The 5 Most Common Excuses That Lead To Weight Gain (And How To Avoid Them)

There are five most common excuses I hear from my readers and nutrition clients when it comes to not eating well on a regular basis. Many of them might sound familiar to you, too.

Here are a few easy tips to squeeze healthy eating into your busy schedule.

It's true that fresh organic produce is more expensive than the conventionally grown variety and that pasture-raised animal products are more expensive than factory-farmed animal products. However, that doesn't mean that healthy eating has to break the bank.

Here are ways you can save money while eating well.

When you start to make healthful eating a priority, you will most likely cut back on some other expensive habits, such as dining out often, buying triple-shot skinny-mocha lattes with whipped cream, eating greasy popcorn at the movie theater, or sipping overpriced cocktails. Improving your health now will likely mean fewer costly doctor visits for you in the future, too. Consider that even more reason to banish this "too expensive" excuse for good.

Try some of these easy ways to get started. The more consistent you are, the faster you'll see positive results!

I refuse to be a short-order cook, but I have no problem modifying a dish I'm already making to accommodate my family members. For example, my husband prefers to eat meat more often than I do, so I will add a precooked chicken breast to his portion to help him feel satisfied, while keeping my portion vegetarian. Or if he feels the need for more bulk when I'm serving a dish made with cauliflower rice, I'll use an individual portion of frozen cooked rice from our freezer to add to his plate. It's not much extra work on my part, and he's still getting a mostly vegetable-centric meal without feeling overwhelmed by drastic diet changes. There's no need to prepare an entirely different meal.

Here are a few on-the-go tips to help you stay well and on track:

If you find yourself traveling often or dining out several times a week, those daily indulgences can quickly start to take their toll on your energy levels and overall quality of life. However, when you start to take care of yourself by using the previous tips, you'll feel better and you'll want to stick to your healthy eating plan. Start building up your momentum now because it does get easier the more you practice.

The following issues might help you get to the bottom of your cravings:

They don't know where to start. There's so much conflicting nutritional information out there that it's easy to stall simply because you don't know which approach to healthful eating is best. Is it the paleo diet? Or should you be vegan? The truth is, our society suffers from nutrition information overload, and the constant flood of conflicting studies and diet theories is enough to make your head spin. Don't use this confusion as another "excuse" to procrastinate changing your lifestyle habits. Instead, stick to what most experts agree to be true: Eat whole foods—with an emphasis on plants—as much as possible. It's hard to go wrong with that approach!