8 Fitness Excuses to Watch Out For by Stephanie Nickel

Danger, Will Robinson, Danger

Well, I may not be lost in space, but I can get lost on the journey to healthy living.

These are some of the dangers I personally must keep an eye out for:

My tendency toward all or nothing

I went without chocolate for several years. It became a no-brainer and I didn’t miss it.
Recently I joined a No Sugar Added Challenge. Although I consumed some “hidden sugar” when I ate out, all and all, I would call the week a huge success. I was encouraged to be more mindful of what I ate. Several of us want to continue encouraging one another and holding the others –and ourselves—accountable.

If I stay the course, I’m fine, but once I step off the path, I have a tendency to plummet all the way to the bottom of the crevice. (Excuse me while I grab a Peanut Butter Cup.)

Apparent lack of progress

After a 30-day fitness challenge and a 7-day no sugar challenge, you would think I would have seen some physical changes. Not so much. Does that mean I should give up? No! After all, I may be one challenge away from seeing some serious changes.

Even if that’s not the case, exercise and regular exercise have many other benefits.

Plus, eating unhealthy foods and doing without regular exercise will only lead to further problems. Slowing or stopping further weight gain and other issues is worth staying the course.

Lethargy/tiredness

Too many hours in front of the computer. Inconsistent sleep patterns. Poor nutrition. Lack of water. Lack of physical activity. High humidity. And the fact that my bedroom is right beside my office.

These can all lead to lethargy—even if I’ve had a good sleep.

They can also lead to a “why bother?” attitude toward healthy eating.

Procrastination

In some areas, I am the Queen of Procrastination. It’s not exactly a station I strive for.

But lack of striving is the issue, isn’t it?

I have a daily action plan, but sometimes I don’t get through it—not because I can’t but because I let things slide.

While I’m seeking to differentiate between the things I should schedule for another day and those things I should motor through, I think it’s time to abdicate the throne and get on with it.

Lack of accountability

Because I’m an extrovert, the accountability of online challenges is one of the best things. Connecting with other participants and encouraging them kept me on track—for the most part.

I don’t want someone cracking the whip or telling me what I should do, but it is good to have likeminded individuals cheering me on.

Discouraging words

It’s funny how an off-handed remark about something that doesn’t really matter can echo in my ears and drag me down if I let it.

I know I have the tendency to obsess over things from time to time. I am the proverbial dog with a bone. While I’m gnawing away on it, I neglect the things I know I should be doing.

Riding the emotional rollercoaster

Thank the Lord my emotions are about a million times more stable than they used to be. However, there are still days I find myself in a funk. I suppose, rather than a rollercoaster, it’s more like a deflated balloon. I find it is those days I’m tempted to laze around and eat whatever is close at hand, although I know activity and healthy eating will help energize me.

Personal convictions

I do not believe someone who is young, thin, and has well-defined muscles is any more valuable than women of a certain age with stretch marks, rolls, and a few extra chins.

This cannot, however, be an excuse for neglecting healthy living. After all, it isn’t about “perfection”; it’s about being the best I can be and achieving all the Lord has set before me.

So, will I struggle from time to time? You bet.

Will I climb the valley walls and get back on the path when I take a tumble? That’s the plan.

How about you? What trips you up every now and then?

Tweetables

When you slip off the path to fitness, will you climb out of the ditch?

The reasons we fall are not excuses to stay down.

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Steph Beth Nickel is an author, a freelance editor and writer, a labour doula, and a former personal trainer. She’d love to connect with you on Facebook or Twitter, on her website or blog.