Written by: Wendy Crabbe, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Since New Year’s is a time to review the year, I wanted to highlight the 8-Week Healthy Habit Challenge and the important tips from each week, so you can keep these healthy habits going in 2023.
Week 1 – Eat when hungry and stop when full
Hunger comes in waves, and it doesn’t hurt you to feel a little hungry, cravings feel like an emergency and urgent. It takes 20 minutes for your gut to send a signal to the brain that you are full.
Week 2 – Drink more water
Instead of thinking you have a hunger signal every afternoon at 3 pm, your body is trying to tell you to drink more water. Drinking water helps all your body systems and will often give you a boost of energy or stop a craving before dinner.
Week 3 – Eat more veggies
Half your plate at lunch and dinner should be veggies to give you more vitamins, minerals, and fiber to keep you feeling full (from the water and fiber) and crunch craving satisfied.
Week 4 – Make a plan for the day or week
Planning ahead of time, even for the day helps set your intention on healthy eating and frees your mind to think of other things besides what’s for dinner. Planning what you eat in advance is the 1 secret to weight loss success!
Week 5 – What to do instead of stress eating
Know your triggers for when you go to food to avoid stress or negative emotion. If you know you will have a busy or potentially stressful day, make a plan to do something relaxing for yourself in the evening. Make a list of things you can do to soothe yourself that take 5-20 minutes and start doing these things when you get home or when stressed wherever you are.
Week 6 – Eat less sugar and processed food
Because when you eat sugar you crave sugar.
Eating a lot of sugar and processed foods like chips and breads can lead to inflammation in your body and health issues. You don’t have to go cold turkey on all your favorite foods, try decreasing them slowly. Pretty soon, you will notice more energy, fewer food cravings, better skin, sleep, mood, and weight loss.
Week 7 – Eat more healthy fats to lose weight
Low-fat diets made and kept us fat from all the added sugar. Eating healthy full-fat foods helps you feel full longer and stay satisfied after eating which means less need to snack. Healthy fats include olive and avocado oils, nuts, real butter, almond butter, ghee, etc.; include 2 tbsp of healthy fat 2-3 times per day.
Week 8 – Eat more protein
Protein boosts metabolism and reduces appetite. We need more protein because as we age, we lose muscle. Eating more protein helps you lose weight, and belly fat as well as reduces cravings.
I hope you enjoyed the healthy habit challenge. Remember, you can start with one habit at a time and build every week and after 2 months be on your way to healthier eating habits for the new year.
If you want more individualized help from you or me:
Have constant brain chatter about food?
Do you think you can do this on your own but haven’t yet?
Feel out of control around food?
Fear, doubt, and lack of motivation are holding you back
If the answer is yes to any of those questions, click here to schedule a call to jumpstart your 2023 goals.
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Wendy Crabbe, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Wendy Crabbe, an oncology nurse practitioner and now expert in helping health professionals and women over 50 lose weight, struggled all her life with her weight. She wondered if she was so smart, why couldn’t she lose weight? The causes of obesity are about more than excess food intake and not enough movement. It’s also related to altered hormones and alterations in the gut microbiome. She was finally able to lose the weight with mindset coaching and adopting a science-based approach that she uses with her clients today. She is now on a mission to help hundreds and thousands of women over 50 get healthier; because when women get healthier, their families get healthier.
