Your Excuse: "I'm Always Overeating! I Can't Help Myself!"

The Excuse Buster: Most of us think about weight loss in simple terms of cutting calories, reducing fat and simple carbohydrate intake - eat less, move more and weight loss happens. But living a truly healthy lifestyle involves much more than eating less - it requires learning to listen to your inner wisdom and make choices based on it.

You may not realize it, but your body has its own natural wisdom regarding food and beverage choices, and even the type of physical activities that make it feel best. This wisdom usually communicates with you through bodily sensations and subtle signals. Have you ever gotten an upset stomach after eating one of your favorite foods? Have you ever felt extremely sluggish after eating a big meal? Have you ever forced yourself to eat foods that don't seem to sit well with your body? All of these situations are great examples of not listening to your body's inner wisdom.

Tapping into this inner wisdom is as simple as learning to pay attention and listen. This can be challenging to do because you may be used to making decisions according to habit or cultural conditioning, but it's a process that is well worth learning because it will result in a much more balanced way of living. Here's how to start: first, begin developing a keen awareness of how your body feels moment to moment each day. Periodically, mentally "tune in" and pay attention to how you feel all over. Does your stomach feel okay? Do you have enough energy? Are you thirsty or hungry? Use this checking-in process especially when you eat, drink or engage in physical activities. How does it make your body feel?

Over time, you'll begin to notice that your body sends you very clear signals when you do something that doesn't agree with it. You may get indigestion after eating something heavy, or you may feel tired after a too-intense workout. This doesn't mean you can't make changes, because it's true that even positive changes may feel a bit uncomfortable at first. But at least by listening to your body's wisdom, you will move more comfortably toward better health, rather than trying to force it.