone—and this post is for you.
I’m Reyna Hoerdeman, owner of Studio Fit Chicago, where we help women 35+ feel confident in their own skin using fitness, nutrition, and accountability in a safe and empowering space. Today, I want to address something I hear constantly from the incredible women I work with: the feeling that you’re not progressing fast enough.
You Didn’t Get Here Overnight
Here’s the truth we all need to hear: especially when it comes to strength training, weight loss, or any fitness goal, we often put unrealistic timelines on ourselves. We think we should look a certain way, lift a certain weight, or lose a specific number of pounds in a specific timeframe.
But let me ask you this: How did you get to where you are right now?
If you’re looking to lose weight, you didn’t gain it in one day. I know it can feel that way sometimes—trust me, as someone in perimenopause, I felt like I gained 30 pounds overnight! But the reality is, we didn’t arrive at our current state instantly. So why do we expect to change it overnight?
The Power of Meeting Yourself Where You Are
One of the most important skills you can develop is being okay with where you are right now.
There will be times when you need to drop down in weight. Times when we need to modify an exercise. Moments when something doesn’t feel right because of an injury or how your body is responding that day. And that’s completely okay.
This journey isn’t about how fast you reach your destination—it’s about falling in love with the process and showing up for yourself consistently.
Small Wins Stack Into Big Wins
I think many people expect workouts to deliver dramatic, instant results. Like you’ll become Wonder Woman in two weeks of training. But here’s the reality: I’ve been working out for decades, and the biggest lesson I’ve learned is this:
You must celebrate the small wins, because those are what stack into the big wins.
If you’re in the gym thinking, “I’ve been doing this forever and I’m not seeing improvement,” ask yourself:
- What are your small wins?
- What are you celebrating?
- Can you slow your tempo down with better control?
- Has your form improved?
- Did you increase your weight even slightly?
- Do you feel more comfortable with movements?
- Are you less achy or in pain?
There are countless indicators of progress that have nothing to do with the number on the scale or the weight on the bar.
The Bottom Line
Progress isn’t always linear, and it’s definitely not always measured in numbers. Your fitness journey is uniquely yours, and comparing your chapter three to someone else’s chapter twenty will only steal your joy.
Be patient with yourself. Celebrate every small victory. Trust the process. You’re exactly where you need to be right now, and every workout is moving you forward—even when it doesn’t feel like it.
Remember: Building a happy, healthy lifestyle isn't about perfection—it's about progress, consistency, and actually enjoying the journey.