The answer to how to lose weight has intrigued humans for generations. It has triggered a multi-billion dollar industry, offering solutions ranging from A to Z and the ridiculous to the even more far fetched. Everything from:

• Special diets to special exercise plans

• Super foods to super drinks

• Ancient magic potions to intense calorie-burning workouts

• Expensive gym equipment to isolated fat-reducing plastic contraptions

• Detailed lifestyle formulas to daily motivational tapes

And the list goes on...

Each solution is intended to be the best, or the simplest, or the easiest, or better yet, the only effective way to lose weight. What's incredible is our human imagination is taken in by these illusions. And, by positioning the solution to be more complicated than it needs to be, sophisticated products and services tend to be valued more than the common sense we were born with.

It's Not Rocket Science

Are you ready for the solution? The easiest way for you to lose extra pounds is to simply eat when you are hungry and then stop eating when the hunger pangs have gone away.

How can it be that simple? Eating when your stomach tells you and stopping before you overdo it? Well it may be simple, but its not that easy for many people. There are so many emotions tied to eating that losing weight for many is not easy at all.

Some good questions to ask yourself BEFORE you go to eat are:

• Are you physically hungry?

• Do you feel any hunger pangs?

• How often are your eating patterns guided by your physical hunger?

• How often are you reaching for food because you're upset?

• Are you eating just because someone else is?

• Are your eating just because it's the time to eat, even though you snacked heavily a few minutes ago?

Of course if your goal is to lose excess weight, there does need to be some planned organization, or you couldn't share a meal or plan your day. But going back into the body's natural metabolic rhythm is an important step in the right direction when it comes to getting your body back on track and in shape.

We've Gotten Out Of Touch

Many of us have lost our ability to detect true hunger. We no longer recognize what hunger pangs feel like or the signals hunger produces. Some overweight people never let themselves get hungry. They eat too often, and too much at each meal.

Then there is the "empty plate syndrome". Where as young children they may have been trained to finish everything on their plate and cannot leave a half-filled plate uneaten whether they are hungry or not.

The next time you think about eating, just ask yourself how hungry are you? If you are hungry, go ahead and eat a sensible healthy meal. If you are not hungry, ask yourself what is it you are really craving?

• Are you exhausted and need a nap?

• Are you bored?

• Do you need to get busy doing something fun to occupy your mind?

• Do you need some exercise?

• Would a nice walk outside refresh you?

Physical Hunger Is Not The Problem

There can be so much stress and anxiety with all the things you have to handle each day -- your job, your family, your finances. The real need is for rest, movement, rejuvenation and renewal. It's an emotional hunger need, not a physical one.

So if you try to fill those situations by eating food you will not get relief from those needs. You will still have those needs waiting for you after you have polished off the ice cream, for example. And you will feel even worse, because you over-ate.

Let's Solve The Real Problem

Let's start asking ourselves different questions when we feel like reaching for food when not truly hungry:

• What's the nicest thing I can do for myself right now? Something easy, like even taking a deep breath, take a short health break, or even just a good stretch.

• What do I need to adjust or change to feel better about myself, my family and my job?

• I remind myself that food tastes much better when I'm truly hungry, so I can wait.

Give yourself the gift of exploring healthier ways to meet your legitimate daily needs. You will feel much better in the long run. And your body will thank you. It's that simple!