What's your EXCUSE?

I can't lose weight because:

1.  I'm too busy.
2.  I don't have time to diet and exercise.
3.  I have family responsibilities.
4.  I don't have the money.
5.  I"m too tired.
6.  I can't exercise.
7.  My husband won't let me.
8.  My job is difficult.
9.  I'm too stressed.
10.  It's too hard.

These are the top 10 excuses that my support group came up with last night.  Can you think of one that they missed?

In a sort of distant analagy, last week a new client wanted me to organize a two week 60th birthday trip for he and his wife to Italy.  Since they were from some backwater town in the middle of Texas, finding them flights took a long time and then the wife had all kinds of oddball things she wanted to do on the trip.  So four hours later, I had lined up a great trip with $640 roundtrip tickets and a room at a super hotel in Venice for $120 per night, along with four other cities at a very attractive overall cost.  When I emailed him the one page trip outline, he said he was "too tired" to deal with it (this was on a Monday night) and he'd get back to me on Saturday.  I warned him that the flights and room in Venice could be gone by then.  Yesterday he finally got around to phoning me back and by then the flights were closed out and the last room at the Venice hotel was long gone.  I told him I could not help him any further with his trip.  He would have to find another agent.  

So the point of this story:  Maybe he just didn't want that trip bad enough to go through the "ordeal" of making a decision when asked to do so.   How lazy and/or indecisive must you be to be too tired to read a one page trip outline and decide?   The wife phoned me today, heartbroken.....the trip is off.

Maybe we just don't want to lose weight bad enough. . . . . .

My excuses...

Fear.  I really think there's something to be said about adding the padding for protective measures.  I have come to the conclusion that I had to adjust to seeing myself at this size 14/16 and will move forward when I'm ready.  I think the change in attention and treatment was a shocker.

Stress. I know I choose poorly due to stress.  I haven't figured out how to handle that better....

Control.  It's like I control staying heavy by allowing myself my off moments so as to control how others react/treat me.  Circles back to fear....

Wow,  Fear is a really good one that didn't come up last night.  I'm going to use that next week in group. 

I just want to THANK YOU for posting this.  While I am now 150lbs lighter back at my 345 weight whenever I would go to the doctor we would have a conversation about my weight.  Each and every time I would say, I'm just to tired/lazy/busy whatever.  Each year he would ask me and then REMIND me what I said the year before. 

I have been repeating these same words recently, but today after reading this IMMEDIATELY after I laced up my tennis and went for my (at one point usual) 1 mile walk during my break.  So just wanted to thank you in writing!!

Ms Shell

Ms Shell,  You've certainly come a long, long way. . . .congratulations on your WL success.  Donna

 Shell, 150 lbs lighter! that is so Awesome!! 

Babs , great post, I had been thinking about this myself, I think for me, what made it click was desperation, getting to that point where I "caught" vision of myself happy and healthy and I said YES! it's mine for the taking! then I did and am doing what I need to do to get their, I want help as many people along the way as I can! Awesome!  

good post and I loved your story about the husband who couldn't or wouldn't go through and approve the itinerary. I'm am sorry that you spend so much time putting it together with no reimbursement.

My big mistake is being just plain lazy. It takes effort to think and plan something healthy and energy to actually prepare the food. I have to guard myself not to fall back into bad habits.

I think for some people they are afraid that eating healthy doesn't taste good. Fear that they will have to give up the food they love to eat. Let's be honest here, there is an awful lot of sinfully delicious food that is dangerous to our health.

It does take work to get going on a truly healthy diet. You need to clean out the junk, get your family on board, research and determine what you will prepare and make new purchases of quality food. It's hard to make changes in your diet and break bad habits.

Skylar

My excuse?  I'll never get to where I want to be, so why bother?  The twisted thinking that if I can't get down to 130, I might as well be 250.  

I usually had an answer for every excuse except that one.  I hope I'm not being too pushy if I share:

1.  I'm too busy.   You have time to go to work for a paycheck, but you don't have time to work out a fraction of the time for your life?

2.  I don't have time to diet and exercise. See excuse number 1

3.  I have family responsibilities.  And if you're dead, how are you going to take care of those responsibilities?

4.  I don't have the money. Walking is free

5.  I"m too tired. Just start small, if you can't finish, then stop.  Chances are, you'll keep going

6.  I can't exercise.  Have you tried?  You might surprise yourself

7.  My husband won't let me.  This one is hard.  Not sure why someone who loves you wants you to suffer.

8.  My job is difficult.  Again, see excuse number 1

9.  I'm too stressed.  Working out releases "happy hormones".  So does food by the way, why not pick exercise a few times instead of a cookie?

10.  It's too hard.  If it was easy, it wouldn't be called "working" out.  OR It takes longer to gain weight than lose weight.  OR   It took me 5 years to gain this weight, what would happen if I ate right and exercised for 5 years?

WoooHoo!   I just pumped myself up!  

Loved your answers!!!

i would have to go with #10! It is harder effort than I want to spend. I do lots of other hard things in life.

And add to that I lack consistency when it comes to food intake.

I think i do want it bad enough; wanting it is not enough in my mind.

Putting that *want* into clear consistent action steps is what is hard.