Your Diet and Exercise Plan Is Not Working. Here’s Why.

Here’s some health advice you won’t see mentioned anywhere: most fitness and diet tips are limited.

They are the fuel to living a better life, but they are not the engine.
In other words, good nutrition and an effective exercise plan help and are necessary, but ultimately they are both just pieces of the puzzle.

And without an extra element, only focusing on those two aspects are why so many people struggle even when they receive the best guidance.

In a world of click-bait articles, 5 steps to abs, and super food diets, the missing piece is what’s in your head and in your heart.

This isn’t a sentiment designed to make you go “Awwwww.” It’s a reality we all need to take time to digest and accept if we truly want to maximize our potential.

I’ve gone from battling an overweight childhood to trying to deadlift 500+ pounds.
I’ve worked with cancer survivors, people trying to lose hundreds of pounds, and professional athletes and bodybuilders.
And I’ve received thousands of emails from people around the world documenting their struggle.

The battle for them all, myself included: finding peace of mind in our hearts and heads about who we are, who we want to be, and what will make us happy.

This is the real health battle.

Many of us carry scars from the past: whether it’s relationships, internal struggles, or lack of control over situations that play a big role in our lives, both directly and indirectly related to our mind and body.

All of this uncertainty and instability impacts our ability to be healthy.

I can trace every long term “success” story not to perfection, but rather internal happiness that allows for focus and tenacity, and removes the many of the restrictions that lead to stress, disordered eating, and misguided approaches to health and fitness.

I am not a doctor or a psychologist. But I am a person who understands that resolving internal conflicts is the best way to take on life with a relentless passion that can make you feel unstoppable.

You want better health? Identify your insecurities, unresolved conflicts, or roadblocks that seem immovable. Don’t fear weakness. Instead, embrace it, own it, and conquer it.

A clear mind and a strong heart will do much more for your health and life than any perfect diet or workout.

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.