After being a nutritionist in private practice for almost 10 years, the excuses my patients come up with for not eating healthier never surprise me. Over these years, however, I have developed quite the rebuttal for each and every one of them, especially the most common. Here goes:
“I don’t have time for breakfast.” Well, it certainly doesn’t take a long time to eat breakfast, especially if you keep it simple. A Greek yogurt with a banana or a slice of whole-wheat bread with almond butter — perhaps it takes five minutes? And if you set your alarm five minutes earlier or simply don’t hit the snooze button, all of a sudden you have extra time. Problem solved.
“I don’t buy fruits and veggies because they spoil.” Makes sense because that’s what happens when produce is not eaten — it spoils. The key here, though, is to eat the fruit and vegetables you’ve purchased; hence, they won’t go bad. However, if fresh produce doesn’t seem to work for you, you can always buy canned or frozen (low sodium, without added sauces). Nutritionally you still get lots of nutrients — if not more in frozen varieties — and if you don’t eat them the week of purchase, no big deal.
[Read: America’s Next Top Superfood .]
“My spouse (or significant other) doesn’t like healthy foods, so I don’t cook them.” OK, so let me get this right. Just because your spouse doesn’t care about taking care of him or herself, you shouldn’t either? Hey, I wish everyone agreed on things, especially family members, but sometimes it just doesn’t happen. I’m not asking you to become a short-order cook; however, you can make changes to the meal that would make everyone happy. Always serve a veggie and a salad, and if your other half doesn’t want any, he or she can skip them. Or let them drown their salad in a creamy dressing while you opt for oil and vinegar. Take a smaller portion of the protein and carb for yourself no matter what you make, but especially if you live with a “meat and potato guy.” And maybe, just maybe, some of your changes will rub off.
[Read: Helping Your Spouse Lose Weight? Feed Him Support .]
“My co-workers order the most non-nutritious lunches.” This might be hard to hear, but guess what — maybe you should become more of a leader than a follower. Just because they’re grabbing burgers and fries doesn’t mean you have to follow suit. I understand how office politics can work, and of course I want you to be part of the gang; however, ordering something healthier should not cause you to be an outcast. And if everyone is eating in the office, why not simply brown bag it? Who knows, maybe you’ll start a new office trend.
“Dining out with my friends is a diet disaster.” As much as I might want to tell you to choose new friends, I won’t. However, I will suggest that you be the one to choose where you dine. If a friend recommends a place, and after reading the menu online you find they have nothing you would feel good about ordering, speak up and suggest another place. And when you’re actually in the restaurant, be the first to order — this way, you’ll be less likely to be swayed by their decisions. As for sharing dishes, perhaps here you could sway your friends just a little in your direction. Good friends understand compromise anyway, right?
[Read: 6 Healthy Foods Worth Splurging On .]
“I can’t stop eating late at night.” Always love this excuse. My first response is to go to bed earlier — you can’t eat if you’re sleeping. But since so many of my patients still won’t budge on their bedtime, the only thing I tell them is to make sure there are only healthy foods to snack on. Because if they find themselves devouring a pint of ice cream, truth be told they only have themselves to blame. If it isn’t in your kitchen to begin with, you can’t eat it.
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6 Common Excuses for Not Eating Healthy — Rebutted originally appeared on usnews.com
