Excuse Level 1
It's officially the 3rd year of my Great Flirtation with Fitness!
The last 2 Januaries were nice because when I looked back a year, the changes were huge - I'd dropped down a few dress sizes, my weight in kilos reduced dramatically, and my fitness level several notches higher than when I first started out.
THIS year, though? Disappointing. Not disastrous, just disappointing. Last year, I committed to Hakeem's Veggiesaurs program and was excited about the changes I would see a year on.
Well, there have been zero changes. I'm at the same weight, same dress size, same fitness level as exactly one year ago today.
Now, sure, that's not a bad thing at all, coz at least I didn't gain weight, right? The problem is that I wasn't consistent at all this year. I went through cycles of frenzied workouts + healthy eating and fat-ass binges with no exercise for weeks on end.
You'd think that after a couple years of this, I'd have at least done away with Excuses (the number one cause of obesity in me). No such thing.
My excuses not to work out are divided into these categories.
Mainstream
These excuses are pretty common; I used them a lot when I was obese years ago, and I still use them now. I've gotten over a lot of the other 'mainstream' excuses, like "I can't afford to exercise (money-wise)," or "I don't know how or where to start." The rest are taking a while to unstick themselves.
1] I DON'T HAVE TIME.
Bullshit. I have time. When I don't have time, it's because I didn't schedule exercise in. I have 30 minutes to fuck around online, I have 30 minutes to work out.
2] I FUCKED UP ALL OF THIS WEEK, ANYWAY.
The seduction of A Clean Slate, where, presumably, I can continue to fuck up this entire week and start over next week, because MIGHT AS WELL.
3] I WORKED OUT A LOT YESTERDAY AND THE DAY BEFORE.
So I can afford to sit on my ass all day today and consume obscene amounts of pop and cheese puffs while watching Parks and Recreation.
Reasonable
Redundant, because excuses are excuses.
1] I'LL MAKE TODAY MY REST DAY.
In theory, this makes sense, because I DO have one rest day per week, and I don't schedule those rest days, so I can pick one where I am the most busy. In practice, this always results in FOUR rest days instead of the original ONE.
2] I HAVE MY PERIOD.
It's funny that I use my Female Card. ON MYSELF. IN A WHINY VOICE. Expecting I will buy it. 'Oh, but I am indisposed because of menstrual cramps and God created me with this faulty female reproductive system that causes pain whine whine whine" BULLSHIT. I have none of these aches and hurts.
Super Villains
These babies, though. These are the Bad Guys. They always win, because they are RIGHT.
1] I BARELY SLEPT LAST NIGHT.
Seriously, you can't work out on 2 hours of sleep. SO FUCKING SLEEP.
2] I SHOULD FOCUS ON CLEANING UP MY DIET, NOT WORKING OUT.
And yes, this whole 80%-of-weight-loss-is-diet business is true. And I do need to work on my diet. This excuse wins all the time, because I use the days I don't exercise to "work on my diet". That's a lie. I don't. I stuff my face with bacon.
3] I'M INJURED.
My fear of injury has been the main reason I never sacrifice form (which has resulted to very little injury, a very nice loop). But this fear is also the one that tells me I can't work out because I have a slight headache (probably from sleeping or staring at a screen too long), or that slight crick in my back will likely cause death, or that stomachache will cause some vomiting mid-workout.
BULLSHIT. I DON'T HAVE THESE ACHES AND PAINS.
Your biggest enemy is not yourself. It's the excuses. Which are made by... yourself. So your biggest enemy is yourself. Yes.
I let myself go through each of these excuses pre-workout, every time, and then I end it with "Well, how bad do you want it?" In theory, and sometimes in practice, this really works.
What are your excuses?
The last 2 Januaries were nice because when I looked back a year, the changes were huge - I'd dropped down a few dress sizes, my weight in kilos reduced dramatically, and my fitness level several notches higher than when I first started out.
THIS year, though? Disappointing. Not disastrous, just disappointing. Last year, I committed to Hakeem's Veggiesaurs program and was excited about the changes I would see a year on.
Well, there have been zero changes. I'm at the same weight, same dress size, same fitness level as exactly one year ago today.
Now, sure, that's not a bad thing at all, coz at least I didn't gain weight, right? The problem is that I wasn't consistent at all this year. I went through cycles of frenzied workouts + healthy eating and fat-ass binges with no exercise for weeks on end.
You'd think that after a couple years of this, I'd have at least done away with Excuses (the number one cause of obesity in me). No such thing.
My excuses not to work out are divided into these categories.
Mainstream
These excuses are pretty common; I used them a lot when I was obese years ago, and I still use them now. I've gotten over a lot of the other 'mainstream' excuses, like "I can't afford to exercise (money-wise)," or "I don't know how or where to start." The rest are taking a while to unstick themselves.
1] I DON'T HAVE TIME.
Bullshit. I have time. When I don't have time, it's because I didn't schedule exercise in. I have 30 minutes to fuck around online, I have 30 minutes to work out.
2] I FUCKED UP ALL OF THIS WEEK, ANYWAY.
The seduction of A Clean Slate, where, presumably, I can continue to fuck up this entire week and start over next week, because MIGHT AS WELL.
3] I WORKED OUT A LOT YESTERDAY AND THE DAY BEFORE.
So I can afford to sit on my ass all day today and consume obscene amounts of pop and cheese puffs while watching Parks and Recreation.
Reasonable
Redundant, because excuses are excuses.
1] I'LL MAKE TODAY MY REST DAY.
In theory, this makes sense, because I DO have one rest day per week, and I don't schedule those rest days, so I can pick one where I am the most busy. In practice, this always results in FOUR rest days instead of the original ONE.
2] I HAVE MY PERIOD.
It's funny that I use my Female Card. ON MYSELF. IN A WHINY VOICE. Expecting I will buy it. 'Oh, but I am indisposed because of menstrual cramps and God created me with this faulty female reproductive system that causes pain whine whine whine" BULLSHIT. I have none of these aches and hurts.
Super Villains
These babies, though. These are the Bad Guys. They always win, because they are RIGHT.
1] I BARELY SLEPT LAST NIGHT.
Seriously, you can't work out on 2 hours of sleep. SO FUCKING SLEEP.
2] I SHOULD FOCUS ON CLEANING UP MY DIET, NOT WORKING OUT.
And yes, this whole 80%-of-weight-loss-is-diet business is true. And I do need to work on my diet. This excuse wins all the time, because I use the days I don't exercise to "work on my diet". That's a lie. I don't. I stuff my face with bacon.
3] I'M INJURED.
My fear of injury has been the main reason I never sacrifice form (which has resulted to very little injury, a very nice loop). But this fear is also the one that tells me I can't work out because I have a slight headache (probably from sleeping or staring at a screen too long), or that slight crick in my back will likely cause death, or that stomachache will cause some vomiting mid-workout.
BULLSHIT. I DON'T HAVE THESE ACHES AND PAINS.
Your biggest enemy is not yourself. It's the excuses. Which are made by... yourself. So your biggest enemy is yourself. Yes.
I let myself go through each of these excuses pre-workout, every time, and then I end it with "Well, how bad do you want it?" In theory, and sometimes in practice, this really works.
What are your excuses?
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