Throughout the years I’ve had many excuses in my pocket. I was either pregnant, just had a baby or nursing a baby. I was tired from work, raising tiny children, cleaning the house and cooking meals. I felt depressed, unmotivated, sleepy, fatigued, overwhelmed and discouraged. There was always paperwork to complete, children to entertain and engagements to attend.
The ONE thing that kept me sane, was giving a little bit to myself every day. I didn’t need to exercise 2 hours a day or eat perfect meals throughout the day. I just gave each day whatever I had…whether that was 30 minutes of intense running on the treadmill or eating a healthy option at a fast food restaurant when I was too busy to prepare in advance. Don’t focus on perfection – focus on progress. Focus on doing the best you can with whatever you have. Here are TEN things I did to live a ‘No Excuse Lifestyle’:
1. I scheduled time to exercise. I put it in my calendar and showed up just like I would any doctor or work appointment.
2. I exercised the moment I woke up. I have workout DVDs and a treadmill at home that I used before the children awoke at 630am.
3. I invested in a family friendly gym. The gym I joined (CalFit) has a nice kids area that the boys enjoy playing in – so when I weight train, which is usually 3x/week, I get to bring them. Gym memberships can be costly, but if you budget for it, you will find that it’s worth the long term investment.
4. I made sure I had my healthy food staples in the fridge, which included tuna salad, turkey meatballs, eggs and chicken on hand whenever I was rushing out the door. I also kept almonds in my car and trail mix bars in the diaper bag for quick snacks.
5. I carried a waterbottle everywhere I went. It was important to detox and hydrate my body through the weight loss process.
6. I wrote down everything. I kept a fitness calendar that showed how often I trained and a diet journal that depicted how much I was overeating or undereating.
7. I made short term goals that built my confidence and allowed me to focus on something tangible.
8. I trained at the park with the kids performing lunges, pushups, squats and step ups. I jumproped and performed burpees in our backyard. There was never an excuse why I couldn’t find 20 minutes to get active.
9. I shopped in bulk and always bought a steady supply of tuna, chicken breast, ground turkey, salmon, veggies, (along with diapers and wipes) to ensure I always had food on hand. I rarely went out to eat (esp with kids) and was able to save money and sanity this way.
10. I made a decision and I stuck to it. I knew that I could either complain and feel frustrated for the rest of my life, or try now and keep trying until I got to my goal weight. I told myself, “NO EXCUSES” and I eventually achieved my fitness goal to be fit after three kids. Good luck. – Maria Kang
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4 Comments
I’m sorry about the crappy people that are jealous. You are an amazing woman that inspires normal people. Having 3 children is very hard. The simple fact is that you have pride in yourself. More people should be that way. I’m not in great shape so I feel that your an inspiration. Stay in it. Your gorgeous. Better than most supermodels. Don’t change and don’t let anyone pollute your head.
Good for you!! You are absolutely right and hit the nail on the head. The people that react negatively to your photo don’t like themselves enough to change their life. People nowadays don’t like to make sacrifices. They listen more to their mechanic than their doctor. I’m a Health and Physical Education teacher and I see it everyday with my students. Keep up the good work. Always remember that to inact change the frontliners have to take the brunt of it sometimes. I commend you on all of your hard work!!
I am inspired by Ms. Kang’s story. At 46 years old, I am an asthmatic training for my third 1/2 marathon. When I started, my lung capacity was at 60%. According to my doctor, it’s not often that Asthma sufferers are able to run marathons (full or half). Thus, I wish there were more inspirational success stories publicized such as What’s Your Excuse? These stories are motivational and creates more of a positive to an often negative society. Keep up the good work!
Regards,
Asthmalete Worthen
http://yourphotos.philadelphia.cbslocal.com/411132951/1850573907?fb_ref=m1850573907
So I agree you don’t need to be hated on, but you do imply a dichotomy, A group 1) People who take control of their lives are successful, skinny, and awesome, Group 2) People who make excuses, are lazy and victims; are overweight; and losers.
The problem is the world just isn’t that simple. It’s not about having will power or making excuses. The factors that create transformation are complex and human suffering is vast. I don’t think you are evil but I do think it’s naive to believe that the statement in this picture doesn’t put anyone down.
It’s subtle, but in many ways it’s the subtle separations we make that cause the most pain. If you had said I can do it I hope you can to then it would be awesome but you statement implies a separation that does cause pain whether you takes responsibility or not.
I think your intention to be inspiring is awesome, but as you know making change in your life so much more complex then just saying you’ll do it for many people. And that’s not an excuse that’s just reality.