PERSONAL HEALTH BLOG

Do yourself a favor and take your health as seriously as you took other major accomplishments in your life.

While serving as a physician in the Navy, I was stationed with the Marine Corps for two years.  I’d often talk with Marines about their cigarette habits and urge them to quit.

I heard, “But doc, it’s too hard to quit smoking,” over and over.  “Really?” I’d respond, “is it harder than becoming a Marine?”

Usually that was the end of the “too hard” excuse.  Some would quit and some wouldn’t but at least the Marines that continued to smoke could begin to see through their own excuses.

Lame Excuses

Are you making excuses about your health?  Telling yourself why you can’t change instead of finding out how you can?  I don’t mean to be insulting but the answer is "Probably." This is just how life is – we all make excuses.

An excuse is a defense or justification for something that would otherwise not be acceptable.  How about this one – “Yes officer, I know the speed limit is 35 but my wife here is in labor and I’m on my way to the hospital.”

That one just might be a valid excuse and you could avoid the ticket, but the excuses we use to defend our lack of progress in managing our own health usually aren’t as appropriate.

Have you ever told yourself any of these?

• It’s too hard to get in shape.
• I don’t have the time to exercise.
• My genetics and metabolism prevent me from losing weight.

Stop making excuses and start telling yourself that you CAN do it, or pay the consequences.

Or maybe you’ve told yourself something a little different, but it's still an excuse.  Whatever, the specifics don’t matter.  The point is that you’re going to have to stop making excuses and start telling yourself that you can do it.  Avoiding a speeding ticket is nice. Avoiding taking control of your health isn’t.

Remember President Obama’s slogan during the election campaign?  “Yes we can!” He believed it, acted upon it, and now he’s President of the United States.

Now I’m not suggesting that you should lie to yourself.  Of course we all have physical and mental limits, but our excuses are usually the lies.  Most of us are quite capable of doing more for ourselves than we readily admit to.

Let’s look at the first one on the list: “It’s too hard to get in shape.”  Is it really?  President Obama would still be in the Senate if his motto had been “It’s too hard to be President.”

You’ve probably done some hard things in your life.  Did you graduate from college?  Get a degree in night school?  Raise children?  Quit smoking, drinking or using drugs?  Earn a promotion at work?  Serve in the military?

Those things are difficult, but people accomplish them.  Perhaps you’ve done some of these.  If you reflect on this, I’m sure you will recognize that you’ve accomplished many hard things in life. Do yourself a favor and take your health as seriously as you took other major accomplishments in your life.

Acknowledge your inner personal strength, ditch the excuses and start telling yourself, “Yes I can!”

Dr. Pete Weiss

'Dr. Pete' Empowers YOU To Manage Your Own Health

Peter J. Weiss, MD FACP is a physician, healthcare executive, author, speaker and health coach with a passion for helping others to health and wellness. Recognizing that traditional medical care isn’t helping many people to become well, his personal mission is empowering individuals to manage their own health.  His book on personal health, More Health, Less Care, is due out next spring. Professionally, Dr. Weiss serves as the CEO of Health First Health Plans, Inc.  The views expressed in this article are his alone and do not represent the views of Health First Health Plans, Inc. or Health First, Inc.

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