If you missed the first two blogs in this series, read them now. Time and money are not good enough excuses for not getting fit and living fit. They sound like the most logical and easiest excuses because people use them for everything that is difficult, but once you get your head on straight, address your excuses and become determined to change, those excuses disappear.
EXCUSE 3: KNOWLEDGE
“I don’t know how to start” is a promising first acknowledgment because in those words is hope and a desire to change. Don’t let this first step hold you back. I understand that starting something new can be terrifying and overwhelming. Enter “lose weight” on Google and millions of pages will instantly pop up—that’s enough to scare most people.
Because there is so much information available online, it’s difficult to weed out advice based on science vs advice based on a marketing ploy. There are too many weight-loss traps. Ignore every post that claims it will help you lose a dress size in one week, go from fat to fit just by drinking a magic tea, get rock-hard abs by attaching a gadget to your abs or pop a few pills to supercharge your metabolism. Those products aren’t solutions, they’re distractions (often dangerous ones too).
Don’t let lack of knowledge block you from becoming fit. Start with what you know, use common sense and build from there. You already know that eating a bag of crisps and a chocolate bar for a snack, then watching tv all day isn’t good for you. You also know what food your body doesn’t like because it tells you with indigestion, bloating, wind and/or acid reflux.
If you stopped eating junk and walked as little as 30 minutes a day, you’d see weight melt off your body. My suggestion is to stop thinking and start doing. One tiny step can make all the difference.
Whether it’s information overload or lack of confidence that’s making you resistant to change, don’t look for new excuses.
SOLUTION: Find an expert
I couldn't do it without my personal trainers Mina and Ricky.
I strongly encourage you to work with a professional, at least in the early stages, to teach you proper nutrition and exercise. Think of your weight-loss journey like building a house. You wouldn’t start laying bricks and framing the house without a solid foundation. Knowledge is YOUR foundation.
Of course, I’ll suggest your expert is me because I know exactly where you are today and I can guide you on your weight-loss journey. I also have a powerful mobile app to support you every minute of every day with motivational tips, easy healthy recipes and more than 5000 animated exercises. If that doesn’t suit you, then contact your GP and ask for support and referrals. Don’t be embarrassed to ask friends—friendly strangers too— if they know a good nutritionist and trainer.
I remember the moment I decided that the number I saw on the scale and my quickly increasing dress size would no longer rule me. My UK size 24 self was even heavier under the pressure of shame and emotional baggage. It wasn’t easy to lose the weight and keep it off for more than 11 years, but I got there in the end. I will help you get there too because I know the way.
Stop making excuses. Just start and keep going. You will amaze yourself and gain instant confidence, I promise.