We all find a few excuses to keep us from doing what we need to do to lose weight. It's human nature. But that doesn't mean that you can't overcome that little voice in your head telling you to give up. Here are five excuses and my sure-fire ways to beat them. (Because I have made them all ... I know how to bust them!)
Excuse: I'm so afraid I'll gain the weight back!
Don't let those "most people gain it all back" horror stories scare you out of taking off the pounds! As long as you learn to practice sensible portion control, it isn't so easy to completely undo weight-loss success. Sure, a few pounds may creep up here and there, but if you keep a close eye on your day-to-day habits, you will probably be fine. Little changes all added up to take the weight off and sticking to them really will keep the weight off. If they don't, you can deal with it -- I have have been there and back (twice!). Even if the worst does happen and you gain every pound back, remember: If you did it once, you can do it again!
Excuse: My schedule is too busy to eat healthy and exercise!
No matter how hectic life gets, should you really let work commitments get ahead of getting and staying healthy? You simply have to make weight loss and health a top priority to keep other things from pushing it down the list. That means
you have to be so important
to you that you do not allow anything (or anyone) else get in the way of your goals. Make healthy grocery shopping, meal prep and exercise sessions a scheduled part of your week just like any other commitment.
Excuse: I can't afford a trainer to keep me in check!
Who can? I for one don't know a single person who still has this luxury in their budget. You don't have to suffer just because you can't afford a pro. A much cheaper option is to sign up for a low-cost exercise class at your local YMCA. You will be surrounded by other folks at a similar fitness level to yours who also want to lose weight. Peers can keep you in check as much -- if not more than -- a personal trainer. Consider signing up for a free account at About.com's
Calorie Count, where you can track your food intake, calorie burn and communicate with other people who want to lose weight. You will find that people in the same boat as you can be the best motivators, even if you've never met.
Excuse: I don't feel like walking (kickboxing, jogging, etc.) every day.
The best way to learn to exercise even when you don't feel like it is to make it a habit based on the clock, not your mood. I have found the only exercise I will stick with is walking and if I stop, I stop for weeks or even months. So I do it every day, even if it is just 10 minutes. If it is 7 p.m. and I'm not sick in bed or working, I'm lacing up my shoes; I never have to think twice any more about if I "feel" like it. (Need more motivation than an "appointment"? Get a dog. They have to be walked regularly every single day, rain or shine!)
Excuse: I am self-conscious about being at the gym
When you are surrounded by svelte, expert-exercisers and you have a lot of weight to lose, it would be unusual
not to feel self-conscious, anxious or intimidated. These feelings can lead you to go to the gym only when you feel "up to it" rather than on a regular basis. If you haven't exercised before and you are uncomfortable with your body size, it's very difficult to get accustomed to the gym and the people in it. You may find going during off-hours helpful. I would also suggest looking for a gym that caters to just females if you are a woman who is uncomfortable in a co-ed environment. Lastly, take a good, hard look around at the other exercisers: Chances are, you are not the only one who isn't a world-class athlete and those gym junkies are focused on their work out, not you (That's how they got that way!).
