August 2019: The Solutions to Your BEST Excuses

Team, the end of summer is upon us. Some of you may have made wonderful progress toward your goals, some of you may have made none at all.

Either way, we all tend to self-sabotage every now and then, some of us more than
others.

Today I’m going to get REAL with you all – CALL YOU OUT for your excuses and
tell you exactly what to do so that they are no longer hindering you anymore.

“I’m older…
I’ve crashed dieted for X years…
I work a sedentary job… so my metabolism is slow.”

People like to talk about “metabolism” like it is stagnant and that you are stuck with it
however fast or slow it may be. This is NOT TRUE! The metabolism is a wonderful
and complex network of a million moving parts.

You CAN change your metabolism and here’s how:

1. Get ACTIVE. Move more. Go on walks. Get to the gym. Don’t let sitting down
from 9-5 stop you from getting your steps in at other times of the day.

2. Lift WEIGHTS. Muscle is the primary factor that will raise your resting metabolic
rate. Start resistance training and build strength slowly over time.

3. Eat PROTEIN. Protein has a very high thermic effect of food, meaning you burn a
lot of the calories in protein off by digesting it! Not only that, but protein is crucial for
muscle building, recovering from your workouts, and improving body composition.

Aim to eat 1 gram per pound of bodyweight of protein per day.

“Okay, okay. I get that I need to eat more protein. But it’s so hard! It’s filling, and a gram per pound per day is a LOT!”

You can add a protein shake to your day.
You can add a double-serving of protein powder to your day.

Protein powder is NOT going to “bulk you up.” It isn’t just for beefy dudes. It’s just
another method of getting in protein, like chicken or fish or yogurt.

Lower the total volume of food you eat in a day. This might mean smaller servings of
veggies and fruits, and more quick-digesting carbs like rice, cereal or breads. Filling up too much with fiber will make it hard to eat more, so condense your carb sources to
help your appetite increase for protein!

Find ways to incorporate protein powder that isn’t just a shake with water or milk.

Some of my favorites:
– Protein in coffee
– Protein in baked goods
– Protein pancakes/waffles
– Protein in oats

“I hate eating the same thing over and over again. I can’t stick to a diet, they’re
too boring.”

Fortunately for you, your definition of “dieting” is outdated.

Science has PROVEN that you do not need to follow a strict meal plan to see results.

For some people, eating the same thing is comfortable and habitual. For others, more
variety is needed.

Tracking macros, otherwise known as “Flexible Dieting” allows you to choose your
foods each day so long that you hit certain targets for carbs, fat and protein.

It takes time to learn, and is a bit of extra effort for planning, but it is a superior and
sustainable dieting method because you get to eat what you ENJOY and mix it up as
often as you’d like!

I actually have a full guide that explains this method of dieting, how to make it work
for you, and how to adjust the diet as you make progress. You can check it out at:
www.marissaroyfitness.com/product/discipline-over-motivation.

“People make fun of me for going to the gym and how I weigh my food and order healthy at restaurants. It derails me from being healthy because I want to fit in.”

People who make fun of you for making healthy choices are doing so for a reason.

That reason has nothing to do with you.

They’re making fun of you because they are upset by the fact that they won’t make
better choices for themselves.

They’re making fun of you to bring you down, because they’re intimidated that your
healthy choices will pay off and that you’ll be the hottest one in the group instead of
them.

They’re making fun of you to make themselves feel better about the discipline and self-care they lack.

Now let me ask you… are you really going to let THAT derail you from pursuing your
goals?

Does fitting in with people like that matter to you that much?

Don’t let the opinions of others define you. Your friends will get used to it. Your TRUE
friends will come around and decide to support your decisions. Anyone who continues
to harass you about your choices isn’t your true friend.

“I don’t have a gym membership so I can’t reach my goals.”

FALSE.

Buy some bands and a set of dumbbells and work out at home.

Do bodyweight HIIT style workouts.

Go on runs.

Hike outdoors.

Sign up for 5k’s or obstacle races in your area.

Get a free guest pass for a local gym every now and then.

Keep your diet in check.

MOVE MORE AND EAT WELL.

Notice how I didn’t say to eat “less“.

Your ceiling of improvement will be lower without free weights and machines, yes, but that does not mean you can’t make progress! Especially if you are starting at ground
zero, never set foot in a weight room before and you are needing to lose weight, there
is SO much you can do outside of the gym!

“Eating healthy and going to the gym is too expensive. I can’t afford a better
lifestyle.”

Time to re-evaluate. Changing your lifestyle probably isn’t as expensive as you think…when you re-prioritize.

Cancel unnecessary app and TV subscriptions.

Stop spending $100 at the bar every Friday and Saturday night.

Cut down on eating out at expensive restaurants.

Change “retail therapy” to GYM therapy.

Cut costs where necessary.

“Eating healthy” doesn’t mean you need to pay a meal prep service subscription or have Hellofresh make-your-own meals delivered to your door.

Convenience is a factor, but if you’re really pinching pennies, don’t buy pre-packed
foods and shop for food in its most basic form. Buy in bulk at a Costco or Sam’s Club.
Shop, prep and cook for yourself for the most cost efficient groceries.

Re-invest the money saved into your lifestyle. Get a gym membership, shop healthy,
and cook for yourself!

LASTLY, remember that 40% is always better than 0%.

Maybe you are not willing to make certain sacrifices at this point in your life and this is hindering you from getting a gym membership.

In this situation you might not be able to train but you can still reel in your diet and
make better food choices. You might not have access to weights but you can go on
walks or runs.

Maybe there was an emergency in your personal life that threw things sideways. It
happens. Life happens.

Know the difference between life happening and completely giving up on your goals.
Maybe you truly can’t give near your 100% effort for your fitness goals – but you sure
as heck can give 30-50%. When the time comes that you can give 100%, you’ll have
already made progress and you’ll thank yourself for putting in SOME effort along the
way.

When the time is right give it your all, but know the difference between an excuse and
laziness!

Xoxo,

Marissa

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Hey, I'm Marissa

I am an online health & fitness coach with a passion for helping others reach their fitness goals, no matter how many times they have tried in the past.

My mission is to educate you throughout our time working together so that you are equipped to challenge yourself through nutrition & training for life.