Excuses. We all have them, especially when it comes to things that take us right out of our comfort zone and into something new and unfamiliar. One of the most common things that people make excuses for are why they can’t start a healthy eating and exercise plan. In my “No Gym, Outdoor Workout” post, I covered many of them. But one of the most common ones I hear is not just an excuse but a fear that a healthy life will instantly equal a life of no fun.
Most people dwell on what they will be giving up instead of what they will be gaining when they finally commit to their health. They dwell on all the yummy treats and rich food that they will no longer be consuming. They think of the time they will have to allocate to exercise and food prep and are saddened to think that this will directly take away from their time on the couch watching another reality show. They get bummed out at the thought of giving up those tasty hot wings and extra large margaritas they love so dearly at happy hour with their friends after a very long work week. They feel exhausted at just the thought of having to prepare more meals at home instead of having the convenience of the drive-thru.
But do these people also think about how these things they are so afraid to give up are holding them back? The medications for high blood pressure, thyroid, or diabetes. The extra weight that is lowering their self-esteem and making everyday tasks difficult and tiring. The inability to play and keep up with their children. The possibility that their extra weight is not only cutting into the quality of their lives but the QUANTITY of it as well. How about how their weight/current health is keeping them from traveling and rocking it out on this beautiful planet because they don’t have the stamina to do walking tours, hikes, etc. Do they think about all the summers, springs, and special events that they wish they could sit out of because frankly, they don’t feel very good about their bodies?
Seriously, there is no cupcake or day on the couch that is worth all that.
I’m not just talking about looks. Granted, looking good can give you the confidence to be bold in your career, love and social life. But I’m talking about really being healthy, getting all your nutritional needs met so that you aren’t tied to medication, you aren’t always exhausted, and you have a sense of vitality. This in turn gives you the energy to move your body and exercise. Once you get in this habit, eating healthy and having regular physical activity seem more and more natural.
Every time you choose your health, your life chooses you. You start to gain more self-confidence and do things you only once dreamt of doing. Life becomes fun and you are more than ready to be fully present for it. Your relationships, sleep, career, even your spirituality all start to improve because you have the good health and well being to show up for your life. I’m telling you, it is powerful…and sweeter than any food or excuse you can think of!
If you have been dwelling on what you will miss out on if you change your diet and level of physical activity or if you have “fallen off the wagon”, remind yourself of all the things you are giving up by giving into your fear. Focus on what your life would look life if you owned your vitality, not what desserts you love best. Switch the focus from depravation to elation!
What health challenges are you facing? What would your life look like if those challenges were to fall away?
Envision this new life and let that be your motivation!
(FYI..you can still enjoy happy hour, reality TV, and a lazy day on the couch now and then. As your Health Counselor, I give you the ok.)
One of my favourite things to do is to smash excuses, because they never have any real evidence to support them. Guess thats why they are called “excuses”. Great post.
Thanks, Derek. Those excuses will ruin us if we let them.
Great point. I have to work hard to not think about what I’ll be missing out on rather than what I will be gaining. Another great post! Word!
Thanks, Drew. It is work to flip it and change the mindset. That pesky monkey mind will always try to take us away from our truth! Good to envision what you really want. I will be writing more on this topic for sure.
anita, i support you all the way! healthy choices are a long term commitment that will last a life time, an ice cream bar melts in seconds. It is truely a great feeling to look good and feel good about yourself! your clip has positive and helpful ideas to think about:)!
Yes, it so important to think about those things which have true lasting value. 🙂
I really need this motivation.. I just had arm surgery and I’m finally getting back to walking but it’s HARD…..
Hi Sarah!! I really hope this helped you!! Remember to be good to your body and not push too hard too fast. Self-love is so important…the body will catch up in due time. Lots of love!
This is a really great article, but wow- easier said than done, lol!
I’ve battled an eating disorder, been through 2 years of therapy so far- I KNOW that I am an emotional eater- that I use food to soothe- but even understanding this, it doesn’t make it easy. I have been thin, and I have been bigger (currently I’m down to only about 15 pounds overweight), and although you can try to play the mental game of how much better you feel being healthy- versus not- I would argue that that feeling does not necessarily always come about- at least not for me. In fact, oftentimes, when I am eating healthier, and at a healthier weight- I don’t feel better. In fact, sometimes I feel depressed when I eat healthy for a long time. I try not to focus on “what I’m missing” and instead focus on “what I’m gaining” but it’s a big mental struggle.
How do you manage when food is such a strong soother for you? I’ve often talked to my therapist about this. She told me that I can’t expect to feel as soothed through other methods- because food is just my “drug of choice”- but that still doesn’t change the fact that turning to food for comfort isn’t the healthiest way to cope. Nothing else soothes me as much as food does- not a warm bath, not a walk, not talking to friends, not exercise, not buying a pretty shirt, not winning money, not meditating- food is really what does it for me. Food soothes me better than any other coping mechanism.
That doesn’t mean I’m not trying- I am trying to turn to other coping mechanisms that are healthier- but I don’t know if I’m ever going to feel like I’m “cured.” I feel like the rest of my life- I will always battle the desire to soothe with food- since it just feels more effective than anything else. Which I think is why I sometimes feel sad when I eat healthy- because I feel like I can’t cope as well, that other coping methods just aren’t as effective in getting through difficult emotions. I keep hoping that maybe some day, meditating or some other method will work for me just as well as food did, or maybe even better.
Anyways… just wanted to comment. I think it’s a good article- just that in practice, it can really be a struggle and not as easy as it sounds.
KM83,
Thank you for sharing your story with me. I am happy to hear that you are taking steps to a healthier and happier you. I am not a psychologist but like many people, I too have turned to food for comfort. I think it starts so early in life. Unknowingly, the people who love us most often teach us to have an unhealthy relationship to food…they use it as reward and as punishment instead of what is really meant to do, which is to nourish us.
Have you heard of Geneen Roth? She is rockstar writer when it comes to emotional eating. Some of her books that I love and have read are “Women, Food, God” and “When Food is Love: Exploring the Relationship Between Eating and Intimacy”.
There are many complex reasons that we turn to food for comfort, one being that it is the one thing we can control if we choose to undereat/binge and purge and that it is the one thing we can always turn to and won’t reject us when we choose to overeat and binge.
By no means am I saying the approach mentioned in this blog post is the only way to start a healthy relationship with food..it is just one way and should be combined with other deeper, internal exploration as to why one has an unhealthy relationship with food. Yes, it is about the food but it isn’t at the same time…it is what we think the food represents; Love, Safety, Protection, Control. I will be talking more about emotional eating in future posts.
Thank you for the book recommendations. Looking forward to future blog entries on emotional eating. 🙂
test
test reply
You must log in to post a comment. Log in now.