The only thing standing between you and your goal is the BS story you keep telling yourself as to why you can't achieve it. ―Jordan Belfort

Most of us have a grab bag of excuses we use to overeat. These can range from having a bad day at work, or blaming our overeating on the weather, our hormones, our parents or other relationships, genetics, or the food industry for making food so readily available to us. But at some point, if we want our lives to change, we must own and take responsibility for our behavior. We have to see our excuses for what they are: a way to justify and rationalize our overeating.

The same goes for exercise and engaging in self-care. The number one excuse given is being too busy and not having enough time. Yet how much time have we devoted to overeating? Or spent wasting time on Facebook, TV, email, and surfing the internet? The truth is we always find the time for what's really important to us.

Here are some of the most common weight loss excuses and the solutions for them.

1.  I don't have the time.

Eating well and exercise has to be made a priority - a nonnegotiable - like brushing your teeth. If you don't have much time to cook or don't have much cooking experience, there are numerous cookbooks that are designed for busy people including I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening!: Over 150 Ridiculously Easy Recipes for the Super Busy, by Devin Alexander. 

It all boils down to planning and being organized. Create a simple meal plan for 5 days a week that includes enough for leftovers. Buy your protein sources on sale and in bulk. Wrap and keep frozen chops, chicken breasts, ground turkey, and other lean meats and fish in the freezer and pull out in the morning or the night before to thaw. Buy fresh veggies once a week and sauté in a small amount of oil or steam. 

Make brown rice once a week in a large batch and freeze what you need for each meal in individual bags. It reheats beautifully in the microwave. You can have a lovely meal in 15 - 20 minutes. If you don't or won't cook at all, check into premade and frozen meals at your local supermarket or Trader Joes. There are many healthy choices out there.

 2.  Eating healthy is too expensive.

If you totaled up all the costs of your overeating, including indulgences like lattes, sodas, baked goods, eating out, and unhealthy snack foods, you'd find that eating a diet of rice, legumes and grains, fruits and vegetables, and small amounts of protein is cheaper. Buy local seasonal produce at farmer's markets or on sale.  If that's too expensive, buy frozen fruits and vegetables. They are high in nutrients because they are frozen at the peak of ripeness. 

Also, give some thought to what obesity is costing you. Make a list of the cost of all the diets, gyms, and equipment you've spent money on and the cost of health problems that are associated with your weight issue. Then list the psychological cost, including low self-esteem, bad moods, anxiety, lost career opportunities, poor quality or nonexistent relationships, etc.  Are you willing to keep paying this price?

 3.  I have a sweet tooth and I'm not willing to give it up.

Don't. Making foods forbidden makes you crave and want them even more. Find a way to include them in your diet that doesn't break your calorie bank. Have a small treat every day or every few days. If you like candy, try 2-3 Coffee Nips (30 cals. Each) hard candy or a small handful of chewy candy like Hot Tamales  (70 cals.), a 4 oz. frozen yogurt (100 cals.), or a small square of dark chocolate. The key is to keep it at or under 100 cals. and stay away from high fat, high sugar combinations that can trigger overeating episodes.

Get honest. If eating cheesecake or other fatty sweets send you into an overeating frenzy, then abstain or share it with a friend at a restaurant, don't keep it in the house. The key is to eat less sugar by eating it mindfully and truly savoring it, guilt free. 

The WHO (World Health Organization) recommends only 6 tsps. of sugar a day (100 cals.).  In the context of a healthy diet, they say this amount will not harm you. In most people, this amount of sugar usually does not cause intense cravings. It's the higher doses of sugar and fat/sugar combos that lead to intense cravings for more.  By allowing your so called "forbidden foods," you also eliminate the "I'll start my diet tomorrow" syndrome which is one of the biggest excuses to keep eating there is!

We are the authors of the particular story line we are living in the world. If we don't like the story we're currently living, we can change it. We must drop the excuses and begin to take action. Setting small, attainable goals is a step in the right direction. As we begin to move forward, we feel empowered and we gain momentum. Our walk begins to align with our talk and we find ourselves moving forward and realizing our goals.

What are some of the reasons and excuses I use to rationalize my overeating? Are they keeping me from the achievement of my goal? What small action step can I take today in the direction of my goal?

Today, I move from excuses to action. The most important step I can take is to begin - right now.