Snap Out Of It!

In the classic scene from Moonstruck, Cher hauls off and slaps Nicholas Cage and yells at him to, "Snap out of it!"

Do you need to "snap out of it" in regards to compulsive excuse making when it comes to working out?

Over the years lots of people have told me they hate exercising or they don't like to sweat or something similar. I'm almost to the point where I want to say, "Get over it!"

Sorry if that sounds unsympathetic but there are plenty of things I don't like doing but I still do. Regular physical activity is the rent you pay for a healthy body. It's especially troubling when people with health issues, who know they should be exercising, spend their days making excuses for why they "can't"/"shouldn't" work out.

It's a cop-out that so many people assume that regular exercisers love to work out. Some do but I don't think that's true for the vast majority of people. They simply accept the importance of exercise to their physical, mental, and emotional health and they just do it.

If you are someone who hates to exercise, here's a tip. Stop dwelling on how much you dislike it and start focusing on how much good it does for you. Don't allow yourself to spend all day coming up with reasons why you should skip your workout and start thinking about how good you feel after you're done or how proud you'll be for going.



In the immortal words of Jiminy Cricket...

"You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between"



It's no big revelation that what you focus on grows. If you're constantly programming yourself with an "I hate exercise and I don't want to do it" message, you are simply making it harder to get yourself into a regular workout routine.

Listen to Cher...

Quit the excuses, ladies!

Can you handle the truth? If so, here's an excellent article from Simon Dainton, a U.K. personal trainer.

Quit the excuses, ladies!

Do You Really Want to Drop Body Fat?

The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what you want most for what you want now. ~ Zig Ziglar


People say all the time that they want to lose weight, be able to play with their kids, get healthier, etc. But if you look at what they do, there's a clear disconnect.

People often claim they have no time for exercise but in the next breath they're discussing in detail what happened on American Idol, Lost and/or The Big Give.

If you're serious about fat loss, you need to start making commitments instead of excuses.

I have a client who claims he wants to drop some weight but he often talks about his wife being a terrific cook and baker. I've suggested he approach his wife by asking for her "help" but he doesn't want to. I know the woman and she'd cut back on the sweets and lighten up the dinners in a heartbeat if she thought he really wanted her to. In all fairness, he doesn't blame her; he accepts responsibility for what and how much he eats. The truth is he doesn't want to cut back on the treats and the seconds.

I had another client a while back who busted her butt in the gym but never lost any weight. Why? Although she worked out 3 times a week, she never did her "homework" (20-30 minutes of activity the other days of the week) and, contrary to her claims, she ate too much. Three hours of tough workouts a week will not make up for 165 sedentary hours and a lousy diet.

You can always find someone or something to blame.

* There are no healthy food places near my work to have lunch.
* My family insists that we have junk food in the house.
* My trainer doesn't work me hard enough.
* My family refuses to eat the healthy dinners I make.
* I don't have time to work out.
* I'm just too tired after work to exercise.
* I don't have time to prepare food.
* My husband/friend/co-worker/mother sabotagues me.
* My co-workers bring donuts to work every day.
* I can't afford a personal trainer.
* Family get-togethers always center around food.

It's up to you. If you're not ready to do what it takes to get what you want, fine. Just stop saying it can't be done because it can. You have to decide to start making lifestyle changes and then follow through. You have to want it more than you want to vegetate on the couch or eat an entire box of Girl Scout cookies.
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