This may be the fanciest title I have ever written. This post may also upset some people, but that is okay – because chances are if you don’t agree with what I have to say here, you are probably in denial about something in regards to your own attempt at making a successful change.
As I discuss successful change here, most examples I will use are in reference to successful change from the point of someone trying to lose weight, or more accurately, lose fat or even just get healthier in general.
Point 1: You Will Not Succeed If You Don’t Want It
How bad to you want it? Really. Say it out loud, write it down – then write what you are willing to do get to your goals and what you are not willing to do. If you have a huge list of what you are not willing to do/give up (not talking freaky, creepy, unhealthy, type things here) – you will fail. You need to be willing to give up eating empty calorie crap. You need to be willing to sweat, run faster, lift heavier, push yourself past your comfort zone – or you will fail. This all goes back to the transtheoretical model or the stages of change. 
If you go to your doctor and he tells you that you need to lose weight and go to a gym for exercise, but you don’t feel that way (precontemplation), you will fail. You may start out fine, but if you truly are not ready or even aware of the need for change you will fail. However, I HAVE had clients who come to me and after our initial meeting, I make a mental note that they are in one of the early stages. This is hard to change, but not impossible. It is always fantastic to see a client clearly “buy in” or make the switch to the action phase – so much so that one day you see them working out completely on their own and doing the exercises that you taught them as a trainer.
Point 2: Cut Out the “Feel Good” BS
I am guilty of this one. “There is no good or bad food, only better or worse”. BS. If your goal is weight loss, a deep-fried Twinkie bar is a bad food and there is nothing good about it. This goes back to point one. How bad do you want it? If you aren’t willing to give up foods that are bad, you won’t succeed. But Mike, what about everything in moderation? Yes, if you eat one deep-fried Twinkie bar per year, and eat healthy at every other single opportunity, you will not get fat. (Does that really sound realistic?) However, this is still a bad food, end of story. Think of foods as steps. Good foods lead to a step towards your goal. Bad foods are like a step backwards, away from your goal. Unfortunately it’s not as easy as eating 2 good foods for every bad food you eat (it may be, but it may take you a MUCH longer time to reach your goal – and in that case I don’t want to hear about how slow your progress is). Do your body right and you will find success, do your body wrong and you won’t – simple as that.
Point 3: Keep Going, and Embrace The Challenges!
I overuse this analogy, but it is one of my favorites. “When it comes to challenges, do you treat them like speed bumps or road blocks?” Speed bumps we can get over and move on, road blocks stop us – and force us to turn around and revert back to where we came from. No one said getting fit and sexy is easy and without challenge. Just like anything else in life, it takes hard work and commitment. You may have big intentions and goals – but if you can’t stick to them and make good on your word to yourself – you will struggle and fail.
“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.”—Zig Ziglar
How bad do you want it, cut the BS, and embrace and fight the challenges – and you will find successful change!
Stay Heathy My Friends,
– Mike