What's Your Exercise Excuse? Fitness Expert Luke Coutinho Tells You Ways to Beat Them

You can either have an exercise excuse or fitness results. You can’t have both. Luke Coutinho, MD Alternative Medicine & Founder, Purenutrition.me, hears various excuses for not staying fit. And he has answers for all of them! He shares with us top fitness excuses and ways to beat them.

Losing weight is a serious commitment and requires extreme honesty with oneself and to the one he/she is accountable to. And lets be true. How many times do we come up (or hear someone) with excuses for not being able to workout, drink water, prepare homemade meals or even sleep on time? Maybe we have even lost count on that. We often blame it on the weather, weekends, peer pressure, moods or lack of funds. While all of these challenges might be real, it really doesn’t have to be the sole reason for not being able to lose weight. Having said that, we should also know that no matter how many motivation quotes, videos, speeches we are made to hear, unless we aren’t motivated from within…no coach, nutritionist, trainer can help you slim down. So it all starts from YOU.

So far, I have had the chance to work with people across the globe and the more I meet, the more innovative those excuses get! Let me take you through the top 10 excuses I have heard, how lame they are and how you really need to get STRONGER than them.

Top excuses for not staying fit

Exercise Excuse 1. I am too busy!

This is the commonest one. No matter how busy you are, if you have the will you would find out ways. Workouts do not have to be full-fledged or time-consuming. Micro-workouts like HIIT, tabata, sprints, planks, wall sits, squats can be done anytime, anywhere. Infact workouts like these are more rewarding because they stoke up your metabolism and keep you in a fat-burning mode all day. For individuals who really do not get time and travel throughout the week, they can at least keep a watch on their nutrition and then make a productive use of the weekend for a solid workout. The “busy” excuse is also given when one skips a meal, but I do not think there is any boss in the world who would fire you for eating a meal when it’s supposed to be lunchtime.

Exercise Excuse 2: I am too bored of my diet plan.

That’s why all diet plans fail! They are restrictive, boring and do not suit everyone’s lifestyle. The idea is to never diet but to have a flexible, balanced and moderate approach towards eating. Master things like moderation, mindful eating, portion control and you would never have to diet.

Exercise Excuse 3. Eating healthy is an expensive affair!

Yes, it is, if you choose exotic fruits, vegetables and things that are not seasonal and local to your area. And the exorbitant price that you pay is not worth it because its nutritional content is low too. Choose traditional foods, that you have grown up eating. Millets, Bajra, Jowar have lots to offer than Quinoa and Couscous!

Exercise Excuse 4. I cannot afford a gym!

You can workout within the comforts of your home, parks, roads, gardens. There are some amazing free workout videos that you can directly stream online. All you require is a yoga mat. How expensive is a skipping rope? How about some tricep dips using the park bench? There are so many free classes and communities that meet up on weekends and workout together. Find out about them.

Exercise Excuse 5. Too many birthdays and parties this month!

I agree, this is tricky and to skip that dessert or decadent meal one should not rely on willpower because it has a shelf-life and you can soon run out of it. We rather focus on smarter approach. The foremost rule is to never enter a party hungry because it’s very hard to make wise food decisions that time. Tuck in a small snack pre-party always. Make sure your workouts are on point that month. Keep this thumb rule in mind: Workout less, eat less and Workout more, eat more.

Exercise Excuse 6. I am on a vacation

And having fun is the whole idea! Find ways to sneak in a workout, just for 15 minutes maybe? A hotel room workout or any fitness amenities that they provide. Or how about exploring the city on your feet? As for food, do try out the local cuisines. Avoid fast-food restaurants because you want to make sure your indulgence is worth it. Share desserts with family and take no guilt!

Excuses for exercise — Read: How to stay fit while eating out

Exercise Excuse 7: Kids do not let me sleep

New parents often face this, especially mothers. It’s extremely important that we use this opportunity to inculcate healthy sleep habits in kids. And while this is in process, make sure that at least the 5-6 hours that you are getting, is quality sleep. Sneaking in 20 minutes power naps during the day helps too.

Exercise Excuse 8: Early dinner makes me feel hungry

This means there is something we need to change about your dinner. Most mix carbs for dinner thinking it would help them lose weight, but carbs are important to regulate hunger hormones and induce sleep. This does not mean a bowl of pasta, but good complex carbs. Eat your millets, rotis and sweet potatoes in moderation for dinners. If you tend to stay awake longer, then there is nothing wrong with eating a post-dinner snack if you are genuinely hungry. Not that cake lying in the fridge but a couple of soaked nuts / seeds.

Exercise Excuse 9: A dessert is so comforting when stressed

You may love sugar, but the sugar does not love you back. Understand that when stress goes up, so does your cortisol levels which is a fat-storing hormone. Eating under stress (even a salad) is the worst thing one can do. Find ways to tackle stress outside of culinary options.

Did you find these tips helpful? What’s your exercise excuse? Tell us in comments below