THI's Live Transformed Podcast

Why Diets Fail and What Actually Works (Bonus 5): The Final Fix – Why Identity Is the Only Diet That Works Forever

• Adam Kelley • Episode 45

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Transformation happens when you change who you are, not just what you do.

Have you ever wondered why even the most perfectly designed diet plans eventually break down? The answer lies not in the meal plan—it's in your identity. When your behaviors consistently clash with how you see yourself, willpower inevitably runs out.

This episode reveals why lasting health transformation happens at the identity level. Instead of asking "what should I eat?" or "how much should I exercise?", identity-based health poses a more powerful question: "What would the healthiest version of me do right now?" This simple shift creates profound results because it aligns your actions with the person you're becoming.

We break down the three-part identity loop that creates lasting change: behavior drives belief, repetition reinforces identity, and reflection internalizes transformation. You'll discover why small, consistent wins ultimately outperform intense efforts that can't be sustained, and how to collect evidence that proves you're becoming someone new.

The four pillars of identity-based change—clarity, consistency, compassion, and community—provide a framework anyone can apply immediately. Each pillar addresses a critical component of transformation that typical health programs miss. You don't need another diet; you need a decision to become someone new and the tools to support that version of you.

Ready to transform who you are, not just what you eat? Visit transformedhealthcoach.com to learn how our system supports real identity-level change, or join our free Facebook community "Live Transformed" to connect with others on this journey.


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References:

  1. Oyserman, D., & Destin, M. (2010). Identity-based motivation: Implications for intervention. Health Psychology Review.


  2. Fogg, B. J. (2009). A behavior model for persuasive design. Behavioral Science & Policy.


  3. Transformed Health Initiative client data (2024–2025)



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Speaker 1:

Identity-based health means asking a new question what would the healthiest, strongest, most self-respecting person or version of me do right now, and then do that over and over until that becomes who you are? So let's look at how to make that shift practically From goals to identity. A simple framework.

Speaker 2:

Welcome to the Win On Purpose podcast From health and fitness, business, personal development, relationships and more. We promise you will find inspiration to help you win on purpose in all areas of your life journey.

Speaker 1:

And now for your host, adam Kelly the Win On Purpose podcast, where we rebuild health from the inside out using truth, not trends. My name is Coach Adam Kelly. I appreciate you guys for tuning back in for another week. This is going to be a great one, guys. This is episode number 45. This is bonus episode number four and our final four, our final fix, our final episode of the series before we start another great series. So you guys tuned in at the right time if you're just now tuning in, but you definitely want to go back and catch all the episodes. I think this is the eighth actual installment of this series. So again, we have four bonus episodes, four original episodes. So tons and tons of information, guys, over well over an hour or two of just straight facts, science, proof, evidence and practical tips of things we've learned through decades of working through our own health situations, our own health transformations and helping dozens and dozens of other people just like you, accomplish things they never thought they could because they didn't realize they just needed the right system. So that's what we do. Today marks the final episode of this series, as I said, and we're ending with what might be the most important shift of all.

Speaker 1:

Why identity, not willpower, not macros, not motivation, is the real key to lasting change. If every diet you've tried has eventually fallen apart, this episode will explain why. And if you've ever wondered what makes transformation stick, this is it. Alright, let's get into it. So why diets keep breaking down? Let's start with the obvious truth. Most diets don't fail because the meal plan was flawed. They fail because the person following them was never given a chance to change. They followed rules, they hit macros, they checked boxes, but deep down, your identity stayed the same. And that is the problem. Behavior without identity alignment equals burnout. Research and health psychology review confirms this. Habits that are tied to identity are far more likely to be sustained over time than those driven by external rewards. So those just driven by what other people think, how they look in society, how they fit in their clothes, all those things that you know have more to do with what other people see than what we feel those tend to be not as productive as keeping us on the path that we've been on to reach the success that we have as tying those habits to our actual identity. So we're going to break this down and we're going to talk about what identity-based change actually looks like and how to build it.

Speaker 1:

So first, your question is what is identity-based health? Oh, great question, I'm so glad you asked. So it starts with one core idea you don't rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your identity or, as I also like to say, to the level of your systems. And if you still believe as someone or you still see yourself as someone who always quits, if you believe deep down you're undisciplined, broken or bad with food, then no matter how perfect a plan, you'll eventually find a way to self-sabotage every time. Identity-based health means asking a new question what would the healthiest, strongest, most self-respecting person or version of me do right now? And then do that over and over until that becomes who you are. So let's look at how to make that shift practically from goals to identity. A simple framework. So at THI we use three part identity loop with clients.

Speaker 1:

Number one behavior. First, understand that action drives belief. Okay, you have to actually get moving and do something. This doesn't mean have it all figured out. This doesn't mean know exactly what to do and you're just going to do that until you reach your goals. This means you have to actually take a step forward to start building belief that you can do something. So start there.

Speaker 1:

Number two repetition. Second Repetition reinforces the identity. So it's not just a matter of doing it, knowing we need to do it, it's the reps, it. It's not just a matter of doing it, knowing we need to do it, it's it's the reps. Okay, it's every day showing up, getting a little bit better, learning more, adjusting more, shifting more. You know that's what it's all about when it comes to repetition and then reflection.

Speaker 1:

Third, you collect proof and internalize change. So as you start to see results come in, you don't just brush it off, it's just like, oh yeah, this is cool, but you actually stop and get you a piece of paper out and take some notes, like what are you seeing, what are the changes, what are the improvements, what could you have done better? You know what, what did you do great? And just really reflect on where you're at and what got you there, and that's going to help you continue on. So, for example, hey guys, real quick before we dive back in at Transformed Health Initiative, we're not just in the business of workouts and meal plans. We're here to change lives, one transformation at a time. That means that helping real people, people like you, rebuild. You've done that.

Speaker 1:

You need a system that respects your schedule and restores your confidence and equips you to win in your body, your mind and your purpose. If you've been listening and thinking, I would like that kind of change, but I don't know where to start. You don't have to figure it out alone. We love to hear your story and show you what's possible. No pressure, no push. You can grab a time to talk in the link in the show notes. Let's build a plan that actually works for your life. All right, let's get back to it.

Speaker 1:

You say that you're not disciplined, but you prepped your lunch three times this week. You say that you you always quit, but you walk nine days in a row. You say that you're bad at tracking, but you hit your protein target four out of five days. Bad at tracking, but you hit your protein target four out of five days. That is identity in motion. Studies in behavior science and policy shows that reinforcing identity through small, consistent wins leads to far greater habit retention than using outcomes alone. Okay, so it's those little, small wins that compound upon each other that takes us deeper and deeper into these habits, solidifies them even more, makes them stick, and that works so much better than just focusing on how much you've lost. You know what pant size you can fit now, how you look in the mirror, anything else like that Okay, it's just truly internalizing what's happening. So if you want lasting change, you need to stop asking what's the best diet and start asking who do I want to become? Okay, we need to build the image of the person that we want to be so that we can create that.

Speaker 1:

So next we're going to look at the four pillars of identity-based change. Okay, so we have the four pillars of THI when it comes to general health. So that's physical activity, balanced nutrition, quality sleep and stress management. Okay, that's our four pillars here, and we have bullet points under those. That explains it. If you're a client of ours and we've probably given you a print off, you can see the big poster that we have on one of our facility doors. That's what we hammer home. Because if you were literally were to follow that list and that's all you were to do for the rest of your life, you're going to get 99% of all health benefits that you can get just by doing what's on there. And it's all like simple things we kind of know it's just. Maybe we don't have that blueprint of like okay, I need to make sure I'm doing all these things. So this list is for pillars of identity-based change. So this is what we teach here at THI as the foundation of this work.

Speaker 1:

Number one is clarity Know who you're becoming, not just what you want to lose. It's a lot less important that you want to lose 20 pounds by your wedding date than it is that I want to be someone who doesn't have to lose 20 pounds ever again. I want to be someone who is healthy and feels good and is confident. So, rather, if I'm going to a wedding or I'm going to the beach or I'm going to a birthday party or whatever I'm doing, I feel good in my skin and I don't have to think about the way I look or the way other people think I look. Okay, that's deep, much deeper than just losing 20 pounds. Number two is consistency. So small wins, repeated beats, intense efforts abandoned Okay. So again, racking up those wins week after week, day after day, moment after moment, counting all those, is so much more successful and profitable, especially over the long term, than just doing little sprints of effort and then having to stop because it was too much and then doing another little sprint and stop and really you're not really going anywhere. Well, the person that's steadily moving ahead and he's consistent will lap you 100 times at that pace.

Speaker 1:

Number three compassion. You don't shame your way into a new identity. Okay, this is not about bullying ourselves or toughening up or we need to pick ourselves up by the bootstraps. None of that. That's not how you're gonna build the identity of success, of winning on purpose. Okay, we need to understand that. Have compassion on yourself, understand where you're at, why you're there Not that you're gonna stay there, but have an understanding so you're not beating yourself up.

Speaker 1:

And number four is community. You need people who reinforce the new you, not the old you Running in the same circles of people who are destroying their health, not taking care of themselves, not taking care of their responsibility, being lazy, being unmotivated. Those people are going to rub off on you and continue to pull you down to the level. So surround yourself with people who are on the same journey as you, have the same motivation as you have the same desire in life, want to elevate to the same levels, or they're already at where you want to be. And now you have somebody that you can follow in their footsteps and learn from what they've done. So community is so important there, guys. So this isn't about affirmations or fake confidence. It's about acting in alignment with your future even before you feel like it. So let's bring this home with a few takeaways that you can act on today. So practical takeaways.

Speaker 1:

Number one identity drives behavior, not the other way around. You can try to force it all you want, but fake it till you make it isn't really that helpful in this context. Okay, you can only fake it so long before you burn out. But when that becomes who you are, you're no longer faking it, you're just doing. You boo boo and you're going to be successful. Start asking what would the healthiest version of my of me do right now? Okay, start envisioning that person how they live, what choices they make, how they respond to things, how they move and groove. Get a good understanding of that and then start modeling after that with your own decisions. Reinforce that identity with small daily wins. Ok, compounding interest, building on each step, getting a little bit better, one percent better better than yesterday, as I love to say.

Speaker 1:

Then track your behavior as proof, not pressure. Okay, you're not tracking data to beat yourself up because your weight's up. You're tracking data so you can see trends. You can catch things ahead of time, before it gets out of control. You always know where you're going, so you know if you're, if your effort matches up to where you're wanting to go okay, so you're not wasting time. Then track, track, sorry. Surround yourself with people and environments that support who you are becoming.

Speaker 1:

Find communities to plug into. Find people that share your same values or the values that you're building. Find people who are already there and doing it themselves. That's a great place. Shameless plug for our free, private or yeah, well, it is private, but our free Facebook community lived, transformed. Okay, you can join us, it's totally free. Come on, we got a community that we're building. It's great stuff. We are growing together, we're learning together. We just revamped and rebranded this group, so it's definitely a great place to connect with people and, again, that's live, transform, rebuild your health, habits and headspace. So great community to be a part of.

Speaker 1:

Or find another community, it doesn't matter if it's that one, but we'd love to have you for sure. So you aren't just trying to lose weight. That's the most important thing to understand. You're trying to become someone who respects themselves too much to go back to who you used to be, and this is the heart of THI, transform Health Initiative. We help clients become someone new, not just follow a plan. If that's something that you're ready for a system that supports real identity level transformation then visit transformedhealthcoachcom and you can sign up to get a free consultation, free strategy call. I'll contact you myself, we'll set it up and we'll get you rocking and rolling. We don't just coach goals, okay, we coach people into new versions of themselves.

Speaker 1:

So I appreciate you guys for joining me for this full series why Diets Fail and what Actually Works. Like I said, make sure you caught all the other seven episodes. They're all fantastic, very practical, will definitely help you along your journey and also those that you love and care about. So make sure to share it with somebody. If you've been following along, you now have the exact roadmap for lasting change mindset over restriction, structure over stress, identity over intensity. And remember you don't need another diet. You need a decision to become someone new and the tools to support that version of you.

Speaker 1:

Next week we begin a brand new series, one that'll speak directly to your daily reality the busy person's blueprint for fitness that actually fits Guys. It's going to be great. It's going to just help you figure out what you need to do, how much you need to do, what's overkill, what's just noise, and what's actually going to just help you figure out what you need to do, how much you need to do, what's overkill, what's just noise, and what's actually going to work to help you get you where you want to be in the best and most sustainable way possible. So, until next time, do something good for yourself, something good for your health, something good for those you care about and, whatever you do, make sure you win on purpose. Talk at you next time.