We’ve probably all asked ourselves why we eat so much at one point in life.

After all, most of us don’t have the bodies we want to have because we eat too much.

Some answers to the question make it sound like it’s not our fault. We can blame it on hormones like ghrelin and adiponectin. Other answers, such as a complete lack of will-power, make it sound like it’s all our fault. And many other answers lie somewhere in between.

Here are five little-known reasons why you might be eating more than you need. Some of the answers are blunt, but they need to be considered.

1 . You are thirsty. Many times, thirst can be mistaken for hunger.

•    Quick fix – Drink some water. It can’t hurt.

2. You are covering for something. Be honest. We eat because we need the stimulation. A person who is about to go skydiving for the very first time won’t step off the plane and think, “Gee, I could really go for a muffin right now.” If you find that you constantly need to eat, it may be time to look at your life and ask yourself if you’re bored with your job, your relationship, or your friends. If you give yourself more stimulation, you might eat less.

•    Quick fix – When you eat, stop and ask yourself whether you’re hungry – or whether you’re just bored. If you consistently answer that you’re bored, find a different way to pass the time.

3. You are trying too hard to be healthy. In reality, if we ate all the foods we’re supposed to eat, we’d be overeating. Even if you’re following a low-calorie diet, the calorie count easily sneaks back up on you when you throw in some almond butter, goji juice, coconut oil, or an organic-fair trade-wheat grass shake.

•    Quick fix – Ignore “super foods.“ If you want to try a new food, replace an old one. Don’t just add it to your diet.

4. You are being mindless. Have you ever sat down in front of the TV with a full plate of food, and then, before you knew it, you reached for your plate, and it was empty? Chances are, you – not the cat – ate the food without even realizing it.

•    Quick fix – Don’t eat in front of the TV or computer.

5. You’re paying too much attention to your pre, during, and post workout nutrition. I know the theories and the “science” behind the claims that eating during, before, or right after your workout can be beneficial, but if your goal is to lose weight, those meals could be keeping you from reaching your goal.

•    Quick fix – Cut back on your “around workout” meals and see what happens.

I have some bad news.

In order to look better than most people, you have to do things differently than most people.

You’ll have to eat less and exercise more than most people – because most people just don’t do the job well enough.

Look at this shocking example:

You can learn three things from looking at these statistics:

1. The North American population has a fairly evenly distributed percentage of body fat.

2. A man’s average body fat percentage is around 25, while a woman’s body fat percentage is around 40.

3. If you want to have less than 12% body fat (for men) or less than 22% body fat (for women), you’re going to have to be an “outlier.”

What is an outlier?

out•li•er – A value that is far from the average or mean.

The statistics shown above were compiled from about 13,000 men and women between the ages of 20 and 80 using DXA.

If the thought of being “average” isn’t good enough for you, then you’ll have to commit to being different – very different.

Be your own outlier.

Take note of what everyone else is doing. Then do things just a little differently.

These statistics show that eating more than we need to eat while we obsess over healthy eating habits isn’t giving people the results they want.

Watching TV shows about other people who are losing weight isn’t giving people the results they want.

Having the desire to lose weight is much different than taking the action that is needed to make weight loss happen.

Do things differently.

Be your own outlier.

While others talk about losing weight, read books about losing weight, and watch TV shows about losing weight, you need to be the one to take action.

That’s what will make you different.

In the words of the famous Nike slogan – Just do it. No more talking. No more reading. No more thinking.

Eat less, move more – and be your own outlier.

**Am J Clin Nutr 2009;90:1457–65.