I try to never make assumptions about people.
I get it, life is tough and shit happens.
Maybe a stripper you met 5 years ago knocks on your door and tells you that you’re the father of her child.
That’s never happened to me, but if it did, I wouldn’t let my health and body go to shit.
And after talking with thousands of people over the years, I’ve found that all their “excuses” for not being able to lose weight and get in shape are more or less the same.
I know I know, someone’s gonna say “But Keith everyone is unique and has special life circumstances you could never understand.”
Ya maybe…
But at some point you have to stop and wonder: If so many people are overweight and using the same excuses, maybe they’re not as special as they think they are.
Here are some of the excuses I hear the most and why they’re full of crap:
“I don’t have money”
I get it.
But it doesn’t cost you anything to eat less.
In fact, eating less is 100% free.
OMG Keith you’re so insensitive about people’s money situations.
Grow up. You guys are adults. No one is putting a gun to your head and telling you to eat fucking Taco Bell every day.
If you’re spending as little as $5 on Taco Bell (which doesn’t even get you much food) 3x per week, that’s more than enough to buy a week’s supply of “cheap” healthy foods like potatoes, beans, eggs, plus some veggies.
In fact, it’ll cost you significantly less than eating fast food.
But shh…the people who’ve failed don’t want to hear that.
“I’m not motivated”
If I had the magic formula for staying motivated 24/7, I’d be the richest man in the world.
But motivation is temporary.
Motivation is watching an Youtube video and feeling a spark to do something for the next hour.
But it goes away, it always does.
What you need is discipline, the ability to do shit even when you don’t feel like it.
Funny thing about discipline is that once you start doing, you have no problem to keep going.
The secret is just getting started.
“I don’t have access to a gym”
Yeah, because bodyweight exercises aren’t a thing 🙄.
If you can’t squeeze in a 10 min bodyweight circuit a few times per week, then you have bigger problems, my friend.
Don’t have 10 minutes to spare? I really want to believe you, but I really sorta don’t.
“I eat healthy but I’m still gaining weight”
Funny thing is, when I ask these people to show me how many calories they’re eating per day, they always have no idea.
Or they give me some fluffy answer like “not that much.”
“Healthy” is subjective and just because you think you’re eating healthy doesn’t mean you’re not eating a lot.
“I don’t have energy”
I love this excuse.
Not because I get off on people’s misery, but this excuse is a perfect example that illustrates the destructive power of being overweight and out of shape.
Here’s my expertly drawn image to describe what I mean:
Having no energy causes you to eat crap and not exercise. Eating crap and not exercising causes you to gain weight, which in turn, causes low energy.
It’s a vicious cycle, and until you can accept that the very reason you can’t lose weight is the exact reason you need to, then you’ll be stuck forever.
“I don’t have time”
Show me how much time you spend on your phone per day and watch me magically pull a whole bunch of time out of my ass.
FYI the average person spends 4 hours per day on their phone.
Even if we dive into more extreme cases, where someone is working 12+ hours per day, commuting 1 hour back and forth work, and taking care of a family…
It all comes down to a discipline and behavior issue.
Also, if you’re struggling to lose weight, not having time (in theory) should help you lose weight.
In theory, this is how things should go if you really have no time:
No time = no time to eat = lose weight
But here’s what really happens:
No time = lack of structure and plan = overeat = gain weight
What’s your excuse? Lemme know in the comments
My wife eats like shit
find new wife?
I LOVE IT!
It’s something that we all need to stick up on the wall. When we think of an excuse for that day, we just refer to your comment underneath the excuse and it becomes common sense again!
thanks kelly 🙂
There’s a typo here:
“What you need to discipline, the ability to do shit even when you don’t feel like it.”
Shouldn’t it read: “What you need is discipline…”?
Leaving my pedantry aside, I thoroughly agree with you.
thank you, fixed it.
Keith u know ur funny right?? This blog right here has just motivated me as well. Keep up the work, ur doing well.
haha thanks shaun
Freakin good. Good stuff Keith!
This is the accountability piece that I value and so many people need. When a fearless coach calls you in your bullshit, you can begin to build your discipline. Once you’ve got that, you’ve got the foundation to your goals.
thanks man, you’re gonna kill it
Like Shaun I’m also motivated after reading this. I have already lost 6kg between December and February from using your advice Keith, but since February my weight is standing still and it’s exuses like I don’t have time. Enough already I’m going to make fucking time now!!!
that’s awesome fiona. Why do you think your weight is stalling?
Great as usual, Keith.
thanks dawg
What most people don’t take into account is everything, every single thing, is a series of tradeoffs.
I love my studio. Other guys look shredded because they do in the gym what I do in the studio. Working out’s an art form for them.
I love physical activity like climbing the stairs, going outside for a power walk, etc. Other guys really like the machines, or like what those machines produce.
I got fat because I chose to drink a lot with my friends, eat out in the neighborhood we lived in, stuff like that.
I’m getting thin because I want to be thin.
Maybe it’s just me being a musician, maybe it’s the disability thing where I realize I have to make various choices if I want to do like everyone else with some things, I don’t actually know. I didn’t really “arrive at a aha moment”.
But what I do know is I apply the same attitude towards getting my thin self back that I did learning chops on the piano when I was younger.
Planning ahead really isn’t that hard.
If you happen to be a food addict, and I’m not the most organized guy. If you’re what they call a food addict, I can explain it in a way that won’t push your buttons, or as my 20-something daughter calls it, ‘trigger you’. Since I’m blind, whenever I go to the airport, I have to plan ahead more than most. Have everything like what gate, all the rest, readily available, because I’m going to be asking for assistance.
And when I get there, I always ask where the gate is, even when they’re taking me there, how far it is, in case I get stranded / the person takes off. It happens. Plan but be flexible.
Jerry Lee Lewis used to say “loose within tight boundaries.” Herby Hancock used to say “Every improvisation needs safety islands.” Pretty sure
I love this website / these articles. I’m headed towards turning back into a more wiry thin self rather than someone built, but that’s because I’m not that interested in putting the time in to be super buff. If you are, it’s like what we do practicing musical instruments, rehearsing for a show, doing retakes in the studio, etc. It’s all discipline and stoicism when you get down to it.
Man I love the attitudes of the people writing for this site. Sorry to gush dudes, but, it is what it is.
thanks dave, appreciate the comment 🙂
Lol on point! It’s easy to say “I want to look good and be healthy” but people don’t work to make it happen.
exactly
Keith,
You nailed it. How do I know? Because what you described is _EXACTLY_ what I went through.
There is a saying: “You can’t outwork a shitty diet.” … it’s so true. I was hitting the gym, putting on muscle, but also still not very defined. Hardly. I carry my weight very well being a shorter, stocky person… so no one would say I was overweight. But when I looked in the mirror. It sucked.
It all changed after doing one thing. Yes. One thing… ready?
I stopped drinking alcohol.
Boom. That’s it.
No, I didn’t “cut back” and start counting my drinks like some sorority girl. I man’d up and just stopped. Immediately lost all the empty calories from drinking, and on top of it I stopped snacking on crap food (because alcohol gave me the munchies).
Here’s the crazy thing. I barely changed my workouts. I added Muay Thai into the mix because who doesn’t want to learn how to kick ass? But other than that, I lift a few times a week and throw in some extra cardio. Other than that, it is business as usual.
So in ~6mo, I lost 18lbs and gained muscle definition. I’m ripped! lol …
Oh, and I’m not some young college kid with crazy metabolism. I am a 35yr old divorced guy, a divorced guy who now has a pretty smoking hot younger girlfriend… coincidence? 😛
-Jason
crazy man. Glad you found the root of your problems and eliminated it. Congrats on the girl too 😉