I’m turning 71 next year, and I have 12% body fat.

If you want to lose 20, 30, 50 or 100 pounds in 2026…

What you don’t want to be doing is doubling down on willpower and discipline.

Here’s what to do instead:

The smart way to do self-improvement isn’t to sacrifice more, more, more.

In fact, the best thing you can do, as you reflect on what didn’t work for you in 2025 is to ask:

If I wasn’t allowed to, once again, rely on willpower…

What would I be thinking about instead?

How would I approach things differently if I wasn’t allowed to sacrifice all my free time?

What would have to be true if I refused to attempt a “bootcamp”, and needed to find a forever sustainable approach?