Top excuses people make for not eating healthy foods
I see legions of people eating garbage food even though they know they should be eating healthy. I am in physical therapy school and there are people in my own class who know about diabetes and obesity yet they will consume foods laden with saturated fat and sugar like it is Ambrosia from ancient Greek mythology that when eaten will confer immortality upon the individual.
I don’t even care if they find this post and read it which they probably will at some point because maybe, just maybe, they will feel the heavy hand of shame or guilt smacking them upside the head out of their stupor. Somehow, I doubt this though.
So now I am going to list the top excuses that I personally have heard over why many people aren’t eating healthy.
1. My kids don’t like that food!
This excuse is why obesity and diabetes are running rampant in this country. We develop habits from a very young age and too many parents these days refuse to lead by example. Just go to any diner for breakfast and you will likely see kids running around like they own the place or screaming at the top of their lungs and the parents just thinking their kid is the cutest, most adorable thing ever while your eardrums are repeatedly blasted by shrill screams of 90 decibels.
So what happens when the parents are too permissive and let their kids do whatever they want and eat pretty much whatever they want? If you’re saying that their kids will grow up to like junk food, then you’re right, OF COURSE THEY WILL!
So now the kids are all grown up and have a penchant for junk food it turns out. Old habits that have long been practiced don’t die easy, so now the kids that the parents have spoiled are having a very difficult time breaking the habits that their permissive parents instilled in them.
This problem now leads into excuse number 2.
2. I’m addicted to sweets!
This is a sorry excuse people give when they don’t want to blame themselves for their bad choices. What they want to do is they want to blame something else, like an ‘addiction’, to make it seem like them repeatedly eating cupcakes and pop-tarts is out of their control. I know sugar definitely tastes amazing and can make you feel good when you eat foods laced with it, but this is still a poor excuse.
I think this excuse partially stems from excuse #1. The parents are too permissive and let their kids have their own way all the time and don’t teach them to accept responsibility for themselves. So now as an adult, a scapegoat is found in blaming their problem on an ‘addiction’ when really this is just them lacking mental toughness to wean themselves off of the sweets and unhealthy foods they consume.
If you absolutely must have some of that mouthwatering, sweet, enticing, fatty food you crave, which I’m sure you will, I recommend choosing one meal a week where you include one of your indulgences in the meal. At least then the thought of the foods you crave won’t always be nagging your thoughts because you know you will have 1 time in the week where you can have them. By doing this you can be eating healthy while still enjoying yourself!
3. It is hard eating healthy cause healthy food is inaccessible where I go!
I commonly hear this excuse. People tell me they their friends are taking them out to a party, the beach, tailgating, a rave (okay maybe not a rave) and a myriad of other destinations. The thing is, if you know that the location you are being brought to is going to undermine your goals for eating healthy, then you have to be proactive. If you know at the beach there is nothing to eat but utter garbage, then make your own food the day before and bring it. If you are being brought to a tailgate party where nothing but fast food is being offered, then do the same thing, be proactive and bring your own food. It’s that simple!
4. I’m rewarding myself / I had a bad day / I deserve it!
I get it, we all feel stressed sometimes and just want to binge on cupcakes and sweets and whatever else we can get our hands on.
The relief won’t last long though, it will only be a temporary hiatus you have from the worry and stress. You will quickly realize that you boosted your blood sugar levels with empty calories that have no nutritional value and will lead to weight gain.
So weight gain, tooth decay, raised blood sugar levels that cause insulin resistance and no nutritional value. That doesn’t sound like a way to pick yourself up from a bad day, but rather beat you down further.
If you are truly feeling extremely stressed, then take up an activity that will relax you. Something like yoga, tai chi, boxing or lifting weights in the gym should all do the trick when it comes to stress reduction.
5. We’re all going to die someday
That saying is 100% true. But I think we are all trying to delay that inevitable day. Eating a ton of awful, atrocious, abominable food because of this excuse certainly won’t help you keep your life as long and enjoyable and fruitful as it possibly can be.
CONCLUSION:
I’m not trying to come off as a complete spartan saying you can never indulge in junk food. I believe if you go 100% cold turkey, you will obsess and obsess with the thought of brownies and cupcakes and chocolate and whatever else and you will wind up failing because you will not be able to overcome your cravings if they are so powerful, which they are in many, many people.
I believe if you allow yourself one time during the week though where you can indulge in your cravings, your thoughts will not be as consuming because you know you will eventually get to enjoy yourself.
Also, this post more-so applies to the average individual who does not run 5 miles a day and/or lift weights and sheds more calories than a teenage girl jumping up and down and screaming for 2 hours at a Justin Bieber concert. Of course if you exercise a lot and/or have a very fast metabolism, then you won’t be as prone to packing on weight as others.