How Big Is Your BUT??
By: Brandi LeBlanc, CPT
BUTs. We all have them. Excuses that keep us from the goals we try to set for ourselves, but procrastinate to achieve. One thing about me, I’m blunt… and I’ll be un-apologetically blunt about this subject. So what is your excuse? You want to live a healthy lifestyle, BUT… but what?
Some common “buts”…
“I want to exercise, BUT… I don’t have time.” Ok, so prioritize some time for you to work on yourself. Make an appointment with yourself for this. Trust me, I have tons of people pulling at every fiber of my being daily…BUT… I also know my priority is keeping myself healthy and fit for my career and my family, so I make an appoinment with and for myself at least 3-5 days per week. “Your family?” you may say... YES. My family – my kids, my husband – I am setting an example for them. If I am making it a priority to be active, so will they follow my example. If I am eating right, so will they. Which leads me to my next common “but” many people use. “I want to exercise, BUT… my family time is more important.” Really? If family time is so important to you, shouldn’t ensuring that you will be here for years upon years be just as important? Which leads me back to priority. If your priority is to be here for your family – to spend time with them; to be here a long time to see your kids grow up; to see your grandkids grow up; to be able to DO things with them without losing your breath – then how is your health not a priority in seeing to it that those things happen? Taking ONE HOUR for yourself is not being selfish. That one hour is ensuring that you will be able to live a long, healthy, active lifestyle so that you CAN be here for your family and spend time with them… doing something other than just being a couch potato. Is that the example you want to give to your family? To your children? Think about it.
Another common “but”… “I want to eat healthier, BUT… it’s so expensive.” Actually, I can prove this completely false. Preparing your meals is way less expensive than eating out several times a week… and in some cases every day. Preparing a healthy meal can be as simple as a chicken breast (which you can buy a pack of 6-8 fresh boneless skinless chicken breasts at any grocery store for $10 or less – and that one pack can go a long way) and a small portion of veggies (a bag of frozen for less than $1 at Walmart). It’s more expensive to NOT prepare your meals. I can feed my entire family of seven (myself, my husband, and five children) for a week on $100-150…and not one of them is deprived of anything.
“I want to live a healthy, active lifestyle, BUT… life is complicated.” Ok, so your excuse is stress. Did you know that working out can actually be the BEST stress reliever ever? Let me give you a few tidbits that you can even find scientific proof on. It pumps your endporphins. It helps bump your brain’s “feel good” neurotransmitters (endorphins). It’s meditation in motion. As you being to shed your daily tensions through movement of your body, you can find that this simple focus on this single task results in energy, optimism, helps you stay calm and focused in everything you do. It also improves your mood and helps you relax, lowering symptoms of depression and anxiety.
So there… some of the most common excuses BUSTED, not BUT-ed. I guarantee, any excuse you give me, I can bust in one way or another. So, the questions remains… how big is your but? Maybe the question should be how big is your WHY? Let me help you figure out your why. Contact me for a free consultation. I promise, you will step into your journey with more encouragement that you CAN do this, than all those reasons why you can’t.