When you don’t feel like doing something — especially something you haven’t tried or succeeded at before — you might say, “I don’t feel motivated.”

To get going, maybe you read quotes, listen to music, or watch an inspirational moving hoping to find your spark. 

But, here’s the problem: boosting motivation doesn’t work that way. 

We think motivation leads to action, when — in reality — taking action increases motivation. 

We think motivation leads to action, when — in reality — taking action increases motivation.

If it seems like a backward process, well, we would agree. It almost seems unfair that you need to dive into something even if you don’t have the mental support and energy. But, that’s how it works.

While we didn’t design the human body, we can help you work with it to ensure that if motivation is low — or hasn’t even been created because you’re trying something new — that you can still set yourself up for success. 

What is Motivation?

Motivation comes from the Latin word movere, which means “to move.” So, in theory, it makes sense that motivation helps you go places in life. 

But, if you want to feel motivated, you need to move (or, more appropriately, take action) first and then the motivation comes. 

Neuroscientists have studied motivation and found that if your brain can understand your challenges, goals, and hurdles, then you’re more likely to have the type of mental energy needed to achieve your goals. 

It’d be great to have lots of motivation, but that’s not the default mode for many new tasks. When you try something new or want to achieve a goal, a part of your brain (your right prefrontal cortex) lights up that creates doubt and disbelief. Your brain is capable of helping you take on the world, but unfamiliarity can lessen your drive.

If you want more motivation, you need to tap into the left prefrontal cortex, which increases mental energy and focus. This other side is fueled by hope, inspiration, and a belief you can succeed. 

What separates drive (left side) vs. dive (right side)?

Your brain needs to understand the actions it’ll take to achieve the goal, and it needs to feel realistic. 

If you can accept this concept, you will have the motivation needed to succeed with many diet and fitness plans.

Why You Have Low Motivation For Diet and Fitness

Many diet and fitness plans are a trap. One that is designed for you to start and stop with limited success. We help clients achieve every goal from fat loss to muscle gain, and we see a common pattern that we work to undo. The pattern usually falls into two categories: : 

Option 1: You want to start a plan and maybe buy a book or diet program. It’s possible you join a gym. But, you never really start or gain momentum. It’s frustrating from the start and you blame yourself. 

Option 2: You start a plan and feel excited. You get new workout clothes, buy healthy food, and dive in with extreme compliance. You likely see some initial success too. Eventually (usually around the 4-week mark), you’ve suddenly lost motivation, almost as if it was sucked from your body. Going to the gym is harder. Eating healthy is no longer empowering; instead, it now feels stressful. 

In both options, you end up in a similar position. The pressure starts getting to you. You sneak in desserts or snacks that are not part of the plan. Piece-by-piece, you start making decisions that you know are less than ideal, and — as a result — you give up on the vision of what you want to achieve.

So, why is it such a likely outcome when your desire to change is so strong?

Unlike most diet books, I’m not going to suggest detox, tell you to buy a supplement, or recommend “one change that will fix everything.“

Sometimes the problem is the plan itself, whether a faulty 4-week fix or a diet plan not designed for your body.

The bigger issue is you’re missing a basic concept that allows you to succeed.

Motivation is real, but relying on it is likely to lead to frustration and failure. 

Why You Lose Motivation

There are two primary reasons that make it hard to rely on motivation. Instead of thinking of motivation as a jumpstart or a first step, think of it as a refuel. 

Motivation is much more likely to keep you going and help you reach your goals rather than help you get started. Luckily, getting started doesn’t mean crushing a month’s worth of workouts or eating all the superfoods. It’s much easier but requires you to rethink your typical approach. 

Your brain is amazing, but if you want to make it work for you, it’s helpful to know how it works. 

As we mentioned, action increases motivation. Your brain is wired to increase motivation for the things we’re confident about, have tried, and understand. The habits we build create feedback loops that make it easier to repeat them. The habits we haven’t built are harder. So, you need to think about how you can make it easier to build a habit before you just jump in and begin a new plan.

The motivation will come…if you give yourself the right tools.

There’s another important reason why it’s hard to rely on motivation when you’re beginning a program. The area of your brain that controls motivation and willpower is the same part of your brain that also handles your day-to-day tasks, short-term memory, and focus. It’s more overworked than your Instagram feed.

Take a minute and think about everything you have to manage on a daily basis. And now, imagine that same overworked employee also has the responsibility of dragging your butt to the gym, eating the right foods, and preventing you from half a dozen old fashions at the end of the day.

If you really want to transform your body, the most important plan starts not with your body or meal plan, but instead an approach that will strengthen your mind.

The Science of Increasing Motivation (And Powering Body Transformation)

For many years, scientists tried to figure out how to increase motivation. Turns out, you don’t increase it directly. Instead, you make it easier for your brain to feel motivated. 

That is accomplished with intention and commitment—two acts that turn your goals into a clear framework that your brain can get excited about. If you can train your mind to understand your goals (and what you’ll do to accomplish them), you can trigger motivation. 

It’s the difference between visualizing a goal in a way that your left prefrontal cortex lights up and gives you the power to persevere and succeed, or having your right prefrontal cortex shut you down.

This might seem like a joke, but the facts are undeniable: there are countless studies showing how making a commitment—and preferably writing down your intentions in specific details—make it much more likely that you’ll not only stay on task but also achieve your goals. 

It’s behavioral psychology 101, and, while it’s not as sexy as meal plans and new workouts, if you make commitments first, then those plans will become more effective. 

Research from the British Journal of Health Psychology suggests why this gets the job done better than “just starting.” Scientists focused on helping people become more consistent with workouts. In the experiment, one group tracked their exercise [the control group], and another group tracked exercise but also tried to increase motivation [the motivation group] by reading about how exercise prevents disease. The idea here was that your brain could better understand why your goal was so important.

A third group [the intention group] did the same thing as the motivation group, but they also had to specify their intentions in the following way:

During the next week, I will partake in at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise on [DAY] at [TIME OF DAY] at/in [PLACE].

The results? “Compliance” was considered exercising 1 time per week. In the control and motivation group, about 35 percent of participants exercised, at least, once per week. 

As for the intention group, they had an astounding 91% compliance rate. 

Other research, such as work done in Norway, found that those that formulate a plan for their diet eat healthier.

How To Boost Motivation (And Never Run Out)

If you want to increase your motivation, there are several steps you can take. Researchers from Australia found that moving slowly helps you achieve your goals faster. Instead of trying to master multiple habits, it’s more effective to take a step-by-step approach, such as building one habit at a time. This helps reduce cognitive load, which means your brain can both learn a habit and increase motivation. 

In simple English: when your brain has less to process, it makes it easier for you to eat more vegetables or consistently find your way to the gym.

When you create big tasks (I’ll lose 20 pounds), your brain relies on precedent. So, unless you’ve succeeded at this goal before, then there’s a chance your brain will remind you on a subconscious level of past failures, and that can trigger learned helplessness. Fail enough and you come to expect failure.

Instead, if you can focus on attainable small goals, find ways to make it clear why they are important, and set intentions, then you’ve created an environment for good habits, less stress, and more motivation. 

You still have to work hard, put in the effort, and stay consistent. But, when you make your goal simple, clear, and easy to follow, you reinforce a process that makes success a more likely option.

It might seem basic or even ridiculous. But, in no time, you won’t worry about lost motivation. Training your brain for success will build a mindset that will guide you to success.

READ MORE: 

Why You Gain Weight on Diets (and the Simple Fix That Will Keep Off the Pounds)

Winning the War on Hunger: Practical Solutions to Overeating

How Often Should I Change Reps?

Adam Bornstein

Adam Bornstein is a New York Times bestselling author and the author of You Can’t Screw This Up. He is the founder of Born Fitness, and the co-founder of Arnold’s Pump Club (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Pen Name Consulting. An award-winning writer and editor, Bornstein was previously the Chief Nutrition Officer for Ladder, the Fitness and Nutrition editor for Men’s Health, Editorial Director at LIVESTRONG.com, and a columnist for SHAPE, Men’s Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness. He’s also a nutrition and fitness advisor for LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to The Huffington Post, Bornstein is “one of the most inspiring sources in all of health and fitness.” His work has been featured in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN, and GQ, and he’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and E! News.

The post How to Overcome Lost Motivation appeared first on Born Fitness.

60.

92.

On the surface, the numbers mean nothing. They could be a lottery number, a gym locker combination, or the estimated age when all men mature. But if you look closer, these numbers are proof that fitness programs aren’t working the way they should. Or maybe more accurately, bad fitness has become the norm.

• Approximately 33 percent of the population is now obese or overweight, and that number is projected to climb
• More than 60 percent of people who visit gyms have trouble sticking with their plan consistently for more than three months.
• Up to 92 percent of people fail at their fitness resolutions by the end of the year.

Some might find these numbers depressing. The reality is, the numbers—while disconcerting—are a sign of hope and improvement. Because while most experts continue to spend so much time stressing the search for the perfect exercise program or diet—research is finally uncovering why so many people struggle to get in shape.

And the reason is simple: an important variable is missing that significantly influences whether you see the type of results you want.

Good health and fitness books or good diet programs work because they provide information that has been proven to achieve a particular goal, whether it’s burning fat, building muscle, becoming more athletic, or just boosting overall health.

Whether a diet and training program works is not why so my people fail. Many diets work. Many types of exercise burn calories. But certain programs are effective for individuals because each person is able to crack the code and learn how to change behavior.

It’s time to flip the script on why certain people are fit and others struggle to fit into their favorite pair of jeans.  It’s the secret in the fitness world that few people address because most never grasp why some people succeed on the same plan where others fail.

Beyond the calories in versus calories out equation, finding the perfect workout or number of sets or reps, the real breakdowns in body transformation don’t occur in the muscles or fat cells—they happen in your head.

Whether you realize it or not, your success is determined by your ability to adhere to a number of behavioral changes that make it easier for you to experience success on any type of program.

The two most common explanations for why fitness programs don’t work are:

1)   The workout (and/or diet) was no good and full of nonsense

2)   Your body sucks. Your genetics are awful. Everyone can lose weight and you can’t. 

The reality is, the second reason—while valid (genetics do play a big role)—is not a reason for your lack of success. Anyone can change and transform. Weight loss and muscle gain are not restricted to the genetically blessed.

The list of why programs don’t work is missing two essential elements that make it complete:

3)   You didn’t follow the program, weren’t compliant, and constantly made adjustments

4)   The program was delivered in a way that gave you no option but failure.

It’s this fourth element that most people overlook and never even consider, which is why so many are frustrated because it is probably the most common reason for frustration and a lack of progress.

Unless you inherently love exercise and eating good foods, shifting to new habits takes a lot of mental energy. And if you don’t take the right approach, your brain can literally prevent you from making the changes you desperately want.

Instead of blaming yourself, you can arm yourself with some basic knowledge that will make sure you mind is strong enough to carry your body to its new and improved look.

Bad Fitness 101: Don’t Rely on Willpower…

The first rule of willpower is doing everything possible to not rely on it. Willpower is a real thing, and it can be the reason why you head to the gym and eat broccoli instead of lay on the couch and eat ice cream, but it’s also the reason so many people have trouble adapting to healthy behaviors that feel foreign.

You see, you have much less control over your behavior than you’d want to believe. That’s because stress and anxiety—emotions that are inevitable—can wreck havoc on even the strongest intent, and make it difficult for you stay focused and push yourself to stay consistent with new behaviors.

Which is why it’s important when taking on a new plan to be aware of the ways that your willpower might make it difficult for you to experience success. Instead of thinking, “I must avoid all of the candy in my pantry,” you need to throw out all the food you know you have trouble avoiding and replace it with the stuff you want to eat.

If you’ve noticed that you can’t make it to the gym consistently, hire a trainer and make a special request that they text you an hour before your session.

Willpower can be faulty, so building systems that guide behavior can ensure that when willpower breaks down failure is not the only option. The more structure and rigidity to the systems you build, the easier it is to program your behavior.

If you feel that you need to walk more, you can purposely park your car 15 minutes away from work. Sure it’s inconvenient, but it will get the job done, right?

All too often we over-rely on the belief that creating change will be easy. Instead, anticipate that it will be hard and simplify your job by making it easy for you to adhere to your new behaviors. After a while, you will change as a person, and you won’t need the systems any more.

…But Creating More Willpower Will Help (Yes, it’s possible)

The most frustrating thing about willpower is that we legitimately have limited amounts available. The area of your brain that controls your willpower is located in your prefrontal cortex. You might remember this from biology as the area directly behind your forehead.

It’s the same part of your brain that helps you with all your day-to-day tasks, everything from your short term memory (What did my wife tell me to buy at the store?), figuring out some simple tasks, and even staying focused.

The point is, the pre-fontal cortex is busy at all times. So whenever you take on a new behavior—especially one that is as big as getting in shape, exercising, and eating better—it’s like having a massive project dropped in your lap and being told everyone else in the office is too busy to help.

The result is that desired actions—if new—can be very (very) hard to execute. In fact, it’s more than your brain can handle, meaning you default to old or undesirable behaviors.

Here’s how manipulative your brain can be. In a well-known study at Stanford, two groups were given a number to remember. One group needed to remember a two-digit sequence, whereas the other needed to remember 7 digits (Both short-term memory tasks). Then the groups went for a walk. At the end of their walk, they were offered an option of snacks: Fruit or chocolate cake. (This type of dilemma might sound familiar.)

What happened? Those who had to remember the 7-digit number were two times more likely to dig into the cake instead of opt for the fruit.

Researchers refer to this as “cognitive load.” The more space you’re taking up in the prefontal cortex, the harder it is to make certain decisions. That’s why you need to train yourself and prepare accordingly so that you have enough willpower to take on new tasks.

This is one of the reasons why resolutions are such a flawed concept. If you’re trying to change 10 behaviors at the same time, it’s nearly impossible for you to succeed. Your brain won’t have it, and, as a result, you’ll be more likely to find yourself in December eating cake—and not because you’re celebrating your new body.

Instead of listing off many goals or taking on too many projects, it’s best to focus on one big effort and then break that down into habits.  Researchers from Australia found that taking a step-by-step approach, such as building one habit at a time helps reduce cognitive load.

So rather than saying “I need to lose 10 pounds” it’s best to program simple behaviors that will help make this possible. This might be, “I will have an accountability team to make sure I go to the gym.” The habit is simple—building a team—rather than something more complex such as promising that you’ll exercise for 60 minutes five times per week.

The lesson: Be aware that your willpower is the most overworked employee in your brain. Make the job easier and you’ll see your habits change along with your body.

5 Ways to Boost Willpower

In order to make sure you create more willpower and don’t sabotage your efforts, here are five things you need to consider when trying to change your body, take on a new diet or fitness program, or accept a new behavior.

Create Hope

We all want to believe that we can achieve our fitness goals, but all too often “false hope syndrome” makes the process harder than it needs to be. You need to set realistic expectations of who you are, what you are capable of achieving, and want processes you need to set up to help you be successful. This goes back to building systems.

If you know that you fall victim to cravings, don’t tell yourself those days are over and that you can completely control yourself. Odds are, you’re lying to yourself and these positive intentions—while seemingly good—can be harmful. That’s because the moment you slip up you’ll not only revert back to old behaviors (not terrible when it happens once in a while—hey, we all screw up!) but more importantly it can crush your self-esteem. And once that happens, willpower becomes overrun and you fall off the wagon.

Therefore, it’s important that you start out confident, but also be realistic with what will be easy and what will be hard. Make a list. Separate it into two goals (easy and hard), and for everything that’s hard, plan certain systems that will help ensure that you’re not putting too much pressure on yourself.

Think Small (But Still Dream Big)

If you’re serious about your fitness goals, you need to determine what other areas of your life should be prioritized less. Go in open-minded and realize that making these changes will be tough; if they weren’t, you wouldn’t be in this position in the first place. So make sure you have the energy to take on the task and be prepared for the hard days. You can simplify this process by:

• Creating goals that matter to you. This will make it easier to fight for them.
• Setting up a plan
• Creating Milestones
• Trying new ways of living

All four of these elements have something in common: you’re creating new thought patterns. When brain scientists have looked at MRI’s they’ve found that our minds work off of old memories. It’s like a taking a particular route to work. After a while, it becomes you routine. But when it comes to behavior, oftentimes you simply try to tell yourself, “Don’t go that way!” That’s a recipe for failure. You need to find a new route. Don’t try to “not to do something;” that just strengthens a pre-existing behavior. Instead, create a new line of thinking, build a new neural pathway, and take that route enough times until it becomes your new habit.

Set specific Goals

This is a good lesson for anything in life: When you set goals, make them specific and tiny. You want to make it as easy as possible to succeed. We all are susceptible to a psychological concept called learned helplessness; fail enough and you come to expect failure. This is the foundation of bad fitness. And yet, all too often goals are set that increase the likelihood of failure. If you make your goals almost too easy to not fail, you’re on the right track. This builds positive reinforcement. And in no time, a series of small successes will have you feeling good and making more changes.

Set up An Accountability System

Speaking of positive feedback, having a team—whether it’s friends, family, a trainer, or workout partner—pays huge dividends for any fitness goal you’re trying to accomplish. In fact, research from the University of Chicago suggests that your likelihood of success is directly related to accountability and support. The ongoing lesson: don’t convince yourself you need to go at this alone. Build a team that can help you succeed. And the more that team is either invested in your goals—or are willing to be a part of your journey—the more likely you’ll succeed.

Create Incentives

If all else fails, bad fitness can be offset by building an incentive system that hacks your behavioral patterns and forces change. Research has shown that rewarding behaviors—especially with a monetary value—can help reinforce actions (such as going to the gym) that lead to long-term change. While it might be hard to find someone to pay you to exercise, you can invest your own money (in a trainer or gym) that might help make you less risk aversive. But if gym attendance shows you anything it’s that belonging to a gym is not reason enough to get in shape.

Your Move

“What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself.” –Abraham Maslow

Now that you’re aware of your brain’s role in the fitness plans, it’s up to you to execute. Build your own structure and systems to help improve the likelihood of success. Or find an option that considers all of those factors.

Whether it’s online coaching or any other proven tactic, you must start with awareness and then move to planning and action. Create a structure for psychological support. Doing so will change your mind, and soon after your body will follow.

Lose Fat…The Realistic Way

A weight loss plan doesn’t have to be a world of false promises and hype.

Now you can join a proven weight loss program with a personalized component of support and accountability with personalized online coaching.

Here you’ll learn how to eat, the type of exercise needed, and the actual plans to point you in the right direction.

READ MORE: 

How to Defy Genetics and Build Muscle at Any Age

Is Intermittent Fasting Right for You?

Want to Burn More Calories? Add This to Your Fat Loss Plan

Adam Bornstein

Adam Bornstein is a New York Times bestselling author and the author of You Can’t Screw This Up. He is the founder of Born Fitness, and the co-founder of Arnold’s Pump Club (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Pen Name Consulting. An award-winning writer and editor, Bornstein was previously the Chief Nutrition Officer for Ladder, the Fitness and Nutrition editor for Men’s Health, Editorial Director at LIVESTRONG.com, and a columnist for SHAPE, Men’s Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness. He’s also a nutrition and fitness advisor for LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to The Huffington Post, Bornstein is “one of the most inspiring sources in all of health and fitness.” His work has been featured in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN, and GQ, and he’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and E! News.

The post Bad Fitness: Why You Don’t See Results From Your Workouts appeared first on Born Fitness.

Goal setting is the health equivalent of pressing the refresh button on your life.

No matter what you did in the past, setting new goals is an opportunity to change everything. The process is as basic as it is motivating: Learn from the past and plan for a better future.

Have hope. Be an optimist. And believe that anything is possible.

It’s a safe and effective approach that allows you to reinvent yourself, set new standards, and become the person you want to be.

Unfortunately, if success was that easy and motivation was a given, you wouldn’t repeatedly set the same goals year after year.

As you might know, willpower is a limited reserve. So really on it is far from a surefire way to accomplish way you want.

So what really separates the successful from the unsuccessful? And why do so many people constantly need to reset goals hoping for the best only to repeat the same failures?

The goal-failure-success continuum really boils down to one simple factor, and making an adjustment to your approach could be the difference between achievement and failure.

The dirty little secret about goals is not complex.

Those who succeed are unwilling to quit. They want to taste success more than those who don’t.

More importantly, those who succeed understand realistic expectations and timelines of progress and change. 

According to research published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutritionists, a more effective approach for long term fat loss is a plan that allows you to lose “only” about .5 to 1 percent of your body weight per week.

For muscle gains, if you factor out “rapid beginner changes” you might be looking at a maximum (in the most perfect of scenarios) of 4 to 8 pounds of muscle gain in 12 weeks, and even less the more experience you have.

This isn’t meant to be depressing. Instead, it should be just the opposite. It will allow you to set realistic goals that won’t drive you insane.

Why Progress is Blind

We all have the desire to be better. In fact, that’s what motivates most people to set goals in the first place.

But after working with thousands of people and hearing countless stories—both of successes and failures—the most common reason for success is the relentless drive to succeed.

This is not a blame-game or a lack of respect for whatever hurdles stand in your way. I’ve failed at plenty of my goals too.

This is a reality check that everyone needs to accept, yet few ever mention.

Changing your body, losing weight, gaining muscle, quitting smoking—every goal you desire will be difficult to achieve.

At some point, you’re going to hit a bump in the road, confronted with a challenge, and begin to doubt your ability to make real, lasting change.

Many view this as a bad thing. In reality, this is the inevitable situation you must confront if you want to have long-term success.

Reaching this point is not the problem; it’s how you react after it occurs.

Pulse Moments: The Gateway to Greatness

When situations become difficult and you anticipate trouble on the horizon, do not ignore your frustration. That’s the first step towards failure.

Instead, acknowledge your anger and fear. Channel your frustration and ask yourself one simple question: How badly do I want this?

When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe that’s when you’ll achieve your goals.

This isn’t about six-pack dreams, running a marathon, or building bigger biceps. Those are all great goals that are achievable by anyone. But it’s not the goal itself that matters; it’s your relentless mindset in its pursuit.

I don’t care how far your journey might appear. You can make a change. And if you have any doubts, read the stories of those who are just like you.

I’m inspired by these people because they do the “impossible.” And now it’s our job to eliminate doubt and apathy so that you can join in on the success.

This is a gut-check. Or as I call them: Pulse Moments.

Check your pulse and determine if you’re ready for your own challenge.

Are you willing to scratch, and claw and fight for your health? Are you willing to push harder, make yourself a little uncomfortable, and make the adjustments you need to succeed?

Change is hard, and I understand every ounce of hurt you feel when it seems like you can’t lose weight, you can’t eliminate pain, or you can’t become the version of yourself that you so desperately desire.

Change starts by taking the first step, looking in the mirror, and saying, “I want to be better.”

But that’s just the beginning. You need to remind yourself that this will be a battle. And that the battle should be fun.

Make no mistake about it: Becoming healthy will make you smile more, laugh more, and feel better than you could ever imagine.

It’s worth every drop of effort you put into it. But making the transition from your current situation to the one you want takes time and includes struggles. It will be difficult, it will inevitably frustrate you, and you have to expect what’s waiting on your journey.

Approach your goals with eyes wide open.

Have hope. Be an optimist. And believe that anything is possible. And then tell yourself that when you get knocked down, you will pick yourself back up.

Every. Single. Time.

Do it for your family. Do it for your friends. Do it for the people you love. And most importantly: Do it for you.

Once you achieve that mindset, the rest is comparatively easy.

Your job should be limited to one single focus: Take action and don’t stop until you achieve your goals.

You can be the change.

But change doesn’t start with making a list of goals, finding a great workouts, or finally settling on a diet that you can follow.

It begins with a hard look in the mirror and a determination that your health is worth fighting for.

It’s time to make it count. Take the first step, don’t accept failure as an option, and you’ll never again doubt that you can uncover your best.

Adam Bornstein

Adam Bornstein is a New York Times bestselling author and the author of You Can’t Screw This Up. He is the founder of Born Fitness, and the co-founder of Arnold’s Pump Club (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Pen Name Consulting. An award-winning writer and editor, Bornstein was previously the Chief Nutrition Officer for Ladder, the Fitness and Nutrition editor for Men’s Health, Editorial Director at LIVESTRONG.com, and a columnist for SHAPE, Men’s Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness. He’s also a nutrition and fitness advisor for LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to The Huffington Post, Bornstein is “one of the most inspiring sources in all of health and fitness.” His work has been featured in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN, and GQ, and he’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and E! News.

The post Forget Motivation. Find Your Pulse. appeared first on Born Fitness.

I admittedly have become tired of reading blog posts that debate all of the problems.. It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to figure out how to lose weight, gain muscle, or just find a diet plan that actually works.

Bring up any topic, and you hear complaints on how to improve the fitness industry, ranging from:

• Bad trainers
• Bad gyms
• Bad diets
• Bad studies
• Lack of studies
• Lack of information
• Too much information
• No discipline
• CrossFit

Calm down, the last one is a joke. (Really, it is.)

I could go on and on, and no matter how many “flaws” mentioned, addressing any one of these issues would still leave a hundred others. This is why some people view improving health, fitness, and nutrition a lost cause. If the system is beyond repair, what’s the use in spending time trying to find a solution?

The obvious answer is that we have no other choice. That’s because there’s nothing more valuable than your health.

There’s a legitimate reason why so many people are willing to spend so much money trying to look and feel better. Your health is important. Your appearance means something to you. And building a body that can withstand the innumerable stressors of life if one of your biggest priorities. This is the modern day equivalent of, “survival of the fittest.”

If you ignore that responsibility, then it doesn’t matter who you are or how much money you have–life will find a way to crush you.

So it makes sense that we keep trying to fix the system. But at this point it’s worth taking a step back and admitting what should be obvious: what if we’re trying to fix the wrong problem?

What if you shifted the focus from external factors you can’t control?

There’s a very simple philosophy that helps reduce stress: spend the majority of my energy focusing on aspects of my health that you can directly control.

I don’t stress about outcomes that are beyond my influence. And while I play a role in the fitness world, I’m not egotistical enough to believe that I can control the outcomes.

If it were up to me, we’d all spend less time trying to fix the fitness industry, and more time trying to fix ourselves as individuals.

The real issue starts with self-perception.

If I could change one thing in the fitness industry, it would be that everyone would be more comfortable in their own skin.

It might sound ridiculous when you consider the image-based reality of fitness, but changing this mindset is the foundation of less stress and anxiety, and more success and results.

Fat people shouldn’t hate themselves for carrying extra weight. Thin people aren’t meant to suffer every time they look in the mirror. And muscular people could remove the feeling of failure every time they saw someone bigger or stronger.

You see, regardless of your physical state, everyone lives with inadequacies that make living healthier a more complicated process.

It’s our own self-perceptions that oftentimes are more crippling than the bad trainer, diet plans, or gym chains.

At the end of the day, loving who you are is what will motivate you to do what’s necessary; believing that you can become something better than what you are will help you overcome whatever bullshit exists in the industry.

If you’re willing to fight for you, your body, and your life, then everything takes on secondary importance.

The flaws in the industry are just fuel to the flames. That’s why I try to spend my efforts on spreading the truth about popular topics.

But the fire starter is your poor perception that erodes the value of your efforts. And that oftentimes places hurdles that can stop progress before you begin.

Your own personal struggles cat be motivating. I was once a former fat kid and someone that suffered many injuries. Those personal struggles motivated me to learn more about the human body, and ultimately drove me to a career where I could help people overcome the same obstacles. Pushing harder and fighting forward when your back is against the wall is something we should all strive for.

But you don’t need frustration or failure to succeed. You just have to understand that it’s oftentimes part of the process.

Learning to love who you are regardless of what you look like or how far you are from your goal is the first step towards creating a plan for long-term success.

By doing so, you’ll know and understand that you’re worth more than the image you see in the mirror. That your success can be defined in many ways, and your appearance is not the only measurement of health.

This is one of my primary goals with the clients I work with. Part of the object is to help you reach your goals. The other aspect is psychological, motivational, and behavioral. It’s teaching people that their insecurities and flaws are normal. That building confidence is a process. And that within everyone lives someone that is awesome.

Sure, you’ll still run into frustration, and failed diets and exercise plans. But you’ll like who you are and believe in what you can become.

And once that happens, it’s not a matter of if, but when when everyone will be able to take charge of their health and establish their own rules of body transformation.

When that happens, the complaints will stop and a new health economy will rise.

Adam Bornstein

Adam Bornstein is a New York Times bestselling author and the author of You Can’t Screw This Up. He is the founder of Born Fitness, and the co-founder of Arnold’s Pump Club (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Pen Name Consulting. An award-winning writer and editor, Bornstein was previously the Chief Nutrition Officer for Ladder, the Fitness and Nutrition editor for Men’s Health, Editorial Director at LIVESTRONG.com, and a columnist for SHAPE, Men’s Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness. He’s also a nutrition and fitness advisor for LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to The Huffington Post, Bornstein is “one of the most inspiring sources in all of health and fitness.” His work has been featured in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN, and GQ, and he’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and E! News.

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