Excuses are often the biggest reason for the size of your butt. I have heard them all, ranging from “I’d like to exercise, but I just don’t have the time” to, “I have tried it all, but nothing ever works.” There is always a “but” stuck in there somewhere when folks with big butts are trying to explain why their butts are so big.

Your “buts” are based largely how you were raised. You learned somewhere that excuses make life easier for the moment, but in the end, they just grow your hind end. You also learned that buts are a handy way of passing the blame onto external factors instead of accepting the responsibility for your own butt. Until you get rid of your buts, your butt won’t get any smaller.

Using “buts” are also a way to keep you within your comfort zone. Staying within your comfort zone often means staying within the parameters of your identity. Everyone has a certain way they see themselves, and and this mental picture or “mind’s eye” controls all your conscious and unconscious actions, keeping you that way.  Even if you do get results with a diet or fitness program, but your mind’s eye hasn’t changed, the “buts” come back and so does your butt. This is the reason for the diet yo-yo. Change your mind’s eye and you will stop this yo-yo once and for all.

There are many techniques I teach to my X Gym members about changing their minds eye, and some of the best ones are in my book, Cracking Your Calorie Code. One of these techniques is of course getting rid of your “buts”, and this requires some stretching of your comfort zone. No one got fit by staying comfortable. Stretching your comfort zone means doing workouts that aren’t always comfortable, and addressing the mental roadblocks that cause your “buts”.

It also means changing your minds eye by regularly picturing yourself the way you want to look and feel, and feeling that sensation in the present tense. This practice literally changes the wiring in your brain and will not only help you reach your goals faster, but will help you stay there once you reach them.

You simply cannot have both comfort and fitness. You must pick one or the other and fully commit to it. The X Gym workout takes only 20 minutes twice a week, and is the most intense workout there is. Nutritional commitment is also required, and that takes some comfort zone stretching as well (at least at first). We help clients at the X Gym take small reasonable steps toward their nutrition goals so they don’t get overwhelmed, but gentle comfort zone stretching is always a necessary ingredient. My book is also a source of this same advice for people who can’t join the X Gym or find that it’s just not their style.

Stretching your comfort zone causes growth. The more you stretch it, the faster you grow, and as with all living creatures, you are either growing or dying. There is no in between. Comfort will kill you. Pushing your envelope will make you thrive, and give you the best life possible. People need growth to feel fulfilled anyway, so growing also makes your life more satisfying.
People tell me I look younger every year. I feel like I’m in my 20’s but my driver’s license shows a 1966 birth date. I am in the best shape of my life, I eat the most calories I ever have, I’m the leanest I have ever been, and I’m the strongest too. My cardio fitness is also the highest its ever been, and you can bet I don’t try to stay comfortable! My workouts certaily aren’t within my comfort zone, but they are over with in 7 minutes or less, and I only do 3-4 workouts per week. I also drink about a gallon of water per day, and this puts me in the bathroom more than most people, but I’ll take that inconvenience over carrying around extra bodyfat and being out of shape any day!

It’s just a matter of deciding between comfort or fitness and then fully committing to your decision. Once you decide to get rid of your “buts” you will also find that getting rid of your “butt” is much easier!