A local health club advertised a $5 coupon inviting folks to an open house.

At this meeting, a "fitness expert" would reveal a secret "detox diet" that was easy and involved minimal effort.

There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t see 4-5 coupon ads for "bootcamp deals" to help you lose 10, 20 or even 50 pounds in no time at all.

Some offer this almost magical body transformation for no upfront investment. Others want you to pay for the "cleanse supplements" that go along with the workout; however, the only thing getting cleansed here is your bank account.

The testimonials look great and before you know it, you’re in. Problem is, quick fixes and extreme methods struggle to stick.

But, for all unsuccessful folks, this approach isn’t new. Nine out of 10 people who are struggling to achieve a lean-and-athletic body have used a variation of this "quick-fix" approach, off-and-on, for decades. You start on some low-calorie juice cleanse and, almost immediately, start purging water weight like crazy. Only to gain it all back when you resume your old habits.

The "super-fast" approach is unsafe and extremely shortsighted. It's the exact opposite of my "play the long game" philosophy. Especially if you want to create generational health.

Okay, back to the fitness bootcamp selling the detox diets.

Imagine to my surprise that, for a measly five bucks, I could learn the hush-hush nutrition strategies that have been eluding me for my entire 25+ year coaching career.

Even more shocking was that this method required only six minutes of exercise... per week. No doubt this fitness center sold plenty of coupons on that promotion.

Everything they pitched seemed so quick and easy. And that's the root of the problem.

Say "No" to Shortcuts

If you are fat, sick, and out-of-shape, it probably took you years to get that way and you might feel like you're stuck.

So why would anyone believe that a few minutes of daily exercise combined with a messed-up diet is the answer?

My point is that "easy" sells. Especially when it comes to weight loss.

And for many over-40 men and women, the allure of easy is tough to resist.

Problem is, gimmicks lead to frustration.

On the other hand, a realistic plan always requires you take imperfect action and do the work.

You must follow these 10 habits of good nutrition.

You need to do progressive resistance training.

Some days you do a little work and other days you do a lot of work.

But there's always work to do.

A quick story.

I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

When I was very young, we moved about an hour north to the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania.

As the story goes, my maternal grandfather "Pop Pop" visited the Lehigh Valley for the first time in the mid-1970s.

"There must be something in the water because everyone is overweight," Pop said to my mom.

He half-jokingly warned: "Don't drink the water around here."

Pop was indeed correct in his observation; however, the source of the problem wasn't the clean municipal drinking water.

You are a sum of your habits.

The Lehigh Valley had, and still has, a serious obesity problem. Actually an obesity epidemic is hurting the entire country.

You see, obesity kills people. The Centers for Disease Control doesn’t list obesity as a cause of death.

Instead, it lists heart disease as the number-one cause, killing nearly 633,000 people a year, while cancer kills 595,000.

Diabetes kills about 80,000 people annually. Overall, nearly 2.6 million Americans died in 2015.

Compared to leaner folks, people who are overweight or obese are far more likely to have heart disease, cancer, diabetes and to have strokes or heart attacks.

Usually, but not always, fatter people are less fit than thinner people, and exercise can help to protect you from disease.

But here’s the irony. Nowadays obese people are living for longer because of better medical care.

Folks are living longer, but not better. Again, these are the same people who are crying themselves to sleep at night because they aren't living life to its fullest.

You probably know someone who has an extra 20 pounds of bodyfat around their midsection.

Others are carrying an extra 50 pounds of fat, which makes simple activities of daily living (think walking up a flight of stairs) especially difficult.

It's only human nature to search for a shortcut.

I think at one time or another we’ve all fallen for this sort of “quick-fix” mentality.

This belief that there is some magical secret that will push us over the top.

May I propose a couple of thoughts to you?

First, when it comes to losing body fat, getting stronger, feeling better about your health, I’m not sure there are any real secrets.

Second, and maybe this is a mistake on my part, but I pretty much tell you how to get healthy right here in my daily lessons.

So, with that in mind, here are a few thoughts on what you actually NEED to be able to enjoy the type of impact, health, and lifestyle you want:

1. Turn Off the Negative Voice

You know, the little voice in your head that is keeping you from achieving the body you desire and deserve.

The voice that says you can’t be successful.

2. Enjoy the Journey

As a coach who has delivered over 100,000 workouts, I’ve learned that results aren’t enough.

Gasp!

The experience matters a lot as well.

You might be wondering, "Why is this? Don't people come to a coach for results?"

Well, since results aren’t usually immediate, my client-athletes have to stick around long enough to get them.

Put another way, the experience keeps you around long enough to get the results.

I never hear anyone talk about that, but it’s true.

Many readers of this lesson can attest to the fact that I sit down 1-on-1 with every new coaching client to learn about you, discover what you want, and share a step-by-step blueprint for how I can help.

⚡Creating this roadmap requires a massive time commitment and personal effort on my part.

⚡And then there’s the daily accountability I provide for my clients.

⚡The friendly check-ins when you miss a workout.

⚡Weekly progress reporting.

⚡And the constant support.

I believe I was born to help you achieve greatness.

Talk to anybody who has ever worked with me and you will discover that being a coach is a calling, even a vocation, for me.

Coaching has never been a job.

I really, truly want you to succeed.

So much so that I actually guarantee success by offering to refund tuition if a client does everything I ask yet does not make progress.

I can continue to help you via my daily lessons, like this one.

Or you can take the next step and join the best online personal training program.

But the truth is, you will eventually invest in your health.

• “Pay your organic grocer or pay your doctor.”
• “Pay your strength-and-conditioning coach or pay your nursing home.”
• “Pay your sports massage therapist or pay your hospital.”

Call me crazy but I'd rather invest my hard-earned dollars on organic food, fitness-and-nutrition coaching, and sports massage...

...you know, the things that actually help me stay strong and lean, manage stress, and enjoy life each and every day.

To put it another way, the things that improve my HAPPINESS.

Coming from a sports background, it was always pretty obvious to me that teams had head coaches and position coaches.

It’s the only way every player could be developed.

It’s pretty much the same thing right here, no matter whether you work with me in-person or through our online personal trainer.

Perhaps you want more strength, less body fat, more self confidence… yet you’ve been unsuccessful achieving these things.

Maybe you're afraid of change.

Well, you can’t be UNwilling to hand things off to an experienced coach.

In other words, you can't be too proud and stubborn to hire a coach to help you achieve what you are UNABLE to do alone.

One more thing.

And I’ll use another sports analogy to try to convey this: Having more information isn’t enough.

You must have a coach to guide and direct you through the sea of “mis-information."

And information overload.

Basically somebody who has had documented success coaching thousands of over-40 men and women in your exact same situation.

Or a similar situation.

No coach simply hands players a playbook and says:

"We’re running these plays on game day… hope you figure them out. Good luck."

A good coach actually coaches players to execute the plays.

Over and over with many hours of practice.

Look, if you are ready to live the life you desire and deserve, today's the day to get serious about your health.

Invest in a coach.

Congratulations if you have a coach and are doing well.

Keep it up.

Because at some point, after you achieve success, you will work equally hard to maintain it.

Your friend,

Coach Joe

Joseph Arangio helps 40+ men and women get leaner, stronger, and happier. He's delivered over 100,000 transformation programs to satisfied clients around the globe. If you want to lose weight from home, with the best online personal trainer, or you want to visit the best personal trainer in the Lehigh Valley, you can take a free 14-day trial.