Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Queen of Excuses

The Queen of Excuses really could be my title.
I can't lose weight because I'm old.
I can't exercise because I'm tired.
There's nothing healthy in my house to eat. (That actually is not an excuse, it is an outright lie, because I always have healthy things to eat.)
I have no time to exercise.
I have no time to cook, and a pizza is so much easier.

And all those came to mind without even thinking. But now that I wrote them down, I feel so much better.

I wrote these -- and a ton more -- in my diet journal, which is actually becoming a friend. I look forward to adding things daily, and have even gone back from time to time to read over what I have written.

In my journal, I wrote down 19 excuses I love to make, explaining why that excuse works for me. But then, and here's the key, I wrote down a way to fight the excuse.

So here goes, with the five excuses I admitted in my blog:
I can't lose weight because I'm old.
Why it works: I am old, and when most of my mom's generation were my age, they had begun to slow down and spend half the year in Florida.
Fight the excuse: If I don't lose weight, I will not get much older. How's that for a dose of reality.

I can't exercise because I'm tired.
Why it works: I work hard, and I deserve that spot on the couch.
Fight the excuse: I'm always tired. If I wait until I am not tired, I will never exercise and then I will not get much older.

There's nothing healthy in my house to eat.
Why it works: That statement alone gets me thinking about unhealthy food choices. I am not thinking cherry tomatoes or pineapple chunks.
Fight the excuse: Are you kidding me? There is always a fruit or veggie, and if for some strange reason there is not, there is always an emergency can of low-calorie/low-fat Progressive soup in the pantry. If I don't choose the fruit, veggie or soup I will not get much older.

I have no time to exercise.
Why it works: It's hard to fit in exercise.
Fight the excuse: If my sister-in-law Daria, who is leading a huge company, can find time to exercise, I can. If I don't find the time, I will not get much older.

I have no time to cook, and a pizza is so much easier.
Why it works: Sending Jack to Vazzy's for pizza is so much easier.
Fight the excuse: No, you are being lazy and do not want to cook. If I keep eating pizza, I will not get much older.

Do you see a pattern here? To negate it all, all I have to repeat, over and over: "Keep doing (fill in the words) and I will not get much older": Food for thought.

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