The excuses we tell ourselves, and others

Sued0nim

I've been thinking about this a lot recently

How we all have our reasons and excuses for how we got overweight or out of condition, or both

How valid they always seem, real...how can anyone else understand the pressures we are under

So I thought it would be fun to pull together a list of all the excuses you have made

For me

1) I have no time...busy working mum...how can I exercise or food prepare
2) I'm asthmatic..I can't get out of breath
3) I'm middle aged I just accept this is how my Iife is now
4) I don't care, I'm happy how I am ...I look fine
5) I've had that major health crisis, and that health scare
6) my family takes priority ...my husband and kids are skinny
7) I love cheese and food ...why should I?
8) I love eating and being horizontal
9) I'm just so exhausted
10) I go out a lot with friends

Not one of them a reason, all an excuse

Recognise them? Have any to add?

MarMcGrath

This is a great idea.

I relate to a lot of these for sure, especially No. 01!

Some to add -

1) I deserve a treat - except when something is an everyday thing, it's no longer a treat is it?
2) It's not fair that I have to work harder than others to see the same results - life's not fair, duh
3) I stress eat due to mental illness - Nope, I stress eat to relieve stress... FIND ANOTHER WAY TO RELIEVE IT

How easily we convince ourselves that our reasoning is valid when its just another "lazy way out".

Emily3907

I definitely recognize 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9. I have the following to add:

- I went through x (personal tragedy) and did a lot of emotional eating.
- I have x (disease or condition) that makes it harder for me to lose weight. (For me personally, it is PCOS. However, I had PCOS and maintained a healthy weight for years prior to my weight gain. So, this is an excuse in my case, but maybe not for all.)

JenniK614

Those definitely sound familiar.

I would also add:
1. It's in my genes.
2. I come from a family of big people.
3. I like food too much to eat less.

kristen6350

My big ones were:

1. I'm tall and "big boned", it's perfectly normal to wear a very tight 14. BTW, no it's not. You can wear a 6 and look perfectly normal.
2. I've had a rough day, I'm just going graze because I don't want to make a "difficult" meal. Sorry, again, cooking healthy isn't difficult.
3. Oh, I'm just getting older, I can't assume I'll weigh what I weighed at 20. I currently weight LESS than I did at 20.

Now, I'll never be a gym rat or even like exercise. But I can stop stuffing my pie hole. And I did and lost almost 50lbs.

WickedPineapple

Oh yeah, I still struggle with #9 occasionally.

Personally, I have these to add:

My blood pressure and bloodwork are all in the healthy range, so I'm healthy.
I've always been overweight, so I'm meant to be overweight.
I have a large frame, so I'm meant to be overweight. (I actually do have a medium to large frame, it just wasn't as significant as I thought it was.)

Sued0nim

Oh the "i deserve to eat that". *nods*

All of these I've felt at one stage or another I think

Also I carry my weight well, everyone tells me I look great so I don't need to ...never really getting that that's what people do

SingRunTing

JenniK614 wrote: »

Those definitely sound familiar.

I would also add:
1. It's in my genes.
2. I come from a family of big people.
3. I like food too much to eat less.

Yup, this was my list too.

Basically I thought that I could never be thin. Never. So why even bother?

I was so wrong.

scolaris

Yes! My worst: I'm so fit, how can I be fat? I'm just a large woman...
hahaha

Ninkyou

1. I worked out, I deserve to have a burger, fries and milkshake (now, there's nothing wrong with fast food, but the complete disregard for calories in and out was frequent)
2. I'm out of breath 5 minutes into a workout so I won't bother (stop trying to go balls to the wall!)
3. I've already ruined my diet with eating X, might as well toss the rest of the day out the window and keep eating crap (It's not an all or nothing kind of deal, you know!)
4. I'm too tired. (ha, what a joke. I'm always tired. It's really not a valid excuse)
5. I don't know where to start. (It doesn't matter where you start, just do it. Either start counting calories, start simple exercise, eating less, whatever. Just start and you'll learn along the way.
6. I don't like vegetables or salads. I can't eat food like a rabbit. (You don't have to. You can still eat your favorite foods. Moderation. It works wonders.)

gothchiq

"exercise is boring." dude, that's what ear buds and smartphones are for.

CoffeeNCardio

No one in my genome is thin, why on earth could I be? If they can't get thin, how could I? It must just be how we are, there is no way to change your genes...

Long story short, I'm 15.5 down!

PeachyCarol

Oh boy do some of these resonate with me! A lot of what I've said to myself has already been stated, but I'll reiterate and add a few:

1. It's genetic
2. My body works differently than a thin person's
3. I have medical conditions working against me, I just can't exercise
4. I'm so stressed, I can't handle the stress of dieting
5. I carry my weight well
6. My husband loves me as I am, why bother
7. I eat healthy, this is the weight my body wants to be obviously

sijomial

It wasn't my fault I was fat - it was the car driver who used my knee to take the bumper (US = fender) off his car.

Although there was an element of truth in that 3 months on crutches and some level of permanent disability contributed to me getting fat it was me that failed to take responsibility for my food intake for the next 20 years.

If I had worked as hard on getting slim as I did on regaining my fitness I wouldn't have been "fit but fat" all the way through my 30's and 40's. A bit embarrassing really but that's the nature of excuses, far easier to blame someone or something else rather than take a long hard look in the mirror.

strong_curves

My biggest excuse was "I don't eat that much". Well I thought I wasn't eating a lot then I started logging here and realized I DO eat a lot, much more than I realized especially when it came to snack foods.

DeguelloTex

I'm so tall the extra weight doesn't show much.

OK, for a long time, maybe it didn't. Then it did.

NobodyPutsAmyInTheCorner

I have PCOS.
I have PCOS.
I have PCOS.

The biggest excuse I've ever used.

BethAnnieT

"I deserve this treat" is my big one. Like, all the time. Still.

maidentl

"I must be addicted to sugar/carbs/food." Nah. I can now stop at a cookie or a handful of chips (not to say I always do but I can)

Rawr1978

1. I have 3 kids, I'm too tired.
2. I have too much work to catch up on.
3. I feel sick (which is really just the result of not working out)
4. These stretched-out yoga pants will do me a bit more (it's been 4 years)
5. I like food. I really like this chocolate. And this mac and cheese. I don't want to cook.
6. If I just keep covered head to toe, no one will see just how fat I've become.

Ninkyou

strong_curves wrote: »

My biggest excuse was "I don't eat that much". Well I thought I wasn't eating a lot then I started logging here and realized I DO eat a lot, much more than I realized especially when it came to snack foods.

Oh yeah, this one too.

It's not the quantity, it's the calories.

My own mother uses this excuse ALL THE TIME. Needless to say, she's still morbidly obese.

zdyb23456

I'll start tomorrow... for real.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

Rawr1978

Until the morning arrives when you've thrown all your blankets off, your massive (seriously, i have an overlapping gut) belly is hanging out, literally, and you're embarrassed when you realize that your bf has seen it.

EmmieBaby

1. I'm tired
2. I don't have time
3. I already binged there is no point today
4. it's raining/snowing
5. TOM
6. I'm sick
7. Just one piece
8. I can eat this in moderation
9. I've been good all week
10. my weight isn't changing, what's the point
11. I don't feel like it
12. I'll start next week

maidentl

zdyb23456 wrote: »

I'll start tomorrow... for real.

No no, everyone knows you can't start a new diet until Monday. :laugh:

missblondi2u

I can relate to many of these! Here are some of mine:

1. All the women in my family are big, so I guess that's just how I'm supposed to be.
--Right, like we all have this gene that magically injects fat into your body at the age of 25--

2. My husband still thinks I'm sexy! Who cares what other people think!
--Ever think MAYBE he's just being the kind, loving man he is as opposed to thinking 75 extra pounds is hot--

3. Life's too short not to enjoy the foods you love.
--Ok, but enjoying food is different than binge eating chocolate all day, every day. Besides, eating all that junk is going to make life a little shorter--

kailyw05

I'm too busy.
I can't afford a gym membership or healthy foods.
If I don't have time for minimum 1 hour workout there's no point.

My aha moment was realizing it's not all about exercise or salads, it's about eating less, moving more. Half hour workouts at home go a long way as long as you stay consistent.

WickedPineapple

strong_curves wrote: »

My biggest excuse was "I don't eat that much". Well I thought I wasn't eating a lot then I started logging here and realized I DO eat a lot, much more than I realized especially when it came to snack foods.

This is a good one. I don't think anyone really understands how much they eat until they pay attention for awhile.

viperbrick

It's the weekend.
It's a party.
I'm on vacation.
It's Friday.
I never get to have X, it's special.
I've lost so much already, faster than I thought I would, maybe I should slow down, it's not a race.

Thanks for this thread, I needed this!

Liftng4Lis

I'm lazy.