If someone called you fat, how would you react?  Hurt?  Embarrassed?  Angered? Resentful?  What does that say about who you are as a person?  It’s not merely a statement about your physical appearance.  It’s about a physical characteristic that you can do something about but, for whatever reason, choose not to.  The insult is what it says about your habits, your self-control, and your personal accountability.

The blunt and honest truth is that it has become all too common to blame someone, or something, else for our situation instead of pointing the finger in the right direction…at ourselves.  If someone, or something, else is responsible for our weight problems, we can claim victim status.  Sure, there is a weight issue but its not our fault!  It softens that blow to the ego and keeps us from having to be accountable for our situation.

Often times, we don’t even realize we do it.  How many sentences have you heard from yourself or someone else that start with, “I could lose weight if I wanted to but…”?  Here are some of the most common endings to that sentence and a rebuttal for each.  See how many you recognize:

“…eating right takes too much time.”

The rebuttal:  You’re right, it does take a little extra time to prepare a healthy meal when compared to just having a pizza delivered. The easiest way to combat this is through planning your meals a week in advance.  Pick a time where you make yourself sit down and plan your menu and then create your shopping list for the grocery store .  If you don’t have time to cook during the week, cook your meals in advance and freeze them.  One very common way to reign in your lunches is to pack your lunch when you make dinner the night before.  Are you cooking for a family of four? Make and extra helping and put it in the fridge for lunch the next day.

“…I’m always sick and tired.”

The rebuttal:  Seriously?  You’d lose weight if you weren’t always so sick and tired?  Care to take a guess as to why you always feel bad?  Before you start a weight loss program, it is always a good idea to get a physical.  In all likelihood, you’ll find that your current ailments and lethargy are a result of your weight issues.  That is not to say that there can’t be a reason unrelated to your weight issues but the odds are not in your favor on this one.  Carrying those extra pounds around can lead to Metabolic Syndrome.  With Metabolic Syndrome comes a laundry list of problems.  Click here for more information on Metabolic Syndrome.

“…eating right is too expensive.”

The rebuttal:  It doesn’t have to be.  There are some ‘healthy’ products on the market that cost more than their not-so-healthy counterparts but eating to lose weight doesn’t mean you have to break the bank.  How many times do you eat out?  How much do you spend on ‘grazing’ food for the pantry?  Take the money you spend there and use it to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean meat.  You don’t need to buy high dollar diet foods to lose weight.  If you monitor your portion sizes and shop intelligently, you may even find that you save money.

“…my family won’t support me.”

The rebuttal: There are many factors you have to take into account before beginning any weight loss program and one very important factor is your family. Here are some questions you really need to ask yourself if you use this excuse:  Have you talked to them about how they are effecting your efforts?  Have you included them on your plans and asked for their help?  Do you include them when you celebrate your successes?  Here is an article about the different family factors and how you can overcome them.

“…nothing has ever worked before”

The rebuttal: There can be many reasons for this but, most likely, you haven’t properly addressed the real reason for your weight problems.  Weight loss has always been temporary because as soon as you come off of your ‘diet’, it is back to business as usual.  The easy part is losing the weight.  The hard part is keeping it off.  That’s why you always hear the term ‘yo-yo diet’.  It is usually not that people can’t drop the pounds but that they don’t change their habits and lifestyle to match.

“…I like who I am”

The rebuttal: Usually, it isn’t that you like who you are but that you are unwilling to make the sacrifices needed to lose weight.  Dedication to losing weight and becoming healthier means more than just eating a salad every now and then.  It means bad habits must be broken and your unhealthy lifestyle must change.  Going out for pizza and beer has to become a thing of the past.  If you aren’t willing to make the sacrifices then you won’t succeed.  It really is that simple.