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August 26, 2025 14 mins

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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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Click Here And Follow Coach AK For Even More!

Join Our Free Facebook Group: Live Transformed: Rebuild Your Health, Habits, And Headspace

Instagram: @coachadamkelley

www.transformedhealthcoach.com

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Identity-based health means asking a new question
what would the healthiest,strongest, most self-respecting
person or version of me do rightnow, and then do that over and
over until that becomes who youare?
So let's look at how to makethat shift practically From
goals to identity.
A simple framework.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Welcome to the Win On Purpose podcast From health and
fitness, business, personaldevelopment, relationships and
more.
We promise you will findinspiration to help you win on
purpose in all areas of yourlife journey.

Speaker 1 (00:36):
And now for your host , adam Kelly the Win On Purpose
podcast, where we rebuild healthfrom the inside out using truth
, not trends.
My name is Coach Adam Kelly.
I appreciate you guys fortuning back in for another week.
This is going to be a great one, guys.
This is episode number 45.
This is bonus episode numberfour and our final four, our

(00:57):
final fix, our final episode ofthe series before we start
another great series.
So you guys tuned in at theright time if you're just now
tuning in, but you definitelywant to go back and catch all
the episodes.
I think this is the eighthactual installment of this
series.
So again, we have four bonusepisodes, four original episodes

(01:18):
.
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'velearned through decades of
working through our own healthsituations, our own health
transformations and helpingdozens and dozens of other
people just like you, accomplishthings they never thought they

(01:39):
could because they didn'trealize they just needed the
right system.
So that's what we do.
Today marks the final episodeof this series, as I said, and
we're ending with what might bethe most important shift of all.
Why identity, not willpower, notmacros, not motivation, is the
real key to lasting change.

(01:59):
If every diet you've tried haseventually fallen apart, this
episode will explain why.
And if you've ever wonderedwhat makes transformation stick,
this is it.
Alright, let's get into it.
So why diets keep breaking down?
Let's start with the obvioustruth.
Most diets don't fail becausethe meal plan was flawed.

(02:20):
They fail because the personfollowing them was never given a
chance to change.
They followed rules, they hitmacros, they checked boxes, but
deep down, your identity stayedthe same.
And that is the problem.
Behavior without identityalignment equals burnout.
Research and health psychologyreview confirms this.

(02:40):
Habits that are tied toidentity are far more likely to
be sustained over time thanthose driven by external rewards
.
So those just driven by whatother people think, how they
look in society, how they fit intheir clothes, all those things
that you know have more to dowith what other people see than
what we feel those tend to benot as productive as keeping us

(03:03):
on the path that we've been onto reach the success that we
have as tying those habits toour actual identity.
So we're going to break thisdown and we're going to talk
about what identity-based changeactually looks like and how to
build it.
So first, your question is whatis identity-based health?
Oh, great question, I'm so gladyou asked.

(03:25):
So it starts with one core ideayou don't rise to the level of
your goals, you fall to thelevel of your identity or, as I
also like to say, to the levelof your systems.
And if you still believe assomeone or you still see
yourself as someone who alwaysquits, if you believe deep down
you're undisciplined, broken orbad with food, then no matter

(03:47):
how perfect a plan, you'lleventually find a way to
self-sabotage every time.
Identity-based health meansasking a new question what would
the healthiest, strongest, mostself-respecting person or
version of me do right now?
And then do that over and overuntil that becomes who you are.

(04:08):
So let's look at how to makethat shift practically from
goals to identity.
A simple framework.
So at THI we use three partidentity loop with clients.
Number one behavior.
First, understand that actiondrives belief.
Okay, you have to actually getmoving and do something.
This doesn't mean have it allfigured out.
This doesn't mean know exactlywhat to do and you're just going

(04:30):
to do that until you reach yourgoals.
This means you have to actuallytake a step forward to start
building belief that you can dosomething.
So start there.
Number two repetition.
Second Repetition reinforcesthe identity.
So it's not just a matter ofdoing it, knowing we need to do
it, it's the reps, it.
It's not just a matter of doingit, knowing we need to do it,
it's it's the reps.
Okay, it's every day showing up, getting a little bit better,

(04:51):
learning more, adjusting more,shifting more.
You know that's what it's allabout when it comes to
repetition and then reflection.
Third, you collect proof andinternalize change.
So as you start to see resultscome 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 ofpaper out and take some notes,
like what are you seeing, whatare the changes, what are the

(05:13):
improvements, what could youhave done better?
You know what, what did you dogreat?
And just really reflect onwhere you're at and what got you
there, and that's going to helpyou continue on.
So, for example, hey guys, realquick 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, onetransformation at a time.

(05:34):
That means that helping realpeople, people like you, rebuild
.
You've done that.
You need a system that respectsyour schedule and restores your
confidence and equips you to winin your body, your mind and
your purpose.

(05:55):
If you've been listening andthinking, I would like that kind
of change, but I don't knowwhere to start.
You don't have to figure it outalone.
We love to hear your story andshow you what's possible.
No pressure, no push.
You can grab a time to talk inthe link in the show notes.
Let's build a plan thatactually works for your life.
All right, let's get back to it.

(06:18):
You say that you're notdisciplined, but you prepped
your lunch three times this week.
You say that you you alwaysquit, but you walk nine days in
a row.
You say that you're bad attracking, but you hit your
protein target four out of fivedays.
Bad at tracking, but you hityour protein target four out of
five days.
That is identity in motion.
Studies in behavior science andpolicy shows that reinforcing
identity through small,consistent wins leads to far
greater habit retention thanusing outcomes alone.

(06:40):
Okay, so it's those little,small wins that compound upon
each other that takes us deeperand deeper into these habits,
solidifies them even more, makesthem stick, and that works so
much better than just focusingon how much you've lost.
You know what pant size you canfit now, how you look in the
mirror, anything else like thatOkay, it's just truly
internalizing what's happening.

(07:02):
So if you want lasting change,you need to stop asking what's
the best diet and start askingwho do I want to become?
Okay, we need to build theimage of the person that we want
to be so that we can createthat.
So next we're going to look atthe four pillars of
identity-based change.
Okay, so we have the fourpillars of THI when it comes to
general health.

(07:23):
So that's physical activity,balanced nutrition, quality
sleep and stress management.
Okay, that's our four pillarshere, and we have bullet points
under those.
That explains it.
If you're a client of ours andwe've probably given you a print
off, you can see the big posterthat we have on one of our
facility doors.
That's what we hammer home.
Because if you were literallywere to follow that list and

(07:44):
that's all you were to do forthe rest of your life, you're
going to get 99% of all healthbenefits that you can get just
by doing what's on there.
And it's all like simple thingswe kind of know it's just.
Maybe we don't have thatblueprint of like okay, I need
to make sure I'm doing all thesethings.
So this list is for pillars ofidentity-based change.
So this is what we teach hereat THI as the foundation of this

(08:05):
work.
Number one is clarity Know whoyou're becoming, not just what
you want to lose.
It's a lot less important thatyou want to lose 20 pounds by
your wedding date than it isthat I want to be someone who
doesn't have to lose 20 poundsever again.
I want to be someone who ishealthy and feels good and is
confident.
So, rather, if I'm going to awedding or I'm going to the

(08:26):
beach or I'm going to a birthdayparty or whatever I'm doing, I
feel good in my skin and I don'thave to think about the way I
look or the way other peoplethink I look.
Okay, that's deep, much deeperthan just losing 20 pounds.
Number two is consistency.
So small wins, repeated beats,intense efforts abandoned Okay.
So again, racking up those winsweek after week, day after day,

(08:48):
moment after moment, countingall those, is so much more
successful and profitable,especially over the long term,
than just doing little sprintsof effort and then having to
stop because it was too much andthen doing another little
sprint and stop and reallyyou're not really going anywhere
.
Well, the person that'ssteadily moving ahead and he's

(09:09):
consistent will lap you 100times at that pace.
Number three compassion.
You don't shame your way into anew identity.
Okay, this is not aboutbullying ourselves or toughening
up or we need to pick ourselvesup by the bootstraps.
None of that.
That's not how you're gonnabuild the identity of success,
of winning on purpose.
Okay, we need to understandthat.

(09:31):
Have compassion on yourself,understand where you're at, why
you're there Not that you'regonna stay there, but have an
understanding so you're notbeating yourself up.
And number four is community.
You need people who reinforcethe new you, not the old you
Running in the same circles ofpeople who are destroying their
health, not taking care ofthemselves, not taking care of
their responsibility, being lazy, being unmotivated.

(09:53):
Those people are going to ruboff on you and continue to pull
you down to the level.
So surround yourself withpeople who are on the same
journey as you, have the samemotivation as you have the same
desire in life, want to elevateto the same levels, or they're
already at where you want to be.
And now you have somebody thatyou can follow in their
footsteps and learn from whatthey've done.
So community is so importantthere, guys.

(10:15):
So this isn't aboutaffirmations or fake confidence.
It's about acting in alignmentwith your future even before you
feel like it.
So let's bring this home with afew takeaways that you can act
on today.
So practical takeaways.
Number one identity drivesbehavior, not the other way
around.
You can try to force it all youwant, but fake it till you make

(10:36):
it isn't really that helpful inthis context.
Okay, you can only fake it solong before you burn out.
But when that becomes who youare, you're no longer faking it,
you're just doing.
You boo boo and you're going tobe successful.
Start asking what would thehealthiest version of my of me
do right now?
Okay, start envisioning thatperson how they live, what

(10:57):
choices they make, how theyrespond to things, how they move
and groove.
Get a good understanding ofthat and then start modeling
after that with your owndecisions.
Reinforce that identity withsmall daily wins.
Ok, compounding interest,building on each step, getting a
little bit better, one percentbetter better than yesterday, as
I love to say.
Then track your behavior asproof, not pressure.

(11:18):
Okay, you're not tracking datato beat yourself up because your
weight's up.
You're tracking data so you cansee trends.
You can catch things ahead oftime, before it gets out of
control.
You always know where you'regoing, so you know if you're, if
your effort matches up to whereyou're wanting to go okay, so
you're not wasting time.
Then track, track, sorry.
Surround yourself with peopleand environments that support

(11:40):
who you are becoming.
Find communities to plug into.
Find people that share yoursame values or the values that
you're building.
Find people who are alreadythere and doing it themselves.
That's a great place.
Shameless plug for our free,private or yeah, well, it is
private, but our free Facebookcommunity lived, transformed.
Okay, you can join us, it'stotally free.

(12:03):
Come on, we got a communitythat we're building.
It's great stuff.
We are growing together, we'relearning together.
We just revamped and rebrandedthis group, so it's definitely a
great place to connect withpeople and, again, that's live,
transform, rebuild your health,habits and headspace.
So great community to be a partof.
Or find another community, itdoesn't matter if it's that one,

(12:23):
but we'd love to have you forsure.
So you aren't just trying tolose weight.
That's the most important thingto understand.
You're trying to become someonewho respects themselves too
much to go back to who you usedto be, and this is the heart of
THI, transform Health Initiative.
We help clients become someonenew, not just follow a plan.
If that's something that you'reready for a system that

(12:46):
supports real identity leveltransformation then visit
transformedhealthcoachcom andyou can sign up to get a free
consultation, free strategy call.
I'll contact you myself, we'llset 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.

(13:06):
So I appreciate you guys forjoining me for this full series
why Diets Fail and what ActuallyWorks.
Like I said, make sure youcaught all the other seven
episodes.
They're all fantastic, verypractical, will definitely help
you along your journey and alsothose that you love and care
about.
So make sure to share it withsomebody.
If you've been following along,you now have the exact roadmap

(13:27):
for lasting change mindset overrestriction, structure over
stress, identity over intensity.
And remember you don't needanother diet.
You need a decision to becomesomeone new and the tools to
support that version of you.
Next week we begin a brand newseries, one that'll speak
directly to your daily realitythe busy person's blueprint for

(13:49):
fitness that actually fits Guys.
It's going to be great.
It's going to just help youfigure out what you need to do,
how much you need to do, what'soverkill, what's just noise, and
what's actually going to justhelp you figure out what you
need to do, how much you need todo, what's overkill, what's
just noise, and what's actuallygoing to work to help you get
you where you want to be in thebest and most sustainable way
possible.
So, until next time, dosomething good for yourself,
something good for your health,something good for those you

(14:10):
care about and, whatever you do,make sure you win on purpose.
Talk at you next time.
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