Starting again in January, again in March, again in September. It isn't a discipline problem — it's a design problem.

If you've started over more times than you can count, the story you've probably been told is that you lack willpower.

I don't believe that, and after twelve years and more than 400 clients I've seen the same five things come up again and again instead. None of them are about character. All of them are about how the plan was built.

The five reasons:

1. The plan was built for a life you don't have
2. You changed everything at once on a Monday
3. There was no plan for a bad week
4. You were chasing a feeling instead of a number
5. Nobody was expecting you

I've been on both sides of this — seven stone down before I ever coached anyone, and plenty of failed rest ...