Truth time: The biggest barriers
standing between you and successfully losing weight are the excuses you make
that keep you from getting started. We know how it goes…
I should do a quick workout… but I
have three episodes of “Scandal” to catch up on.
I want to try that new chicken
recipe… but I don’t have any ingredients. I’ll make it tomorrow.
I shouldn’t hit the drive-thru… but
I’m tired and hungry. I’ll start eating better next week.
Making excuses for why you can’t
stick to (or start) your healthy commitments is a common part of the
weight-loss process. But now it’s time to develop techniques and strategies for
busting those excuses so you can start making progress.
It’s Never Too Late to Start Losing Weight
“No matter your age or weight,
there’s no better time to start managing your health than right now,”
says Jackie Newgent,
R.D.N., culinary nutritionist, and author of The All-Natural Diabetes Cookbook. “Every small change you
make can add up to big differences in
the long run, whether you’re 18 or 80. [And] if you’re overweight, every pound
you lose can potentially help extend your life and, perhaps more importantly,
add more life to your years,” she adds.
But
how do you stop making excuses and actually get started? Kyrin Dunston, M.D., FACOG, and author
of Cracking the Bikini Code: 6 Secrets To Permanent Weight Loss Success,
says it’s important to first identify what you want your life to look like.
“Instead
of setting endpoint goals that may seem overwhelming and impossible to
accomplish, set goals for behaviors you want to cultivate,”
Dunston explains, like doing some form of cardio every other day or cooking one
new recipe a week.
12 Weight-Loss Excuses and How to Beat Them
1. I don’t know where to begin.
The process of losing weight can seem
like rocket science at the beginning. But here’s the truth: You don’t need to
have an advanced degree or set of special qualifications to start getting fit and shedding pounds.
“You
don’t need a gym membership, a trainer, or fancy prepared meals,” says Dunston.
“Start with the basics we
learned in grade school: Eat less, move more. It doesn’t need to be a big
production,” she explains.
In
other words, start by making one healthy decision one decision at a time. Climb the stairs to your office.
Squeeze in a set of squats as you wait for your coffee to brew. Pass on that
afternoon snack. Take a 20-minute
walk around your neighborhood after dinner.
Keep
things simple, says Dunston. Before long, the seemingly small decisions you
make to prioritize your health will add up.
2. I have too much weight to lose
The prospect of losing a large amount
of weight is nothing short of
daunting, but you don’t want to pull yourself out of the game before
you’ve even taken a swing at bat.
“[I
have too much weight to lose] is a self-defeating statement,” Dunston says. She
recommends reading stories by people who had more weight to lose than you and
were successful in their efforts. Use these success stories as inspiration and confirmation that your
goals are possible.
You
should also try reframing your thoughts: Instead of focusing on an end result
that feels light years away, focus on making small changes that will carry you
— slowly but surely — toward a healthier version of yourself. Celebrate progress over perfection.
3. I’m too old
You’re never too old to start taking
control of your health. Strength, agility, and energy aren’t perks limited to
the young. “The human body is designed to adapt, and it retains that ability
right up until the moment the heart stops beating,” says Trevor Thieme, C.S.C.S.
and Beachbody’s fitness and nutrition content manager. “That means no matter
how old or unfit you are, your body is always ready to improve its condition,”
he explains.
In
fact, research shows that adults over the age of 65 who lift weights just twice
a week don’t just lose fat and gain muscle, they also lower their risk for all-cause mortality.
Start
with one thing you’d like to change — whether it’s eating more colorful meals or trying a new workout — and make
it happen. Once you make a few easy changes to your routine, you’ll realize
that your ability to adapt, learn, and challenge yourself isn’t incumbent on
your age.
4. My schedule is too busy right now
Here’s an unfortunate truth: Life
will always be busy. In fact, there’s a high likelihood that it may become even
busier as time goes on, and your commitments and responsibilities double.
Don’t
wait for some ideal, arbitrary future time to start taking charge of your
health. “You can’t lose weight in the future, ever. You can only ever do it in
the now,” Dunston says. “Because weight loss requires changes in behavior that,
if you are not willing to make right now, you can’t ever make in the future,”
she adds.
And you
don’t need a gym membership or fancy equipment to get a killer workout in. Sign
up for streaming workouts and
you can get your sweat on whenever you want from the privacy of your own home.
Plus, workout programs you can do online makes it easy to stick to your goals while you travel.
“You can work out anywhere you can access the Internet with a computer or
mobile device,” Thieme says.
Push
your health to the top of your
to-do list. Instead of viewing exercise and meal prep as optional
activities or bonus tasks for when you have extra time, make them
non-negotiable commitments, like brushing your teeth, showing up to the office
on time, or picking up your kids from school.
5. I don’t know how to eat healthy
“People get bogged down in the idea
of transitioning from how they’re eating to eating a perfect diet,” says Paige
Benté, M.S., R.D., and Beachbody Nutrition Manager. But it doesn’t have to be
black and white — even the smallest changes are beneficial, she explains.
Start
with whatever seems most doable. Drink one less soda a day. Eat fruit as a snack. Sip a glass of
water before every meal. Eat your sandwiches open-faced or wrap them in lettuce. To incorporate more veggies into your meals,
“fill half of every lunch and dinner plate or bowl with non-starchy veggies,”
Newgent says. Focus on eating whole, minimally processed foods as much as possible.
Newgent
also recommends making small
tweaks to your favorite meals, like doubling your veggie servings or swapping refined grains like
white rice and white bread for whole
grains like brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, or quinoa.
Related: 8 Ways to motivate yourself to start losing weight
Related: 8 Ways to motivate yourself to start losing weight
6. I don’t have time to cook nutritious meals
You don’t have to break the bank with
expensive ingredients and complicated kitchen tools to cook wholesome meals. In
fact, it can be as easy as tossing
everything in a single pot. Bookmark healthy recipes and learn some new tricks and you’ll be a master chef in no time.
“Stock up on nutritious
quick-cooking and no-cook ingredients, such as canned beans, canned low-mercury
tuna, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and whole-wheat couscous,” suggests Newgent.
“Keep healthful entrees stashed in your freezer, too, such as veggie burger patties
and bean burritos,” she says.
And
remember, eating healthy doesn’t mean you need to buy everything fresh. “Frozen vegetables are your friend,”
Benté says. “They’re usually picked at their peak of ripeness and flash frozen
on-site, so they maintain their nutrients,” she explains.
For a
quick and easy lunch or dinner, Benté suggests making a burrito bowl — skip the sour
cream and shredded cheese — with meat, frozen veggies, precooked quinoa, and a
scoop of hummus or salsa.
To save
even more time, learn how to meal
prep so you always have healthy options ready to go.
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