This post is for the people that dream of getting fit and losing weight, but who have never accomplished this goal. Perhaps there are serious obstacles that stand in their way, or maybe they have some really good reasons for not starting a health and fitness program. But to be honest, I think all those obstacles and reasons are just bullshit excuses, and here’s why.
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Even though some people might think there are some really good reasons for not exercising and eating healthy, I call bullshit on all of them. Why? Because I’ve been in the same situation, and getting fit seemed like a distant dream until I decided to make a change.
If you know you’re unhealthy, then there are no valid reasons for staying that way. It does harm to your body and your self-esteem, so forget about all the lies you keep telling yourself because they’re just bad excuses.
I’m not saying that you should strive to look like an Instagram fitness model. I’m saying that if you’re starting to notice that your health is in danger, you need to do something about it right now.
I’ve been there, and I can tell you it’s possible to get around any obstacle that stands in the way of your health.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common fitness excuses. I’ll tell you why they’re bullshit and how you can crush them!
10 Bullshit Reasons Why People Avoid Health And Fitness
1. I don’t have time to exercise.
This is the most common fitness excuse, but really it’s just bullshit. Nobody has time! We all have jobs, chores, kids, and everything else. We’re all dealing with craziness here! But if you take a closer look at how you manage your time, you’ll realize you’re MAKING time for things like social media and TV. And you’re telling me you don’t have 15 minutes to work out? Not even 5 minutes? You don’t have to spend hours at the gym to get fit, you just have to MAKE time to move your body. You can even do that at home.
Here’s how to do a quick, sweaty workout at home.
2. I love food too much.
And who doesn’t? Come on, that’s not even an excuse. A healthy eating plan isn’t about starving yourself, it’s about making healthier choices. You just have to change your perspective. There are tons of yummy healthy options, made with real ingredients and not with processed crap that ruins your taste buds and gives you belly fat. Don’t just dismiss healthy food as gross. Try it! You might even like it.
On the other hand, you should also think about your relationship with food. If you can eat a gallon of ice cream and an entire bag of chips in one sitting, then you don’t love food. You have some serious issues that have nothing to do with eating and you need to work them out for the sake of your physical and mental health. No excuses!
3. I can’t exercise because I have a bad back and/or knees.
This might seem like a good excuse, but it’s bullshit. If you’re overweight, it’s very likely that’s exactly the cause for the pain. Did you know that every pound of excess weight exerts about 4 pounds of extra pressure on the knees? Plus, your lack of core strength is killing your back. You need to do something about it!
If you have bad knees or a bad back because of injury, there’s still no excuse for not moving. You can do low-impact activity like walking or swimming. It will be uncomfortable at first, but physical activity will strengthen your body and make you feel better in the long run.
Sitting down for long periods of time is the single most damaging thing you can do to your body, so get moving now!
4. I always give in to cravings. I have no willpower.
Willpower is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stonger it gets. If you never even try to beat cravings, you’re always going to give in. Of course it will be hard at first, but it gets easier over time. You just have to use your willpower.
No, don’t lie and say you have no willpower. I’m pretty sure you do! Have you accomplished anything at all in your life? Have you finished school? Have ever you learned anything new? Have you been able to get up in the middle of the night to feed your baby? That’s all about willpower. Look at everything you can do! Don’t tell me a slice of cheese pizza is stronger than you.
And although cravings are a sign that you shouldn’t be dieting in the first place, cravings for processed junk are a completely different story. Junk food is like a drug. It’s bad for your health and it’s addictive, and the only way to beat your addiction to junk is to stop eating it. Just throw it away.
Here’s how to beat junk food cravings.
5. I don’t like exercise.
I hear you, but that’s bullshit. For years, I also hated the idea of exercise, but I realized I couldn’t avoid reality forever. The human body needs to move to stay healthy, otherwise it’ll get sick and maybe even die.
But you know what? Doing exercise can be pretty fun. You don’t have to go to the gym or do endless repetitions. You can do any kind of physical activity you like. You can dance in your living room, play with your kids, or go walking. Isn’t that fun?
Just start moving, and if you feel more body confident after a while, you can pick another activity as long as you keep moving.
6. I feel tired all the time. I can’t exercise on top of it all.
That’s awful. Really awful. Feeling tired all the time means that you’re under a lot of stress, or it could also mean that you’re constantly coming down from caffeine or sugar highs. In any case, you need to get healthy, plain and simple.
You know what that means, don’t you? You need to start eating healthy food and doing exercise right now. Putting it off will just make you feel worse. Get up and do a 15-minute workout, or even just a 5-minute workout, and throw away all the junk in your kitchen. No more bullshit!
7. Getting fit and healthy is expensive.
I’ve heard this before. Diet products are expensive. Exercise machines are expensive too, and workout gear is way too expensive. It seems simply impossible to get fit on a budget.
That’s bullshit! I didn’t spend a single dime when I started eating healthy and working out. I just threw away the junk and grabbed the fruit that was just sitting right there in my fridge. I put on an old t-shirt and shorts to work out and used water bottles as dumbbells. I watched fitness videos on YouTube. You don’t have to be rich to get fit.
Start where you can and use what you have, but don’t wait!
8. I’ve tried dieting and it doesn’t work for me.
Dieting doesn’t work for anybody! If you put yourself on a fad diet, you’ll probably lose a few pounds, but you’ll gain them right back and then some. Forget about dieting! It’s better to focus on eating real, nutritious foods instead of processed junk.
And instead of dieting, try changing your lifestyle forever. Diets have a deadline, but lifestyle changes are forever. When you embark on a health and fitness journey, you’re doing it for life, you’re never going back to your unhealthy habits. The best part of this is that it doesn’t matter if you screw up, or if your progress is slow. You’ll be on the right track as long as you don’t give up on exercise and healthy eating.
Here are 10 things that will help you lose weight now.
9. It’s too hard. I don’t even know where to start.
Ok, that’s not bullshit. Getting fit and healthy is hard, really really hard, but it’s also very much worth it. It’ll be hard, it’ll be uncomfortable, and it’ll be sweaty, but your health is at stake here. It’s also really hard to live with clogged arteries, and heart disease, and daily insulin shots to control diabetes, and kidney failure, and kneecap replacement surgery. Choose your hard.
I understand you might feel confused about how to begin, but you don’t have to make a lot of changes all at once. You could simply start by drinking 8 glasses of water a day. Or by going out for a 10-minute walk. Or by having a salad for lunch. Just pick something you can do and start doing it. Small changes make a big difference!
Here are 5 things you need to start getting fit and healthy.
10. Why bother? I’m still going to die someday.
That’s the worst pile of bullshit I’ve ever heard! Getting fit and healthy isn’t about a longer life, it’s about quality of life.
You might have many or only a few years to live, but you should think about the quality in those years of your life. Never underestimate the value of being in good health!
It’s true we’re all going to die someday, but it’s better to live with the freedom that a healthy life can give you. Living with the struggle of dealing with pain and disease will take the life out of your years, be they many or few. What’s more, your friends and family deserve to spend those years with a healthy version of you. Don’t you want to be there for them?
Take care of your body. It’s the only one you’ll ever have!
Here’s why you should be grateful for that sweaty workout.
This is fantastic! ❤️❤️❤️
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Thanks!
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Thank you for saying that dieting does not work. It is very true. https://scinutrient.com/2016/09/07/the-futility-of-dieting/ Too many people rely on short term fixes for long term problems and in the end miss out on their chance for actual health.
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Thanks for sharing your interesting post! I tweeted it and left a comment.
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Thank you very much!
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These are so true.
I used to be hooked on giving excuses like these but at the beginning of this year, I just knew I needed to discipline myself.
Great post, I loved it! (And your articles are really helpful ☺)
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I used to be so hooked on excuses too! I think the hardest part is accept that they’re all just excuses. Thanks for reading my blog, and I’m very glad you find it helpful 🙂
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Haha I think I’ve heard every single one of those excuses before! Now I’ve got some good answers for them
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you tell them! 🙂 I used to get angry when someone pointed this out to me, but it was the truth.
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Excellent post, Fabi! I really can’t believe that #10 is an excuse–but I have heard it. Great answers to these objections!!
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I’ve heard it, dozens of times. Thanks, Terri!
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Siempre ponemos excusas cuando algo nos da pereza hacer, sin embargo esto nos ayuda a estar mejor y sentirnos mejor. Yo era de las que antes ponía excusas para ello pero ahora he aprendido a disfrutar también de esos momentos y sobre todo al ver los resultados tanto físicamente como en mi salud. Un besito
El blog de Sunika
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Qué bien, te felicito! La salud es más importante que las excusas. Te dejo el link de este post en español 🙂 https://mamimaravilla.wordpress.com/2015/10/23/10-pretextos-por-los-que-no-haces-dieta-ni-ejercicio/
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This is great. I know I have heard them all before while trying to motivate friends and family!
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I’ve heard them all before and I’ve also used a lot of them in the past. It’s great that you try to motivate your family and friends 🙂
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Love this, where there is a will there is certainly a way!
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Not having time is an excuse I hear all the time. The truth is you don’t have to workout for a set amount of time, you could do it 15 minutes a day and still, have a positive impact. Great list Fabi.
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Not having time is probably the most common excuse. Thanks for reading!
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I myself use the excuse of ‘I don’t like exercise’ or ‘I will start next week’ alot, I know I just have to get it started , I always I’m glad when I actually do it!
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The hardest part is to commit yourself to doing it enough times so that it becomes a habit. Keep strong!
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I think #8 hits me so hard. “Dieting” is terrible! Of course it doesn’t work for people. as it shouldn’t! I think if we as health and fitness advocates can help change the way people look at food everyone will be happier and healthier. Food is nourishing and something we should be grateful for because it powers us through our days, and not use it to abuse our bodies with through restriction and caloric deficits. Awesome post.
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Very true. Food is too often used to abuse our bodies. We feed our bodies junk all the time, and then we get sick. Or we use food as a substitute for love or whatever, and we start binge eating and our bodies get sick. I like how you say food is nourishment. I wish we could all remember this all the time and make better choices.
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Ouch! I needed to hear this, but didn’t want to!
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Nice post, Fabi! Loved it and it even made me giggle a little. So true.
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I love that it made you giggle! lol 🙂 It’s true I’ve used those excuses in the past 😛
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Great post! It is just hard for some people to get motivated in the beginning let alone keep this motivation in times of stress. I love this list.
Katie
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Yes, it’s hard to take that first step, but it’s even harder to keep walking the healthy path. Thanks for coming by, Katie.
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Thank you for this article! Great job! I love sharing motivational tips too 🙂
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You a great blog! Following you now 🙂
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All the things personal trainers/fitness enthusiasts want to say but are too scared to 😉 love this!
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[…] via 10 Bullshit Reasons Why People Avoid Health And Fitness — Wonder Fabi […]
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All such great points. It is simply easier for people to avoid accountability over their own health/fitness by blaming exterior factors!
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Great article! All very true
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Haha, loved this article. It’s so true, people come up with all these excuses, I’ve heard most of them!
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