The Ultimate Fitness Success Essential: 1 Key to Sure-Fire Results

I will very much look forward to your information Tom, thank you!
When I made the switch from personal trainer to wellness coach I found that I could be much more supportive in helping people reach their goals and with just a weekly phone conversation. Just as you describe, it's not what fitness or nutrition program you subscribe to but what keeps you focused and motivated to stay on them.

Hello Tom. I have been reading all your posts but have never commented before. I have gained quite a bit from all the sensible information you post here. I am really looking forward to your motivation posts. You are right - despite all the intelligence in the world and access to all the great scientific information we fail quite often. Sometimes I look in the mirror and wonder why a reasonably intelligent women like me is finding it so hard to lose weight. Looking forward to reading your views. Thanks for all the help so far.

you are 100 percent right ...its the mind. I was 190 lbs and just started training for 3 years now. The number one thing to this that gave me day bigger muscles and finally a six pack and Im now146 lbs and im 55 years old is the mind. i have seen many people in the past 3 years in the gym and still look the same ...it also takes knowledge ...and will power but it comes from the mind first..

Good article Tom, but I think the following article from Charles Staley is also apropos.
http://www.staleytraining.com/articles/charles-staley/why-i-dont-want-to-clean-315-pounds.htm

He downplays motivation and substitutes degree of contentment. I have found it a very helpful article.

I agree with your sentiments Tom, on motivation and consistent action being the most decisive factors in whether you will be successful long term. It goes without saying, but you can have the best nutritonal and workout plan ON PAPER, but if you don't employ it on a regular basis, it's useless!

For me, when I decided to make these changes as part of my LIFESTYLE ( regular cardio, eating once every three hours, always including protein in my meals, training with weights, etc), then it became habitual behavior. Sure, I have a goal of reaching single digit body fat by the end of the year, but once that's accomplished, I'm still going to be cognizant of portion sizes and will exercise regularly. This newfound lifestyle suits me to a "T," and will enhance the quality of my life, as well as anybody else's, that follows it.

I think people are being misguided when they take a myopic viewpoint (short-sided). What's the point of climbing all the way to the top of the mountain, only to slid down to it's base? If you think you can lose the fat, and then regress into your prior ways without reprecussions, you're sadly mistaken. The principles in your program have to be followed consistently, if one wants to achieve and maintain a healthy, fit and fat-free body.

Tom, I have been following you for some time now and what you have to share is always priceless and you are absolutely right on with this post.

I run an all womens boot camp www.SuperwomenBootCamp.com and I truly believe it's that support and accountability to me, their peers and to the program that will ensure their ability to be successful not in only in the short run, but more importantly in the long run.

When I talk to people and share my philosophy, I say...You have to make a PACT with yourself. It's an acronym I created:

P - You must follow a Proven structured program
A - There must be Accountability
C - There has to be Consistancy
T - You must Think you will change your body, your life!

And it's funny, I just realized by writing this and noticing...out of the 4 letters, only one letter (P) has to do with exercise and nutrition. The other 3 spells out ACT!:) which has nothing to do with exercise or nutrition, but I feel are very important and most of us overlook that or use to help us succeed with attaining our Health and Fitness goals.

Thought I'd share that Tom. Keep up the great work and posts as always. Take care.

Val Fujii
www.SuperwomenBootCampBlog.com

Robert, I love charles's articles and his overall philosophies. I think however in this article where charles says motivation is not a fundamental issue when it comes to successful exercise or athletic programs is a semantic distinction; whereas we are really both agreeing that motivation is essential, we're just saying it in different ways.

Hes saying you have to cultivate dissatisfaction and develop burning desire to reach a goal (because if you really wanted it bad, you would already have it. Is that not motivation? are we not talking about the same thing? And to re-iterate my post, HOW do you achieve that? how do you get burning desire? How do you get yourself to do what it takes?

charles suggestions some of the same things i do, he simply keeps his suggestions to a short simple list.

the psychology of motivation howver, can get much much deeper, and rest assured, what goes on inside people's heads can get MUCH more involved than most people realize, as much of what goes on inside is unconscious, including why people so often DONT take action in aligment with their goal despite really wanting it.

I also think there are some pretty significant diffferences in motivation, mindset and attitude between serious competitive athletes and the population at large

also, for those who are achievement and goal oriented, isnt there always a gap between what you want and where you are now, because you are always raising the bar and seeking some new goal? If so, then youre not always going to have what you want, but you WILL be moving in that direction.

Hey Val! thanks somuch for your post. GREAT insights and GREAT acronym. right on!

Tom,

Again a masterful article that is not only enlightening, but very relevant. I have found that staying motivated is the critical factor in a achieving my results. What has been profoundly interesting is figuring out how to do that. I think that sometimes people simply assume that once someone is seemingly"motivated", then they just stay that way.

I have found in my personal experience nothing could be further from the truth. I have experienced times of very high motivation, interspersed with varying levels and even down right total lack of motivation. What is it that motivates us? Or more importantly, as you mentioned, what motivates us consistently towards achieving a defined objective?

In the world of sales there is a phrase called the DBM "dominant buying motivation" -defined as the ultimate emotional reason why someone would buy or be motivated to buy. I believe the same principle applies in all areas of motivation.

The PRW's(powerful reasons why) you and Adam Waters talk about must be truly and properly identified and then consistently reinforced. After much reflection I identified my most powerful reason why as- being able to live the longest life possible, with the best health possible, so I can have the highest quality of life possible, with my wife and son.

Once I identified this as my real emotional reason to stay motivated to my fitness program, (my true PRW) the gaps (and this is the significant piece) the performance gaps, narrowed significantly. My family, my strongest emotional reason why, trumped everything else, including what I look like. So now even as I work towards my ideal physique, my underlying long term, real emotional motivation keeps me moving along, no matter what else comes along.

So I would say that properly identifying each persons true emotional PRW's are paramount in order to achieve the consistency in motivation you are talking about. Find out what they are truly, and most strongly passionate about as it relates to lifestyle of fitness, and emote or be motivated by that!

Just my take on things.
Thanks again for an excellent article

James Scott Murphy

there is no single thing or action which will make any one healthy. 1.Total health is a three vector process. Physical and mental stress free or reduced lifestyle 2. balanced nutrition and exercise or physical efforts.

When human was created by nature, it had to hunt for food (physical activity which is like today's exercise), eat all sorts of food (nutrition) and take enough rest and relaxation (lifestyle)

If we compare this with what people were doing in old days we can understand this process.

If we go back in time say 100 years or more majority of people had following lifestyle.

1.They were never in a hurry to go anywhere or do some thing any time.

2.they did lot of hard physical work, walked long distances, went up and down the hills, climbed trees to pluck fruits, plow the fields, lifted weights and carried them and many other things which required more calories than they could normally get through available food.

3.Since the availability of food was scarce the human body had evolved to store excess energy in the form of fat whenever the food was available.

4.They were not in competition with any one. They retired as the sun set and rested well. They accepted the laws of nature as they were. In general people had happy state of mind.

Hi James - good to hear from you again -- but hey, I think you just stole one of the bloginar lessons from me! LOL

PRWs, values elicitation and connecting values to goals is key.... I will talk about that in a post later this week.

Thanks for your post!

Hi Tom,

I like what you had to say above. At the risk of oversimplifying things, I'd like to share my paradigm: Commitment is the key to motivation. If one can find the thing that keeps one committed to achieving a goal/lifestyle change they will succeed at motivating themselves, indefinitely. It's been working for me.

I am an artist for whom following a routine is like WORK. It does not come naturally. A trait of a creative mind. I have to treat a routine like a job and commit to doing what I must to reach my goal (get the job done) or I will procrastinate and fail. I home-educated three kids successfully that way. This was THEIR future at stake and I HAD to commit and treat it like a job. I didn't get paid for doing it. But now they are all smart Marines protecting this country because I committed to a routine for their sakes.

Now, I have to commit again, to changing my food choices and doing whatever exercise I am able to on any given day. I have no trainer nor an accountability group. I've had constant vertigo for 18 months straight but in two months I've managed to lose 2 inches off my chest, waist and hip areas. My sons are rooting for me but if 'I' don't commit to this I won't succeed and their rooting for me won't motivate me. 'I' want this for me.

I look forward to reading your upcoming free blog information, as I have been unemployed and unable to buy any of your products. Just reading your newsletters helps me keep my focus. On some days when I am unable to read due to my symptoms being magnified, just seeing the subject line that says "Burn the Fat" serves as a reminder and I do something that day...even if I can only manage 5 minutes. I don't get hung up on perfection...but try to be consistent on any level for now until I get well. I rarely feel like it, but I'm committed or I won't succeed, and that keeps me going.

Ya gotta commit to a "no-matter-what-comes" mentality. Even in a war the most committed opponent usually wins. If I get side-tracked by circumstances I just come right back to it as immediately as I can. If I say to myself, "I'll start over on Monday or next week, etc." I'm not committed. So, if 'I' can commit, be consistent, and see results (even if it's taking longer), anyone can.

Have a great week!
~Sky

Great article.

People are looking for that magic bullet.

That bullet is motivation ...self motivation

Thank you Tom!

I am also looking forward your "OPERATION MOTIVATION". I got your BFFM eBook a couple of years ago and have had some pretty good success. But I have been slipping lately and I know it is due to my motivation, or rather my lack of it. Anyway, thanks for being faithful in your commitment to your subscribers and for your continued honestly and openness, and for your genuine concern for people’s health and well being.

I knew that I needed to get back to chapter one of BFFM and re-establish my goals once more, and now that you are starting OPERATION MOTIVATION it will just make it so much easier for me to do so.

Grateful and appreciative,
Michael

-I just read your article on motivation and accountability....I was probably 1/2 way through when it brought me to tears!( But in a good way)....because your articles are like a carbon copy of the blue prints that drive my "inner being"! I understand each and every word so clearly. And the TRUTH can be extremely painful sometimes! As an individual, "I" am extremely motivated to be my best spiritually as well as physically....but some people "interpret" self motivation as "selfish" and criticize you negatively with each positive accomplishment and when this happens it can become an unbearable ,emotional struggle. It can become emotionally hard to get fit naturally when all these machines,supplements,surgery,wraps and what not ....temptations surround you.Thankyou for the wake up call.This article was like the first breath of oxygen to my lungs after suffocating.

Thank you so much Tom, for the work you're doing in the field of no-nonsense, common sense strategies for healthy living. I am an acupuncturist, and work with patients with weight loss. Sadly, many people think that all it will take is coming into my office twice per week and the weight will fly off. No matter how much I tell them that it is LIFESTYLE that will bring them the wellness they seek, and that I am solely a guide to help improve their energy, decrease cravings, and resolve other factors that are contributing to their overweight, the weeks fly by with no lifestyle changes. While their other medical issues will resolve in the course of treatment, the weight stays on.

I am at the point now of deciding that unless my patients agree to figure out the lifestyle piece...the "PACT" as another poster said (I loved that, by the way...) then I will have to refuse to work with them. I can give them tools, but they must use them. One of the tools that I am becoming more and more clear that I want to require them to use is your ebook, BFFM. It puts the responsibility, and the POWER, right back in their hands. Which is just where it needs to be, for an empowered patient is a long-lastingly successful patient.

Thanks again!
Inger Giffin, L.Ac.

Hi, I have never written in a blog. this is the first time, i seem to get help on the motivational side. at the moment i am highly demotivated (emotional eating) and hence would look forward to your blog for tips. Thanks for being there to do such a great deed to human-kind.

hey Tom honestly it is one of the most important and beneficial email i have received from you and i read everything you send. but in this email you tackled a serious problem facing me. i gained some extra weight like 8 kilos and i feel i am stuck and i can't find any way to go out of this zone of demotivation. i am stuck and emotionaly ealting all the time. i really want to go out and move along and go back to where i was and i know that what i need is hte power from the inside the motivation you are talking about. i am waiting your emails willing to find my answers and start being the doer i was before.
best regard.

Hi Tom!,

I am a big fan of yours, and really follow ur post very closely. I totally agree with what you have mentioned in the post. Keep up the good WorkTom!!

and also PACT :) - was a good acronym shared by Val!!

Regards,

Sumeet

Many thanks Tom and keep it coming.

You have made me think this morning about do we "FAIL TO PLAN" or do we "PLAN TO FAIL".

I agree with you 100%. I hope you will also be covering objective/goal settng which I see as a key factor to success.

I am feeling better than ever at 49 thanks to your tips and support and wish everyone could have this we owe it to ourselves.

Thanks again.
Karen in Tenerife

So when I first started to read this blog entry; http://www.burnthefatblog.com/archives/2009/07/the_ultimate_fitness_success_f.php

The Ultimate Fitness Success Essential: 1 Key to Sure-Fire Results

I thought the answer would be motivation, and indeed, a few paragraphs in, a few good quotes such as:

An interesting statement was made in the NEJM [New England Journal of Medicine] research paper which echoed findings from previous studies:

“These findings together point to behavioral factors rather than macronutrient metabolism as the main influences on weight loss.”

Aha! So now we have “accountability” (the result of support groups) and “behavioral factors” singled out as more important to your long term success than any particular diet program. In other words, it’s not what diet you follow, it’s what makes you follow your diet!

leads to:

Peak performance coach Anthony Robbins has a great definition for personal power. He said that “personal power is the ability to take action.”

And THAT excellent definition leads us right into the real ultimate success factor:

THE ULTIMATE KEY TO FITNESS SUCCESS IS YOUR ABILITY TO MOTIVATE YOURSELF TO TAKE CONSISTENT ACTION AND CHANGE YOUR HABITUAL BEHAVIORS.

and there's the motivation statement.

But it occurs to me that he's wrong, and, additionally, this entire concept is universal, i.e; success in anything is subject to motivation. I often say it's not enough to want to win, EVERYONE WANTS to win, you have to HATE TO LOOSE. Only then will you reach down deep to come up with what it takes to win.

A prime example ripped from the recent pages of my own story:

I was recently involved in one of those "12 week" programs. Competition was hot and heavy (pardon the pun) between myself and one other student for first place in weight loss. I had done well, with no reason to be embarrassed. I knew that at last count, many weeks earlier, my competition was 7lbs ahead of me. I tried very hard going into the last stretch but I didn't loose as much as I had hoped for. It was Saturday. The next day was Father's day. I wanted beer, hamburgers, and war movies. I was REPEATEDLY reminded that the competition wasn't officially over until Monday, and that I didn't have to take my current weigh-in, but could wait until Monday. I CHOSE not to wait. I came in second by about 2lbs.

I LOST.

Why?

Lack of motivation? Certainly, I didn't LIVE my own advice. But what was at the root of my lack of motivation? BEER, HAMBURGERS AND WAR MOVIES. Can we blame it on that? Nope. LACK OF SELF DISCIPLINE. That was the problem. MY problem, I LOST.

So, I would suggest that at least 90% of the problems we have in this world are the result, in one way or another, of a lack of self discipline. We spend too much, we eat too much, we don't exercise enough, we don't investigate enough, we aren't involved with our elected officials, we're too greedy...etc.

That leads to my all-time favorite...

IF IT HAPPENS TO YOU, IT'S YOUR FAULT.

Vern

Vern. Thanks for your post. Couldnt agree more that self-discpline is a VITAL quality. Im curious what you see as the difference between self-motivation, self-discipline and "the ability to take action?" I see them as overlapping, if not one in the same.

Youre right that some peoples prime motivation is not wanting to lose, which translates into them taking action, hitting the gym instead of eating hamburgers ordrinking beer,...

and also, some people are primarily motivated with a towards strategy - they want to win.

Other people are motivated with a combination of towards winning and away from losing, which I find is most powerful of all.

some people are motivated by personal improvement, not the what place they achieve. everyone is different and it would behoove each individual to discover their own personal motivation strategy.

I think one slight distinction could also be made. I dont think everyone wants to win ... or be succesfful. they WISH they would win or be successful. big difference between wanting and wishing

Tom,
This is exciting news to hear about your "bloginar"! Because I hope to be a transformation contest winner some day soon (I hope!), I eagerly await hearing more about some specific items - yep, being a bit appropriately selfish - I'm zeroing in on asking questions about these items you mentioned in this blog:
a) Your 3 bullet list - namely, What creates lasting changes in your behavior?
b) Of your 10 bullet item list:
- harness your subconscious mind power to create effortless change
- Success semantics
- small changes in your surroundings.

Also, I am especially listening for your thoughts on dealing with information overload in life in general and the impact to good health and fitness time commitments. How do we really know if we are Acting on good information, poor information, or if we are acting on TMI (too much information). You quoted Anthony Robbins, “personal power is the ability to take action;” how do we navigate the sea of excessive versus appropriate versus unnecessary actions?
Thanks a million. RTP Transformer,
Brian
P.s. I enjoyed Val Fujii’s PACT
p.s.s. don't go to my URL - my blog is way outdated since I have been updating only my ShredderShere blog.

Inger,

You're absolutely right - permanent and natural weight loss is not something that can be bought or prescribed. It has to be taught! (and disciplined)

Thanks to people like you, Tom, and others - the word is getting out there. People are beginning to question the conventional solutions to our health crisis, and people are finding answers. It usually has to do with getting back to the basics - and it doesn't get any more basic than finding out a method of motivating yourself to take consistent action daily to help you achieve your goals.

Best,

John

Great blog post. I constantly tell people to find what works for them.

People should revolve their diet and training around their life, not vice versa. There are more important things in life to do than to spend time stressing over diet and exercise.

As long as people find what works for them, they are more likely to be consistent. Consistence leads to success.

thanks for all the juicy info tom i look forward to your bloginar. as a personal trainer i have found all ur post and articles very useful my clients were so happy with the results it gave them
thanks again and more power to you

Thank you Tom. I always find your writing interesting and thought provoking.

I have just come back from a holiday. I am not overweight (always room for improvement) but at age 55 do have to be careful with diet and exercise as the weight goes on more easily now and is slower to shift. Anyway I decided that I would eat whatever I wanted to while on holiday and I did. I didn't go berserk but did certainly eat way more and different types of food than usual.

I ALWAYS find that after a week of eating like this I can't wait to get back to my normal eating and exercising routine. I don't mean to sound holier than thou. I am not and have times when I am not happy about the way things are going but I know I can always turn it around.

Is it over simplifying things to say that our success or failure is personality related (apart from medical conditions)? Why can some people incorporate a healthy diet and exercise into their life and others can't? it's almost like we need different plans or strategies for different personality types.

Jen, thanks for your post!

you wrote

Is it over simplifying things to say that our success or failure is personality related (apart from medical conditions)? Why can some people incorporate a healthy diet and exercise into their life and others can't? it's almost like we need different plans or strategies for different personality types.

We absolutely need to individualize our strategies on every level -- the physical (nutrition and training) as well as motivation strategies.

In fact, if you sift through the nutrition and weight loss research long enough, you will come across studies about various dispositions and the unique approaches best for each all the time. there is no one size fits all in any sense ...

although, there are fundamentals and basics we all have to get in place; calories, and nutritional essentials; essential aminos (protein needs), essential fats, essential vitamins and minerals, adequate water, etc.

from there we customize. and you do the same with motivation strategies. find what works for you

however, EVERYONE can incorporate ahealthy nutrition and exercise plan into their life... there is no CAN'T - everyone CAN do it... perhaps after the basics are in place, its the mastery of the customization factor itself that allows one to make all of this a lifestyle

its a choice. the word can't doesnt mean impossible, it means CAN Not, ie, "can choose Not to do something"...

Hi Tom

Your articles are always thought-provoking and incisive.

It seems we instinctively keep looking for the "ultimate key", that one magic ingredient, the definitive essence, the angle that opens all doors ... all in search of making the intangible, tangible. We just can't help ourselves.

Sure, accountability is "getting warmer" and the 6 million dollar question is "What does it take to motivate yourself to take action?" Why do some people achieve permanent results, while others keep searching for that one elusive nugget?

Does it perhaps lie in one's perspective ... how you see yourself, your unique identity, how you define who you are and what is truly important to you?

People that achieve a healthy weight, recalibrate their biochemistry and continue to flourish and develop all do so because of one common denominator: it matters enough to them. This is a very personal epiphany.

Sadly this also means that for most, the holy grail of permanent fat loss will remain out of touch while they focus on the end result and not on who they really are and the person they want to become.

Thank you for your insights and for the clarity with which you articulate them.

Don thanks for your post. thank you for YOUR insights. they are - insightful!

Does it perhaps lie in one's perspective ... how you see yourself, your unique identity, how you define who you are

ABSOLUTLEY!

and what is truly important to you?

YES again - see my blog post about values (whats important to you)

People that achieve a healthy weight, recalibrate their biochemistry and continue to flourish and develop all do so because of one common denominator: it matters enough to them. This is a very personal epiphany.

Ya gotta want it... gotta have that "burning desire"

Sadly this also means that for most, the holy grail of permanent fat loss will remain out of touch while they focus on the end result and not on who they really are and the person they want to become.

I believe we must focus on the end result - we must always have a goal (the WHAT) - but as I mentioned in my other post, the goal doesnt necessarily provide you with lasting,motivation or purpose - it is merely a target, a direction, a stepping stone -- the realy drive, I believe comes from WHY you want to achieve your goal (values), HOW important your goal is to you (desire) and surely, as you said, WHO you are (your sense of identity)

thanks again. great insights!

Hi Tom,

I agree with you 100% about mindset and attitude toward fitness. Goal-setting has become such a cliche that even those few people who set goals are setting the wrong or unhealthy targets.

The majority of people are thining about losing weight all the time. Few take actions - real, inspired, consistent actions with burning desire. I wish they do more pushups and squats than the talking or thinking.

Carey