Are you looking for excuses you hide behind when not losing weight? As a personal trainer and fitness expert, I have heard every excuse in the book as to why someone cannot lose weight. I get it, it is hard to lose weight, but if it were easy than everyone would be a healthy weight (and I would be out of a job). Losing weight takes time, effort, and hard work. If you have tried and failed to lose weight maybe you are making one of these common excuses you hide behind when not losing weight.
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1. I do Not Have Time to Exercise
I hear this excuse a lot and it's actually one of the most common excuses you hide behind when not losing weight. I get it, we all live busy lives with crazy schedules. And it only gets worse the more responsibilities we have. However, just because you do not frequent the gym does not mean you cannot lose weight. In fact, exercise is only a small percentage of weight loss, it is our nutrition that inhibits most people from losing weight.
What to do: Not having time to exercise is no excuse for bad nutrition. Make eating better a main priority, as it is the most difficult part of any weight loss journey. As for getting more active, try to increase your activity level as much as you can throughout the day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park your car farther away, and go for a walk on your breaks at work. Something is better than nothing.
2. Meal Preparation Takes Too Long
You know what is funny about meal prep excuses? People that make them have never done it before. So how do you know how bad it is unless you try? I will say that yes, meal prep does take some time at first, but after a while meal prep gets a lot easier as you get into the habit of doing it.
What to do: To quote Nike, “Just Do It”. Any habit that is new is going to be difficult and maybe even time-consuming at first, but there are a ton of ways to make meal prep easier. For starters, you do not have to meal prep for the whole week. Try meal prepping 3 days at a time. This cuts prep time into shorter parts throughout the week making it more maintainable. You can also save time meal prepping by keeping your meals simple and using easy and healthy crockpot recipes.
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3. It is Too Expensive to Be Healthy
Okay, this one I empathize with a little bit. Yes, healthier foods are way more expensive than unhealthier foods in the grocery store. See how I mentioned “in the grocery store”, that is because while I know healthier foods are more expensive in the store, they are still way cheaper than fast food meals or eating out.
What to do: Avoid eating out, you will save extra money and added calories. If eating out is not an issue for you, find ways to fit healthier foods in your budget. Look for a local farmers market that offers whole foods at lower prices. You will be saving money, eating healthier and supporting local business.
4. I Have to Cheat over the Weekend
Great! Everyone deserves a cheat meal, it helps keep us sane, I get it. But a frequent problem I see with many of my weight loss clients is that they do great during the week, lose weight, then come back on Monday only to have gained it back. This is typically due to weekend goodies and is okay if you are in the maintenance phase of your weight loss journey. If you are still trying to lose weight this can be detrimental to your progress.
What to do: First off, no one said you had to eat perfectly over the weekend, but we do have to be mindful. You can have a little cheat over the weekend but keep it to something small and simple. Have a small bowl of ice cream, a side of French fries, whatever your food of choice may be. Have it, savor it, enjoy it and move on. When your cheat is over, get right back on track and remember you get another cheat next week.
5. My Whole Family is Overweight, It is Just in My Genetics
Honestly, this excuse frustrates me the most. While genetically you may never be a size 00 (I never will be with these broad hips and shoulders), we are not genetically programmed to be obese or overweight. In fact, humans are not meant to be over a certain weight for your height, that is why we see negative health effects when we are over a certain weight.
What to do: Stop making this excuse. There is no “obese” or “overweight” gene, the problem that I see in most overweight families (including my own) is they pass down bad eating habits from one generation to the next. Try consulting a registered dietician and a personal trainer to help you learn healthier lifestyle habits. If you still have trouble losing weight with diet and exercise, then it may be time to consult a doctor about a thyroid or genetic issue that makes it harder for you to lose weight.
