KAWARTHA LAKES-Do you want to get healthy, but just end up getting in your own way? Do you buy diet pills that don’t work? Gym memberships that remain unused? Fruit and Veggies that go bad?
It’s HARD to get started, but the first step is so critical in the steps to come.
It’s time to get out of your own way.
Here are 5 Excuses you are telling yourself, and some tips on how to finally stop starting over and really become the healthiest version of you!
1.) “But healthy eating is too expensive!”
I hear this one ALL THE TIME! And I get it. If you buy a bunch of veggies and they go rotten in your vegetable crisper, yup, you wasted your investment. But that’s the beauty of investing in fresh produce. The fact that it’s in your fridge means you need to crowd out other choices like that bag of chips or those cookies. That stuff never goes bad because it’s full of preservatives.
Let’s not forget that there’s also no tax on produce, meaning you investment doesn’t cost you any extra than it says. Also, processed and packaged foods actually end up costing more than cooking at home-think about it, a box of granola bars costs $5 for 5 bars, but if you buy oats, dates, and nuts and make your own granola bars, you’ll get way more for a $5 investment!
Another excellent example is, if you go out for dinner and spend an average of $20 on a meal, think about what $20 of groceries looks like. You can buy 5 meals of fast food at $10 per meal for your family, or with that $50 you can buy a whole chicken, vegetables, potatoes, even a bottle of wine!
So stop using the excuse that healthy food is too expensive, especially if your one of the many North Americans who eats out more than 5 times per week!
2.) “I don’t have time to cook or shop or chop veggies”Â
Time is definitely something that we need to carve out and prioritize with healthy eating.
Do a big shop once per week and just have the groceries in your house, you’ll be less tempted to buy lunch if you have already invested in food.
Start where you are! Schedule in a meal prep day.  I used to meal prep on Sundays after a big Costco run.
Cook once, eat twice! It cuts your chopping and cooking time down to 50% if you cook a double batch of soup or stew and eat the leftovers the next day.
3.) “I don’t know what to do or where to start”
I have a free e-book “48 Hour Sugar Detox”– it has some great detox tips and 12 simple sugar-free recipes. The link is on my website at www.sweathappywellness.com .
Start with the skills you already have and start making healthier swaps in your recipes.
4.) “I can’t work out because I have ‘bad knees'”!Â
You don’t have “bad knees”, you have muscular imbalances surrounding your knee joint that are causing you pain. Get a foam roller and roll your IT band, start a stretching program, see a physiotherapist, and keep moving! Also see my post from last week!
Our bodies are so “use it or lose it”. When you stop moving, tightness creeps into those joints and you have more reasons to not move.
Start with gentle movement, do things you like to do, and move your body in a way that feels good. But you must commit! 10-20 minutes a day is a great start, and build from there.
5.) “My friends make me fat!”Â
Yup, I get it. Social events, buffets, happy hour, holidays, birthdays, weddings, break-ups, late night pizza, etc…..
There will always be a reason to eat and drink to your heart’s content.
Don’t sacrifice your social life, instead, become ‘the healthy friend’. You know, the one that brings a salad to the barbeque, the one who suggests the new Vegetarian spot for weekend brunch, or the one who wants to meet-up for a Yoga class. Invite your girlfriends over for a cooking fest-everyone brings their favourite veggie. Always bring your favourite healthy recipe to a party.
Become a healthier version of you and your friends will honestly thank you. They think they want late-night pizza and ice cream, but really, they just crave company. So suggest face masks and smoothies instead.
In conclusion, this “wellness lifestyle adventure” you are embarking on is not going to be easy. But is it going to be worth it? Yes! Absolutely yes. And you are worth it!
If you need more help achieving your goals, visit my website at www.sweathappywellness.com and grab your free 48 Sugar Detox Recipe Guide.
Becky Sheehey is a Holistic Health Coach, and a Pilates and Movement Expert with a background in Kinesiology. She lives in Lindsay.
