Wouldn't it be easy to stick to a healthy diet if you lived in a world with only grilled chicken breasts, broccoli and oats? Unfortunately this just isn't realistic. There are going to be times when you will encounter foods you shouldn't be eating, and you will be faced with a choice: give in to the craving or stick to your healthy lifestyle plan. I work with people who have issues with weight management and emotional eating, and one thing they all have in common is that they all make excuses to stop following their diets. The most important weapon against falling off of the diet-wagon is to anticipate sabotaging thoughts and responses to them.
NO MORE EXCUSES!!!
“But how do I know I'm making an excuse”?
- If your thought starts with, "I can eat this because ..." then it's an excuse
- If you didn't already plan to eat it today, it's an excuse.
- If the food is sugary, salty or full of refined carbs, it's likely an excuse. (Think about it ... have you ever rationalised why you should be eating veggies or lean protein)? Of course not.
After you have realised you are making excuses, the second step is to overcome that excuse with a rational thought of why these excuses are destructive and will only make you feel worse in the long run.
1. Hm It's 4pm and I'm tired. This will give me a boost to get through the rest of the day.
A boost???, If I get a boost it will be because my blood sugar is skyrocketing which means it will plummet later, leaving me more tired and cranky than I am now. Hmm on the other hand some almonds (or another healthy, planned snack), will help me feel sharp and healthy for the rest of the day.
2. I have been sooo good lately. I totally deserve a reward.
Actually, if I eat this it won't be a reward at all. It will only push my goal further away,and no doubt will make me feel depressed, weak and out of control. I'm going to choose to stay confident and in control of my diet and say no.
3. Just one.. It wont hurt.
I have to run X kms to burn about 100 cals. This has X00 calories, which means I have to run X kms, in addition to my already planned cardio today. Besides, I know if I have one, I'll have an even harder time saying no to number two and number three.
4. I'm exhausted. There is no way I can cook tonight, I’m gunna go through the drive thru.
I may be tired, but I can figure some other easy way to feed myself. There are more calories in some fast food combo meals than my body needs all day! I can go to a salad bar in the supermarket/grocer, or buy the grilled chicken breasts they sell in the deli. (Mind you I should have my planned meal packed and ready to avoid this)
5. There’s nothing to eat and I’m hungry!
Being hungry won't kill me! It's better to feel uncomfortable and wait until I can eat something health than eat some junk food right now.
I'd rather drink a glass of cold water and wait until I can eat something healthy. Being temporarily uncomfortable won't kill me, but junk food will.
6. Work has been full on, I’ve been fighting with my BF/GF, That shop assistant was so rude to me, I got a parking fine, you know what? I'm having a bad day/week. I just don’t have time for this right now. Eating this will make me feel so much better.
WAIT RIGHT THERE!!! If someone does something to make me angry or sad, why do I want to punish myself by eating unhealthy foods?
First of all, I won't let others dictate my emotions.
Second, so I'm having a bad day, which I can't really control. What I can control, however, is what goes into my body.
Third, I'm recognising that its an emotion that's making me want to eat right now, not hunger which should be the only reason for eating. So I'm going to give myself a boost and pat myself on the back for sticking to my plan and staying healthy. I will feel so much better when all of this passes and I am still on track.
7. Woooohooo I Just got the best news!!! I am going to celebrate with this little treat!
If I eat this, it won't help me enjoy this accomplishment at all. In fact, it'll impede another accomplishment I'm working toward.
This is just another case where an emotion is making me want to eat, which isn't acceptable.I can completely enjoy these good feelings I'm experiencing without food. And I look forward to reaching my weight loss goal. NOW that is something to celebrate!
8. I paid for it I don’t want to waste money.
How much money am I really losing by throwing this extra food out? It's really not that much. Will these extra dollars make or break me?
Of course not. Besides, time is money, and it will take loads of extra time working out to burn this off later.
9. I HATE wasting food!
No starving child in another country will benefit from me eating this extra food. It didn't make sense while I was a kid, and it doesn't make sense now. Sure, I may be wasting food, but I'd rather throw it out than unnecessarily add fat to my body and steer me away from my progress and a healthy body.
10. But everyone else is eating it.
I'm committed to a healthy lifestyle, regardless of what others around me are doing. Besides, people who eat junk food who aren't overweight are still at risk for many serious health problems. So what if they are eating it, I'm sticking to my commitment.
11. It's free.
Being free may be a benefit, but is it good for me, and is it on my eating plan for the day? No. Eating free food now isn't going to save me any money later. All it will do is push my goals further away from me.
12. I'll start back on my diet tomorrow.
While I can always get back to my diet after a slip, why waste it? There's no time like the present to work toward my goal of weight loss and healthy living. Besides, I know it won't be that easy to psychologically get over falling off track.
I'll feel guilty, depressed and weak, which will probably make me crave more bad food to feel better and I will likely fall off the program all together and be back to square one or worse. I'm going to avoid the vicious cycle all together, and stick with my plan.
13. I don’t care anymore.
I've been sticking to my diet for a while now, and I understand that I'm experiencing a drop in motivation, which is normal. I'm going to do what I need to do to get motivated now, which will make it easier to stay on track in the long run, by writing down my long term weight loss goals and why losing weight is important to me.
Besides, I really do care! I care about my body, I care about my health and longevity, my family and I care about my psychological well-being. I'm sticking to my diet because I care about myself too much to quit now!
14. I’m so busy I just don’t have the time.
It really does not take that long to prepare a healthy meal. If I’m not going to eat that I will eat something else. You make time for the things that are important. Your health is important. I will make the time and before I know it, it will be a normal part of my daily routine.
15. But I am sick and don’t feel like it.
Being sick doesn’t mean its time to drop everything.In fact your healthy eating plan will likely help you recover faster. OK OK Il stick to it, I know right now is when my body needs all the good nutrition it can get.
16. I’m bed ridden, unable to exercise I’m just so big. If I can’t exercise what’s the point?
The point is you are now at a stage that is dangerous. Your life is in danger.
I have a life to live, I have children, a family,people who care about me. I need to care about me.
Beside there are programs that can be undertaken at this stage, without surgery that are yummy and nutritious and that will help me loose weight even as I lie here. Then when I am at the next stage I will be up and walking, before I know it ill be jogging and it really is a reality that I can get my healthy young fit body back and live. I chose to live.
OK, you made it through! You recognised that you were making an excuse, and you stopped to think of why that excuse was only going to pull you off track and push your weight loss goal further away. It's crucial to revel in the feelings of confidence and control. Next time you make an excuse,remember this feeling of success, and compare it with how gross you would have felt had you given in to your excuse.
Now move forward and keep on reaching for success.
DO OR DO NOT…. THERE IS NO TRY…
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