“How to lose weight” is one of the top global searches in Google. This is evidence that millions of people around the world want to lose weight. Two general answers they’ll usually get are “Diet” and “Exercise”; with the answers right in their noses, people come up with 101 different excuses to defend their current weight. This article discusses the top 5 weight loss excuses that you’ll commonly hear and suggestions that can help you meet your weight loss goals.
Excuse #1: I do a lot of traveling for work and find it hard to stick to my weight loss plan.
Solution: Two words: portion control. Eat no more than four ounces of lean protein (the size of a large computer mouse) and half a cup of grains or other starches (half a baseball) at each meal. Stick to grilled and broiled dishes and try to skip dessert, alcoholic beverages and take snacks! Put pre-measured portions of dried fruits, nuts, and high-fiber cereal into plastic bags and eat them as you go.
Excuse #2: I was on a business trip and there wasn’t a gym at the hotel.
Solution: Step away from the room service menu and fire up the high-speed internet.. Internet makes it easy to find a workout facility anywhere in the world. Just search by the location and services you’re looking for and up pops a Google map pointing out all the gyms that match your criteria. If you are in the middle of Sahara desert and there really isn’t any gym nearby, do exercise routines that do not require special equipment like jogging, jumping jacks, crunches, and push ups.
Excuse #3: I use butter for cooking to avoid meat sticking to the pan.
Solution: First, there are lots of non-stick pans available in the market. Second, consider using non-stick sprays as they contain zero calories. And third, when preparing meat, consider grilling or broiling instead of searing, since those methods are less likely to make meat stick. Resist greasing the pan with a big pat of butter because one tablespoon can add 12 grams of fat and 100 calories to your meal.
Excuse #4: I’ve heard that running puts me at risk for knee problems and arthritis later in life.
Solution: Don’t switch to mall walking just yet. Recent studies show that running does not cause osteoarthritis and, in fact, may slow the onset of symptoms. That said, running with an injury can put you at risk for knee problems – arthritis and otherwise. To stay injury-free, supplement running with leg press and leg extension machines to strengthen the muscles and tissues that stabilize the knee. And, of course, choose running shoes like you would a tattoo: carefully. Alternate between two pairs, so they stay knee-friendly for twice as long.
Excuse #5: I get a tingling sensation in my legs that last for an entire day after running on the treadmill.
Solution: During high-impact exercise, the back muscles and joints absorb some shock. If you have a weak back, a back injury, or some excess weight on your frame, the nerves can become compressed. Later, the nerves swell, causing tingling and often lower-back pain. Have a doctor determine what’s going on – and stay off the treadmill for now. In the meantime, switch to non-weight-bearing exercises like swimming or cycling.
The key to weight loss is focusing in your goals. Remove these excuses in your system and soon enough, you’ll feel lighter and better. It is not something that you can do overnight but if you are persistent and patient you can achieve all your goals.
Guest post by Alex. Alex is writing about weight loss topics over at weightlosshelpandtips.net. Losing weight is an art and can be mastered by patience and hard work.
