No More Excuses

Did you know that it takes three days to overcome a craving, three weeks to develop a new habit, and three months to see a physical transformation? What about the fact that it takes 3,500 calories to burn 1 pound of body fat? Those are some of the things I learned when reading The No More Excuses Diet book by Maria Kang.

I'll start off by telling you that one of the excuses that I've carried around with me for years is that I never had enough time to work out. But the solution I needed was to make the time for it and commit to setting aside time each week to doing just that. With a wedding right around the corner (literally in 39 days) I've made sure that each and every Tuesday I attend the Weights and Warriors class at the Dowd YMCA. That class is a MUST for me. I also try my best to go to at least one or two other classes throughout the week, and the rest of the days I try to fit in some light cardio, walks around the block or at-home yoga and stretching.

One of the things I love about this book is that it breaks down an acronym, SPEED which is the main focal point of the book and stands for: Set the Goal, Plan the Attack, Envision the Journey, Execute the Plan, and Deliver the Results. SPEED is summed up really well by Maria saying "while on any program you will hit plateaus, deal with distractions, and have to bust some excuses" SPEED is a "goal-setting model that you will use to effectively and efficiently target your short-term goals" and I couldn't agree more.

Will and I created a short term goal that we want to carry out long term and that is to lose weight and be our physically best selves by the time of our wedding in June. We literally measured our starting points by individually weighing ourselves on a scale last year, jointed down that number and marked that as our starting point. We took "before" photos and checked back three months later to note our halfway point. In the course of those three months, I've lost a total of 6 pounds and started to see definition I hadn't had prior to our starting point. That right there was half of my motivation. The other half has been having Will as my "motivational coach".

Honestly y'all, I feel consistently and sticking with a new routine for at least twenty-one days is key because things really do start to become a habit! Even with other areas of your life such as at work. For me, it's really worked in my prayer life (spending my mornings with God in devotion) and trying to eliminate the amount of soda and sugary foods I allow myself to have. Today I can say that I crave less soda but am still working on my sweet tooth cravings! But again, it takes time.

The first handful of days are hard, and they were for me. I had days when I would lose motivation, but as the weeks went by I started to see that I was looking forward to going to work out after work! It's absolutely vital to schedule the most realistic times for you to workout as well. Otherwise you won't stick with your plan. I tried the whole working out in the morning thing but that didn't work! And that's okay. It's not the best time for everyone. For me, working out right after work before going home, is the best time for me. And one that I can stick with.

Another thing this book has shown me is that I need to find ways to stay motivated from start to finish and to really understand the proper ways to stretch and do certain workouts. To help curve my motivation, especially towards the beginning when things were a lot harder, I went out and purchased new fitness attire. All I can say is what girl doesn't like to shop, even if it's for workout gear. This book is a must read if you are having a hard time sticking to a plan. It's an easy read and very informative. I would like to lose another two pounds before the wedding, and I know that with determination and will-power, I'll be able to do just that with the help of The No More Excuses Diet (but it's more so a lifestyle and less of a "diet" if you asked me)!

I received this book to review from Blogging for Books. However, all opinions are my own.