Common Excuses for Not Eating Healthier

Eating healthier is something which each and every one of us should be striving to do. After all, this is one of the keys to enjoying a long and fruitful life. But so many of us are not watching what we eat, even though we say that we want to. One of the main issues that you may find is that you are always making excuses. These reasons why you can’t consume healthier food act as barriers which you need to overcome. However, this is not always going to be easy. It is highly likely that you are going to relate to at least one of the following common excuses. And if you do, now is the time to take action to overcome it.

“I Deserve This”

While it is nice to reward yourself from time to time, if you get into the habit of constantly treating yourself with food, this can end up being a slippery slope which is difficult to get up from. When you reward yourself with junk food, you are programming your brain to expect this every time you do something well. You could either try to break this cycle entirely. Or replace the treats with ones which aren’t as damaging to your long-term health.

“I’ve Already Been Bad Today”

Perhaps you have already slipped up and eaten something that you shouldn’t have today. But this doesn’t mean that you should treat the day as a ‘cheat’ and eat whatever you like. Why compound a mistake when you could actually use it as inspiration to get back on track as soon as possible? Get out of this all or nothing attitude as it is not going to do you any good in the long-term.

“I Earned This”

A slight variation on “I deserve this”, the “I earned this” philosophy. This tends to be espoused by people who have had a decent work-out session today. Sure, you do burn calories when you exercise, but people tend to overestimate what they can eat afterward to replace them. In fact, if you binge on sugary foods after an intense exercise session, this can actually end up increasing inflammation and slowing down your body’s overall recovery.

“I’m So Stressed Today”

Stress can end up being one of the main triggers which lead to you eating unhealthily. But the sense of pleasure sent to your brain when you eat junk food only lasts for a couple of minutes. If you consume sugar, this can lead to a spike in your blood sugar. Which is then followed by an inevitable crash. In the long-run, this can end up with you feeling worse than before. Some of the better ways of reducing the stress hormone cortisol in your body include drinking tea, exercising and listening to some soothing music.

“Life is Too Short”

Sure, life is short, but it is likely that it is going to be a lot shorter if you don’t eat well. After smoking, obesity is the second-leading cause of preventable deaths. This doesn’t mean that you have to stop eating all the favorite treats that you love. It does mean that you can control how much you are eating of them. And if you learn how to prepare healthy food better, you can end up finding that this is every bit as enjoyable as the junk that you currently love so much.

“I Can’t Let it Go to Waste”

Sure, waste is a bad thing, but you can counter this by simply eating smaller portions! Otherwise, you could make a big meal, but divide this up better, putting what you don’t eat in the fridge or freezer. Ultimately, this takes a little more forward-planning, but your waistline will appreciate it in the long-run. One of the best ways of enjoying your food is by practicing mindful eating. This means that rather than distracting your attention in front of the TV, you can instead focus on every bite. Not only will you enjoy your food more, you will also start to learn when your body is telling you that you are full.

“I Eat Less Than Some People”

Always comparing yourself to the way others eat is a slippery slope to go down. In fact, if your friends are overweight, you are more likely to be overweight as well. And you can’t compare yourself to other people as you simply don’t know what their metabolism is like. Only you can measure how much is the right amount for you to eat. Everyone has a different healthy weight range which you can aim for.  

“I’m Too Tired to Cook”

Yes, it’s true that we all live busy lives, and the ready availability of food to order makes this very tempting. But you can help to beat this excuse with a bit more pre-planning. So, try going to the supermarket on a weekly basis with a list already prepared of what you want to eat that week. Also, work out when you are going to have time to do some cooking. There may be one evening when you can prepare a big batch which will last you for two or three meals that week.

You can also plan out some easier meals which you can prepare in only a few minutes. Simply knowing that you have ingredients in the fridge can end up stopping you from ordering food as you know that it will all be going to waste if you don’t use it. Learn some easy cooking techniques such as grilling chicken thighs as you will always have something to fall back on as and when you need it.

If you have recognized yourself in one or more of these common excuses, now is the time to take action so that you can overcome these. Otherwise, they will always be there as barriers to your health. A lot of this comes back down to habits and replacing the negative ones with more positive ones surrounding food.