Stop making excuses

So I felt like this was something I needed to write because my boyfriend caught me cheating on my diet last night and what did I automatically do? .. Got defensive and started making excuses… We’re all human, we all do it to some extent the real thing is to understand why and to see what it will do in the long run, and to realize how important your goals are to you.

” The first step in achieving your goal, is to take a moment to respect your goal. Know what it means to you to achieve it.” Dwayne Johnson (The Rock)

 

 

So everyone has done/said it. Evan I used to think some of these things and still try to justify something when I know I’m only sabotaging myself haha… … and made excuses for why I was doing what I was doing only to regret it later on … why??? . Its only human I think and its natural too, but with that being said, were going to actually stop and think of WHY we do this to ourselves and actually realize that what we’re telling ourselves are truly only one thing…. an excuse.

So here are some main ones I’ve heard and even said too …

• I don’t have time : O my GOSH! Who does anymore? I said the same thing for many of years…. finally, my Jr year of college, 18 credits full time, working 2 jobs going from 4 am to 9 pm every day pretty much …. found the time. The key is to “find” the time, if you want it, you’ll find the time, just like you found the time to watch that favorite TV show. You have to learn to carve out time for the important things to you, start with those and then continue to do the less important things… like a to do list. Put it in your planner like its a conference for work or on your calendar so its there to remind you that it IS an priority …. you don’t have to workout for hours on end either, nor do you have  to go to  a gym. You can workout at home, take your kids to the park and workout while they play or even play with them. Say they ride their bike to the park, ride yours too, or jog by their side, you have to find ways to squeeze it in and pretty soon it will be one of the most important things you make time for! =)

• Its a special occasion! ……. yes it is! Maybe you’re at a wedding or a baby shower and everyone is celebrating and there is all this “not so healthy food” staring at you in the face. (Been there!) So think about it, just because its your birthday or someone else’s, doesn’t mean to over-do it… yea sure go ahead and have a piece of cake but keep in mind how you’re going to feel in the end if you do overdo it, and pig out all day with the excuse of “its a special occasion” … are you going to feel guilty the next day? Are you going to feel sick because your body isn’t used to foods like that anymore? Is it going to be harder for you tomorrow to get motivated to get your booty in the gym? Just take a step back and ask yourself what you want, what your goals are and if your going to let your food addiction take over and continue to make excuses for you….

• I don’t have motivation or I cant seem to get going:  yea it can be a little hard finding that one thing to get your butt kicked into gear, there are days when I don’t want to get out of bed and go to the gym, not even gonna lie, but then I realize what I’ve promised myself, what I’ve worked so hard for and how far I’ve come and I refuse to let the negative thoughts in mind take over and tell me otherwise. Plus I know deep down I will feel better if I just go do it instead of doing what again? Oh yeah making excuses not to go.

• Your young, I’m older it will be harder for me… you know what I have to say about that BLAH BLAH BLAH.. quit your bullshit. If you actually did some research, you’d come to find out that exercise is actually really good for older people (you should see how many grandpas and grandmas I have at my gym!!) How is it good you may ask? Well to start off, it helps with things like flexibility and muscle loss, along with preventing things like osteoporosis, arthritis, diabetes and soo much more. Plus the people I usually hear this from are like 40 years old… your not 90.. but if you were, I’d tell you the same damn thing. Yeah sure your metabolism slows as you age yes, but that doesn’t mean give up or don’t even try.

• If I deprive myself of this __”enter favorite food here”____ I’ll just eat more, or binge on it later. ….. ok so let me get this right…. you’re already planning on failing? Or are you just saying that so you can have your favorite fast food meal? This one hits home for me because I personally said this to myself ALL the time. When you actually read that sentence over again you start to realize how silly that sounds, your making a choice to eat whatever it is you want, its not like its a sacrifice, its not going to kill you to give up that Cold Stone or Taco Bell… your making it sound like its going to be the end of the world if you don’t get some junk food in your system. lol. Sure, hae a small treat, but no you don’t need one everyday, nor every week..

• I don’t want to go alone : Understandable, but who said you had to? See if your spouse will go with you, or even a friend who may be in the same boat… or even find that friend who DOES go to the gym all the time and see if you can go with them, they will probably be flattered and show you some great workouts to do to start out with. The buddy system is always nice because it keeps you going, it pushes you to go when you don’t want to. I know when I was going with a friend when I first started it helped because there were so many days when I didn’t want to go, but knowing in the back of my mind knowing she was going to be waiting for me there .. I didn’t want to A. let her down or bail on her… and B. knowing she had the same general goal, and she was doing it.. that means I could do it to …damnit!

• I’m too fat – ummm did you just hear the words that came out of your mouth? FIRST and foremost YOUARE NOT FAT- YOU HAVE FAT… you also have hair, are you hair? You also have eyelashes, and fingernails, and toes… are you any of those things? Nope! Your a real person with real feelings and a soul, you have insecurities, and accomplishments, and everything in between. So… first things first, stop calling yourself “fat” because you’re not making it any better by calling yourself names are you? Are you accomplishing anything by that? Honestly… … Next, just like the whole age excuse, having extra baggage isn’t an excuse to give up either. Sure it will be harder, but if it was easy everyone would be doing it. Start slow (depending how overweight you are).. things like walking (even if its to the end of the block and back) is going to better than doing nothing. Once you stop the self loathing, pity parties and possibly some self hate (sad to say)… decide to dig deep and realize where your at today, and how you’ve gotten to where you’re at. That’s when you’re going to either realize its time for a change or your going to just continue to be in the same rut you’ve been in for the past however many years. You have to make the decision and you have to change… you have to find that inner strength.

 

• I don’t know what I’m doing, or I feel like I look stupid : …..there comes a time where you just have to say screw everyone else lol… you have every right to be working out as the next person. Sure they may be skinnier, or fitter, or hell they may even be bigger than you. . . . EVERYONE has a right to make themselves a better version of themselves. I personally know the feeling of being intimidated by the gym, when I first started out I had a free week pass at 24 hour…and I hated it.. I hated the looks I got because I felt like the “fat” girl at the gym,  I hated all the mirrors everywhere staring at me reminding me of what I had let myself become. But in all honesty, I realize now that all those feelings I was having were more of my insecurities with myself. I seriously doubt that the fit girl running her little ass off cared if I was there, much less that I couldn’t keep up with her. Now! With that being said, I’m actually one of the fitter people at my gym now (amazing feeling when your realize that!!!) When I go to the gym, I see all kinds of people, and I have friends there too… I have a few younger girls that have just started off, and a couple old dudes with their knee high socks lol, but the point is, everyone is different, and everyone has different goals. You have to get it out of your mind that everything is a competition at the gym. I don’t care if the girl next to me is running slower or even faster, she’s at a different level and she has different goals. Same thing with the buff dude lifting weights… I will lift what I can lift and if it doesn’t measure up to your 50lbs dumbbells … well like I said before… screw you…. I’m here for me not you. < that’s the mindset you need.

• I had a busy/ crappy/ amazing day, I deserve a treat! : sure a treat once in a while is ok, but don’t let it always get the best of you. And you don’t always have to reward yourself with food either. Get a cute new outfit, or go get a pedicure… there are plenty of other ways to reward yourself than food. Think of what it took to get here, don’t sabotage it with a gigantic ice cream cone… Along with that, if you had a crappy day, its just going to be filled with guilt after you eat what your craving anyways… Done let your goal slip away because of frustration or anger.