‘Choose habits over hype to improve your health and fitness’

COMMENT

By Tristan Buttle, personal trainer

We live in a world obsessed with shortcuts, quick fixes, miracles and ‘one-size-fits-all’ solutions.

We are living in the Amazon Prime era, we don't want to wait for anything, we want it all and we want it now.

This is especially true when it comes to health, fitness and diet.

We want results, and we want them quickly!

We've been led to believe that there's a ‘perfect’ diet coupled with a ‘perfect workout’ out there for everyone. 

Deep down I think we all know this isn't true, and we know that every January, without fail, another celebrity, athlete, chef or influencer will bring out their version of the ‘perfect diet’ available to you for only £19.99.

Every January 1st, millions of us tell ourselves that this year will be different. This year we’ll finally take control of our health, our bodies, our routines and our lives!

We wish for a stronger, calmer, more confident version of ourselves and in that moment of fresh-start optimism, it’s very tempting to reach for something BIG. Something intense. Something that promises to erase years of frustration in just a handful of weeks.

However, sadly, every February, countless people feel defeated, not because they failed, but because the promise failed them.

Quick fixes will always have a shine to them. The ‘drop two stone by the end of the month’ plans, the six-week shreds, the detoxes, the extreme diets – they’re sold to us with flawless lighting, perfect bodies and the seductive idea that rapid change is just a matter of willpower – and if you fail it’s because you ‘didn’t want it enough’. 

But the truth is much more human than that – quick fixes don’t last. They never have. They weren’t designed for the true messiness of real life.

As a personal trainer, I’ve watched hundreds of people walk into January burning with motivation, ready to change everything at once. Yet, every single time, without fail, the people who truly transformed were the ones who chose progress over perfection. The ones who gently built something sustainable instead of trying to force their way into a new lifestyle overnight.

Why don’t quick fixes last? They demand a version of you that simply cannot exist every day. 

Extreme diets starve your energy and your joy, and extreme training plans steal time you don’t have and leave your body exhausted.

You may start off OK, but life inevitably will push back. Work deadlines arrive. Kids get sick. Stress builds. You get tired, and when the extreme routine collapses, so does your self-belief.

Quick fixes also ignore the emotional side of change – the part where you’re human.

We don’t change in giant leaps. We change in quiet, steady steps. We change when the goal feels doable, not punishing. New habits should fit into your life, not fight against it.

Sustainable habits may be humble and simple, but they’re also unbelievably powerful.

They don’t show up in dramatic before-and-after photos, but they show up in your actual life, through your energy, your confidence, your health, your mood and your routines. They show up in the sense of pride that grows every time you keep a promise to yourself.

A sustainable habit is something you can perform, even during your most chaotic weeks. It’s choosing 20 minutes of movement when an hour feels impossible. It’s cooking one more meal at home instead of banning entire food groups. It’s drinking an extra glass of water, taking a ten-minute walk, turning off the lights half an hour earlier, or pausing before an emotional eating binge.

Small isn’t weak. Small is achievable.

The people who experience the biggest transformations don’t start with dramatic action. They start with small wins that build confidence. In turn, that confidence builds consistency.

As we enter 2026, my message is this – choose habits over hype. Choose patience over punishment. Choose actions you can maintain not for six weeks, but for six months and beyond. You don’t need to become a different person overnight. 

You simply need to commit to the type of approach your future self will thank you for.