Updated November 15, 2014.

You eat well and exercise. You know a lot about fitness. But you still don’t look -- or feel -- the way you want to. 

This actually describes a lot of my male clients. And this feeling that "I know a lot about fitness but I'm still not in the kind of shape I ought to be" it’s a lot more common than you may think.

The good news: there's a way to clear the final obstacle. And it usually revolves around one key factor that can make all the difference.

The “missing link”

Once you reach a certain level of knowledge, getting in shape is no longer about the “silver bullet” of the moment.

Paleo, powerlifting, high intensity intervals, it doesn't matter. Because it's usually not the program that's to blame. Rather, it's your consistency that matters most. 

Which is why, in my experience, the most important thing is accountablity. 

Accountability means making time and a strong commitment to eating well and exercising consistently -- with the obligation to report, explain and accept responsibility for the resulting consequences.

Accountability works because you have to report what you’re doing (or not doing) to someone else who's agreed to help you stick to your commitment. For most people, this is the cornerstone of success.

In fact, surprising as it might sound, accountability is more important than motivation.

You see, no one always feels motivated to go to the gym or eat healthy. But if we know we’ll have someone checking up on us, we’ll actually do the exercise and eat the food needed to look and feel great.

And we'll do it over and over again, even when the going gets tough.

That’s why you can know exactly what to do -- and think you’re doing it -- but still be sporting that pesky spare tire. Or walking around with high cholesterol. Or feeling miserable at the start of each day.

So, the big question: How do you get accountability? Here are two strategies you can use immediately.

Accountability strategy #1: Commit to more...or less.

We all make half-hearted promises to ourselves, only to get frustrated and break them soon after. Fine. But for a different result, we need a realistic commitment that we mean and can stick to.

Committing to more

Sign up for something bigger than yourself, like a contest with friends. Who can go the longest without skipping an exercise day? Who can cook the most meals at home instead of eating out?

Notice that it’s not about achievement (who lost the most weight, etc.). It’s about doing and being accountable, because that’s what you have control over. Hint: It’s easier if it’s fun.

Committing to less

Our natural tendency is to overpromise and underdeliver. One of the easiest (and most counter-intuitive) ways to stay consistent is to do the opposite.

Before truly committing, ask yourself, “On a scale of 1-10, how confident am I that I could do this every day for the next month?” If you’re not at a 9 or 10, find a way to make the promise smaller or easier.

So, “I’ll completely give up sugar” turns into “I’ll stop eating each meal when I’m 80% full” or  “I’ll eat one more home-made meal a day.”  

“I’ll go to the gym every day at 6AM” turns into “I’ll do 40 air squats at home” or “I’ll park farther from work and walk.”

Your daily accomplishments can be big, but keep your commitments small. As someone who knows a lot already, you’ll probably feel humbled and liberated all at once.

Of course, the question most people have is here is: Will this actually work?

The answer is yes, when done in sequence. After your first commitment to do less, the second one is even easier, and so on.

And guess what? You can actually commit to more and less at the same time. This is a cornerstone of my coaching team at Precision Nutrition. 

Commit to something big and external (like the bet with your friends), and while doing so promise to tackle only one part of that larger commitment at a time. Reduce the size of each mini-commitment until you feel almost 100% confident you can actually do it for 30 days.

(For more ideas on how to commit to more or less, check out this article).

Accountability strategy #2: Get help from at least one other person.

This is what got me out of my rut. I had started skipping one or two workouts each week (I was “busy”). One workout doesn’t matter much in the context of a week, but over time it eats up a significant portion of your gym time. After a month, I already looked a little less fit.

I called a personal trainer friend and asked if he had any openings. Even though I know how to work out and eat healthy, I asked if he would write my workouts and train me at his gym a couple times per week.

To miss a session meant canceling an appointment with him. Since starting, I haven’t missed a single scheduled workout.

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Looking for the best eating, exercise, and lifestyle advice for you? Download this free guide:Fitness for men: The busy man's guide to getting in shape and living better.

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And for more about Dr. John Berardi, including links to his latest men's health articles, click here.