MOMMY HOMEWORK: What’s YOUR Excuse?
November 8, 2009
Wondering what Mommy Homework is??? Each week you will have an “assignment” here to share in our comments here on this site. You will love this-both sharing AND enjoying answers by others. Some of them, I compile into an ebook (contributors can resell as a product of their own–be sure to submit your email and full name when you register so I can credit you appropriately!).
The result is AWESOME!
We get to know each other…we are encouraged in our journey…and we glean super ideas from other great moms!
Ready for this week’s MH? This is going to be a good one!
Many of you know that this year has been THE YEAR that I decided to put my long-neglected resolution to get fit and healthy as one of my top priorities. Talk about changing my entire life! It has been a fun year of seeing the impossible become my reality. I am ending the year buzzing–only imagining how awesome 2010 will be!
As I was thinking of Mommy Homework for this week, I thought back to the first thing that I did to get on track toward reaching for this goal–facing my excuses (well, I DID call them REASONS). Yep! The biggest obstacle of all was not what I thought. My biggest obstacle that I faced was making excuses. Boy, did I have them! And, if we are honest, you have had them too.
So, this week, let’s share a topic that I think just might help some of you break free and run the race even more effectively. Deal?
This week, share your top three excuses that keep you from exercising–yes, you can share more if you want. After your excuse, share a solution OR the real truth.
Remember, Scripture tells us to take every thought captive. So, this week, let’s take those thoughts captive and test them to see if they are excuses. Then, we will debunk all of them. Good deal? Let’s dig in!
This will be super! Have fun! 
DIG IN!
Love ya!
Cindy
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Deadline–Friday at midnight CST.
My excuses for not exercising would have to be.
1. I don’t have time. I have to get so much done I just don’t have time. The real truth is if I don’t make time I never will have the time.
2. I don’t have the energy. I’m always too tired to exercise, I’m so busy that I’m just too pooped out to do it. The real truth is that if I start exercising I would have a lot more energy.
3. It’ll hurt to exercise. The first few days after starting to exercise always hurt. The truth is if I do it correctly it won’t hurt. If it does hurt that means I’m finally using those muscles.
I need to take these thoughts captive. Thank you, Cindy. After reading these they do look like very foolish reasons.
1. Too tired at the end of the day! Even though exercise gives me more energy..I was doing grea here lately with exercise, but came down with a sinus infection and had to stop…still have not returned to exercise routine but I hope to soon!!!
2. I don’t have enough time! Who has enough time to get everything done in a day? I never get everything finished!!!
3. Other things seem more important! This is my main problem….Many times I put my health and well being to the bottom of the list and take care of others. Though this is a blessing to help my family, as I have realized in the last week or so while sick, If I am not well, there are problems around here! Actually if I am not well and “healthy” I am truly doing my family a disservice so I have tried to make this a top priority. Yes ladies, we must think of ourselves and take care of ourselves!
Tina K
My biggest excuse is not having time to exercise. Second biggest is being tired. Third biggest is that I am 24 weeks pregnant (6 months) so I have to be careful. In answer to the first excuse I would have time if I made time in our schedule, this seems easier in the summer when we do not do school but I can make time now too. By exercising number two goes away (for me) and gives me a burst of energy that lasts for a couple of hours. Number three is a little harder but I can walk (on days it is not too cold) and I can do other simple exercises (no aerobics both per my dr and my chiropractor) and no buying any dvds or anything like that per my dh! Really I just need to enlist my kids and I know they will keep me going on this!
Mary Damask
Usually I can see all the responses…………have I messed something up?
Anyway, even thought it’s after the deadline, I’ll give you my excuses.
1. The kids - they are soooooo handy
The kids would love it if I would exercise with them in any way.
2. The weather - it is always too……something
I can do anything else in the weather, just not exercise.
3. Procrastination - I will do it right after I finish this (anything)
Just do it
Linda Sprague
Ah Cindy, LOL, great topic - more proof that God is telling me to exercise!
Excuse #1 - If I lay down on the floor to do ab exercises I’ll have kids crawling all over me (6, 3, 1).
Solution - Do an exercise that doesn’t require laying down! Ask DH to watch the kids for 20 minutes and use that time to exercise, NOT check email :O!
Excuse #2 - I am too tired.
Solution - Exercise, then I’ll have more energy! :O
Excuse #3 - But DH is so busy, who will watch the kids while I exercise?
Solution - Exercise WITH the kids!
Sigh. Guess I’m all out of excuses now, aren’t I?
Hey All!
*My number one excuse is: “I don’t have enough time.”
*In reality: If you have enough time to watch tv or get online or talk to a friend on the phone, etc… then you DO have enough time; You’re just not putting it on the top of the list.
*Solution: Make it a priority by telling yourself that you have to workout before you do those other things.
When you sit down to watch a tv show or get online, ask yourself if you have worked out yet. If not tell yourself that you can come back and do this after you do your workout.
As a homeschooling mom, it is difficult sometimes to workout in the morning or the daytime because of school. You may find it useful to workout together with your kids as a P.E. class!!!
*My number two excuse is: “I don’t feel like it.”
*In reality: Yeah, I probably won’t often jump for joy about getting to work out. But I do feel good after I worked out.
*Solution: When you don’t feel like working out, remember how good it feels after you do workout and keep your goals in mind and remember that it won’t take very long and it ill be a step further to reaching your goals. Get it done and mark it off of your list.
I find that if you will work out in the morning you can get it off of the days to do list and you don’t have to stress about it all day.
Another option is to do it after dinner as a way to wind down after the day.
*My last excuse is: “It is too hard.”
*In reality: It may be hard but you make yourself do other things that are just as hard or harder. It is your mindset.
*Solution: remember that you can do anything that you set your mind to and remember that it is hard at first but it will get easier.
You can start out slower or less intensly and work up if you need to but if you just start somehere you will get to where you want to be.
I think it is fun to change your goals often. It keeps it fresh and more fun.
Right now I have set a goal to walk 100 miles by the end of the year. It has been 2 weeks and I have done 17 miles. I am falling behind but I really want to accomplish this goal so I may work out two times some days to achieve it.
I change goals every week or even every 2 or 3 days. Sometimes a week is even too daunting. So if you set a goal to workout 3 days in a row you are more likely to accomplish it. Then next week, make it 4.
One week work on drinking more water and the next work on eliminating pop or some other food or drink you want to eliminate.
Set a long term goal with short easy goals to get there.
See if you can have a friend do this with you. It is more fun if you have someone doing it with you even if you can not physically do it together.
You can keep ech other motivted over the phone, check in with eachother to see how the other one did, keep eachother accountable, etc…
I think the number one thing to help me is to check in daily with someone else as to how I am doing and to get motivated to go workout for the day!
I hope this helps someone to get started. I am just recently getting started so I understand how hard it is but I am SO tired of quitting. I get started and then quit because it is too hard.
I know I can do this if I will just make myself do it. I am finding that the more I work out the more I WANT to work out.
All right , I hope to soon her that a lot of us have gotten a great start on our weight loss/health goals and look forard to hearing the success stories!
Love, Rodna
P.S. Cindy, can’t wait to see some new pics of you after your giant weight loss success!
Great job!
Wow, Cindy! This is timely! Okay, my excuses . . . busyness and misplaced priorities, procrastinating, and bad habits! I think the biggest issue for me is that I put taking care of myself on the lowest priority. My honey is a pastor, so we have lots of ministry responsibilities. And with homeschooling our two children, one of whom has some emotional/behavioral issues — well, sometimes I just don’t have any energy left to do anything for myself. As far as answers or solutions, I don’t have any right now . . .
My excuse is that I am pregnant or nursing–almost continuously for the past 9 1/2 years. I have been better about not putting on (excess) weight during pregnancy. I am down to pre-pregnancy weight by 4 weeks post-partum. I tend to gain weight while nursing my little one. I have always heard not to try to lose weight while nursing because toxins are stored in fat. When the fat breaks down, toxins are released heading straight into your milk. I would be happy to maintain, but I tend to put on 10 lbs or so during the next 15 months or so until baby weans. Then I am pregnant again. After having had 5 (almost 6-due in January) babies, I am nearly 50 lbs over the weight I ’should’ be. I am pretty active but obviously not active enough. We have a small farm and homeschool so I cannot seem to find the time to ‘intentionally’ exercise. Besides, who has the energy after such full days. (I know–and have experienced–that exercising actually gives you more energy) We live rurally, but our little lane is busy–with fast moving vehicles–so that I cannot walk or bike with the children safely. I used to love riding my bike before children. I would often go for rides of 20 or so miles/day. My husband’s schedule does not allow him to watch the children so I could go to any sort of gym/YMCA–nor could we afford it.
Some things I know to work around, and do…sometimes. We do eat well–cook from scratch, lots of fresh fruits and veggies, no refined grains, flours, sugars, etc. I know once I start doing something, anything, and see results I will stick with it and get to where I want to be–as long as I don’t get pregnant (although we are always ready for another baby).
Lots of excuses.
1} I weigh just over 100 lbs and am afraid to loose weight
2} No time lol
3} Distractions and being crawled on by toddlers
ok so # one is true but not really the reason. It would help with that. Im just to darn tired so it is no longer enjoyable. So i use that as my excuse. Sorry for not being fully honest.
My top three reasons-
1) can’t keep the kids happy while I am exercising (I have 7, oldest is 12 and youngest is 9 months)
2) not enough time
3) have other things I would rather be doing (and that isn’t a lie)
Kate