Lose Your Excuses

Hey Goal Diggers!

Anyone who has ever started a diet or had a resolution to work out and lose weight or gain muscle has probably thought to themselves at one point or another this is too difficult, I can’t do this or this isn’t working. Trust me I understand… I have been there. With so many shakes, pills, apparatuses/devices, Instagram pages, diets, teas and exercise programs all promising to give you the body of your dreams how do you make sense of it all and really make progress towards your goals??? Often our excuses are what stop us in our tracks… don’t let them.

I have some tips for you for common excuses related to mindset, nutrition and exercise… this is expanding on a recent post I made on Instagram. Although this post applies to anyone on any fitness journey, weight loss, muscle gain, and actually the first section can apply to non fitness goals as well.

I apologize in advance, this is more brutally honest than usual for me and the post got kind of long and has some cliché quotes woven in (and run on sentences). <3

I do hope this is helpful and gives the boost you need as we head into the new year!

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(in order of importance)

Mindset

I’ve said it before,  I will say it again– mindset is everything. If you are just starting your fitness journey and you already have a pessimistic view about the process… unless you get past that attitude chances are you won’t be successful. If you truly believe the process is impossible, too difficult and you can’t do it… you’re right. If you are complaining about what you have to do to make progress… then I wish you luck in reaching any goal. A little tough love for you… get out of your own way and lose your excuses. How can you expect your body to go somewhere your mind won’t?? I hear things like I don’t feel like doing x, y, z… I am not in the mood for…. or I hate doing blah blah blah…. I don’t like eating this or that. Let’s shift our thinking away from these emotional responses. Your goals don’t care how you feel. If your goal is to lose weight and you know you need to eat healthier and work out then it doesn’t matter what you hate, dislike or feel about it all. Be disciplined about what you have to do to reach your goals because you will not always be motivated.

“I’ve never seen any life transformation that didn’t begin with the person in question finally getting tired of their own bullsh*t.” -Elizabeth Gilbert 

Be realistic with yourself. Nowadays almost everyone wants everything right away which is great for some things– fitness isn’t one of them. You have to put in the work and yes it will take time. But guess what, the time will pass anyway– how do you want to spend the next few months, year etc? Complaining about what you can’t do, or doing what you can consistently and making progress?? Have a serious conversation with yourself (out loud if necessary) about how bad you really want to achieve your goals. If you are serious, you will do what it takes.  Something I hear very often when folks either see my transformation or see someone else’s transformation or physique is, “I could never do that”. Is this your thinking? Why do you think you can’t achieve something that other ordinary people have? Personally, I don’t believe I am any more special (specialer lol ) than you or anyone else struggling. I was and I am consistently persistent through my struggles. Not once after starting to workout and  clean up my diet in late 2010 and early 2011 (respectively) did I quit and say I can’t… this is too hard or this is taking too long. It was not and is not always rainbows and sunshine– fitness isn’t owned; it is rented and rent is due everyday! When you see me and others who have transformed, realize that we all put in the time… weeks, months and years to get where we are. Which leads to my next thought– quit comparing your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 20. That is not fair to yourself! …and believe me, no matter where you are in your journey there is always going to be someone leaner, more muscular, more athletic etc but that doesn’t negate anything you have achieved or the work you are putting in.

My last point regarding mindset is love yourself and the skin you’re in. Love yourself so much that you want to be the best healthiest version of your self… don’t approach your fitness goals from a self loathing place– I can guarantee that if this is your thought process, you will always find something to hate or dislike about your physique. No one is perfect (what even is perfection)…. trust the process, celebrate your achievements, appreciate your body and embrace this journey of self-improvement.

Nutrition

This section is not about me telling you to eat this many calories in this macro split… or eat this food and not this food. This is about realizing nutrition plays a big part of any fitness transformation and addressing those common excuses. Let’s continue to get out of our own way. Excuse #1–Eating healthy is too expensive. No… it doesn’t have to be– but even if it was, it is probably still cheaper than a hospital bill. We are what we eat.. literally. “The nutritional content of what we eat determines the composition of our cell membranes, bone marrow, blood, and hormones.”*  What do you think your body composition would look like if you existed on fast food alone… how do you think that body would operate?  Additionally, eating out can be way more expensive than grocery shopping. Click here to see one of my meal prep grocery store receipts. Excuse #2— I can’t cook or don’t have time to cook. Get over it. If you cannot cook, learn. If you don’t have time (I would challenge you on this), find alternatives (meal prep companies, pre made food from grocery store etc). If you cannot afford a meal prep company, then find a way to afford the time to make your own. It’s worth it. Excuse #3— My spouse/family doesn’t want to eat “diet” food. Do they not deserve to be healthier as well?? Wouldn’t your spouse/ family want YOU to be healthier and support you? If not, then I think there are other issues/ conversations to be had more important than what’s for dinner. Excuse #4— I just need to do this detox, 3 day diet, fat burner… etc I don’t need to change what I eat. No. A weekend detox, shake or whatever is not going to undo months/years of unhealthy habits. You don’t NEED any special shake, tea, pill, wrap, starvation diet…. etc. If your liver, kidneys and other detoxifying organs aren’t eliminating “toxins”, you need a hospital not a shake. Many of these shakes and teas that boost rapid weight loss / detoxification are diuretic and laxative combos. Sooo…. you’ll be dehydrated and running to the toilet but hey you lost 10 lbs in 2 days. Or you’re drinking 2 shakes a day and eating one meal… i.e. starving. Of course you lost weight. Knock it off. You will gain everything back when you start eating food again. Additionally, there are many network marketing companies that are selling health/fitness related products– realize that often these products are no better than what you can find in a health food store and often are even more expensive. I’m not knocking anyone’s hustle– I only want you (the potential consumer) to be aware that many times there is more emphasis placed on recruiting to sell a product than the actual product itself because that is where the money is made. Buy the products if you truly like them and find value… not because you think they alone hold some magic key success.

What other excuses do you have??

Let’s keep it simple. Eat some fruits and veggies… find a source of protein (lean meats, fish, poultry, or plant-based), DRINK WATER,  check your portion sizes, read nutrition labels, ask for help… don’t rely on marketing techniques from food companies to tell you what you should be eating.

Reach out to me anytime for help:

• Sign up For My FREE Clean Eating Guide
• Check My Other Posts:
  • Against The Grain
  • Shreducation
• Purchase a Diet Analysis or Meal Plan from Me
• Email Me Questions

Exercise

Physical activity is important for overall health and help reduce the risks for developing certain diseases. Find an activity you enjoy and do it regularly. Walking, Running/Jogging, Yoga, Pilates, Zumba, Spin or other Group Fitness classes, Weightlifting (Bodybuilding, Cross-fit, Olympic Lifting etc), Home Workouts, Kayak/Canoeing, Rock Wall Climbing, Sports (Swimming, Golf, Baseball, Soccer, Kickball…etc) FIND SOMETHING.

But…. I don’t have time to exercise!! Yes you do. 30 minutes to 1 hour of your day is such a small percentage of your time– make time for things that are important to you. If still in doubt, I can link to you single parents (moms/dads), folks with multiple children… young and old, paraplegics, quadriplegics, folks that overcome obesity and/or eating disorders, survivors of disease, injuries, abuse or other traumatic experiences and other amazing individuals that have the same 24 hours each day and are making the most of all of them, juggling work, family and other responsibilities.

Still have excuses of why you can’t exercise?  Here are just some benefits of daily exercise:

1. Weight control
2. Combats health conditions and diseases
3. Improves mood
4. Boosts energy
5. Promotes better sleep
6. Strengthens bones, muscles & joints
7. Can improve brain/mental health
8. Can improve skin health

Get moving.

In summary

Long story short, like that famous shoe company— “Just Do It”. You are amazing and you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

<3
Nikki

 

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.”