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

How To Set A Weight Loss Resolution That Works

Did you know that more than 50% of Americans set weight loss related resolutions,

and only 9% of people who make them, complete them!?

23% of resolution makers quit by the end of week one, 

and an additional 43% of people quit by the end of the month. 

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with resolutions. It’s how we do it and what we resolve to do/not do that’s problematic. 

• We go all in starting January 1st 

• We leave no room for error or flexibility which means we quit when we fail

• We make overly challenging commitments and stack them on top of each other

If that’s been your experience, I suggest resolving to do things differently this year. 

Because it’s time to reach your weight loss resolution. Don’t you think?

Here’s how I recommend reaching your weight loss resolution: 

• Set realistic goals 

You’re not going to lose 10# in a month. You might want to, but if you’re looking to lose body fat and keep it off (vs. gaining/losing water weight over and over again), you can expect to lose .5-2# per week if you’re consistently eating in a calorie deficit. 

• Focus on behavior changes

Rather than focusing on the outcome (weight loss), focus on the behaviors you need to create in order to encourage the desired outcome. 

“I’m going to eat protein at every meal this week” vs. “I’m going to lose 5# this month” 

• Make sustainable changes

If you can’t see yourself sticking with the behavior, don’t try to create weight loss that way, because if you can’t sustain the behavior, you won’t maintain the weight loss. 

• Be patient and persistent 

Sustainable weight loss isn’t a 30 day game. It takes TIME to create results that last and you will likely encounter unexpected barriers and curve balls along the way. 

• Track your progress

Keep a record of the metrics that mean the most to you and ensure you’re tracking more than only weight. 

• Recruit support

We are more accountable to others than we are to ourselves, so whether a coach, mentor, friend, or family members, build a support system and stop trying to do it alone. 

• Use positive reinforcement

Reward yourself for the wins you achieve - no matter how small. Success begets success and when we pause to recognize what we’re doing well, we’re more likely to do those things and create additional progress.

• Be flexible 

Circumstances will change. Shit will hit the fan sometimes. Be prepared to choose the “next best thing” when the best, most ideal option isn’t available. 

• Prioritize overall health and wellbeing

There are many different ways we can lose weight. Not all of them are health-promoting, meaning that while we might see the scale go down (initially), over time, we will be left feeling poorly and costing ourselves health and happiness, which will likely lead to poor health markers and weight regain. 

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