The No More Excuses Diet (4 page)

These viewers saw that if I can do it, they can do it, too. Thousands of women joined the online community, and in less than four months, hundreds of
“No Excuse Moms” groups popped up in more than twenty-nine countries. People began celebrating non-scale victories, like fitting into their favorite jeans, wearing a bikini at the beach, and completing a 5K run. For many, it was the first time in their lives they had set a goal, created a plan, and achieved that goal.

And so can you.

Many people think being healthy is as simple as calories in, calories out. But it’s more involved than that. In between today and the day you achieve your goal is a long road that’s littered with a lot of excuses. You need to be prepared. You need to know what to do when you get confused, sore, tired, busy, stressed, depressed, unmotivated, and overchallenged. You need a simple how- to fitness and nutrition guide that won’t leave you with “analysis paralysis” every time you step onto the gym floor.

I’m here to teach you what I have learned to do mentally and physically to get into great shape. The first lesson is the
power of
choice.
After all, your ability to create a thought and proceed with an action will determine your results. Whatever choice you make, whether it’s to run three miles or to splurge on a chocolate chip cookie, you just own it. You decide if it helps or hinders your long-term goal, then you create an action plan when that challenge arises again.

Every action begins with a choice.

Whether you’re facing a public struggle or a private one, I show you that it’s possible to achieve your goals, that you can have the
body you want and the health you deserve, no matter what obstacles are in your way.

Your body is the only personal vehicle you will own in this life. So honor it. Respect it. And let it amaze you with everything that it can do when you give it the care it deserves!

One of the top excuses that people have for giving up on a diet or health goal is that they aren’t getting results. And while I’ve designed this program for you to start basking in success quickly, you need to know that it’s going to take time and effort to get the final results that you want. And that’s okay—that’s how it’s supposed to work! It takes three days to overcome a craving and bust your excuse, three weeks to develop a new good habit, and three months to see a physical transformation. Reaching these milestones in your fitness journey will give you patience and perspective as you endure the process of changing your actions to produce a new, best body.

Think back to all the times you tried to diet and exercise in the past. What held you back from becoming your best self? Did you
get busy? Did you give into cravings too many
times? Was it too unrealistic a goal? What was your excuse?

Let’s examine some of the
excuses that have been holding us all back from living a more fulfilled life. (In
Chapter 9
, I talk more about excuses and give you strategies for busting through them.) Here’s a sampling of the biggest problems I have heard from the thousands of women I’ve helped.

I like a long night’s rest as much as anybody, but nothing feels like “winning” more than getting up early to work out, clean up, and prepare for work, all before 9
AM
. There are a lot of benefits to being an early riser. Not only do you get your priorities out of the way, but the house is quiet, the streets are empty, and often the sun hasn’t risen yet. It’s empowering to spend a few silent minutes in this serene environment and envision the day you have planned. If mornings are truly not going to work for you, commit to training during your lunch break or immediately after work. Wherever your opportunity to train fits in your day, commit to it for three days. By the fourth day, I promise it will start to feel like second nature.

Like many people, I grew up eating sugary cereals, white rice, fruit roll-ups, and boxed dinners. Saying that I love carbohydrates is an understatement. I used to eat rice with spaghetti or macaroni and cheese, and I even added some rice to my ramen noodles. When I started learning about macronutrients in college, I realized my diet needed a major overhaul, and I committed to stop eating rice. The first few days were hard, especially because anything that was savory needed—according to my taste buds—some rice for balance.
But after three days, the rice craving was not as great. After a couple weeks, my taste buds regenerated and I didn’t want rice much anymore.

I’m not a big runner;
running brings me back to my childhood embarrassment at running a mile on a dirt track in middle school and vomiting my SweeTARTS soon after. Gross, I know. Every time I run, my body feels heavy and my heart feels overworked. I know, however, that in order to step up my fitness game, I have to incorporate running. So, whenever I need to get back on track, I start by running 2 miles at a moderate pace. I don’t worry about how fast I’m going, and I don’t panic when my body feels weak and breathless. If it’s too difficult, I focus on taking a short water break every 5 minutes or I walk uphill instead of run. As long as my heart is challenged for 20 minutes, it doesn’t matter if I’m sprinting, jogging, or walking fast—my body is working hard and I don’t quit; that’s all that matters. The next day, I do it again. By the third day, my body is starting to adjust to this new activity and I can begin extending my distance or increasing my pace.

Completing a difficult
cardio challenge applies to every type of cardio exercise, not just running. If you find swimming, stair-climbing, spinning, or jumping rope especially difficult, then focus on that weakness. When you do what your body feels is challenging, you become stronger because your mind and body are both engaged in the activity.

The three-day rule can have a huge impact on people who have been pessimistic about past weight-loss journeys. It allows you to
adequately prepare by reading this book, creating a support network, and acquiring accountability tools. In the first three days, you reflect on your excuses, affirm your strengths, and create action plans to combat those excuses. One of the main messages in this book is the power that comes from envisioning your success and focusing on what you desire. So take this opportunity to let go of what scares you and instead focus on what inspires you.

There was a point in my life when I had several friends who loved to meet over coffee, which meant drinking a lot of fancy coffee drinks. It became such a habit that even when we weren’t meeting, I found myself making a trip to the café for my fix. Eventually, I found myself consuming 400 extra calories a day and spending $25 a week on coffee. When I realized this was becoming an
addiction, I made a conscious effort to thwart this consumption. At first I ordered unsweetened tea, then I took just water. After just three days, I started becoming mentally stronger to make healthier drink choices. Not only was my waistline decreasing but so was my spending!

If you are addicted to a specific food—like sweets, breads, or cheeses—abstain from it for three days and you’ll find that the craving will dissipate. I’m a big chocolate lover. There was a time when I felt a meal wasn’t complete until I ordered dessert! It wasn’t uncommon for me to order dessert before the main meal, just to ensure I saved room in my tummy for it. When I realized my love for chocolate was impeding my physical results, I grew conscious of this craving and resolved to deal with it. Even though my body and mind wanted my routine dessert after dinner, I didn’t give in for three days. By the fourth day, my body was feeling lighter and my mind felt stronger.

So remember this: If you have trouble performing any routine, do it without fail for three consecutive days, and by the fourth day it will become easier. You can use this three-day rule to reshape nearly all your habits and routines.

To give meaning to your efforts, you need to find value in each action. If you are unmotivated to work out or to eat healthy, perhaps you haven’t landed on the deep, desirable reasons this journey is important to you. Do you want to avoid health-related issues like heart disease, diabetes, and stroke? Do you want to grow old with your children or feel sexy around your spouse? Figure out why this effort is important for you, and have those reasons on hand every time you lose motivation. If you need to, take a mental break; but by the third day, start taking action. If you wait any longer than three days, complacency moves in and takes hold.

Do any of these excuses sound familiar? Believe me, I know how real they sound; you are not alone if one—or a few, or all—of these excuses applies to your life. But I make you this promise:
These are not permanent obstacles.
You
can
overcome them, without giving up those family, friends, and responsibilities that are so important to you. It’s all about change—change in your perspective; and in my experience, that change takes three days to become established.

Just focus on making a change in the next three days, and a new habit will kick in. The first day you are living more consciously will be difficult, and so will the following day. But, by the third day, and especially by the fourth, the change will seem natural. We are creatures designed to adapt, and the first step in adaptation is changing an action that sends you in a purposeful direction. Just don’t set too many goals at one time. Master one change, then move on to another.

I’ve used the three-day rule in several parts of my life, from breaking my addiction to rice, to carrying a water bottle everywhere I go. I focus on getting through the first three days, and after I have overcome the initial challenge, the action becomes habitual.

If you consistently practice a new routine for twenty-one full days, you will establish a whole new lifestyle. Healthy habits are the building blocks for your success. They are the difference between having to actively choose to do a routine and simply living it.

Besides marking your habit-forming ease, the three-week mark is also the first time you will measure yourself after your
initial weigh-in. I make it a general rule to not expect significant physical results before three weeks. Once that twenty-first day arrives, though, that’s when you break out the measuring tape and step on the scale. You take the selfie from your starting weight and compare it, side by side, with one you take after the first three weeks. If you don’t see results, you will reflect on your S.P.E.E.D. profile and change your actions.

The first three days when you limit the amount of sugar in your diet are the toughest, but maintaining that action for the next eighteen days gets easier. By the twenty-first day, I promise you that you won’t be missing the soda or morning doughnut. You won’t be hunting for dessert after dinner, or a piece of candy to pick you up after lunch. In twenty-one days, your taste buds will have regenerated and they will be finding naturally sweet foods like fruit more satisfying than a bag of Skittles.