Excuses are the number one leading cause of failure, not only in weight loss but in every endeavor a person takes on. Excuses lead to more people giving up and not trying than anything else.
I’m through with excuses. I’m dedicating myself to leading a more healthy lifestyle. I may choose to not exercise every day because I want to invest my time in something else, but that doesn’t mean I completely fall off the wagon. For a while, my choice was to solely focus on supporting my family and managing my son’s Sensory Processing Disorder. Then it was to focus on building my websites. But now I’m adding myself to the mix.
There are no judgements here. We’re all just people doing the best we can! But once you recognize you’re making excuses and realize they are not truths, you can start getting rid of them and get yourself on the road to a healthier lifestyle. Regardless of the excuses you use, remember that weight loss takes time. It may take longer than you expect but that is no reason to give up or keep using reasons not do it.
Excuse #1
“I don’t like to be hungry.”
The truth is no one likes to be hungry, but a feeling a little hunger is not going to hurt you. Feeling severe hunger means your body needs something and it’s time to refuel it, but if you can train yourself to ignore mild hunger until you’re actually hungry, you can stop eating mindlessly. Stop grabbing snacks everytime you feel a little hunger. If you must grab a snack make sure it’s a piece of fresh fruit.
Excuse #2
“I’ve tried it before, and I can’t lose weight.”
How long did you stick with it? We live in a world of instant gratification, but as we all know losing weight doesn’t work that way. It takes time.
How realistic are your goals or expectations? Thinking you should lose five pounds a week is not realistic. The average dieter only loses about a pound per week and that often doesn’t start to show up for a few weeks. Or maybe they lose a few pounds the first week and expect to keep losing weight at that rate. This is not a realistic expectation. A fast weight loss in the first week may be due to losing water that’s been stored in your tissues.
Excuse #3
“I love good food too much.”
Most people do. That’s probably the number one reason people gain weight and avoid trying to lose weight. They don’t want to give up the foods they love. However, when the foods you love are preventing you from having the active lifestyle you deserve, it’s time to start rethinking that excuse.
It’s true that healthy foods do not tantilize our taste buds the way junk foods do. The affects of those bad foods on the health of the body and your waist line should give you cause for alarm and lead to you wanting to give that excuse up.
Excuse #4
“I hate vegetables.”
There are many people who dislike vegetables. And, yes, they aren’t as full of flavor as other foods, but surely there’s a few vegetables you like other than starchy potatoes. Plus you can spice them up with herbs and other seasonings so they have some flavor. Try having more vegetables with lean meats. Add some of your favorite spices and see if you can’t come up with something that appeals to you.
It’s also best if you start slowly by replacing bad foods with good foods over time. Don’t try to do it all at once. This will not cause you to lose weight fast, but transitioning over to a more healthy diet will definitely benefit your health for the long run.
Excuse #5
“I’m big because of heredity.”
While there may be some truth in this, our genes can often pre-determine us at a set weight, but until you give it your all to break free from that, it’s only an excuse to not even try. Maybe you will never be a size four, but isn’t feeling better and having more energy worth a few changes in your lifestyle? Isn’t getting as much fat off your body worth trying?
Have you been to a weight loss specialist to discuss your hereditary concerns? Have you tried a personal trainer to kick your butt in gear and push you to do more than you would on your own? Have you tried every eating plan on the planet or are you just using your gene pool as an excuse to be lazy?
Successful weight loss and excuses don’t go together. Figure out how to get past yours so they’re not holding you back. Check out all the options that are available to you, create a big reason why you want to lose weight and kick those excuses to the curb.
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What is the #1 excuse you use (or hear others use) in not leading a healthier lifestyle?
Great post! Going to remember all this when baby is here and I am in need of losing the weight!
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Ugh! I’m really battling this right now. I’ve got to get my butt in gear.
Great excuses! None of them valid, but great excuses!
You are talking my excuses… I think I have used them all.. but my greatest one is I am allergic to exercise ~ I turn all red, sweaty and short of breath and when your allergic that means you should do it right :)… I need to figure out my fitness pal username and password.. I haven’t used it for a long time.
I am a stress eater. Not an excuse, just a fact lol. For the moment I’m focusing on building an exercise habit. My eating habits tend to change as exercise becomes a lifestyle but yes, it takes perseverance and lots of ignoring the excuses.
So true! I have so many excuses! Overall, I’m happy with my progress (40lbs is 6mo) but I know I could probably be at my goal by now if I hadn’t let those excuses get In the way every so often!