The Five Most Common Weight Loss Excuses & How to Overcome Them
Your mindset is one of the most essential (and I’d say underrated) elements of a successful weight loss journey. Yes there are physical things you need to do to lose weight, but unfortunately many of us fail not because our body couldn’t keep up, but because our mind couldn’t. Take me for example, I had 24 “before” pictures and never an “after” picture, because I let my own excuses get in the way of my success. Once I prioritized working on my mindset, and making God a partner in my weight loss journey I finally had what I needed to succeed and got that “after” picture that I had been dreaming up for decades.
During my journey, there were five main excuses that I worked through and since supporting hundreds of others on their weight loss journey, I’ve found I wasn’t alone - they are five of the most common excuses across the board. So today I’m giving you the armor you need to overcome these excuses and conquer them once and for all.
P.s. if you prefer to watch/listen instead of read, check out the Youtube video I recorded instead by clicking here.
“I don’t have time to make healthy meals”
Everyone is busy. Trust me, I know what it’s like to whip into McDonalds at dinner time because it’s fast and you have a million things to do at home before bed, and at least this way everyone’s bellies are full. But, there are so many things you can do to make meals and snacks fast and easy without having to resort to fast food. I go over all of them in A Busy Woman’s Guide to Healthy Meals but here are a couple of the most impactful.
When doing your grocery shopping, buy precut veggies so that preparing a healthy meals takes less time and store them in the front of the fridge so that everyone is more likely to grab a healthy snack when they are in a hurry. Next, if you’re short on time, use a grocery delivery service like Shipt to have your groceries delivered while you’re off accomplishing the other things on your list. When you get home you’ll have all of your healthy groceries waiting for you - no fast food stops necessary.
“Healthy food is too expensive”
Eating healthy doesn't have to break the bank. Sure, a bag of chips might be cheaper than a bag of carrots but you would never eat an entire bag of carrots in one sitting, where you might eat a bag of chips in one sitting. Instead of spending your weekly grocery budget on processed foods in the chips and cookies aisles of the store that will leave you hungry again in a few hours, shop the perimeter of the grocery store and get fresh foods that are better for you and will help you stay fuller longer.
If you’re looking for ways to save money while shopping for healthier options at the grocery store, here are a few of my favorite tips. Stick to seasonal or sale produce, or make a small garden during the spring and summer months to grow your own produce. When you’re at the grocery store, make a list and only purchase what’s on it, and try not to add any unhealthy “extras” on to the list. The goal is to reallocate the grocery money towards healthier foods instead of simply buying them in addition to the other less healthy options.
“I’m too old to lose weight”
I was 39 when I started my weight loss journey, and this was one of the biggest excuses I battled. I thought “maybe 20 year old me could do this, but not 39 year old me.” Well let me tell you that was just a lie I was telling myself, because I did it, and you can too!
Your approach may just need to be different depending on your stage of life. Yes, biologically things (like your metabolism and hormones) change after your 30’s have come and gone and it may take some additional discipline but it’s far from impossible.
No matter what age you are, reducing stress, getting quality sleep, prioritizing movement, focusing on eating whole foods, and having patience and perseverance are the fundamentals of losing weight.
“I’m too embarrassed to exercise”
When I first started my weight loss journey, my exercise began with walking. One day as I was out for a walk, a group of teenage boys drove by and yelled out the window “keep walking fat lady” and it just devastated me and deflated all the motivation I had worked up to go out and get moving. So after that, I knew I had to find a way to work out without being out in the public. So, I found a 24/7 gym where I could go early in the morning or late at night when no one else was around, until I developed the confidence to work out in public.
I find the embarrassment to workout often comes from two things: not wanting others to see you the way you currently are or not wanting to seem lost and clueless because you don’t know what to do for a workout. So here’s how you can overcome both of those excuses to get your exercise in.
If you aren’t wanting to work out in front of others, create a space to workout at home or sign up for a 24/7 gym like I did, where you can go during the times of day when others won’t be around.
If you aren’t confident in what workouts you should be doing to start with, purchase an exercise program geared towards your goals that you can follow along with or hire a personal trainer to guide you through exercises and increase your knowledge and confidence in the gym.
“I’ll start on Monday”
I used to work in an office with 40 women and every Monday someone would come in with the new diet they were starting for the week and we would all commit to do it together. If we fell off track during the week or the diet wasn’t a good fit, instead of jumping right back in or trying something new the very next day we would abandon our goals for the remainder of the week and weekend and tell ourselves that we’d try again on Monday.
I call it “magical monday” but the thing is there is nothing magical about Monday when it comes to your health, in fact there is no reason to waste time waiting around to begin your new healthy habits until the next week. Your body doesn't reset at midnight, or on Monday morning, or on the first of a month. Start today, start now!
In case this is the first time we’re connecting, I’m Jill, an entrepreneur, speaker, author, and leader inspiring other women to live out their God given purpose by helping them overcome physical, mental, and financial hardships. If you liked this blog post and want more where that came from, here are a few ways we can work together:
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