Stop Making Excuses!!!!

TrailNurse
TrailNurse Posts: 359 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Just dishing out some tough love here. I am seeing way too many posts about how people are ready to give up because their equipment broke or someone in their family is sick or their work schedule has changed or they are not seeing results quick enough. Insert excuse here __________.

If you are genuinely serious about your health YOU WILL NOT allow anything to come between you and your fitness/diet goals. Stop making excuses and start being a little selfish with your time and get busy doing what you know you need to do. Be accountable for your own health!

If you do not improve your health, you will not be there for your family, work or pleasures in life. Plain and simple.

Replies

  • brirandle1
    brirandle1 Posts: 22 Member
    Think you are a bit judgemental on your post. I do understand what you are saying that your health is most important in order to deal with aspects of your life (family, work, friends, etc). But circumstances do come up that can get in the way of working out that you can not help, even being accountable for your health. I for one was working out two years ago, losing weight but was diagnosed with several pulmonary embollisms which were detected probably because of my working out. I was in the hospital for 1 1/2 weeks and had to take it easy for a good 6 months. It was very hard getting back into working out, but Iam back on the horse. There are many other reasons out there that can interfere with a healthier you besides mine, so think you may just lighten up on your judgement of people before you know their story.
  • oedipa_maas
    oedipa_maas Posts: 577 Member
    Come on now, sick relatives? "Sorry you're in hospice Aunt Gertrude, but I have to go do me some squats."

    Otherwise, yes yes, no excuses, tough love, etc.
  • mysmileighs
    mysmileighs Posts: 103 Member
    The changes we make to improve our fitness/weight are supposed to be lifestyle changes...and they're supposed to be changes that last for life. Sometimes life happens. Stuff gets in the way. Stuff we can't just push off so we can work out. We just have to do the best we can, forgive our mistakes, and continue on. IMO we ought to be encouraging to the people who want to quit because of setbacks - they said something and asked for help! Not encourage them to quit, but encourage them that they can do it! Yes, sometimes you have to suck it up and just do it, and thats what we can do to help. Remind them how good they'll feel when they do it, accomplish that next goal, etc. :smile:
  • TrailNurse
    TrailNurse Posts: 359 Member
    Come on people.....I am not talking about a pulmonary embolism. Get real! I am talking about the excuses people use every day to get out of working out. They are looking for every excuse in the book and then their next post is, " I have been working out for two weeks, why am I not losing weight?"

    If your relative is in the hospital.....go order a grilled chicken breast from the cafeteria and walk around the building a few times. Doesn't take a whole lot of thought. You know y'all don't spend 24 hours a day without food at a bed side vigil. Like I said, stop making excuses!
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,300 Member
    Maybe some people whose sick relatives are in hospital dont walk around the block several times because they want to spend time at the bedside, you know, with their relative?

    I met a woman yesterday who had a baby with an ear infection, husband is in hospital after having massive heart attack, and then her MIL passed away suddenly.

    I know, no excuse for not excercising that day.
  • marz42
    marz42 Posts: 223 Member
    Maybe some people whose sick relatives are in hospital dont walk around the block several times because they want to spend time at the bedside, you know, with their relative?

    I met a woman yesterday who had a baby with an ear infection, husband is in hospital after having massive heart attack, and then her MIL passed away suddenly.

    I know, no excuse for not excercising that day.

    Yeah I'm with you. When my late b.f. was in the hospital with cancer, and things were constantly going wrong, and we never knew when a doctor might finally show up to give us info, nope, sorry, walks around the block were just not going to happen, and far too much coffee and chocolate were consumed. I went home 2 nights in 2 weeks, and I still wish I hadn't.
    There are plenty of other minor things that really are just excuses trying to talk yourself out of it, but I also think OP is being way too judgmental about it. Everyone sets their own standards for these things by their own values, not anyone elses.

    Also I think they key thing isn't so much to never ever let yourself off the hook, but that if something throws you off, don't throw in the towel and give up, just keep getting back up on the horse.
  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
    I agree with the OP, if you have time to eat, and sleep, then you can make time to exercise, otherwise you are just making excuses.

    Rigger

    ETA for spelling.
  • dakotababy
    dakotababy Posts: 2,407 Member
    Yes. I have been through 4 job changes, going from shift work to full time back to shift work and then back again! It has been absolutely crazy, but by no means is it an excuse! This change is for LIFE, not just until "something comes up".

    After the last 2 years, I have found excuses are the easiest to come up with, but will be the reason why you fail. Thanks for this awesome and motivational post! :D
  • be_AL
    be_AL Posts: 15 Member
    It's about prioritization and time management.

    Life is FULL of stresses and problems and barriers and sick Auntie Gertrudes. Work around it, if you're serious. The bigger message here is DON'T BLAME OTHERS FOR YOUR HEALTH CHOICES.

    If you get injured from lifting then lift something else, do cardio, focus on your eating but DON'T GIVE UP!! I'm not perfect, but I'm also not COMPLAINING about my lack of progress after staying away from the gym due to injury for months. Either do something to help yourself or SHUT UP ABOUT IT!

    To beast, or not to beast, that is the question...
  • jenn3365
    jenn3365 Posts: 26 Member
    I am going out on a limb here to assume the op is talking excuses in the line of " the dog ate my homework", not someone's mother or father is dieing in the hospital.
    This is my first post on mfp. I agree stop making excuses and just go for it. I made excuses for the last 15 years. Car accident, total hip replacement with reconstruction, both shoulders have had acj reconstruction, costochondritis(swore it was a heart attack) and neuropathy of the legs besides many other things. I woke up finally and said enough excuses. I started eating healthy and doing what ever physical activity I could tolerate. Of course my other hip is bothering me. No excuses, no reason to over eat, and definitely no reason not to move. I have lost 59lbs since march 2014. I even have had the German measle last month only kept me down one day. I am determined. I think we all need to have to want it enough just to start small and try and make it a habit. If you can not walk move your arms. It becomes easier. I would love to have arms like the op. Sorry for the long post.
  • brirandle1
    brirandle1 Posts: 22 Member
    Think the steroids have effected your brain lol
  • monolith66
    monolith66 Posts: 168 Member
    I agree with OP. Same philosophy here.
  • GelasiaT
    GelasiaT Posts: 74 Member
    My thoughts exactly. It's like my saying, "It's time we stop making excuses for not doing what needs to be done, but rather doing what needs to be done because there is no excuse not to". I think OP understands certain health situations do arise in ones life, as well as problems with relatives, but in general we do embark on this journey for life, so we must keep that in mind.

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