I couldn’t even begin to tell you how many people ask for help to achieve their health and weight loss goals. A countless number. What I can tell you is the number of people who actually succeed in their goals. Why? Because a majority don’t.

So what makes some people stand out above the rest? Why do so many not succeed and so few actually succeed? Are those people more special that the others? Do they have a magic potion or pill that the other don’t? Or are they genetic freaks that have all the luck in the world when it comes to changes in their bodies?

I can tell you it’s none of those things. Why do some people succeed and others don’t, ‘no matter what they try’? Because the ones that succeed do what the others won’t!

Here are the reasons those people succeed in their Health and Weight Loss. Commit to them too and you too will succeed!

1. They become educated in Nutrition and eat wholesome fresh food:

Now I’m not saying they go out become Nutritionists or Dieticians, or that they even study Nutrition on any level. What they do however is, listen to what their Nutrition Coach is telling them. They ask lots of questions about how that nutrition applies to them. They go out and do lots of their own research to fully understand the effects of food on their body. That way there is no temptation to stray, because they are fully aware of how their body will feel and respond if they consume food against their goals. And here’s the clincher; they actually implement what their Coach/Trainer is advising them to implement and they actually avoid what they should avoid eating! No not some of the time, or mostly, or when it suits them; rather 100%! They don’t pick and choose what they like or what suits them best. They do not negotiate. They do not complain about how they don’t like red meat, or vegetables, or any of the other excuses that come up, day in day out! They don’t try and barter one food against another. If you want result ‘x’ then you will need to implement eating strategy ‘y’ to get it. End of story, not negotiable.

2. They exercise regularly:

Successful people in Health and Weight Loss exercise do not miss training sessions. And if for some reason they are forced to miss a session, they will always make it up. They don’t just forfeit sessions. If they have booked in for a series of classes, they will attend 100% of them, or make up any they miss. If they have hired a PT then they make each and every session or arrange a make up session if they have had to miss it for an emergency. Notice here I said ’emergency’; I didn’t say,’because they came home from work and they couldn’t be bothered’. I also didn’t say ‘because they woke up and felt tired and lacking in energy’. I said emergency. And genuine illness classifies as an emergency; genuine illness, not a runny nose!

3. They put in 100% effort, 100% of the time:

They don’t just show up, they make it count. Anyone can show up and stand around going through the motions. Only successful people put in 100% effort in every training session. Yes even on their ‘off’ days. Let’s face it, there is always going to be the day where you just don’t feel like yourself and you can’t quite muster up the level of intensity you mustered up last week with the same session. You may not be able to match that effort. Let’s say your energy levels were worth 100 points of effort last week and you gave 100 points of effort, then you gave 100%. Today you might only have 40 points of effort in the tank, for whatever reason. As long as you give that complete 40 points, and you don’t use it as an excuse to drop it to 30 points, then you are still giving 100% effort! That is success.

4. They reflect, re-evaluate and move forward:

Have you ever done everything in your power to succeed, followed the plan to a T, and still not seen the results you want? If you answered ‘yes’ then you have just joined 100% of successful people. At some stage, ALL successful people have not achieved their desired result. The difference between the successful people and everyone else, is that they didn’t use it as an excuse to give up! They reflect on what they did do, what they didn’t do, and look for strategies they can implement to change their training, nutrition, lifestyle, mindset etc in order to move forward towards their goals. They may sulk for a while, sook about it, maybe even have a good cry. That’s great, they’re human! It means it’s important to them. But when all is said and done, they wipe away the tears, pick themselves up, and keep going. You know the old cliche, “It’s not about how many times you get knocked down; it’s about how many times you can get back up and keep punching!’

5. They surround themselves with successful people:

I’m not telling you to ditch your friends and family. That’s unrealistic and downright stupid. You love these people! But some of them may not necessarily be healthy for you and your goals. So perhaps limit your exposure to them so that you don’t get caught up in their negativity. For every negative person you expose yourself to in your life, expose yourself to 2 positive people. This will help propel you forward without any hard feelings towards the people you love.

6. They make their Health and Weight Loss a Priority:

How many times have we heard people say ‘I want to lose weight [insert any other goal] but I don’t have time [insert any other objection!’ Every single one of us has a reason NOT to succeed. So why not stand out, and create a reason TO succeed? If Health and Weight Loss are a priority, everything else will not be an objection! They might be an obstacle that you will need to find strategies to overcome, but they won’t be objections that hold you back. Identify the obstacle(s) and find ways to work around them. Nobody has the perfect lifestyle. I get asked every single day, ‘how do you fit everything in?’ How? I find strategies to overcome my obstacles. Does is always work? No. Do I have days where I pull my hair out? Absolutely! But who cares? I move forward! And so do other successful people! And so can you!!!

7. Own it:

How many times have you gone out and someone has offered you something like a cake only to have you respond ‘I can’t’? They then come back with ‘oh go on, 1 one won’t hurt!’ or something to that effect. When you use terminology like ‘I can’t’ it means you are being deprived and are somewhat down about the whole thing. You are not committing by choice, rather by need or requirement. So the other person consoles you and tries to support you in ‘breaking the rules’. When you own your decisions, there is no deprivation, no ‘rules’ to be broken, no consolation required. Using terminology like ‘I don’t eat that’ rather than ‘I can’t eat that’ shows a certain commitment from you that owns the decision. No justification required, your decision, your choice. When you commit to something by choice, and you ‘own it’ and are more likely to stick to your commitment 100% without wavering. It is yours, and nobody can take it away from you.

8. They know their ‘why‘:

So many times I hear people say ‘I want to lose weight’ or ‘I want to get fit’ etc etc The big question people fail to answer is ‘why’ they want these goals. Simply reducing numbers on a scale or being able to run for long periods of time, really have no meaning when you don’t connect them with a bigger picture. Successful people know exactly why they want a particular goal. They know their ‘why’ so well they can taste it, smell it, they live it, breath it, see it in front of them 24/7. When you are that clear on the real reason you want something, you become unstoppable! Nothing will stand in your way. No obstacle is big enough to deter you. Do you struggle to find you ‘why’? Watch my video to learn how you too can develop your ‘why’ so tangibly that you too will be able to see it before you 24/7.

9. They create a ‘Lifestyle’:

Do you simply go through the motions in hope that you will improve your health and weight loss? Or have you created a lifestyle that makes it inevitable to be a success? Is your training thrown in when and where you can ‘find’ time? Do you eat fresh wholesome food only when you ‘have time’ or can be bothered, most of the time? To be successful in Health and Weight Loss you need to structure an exercise routine in your life that will not waver. A gym membership won’t do it. Too many people pay for a membership they never use. Book in with a Personal Trainer either one on one or in a group  that has a set number of training sessions that you need to attend. Or enroll in a program where progression is the key such as a form of Martial Arts, where you must achieve certain skills in order to be able to grade. This sort of commitment creates a lifestyle. Whatever you select, make sure it is fun and enjoyable or you will soon walk away from it! Exercise needs to be fun not a chore. When it comes to Nutrition, organization is the key. See my next point on this to see how you make it a ‘lifestyle’.

10. They get organized:

Time management and organization are the keys to success on any level. Whether at work, in your home or organizing a party, these 2 factors are vital for anything to succeed. So what makes you think they are irrelevant when it come to Health and Weight Loss? Invest the same effort and energy into yourself and yours goals as you do in your employment or planning a party. The more organized you are and the better you plan, the more successful you will be. Choose a day in the week where you can prepare food in bulk and freeze it for future use. Keep good food in your fridge, well stocked, at all times, to avoid having to ‘eat out’. For example, you could boil a dozen eggs and keep them in the fridge as emergency back up. Avocados are great back up food. Buy your veggies in bulk, chop them up and store them in the fridge in air tight containers to make cooking easy and faster. Buy your meat in bulk to save money and stay organized. Prepare it the way you like, marinade etc and place it on freezer paper in single serves. Freeze it so that it is easier to take out and defrost when you need it. That way you only take out the portion you need. Avoid keeping food in the house that are against your goals to avoid temptation. Your fridge should always have more food in it than your pantry does. Cook extra for dinner so you can have left overs for breakfast or lunch the next day. Prepare lunch the night before so you are not rushing around first thing in the morning. There are many different ways to get organized. Make a list of what works for you and stick to it. Treat it like your KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) at work. If you don’t meet your KPIs at work you might not get that bonus or worse, you may lose your job. Treat your goals with the same respect. If you don’t meet your personal KPI’s you won’t achieve that Health and Weight Loss that you want and deserve.

11. Respect their injuries and don’t use them as excuses:

Successful people do not overwork an injury. If you push an injury further and further, simply so you can keep exercising, you will in fact get to the point where you are out of action for a very long time in order for that injury to recover. If you have an injury respect it enough to give it the time it needs to recover. I’m not saying do not train, I’m saying train something else, and avoid overusing the injury. In the same token, don’t use an injury as an excuse to not train. If you have an injured wrist, you can still train legs! There are always other options. And if your injury is that bad that you really do need to rest it, then rest! Don’t try and be a hero. But don’t enter training and spend the session whining and bitching about your injury. Change things up to avoid aggravating it and move on.

These are just some of the ways successful people become successful! They are not born that way. They are not genetic freaks. They are not lucky. They make it happen by following these principles. It isn’t brain surgery and it isn’t anything new and uncommon. What it is, is commitment, dedication, determination, organization and resilience. Not 1 person is more special than another; anyone can achieve success, if they stick to the plan.

It’s not easy, but gee it’s worth it!!!

Terri Batsakis