This article is all about uncovering what excuses you might be using to get in shape for your big day. You might think that you don't have any excuses - after all - isn't the prospect of the wedding enough?
Maybe you might not even be aware of the excuses you're using, but I'm going to outline the four most common excuses that people use for staying unhappy with their health - and yes, it sounds harsh, but staying fat and unhappy.
The excuses we use become our reality, so if you are constantly repeating your excuses to yourself and anyone else who will listen, then you will stay exactly where you are.
I surveyed all of you on Twitter and Facebook for your best excuses why you don't take care of yourself, and these were the fop four.
"It's too cold"
My favourite excuse and plenty others when it's winter or if you live in a cold country. In fact, I used this excuse for everything - why I couldn't get up in the morning, why I ate bad food, why I was unhappy and why I was fat.
I knew that I either needed to move country, or find ways to get over this excuse and be true to my best health no matter what the weather.
Cold weather can be depressing and it can also make you want to curl up like a hedgehog and hibernate until summer comes around again. You don't feel like going to the gym, let alone taking your clothes off! It may also trigger cravings for warm comfort carbs like pizza or pasta to give your tummy a warm feeling.
Have you ever used this excuse? Here are my hot tips for when the temperature is chilly:
- Try Bikram or Hot Power Yoga, both are a fabulous way to get warm and you'll get fit and flexible at the same time. Bikram also works wonders on cellulite!
- Get to the sauna. It may not be exercise, but apparently it's great for getting rid of toxins through your sweat and it will make you feel great and help you sleep better as well.
- Get some simple equipment to exercise at home, like some hand weights or a mini trampoline. My trampoline is a god-send when I want to exercise but I can't face leaving the house to go to the gym.
- Add in some warming spices to your food and juices - ginger, paprika, chillies, cinnamon to warm you from the inside.
- If you can't face salad, then try some steamed veggies or a baked potato or sweet potato, it will satisfy you more than stodgy pasta or pizza.
- If you feel yourself suffering from winter depression or SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), consider getting a sun lamp or sun clock to wake you in the morning.
"It's too hot"
From Michal in Australia (via Twitter)
I forget that some people in the southern hemisphere have this problem when I'm in winter in the UK. At first I thought - what a great problem to have, but actually I do remember those humid hot days growing up in Australia when you just want to lie around under a ceiling fan and not move.
Heat can make you feel sluggish and lazy, and you may have a craving for cold treats like soda soft drinks, or ice-cream. The good news is that light salads are perfect for hot weather.
- Go for a nice walk either morning or afternoon (especially if you have long light summer nights) when it's cooler. Particularly if you have a beach (lucky you!) or park to explore.
- Really experiment with making your salads fun and interesting, using a lot of herbs and different colours to make them exciting and tasty.
- Put lots of ice in your raw fruit and vegetable juices and smoothies.
- Make cold raw treats, like raw ice-cream or dairy-free gelato to cool you off.
- Borrow a neighbour's dog and go to the park to enjoy the late afternoon cooler air. Don't forget to take a ball!
- Remind yourself of the lovely air-conditioning at the gym, or visit the local pool to cool off and get some exercise at the same time.
"I don't have the time"
From Jo in Sydney (via Twitter)
This is a common excuse and is probably one of the ones you use too. The pace of life is crazy enough without having a wedding to organise. Even when you aren't busy being a bride-to-be, there's work to deal with, family, friends, hobbies, commuting, and all the other parts of modern life - who has time to exercise?
Often following this excuse is the best one - "I'll do it tomorrow" and we've all been guilty of this self deception. You'll know from experience but it's pretty hard to get an amazing body if you eat crap and don't exercise (unless you're Kate Moss and then we all hate you!).
So, what do you do if you genuinely are pressed for time?
Celebrity fitness guru JJ Virgin suggests "bursting" which is just doing a very high intense exercise for a couple of minutes, like running flat out or skipping rope, rather than hours of the gym. I'm a big fan of that philosophy because I like to get big results for very little effort!
That's why I love rebounding on my trampoline. It's apparently a very efficient form of exercise, recommended even by NASA as apparently the g-force of the motion works every part of your body! Genius! If you haven't tried rebounding, then try it the next time you're at the gym before you commit to buying one for yourself.
Another way to buy yourself some time - turn off the TV - better yet, give it away as I did. Time flies in front of the "idiot box" and now my evenings and weekends feel much more spacious. Unplug it at the wall, so you have to make an effort just to watch it randomly and maybe then you won't bother.
If you are going to watch TV, then maybe in the ad breaks, you could do some quick exercise, like doing some tricep dips or sit-ups. Most of the ads are for junk food anyway, so it's best if you don't watch them!
"I'm too tired"
We've all been there. Coming home from a big day at work, a miserable commute and more wedding chores to do - sometimes the last thing on your mind is exercising. And maybe you can't be bothered to cook so you order in a big greasy take-away.
Being tired looks like a great excuse on paper, until you realise that taking the time to exercise and eat healthy food actually gives you more energy and becomes a virtuous circle. Being tired, not moving your body and eating junk food leads to more feeling tired and more junk food - a terrible vicious circle.
An easy and free way to being less tired is to get more sleep. In fact it was the most important tip in my "3 Secrets to becoming a Sexy Superbride" article. Here are a few of the tips I suggested to ensure you are rested at night.
- Cut back on caffeine, energy drinks or sugary desserts late at night.
- Oprah does the "no food after 6pm" rule - not even a grape she says. Heavy cooked meals late at night will keep you up with indigestion, but I find that a raw salad or juice is fine until quite late, without disturbing my sleep too much.
- My new thing - separate quilts in winter! This saves me lots of waking up during the night wresting the quilt from Mark.
- Do you need a bedroom makeover? Maybe new sheets for the bed, decluttering your room or taking out distracting electronic gadgets.
What are your excuses?
We all have our own favourite excuses why we aren't taking care of ourselves enough. But girlfriend, that wedding will come around quicker than you can imagine, so it's time to come clean and decide that no excuse will come between you and that dream wedding day body.
On your piece of paper, write down your top reasons why you aren't happy with your body right now. Come up with as many as you want and see if yours match these common ones. You might have "I'll do it tomorrow", "I'm too busy planning a wedding" or "I'm sick!"
My favourite excuse for too long was - "I'm too lazy". Wasn't that a great affirmation!? Thank god I don't talk to myself like that anymore, and hopefully you don't either.
In your journal, write down your top 3 reasons, and then write down 1-2 actions under each one to make that excuse much easier for you to overcome.
What are the REAL reasons?
You probably agreed with most of the reasons I outlined, but actually they usually aren't the real reasons why you may be fat and unhappy.
Most of the reasons are just hollow excuses but they give us permission to live unsatisfied with our health but feeling powerless to do anything about it.
Have you ever really uncovered what your true reasons might be? If you really did some soul searching, maybe some other reason might come up. What about?
I don't deserve to have a healthy body
I'm afraid if I'm thin then I'll.....
I'm just not destined to be healthy
There's something wrong with me or my body
Do any of these resonate with you? Do you think that these are your real excuses for not living the life of your dreams with the body you've always wanted?
Are you ready to deal with these, rather than the superficial ones? Or do you feel scared about what you might uncover about yourself?
Two great books I'd recommend are Louise Hay's 'You Can Heal Your Life' and Fat is a Feminist Issue by Susie Orbach (Dont be afraid of the title!). They both help you uncover what might really be bothering you and what your "issues" around body image and self sabotage might be really about.
If you're interested in uncovering some of your own reasons, I'd love to help you. If you are a DIY person, you might like The Raw Brides Transformation Plan - an 8 week programme ebook with some great free bonuses. It's available for immediate download so you can start straight away.
If you need a little accountability, considering signing up for a single or a course of training sessions. Find out more about coaching with me here. I always have a coach to help me with an important area of my life, and now might be a perfect time for you to try it.
Uncover your excuses and you'll see what little power they really hold over you.
© Denise Duffield-Thomas
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I have no time SO i always choose bedroom makeover to make up.
Posted by: Electronic Gadgets | June 2011 at 01:44 PM