5 healthy habits to STICK WITH

Now that the 73 days of January have passed, it’s officially love month and according to most research, 80% of New Years resolutions have been abandoned by February.

And while, in some cases, that could be a good thing (like if your resolution was too restrictive or aggressive), here are five healthy habits you definitely want to stick with this season:

Prioritizing sleep 💤 

Skimping on sleep is a great way to ensure you’re hungry more often and feel like working out less often. 😬 So stay up late when it really matters, but make sure you’re still prioritizing sleep whenever possible. 

Gold ⭐️ goal = 7-9 hours/night

Eating veggies 🥗 

There is nothing quite like a happy digestive system and easeful bathroom trips! 🚽 Enjoy your favorite fun foods and beverages, but don’t forget your fiber too!

Gold ⭐️ goal for women = 25+ grams of fiber/day

Gold ⭐️ goal for men = 35+ grams of fiber/day

Getting steps 👣

Inside or outside, fast, or slow, walking is a healthy habit you can (and should) stick with all yearlong. The risk is low and the benefits - blood sugar stabilization, mood boosting, weight management, bone and heart health - are wiiiild. 

Gold ⭐️ goal = 8-10K steps/day

Prepping protein 🍤 

Carbs and fats are always easy to find and can usually be prepared quickly. But protein requires forethought and preparation. Make balanced meals easy by having 1-2 prepared options in your fridge at all times. 

Gold ⭐️ goal ‎ = -.7-1 gram of protein per lb. of ideal body weight or lean body mass

Planning for your faves 🍪 

You can enjoy ALL foods and still make amazing progress, it’s true. But it’s easy for foods hyper-palatable, low-nutrient value foods to add up quickly. In an effort to more easily balance them with the foods your body NEEDS (like proteins, fiber, complex carbs, and healthy fats), plan for them! 

Know weekend cocktails are your jam? Commit a drink max that will leave you feeling good but not hungover. 

Look forward to Friday pizza night all week long? Plan on eating a high protein, high fiber meal beforehand knowing you’ll get plenty of carbs and fats later. 

Need help establishing these healthy habits and ensuring you can confidently maintain them all year long?

We’re here to help.

Your Online Nutrition Coach,

Nicole Hagen

Dieting doesn’t work, so, what does? (3/3)

Step 3: Think in terms of YEARS, not DAYS or WEEKS

Dieting teaches you how to transform your life in 30 days FOR 30 days, but after the diet ends so do the results you worked hard for. 

Instead of asking, “How can I lose weight fast?” you need to ask, “How can I lose weight in a way that will LAST?” 

#hardtruth, it’s going to take longer than you want it to, 

you won’t reach your goal in days or weeks. 

But when you take your time and build skills and habits you can maintain through even the toughest seasons, you’re never at risk of “falling off the wagon” and gaining all the weight back. 

Think of the version of you who has reached her goals. 

• What does she do consistently? 

• What does she NOT do consistently? 

• How does she show up when stress is high and life feels hard? 

• What skills and habits does she have that allow her to live healthy and happy?

Write ✍️ those down and then list them out in order from least to most challenging.

Start by building the skill that feels the least challenging (even if it seems too easy) and once you’ve mastered it 80% of the time, add a new focus. 

Not only does this build your proficiency over time, it also builds your confidence as you realize what a capable badass you are.

If you want to successfully lose weight without dieting this year, don’t miss our FREE Nutrition Audit Challenge where my team and I will help you identify the skills and habits you need to reach your sustainable weight loss goals. 

Starting January 20th in the Nutrition Coaching with Nicole Facebook Group. 

I can’t wait to see you inside!

How To Have Your Healthiest, Happiest Holiday Season

Because adopting a “fuck it” mindset until January 1st will only ensure that any progress you make in the future will fall apart this time next year.

The 🔑 to creating a healthy relationship with food and fat loss that lastsss is to learn how to confidently navigate nutrition in ✨every✨ season.

Here are a few of my best tips + tricks:

RE: EVENTS 🥂

1️⃣ Plan ahead. Not every event needs to be a 15 Christmas cookies and cocoa kind of occasion. Identify what means the most to you and commit to making goal-supportive choices outside of those events.

2️⃣ Identify the priority. Is it food? Or the company?

3️⃣ Show up satisfied, not starving

4️⃣ Meet NEEDS and WANTS when filling your plate

RE: MINDSET 🧠

5️⃣ Set realistic expectations regarding progress and outcomes based on how you intend to show up.

6️⃣ Acknowledge that you can eat any food any day of the year, and that this will not be your last holiday

7️⃣ Prioritize flexibility, not perfection

8️⃣ Maintain your basic self-care action steps to minimize stress, overwhelm, and emotional eating

Want to hear more and ensure your holidays are guilt, fear, and stress-free when it comes to food?

Tune into episode 294 of the Health, Wellth & Wisdom Podcast by clicking here.