Lamest Excuse You've Heard or Used for Not Working Out

Hubby-yesterday--too busy clipping coupons

He said he was going to start working out with me when I started on Tuesday, but there's been an excuse every day since then.  Now, I've made terrible excuses in the past, but never this bad.

Tuesday--he was too tired and needed a nap

Wednesday--he ate a bunch of chips as soon as we got home from work, so he didn't want to work out right after he ate.

I think this might be a little mean, but I'm going to keep a list of these reasons until he starts working out with me.  I hate exercising and will put it off for almost any reason, but I'm forcing myself to do this so that I can get in shape.

It may be mean, but I'm going to be mean to myself.  When I was close to 300lbs:

I'm too fat to workout!

Are you kidding me?  YES I was too fat to run a mile my first day.  YES I was too fat to be bouncing around an aerobics class putting too much stress on my joints.  But too fat to walk, to do an eliptical, to do low impact aerobics, to swim, to water walk?  What I really was was too EMBARASSED of how fat I was.  Still, gotta start somewhere or you stay fat!

Well, to be fair to Hubby, I've used a pretty lame one:

I don't have anything to wear to work out.

I'm working out in my basement for goodness sakes--who cares if my top matches my shorts or my shirt make my tummy look bigger, I'm at home!!

Had a friend once that would complain constantly about being fat (she wasn't just out of shape) and got a gym membership at my gym to work out with me and then said my 6am workout (before class) was just way too early.  I moved to afternoons after classes and then it was "too late in the day".  I couldn't even get her in the gym at noon on a saturday when I tried.  She kept complaining but never got in the doors really to do anything about it.

My lamest one was not having my ipod after it got stolen at work.   or not feeling like setting up my gazelle which takes all of a minute if that!

Actually, most of the excuses I've used since I started working out regularly again have been legitimate (sick, sick kid, relatives visiting).  But I have had the occasional "too tired because I stayed up too late watching TV with hubbby."  Which is sort of legitimate, but entirely controllable and my fault. 

Excuses I used many years ago included:  "it's too hot/cold in the house", and "I only have 15 minutes so it won't make a difference".

"I'm having a good hair day so I don't want to go to the gym, put it in a ponytail and get it all sweaty."

My ex was the king of this.  He was oftentimes "too fat to go to the gym".  He also "did not have a matching work-out outfit to go to the gym in."  That one I found particularly hilarious b/c he wasn't some fashion guru or anything.  Me??  I could be mistaken for a homeless person when I work out.  I put on anything as long as it's comfy.  I'm just going to sweat all over it anyway!

Hilarious; great thread! I don't really have any to add, but I hope others do b/c I'll keep coming back. If I ever catch myself using one on this list, I'll know that I'm kidding myself!

I've definitely used the ipod one before...many times actually. I also always use the "not enough time" even if i have 3 hours before i need to be somewhere.

OKay, seriously, I used this one last night... I was at the swimming pool working (teaching swim lessons)... I usually run on the track between lessons (I have an hour, so it works)... I decided that I didn't want to go running because it was too cold... my co-workers looked at me and said, "Don't you run inside?" ... ummm, yes, but the idea of changing seemed really cold... that would require me to get out of my warm, fluffy towel... so, I went to water aerobics instead... I know... that's a new one... it's too cold to run on the inside track! Hey, at least I still exercised... :-)

too cold, too hot, too wet, too dry (this last one is almost legitimate; dry air triggers my asthma).

if i get sweaty, i'll have to shower again.

too muddy to run in the woods, and if i run on the road, i can't let the dog off leash.

how can i possibly squeeze in a run between my second breakfast and my first lunch, and find time to check my facebook, my two email inboxes, and post 15.76 (avg) times on CC, and write a thesis, and get to work on time?

"it makes me itchy and I don't want to deal with it today"

ooh - bonus for irony quotes!

"Friends is on tv"  (we have a DVR)

"I don't want to lose weight too fast"

"I'm trying to reduce my carbon footprint"

"Someone on CC told me I shouldn't workout on days that end in 'Y' "

... then, of course, I feel guilty and end up at the gym at 11 at night.

"I don't want to get all bulky"

I'm famous for the ipod/good hair day excuses myself.  Another one I've used is "I've already worked out 2 days in a row, I don't want to get burned out".  Lame-O!!!

Well, since my cute gym clothes that I wore when I was 25 pounds lighter are now tight and terrible- looking on me......that's a good excuse. Right? Or heck...I could actually work out in the basement where I have set up the aerodyne and free weights and a mirror...and a boom-box...then graduate to the "big" gym where other people can see me after I lose the initial pounds that make me feel soooo self-conscience !  I could also take long walks in on the greenway behind my house. I really have zero excuses now.

How about: "I haven't downloaded any new music on my MP3 player".

my best friend, told me:

"i'm not strong enough to workout."

yeah because when i started i was killing it!?!  i've heard this excuse a lot, just pure embarassment/laziness.

Original Post by cellophane_star:

"I'm having a good hair day so I don't want to go to the gym, put it in a ponytail and get it all sweaty."

 Ha!  I've totally used that excuse too!  :-)

Oh!  Another one - I don't want to go work out because then, on top of my good hair day being ruined, I will have to take another shower and then put all of make-up back on.  I don't want to waste make-up, so therefore I shouldn't go work out. 

Lame-o, and man does that make me look cheap!