In January 2024, I began a “health journey.” This is to share where I came from, what I’ve achieved, and how I got from point A to point B. Please note, I’m not a doctor, nutritionist, or any other sort of health professional. I’m just a woman who took her health in hand and made some changes. If you wish to start at the beginning of my story, you can click here. Full disclosure: the image is AI generated.
Someone has told you that you will have to settle…
You’ve heard them. I’ve heard them. I’ve even made them myself.
.
Excuses.
.
We’ve heard them all. I’ll admit I’ve even made them.
.
Losing weight is all well and good for people without families, but when you have kids, you don’t have time for that!
.
My hormones are all out of whack and I am pretty sure I have a thyroid issue.
.
I was just born big. It’s in my genes.
.
I’m proud of my body and I’m happy where I am.
.
That just lists a few and some folks will say that I am invalidating their feelings by calling these out. But that’s because your feelings are invalid. Not wrong. You feel what you feel. But that’s not why you’re fat.
.
Do some people have thyroid and hormonal issues? Absolutely. Is that why you can’t lose weight? Probably not. If you haven’t been diagnosed with a condition that actively inhibits weight gain and loss, stop using it as an excuse. It’s a slap in the face to people who do have such very real issues. I had a nodule on my thyroid that meant I had to have a partial thyroidectomy. Maybe I should just quit now..?
.
It’s in my genes. Maybe. But just because your mom was an alcoholic, should you be one, too? If your father was a violent, abusive man, does that give you a pass to behave the same way? No. Just because you have a genetic predisposition towards something, does not mean that’s how it has to be or even how it should be. Will this make losing weight harder? Probably. My mother was obese. Her parents were obese. Many of the people on my father’s side of the family are obese. So should I just give up?
.
I don’t have time. Who does? Except, that’s a copout and we all know it. How many hours have you wasted today alone scrolling on your phone while sitting on your butt? How many of those could you have put on a podcast and gone for a walk? I have kids, I don’t have time! Except that’s a lie. Make time. Get a walking pad and set it up in your living room. Get up early and go for a walk. Do a pilates video while they nap. I do fifty pushups, situps, and squats, almost every morning before I shower.
.
It takes about five minutes and does amazing things for my arms, legs, and core. As far as eating, you eat every day. It’s not any harder or more expensive to prepare healthy food than trashy food. Instead of being a disorganized whiner who thinks their time is so much more valuable than someone who prioritizes their health, maybe take some time to order your week or at least your day. Instead of making excuses, how about you make a plan? Take five minutes from scrolling Pinterest to write a grocery list and a menu for the week.
.
I have three children that I homeschool. I run a small business with my husband. We manage ag land year round. I have lost a quarter of my body weight in the middle of all of that. Stop blaming your children as though you’re not the parent.
.
And finally, I’m proud of my body. No you’re not. You have no reason to be. I say this as someone who never hated my body. It was fine. There were things I liked and things that needed improvement. That will always be the case. But if we could wave the magic “make everyone skinny” wand, we would. Why do you think Ozempic is so popular right now? It gives you the lie. If being slim were easy, everyone would do it. So, no. Maybe you don’t hate your body, but I guarantee you don’t love your body as it is. And there’s no shame in that. Everyone–everyone–would make changes to their body if they could. But someone has lied to the obese person who touts this excuse. Someone has told you that you will have to settle, that you can’t possibly do better. But that’s a lie. You can do better.
.
And why do we make excuses? Because, at the end of the day, if there are no excuses, it’s just us. It’s your fault. No one made you eat the way you do. No one made you waste three hours scrolling Tiktok last night. No one forced you to eat donuts and french fries every day. No one forced you to down energy drinks, soda, and frappes every day last week. That was you. You did that. You broke you. And only you can fix you.
.
If you want to lose weight, you must start by acknowledging that you are the problem. And that is hard. Much easier to blame virtually anything or anyone else. Yours is the hand that feeds you. Yours is the mind that obsesses with food. Once you take ownership of the part you played in doing to your body what you did, then you can also take ownership of the steps needed to repair the damage. Only then. Only you. No one else.
.
Now, stop making excuses and get to work.
To continue reading on my weight loss journey, click here.
Feminine 101 