Building Habits That Last by Roxana Soetebeer, MPHC, NNP, MHP, PFC
Building Habits That Last
Changing your life is not a matter of willpower alone. It's about building habits, applying simple tweaks in nutrition, movement and sleep, and sticking with them even when you slip up. Here's how to turn good intentions into lasting change.
Every habit follows a simple loop: a cue, a routine, and a reward.
- Cue: Something in your environment or routine that triggers the behaviour.
- Routine: The action you take, whether it's reaching for a candy bar or doing a set of push-ups.
- Reward: The payoff that reinforces the behaviour, like a dopamine hit from sugar or the sense of accomplishment after exercise.
Intercepting the Routine:
Knowing this loop lets you intervene before the habit kicks in. For example, if 3 pm boredom is your cue, schedule a quick walk or prepare a protein-fat snack at 2:55 pm so the craving never materializes.
Eliminating the Cue:
You can also stop the habit entirely by removing the cue. When tempting items are out of sight, your brain never registers them as "available,"" so the routine doesn't start. Out of sight really can be out of mind.
- Candy bowl on a countertop → move it to a high cabinet.
- Bag of chips in the pantry → switch to an opaque container hidden on a top shelf.
- Junk-food jar → replace with pre-cut veggies or olives.
Ideally you'd remove junk food altogether, but if that's not possible, simply hiding it disables the cue and prevents the routine from ever firing.
You don't need an all-or-nothing overhaul. Pick one tiny change to begin with:
- Replace one processed food item with a healthy choice
– Swap your afternoon granola bar for a hard-boiled egg with avocado.
– Replace soda with sparkling water and a squeeze of lemon.
Pro tip: I use my SodaStream, TrueLemon, and SALTT or LMNT for a healthy homemade soda alternative. - Reduce refined grains
Many find refined grains can spike blood sugar—try alternatives like cauliflower rice or seed-based bread. See my seed bread recipe.
Over two weeks, a single swap compounds. You'll crave fewer refined carbs, reduce total sugar intake, and build confidence to tackle the next habit.
Next, we'll tackle movement—making exercise manageable.
Don't think that only 30 minutes at the gym compensates for sitting all day. Your goal is to consistently move throughout the day:
- Start with micro-routines: two 5-minute sessions of basic movements like push-ups, squats or planks, spread through your day.
- Plan for failure points: bad weather, travel or a packed schedule?
Have a fallback: 20 wall push-ups in a hallway, or chair squats while dinner simmers. - Bonus tip: put a sticky note on your computer screen as a reminder to move. Little environmental cues boost adherence.
Then, let's optimise sleep as the foundation of recovery.
No matter how clean your diet or consistent your workouts, poor sleep erodes gains:
- Screen-off reminder: set an alarm 30 minutes before bedtime to power down devices. A great app is f.lux. It automatically adjusts your screen's colour temperature toward warmer hues at sunset, reducing blue light exposure and helping your melatonin kick in. It also sends a gentle reminder to turn the device off.
- Low-light routine: dim lights, read a book or stretch lightly.
Insufficient sleep worsens insulin resistance, disrupts hunger hormones and kills focus.
Think of sleep as your body's nightly tune-up. Skipping it costs more than you gain from extra work time.
Once you have a handle on basics, it's time to stack habits effectively.
- Choose one existing routine, like brushing your teeth or brewing coffee.
- After you pour your morning coffee, do ten calf raises against the counter.
- When you hang up the phone, practice box breathing to reset stress.
- After you sit down to work, stand and do twenty bodyweight squats.
Master that single stack for two weeks. Once it's automatic, add the next one. You'll avoid burnout and actually stick with change.
With your habit in place, map it out SMARTly.
- Specific: Walk 1.2 km (≈15 minutes) after dinner, five days a week.
- Measurable: Use your phone's health app to log each 1.2 km walk—watch your total build toward 42.2 km.
- Achievable: At roughly 1.2 km per session, you'll cover the marathon distance in about 35 walks. If you walk five days per week, you'll finish in seven weeks.
- Relevant: Regular evening walks help clear the mind, improve insulin sensitivity and aid digestion.
- Time-bound: Start Monday, July 14 and complete your 35 walks by August 29.
Read more about SMART goals: my SMART Goals guide.
Tracking progress and staying accountable keeps momentum.
- Set reminders on apps: schedule push notifications for your new routine.
- Track consistency: use a simple calendar or habit-tracker app to log each success.
- Reframe misses as data, not failures: three missed days pinpoint where you need to adjust.
For added accountability:
- Text a friend when you complete your walk or movement break.
- Post a daily update in our Facebook group or Patreon community to share wins and challenges.
When life inevitably interferes, here's how to bounce back:
- No shame, no guilt: recognise what derailed you, like late work, travel, or stress.
- Restart immediately: pick up the same day, not next Monday.
- Adjust your plan: if you miss a walk due to rain, do an indoor bodyweight circuit instead; if late nights disrupt sleep, start your wind-down routine 30 minutes earlier.
Building healthy habits is a long-term game. Each small success fuels the next. This week, pick one habit—nutrition, movement or sleep—and post your plan by Friday, July 18 in my Facebook group or Patreon community.
Final thoughts: Pick your habit. Stack it. Track it. And share it.
Eat like it matters.
—Coach Roxana
Written by Roxana Soetebeer, MPHC, NNP, MHP, PFC
Published July 12th, 2025
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