Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve talked about how difficult it can be to start new healthy habits. This week, I want to talk to you about how to build strong, lasting foundations.
Once we decide which goals we want to achieve (I highly recommend keeping a note with you as a daily reminder!), find our motivation, and schedule our plan, we are ready to take action. When we set these goals, they should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-based), meaning they are bound by a clear timeline.
According to a well-known study by Dr. Phillippa Lally at University College London, the average time it takes for a behaviour to become automatic is actually 66 days. But let's break that down. That number is just an average based on a scale of simple versus complex habits. For example, if I pledge to drink two litres of water every day, my brain might pick up this action in about three weeks. But if I plan to go to the gym at 5:00 AM before work, it might take several months to truly get into the routine. The time it takes will always depend on how strong our motivation is, changes in our environment, holidays, and life circumstances. Life happens, and it always will!
However, if we build a realistic plan that we actually enjoy, we always have a baseline to return to. If we struggle to get back on track because the routine feels too difficult, it might be time to review the plan. After all, this is a "contract" with ourselves, we can adjust it whenever and however feels right. Your schedule should be your strongest foundation and your safe place; it is the framework helping you step toward your best self. It shouldn't be something you have to do, but something you want to do.
It took me a whole year to understand that feeling healthy and losing weight isn't just about exhausting cardio and sweating every single day. It is about finding activities that resonate with us, that we actually have fun making time for. Challenging ourselves comes naturally with time, we don’t need to force it. We just need to follow the flow.
Consistency is not about doing it perfectly every day; it is about showing up the next time. And that "next time" will always be there, waiting for us with open arms and zero judgment
Cortisol vs. Dopamine: The Biology of Joy
Another important factor in finding pleasure in our habits is the biological difference between cortisol and dopamine. In other words, the mindset of "I have to" versus "I get to."
During the year I committed to my health journey, I definitely wasn't consistent every single day. It was incredibly hard not to listen to my Italian roots telling me: "Eat a pizza! You love pizza, pasta, bread, and biscuits, so why don't you buy all these things and eat them on the sofa while watching movies all weekend?"
And you know what? I did it. I even did it last week for Easter, and I will probably do it again in the future! But do you know what else I did? I went right back to my routine and schedule, every single time.
In the beginning, I saw those days as a failure. I thought I had ruined everything. But with time, I understood that stressing myself out was blocking my goals far more than a slice of pizza ever could. Long-term stress releases cortisol (the "stress hormone"), which triggers a threat response in the body. In my case, cortisol was being released simply because of my negative thoughts and harsh self-talk. High cortisol leads to glucose spikes, a weakened immune system, slow digestion, and poor sleep. In other words: my weight stopped going down, even when I was exercising and following my plan perfectly!
The real change arrived when I started to be kinder to myself and understood what was best for my soul.
When you create a plan that is easy to follow, adjustable, and rewarding, it becomes your safe place. You are happy to return to it because you finally understand what being healthy truly means: being balanced. It is a wonderful sensation that centers you in your world and makes you feel capable of reaching anything you want.
A balanced nutrition plan gives you all the fuel you need to take action. When you find the right approach for your unique body, you will be happy to come back to it anytime. Flexibility and reward are the key ingredients for releasing dopamine (the "feel-good" chemical).
So, if I eat a pizza, I am not throwing my hard work out the window. It makes me a winner because I enjoyed it, let go of the guilt, and simply came back to my schedule the next day.
Healthy Flame Tip: Happiness and health always start with how we speak to ourselves.
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