Podcast Summary: The Art of Manliness

Episode: Why You Don’t Follow Through on Your Health Goals — and How to Fix It
Host: Brett McKay
Guest: Dr. Amantha Imber, Behavioral Psychologist, Author of "The Health Habit"
Date: December 9, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Brett McKay talks with behavioral psychologist Dr. Amantha Imber about why so many people struggle to follow through on their health goals, despite knowing what they “should” do. Dr. Imber argues that the real challenge isn’t information, but behavior change: bridging the gap between knowing and doing. Drawing on her new book, The Health Habit, she breaks down the four main “habit hijackers” that sabotage our best intentions and delivers actionable, evidence-backed strategies for overcoming each one. They also discuss specific high-impact health habits and offer practical ways to make them stick.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Information Isn’t Enough

The Health Book Aha Moment [03:14]
- Dr. Imber: "If any of [these books] actually worked in the sense that you read the techniques and you changed your behavior... there would be no market for health books. The missing thing from all these health books is actually the psychology around how do you make all this great health advice stick?"
Doctors often know that simply telling patients what to do rarely sparks lasting change.
- Brett [04:27]: "Information is not enough. You have to be sort of a psychologist to help your patients implement these things."

2. The Four Main Habit Hijackers [05:24]

Dr. Imber identifies four barriers that consistently sabotage health behavior change:

Motivational Hijackers: Not truly wanting to do the thing (i.e., lack of intrinsic motivation)
Relational Hijackers: Social environment or norms make the goal harder (e.g., junk food in the family home)
Environmental Hijackers: Physical/digital surroundings undermine your efforts (e.g., snacks in sight)
Cognitive Hijackers: Feeling stressed, exhausted, or overwhelmed, diminishing willpower

Dr. Imber [05:24]: "When we feel [stressed or overwhelmed] mentally, it's really hard to change our behavior."

How to Identify Your Main Hijacker [07:37]

Dr. Imber developed a simple survey (available with her book/online) to help people pinpoint the biggest barrier currently holding them back.

3. Practical Tactics to Overcome Habit Hijackers

A. Motivational Hijackers

Temptation Bundling [08:20]
- Pair an undesirable task with a pleasure (e.g., only listen to favorite audiobooks/podcasts while exercising).
- Dr. Imber [08:20]: "This is an example of temptation bundling, where you're pairing the undesirable activity of exercising with something that is inherently pleasurable."
- Brett [11:31]: "I watch movies while I'm doing the treadmill... I just queue up a movie and I'm on the treadmill for an hour."
Question-Powered Self Talk [12:06]
- Instead of saying, "I need to exercise today," ask yourself, "Will I exercise today?" This subtle shift increases motivation by triggering autonomy.
- Dr. Imber [13:28]: "When we ask ourselves, well, will I exercise today? ...we're far more motivated to do the thing."
Find Yourself (Commitment Devices) [14:02]
- Commit to a punishment that stings if you fail, such as donating to a rival's favorite cause.

B. Relational Hijackers [15:12]

Make a Public Pledge
- Announce your goal to friends, family, or online and ask others to hold you accountable.
- Brett [16:31]: "I want you to hold me accountable if you see me... can you give me the nudge, ‘Dad, do you really want to eat those mashed potatoes?’"

C. Environmental Hijackers [17:00]

Change the Default
- Move chargers out of the bedroom to avoid late-night phone use, keep junk food out of the house, or put healthy choices in plain sight.
- Dr. Imber [17:04]: "Your environment is setting you up to fail...Take your phone charger and put it in a completely different room."
Reduce Friction for Good Habits/Add Friction for Bad Habits
- Example: Set up a home gym, sleep in gym clothes, or put treats in hard-to-reach places.

D. Cognitive Hijackers [21:26]

Use “Don’t” Instead of “Can’t” [21:26]
- “I don’t eat dessert” is more empowering than “I can’t eat dessert.”
- Dr. Imber [23:36]: "When we say 'I can't do this'... we just feel a bit restricted… But when we say 'I don't'... that is part of my self-identity."
Fresh Start Effect [23:50]
- Start a new habit on a significant fresh date (e.g., a Monday, first of the month, New Year’s).
Hall Pass Strategy [25:03]
- Allow yourself 1-2 “cheat days” a week to prevent all-or-nothing thinking and improve resilience after slip-ups.
- Brett [27:11]: "Yeah, it gets rid of that all or nothing thinking."

4. High-Impact Health Habits and How to Stick With Them

A. Better Sleep

Sleep Restriction Therapy [31:54]
- Spend only as many hours in bed as you actually sleep, then gradually expand. Recommended for psychological insomnia.
- Dr. Imber [35:14]: “We need to retrain your brain to associate bed with sleep as opposed to bed with catastrophizing and ruminating and worrying that you're not getting enough sleep.”
Tactics to Stick With It: Use temptation bundling to make late-night waking hours more pleasant (e.g., passive TV shows, podcasts) [37:05].
Bonus: Get early-morning sunlight to reinforce your body clock [38:42].

B. Move More Throughout the Day

VILPA: Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity [39:37]
- Short 1-2 min bursts of high-intensity movement built into normal life (sprinting for the bus, racing kids, stairs).
- Dr. Imber [39:37]: "Three to four bouts... of VILPA in a day were 40% less likely to die early."
“2% club” Rule [42:00]
- Commit to always taking stairs when available.
- Brett [42:00]: "We tell our kids and ourselves, alright, McKay's are 2 percenters."
Forget 10,000 Steps – Aim for 7,500 Steps [43:05]
- The science-based threshold for improved health is ~7,500 steps, not 10,000 (which originated as a marketing gimmick).
- Use hall pass strategy to stay consistent without all-or-nothing mindset.
Post-Meal Walks for Blood Sugar Control [45:13]
- Take a gentle, 10-minute walk about 30 minutes after a meal to stabilize blood glucose and energy.
- Brett [47:15]: “If I took a walk 30 to 45 minutes after a meal, the glucose monitor would just be up to 120. It wouldn’t be as high, so it does work. It is really powerful.”
Micro Workouts: Less Is More [49:23]
- Even 40 seconds of all-out sprinting, a few times a week, can yield major cardiovascular benefits.

C. Better Nutrition Habits

Tackle Environmental Hijackers
- Remove hyperpalatable and ultra-processed foods from the house or put them out of sight [50:50].
- Dr. Imber [51:36]: “…change the physical environment…to make it really easy and just natural to select the thing that we want to be eating more of.”
Eat Your Probiotics [52:17]
- Emphasize fermented foods (kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt) rather than expensive supplements, in small amounts multiple times per day.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Real Problem:
“If any of them actually worked...then there would be no market for health books. The missing thing...is actually the psychology around how do you make all this great health advice stick.”
— Amantha Imber [03:14]
On Motivation:
“I am a sucker for bitchiness on TV, and I feel…quite guilty just sitting on the couch and watching the Bachelor. So what I did is I created a rule for myself and I said, I'm only allowed to watch the Bachelor when I'm on the exercise bike.”
— Dr. Imber [10:20]
On Language Tricks:
“When we say, ‘I don’t do the thing,’ like ‘I don’t eat chocolate’… we actually feel like that is part of my self-identity. And as humans, we want to act in a way that is consistent with how we see ourselves.”
— Dr. Imber [23:36]
On Progress, Not Perfection
"Yeah, it gets rid of that all or nothing thinking… I don't beat myself up because I just had a piece of cake."
— Brett [27:11]

Timestamps for Important Segments

[03:14] — Why health books don’t “stick” and introduction to behavioral psychology
[05:24] — The four main habit hijackers (Motivational, Relational, Environmental, Cognitive)
[08:20] — Temptation bundling and real-world example
[12:06] — Question-based self-talk
[15:12] — Using social (relational) accountability
[17:04] — Environmental design and friction
[21:26] — “Don’t” vs. “Can’t,” and the fresh start effect
[25:03] — Hall pass strategy to avoid all-or-nothing failure
[31:54] — Sleep restriction therapy and how to implement it
[39:37] — VILPA: Making movement part of daily living
[43:05] — Rethinking step targets (7,500 vs. 10,000)
[45:13] — Why and how to take post-meal walks for blood sugar
[49:23] — Micro workouts instead of long cardio sessions
[50:50] — Nutrition success: attack your environment
[52:17] — How to “eat your probiotics”
[53:51] — Best place to start: Fix your environment

Actionable Takeaways

Identify your main habit hijacker and tailor your tactics accordingly.
Pair healthy behaviors with things you love (temptation bundling).
Change your language: Ask “Will I…?” and say “I don’t…” for more effective self-talk.
Make public commitments and design your environment for success.
Reduce all-or-nothing thinking with hall passes and fresh starts.
Start small—the best first step is to tweak your environment for one behavior you want to change.

For more:

Find Dr. Amantha Imber at amantha.com
Book: The Health Habit
Additional resources and survey: AOM show notes

Podcast Summary: The Art of Manliness

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Information Isn’t Enough

The Health Book Aha Moment [03:14]
- Dr. Imber: "If any of [these books] actually worked in the sense that you read the techniques and you changed your behavior... there would be no market for health books. The missing thing from all these health books is actually the psychology around how do you make all this great health advice stick?"
Doctors often know that simply telling patients what to do rarely sparks lasting change.
- Brett [04:27]: "Information is not enough. You have to be sort of a psychologist to help your patients implement these things."

2. The Four Main Habit Hijackers [05:24]

Dr. Imber identifies four barriers that consistently sabotage health behavior change:

Motivational Hijackers: Not truly wanting to do the thing (i.e., lack of intrinsic motivation)
Relational Hijackers: Social environment or norms make the goal harder (e.g., junk food in the family home)
Environmental Hijackers: Physical/digital surroundings undermine your efforts (e.g., snacks in sight)
Cognitive Hijackers: Feeling stressed, exhausted, or overwhelmed, diminishing willpower

Dr. Imber [05:24]: "When we feel [stressed or overwhelmed] mentally, it's really hard to change our behavior."

How to Identify Your Main Hijacker [07:37]

Dr. Imber developed a simple survey (available with her book/online) to help people pinpoint the biggest barrier currently holding them back.

3. Practical Tactics to Overcome Habit Hijackers

A. Motivational Hijackers

Temptation Bundling [08:20]
- Pair an undesirable task with a pleasure (e.g., only listen to favorite audiobooks/podcasts while exercising).
- Dr. Imber [08:20]: "This is an example of temptation bundling, where you're pairing the undesirable activity of exercising with something that is inherently pleasurable."
- Brett [11:31]: "I watch movies while I'm doing the treadmill... I just queue up a movie and I'm on the treadmill for an hour."
Question-Powered Self Talk [12:06]
- Instead of saying, "I need to exercise today," ask yourself, "Will I exercise today?" This subtle shift increases motivation by triggering autonomy.
- Dr. Imber [13:28]: "When we ask ourselves, well, will I exercise today? ...we're far more motivated to do the thing."
Find Yourself (Commitment Devices) [14:02]
- Commit to a punishment that stings if you fail, such as donating to a rival's favorite cause.

B. Relational Hijackers [15:12]

Make a Public Pledge
- Announce your goal to friends, family, or online and ask others to hold you accountable.
- Brett [16:31]: "I want you to hold me accountable if you see me... can you give me the nudge, ‘Dad, do you really want to eat those mashed potatoes?’"

C. Environmental Hijackers [17:00]

Change the Default
- Move chargers out of the bedroom to avoid late-night phone use, keep junk food out of the house, or put healthy choices in plain sight.
- Dr. Imber [17:04]: "Your environment is setting you up to fail...Take your phone charger and put it in a completely different room."
Reduce Friction for Good Habits/Add Friction for Bad Habits
- Example: Set up a home gym, sleep in gym clothes, or put treats in hard-to-reach places.

D. Cognitive Hijackers [21:26]

Use “Don’t” Instead of “Can’t” [21:26]
- “I don’t eat dessert” is more empowering than “I can’t eat dessert.”
- Dr. Imber [23:36]: "When we say 'I can't do this'... we just feel a bit restricted… But when we say 'I don't'... that is part of my self-identity."
Fresh Start Effect [23:50]
- Start a new habit on a significant fresh date (e.g., a Monday, first of the month, New Year’s).
Hall Pass Strategy [25:03]
- Allow yourself 1-2 “cheat days” a week to prevent all-or-nothing thinking and improve resilience after slip-ups.
- Brett [27:11]: "Yeah, it gets rid of that all or nothing thinking."

4. High-Impact Health Habits and How to Stick With Them

A. Better Sleep

Sleep Restriction Therapy [31:54]
- Spend only as many hours in bed as you actually sleep, then gradually expand. Recommended for psychological insomnia.
- Dr. Imber [35:14]: “We need to retrain your brain to associate bed with sleep as opposed to bed with catastrophizing and ruminating and worrying that you're not getting enough sleep.”
Tactics to Stick With It: Use temptation bundling to make late-night waking hours more pleasant (e.g., passive TV shows, podcasts) [37:05].
Bonus: Get early-morning sunlight to reinforce your body clock [38:42].

B. Move More Throughout the Day

VILPA: Vigorous Intermittent Lifestyle Physical Activity [39:37]
- Short 1-2 min bursts of high-intensity movement built into normal life (sprinting for the bus, racing kids, stairs).
- Dr. Imber [39:37]: "Three to four bouts... of VILPA in a day were 40% less likely to die early."
“2% club” Rule [42:00]
- Commit to always taking stairs when available.
- Brett [42:00]: "We tell our kids and ourselves, alright, McKay's are 2 percenters."
Forget 10,000 Steps – Aim for 7,500 Steps [43:05]
- The science-based threshold for improved health is ~7,500 steps, not 10,000 (which originated as a marketing gimmick).
- Use hall pass strategy to stay consistent without all-or-nothing mindset.
Post-Meal Walks for Blood Sugar Control [45:13]
- Take a gentle, 10-minute walk about 30 minutes after a meal to stabilize blood glucose and energy.
- Brett [47:15]: “If I took a walk 30 to 45 minutes after a meal, the glucose monitor would just be up to 120. It wouldn’t be as high, so it does work. It is really powerful.”
Micro Workouts: Less Is More [49:23]
- Even 40 seconds of all-out sprinting, a few times a week, can yield major cardiovascular benefits.

C. Better Nutrition Habits

Tackle Environmental Hijackers
- Remove hyperpalatable and ultra-processed foods from the house or put them out of sight [50:50].
- Dr. Imber [51:36]: “…change the physical environment…to make it really easy and just natural to select the thing that we want to be eating more of.”
Eat Your Probiotics [52:17]
- Emphasize fermented foods (kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt) rather than expensive supplements, in small amounts multiple times per day.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Real Problem:
“If any of them actually worked...then there would be no market for health books. The missing thing...is actually the psychology around how do you make all this great health advice stick.”
— Amantha Imber [03:14]
On Motivation:
“I am a sucker for bitchiness on TV, and I feel…quite guilty just sitting on the couch and watching the Bachelor. So what I did is I created a rule for myself and I said, I'm only allowed to watch the Bachelor when I'm on the exercise bike.”
— Dr. Imber [10:20]
On Language Tricks:
“When we say, ‘I don’t do the thing,’ like ‘I don’t eat chocolate’… we actually feel like that is part of my self-identity. And as humans, we want to act in a way that is consistent with how we see ourselves.”
— Dr. Imber [23:36]
On Progress, Not Perfection
"Yeah, it gets rid of that all or nothing thinking… I don't beat myself up because I just had a piece of cake."
— Brett [27:11]

Timestamps for Important Segments

[03:14] — Why health books don’t “stick” and introduction to behavioral psychology
[05:24] — The four main habit hijackers (Motivational, Relational, Environmental, Cognitive)
[08:20] — Temptation bundling and real-world example
[12:06] — Question-based self-talk
[15:12] — Using social (relational) accountability
[17:04] — Environmental design and friction
[21:26] — “Don’t” vs. “Can’t,” and the fresh start effect
[25:03] — Hall pass strategy to avoid all-or-nothing failure
[31:54] — Sleep restriction therapy and how to implement it
[39:37] — VILPA: Making movement part of daily living
[43:05] — Rethinking step targets (7,500 vs. 10,000)
[45:13] — Why and how to take post-meal walks for blood sugar
[49:23] — Micro workouts instead of long cardio sessions
[50:50] — Nutrition success: attack your environment
[52:17] — How to “eat your probiotics”
[53:51] — Best place to start: Fix your environment

Actionable Takeaways

Identify your main habit hijacker and tailor your tactics accordingly.
Pair healthy behaviors with things you love (temptation bundling).
Change your language: Ask “Will I…?” and say “I don’t…” for more effective self-talk.
Make public commitments and design your environment for success.
Reduce all-or-nothing thinking with hall passes and fresh starts.
Start small—the best first step is to tweak your environment for one behavior you want to change.

For more:

Find Dr. Amantha Imber at amantha.com
Book: The Health Habit
Additional resources and survey: AOM show notes

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

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Summary

Podcast Summary: The Art of Manliness

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Information Isn’t Enough

2. The Four Main Habit Hijackers [05:24]

How to Identify Your Main Hijacker [07:37]

3. Practical Tactics to Overcome Habit Hijackers

A. Motivational Hijackers

B. Relational Hijackers [15:12]

C. Environmental Hijackers [17:00]

D. Cognitive Hijackers [21:26]

4. High-Impact Health Habits and How to Stick With Them

A. Better Sleep

B. Move More Throughout the Day

C. Better Nutrition Habits

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Important Segments

Actionable Takeaways

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Art of Manliness

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Information Isn’t Enough

2. The Four Main Habit Hijackers [05:24]

How to Identify Your Main Hijacker [07:37]

3. Practical Tactics to Overcome Habit Hijackers

A. Motivational Hijackers

B. Relational Hijackers [15:12]

C. Environmental Hijackers [17:00]

D. Cognitive Hijackers [21:26]

4. High-Impact Health Habits and How to Stick With Them

A. Better Sleep

B. Move More Throughout the Day

C. Better Nutrition Habits

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Important Segments

Actionable Takeaways