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We live in an a society with an ever expanding waistline, people are getting fatter and fatter. Illness is on the rise too, diabetes, heart disease, you name it. Quite often I bump into people who say they keep meaning to come and see me, other times I have to turn away clients because I can see that they are just not ready yet. Over the years I have developed a unique skill to be able to tell who is capable of getting results (everyone is at some time or other) and who is just not there right now.

Here are the top ten reason I see for people who are choosing to stay fat ( and anyone who is overweight is making that choice). The one common denominator of failure in any endeavour be it business, education or health is this.

People who fail have more excuses than a pregnant Nun.

Here are my top ten excuses ( this list is by no means all there is, fact is when someone does not want to do something, they will find a reason not to do it

I want to get in great shape, feel more energetic, improve my chances of living longer, improve my mental outlook and have more confidence, BUT...

1. I have no time- yeh right. How come people who say they have no time can always tell me what is happening on their favourite T.V program? Or how come I always see them on Facebook complaining about how they don't have time? I once heard this excuse from a personal trainer who actually spent most of his working life in a gym! This is why many personal trainers are so fat that when they walk by the T.V people miss at least three adverts. Of course I could be wrong, maybe you don't have time, after all we are very busy these days, so much to fit in, so many deadlines to meet. Go ahead, do nothing about your health, stay fat, be unhealthy. Its your choice. BTW you don't have to commit to 4 hours a week, how about comiting to 10 minutes? You can always take it up a gear. Just getting started is enough.

2. I have a family who need me- blaming your family for your poor health is a total cop out. Your family really need you? Well how about taking care of yourself so you can really help them, how about getting yourself so energized and positive that you are an inspiration to your family. Then of course there are the people who think that its selfish to do something for themselves, or even worse are those who just have the wrong life partner who berates them for trying to improve their health and spending time away from the kids. Unless you plan on taking on Madonna's regime then you have no reason to feel bad about spending some time on yourself. Think of it like this, would you want this for your kids? Well set a good example then.

3. I have no motivation- and? Well so what? Did you feel motivated to do your weekly shop? How about paying your gas bill? But you still did it anyway right?. There is no need to go on a weekend personal development course or buy the latest help yourself book ( although there is nothing wrong with that). Motivation happens when you just get started and get on with it. BTW you have most likely done a ton of stuff in your life that is great, like get a degree, pass a driving test, raise kids who aren't chavs, all of this at some point takes motivation ( interestingly when I ask people to write down their top ten achievements they can usually only think of a three or four, you have done a lot more than you think, give yourself some credit)

4. I'm injured- yeh? I have trained people with problem knee's, backs, shoulder, I have even trained people with rheumatoid arthiritus, MS and I have volunteered in an disability home doing exercises with people in wheel chairs. There is always something you can do, last week a client came in with a limp, she had just injured herself whilst walking her dog, she decided to coming anyway because she knows there is always something we can do. She had the best arms and abs work out ever!

5. But I just love food- so do I, so what's the big deal? I love great chocolate, gooey cookies, fish and chips, pizza and anything else that is bad for your waistline. But guess what, I don't eat these foods all day long, 99% of what I eat comprises other food I love, vegetables, lean meats, fish, nuts, fruits and whole grains ( not bread or pasta). I love these foods not just for their taste ( although they do taste nice) but I love how they make me feel after, perhaps its just smug, or perhaps its the effect of not having an low blood sugar crash, or bloating, or brain fog.

6. I don't want to feel deprived- really? Deprived you say? In a world where most of the population is starving you feel deprived because you can't eat a Big Mac? Time to rethink what deprived actually means.

7. Its my slow metabolism- that's right, its your slow metabolism, you poor thing. You just can't lose weight no matter what. I bet if I dropped you off on a desert island for three months you would come back thinner, even with your slow metabolism. I am not arguing that your metabolism is slow, this does happen, actually it happens a lot. Most likely with bad diet after bad diet, or possibly because you have not developed enough lean mass to stimulate your metabolism. Or maybe its that horrible disease people dread called old age ( which really means doing things badly, but for longer). Metabolism can be repaired, look into it, or get a good trainer, or just try a decent diet and exercise program with lots of quality foods. You would be amazed at how quickly your metabolism will get better.

8. Its my Genes- some people get fatter easier than others, no doubt about it, but guess what, a few hundred years ago all our great great grandparents where slim. They had the same genes as us, they did not eat the crap that we manufacture and they exercises more.

9. I cant afford to get in shape- at a business network meeting a few months back a lady I was mingling with asked how much I charge, when I told her she looked offended and shook her head saying “ oh I can get someone much cheaper than that”. After resisting the urge to use my trained killer skills to pop her eyeballs out of her nostrils, I took a deep breath and walked away. Yes there are cheaper trainers, some of them are no doubt quite good. Like wise I know trainers who charge way more than me who I would not trust to get a dog in shape. I charge a reasonable rate for the results I produce, I have clients who have been with me for many years and have refereed family members, friends and many others to me. I also consult with professional sports teams who have no problem handing over thousands to ensure I give them an edge and no one else. I am not saying people should take out a loan, or re mortgage their house to come and see me, however some people just see me for nutrition, and some just for a once a week session. In any case it doesn't matter to me who you see, lots of people get in great shape without a trainer. What is it that you can't afford? To take a risk? To fail? To join a gym? A trainer? I think you cant afford not to. Its not an expense, its an investment, how much do you value yourself? ( a session with me can be as little as £37.50 by the way, about the price of a average night out)

10. I don't have a problem- now come on, lets be honest, the first step is to admit it.
    There there now, big breath, stand up, look yourself in the mirror and say it loud, my name is (what ever your name is) and I have chosen to be fat. It might just be a little pudge, sure there are people who are fatter than you, perhaps you will do something about it when you get time, or when it becomes more of a problem. But at least admit that you are not in the shape you would choose for yourself, now think about making a different choice.

Thats it, I must apologize for my condescending tone! I just needed to get that of my chest, I feel better now. Lighter some how!.

In all serious this article is about taking ownership of your health, as a personal trainer my goal is to enable clients to do that, I believe that we each have a responsibility to ourselves to be in good shape.