Published: April 9, 2009

Let’s face it: temptation is all around us. Many times, when someone tries to do something better or healthier, temptation seems to be more apparent. Trying to drink less? More open bar opportunities pop up. Quitting smoking? More people at Fordham smell of cigarette ashes. Cutting internet time? The next mind-blowing Features piece in the Observer has a can’t-miss video online. When it comes to temptation, I am likely to fall into these traps.

Throughout the last few months of the “All Kinds of Ripped” campaign, I have been tempted in all kinds of ways to get lazy. Admittedly, I have fallen victim to some temptations myself. However, through a few tips, I have done my best to fight back those temptations. Here are the three biggest excuses I have discovered over time and ways to defeat them.

1) “I’m too tired”

When I talk about “tired,” I am not speaking about body fatigue. I’m talking about the “roll out of bed and too lazy to go to class” tired. From my experience, the world “tired” is used to describe a vast array of feelings. Heck, I use it to describe how I’m feeling 50 percent of the time. Mostly though, I say “tired” when I am actually lazy. To be consistently lazy when you’re trying to lose weight can make you miss work-outs, add on pounds and lose any of your gained muscle. Are you still feeling “tired?”

When it comes to this excuse, there are numerous ways to push this excuse into the past. Sleeping for more hours, getting your homework done earlier, and getting to sleep at a reasonable hour are three tried-and-true ways of giving yourself more energy naturally. However, when I feel too tired to work out, I decide to push myself and work out anyway. As my body gets moving, I feel the fatigue slip away.

2) “I just love food too much”

To me, having delicious food makes the world just a little more delectable to live in. The issue is when your world is flooded with Hershey Kisses, excessive food from the cafeteria, and just-that-one-more-bites. It goes without saying that New York City has a plethora of food to choose from. Even the more inexpensive options can be plentiful. However, sometimes, the most appetizing options may be the most fattening or calorie-adding.

I have used this excuse far too many times in the past. I can’t help but love food, from the gourmet to the take-out. In order to fight this, I have done three things, which have saved my waistline from expanding another size. I attempt to substitute my love for white bread and fatty hamburgers for healthier options. Indulging in a guilty pleasure on your iPod can provide the same joy food indulgences can bring with one catch: music won’t make you fatter. Lastly, I tend to work out harder the day after a high-calorie day in order to seat off the excess poundage.

3) “I’m too busy”

“I’m too busy” is probably the collective phrase uttered the most by students within the walls of the Lincoln Center campus. For involved students, there is always another school event to attend. For working students, there is always a shift to cover and more money to be made. For pissed-off students, there is always another club, event, or group of people to bitch about. On a whole, most Lincoln Center students always have something to do. Sometimes, those events can impede on schoolwork and especially exercise time. “I’m too busy” can quickly become “I’m too busy to get healthier” or “I’m too busy to keep myself fit.”

One night two months ago, while walking with a few friends, my good friend Billy cooly chastised my inconsistent once-every-other-day work-out by telling me, “you can always make time.” After thinking about what he said, I decided to change my work-outs to back-to-back workouts Monday through Thursday. I realized if something was important to you, you will make time for that something. Instead of lollygagging through my three-a-week routine, I made time to work out four straight days a week every week. If getting healthier is important to you, make it happen.

Though these excuses may derail you at times, never give up. If one of these excuses causes you not to work out or eat well, work on it the next day. Never let one or two days distract you from your ultimate goal: to live a healthier life.