The decision to change your life is a very significant one. Many people know they want to change, but fail to understand why. I know that it can be easy to believe that once you gain the physique you’ve always dreamed of, you will gain self-confidence and esteem. In reality, the journey is the exact opposite. For most, in order to have the discipline and courage to make the change, they must first learn to have faith in themselves.

When I first opened the book, Body for Life by Bill Phillips in August of 1999, I lacked faith. I lacked faith in a spiritual sense, and faith in myself. I was a very cynical and bitter person. When I read the book, I became excited about the opportunity to change. Deep within me, however, I still did not believe that I could really make the change. I felt like a failure that had no self-control. I felt that genetics and other factors were working against me. I was distrustful of any program that promised to bring me closer to good health, because I had “fallen” for so many scams in the past.

I went through the motions of the program, but did not put my heart into it. Sure, I worked out intensely and hit what I considered “personal bests” with each workout, and I stuck to the nutrition program 100% - but I lacked the enthusiasm many have because I doubted that what I was doing could truly change my life. I was like a passenger, watching as the car sped down the freeway but never having the faith to take the steering wheel in my own hands. I was at the edge of a great, vast chasm, and instead of taking that necessary leap of faith, I merely inched my way closer to the edge, waiting for a sign that it was safe to cross.

The sign never came from without, because it must come from within. So I performed three “programs” that lasted twelve weeks each and made some strides, but did not achieve the incredible results that I had hoped for. When I flew down to Miami for a user’s group conference in May of 2000, I met a former EAS champion, Jeff Seidman. I hired Jeff for an hour-long training session. Jeff spoke to me about the power of physique transformation and how it had to come from the inside. I could hear the passion in his voice when he spoke of his own experience - his eyes would flare as he told how he was going to win - he was 150% focused on his goal and nothing would deter him. He told me to go to the gym every day and train like an animal - train like it was the last chance I’d ever have to train. Only by making every moment of my transformation a winning moment would I be able to win the entire challenge.

I did not take a “win” away from that meeting, but I took away something different - a realization. I realized that Jeff was different than many other people who took the challenge in only one way - he knew he was going to win. He had faith in himself. Seeing the passion that he shared with me made me realize that I must do the same. I suddenly realized that I could make the change - I just hadn’t tried hard enough! I didn’t have faith in the program or myself, so I wasn’t making it work. At that point in time, I made the decision to create my own success. It meant having faith in me.

I am often asked what happened between May and August of 2000 when the year prior showed so little progress. The answer was that I acquired faith. That faith in myself taught me to push my body to the limits. I no longer held back because I knew that I was reaping the rewards of my efforts. I was flying towards better health and my peak physique. In short, faith gave me the energy and the conviction to make every workout count, and despite the fact that I followed the same nutrition and the same style of workouts, the transformation that took place was greater in twelve weeks than the previous nine months combined.

Sometime during that journey, I found another faith that kept me true to the program. I found faith in God, and that faith carried me through many workouts. When relying on me or someone else to push me wasn’t enough, I could rely on my faith. If I knew I was doing the right thing, if I knew I was taking care of my body instead of taking my body for granted, then I was able to draw on that inner faith to propel me through my most difficult moments. It would have been impossible for me to lose faith when so many incredible events happened, such as the birth of my daughter, a change in my career that left me feeling satisfied and challenged at work, acquiring a newer and positive view of life, and of course the physical changes that were taking place with my body.

When I decided to take things to another level, faith once again came into play. I decided that I wanted to pursue an ultra low level of body fat - I set 6% as my goal. In order to do this, I hired a coach to help me reach that level. I had no experience with obtaining low body fat and wanted someone who was an expert on the matter. I joined David Greenwalt’s Coaching Club and learned much in the many months I spent there. I had obtained my certification and was getting ready to start my own fitness-related business, but I knew that as much as I love to teach, I must also be humble and become a student as well. Even though Dave gave me advice that conflicted with my own, personal knowledge of training and nutrition, I also realized that he has been in the fitness industry for decades and has a wealth of information at his fingertips. So instead of doubting or questioning his program, even when it did not follow my own beliefs about how to become lean, I followed it 100%. I had faith in his ability to coach me to my goals, and he did exactly that. I reached 6.5% body fat and had the most amazing photo shoot of my life. If I had not had faith in his program, I would not have made my goal.

You may be faced with many decisions in life. You may even doubt your own ability to make the changes you desire. The key, however, is to realize that every person on this planet has been gifted with willpower. Through perseverance and hard work, you can achieve your ultimate goals. Instead of wishing or hoping they could happen, you must simply make the choice to create your future and turn your dreams into reality. Take that leap of faith, and start by believing in yourself. Only through self-confidence will you be able to draw upon the inner strength that can lead you down the path towards healthy living and your own peak physique. Once you create that faith, find a program that you are comfortable with and that will fit your lifestyle. Then, instead of second guessing it, have faith in that as well. Follow it, live it, and know when you are finished that you gave it 100% of yourself. If you give any less, can you truly judge whether it “worked” or not? When giving that 100% effort becomes difficult, don’t simply rely on yourself. Look deeper inside and find that faith in your creator that gives you a purpose in life, and let that faith carry you to the next milestone in your life.

It is tough to change your lifestyle when so many habits have rooted themselves into your daily routine. When you make the decision to change, also make the choice to look inside and understand why you are ready. If you are truly prepared for the journey then you will have all of the strength that you need to succeed. Your peak physique is only a leap of faith away.