The conversations in our head give us so many excuses as to why we can't succeed with our health and feel like our truth. We say so many lies to ourselves so we can justify our actions or inactions. Having around 60,000 thoughts each day but only 10,000 being spoken out loud means we have five times more conversations with ourselves influencing us each day. Our words have power. When we decide to pay attention to those words, we can start making a lasting change with our health.

Here are seven excuses that keep us from achieving our health goals:

1. No time to eat healthy or exercise. The best fast foods are fruits and vegetables. There is no prep. They are raw and ready-to-go. They are loaded with nutritional value, giving our body lots of power. Even the fast-food restaurants take longer than grabbing fresh fruit or vegetables and most gas stations carry them. Exercise can be done every time you get in and out of your car, go to the bathroom or get up from your desk and take the longest walking route. Every day, take five- to 10-minute breaks (which most of us do when we get a coffee or visit with co-workers) or decide to fit in five- to 10-minute strength training like doing squats, leg lifts or wall sits. Not only good for you, this will also give you a boost of energy.

2. Too exhausted to be healthy. We all get tired, no matter if you have exercised or sat all day. The only difference is one gives you a chance to live a better quality life. Yet, at the end of the day, everyone is tired. If this is normal, then what we need to talk about is what is not normal. It is not normal to sit around all day; our bodies were meant to be active, with the perks being the ability to fight off many chronic diseases, increased brain function, weight loss, better sleep, strengthened muscle/bones and improved mood and energy. Sitting increases the aging process and leaves the door open to disease, weight gain, depression and much more.

3. I can't give up sugar. Once started, it is very hard to stop having cravings. We often think, what's the harm in one piece of candy or small bit of treat? But this spikes your blood sugar. If you stay away from sugar for 30 days, the cravings stop. First step is to recognize when your body dips and set yourself up to succeed. For example: every day you have a dip around 2 p.m. Make it a rule to eat fruit first and then if you still want the sugar treat, have it. Some people need to baby-step giving up sugar and some need to go cold turkey, but either way, the conversations you say in your head about how much harm it will have on your body make a difference. Use a positive affirmation to let it go.

4. I travel too much to make healthy choices. So much of life is not normal or out of routine. We have weekends, vacations, happy hours, visitors, holidays, birthdays, work events, etc. There are more exceptions to life than there is routine. So, to set yourself up to succeed, you need to find healthy ways in all environments and choose when and how often you want to cheat. If you don't get consciously aware, then life happens to you and before you know it, you’ve had six weeks of exceptions and gained five pounds. There are always healthy choices; we just need to see them and choose them.

5. Diet plans are too complicated. Yes, some are; but some are simple, like pick a fresh fruit/veggie with a lean protein at every meal. Drink 80 to 100 ounces of water daily. This is not complex. No need to keep track of calories because if you do this, it is very difficult to go over. Consuming nutrient-dense foods will provide your body energy and is very simple to do.

6. I really don't like to exercise. This is common for most people, especially if this hasn't been a routine. The first 10 minutes is the hardest. The key to incorporating daily exercise is to find a way to do it in your regular routine. Choose to move every hour. You don't have to love exercise to do it. There are many times at work or in life you do something because it just has to get done. Exercise is the same way. It is your job to keep your body healthy. Just because our bodies are amazing and will recover without nutrient-dense foods or exercise doesn't mean it's how it was meant to be. It just means your body is resilient. It’s a huge bonus if you can find movement you enjoy or with someone you enjoy.

7. Eating healthy is expensive. The expense is either on the front end (food) or back end (medical expenses). Choosing healthy options now allows your body to reap the benefits and not incur the medical expenses later. Most extra expense for food is mild and, if staying healthy is a priority, then making financial adjustments becomes easy.

Health can be achieved when we decide to go to the sometimes uncomfortable zone of choosing change. For a free tool to help turn around the "lies" keeping you stuck, go to: cldCoaching.com/freebie.

Teresa Brenke, of Embrace Health, is a life coach, speaker, nutrition/fitness expert and behavior modification specialist. Through the years, she has had the amazing opportunity of working with thousands of people, including adults, children and in business environments. She assists in teaching how to embrace change by asking key questions to reveal what is in the way of success and holding one back. For more information, visit cldCoaching.com.