“There are lots of reasons but no excuses”.
We have probably heard thousands of excuses from women over the years why they either haven’t started a weight loss program or why they have fallen off the program and can’t seem to find their way back to re-commence.
Of course, in winter the excuses come thick and fast. Too cold to get out of bed, not motivated, want or needing high-calorie foods, too tired, don’t see the need to do anything – the list is very long.
We hear these excuses often, so our programs have been designed to overcome the roadblocks to help women get started and achieve the results they want, no matter how many excuses their thoughts are coming up with.
Here are 10 excuses we hear often. Can you relate to any of them?
1. “I haven’t got time to put into losing weight.”
We get it. We’re all busy working, managing the household, shopping, cooking, perhaps caring for an aged parent but what time are you allocating for yourself?
Our systemised, step-by-step programs and one-on-one coaching saves time and makes change easier. You won’t need to research, trawl through recipes, wonder what you need to do or how to make it happen, just follow our program and meet with your coach for 15 minutes a week for further guidance and support.
There’s even a killer strategy to cut meal prep time by 33%.
2. “I can never stick with a diet, so I’ll just fail again.”
If your strategy involves a vague dream, a dose of willpower, and a load of deprivation, it’s doomed to fail.
Make change easy with a coach to support you, provide accountability, a little handholding and loads of encouragement to turn the impossible into reality. Strategies to help navigate tricky situations where food temptations might present a problem, pre-planning, meal prep, and advance planning all help you to stay on track.
3. “They’ll tell me off if I eat something I’m not supposed to.”
From time to time, everyone has slip-ups, makes mistakes, or deliberately eats something they know they shouldn’t. Unless it creates a life-or-death reaction, then one meal or one day of eating meals that aren’t on-plan is not the end of the world, and certainly not a good enough excuse to just give up.
Beating yourself up is not the answer. Having strategies to help you avoid any slip-ups moving forward will give you a sense of control and help you refocus and be happy with the decisions you make.
4. “Why would this work when nothing else does?”
Most of our members have tried all sorts of different diets and weight loss strategies. Sometimes they have had success, but it rarely lasts. The problem is that most like the idea of the ‘quick-fix’ but of course, returning to normal eating patterns means that weight returns to match those patterns.
A program that focuses on lifestyle change and is sustainable for life is the key. Sometimes it’s just some small tweaks to eating patterns, other times bigger changes are needed, but the focus is on what works for each person.
One of our secrets is hunger prevention. Losing weight without being hungry helps make it easy and reduces cravings.
5. “What if I don’t like what they tell me to eat?”
Each person responds differently and has different individual food and taste preferences. Nobody wants to eat foods they don’t enjoy.
We help members identify foods they like and which foods their body likes. The foods we eat should nourish our bodies and minds. There are loads of unprocessed, high nutrient dense foods that you can choose from, and easy-to-follow recipes that will help make your time in the kitchen enjoyable.
6. “I don’t want to force my family to go on a diet – and I won’t cook two meals.”
Who wants to cook two different meals? The focus of our eating plans is on fresh, easily accessible foods from the supermarket, butcher and greengrocer. With minimal processing, it’s a recipe for health as well as weight loss and weight management.
The whole family will enjoy the delicious filling meals. They may eat bigger portions of protein than you or swap out some lower carb veggies for higher carb veggies but you will have control over your meals with no complaints from the rest of the family.
7. “I’ve got too much going on at the moment and I’m tired.”
It’s surprising how many people find that eating well and adding in some exercise gives them energy, both physically and mentally.
Feeling sluggish, overloaded, unmotivated, or lethargic can often be improved, very quickly, by simple lifestyle changes.
8. “I have to get fit before I go to a gym.”
There are those who feel embarrassed by their low fitness levels or have simply never enjoyed exercise but the only way to improve is to get started.
You may choose to start with some daily walking if an absolute beginner. Start slowly and, over time, increase the effort as your fitness improves.
9. “I don’t want anyone to know how much weight I’ve got to lose.”
The first time might be embarrassing, but there is no judgement. We have enormous respect for people who acknowledge that they don’t like something and then take steps to change it. Instead of focusing on the starting point, we help members look ahead and focus on their goals. We can tell you when you have lost some weight and gained some confidence in your new body, if you start to get compliments you may have a change of heart.
10. “I used to be really slim but now my body is out of control.”
Many members say that they used to be able to eat whatever they wanted, but not anymore. Perhaps the strategies that used to worked no longer do. As we get older, hormonal changes affect nearly everything, and weight management is just part of this. Making lifestyle changes that work with – not against – the changing body is essential.
If you feel you’d like to lose some weight over winter but have been putting it off, we’d love to have a chat. Fill out your details below and we’ll be in touch. You never know what you might make happen.