New Year New You - What's Your Excuse?

Most Common Excuses "I can't get healthy because..."

You may have one or more of these, or even a different excuse holding you back from getting healthy. There will ALWAYS be obstacles blocking your efforts, & you can either let them get in your way & give up, or you can find ways around them to still win at getting healthy! Make 2019 the year you stop blaming ‘something else’ for why you aren’t looking after yourself properly. Everyone thinks up reasons / excuses why they haven’t been doing what they know they should’ve been!

I can’t afford it. It’s so expensive to be healthy!

YES, it is. Nothing worthwhile is free. Good food costs money, good advice costs money, & yes you’ll have to invest some time & energy. BUT - you will increase your energy & productivity, your mood will be better, you’ll look better, say yes to more opportunities, need less sick days, people will respect you more….getting healthy is an investment & it will pay dividends every single day of your (longer & more comfortable) life!! Invest in your biggest asset - the body that carries you through this life! You only get one!! Being healthy will cost you, but it will cost you way less than being unhealthy in the long run!

 

I have injuries, so I can’t exercise.

Exercise the parts of your body that don’t hurt! If your back is sore, see a practitioner who can help with exercises that won’t hurt your back. This will help strengthen it so you can move more comfortably. You can always train some part of you, even if it’s only your hands, your feet or your butt cheeks!! Be gentle with yourself, but firm - an injury is not an excuse to just curl up & die.

 

I have an illness so can’t get healthy even if I do try.

Sometimes it’s really hard, & you might need professional help. Invest in getting the help, & then start with one small habit you know you can implement by yourself (drink more water, or add in some herbal teas / a green smoothie each day, watch a funny movie, get some sunshine, do 5 mins meditation). One small step = a start. Remember - there are a lot of people who’ve been sicker than you & become healthy again, so it’s possible for you too. Your ultimate health potential may not be as high as it could be, but don’t underestimate the body’s self-healing drive.

 

I’ve tried so many different diets / plans but none of them really work, I give up now.

Hmm - there are many people who have been successful in turning their lives around too…maybe you are missing something? Plans are usually just a kickstart, & not everyone will get the same results. Ultimately it’s your everyday habits that determine your long term results. By all means use plans to help you along the way, but they will not do everything for you (& you can’t just throw in the towel & blame them when you don’t get the results you want!) Instead of giving up, try changing direction - get some advice on the best kickstart plan for you!

 

I don’t sleep well so have no energy to make any changes.

Sleeping well is a health necessity. But you can still make better choices whilst running on limited sleep (it’s harder, but it can be done).

• Do some exercise even if you are tired (it will help your sleep in the long run).
• Try to get morning sunshine
• Get off the stimulants (yes, see if going without coffee helps you)
• Start a nighttime yoga practice
• Learn to meditate so you can do that in bed.
• Meditation will help you feel rested & refreshed even with less sleep, & you may find yourself drifting off more.
• Invest in a great mattress, pillows, make the temperature comfortable & block the light / noise out.
• Remove all devices from the room, no screen time for at least 1/2 hr before bed.
• Use some relaxing essential oils in a hot bath or rubbed into your skin.
• Try changing the direction your bed faces.

There will be plenty of things you can do to support your sleep efforts.

 

I’m too busy looking after my baby / kids / ageing parents / partner & have no time or energy left for looking after me :(

You won’t be much good to anyone if you can’t carve out some time to look after you! You literally have to CARVE it out. Your baby / kids / parents / partner / need you to be nourished, energetic & calm. You need to have your own oxygen mask on your face before you can start looking after others! Modern day life is kinda like a plane crash - grab hold of your mask - take responsibility for looking after your own needs as a priority so you can be helpful to others around you. Caring for others needs to become your reason to look after yourself better, not an excuse to neglect your health!

 

My partner isn’t interested / is unsupportive when I try to get healthy so it gets too hard to stay on track. I just keep derailing.

Well if your partner is the total cause of your poor health, ditch your partner!! But not before you've been very honest with yourself (we tend to blame our partners for a lot of things that could actually be more to do with us). Is it really all your partner’s fault? Surely your partner wants you to look & feel your best - they might actually surprise you if you really communicate your needs. And if you can both be on the same page, supporting each other to get healthier it will be so much easier! If they really are resistant / won’t see where you’re coming from you may need to consider a break to get yourself on track. If your partner is a smoker with no intention of quitting & you really want to, it will be really hard (but still possible, better with a break), if you want to cut down on sugar & your partner brings home Tim Tams every night & teases you it will also be hard but still possible - once again, take a break apart. You need to communicate your needs assertively (not aggressively) & if they really have zero interest in helping you with what you’re trying to achieve, you need to question if you’re a good team to keep doing life together.

 

My job / active social life means I’m always partying - eating junk, drinking, not sleeping.

Is your job worth sacrificing your health for? Are you maybe out-growing some of your friends? If you're serious about getting your health on track this year, it may be worth re-evaluating a few things, like the people you spend most of your time with (surround yourself with people that you aspire to be like, because you will end up like the people you hang out with).

 

My job is really sedentary so I can’t exercise enough.

Does your job take up 24 hrs 7 days per week? No - then that is not a valid excuse! Sorry :- /

 

My job is really physically taxing, & that is all I have the energy for.

I hear this from all the nurses / tradies / physical labourers - but just imagine how amazing a good stretch or a swim would feel for those tired, overworked legs & back at the end of a shift?! If you have a job that keeps you active, great - but chances are you’ll be doing really repetitive stuff & your body will still be suffering because the ‘load’ is unbalanced - wearing you out in places whilst others remain unchallenged. Your energy may improve with some sort of exercise to help balance what you already do with work.

 

I’m just too lazy, I can’t be bothered putting in the effort to be healthy - I feel ok as I am & I am happy enough.

Well why did you even bother to read this?? If you are happy enough & don’t want to make any changes, don’t. Easy! But if there is a part of you that wonders what it would feel like to spring out of bed with energy each day & ditch the tracksuit pants & baggy tees for a bikini….then just try. Try changing one habit at a time. Get one change down pat, then move onto the next once you are confident you have it nailed. You may just surprise yourself - small steps are easy to take!

This year - try looking after your body as though it needs to last you a lifetime (hint - it does). Have this mentality clear in your head when you write a shopping list / are walking through the supermarket aisles, are deciding what meal to order / what food to put on your plate / tossing up wether to buy another pack of cigarettes / bottle of alcohol / soft drink / iced coffee. All the small decisions you make in a year add up the body you’re trapped in (or feeling great in) at the end of the year! All the times you were ‘too tired / too busy / not feeling it’ add up to the fact that your shorts no longer fit, or you’re puffing & red faced after a small flight of stairs. Stick a note or a picture somewhere you’ll see it daily to remind you to think like this every day! Value your health, if you’re still alive you’re luckier than many & you still have something to work with!

Make a list of the healthy habits you can start incorporating into your life from NOW! I’ve made a start with a habit suggestion below, even just adding this one habit in will literally change your life! 

 

Habit Suggestion - Morning Movement!

Do some type of exercise first thing in the morning. Decide on something you can squeeze in, something you don’t hate (wether it’s 5 minutes dancing around in the kitchen with your toddler on your hip, as many chin ups as you can do in your doorway / garage, a burn around the block with your kid on a scooter, or a quick lounge-room yoga or pilates class from an app you’ve downloaded...just get into the habit of MOVING every morning, before you think about starting your day, to be healthy in today’s world, making time for movement is a MUST!! If you make yourself tick that box before anything else for the day, you’ll succeed. It will be hard for 2 weeks if you’re not already in this habit, be prepared for some resistance! If you get through the first 2 weeks, you should be feeling so much better you’ll be motivated to keep the habit.

 

If you start work really early & morning is just totally impractical for you, you’ll need to figure out another time of the day that will work, & commit to it. Ie - if there is a gym / sporting club you drive past on your way home each day - could be worth exploring. Or a friend’s place…or maybe adopt an energetic dog (they will demand an afternoon walk!) Can you cycle to work? Take the stairs a few times? Swim? Use a different train / bus stop that requires a brisk walk on your way home….if you are serious about feeling better you’ll find a way to make it happen! You need to spend some time thinking of your own habits to start - what little steps can you realistically take this year to make it healthier than last ? Try listing 5 habits, but prioritise & just start with ONE, then once that one is in place, firmly in your life, try starting another. One good habit that you can stick to for months / years is more effective than a ‘total life overhaul’ that you give up on after 2 weeks!! Baby steps, small changes at a time, but just stick to them! One small victory will give you the confidence & self belief to attempt bigger goals later. Happy New Habits! Xx Jeanie