Excuses.  We all make them.  I make them.  I’ve never met anybody who hasn’t made an excuse for something at some time.  An excuse for having done something.  An excuse for not doing something.  An excuse for why something is the way it is.  Excuses… excuses… excuses.

The more I look at the word, the more un-appealing it is: 

But that is what an excuse is; an apology, often, and in the case of health, diet and weight loss, to oneself.  “I would have exercised but…”.  “I didn’t stick to my diet because…”.   “I don’t drink enough water because…”.  You haven’t faulted or offended anyone but yourself.  Well, maybe the people who love you and want to see you healthy are also offended.

Excuses get us no where but stuck.  They keep us from being who we really want to be and doing what we really want to do.  They hold us back.  They keep us in a negative state of mind. 

So why do we make excuses?  It would be easy to say it is because we don’t want something badly enough.  But I don’t believe that.  Not for me.  Not for anybody.  I don’t know a person who doesn’t want to be healthy.  I’ve never met a person who is truly happy being overweight. 

Okay.  Not everybody likes to exercise.  Or so they think.  At least that what they tell themselves.  But really?  I find it hard to believe that everybody who claims to not like exercising is looking at the whole picture.  Saying you don’t like to exercise is closed-minded.  I don’t like to run.  But I can walk miles and miles.  I’m not a huge fan of participating in team sports like basketball (probably because I am shy; not to mention that many team sports require eye-hand coordination, which is not my strong point).  I love to bicycle.  I love to dance.  I love practicing yoga.

Saying “I don’t like to exercise” is only an excuse for not exploring one’s options.  Swimming.  Skating.  Dancing.  Skiing.  Water ballet.  The options are endless.  Get rid of the closed, negative mind-set.  If the word exercise sends you into a state of panic, change the verb.  Find what works for you.  It’s a matter of moving your muscles. 

The same is true for dieting.  I hate dieting.  Did I say hate?… because I meant hate.  Who likes to diet?  Nobody I know.  So change the sentence.  I don’t diet.  I eat right.  I eat healthy.  I also eat realistically, meaning yes, I occasionally give in to that yummy bowl of ice cream.   

And be open minded.  Just like with exercise, you can’t possibly have tried all the healthy options out there.  Remember… healthy is not synonymous with icky.  I should know.  When I was diagnosed with Celiac I had no choice but to change my diet.  Gluten free options barely existed 11 years ago. 

I remember standing in the grocery store crying and my very young son asking why.  My response,”because there is nothing for me to eat” couldn’t have been farther from the truth.  I simply had to shift my mind-set to shift my diet.  I dried my tears, put on my big-girl pants, and did it.  And I have never looked back.  Bonus:  my now teen-alien son is a very healthy, diverse eater.

You can shift, too.  Healthy means happy in so many ways.  More energy.  Better self-image.  More youthful.  Less disease.  Less medical expense (translation: more money for fun stuff).  The list goes on and on.

So let’s quit making excuses.  Let’s think positive.  Let’s get moving.  Let’s get healthy.  Let’s get happy.  Are you with me?  We can do this together!

Namaste!

~~Heather

P.S.  I will begin sharing healthy recipes today… so remember to “like” me!