Podcast Summary: Permanent Weight Loss Through Mindset, Walking, and 100% Commitment

Podcast: The Amazing Authorities Podcast
Host: Mitch Carson
Guest: Stanley Bronstein
Date: February 20, 2026

Episode Overview

In this powerful episode of the Amazing Authorities Podcast, host Mitch Carson welcomes Stanley Bronstein—a CPA, attorney, and transformation coach who lost more than 200 pounds and has maintained it for 17 years without surgeries or drugs. Stanley shares the mindset shifts, habits, and unwavering commitments that enabled his "permanent transformation," and introduces his replicable "Way of Excellence" framework. The discussion touches on emotional roots of obesity, the pitfalls of diet culture, the science and spirituality of sustainable health, and how anyone can become “virtually limitless” by committing to long-term change.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Stanley’s Backstory and Turning Point

• Childhood Roots and Emotional Triggers

  • [01:29] Stanley attributes the start of his obesity to emotional trauma: "My mother died when I was 8, and that messed with my head. And here I am living with my massively obese father, and we both just ate ourselves in oblivion."
  • By age 13 (his bar mitzvah), he weighed more than he does now as an adult.

• The Wake-Up Call

  • [03:45] At age 49, weighing 367 lbs on a 5'7" frame, Stanley asked himself, "Where am I going to be in five years if I keep doing what I'm doing? ...The answer was dead. And guess what? I didn’t want to be dead."
  • Unlike previous failed attempts, he committed to permanent—rather than temporary—change, starting February 1, 2009.

The Four Pillars of Stanley’s Transformation

• Immediate, Radical Changes

  • [04:11] Stopped drinking alcohol and poured his last bottle of scotch down the toilet.
  • Eliminated all soda, including diet: "I was drinking three [2-liter bottles] a day...I took my last bottle of soda, poured it down the toilet...Haven’t had one in 17 years."
  • Quit red meat, then all meat over time, eventually shifting to vegetarian, then strict vegan.
  • Movement: Began modest walking (2-3 blocks), then progressed to hours of pool walking, eventually walking 10–15 miles per day.
  • [06:42] Lost 50 lbs in the first four months, then steadily over years—emphasizing persistence, not speed.

• Mindset and Non-Perfectionism

  • [07:47] "I had failures. I messed up. I had good days, I had bad days...We're gonna make mistakes. The question is, do we learn from those mistakes? Mistakes are proof that you're trying."

• Diet Evolution and Results

  • Adopted vegetarianism, then veganism to break through plateaus.
  • [10:49] Lost an additional 50 lbs rapidly after giving up dairy, all without excess skin due to gradual loss and consistent exercise.

• Consistent, Identity-Based Habits

  • [12:29] "I have walked a half marathon or more every day for the last 14 months...I'm 100% committed to it. I do. It's who I am. My identity has changed."

The "Way of Excellence" System

Stanley details the 20-step "Way of Excellence," a system to achieve sustained success in any area:

• 1. Tell it like it is / Awareness
  • [14:10] "Back on February 1, 2009...I told it like it was. I said, if I don't do this, I'm going to be dead."
• 2. Long-Term Thinking
  • Emphasizes permanent change for lifelong results.
• 3. Personal Responsibility
  • [17:55] "Blame does not fix problems...All that fixes problems is figuring out what needs to be done and then doing it."
• 6. Perspective Shift
  • Shifted language: "I get to eat better, I get to go out and go walking. And it's my privilege, not my obligation."
  • Inspired by Peggy Chun, a quadriplegic woman he met: “Whenever I had a morning that I didn’t feel like walking...I asked, what would Peggy Chun do if she could?” ([22:58])
• Persistence & Resilience
  • [25:10] Motto: “Beat yesterday. Your goal is to be better today than you were yesterday.”
• Commitment
  • [27:51] "When you are 100% committed, there are no decisions to be made."
• Willingness
  • [30:40] "The three most important words in the English language are: Are you willing?"
• Integration
  • [32:32] #20 is “integration of mind, body, spirit” reaching wholeness and balance.

Stanley’s Principles & Philosophy

• On Blame and Ownership

  • [20:21] “Blame is irrelevant…Analysis, paralysis, it's about action.”

• On Excellence Over Perfection

  • [14:57] “The goal is not perfection. The goal is excellence…I stopped being a perfectionist and became a good-enoughist.”

• On Diet and Health Fads

  • [41:00] Stanley rejects quick fixes, keto, and carnivore diets for being unsustainable: “Whatever you choose to do, I will support you…but I question the sustainability of keto diet based on my own lived experience.”

• On Identity and Lasting Change

  • [37:27] "The first step is changing your identity, who you are—becoming a different person…learning what those [past traumas] are, healing them, loving yourself, being kind to yourself."

• On Commitment as a Superpower

  • [27:51] “I am 100% committed that only healthy food is going to enter my mouth…When you make a bright line, 100% committed, you stop asking questions…There are no decisions to be made.”

Notable and Memorable Quotes

• [07:47] “Mistakes are proof that you're trying.” —Stanley
• [12:00] “I am more powerful than I ever imagined.” —Stanley
• [12:37] “If I'm more powerful than I ever imagined, so is everybody else…You are more powerful than you ever imagined.” —Stanley
• [14:55] “The goal is not perfection. The goal is excellence.” —Stanley
• [20:21] “Blame is irrelevant…traction starts when you drop your ‘blame thrower.’” —Mitch (quoting a friend)
• [22:58] “I get to go out and go walking. It’s my privilege, not my obligation.” —Stanley
• [25:10] “Beat yesterday. Your goal is to be better today than you were yesterday.”
• [30:56] “If you're not willing, everything I've said before doesn't mean a damn thing…Are you willing to permanently change?”
• [34:00] “Balance is not something you find. Balance is something you intentionally consciously create.”
• [39:57] “I focus on health span. I want to be there. So the question is…come back in 50 years and let’s see who was right.”
• [44:41] “I had what I call a moment of healthy selfishness. I put my oxygen mask on first…Too bad, I’m doing this.” (on telling his wife when he started his transformation)
• [47:02] “TheWayOfExcellence.com...all kinds of free resources...the mission’s more important than the money.”

Important Segment Timestamps

| Topic | Timestamp (MM:SS) | |-----------------------------------------------------|-----------------------| | Stanley’s childhood & obesity origins | 01:29–02:29 | | Turning point & "slow aside" | 03:45–04:11 | | Initial radical lifestyle changes | 04:11–06:11 | | Persistence and daily walking | 06:47–08:25 | | Diet plateaus and going vegan | 09:52–11:59 | | 20 Qualities of Excellence explained (highlights) | 14:10–34:00 | | Importance of commitment and bright lines | 27:51–29:41 | | "Are you willing?" mindset | 30:56–32:32 | | Integration of mind, body, spirit | 32:32–34:00 | | On "the mission is more important than money" | 34:56–36:08 | | Dietary fads and individualized approach | 40:40–44:11 | | Stanley’s “healthy selfishness” with his wife | 44:23–45:56 | | Where to find Stanley’s resources | 47:02–47:56 |

Practical Takeaways

• Permanent change > temporary fix: Sustainable, identity-level change is the only way to lasting results.
• Walking is scalable & accessible: Stanley’s “superpower” for weight loss and health is simply walking—lots of it.
• Commitment reduces decision fatigue: "Bright lines" about food and exercise turn decision-making into automatic behavior.
• Embrace being 'good-enough': Aim for progress and excellence, not perfection—mistakes are part of growth.
• Empowerment is universal: “You are more powerful than you ever imagined.”
• Free resources available: Stanley offers his full “Way of Excellence” system and books at TheWayOfExcellence.com.

Memorable Moments

• Stanley pouring out his last bottle of scotch and soda as an act of “symbolism and ritual” ([04:11])
• Peggy Chun’s inspiration and perspective shift: “What would Peggy Chun do if she could?” ([22:58])
• Healthy selfishness: “I put my oxygen mask on first” ([44:41])
• Daily walking streak—half-marathon/day for more than a year ([12:29])
• Stanley’s description of “excellence vs perfection” and becoming a “good-enoughist” ([14:57])

Resources & Next Steps

• Visit TheWayOfExcellence.com for Stanley’s videos, resources, and books (all free).
• Reflect on: Are you willing to make a permanent change? What bright lines and identity shifts will you create?

Stanley Bronstein’s story is living proof that profound transformation is possible—through mindset, unbreakable commitment, and small steps multiplied over time.