How Jonathan Boulware Beat Obesity & Built a System for Lasting Lifestyle Change
In this powerful conversation, Joel sits down with Jonathan Boulware, lifestyle behavior change expert and founder of You Can Beat Obesity, to unpack why most people struggle to make lasting health changes, even when their lives depend on it.
Jonathan shares his deeply personal journey with obesity, including how losing his mother to obesity-related illness became the turning point that changed his life and mission. Together, they explore why willpower, motivation, and discipline often fail, and what actually works when it comes to sustainable lifestyle change.
This episode goes far beyond diet and exercise. Jonathan explains how automatic habits, mindset, environment, and emotional triggers quietly sabotage progress and how small, practical shifts can lead to massive transformation over time.
If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated with your health, this conversation will give you a completely new way to think about change.
In this episode, we cover:
* Why obesity is more about habits than food
* The real reason lifestyle changes don’t stick
* How automatic and “justification” habits control behavior
* Why small steps beat extreme transformations
* How mindset and identity drive long-term health
* What parents can do to help kids build healthier habits early
Learn more about Jonathan’s work:
👉 https://youcanbeatobesity.com
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Author/Behavior Change Specialist/Certified Level 2 Master Coach
Jonathan Boulware is a lifestyle behavior change specialist for people who desire a new lifestyle to Take Control of Their Health but do not know what to do, where to start, how to deal with overwhelm, how to create new habits, or how to stop bad ones.
Jonathan struggled with obesity for many years, but since his mother’s death due to complications from obesity in 2014, he has dedicated his life to understanding why it is so hard for people to change their lifestyle behavior and provide them with a solution. He helps people build their personalized lifestyle behavior change plans to take control of their health and live the lives they thought were not possible.
In addition to self-publishing his book, Take Control of Your Body Before It Takes Control of You, he is a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Health Coach from the American Council on Exercise, and a Certified Level 2 Master Coach from Precision Nutrition. Jonathan also has a specialty designation as a Behavior Change Specialist from the American Council of Exercise and the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
