The 7 most common female excuses. Or how about those heavy bones and fat genes?

"He who wants to, finds a way, he who doesn't, finds an excuse" A saying that I'm sure many of you know. In this article, we will look at the most common female excuses regarding weight loss and offer solutions to deal with them.

1) I can't do anything about it, it's in my genes that I'm fat...

Mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, fifth-great aunt...they're all fat, so you must be fat too because you inherited the same genes? Genetics and family disposition obviously play a part in how your body looks (e.g. how fast you gain fat, where it settles, whether you are tall or short, etc.), but overall lifestyle, how you eat and how much exercise you get has a huge impact. You can't blame everything on bad genes and tell yourself that there's no point in losing weight anyway because you're not genetically destined to be thin.

The solution: it will cost you more effort than your friend who can eat anything and not gain weight. You'll have to work hard and be hard on yourself, but nowhere is it written that you can't overcome the "curse of the family tree" in the form of being overweight. You can. Prove to yourself and those around you that you can do it and that you don't have to follow in the footsteps of your family members.

2) I have kids to take care of, no time to exercise

Yes, with kids, a lot of things are suddenly different, you don't have time for yourself anymore, and your energy isn't to spare either. Plus, when you don't have anyone to look after your offspring so you can go to the gym, it's even a little more difficult. Many women resign themselves to it, instead of trying to find a solution that will allow them to spend time with their baby and themselves at the same time.

The solution: you have the option to exercise with your child at home, there are a plethora of physical activities you can do with your child, either individually or in a group under the guidance of a tutor. Strolling (exercising with a stroller) or yoga are popular nowadays. For more advice, see How to be healthy and fit on maternity leave?

3) I can't cook healthy food, my husband won't eat it

"I could eat the healthy food, but mine wouldn't touch it! I'm not going to cook for everyone individually, I wouldn't pay for it, I don't even have the time."

Solution: try to compromise with your partner and choose foods that he or she won't even know are healthy, and introduce changes to the family diet gradually and subtly. It's logical that he won't cheer with joy over tofu and steamed vegetables. There are plenty of options - for example, you can bake a chicken with potatoes, he will be happy with the thigh, you can have the breast and add more vegetables, or make him a classic tri-tip steak and leave the natural one for you, etc. Just because something is healthy doesn't mean it's not tasty. The internet is full of recipes for delicious healthy dishes, you can find many of them in our recipe book. And if the compromises don't suit him, he can cook for himself or go to a restaurant (if he has the finances).

4) I have very heavy bones

I'm sure you've heard from some women that their weight is due to heavy bones. This is a fairly widespread myth. Of course, if someone is taller, their bones will weigh slightly more than the bones of a shorter individual, likewise a person who has been playing sports for a long time will most likely have more bone mass. But if a woman is overweight by say 15 kg, she can't blame it on heavy bones, it's unrealistic and the extra pounds will come from somewhere else.

Solution: face the truth, heavy bones are definitely not to blame for the needle on the scale being at an unflattering number for you.

Interesting fact: from skeletal remains, anthropologists are able to determine whether the person in question suffered from obesity. Obesity affects the characteristics of the femur - the more weight it has to carry, the more robust it is.

5) No one can get me into the gym, everyone would stare at me

When you ask a woman why she doesn't actually go to the gym if she's unhappy with her figure, the answer is often: 'I'd be embarrassed, everyone would be staring at me there, I'll go work out when I'm thinner!"Honestly, if you're a pretty woman (and yes, you can be pretty even with a few extra pounds), it's logical that guys like to look at you, anywhere - at the gym, at the store, at the bus stop...there's no reason to avoid the gym because of that. But most people who go to the gym to actually work out and not to bullshit, are mostly dedicated to themselves and their workout, not to watching and gossiping about others, so you're quite possibly stressing yourself out unnecessarily.

Solution: if you really can't do it alone, you can go work out with a friend or a trainer. You'll find that over time you'll "toughen up" in the new environment of the gym and you'll think what a shame you didn't take the plunge sooner. If you're bothered by the male gaze, there are all-female fitness centres. Of course, you can work out at home, there are plenty of videos on the internet (e.g. Jillian Michaels, Blogilates, etc.), and all you have to do is buy a mat and dumbbells. But if you live in an apartment, expect that the neighbors below you may not be very tolerant of your jumping.

6) I eat much less than others around me and still don't lose weight

The idea that not eating means losing weight is so deeply ingrained that it's not easily eradicated. So is the feeling among women that if they want to lose weight, they must never have a bite of something unhealthy. And so they spend their days struggling, living on a little vegetables and yoghurt, and in the end they are overwhelmed by hunger in the evening, followed by remorse that they have failed again, that they cannot eat and therefore cannot lose weight.

The solution: don't starve , otherwise the body will hold on to every gram of fat by the skin of its teeth and store it for a rainy day. Eat regular, healthy and balanced meals, calculate what your basal metabolic rate is and how many calories and individual macronutrients you should take in for gradual fat loss. Also on our website you will find articles directly dealing with dieting. The ideal is to educate yourself in this area, not to blindly follow a nutritionist's prescribed diet.

It's always better to understand it all, learn what the possible alternatives are for foods with certain macronutrients, etc., than to panic that they've sold out of a particular food and you suddenly don't know what to eat. Anyway, if you don't want to do any calculating and studying, there are nutritional therapists and nutrition counselors you can turn to. Ideally, choose someone who has good references, experience, will meet with you in person and discuss in detail everything related to your health.

7) Healthy eating costs too much money

I often hear that healthy eating is expensive and the person in question cannot afford it financially. To eat healthy, one does not need the most expensive "superfoods", organic products or to eat salmon or beef tenderloin every day.

Solution: give preference to local and seasonal foods (e.g. Czech fruits and vegetables, nuts), follow current promotions, buy foods that can and won't go bad right away, stock up. Don't pay unnecessarily for a brand name, many times dairy products are made in the same factory and have identical ingredients and only differ in packaging and price, just read. Even on a limited budget you can eat a healthy and balanced diet.

Bottom line

If you're constantly looking for excuses as to why something isn't working, you really won't get anywhere. Wouldn't it be better to find a solution and show yourself and others that you have what it takes to look and feel good? Granted, sometimes it takes a lot of effort and overcoming yourself, but the feeling you get when you see yourself improving is priceless.

Image sources: thesun.co.uk, imgur.com, sportivs.com, Simone Anderson