The Missing Piece in Your Weight Loss Journey
If you’ve spent years hopping from one diet to the next — losing weight, gaining it back, and wondering why nothing seems to stick — you’re not alone.
Here’s something most diets don’t talk about:
✨ Lasting change doesn’t start with what you eat. It starts with who you believe you are.
Sound a little woo-woo? I get it. But hear me out…
1. Your Habits Reflect Your Identity
Every action you take — whether it’s skipping a workout or choosing a nourishing breakfast — is a vote for the type of person you believe you are.
Think about it:
If you see yourself as someone who “has zero self-control” or who “can never stick to anything,” those beliefs will show up in your choices.
But if you start to shift your identity — even just a little — and see yourself as someone who takes care of her body, shows up for herself, and makes nourishing food choices, your habits begin to shift naturally.
💡 You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to start building the identity of a woman who takes care of herself and prioritizes her health.
Ask yourself:
“What would a healthy, confident, energized version of me do today?”
That version of you already exists — you just have to practice becoming her.
2. Real Change Starts with Who You Want to Become
Most weight loss attempts focus exclusively on what to eat, how to exercise, and what the scale says.
But sustainable change happens when you focus on who you want to become — not just what you want to achieve.
Here’s the difference:
🟡 Outcome-based mindset: “I want to lose 20 pounds.”
🟢 Identity-based mindset: “I’m becoming a woman who nourishes her body and feels amazing in her skin.”
That identity shift makes alllll the difference.
When your goal is just a number on the scale, motivation fades. But when your goal is to step into a new version of yourself — one who feels proud, strong, and in control — that’s what keeps you going.
A simple place to start?
Try this sentence:
👉 “I’m the kind of woman who ______.”
Fill in the blank with whatever feels empowering to you:
…makes time to move her body.
…chooses foods that make her feel good.
…shows up for herself, even on hard days.
Every time you follow through, you’re proving to yourself that this is who you are. Over time, your habits will reflect this new identity — and it won’t feel like a struggle anymore.
Nothing makes my heart happier than hearing a Nutrition Coaching client say something like, “I don’t even have to think about it much anymore” or, “it’s just what I do now” when referencing their healthy eating and movement habits because I know that they’ve begun to shift their identify and, as a result, their goal-supportive actions are happening more automatically.
A healthy, confident, and energetic person doesn’t have to decide to make healthy choices that leave them feeling confident or energetic - it’s simply what they do because that’s who they are and what they value.
Ready to create lasting change you know will last long-term? Fill out a 1:1 coaching application and let’s chat about who you want to be.
“I’m worried about gaining the weight back!
Let’s talk about MAINTENANCE.
But first, an unpopular opinion: diets actually do work. Most conventional diets will put you in a caloric deficit, and, if you stick to them, you’ll achieve fat loss!
The problem is that most conventional diets help you create a calorie deficit using unsustainable methods: drastically cutting back on carbs, only eating in a small feeding window, following a strict meal plan, or eating very low calories, and they don’t actually teach you how to eat for real life (or how to maintain the weight loss).
Sadly, 80-85% of people who lose weight will gain it back, but that doesn’t have to be your reality! Here’s what you need to know about maintenance in order to achieve lasting fat loss:
Expect the scale to go up a little bit. The goal of maintenance is NOT to stay at your lowest weight for the rest of your life. As you transition from fat loss to maintenance and begin eating more food, the scale will trend up a few pounds as a result of eating more food and having more water in your body. Instead of expecting to stay at a specific weight forever, aim for a 5 pound range you feel good in and know that small fluctuations are normal.
In an ideal scenario, maintenance simply means more food. If you used a sustainable method to lose weight where you ate mostly whole foods, prioritized protein and fiber, and didn’t eliminate any food groups, transitioning to maintenance is simply about adding a few calories back in. This can look like making your meals a bit bigger, adding a snack throughout the day, and/or allowing for more flexibility around meals out and fun foods. It shouldn’t look drastically different from the method you used to lose weight in the first place. Note: You’ll want to start slow, adding only a couple hundred calories back in at a time, and adjust, as needed.
If you lost weight by tracking, it does’t mean you have to track forever. Maybe you enjoy tracking your food but want a break, or maybe you’re ready to move away from tracking entirely, either way, you can do so without gaining the weight back. Transitioning away from tracking can take many different forms, depending on what feels best for you: You can reduce the number of days/ week you’re tracking (e.g. only tracking Friday-Sunday since they’re often less predictable), stop tracking the meals you eat on repeat (e.g. if you eat the same thing every day for breakfast and know it works for you), or quit cold turkey and lean on the meal making skills and hunger/fullness cues you have. Here @nutritionwithnicole we believe that tracking is an amazing tool, but should never be something you feel you need in order to make/maintain your progress.
Similar to fat loss, maintenance is a skill! Many people have spent a significant amount of time living in dietary extremes - eating as little as possible/being “good” and going off the rails. Being able to confidently maintain your weight is about mastering the space in the middle - building mostly balanced meals, honoring your hunger and fullness cues, enjoying meals out and fun foods without overeating them, and feeling confident about your food choices without micromanaging or obsessing over them. It takes time, practice, and a lot of patience. Be gentle with yourself and celebrate the small wins along the way.
If you’ve struggled with maintaining weight loss in the past, it’s likely because you didn’t lose the weight in a way you could realistically stick with long-term. Remember: the way you lose weight is also the way you keep it off - with a few additional calories and more flexibility. :)
If you’re looking for a sustainable fat loss solution that allows you to lose weight and confidently keep it off, reach out. We’re here to help.
Whether by way of 1:1 Nutrition Coaching, or our monthly nutrition membership, NOURISH, our goal is to equip our clients with the tools and skills they need to lose weight without dieting or deprivation, so they can confidently keep it off through every season.
Taking a weight loss drug is NOT “cheating” 👀🚫
and you shouldn’t feel any shame for using science, or the advancement of medicine, to improve your health and quality of life. Here’s why ⤵️
Obesity is not a willpower issue.
Biology plays a role! Some bodies are naturally hungrier and have a harder time reaching fullness (influencing how much a person consumes), and when prescribed under the right circumstances, GLP-1 medications can help to correct imbalances and make weight loss more achievable for those who struggle.
GLP-1 medications do not replace healthy habits. 🙂↔️
They simply help to level the playing field for people whose biology makes weight loss harder. Creating and sustaining healthy eating habits is still required ✅ in order to create, and maintain, positive health outcomes. In fact, when taking a GLP-1, some healthy habits (like protein intake and strength training) become even more important.
Choosing to use GLP-1s (assuming you meet the criteria and have considered the risks), or weight loss support of any kind (therapist, Nutrition Coach, etc.) to support your health and quality of life is NOT you should be ashamed of.
Your No-Nonsense Nutrition Coach, Nicole
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?
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!