Be Brutally Honest: Am I Doing Something Wrong or Expecting Too Much?"
I need honest opinions because I'm genuinely discouraged and I want peoole opinions.
From the beginning of this year, I started going to the gym, but I wasn't very consistent. I usually went 2–4 times a week and mostly followed the basic gym routine they gave me: treadmill walking, lat pulldown, and regular beginner workouts.
Beginning of April, I decided to become serious because I wanted visible changes by summer. Since then, I started going consistently, around 5 days a week.
I also changed my eating habits:
- Reduced/quit most sugary foods
- Bought protein powder and protein shake bottles
- Started focusing on protein
- Eating eggs, turkey, chicken, etc.
- Drinking chia seeds in the morning
- Reduced my overall food intake because my goal is body recomposition
My goal is:
- lose belly fat
- lose face fat
- lose back fat
- lose arm fat
- grow my glutes/butt
- grow my hips
- create more of an hourglass shape
Workout-wise:
I do incline treadmill walking for 20–25 minutes around 2–3 times a week.( started inclined at 8 currently at 14.5 with speed of 4) and I also don't hold anything while walking
For glutes:
- Hip thrusts 2–3x/week (4set, 8rep with 2sec pause on top and 8sec pause at the end of each rep)
- Bulgarian split squats 3set, 10 rep each leg (3x/week)
- Hip abduction machine(4set, 10 rep seated up right and 10rep leaning forward so I do around 20 rep per each rep).
- Cable kickbacks, 10kg (2set, 10 rep each leg. 3 to 4x/week) still find it hard because I feel it most of the time in my back so I try not to increase my weight because I want to focus on my form.
- Leg press, 50kg (3set 10 rep. Leg up and wide apart doesn't feel it in my glutes so am also trying not to increase the weight)
- Squat.
For upper body:
- Lat pulldown (35kg), 3set 10 rep
- Rows 5min, break, 4min break 3min.
- Core exercises like dead bug, 3rep 20set
Plank, 30sec 3x
Stomach Vacuums, 40 second 4x
For hip thrusts, I started around 30kg total and now I do around 80kg total. I do 4 sets and pause at the top. I also maxed out my hip abduction machine and do 50kg.
I also walk a lot, take stairs instead of elevators, and sometimes get over 10,000 steps.
The problem is: I genuinely do not see much difference.
I attached comparison photos:
- Black leggings = when I first became serious
- Red/orange leggings = now
To me my stomach still looks big, my face still looks the same, and I don't feel like my butt or hips changed much.
So I need honest opinions:
Do you actually see any progress?
Am I expecting too much in 2 months?
Am I doing something wrong?
Is this a workout issue, food issue, or expectation issue?
What would you personally change if you were me?
Please be brutally honest because I genuinely put effort into this and I feel really discouraged.
Side note: I know two months is a very short time and I’m not expecting some crazy transformation or expecting to build my dream body in two months. I’m also not planning to stop after two months. I want to continue going to the gym.
What I’m saying is that I expected at least a noticeable difference — even a small one — that would make me feel like, “Okay, I’m doing the right thing and I’m on the right path.”
I feel like there should be at least some visible difference between someone who has been consistently going to the gym for two months and someone who hasn’t gone at all. Even if it’s small. Something that keeps you motivated and gives you hope that your effort is working.
But right now I honestly feel stuck in the same position. I feel like even if I had not gone to the gym at all, I would still look almost the same. I’m stronger now, yes, but visually I’m struggling to see any change, and that’s what’s making me feel discouraged.
I wasn’t expecting perfection. I just wanted a little noticeable difference that would tell me: “keep going.”