We’ve heard them all…excuses. Here’s a few of the most common diet and fitness excuses and how to break them to stay on track.
Excuse #1: “I’ll do it tomorrow…” Start right now. Your diet and fitness program needs to be something you can live with forever, not something you put off because it doesn’t happen to be convenient for you. You need to come up with ways to make your diet and fitness convenient and automatic.
Excuse #2: “I’m too old.” You’re never too old to start exercising. The research is clear: Exercise will help you live longer, with significantly increased mobility and independence. Overall, exercise will help to improve your quality of life.
Excuse #3: “It’s useless—my genetics are working against me.” You can lose weight. It’s very rare that a person can’t lose weight and get in reasonable shape for his or her body type.
Excuse #4: “Cook dinner? Please! I don’t have time.” Even if you don’t have time to buy healthy food and cook at home, you can still make eating healthy convenient and quick. For example, check out your local health foods market for a ‘hot foods bar’ or premade meal options. Or try batch cooking-pick one day of the week to prepare an entire week’s worth of healthy meals.
Excuse #5: “It’s raining, so I can’t go for my morning walk.” You’re not made of sugar, so you won’t melt. With many indoor options, bad weather is not a hindrance to your fitness routine.
Excuse #6: “I travel all the time.” If you travel often, you need to weave healthy eating and physical activity into your lifestyle. Try: Find healthy restaurants where your staying (ask the hotel concierge or manager for recommendations; and many restaurant menus are available online); Get moving; Get a hotel suite with a kitchen.
Excuse #7: “I’m too tired.” This is an often misused one. If you’re like most people, you’re not getting enough sleep. Research shows that lack of sleep can cause weight gain by increasing appetite; and also, when you’re tired you’re less likely to make the healthiest food choices. Set up your environment and routine for sleep success, go to bed earlier and aim for 7-8 hours of sleep.