As a health coach and personal trainer, I hear a LOT of excuses. And that’s fine! People always apologize for having an excuse but I see my job as that of someone who is there to hear you out and help you puzzle through it so we can find a solution that FEELS good.
The last thing I want is to tell you to do something that is stressing you out or stretching you beyond what you’re comfortable with.
Let’s check out the 5 most common excuses I hear from people about why they aren’t hitting their healthy living goals or why they can't commit to getting healthy. If any of these resonate, check out my tips to help you get after it and prioritize YOU!
1. "It's Too Expensive"
I am with you on this one - living a holistically healthy lifestyle can cost a lot of money! Getting all the coaching and tools you need to make it work for your goals can have you shelling out bucks for a trainer, classes, a chiropractor, a life coach, a nutritionist and more!
I believe strongly that our health, wellness, and happiness should not be a luxury item.
My goal is to help provide super high quality coaching, resources, and the information you need to succeed (not using scare tactics and hooking you in for a lifetime of dependency on other people for what you need). And there are more people like me out there. The industry is changing and it is high time!
My Savage Tips:
Know where to spend your money. Find one person you trust and make a plan that you are confident in. Trying everything and anything will do nothing other than have you investing a ton of money and a tiny bit of effort in everything. That will get you nowhere fast.
If someone is selling you something with no coaching - DON’T DO IT. If someone is making you buy supplements without a plan, DON’T DO IT.
Check the EWG’s dirty dozen to learn about where to spend your money on organic foods vs. what is ok to consume non organic.
Meal plan. There are some great services like Ends and Stems (use code WHOLEMOM for your first month free!) and Skinny Taste that provide meal plans for free or cheap. Cook at home and consume unprocessed foods as much as possible.
Workout at home. There are a lot of great resources for this (like me!) with really great workouts you can follow on your own. I am definitely biased, but being able to reach out to a trusted coach to help modify and ensure that you are doing what will work for your goals is ideal. And make sure you have a plan ;)
2. "My cravings are out of control and I’m too tired to fight them."
This is LEGIT. Cravings are for real. And it is really hard to feel in control of them. Fighting them sucks and feels horrible and exhausting and punitive.
My Savage Tips:
Work on cleaning up your nutrition, eating consistent nutrient dense foods throughout the day and getting 7-9 hours of sleep. This will help balance out your cortisol levels and depleted adrenaline stores that are getting in your way. Once you get this balanced out, you can eat a cookie because you want a delicious cookie, not because you need to eat 13 Oreos.
Use my free S.Well Points App to help track your healthy choices and stay consistent. Give yourself a point for eating consistently and avoiding processed foods so you can celebrate your successes and stay on track!
The key here (and the clutch to all of my programming, at least in the beginning) is getting the hormones balanced out. Reduce cortisol, stop the adrenaline depletion and you'll be back in the driver's seat.
3. "I love to workout but I don’t have time so I just keep gaining weight/can’t lose weight."
It’s not your lack of workouts that is causing the weight gain. It’s your nutrition and your lack of consistent healthy choices. Blaming not getting to workouts for your weight gain is like blaming not having a bandaid for why you’re bleeding. It helps for sure, but it is not the cause of the issue, nor is it the solution.
There are plenty of ways to get more active during your day that will, over time, burn a ton of calories and keep you HEALTHY. And a nutrition plan is where you need to focus to solve the weight gain issue.
My Savage Tip:
Check out my Savage Six post for my 6 best tips on how to live healthier amidst a busy lifestyle.
Reduce your sources of stress (lack of sleep, too long between meals and snacks, workouts that are too intense for your body) and watch the energy flow and cravings subside. You can do this. It's all in your control and every choice you make can be a step toward a healthier lifestyle. It's not about the workouts.
Try these tips to help make time for fitness!
4. "I go to my favorite workout class 4 times a week so I’m already investing a lot in my healthy living. And I still can’t seem to hit my goals."
This happens quite often! And that’s so awesome that you are getting to classes! So keep doing that! But maybe you’re doing it for the wrong reason? Or maybe just the stress of getting there is hindering your progress. Or maybe your nutrition and negative self talk are sabotaging your efforts.
You create an expectation that by investing in something that you've seen work for others will get you to your goal. But without a look at your specific goal, your specific life, and your specific needs, you can, instead, just spin your wheels. You create a vicious cycle of stress and indulging and relying on your workouts to hit your goals that you work super hard and spend a ton of money and don’t feel any more awesome than you did before.
My Savage Tips:
This is easily solvable. Find someone who can help you come up with a plan that will get you to your goals and feel great while doing it!
A coach can help you figure out what to do so the stress of just winging it, working hard and hoping for the best doesn’t have to be a part of it.
Create a plan that you know you can stick to and that you are confident will get you to your goals and you’ll be golden! No guess work and no trial and error. Sweat it up at Soul Cycle because you love it, not because you need it.
5. "I know what to do, I just need more hours in the day."
Yes you do! But we all know that’s not possible. So you need to get creative. If you are a parent you have at least one full time job, not including any jobs you may actually get paid for. That doesn’t leave room for much else.
My Savage Tips:
You have to change the way you approach healthy living. The all or nothing approach that worked for us in our youth isn’t an option anymore. A consistent nutrition plan - I’m not talking about Whole30 or Keto here - is the only approach that will work for any long term results or sustained changes.
Find something that you can do forever. That sounds boring but it’s not! Decreasing sugar intake and processed foods forever will have a much bigger impact on your health and waistline than no sugar or processed foods for a month.
Same with your workouts. Take the stairs when you can. Go on walks with the kids or your partner or for a meeting. Do 5 minutes of strength work or HIIT whenever you have a mo or do 20 minutes every morning or evening (see workout below).
Change your mindset, change your approach and create the change you need.
Make. more. time. That’s right, I said it! Whether it’s skipping the evening TV time or waking up earlier, I know it’s there and so do you. Interested in Magic Mornings?Join my upcoming 2 week group challenge and create the morning routine you need to help you kickstart your day (email me for details!)!
No excuses, right?! Try this quick cardio workout! Do it for 10 minutes or loop it for an awesome 30 minute strength and cardio workout! (By clicking on this workout you are agreeing to the Savage Wellness Disclaimer and Terms of Use