7 Commonly Used/ Worst Excuses For Not Dieting

Diet does not mean you stop eating or eliminate particular foods completely. Diet means mindful eating & choosing the correct food and time to eat a particular food. 

We all have our excuses to not start dieting & go on a healthy diet regime. Here is a list of 7 worst excuses people give for not adopting a healthy lifestyle complied by Ryan Fernando of Qua Nutrition. See how many you've used (or ARE using) and learn how to overcome all seven and if you are a dietitian how to help your client overcome these. 

Picture Source: http://childrensministryonline.com/excuses-are-lame/

1. I hate to cook: Join the crowd! I am no chef either. But the last time I checked I found all sorts of alternate choices out there -- from take-out or delivery to supermarket meals to quick recipes for one in under 10 minutes. Oh, and don't forget Diet-to-Go: the meals come ready to heat and eat and they're delicious too! There's always opportunity to make better choices if we look.
2. There's no way I can give up "     ":  Okay you can fill in the blank with your choice of chocolate, ice cream, potato chips... Go ahead and pick your evil. The truth of the matter is that no real healthy lifestyle asks you to give up anything. Just know there is a big difference between ONE Oreo and THE WHOLE SLEEVE. Learning moderation and rewarding yourself with an occasional treat... well that's just life as it should be
3. I have no willpower: The decision to become healthier is your first step to real change. Looking for the right support system is crucial. Maybe you can find a friend, a neighbour, or a family member to team up with. I am all for a little professional help. Why not consider a trainer, a wellness coach or a nutritionist for some sound advice and motivation?
4. I'll start for real tomorrow: This statement is usually uttered by the dieter who frequently falls off the wagon. Have you ever known anyone who ever started anything "tomorrow" to do well? Every moment is an opportunity to begin again. So what if your your food choices for the day tanked? There's still the opportunity for some good choices over dinner. Begin again. The best time to start is "NOW"
5. I live to eat, not eat to live: There is nothing wrong with enjoying your food. I can relate. I have never met a Mexican food that I didn't like. But the key to enjoying your food is to mindfully eat. Mindful eating means savouring each bite, recognising it and enjoying it -- and stopping when no longer hungry. It's about the quality of each bite rather than the quantity of an entire buffet
6. I hate having to watch what I eat: Yup, this one has been said to me by a client. Sorry, but EVERYONE needs to watch what they eat. It doesn't matter if you are a professional athlete or a child. We may not share the same dietary needs, but no one gets the free pass when it comes to healthy eating. A constant awareness of your food and the enjoyment of what it is you are eating can help lead to healthier practices.
7. I had no idea there were so many calories in that: This is by far my favourite excuse. With all the information readily available today -- not to mention the actual serving size and calorie count of just about everything you purchase -- pleading ignorance is no excuse. I would rather have a client tell me that they made a decision to eat something bad for them than to have them attempt to pass along "I had no idea" excuse. Accepting the consequences of choosing to eat something high in fat and calories is far better than lamely pleading ignorance.

Ok, so these are the most commonly heard excuses by Ryan. Have you heard any other excuses? Do share them in comments below.

Team NII 

Nutripreneur Of Month - Shilpa Mittal

Name:  Shilpa Mittal

Company Name:  Shilpsnutrilife

Work-Profile: Nutrition & lifestyle counsellor, Educator, Conducts workshops & seminars

Work Experience: About 20 Years 

Big Achievement: 1^st Indian Dietitian to Launch an android app in India

Mission: Creating healthy nation, through right nutrition advice. To help my clients correct their diet and lifestyle through simple means and methods so that they will carry it all their life.

Education:  Shilpa completed B.Sc. Food & Nutrition  (Merit Rank Holder) from SNDT Ghatkopar in 1995.  Thereafter Shilpa completed M.Sc. Nutrition with 2^nd Rank from SNDT in 1997

Family, Marriage & Children: Shilpa’s parents have always been supportive of her education and encouraged her to do her Masters and work thereafter. Shilpa got married in 2002 and has a very supporting husband and in-laws who have always wanted her to utilise her knowledge and work. She has 2 beautiful daughters aged 9 and 13 years

Before Becoming A Nutripreneur: Before starting her own venture, Shilpa has worked with Dr. Rajesh Parikh (obesity consultant), Dr Aziz Asai (physio and fitness coach), health clubs, VLCC, etc

How Did It All Start: Shilpa had always wanted to start her own venture and opportunity came knocking when one of her friends “Aarti Batavia” was moving to US in 2007 and wanted Shilpa to handle her clients. Shilpa decided to take leap of faith and took up the opportunity and set up her own clinic.

Journey: She set up her clinic and had visiting cards and letter heads designed. She approached doctors on quarterly basis in the beginning to inform them about her clinic, indicating how important networking is in initial days. She also advertised through inserts in local paper, organizing free talks in various local organization, etc. Aatri was always there to help Shilpa in low times and always gave her valuable inputs indicating once again the importance of good friends. Shilpa started slow and did face some difficult times in start but it was all worth in end. As she puts in her own words” “Starting things on your own require a lot of courage, patience, hard work and financial investment, but believe me it is all worth it, when a client comes to you and thanks u for the results, rather making the much needed difference in their life. The level of satisfaction is very high as here only you are involved in the results and no one else.”

In 2009, “Nutrilife Health Management” was born and she started approaching schools for nutritional workshop. This involved mailing across the proposal, fixing meetings with the concern person, explaining the details. The workshop that she conducts consist of seminars on topics ranging from obesity, various types of deficiencies, recipes, healthy eating for kids and parents, and also one to one counselling.

Current:

• Shilpa has renamed her company to “Shilpsnutrilife” i.e. nutri- nutrition life - lifestyle so it's diet and lifestyle makeover.
• She is also the 1^st Indian dietician to have an android app for educative purpose.
• She has been consistently celebrating nutrition weeks for last 5 years by organising various free camps related to nutrition involving lectures, workshop and invites many eminent doctors to deliver lectures during nutrition week celebrations.
• She also conducts healthy eating workshops for kids aged 6-10 years. The best part about these workshops is that Shilpa’s daughter has helped her plan this workshop by sharing their experiences of what their friends like to eat, what their tiffin comprises off and by helping her weave interesting stories to promote the mantra of healthy eating among young children

Lessons Learnt In The Journey: Be very confident of what you say to your clients. Being honest and firm is equally important. Be patience while dealing with them. Connect with them. I learnt a little bit of marketing too. Still a lot more to learn.

Message for budding nutritionists

• Trust yourself completely
• Demand what you are worth of, don't degrade yourself for a few pennies, if you hold your worth right so will the other person do.
• Collaborate and help each other, that's how our community grow only then will all of us benefit
• Practice what you preach as you are the role model for your clients

We wish Shilpa all the very best for future

- Team NII