Time to exercise, eat well and ditch the excuse of 'no time'

By Nanci Hellmich, USA TODAY

When it comes to the excuses people give for not eating healthfully and exercising regularly, best-selling author and motivational speaker Bill Phillips has heard them all.

But the one he hears over and over again is: "I don't have time."

People say they don't have time to exercise. They don't have time to grocery shop and cook healthful meals. They don't have time to eat right. They don't have time to think about their weight.

"It doesn't matter who they are, they are convinced they don't have time," says Phillips, 45, author of the 1999 best-seller Body-for-Life and his new book, titled Transformation.

Phillips has been helping people lose weight and shape up for 20 years.

"What I teach people," he says, "is that one great reason for getting healthy overrides a dozen excuses."

The motivation for giving up your excuses is often right in front of your nose. For many people, it's as obvious as wanting to stay healthy for their spouse, kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews and themselves, Phillips says.

Some may have medical fears, such as diabetes or heart disease, or they may be approaching a landmark birthday such as their 50th, says Dawn Jackson Blatner, a registered dietitian in Chicago and author of The Flexitarian Diet.

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The people who are most successful at changing their lives don't want to be the victim of their own excuses anymore and decide to take immediate action — even simple things, such as drinking water instead of regular soda, getting up earlier to walk and using the nutrition information from their favorite restaurants, she says.

Phillips says when you give up your excuses, you take responsibility for your own life. "Most every transformation I've witnessed over the years was preceded by a dramatic increase of self-responsibility." Individuals have to accept the fact that they need to "pilot" their own lives, he says.

Instead of using lack of time as an excuse, people have to schedule the time they need to exercise and cook healthful meals, just as they schedule a doctor's appointment, business meeting or lunch with a friend, he says. "There's always an opportunity to make time."

Blatner says excuses can be overcome by thinking about them in a new way.

For instance, take the excuse that you don't have time to exercise.

Think instead: It's possible to walk 10 minutes several times a day.

Or take the excuse that you don't have time to cook.

Think instead: It doesn't take that much skill, fancy recipes or a lot of time to put together a quick, healthful meal such as barbecue chicken, a whole-grain bun and a simple salad, Blatner says.

"You just have to get back to basics with real food."

Celebrate ALL successes! Here is a celebration of Dawna's success and cheers to her continued success!

"Since I started With-U, I have lost a total of 37lbs. It is only a small portion of what I have to lose but at least I am on my way. I heard a saying by Joyce Meyer once a few years back... “I am not where I need to be, but thank God I am not where I used to be. I'm OK and I'm on my way!” That is kind of how I feel about this journey that I started in April of this year. Granted when you are on a "bumpy" road, you will fall many times, which I have. But you learn to pick yourself up and dust yourself off and set back on the journey. It doesn't matter how long it takes to get there but the fact that you did make it there. My goal is far away, but one day, I will make it.

This time through on this journey between my doctor visits, With-U and the support of friends/family I am learning to make this weight loss/exercise a lifetime/lifestyle change. I am making better choices than I have in the past. It is that support and accountability that will help get me to my goal as well. :)"