Weight Loss Success: Turning Excuses Into Actions!

We have excuses for everything, don’t we?

No matter what we set out to achieve, no matter how important it is, we can find excuses to deter us from these goals. Instead of finding an explanation for why we’re NOT doing something, maybe it’s time to figure out what our excuses are and how we can stop them from deterring our health goals.

I just don’t have the time
This is the most often cited excuse for not working out, not eating right, etc. And while it is probably true for the majority of us, there are different ways to look at this excuse. Ask yourself these questions whenever this excuse pops into your mind:
• Do I have time to be sick?
• Do I have time to take additional medications?
• Do I want to live a shorter life?

Though these questions might seem a little exaggerated, they’re completely true. If you don’t take the time to take care of your health now, you will be facing long term health problems that will eat up more of your time than you might realize.
I don’t know what I’m doing
If you don’t feel like you know what you need to do, you need to start asking questions to your Exercise Physiologist and Dietitian. They can educate you to the right information about your particular condition as well as advise you as to the best steps in diet and exercise to help you. But you should also start to educate yourself. You might want to start looking at books in your local library or using the internet to begin your search for health information. Stick with websites that are funded by the government or by national agencies for the best information. You can also find a lot of high quality information from sites that are run by universities. The point is that you need to learn about your health in order to take care of it. By taking part in this program, you are taking an important step in the education process.

I don’t like to ___________
Though faced with the prospect of poor health and a grim disease filled future, many people are still using the excuse that they don’t like to diet/exercise/eat vegetables/etc. This is an excuse that just doesn’t make sense with the information you now have about the ramifications of not taking better care of yourself. But just like a child that doesn’t like broccoli, you might not enjoy your new habits at first. As you continue these new habits, you will begin to enjoy your energetic new body as well as enjoy the feeling of health. Give yourself two weeks before you decide whether or not you enjoy something. If at the end of these weeks, you still don’t like to do or eat that certain thing, then try to find something healthy to replace it that you DO like.

This is too hard
Another common excuse for not getting your health back is that it’s just too difficult and what’s the point anyway. But you need to recognize that any step in a healthy direction is the best step for your health and for your body. True, many things you are doing will be hard in the beginning. As you grow stronger and healthier, what WAS difficult will become too easy. Getting your health back is a process, a journey that takes time. But once
you start moving in the right direction, it will be simple to keep moving in that direction.

I’m embarrassed
Often heard from people that are radically changing their life, this excuse can be seen during mealtimes and exercise times. For whatever reason, some people feel embarrassed by their weight or by their food choices to do the things they need to turn their health around. They think that others will think badly of them or that they will offend others they are around. But this is the time for you to become selfish.

These health changes aren’t about anyone but you. There are plenty of other excuses that you might have too, but instead of giving into these excuses, why not take some time to figure out the false logic in these excuses?

You want to succeed, so don’t let anything (even excuses) stand in your way.

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