Can Healthy Eating Become Second Nature?

January 3, 2017

I wrote a super short book, just for you!  It will take you less than one minute to read, but I know you guys will appreciate it!  

The title of the book is:

New Year’s Resolutions are Bogus for 92% of You When it Comes to Eating Better   

Chapter 1:  Resolution Time, Once Again

Any of you make a New Year’s resolution having to do with eating better? Maybe you decided to quit sugar, eat less meat, drink less coffee, or not eat your kids’ food…

Whatever your resolution may be, will 2017 be the year that it actually lasts past January?

Unfortunately the odds are against you.  Only 8% of people achieve their New Year’s goals throughout the long haul.

By next week 25% of you will already have broken your resolutions.

The majority of you will break your resolutions within the next 3 months.

As a health coach, I mention these dismal statistics not to be a Debbie Downer, but to actually let you know that it’s NOT YOUR FAULT.

And here’s why:

Thanksgiving Day – December 30:  You are eating like there is no tomorrow. Holiday parties galore, food galore, drinks galore, and more food galore.

December 31:  Last hurrah.  Eat & drink way too much.

January 1:  Wake up and have a green smoothie, salad for lunch, and grilled salmon and vegetables for dinner.  No wine at dinner and no dessert after dinner.  Only snacks are fruit and veggies.

Do you see the problem here?

Who the heck can make a 180 like that and expect it to stick?

Chapter 2: Resolutions Don’t Work

Guys – forget about starting over every January.  You are setting yourself up for failure each and every year you decide ‘THIS is the year….”

Healthy eating (and by default, losing weight) is a learned act, not a spontaneous resolution. And it only lasts when it becomes your new normal.  It only lasts when it truly becomes second nature to you.   It’s got to be as clear and normal for you as brushing your teeth.

Don’t believe it is possible?

Well, I know it IS possible because I did it!

My ‘go to’ lunch used to be a peanut butter (Skippy) and jelly sandwich, low fat cheetos, and a diet coke.  Oh, and for breakfast I probably had a bowl of cereal.   And I probably munched on my kids’ goldfish while they were snacking.  And I probably ate some type of meat for dinner, perhaps prepared with a pre-made seasoning packet filled with MSG.

That was my normal.

Then I had my ‘aha’ moment.  I was under nourished.  I may not have LOOKED it, but I was.   And my kids pretty much ate what I ate. Yikes!  It hit me like a ton of bricks.  I knew something had to change.

Now?

Today it’s completely normal for me to start my day with a green smoothie made up of lots of spinach, avocado, almond milk, ground flax or chia, a few prunes, a banana, and some nuts. My lunch usually consists of all vegetables – but sometimes just half of my plate if I’m in the mood for something more substantial.  Dinners are less processed and have less meat.

And yes, by default, my kids’ diets have improved tremendously. 

Did this happen overnight?  HELL NO.

It actually happened over the span of a few years.  It was a process.   Slow and steady.  Small changes. New habits.  More changes. Habits sticking.  I started having more energy.  My skin started looking better. I felt empowered.

Do I still eat sugar?  Every night, as a matter of fact, in the form of some type of dessert, but that’s OK because I am nourishing myself with nutrient dense foods the rest of the day.

Healthy eating is completely second nature for me now.  But it wasn’t always.

Chapter 3: Make Healthy Eating Second Nature by Participating in Healthy Eating Done Right & You’ll Never Have to Make Another Food Related Resolution Again

So now, I ask you –

Is healthy eating second nature for you?

If it isn’t, but you WANT it to be, then Healthy Eating Done Right, my new 3 month health coaching program launching in January, is definitely for you.

I’ll give you all of the juicy details next week, but today I just wanted you to understand the foundation for the program:

Healthy Eating Done Right is based on the premise that healthy eating is a learned act, that it needs to happen gradually, that it needs to be reinforced, and that in order for it to last it needs to become your new normal.  That’s it.  Plain and simple.

This program is unlike any other.