Why You Don’t Follow Through on Your Health Goals — and How to Fix It

Most of us know what we should do to be healthier: eat better, move more, sleep well. The real challenge? Actually following through. On today’s show, I talk to behavioral psychologist Amantha Imber, author of The Health Habit, who argues that the missing piece in most health advice isn’t more information — it’s learning how to bridge the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it. Amantha first outlines four “habit hijackers” that sabotage your best-laid plans and shares practical, research-backed tactics to overcome each one. We then dive into some specific health habits that will give you a lot of transformative bang for your buck. We discuss how restricting your sleep can help you sleep better, the truth about the popular 10,000 steps a day recommendation, the underrated power of an after-dinner walk, and more. Resources Related to the PodcastHijacker Survey LinkRelated AoM Podcasts:The Psychology of Effective Weight LossHow to Hack the Habit Loop to Build a Better LifeThe Microbiome Master KeyRelated AoM Articles: Unlocking the Science of HabitsThe Science of Drive: 5 Theories of MotivationThe Power of Temptation BundlingThe 10 Best Ways to Make Exercise an Unbreakable HabitThe Importance of a Good Start: Using Temporal Landmarks to Achieve Your GoalsAoM “Sleep” archivesAoM “Habits” archivesThe Power of Implementation IntentionsThe Digestive Power of an After-Dinner WalkThe Existential in Red Dead Redemption 2 Sleep Restriction and Cognitive Behavioral TherapyStudy: Holding the Hunger Games Hostage at the GymStudy: “I Don’t” vs “I Can’t” Study: The Fresh Start EffectStudy: Designing More Effective Goals by Using Emergency Reserves (“Hall Passes”) Study: Untapping the Health Enhancing Potential of Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity (VILPA)Study: Reduced exertion high-intensity interval training Connect With Amantha ImberAmantha's websiteAmantha on LinkedInAmantha on InstagramAmantha's podcast, How I Work See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.