How to Stay Healthy If You Hate Working Out

You guys, I tried, I really did. Here's the thing, in the past thirty days I seriously learned what my obstacles are, where I continuously fail myself, and how others manage to get past all these excuses.

Okay, it doesn't help that I'm drinking a Coke as I write this, but in my defense I woke up at 7am today to go volunteer at a soup kitchen. Also, I have a paper due tonight. Oh, and I'm totally just making a million excuses because there's no damn reason I should be drinking a Coke right now.

That's step one of living a healthier life, calling out your own bullshit. If you're like me and look for a million and one reasons for why you can't get a workout in or say no to those french fries, keep reading to learn how other's get past all these mental roadblocks.

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Call yourself out

Like I mentioned earlier, you need to be able to know the difference between actual obstacles and straight up excuses. For example, on Wednesdays I work from 9am to 6pm, then have class from 7-10pm. Sure I could wake up early or stay up late to exercise, but on days like that I need the extra sleep. Me not working out on a weekend? That's just me coming up with an excuse for why I don't have the time.

Every time you skip a workout or opt to eat an unhealthy meal, write down why you made the decision. This way you can look back and see what your patterns are, where you can improve, and in which instances you're just looking for the easy way out.

Identify your instigator

Going into this challenge, I knew one of my biggest obstacles was my boyfriend's love for eating out. The man loves fast food, especially on the weekends. Our struggle with both being picky eaters means I can't just order a salad, because I will 100% throw that shit up.

In my case, I can't just stop eating with my boyfriend, but I can tell him to push me to make healthier choices. Figure out who your instigator is, and either avoid them while you get into the routine of things or let them know to help you stay accountable.

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Carve time out

As much as I love pilates, I suck at giving myself the time I need to do it. My goal for June is to schedule my workouts ahead of time, choosing both the hour and specific workout I'll do. This way there's no reason to waste time figuring out what moves I'll do or for how long. If you need to, you can set a reminder on your phone or post the workout calendar where you'll see it constantly.

Make it a priority

Another though one for me, making my health a priority. So often I chose to work on a blog post or accommodate my boyfriend's cravings rather than stick to my plan. What I'm doing to make my health a priority is let my boyfriend know of my plans, plus I'm working towards a certain reward. It can be hard to make your health a priority when you're balancing work and/or school, but it's possible if you train yourself to stick to your own goals.

Keep a food log

Nothing is more painful than reading through your food log at the end of the week. Prepare to sit there and wonder why you eat so many french fries, frozen yogurt and midnight snacks. A food log lets you know where most of your calories are coming from, and at what time.

Mine tells me that I do my worst eating in the hour between work and grad classes, which makes sense since I have no time to grab anything more than fast food. What I've done with this information is started packing healthy snacks ahead of time, or carving out time to give myself the opportunity to grab a meal I won't regret later.

Start small

Health goals don't have to be giant things like losing X amount of pounds or cutting minutes off your mile time. If you aren't used to living an active lifestyle, get yourself started by committing to walking around your neighborhood a few times a week, or testing out low impact videos every other day. Simply getting yourself into your gym clothes and off your bed is the first step to starting a new healthy habit.

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Choose fun over fitness

Sure, if you want to see results maybe this isn't the best advice, but it's more beneficial to develop a love for fitness than commit to an exercise routine you hate. In my case, I genuinely enjoy bicycling and pilates. My best advice is to try a variety of classes and exercise routine, and stick to the few you find yourself finishing all the way through.


How do you stay committed to your health goals? Give me all your advice in the comments below!