Olympic Medical Center

What's Your Excuse?

IN WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

I don’t have the time. I’m too tired. I just can’t control myself. I’m allergic to diets. We all make excuses to put off exercising and eating more nutritiously. While some reasons may be legitimate, the real obstacle standing in your way is you.

Facing mental challenges when trying to develop and maintain healthy lifestyle habits is half the battle.

Counteract Lame Justifications

For every excuse, there is a solution. Confront yours with these helpful tips.

  • I can’t fit fitness into my schedule. There are 1,440 minutes in a day—surely you can dedicate 30 of those to physical activity. Exercise must be made a priority, just like meetings, grocery shopping and dance recitals. The trick to fitting fitness into your daily routine is to set a specific time dedicated to your workout regime and plan other activities around it.
  • I don’t like exercise. It’s not that you don’t like exercise, it’s that you just haven’t found a physical activity you actually enjoy. If running isn’t your thing, don’t run. Explore other fitness activities—such as dance classes like Zumba®, hiking, group exercises, swimming or roller-skating—to find what works for you.
  • I’m too tired. Studies show that regular exercise actually helps boost energy and improve sleep, so hang this excuse up.
  • I don’t think to snack on fruits and veggies. Improving your diet is just as essential to your health as improving your exercise habits. Encourage healthy snacking by placing fruits and vegetables where you’ll most likely munch on them, such as setting a bowl of grapes or baby carrots at your desk or on the counter as you cook. Making these foods more snack-friendly will increase your likelihood of noshing on them instead of searching for unhealthy goodies. 
Achieving Your Goals

For many people, setting a goal isn’t the problem—it’s sticking with it. Avoid falling victim to starting and never finishing something by following these two key tips.

  1. Be realistic. If you set impractical goals early on, chances are you won’t succeed. Instead, start slow or small and build from there, adding more to your ambitions as you steadily progress for better, lasting results.
  2. Keep track of your achievements. Keep track of your health and wellness accomplishments in a calendar or day planner. Looking back to see when you “exercised for 35 minutes” or “ate two full servings of vegetables at lunch” will help you stay motivated and plan ahead. 


Sources: acefitness.org, prevention.com, cancer.org

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