Not seeing results in your efforts toward any health and fitness goal is frustrating, especially if you have been diligently working to lose weight, ace a fitness test, gain muscle or work toward any other health-related goal. Before you give up or change routines, ask yourself the following questions and assess how well you are managing each day:

1. Am I Sleeping Enough/Well Enough?

Sleep is our No. 1 recovery tool. If you miss out on good and consistent sleep, you could sabotage your results and not even know it. The article The Importance of Sleep to Workout Recovery covers the benefits of sleep (and other components) to build optimal fitness levels because of your ability to recover. 

In Part 2 of that article, we discuss rituals each night to help you sleep better. Quality of sleep is not just a simple yes or no; it matters, too. If you think sleep may be your issue, try those rituals or consider a sleep study, especially if you wake up several times a night. Shoot for eight hours of sleep for optimal recovery.

Read Next: The Best Workout to Prepare for Advanced Military Training Programs

2. Are You Properly Fueled Before, During and After Training?

Are you working out in a fasted state (without food being eaten overnight) first thing in the morning or without good carbs, fat and protein 30-60 minutes before training? You can still train some while in a fasted state, but you may limit yourself to lower-intensity activity as you start to bonk.

Hydration is key as well. If you are sweating profusely, you need to add water and electrolytes, or you will see a significant drop in performance during your workout and feel horrible afterward.

Make sure you are also eating well after the workout session. You need protein (at least 30 grams) to help your muscles recover, but you also require solid servings of carbs to rebuild glycogen stores to be ready for the next workout.

See the ABD’s of Eating (After, Before, During) workouts.

3. Are You Sticking to Your Plan Consistently?

Are you adhering to the FITS principle with your daily routine? Frequency? Intensity? Time/duration? Specific exercises related to your goals?

Be honest with yourself. Are you working as hard as you had planned each day? Make sure you have a plan so you do not have to walk around the gym thinking about what to do next. You may need contingency plans for when you cannot make it to the gym and must rely on calisthenics and walking/running as your workout of the day. A slight hiccup can often cause a missed day or a significant amount of the routine to be skipped.

4. How is Your Form on the Exercises?

Technique matters whether you’re running, swimming, lifting or doing calisthenics. Make a video of yourself and self-critique, or ask a friend or coach to assess your form and technique. Your performance issues may not be a strength or conditioning issue; it could simply be how you are moving and your form. It could also be your strategy when performing events that are timed.

How are you pacing yourself so you can score your best? How long do you rest between heavy lifting or sprinting sets? For instance, I have seen people drop minutes from their swim overnight by learning a set pace, tightening their streamline or mastering the kick off the wall. The same goes for strength gains, pacing runs/swims and two-minute exercises, which have been improved by following hand placement and pacing advice.

5. Are You Stressed Before You Train?

When you are burned out and mentally or emotionally stressed before a workout, your strength training and power performances may take a serious hit. Plus, when you are stressed, the last thing you need is to burn the candle from the other end with a high-intensity training session.

Instead, listen to your mind and body and drop it a notch with an easy walk and stretch session or the stress-busting mobility day. See the related podcast (first 5-10 minutes) on options when stressed. A lower-intensity workout may be the correct answer for you to metabolize the day’s stress naturally instead of adding more stress to your day with a hardcore physical challenge.

6. How Are Your Progressions Over Time?

There are good days and bad days when it comes to training. Instead of evaluating your performance daily, consider longer-term periods such as weeks, months or even years. Keep a journal of how you eat, sleep and train each day. When you have a perfect workout day filled with new personal records and other progress, look back at the previous 24-36 hours, as you may find a blueprint to repeat your performance.

Good performances are usually tied to how you slept, ate, hydrated, worked or rested the day prior and how you feel. You may also find what not to do if you have one bad day that makes you question yourself and your routine with your previous 24-36 hours of recovery.

Before you drop the current training program, give it the full measure if you can, but make these assessments and honestly see whether you need to adjust not how you are training but how you recover each day. For more ideas on ways to recover from daily stresses and physical training optimally, check out the Military.com Fitness Section for a library of articles on performing your best in military training and general health and wellness.

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