I don’t have time or money for a healthy lifestyle;
keeping up with a diet is frustrating, and healthy foods don’t taste good;
I am too old now; it’s too late for me to change anything;
I lack motivation and give up easily;
is eating well and exercising even worth it?
If any of this rings a bell to you, then you’re in the right place. I’ve got some good news and bad news for you, however. The bad news is you have misled yourself into believing those things I mentioned in the beginning. Believe me, being in the industry for seven years I have read and heard all of that more times than I can remember. Every excuse, every but, every justification, I’ve heard them all. The good news is you might not see it now, and you probably don’t, or you have not seen it for a long time, but you do have what it takes to change your lifestyle, and you’re in time to become the best version of yourself.
Regardless of whether you have already taken up training or you’re thinking of starting by yourself or at a gym, we at HI REPS believe in not just providing an excellent service and delivering results, but as you can see in our other videos, debunking the myths and misconceptions that are so prevalent in the fitness world. Let’s put an end to these:
- I don’t have time or money. Probably the one I hear the most. You can think of every excuse in existence here, and I’ve listened to them from people from all walks of life and age. If you feel your time is incredibly valuable and you can’t be wasting it in something that will demand even more from you, then you think your productivity is essential. Guess what? You might feel you are getting more things done right now, but your productivity will deteriorate in the long run. How can you accomplish your goals if you’re not taking care of your health? And not only on a professional level. Spending time with your family, playing X sport with your friends and even running errands demands you are healthy enough. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, one of the most profitable companies in the world, hits the gym 5 am for an hour every day. Deep inside, you know if you want something enough, you make time for it.
I don’t have money like Tim Cook! You will say. Do you order takeaways? Drink alcohol? Have sweets or pastries often? Those things cost money, and they add up. Not to mention leading an unhealthy life means medical treatments and bills in the future. A healthy lifestyle can be as expensive as you make it, but an unhealthy one will always be costly. Period.
- Dieting is frustrating, and healthy foods taste bland. The first misconception here is thinking changing your eating habits always means a struggle every day. Adopting new practices should not be called dieting either. Something I have seen and tends to happen with people that do change is they stop seeing it as being on a diet. They eat, and they eat those foods they thought were tasteless before because they had been accustomed to eating junk foods. Not just that, but they start liking healthy foods more, as hard as it might be to believe. In fact, what many call tasty meals or unhealthy foods are produced to be addictive. It’s not just you, and it’s not conspiracy talk either, our bodies naturally crave certain substances even if they’re bad. And those foods aren’t only addictive; they tend to carry few nutrients, which is why they fill you up very little and you feel the need to consume more, thus spending even more money without realizing it. One of the hardest things is convincing people that eating healthy is not dull, and there is an endless amount of foods to experiment with and try.
- I am too old. People from all ages train at HI REPS, and I have seen first hand that what matters is never one’s age, but our motivation and willpower. I have seen people of all ages make progress, but only because they had set their mind to accomplish what they considered a priority. Think about this: if you’re fit enough you can feel and be healthier than someone ten years younger or more than you.
- You lack motivation. This is a popular one. Obviously, the reasons for this can be complicated. If you have ever started something and gave up not long after or fell off the wagon during the weekend or at some point, then you are not alone. Motivation can sometimes be tough to find, as, in the end, it clearly needs to come from within. You probably consider yourself a rational person, and as one, you can and should take a moment to yourself to ponder the cost/benefit analysis of changing, adopting the right mindset and finally making the right decision.
Our last point should already have answered itself, but maybe you’re still skeptical, and you’re thinking: this all sounds good, but are the benefits enough to change my lifestyle? Aside from the fact you’d look good, adopting a new lifestyle can and has helped many people reduce their stress levels, helped with their depression and contributed to taking a more positive outlook in regards to life. Many of them also sleep better, feel more energized throughout the day to do their daily activities and even notice they’ve better skin. At the same time, the sense of accomplishment and confidence gained are two things many reports experiencing within the first week of starting their new journey. No one regrets exercising or eating well because it’s a win-win scenario regardless of who you are or what your goals are.