When you are on your weight loss journey there are so many obstacles in your way the last thing you need is to add to these obstacles by telling yourselves some very big FAT ugly lies that will only cause you more problems. These are not the lies that come from the media these are the self sabotaging lies that I tell myself that if I actually believed I would only continue to be FAT. I am going to discuss and debunk three of the biggest fattest and ugliest.
1. Lie #1: "I Can eat this dessert, I will just work it off later."
This particular FAT ugly lie comes in a couple of different variations but they all center around eating something bad or excessive now and not having to worry about the consequences because you plan to exercise later. It is true that exercise burns calories and it is true exercise is an essential part of any weight loss program but exercising does not give us a get out of jail free card. As I have discussed the key to losing weight is to burn off more calories than we take in, so with that in mind let's take a closer look at this lie.
One Brownie Sundae from Chili's has 1340 calories One hour on the elliptical machine burns 1032 calories. Well I am not great at math, but this means that this one indulgence has counteracted an entire hour of working out.
There may come days when you exceed your calorie goal for the day, but those should be rare and few. Exercise should aid in the overall weight loss journey it is not an excuse to hide behind to make bad food decisions. Remember, in a previous blog I discussed the goal to burn 500 more calories per day than you take if you hope to lose weight.
My question then becomes, is that brownie sundae really worth and hour and 20 minutes on the elliptical?
2. Lie #2: "I can't eat that. it's not on my DIET"
This is an ugly FAT lie from a couple of different standpoints. First this FAT lie is designed to make you deprive yourself. It is designed to put you on food restriction and as we discussed in the first truth of weight loss if you deprive yourself, you are going to have cravings and those cravings lead many of us to binge and therefore fail in our quest. I know what you are thinking isn't this contradicting the thoughts about the previous lie. The key is to maintain a good average calorie intake, not to binge. My point above is it is not Ok to binge with the excuse you will exercise later, and exploiting this lie is not permission to binge either. If you are trying to maintain an 1800 calorie per day intake and want a brownie, eat it... just account for those calories and try to maintain your regular average intake. This is where the discussion turns to smart choices and i will not get sidetracked into that discussion as I covered it extensively in previous entries.
The second thing that makes me absolutely sick about this particular lie is the use of the word diet. If you are a regular reader you will note that I have never once said I was on a diet. it is my opinion that the term diet has a negative connotation. first it implies a temporary action and second it implies deprivation. I am not on a diet, I have changed my eating habits. I am not on a diet because when I reach my goals, i do not want to declare my diet over and suddenly begin eating like I did before. I am not on a diet, I will not deprive myself of the things I enjoy. I am on a weight loss journey that includes making smarter food choices and exercising. When I reach my weight loss destination I will not forget the path I followed and I will continue to practice the things I have learned so that I never get close to 300 pounds again.
My thoughts on this are simple if you are making a long term change, don't call it a diet, and don't base your decisions on deprivation.
My question would be, how many calories are in that brownie and do I really want to spend that many calories on one brownie, or is there some other option?
Lie # 3: “I don’t feel like exercising this morning, I will do it tonight instead”
To me this is perhaps the dirtiest, nastiest ugliest weight loss lie I could ever tell myself. This lie plays on my tendencies to procrastinate and also plays on my good intentions. Everyone must find the best time for them to exercise, my best time is in the morning. Exercising in the morning allows me to get my day started with a positive attitude and helps me feel invigorated, the other thing that makes exercising in the morning a better fit for me is that after I leave my house for work at 7:30 am I don’t usually get home until after 6:00 pm and that is the time I like to spend with my little girls before they go to bed, that is also time I like to spend with the woman I am lucky enough to call my wife. For those who have talked to me on the phone, you have probably heard “Hey I am walking in my door, let me talk to you later.” This is my family time.
The reason why this is a dirty lie is because I know me, and if I don’t do my exercise in the morning I won’t do it. And once I miss a day, it becomes much easier to miss another day. So, whatever time is best for you to get in your exercise groove, make sure you hold yourself accountable to that time, unless you have more self-discipline than I do.
Of the 3 big FAT lies this is the one I tell myself the most, and the one I must overcome. I have found there are 3 types of people when it comes to exercise. The first type loves exercise and does it almost obsessively; the second type hates exercise and tries to avoid it at all costs. I have been in the second group for a long time I am trying to push myself to be a member of the Third group. This group knows the benefits and necessity of exercise and even though they don’t love it they do it regularly. Because I tend towards avoiding exercise I am more susceptible to this lie than to most others.
The only question I can possibly ask myself to help me when I start telling this lie is “Do I really trust myself to be accountable tonight?” If I can’t answer no it is time to get moving! I can’t explain why we try to sabotage ourselves, but I know we do, and I know that if we want to continue to have success in this process we must have the discipline.
As always, Thanks to anyone who may be reading and remember all the standard disclaimers still apply. I want to end this week’s entry a little differently, you have read my ramblings now I would like to hear from you. These are my top 3 big FAT lies that I tell myself when I am trying to sabotage my own weight loss journey. What are some of yours?
