It is amazing to hear just how many excuses people can come up with when it comes to avoiding an exercise and healthy living program.
You have to admire the range of some people's imagination when it comes to devising a plausible excuse.
There are of course the standard platitudes such as "I just don't have the time" or "I'm too busy" right down to the plain bizarre, like "I've heard that exercise is actually bad for you" or "I don't want to look like a body builder".
My personal favorite was from a good friend of mine who came up with the classic line "I can't go on a diet because I am allergic to salad".
Geez, the ole "I'm allergic" excuse will hold up in any court of law so how do you argue with that? In reality these excuses are made to cover a genuine fear, the fear of failure.
It is perhaps the most debilitating of fears and a significant factor as to why so many people choose not to embark upon a new regime.
After all if you don't try then you can't fail can you? Sadly this is a vicious circle.
If you are overweight and are having issues with feelings of low self-esteem or self worth, your failure to try to change your current situation will only exacerbate those feelings and consequently only worsen your state of mind.
There is only one cure for excuse fever and that is the following: ACTION.
It really is as simple as that, you can cure the curse of excuse fever by taking action.
If you just saw your to-do list get miles longer, relax...
as long as you are doing slightly more than you did yesterday then you are well on the way to ridding yourself of those dreaded excuses.
You don't need to go out and climb Everest or run the New York Marathon; you just need to take the first step on your road to a long and healthy life.
Now taking that first step is actually the most challenging and you should congratulate yourself on having the guts to commit to a better life, many people don't.
The problem is that a huge number of people fail to see it through, the statistics make harsh reading.
Somewhere between 80-90% of people who start a weight loss or fitness program will either pile the weight back on or return to their original fitness level.
So why is that? If you have had the guts to commit to a change in lifestyle and have cured yourself of excuse fever, why do you find yourself back at square one? I personally believe it all boils down to one word.
SUPPORT.
You have taken action and the first steps towards a healthier life and things are going great.
You have lost a few pounds and you feel fitter when suddenly you hit a bump in the road.
Perhaps you have actually put on a pound or your workout doesn't go as planned.
This leads to a feeling of frustration and the thought that perhaps it isn't worth the hassle.
This is the point where your support network comes into its own.
You can equip yourself with all the information and knowledge in the world but there is no substitute for a great support network when the going gets tough.
And, for heavens sake, make sure it is a supportive support network.
Give a few people the approval to hold you to your goals and not accept excuses.
Choose people who will ask you better questions and help you see your world differently.
Don't have someone like that nearby? Then join forums (there are lots of good ones out there) or hire a coach.
Just make sure the person who supports you provides a spoonful of Stevia to help their encouraging medicine go down.
After all, you want to break your excuse fever in the most delightful way!