Don’t let the “reasons” win – why you can’t lose weight

There is always a reason not to do the healthy thing, ALWAYS. This morning I was tired, I’ve have had a lot on my plate, it’s summer, and a million other reasons to stay in bed and skip my workout were running through my head when my alarm went off. Five a.m. is early, I don’t care who you are! But I got up and got my workout done, and I’m so glad I did.

Here are three questions you can ask yourself when those reasons (or you can call them excuses) pop up:

1. Will I regret this? I have never once regretted doing a workout, but I have regretted missing workouts. I have definitely regretted donuts and pizza, but I don’t ever regret having a delicious, homemade, healthy meal. Asking myself this question has gotten me to not only keep to my healthy goals but has helped me conquer some of my biggest challenges. It’s a great question for all aspects of life!
2. Is this self-sabotage? Sometimes we don’t feel worthy of our dreams. Why is that? Why do we decide that we aren’t worth those things we hope for most? When self-sabotage hits, it can be disguised as real “reasons” that might have validity, but when we peel back the layers, we would find a way to do it if we weren’t giving in to self-sabotage. The more you can recognize and push past self-sabotage, the better you will get at it.
3. What changes can I make to make this possible? If you are constantly skipping your 5 a.m. workouts, then maybe morning workouts simply don’t work for you. Could you do your workout on lunch break or after work instead? Or if you are finding it hard to get healthy meals on the table for dinner because you are tired at the end of the day and pizza delivery is easy, could you start putting something in the slow cooker in the morning? Examine and re-evaluate, and don’t be afraid to change what doesn’t work for you so that you can reach your goal.

Don’t let the “reasons” win! Find your bigger reason, the reason to keep going, and focus on that instead.

What do you do to keep on track with your own health goals when those “reasons” pop up?

Patrick Malleret