Ever start the week feeling unstoppable only to end up wondering how to stick to healthy habits?
It starts like this: you’ve crushed your weekend meal prep. This is your week to finally “get back on track.” You’re packing protein into your breakfast oats, setting out your workout clothes to hit that early morning run—everything’s clicking into place.
Then, life happens. Two weeks in, a curveball hits … the kids get sick, daycare closes, or something else unexpected derails your routine. Before you know it, old habits start creeping back in.
We’ve all been there. Building new habits is tough, and it demands flexibility. No matter how strong your willpower is, real life doesn’t follow a perfect schedule. Falling off track isn’t a failure; it’s just part of being human.
Here’s the good news: Your brain is actually your best friend in forming new habits.
The secret is learning to work with your brain, not against it. By shifting your mindset, creating the right environment, and focusing on positive reinforcement, you can rewire your mindset to embrace healthy habits.
In this article, I’ll share strategies I’ve used as a dietitian to help people go from couch potatoes to 5K runners, from snacking on potato chips to carrots—all by tapping into the power of habit change.
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Rewire Your Mindset for Long-Term Success
Your brain is constantly evolving. This ability for it to change and consistently adapt is called neuroplasticity (1). The good news is that it’s possible to learn to love a new habit.
But this won’t happen overnight. Despite the popular theory that a new habit takes roughly 3 weeks to build, science shows this isn’t the case. On average, it takes 66 days (or a little over 2 months) for a new habit to feel like the norm (2).
That may feel daunting. But using these science-backed strategies can help you rewire your mindset and love new healthy habits.
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Trick 1: Become the person you want to be
Picture yourself as the person you want to be and the habits will help you get there. Want to run more? See yourself as the runner you will become, not where you are now.
When it comes to nutrition, if you’re trying to eat less packaged snacks, see yourself as someone who eats a diet full of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Trick 2: Pair a treat with a task
Struggling to find the time (and energy) to commit to meal prep? Here’s a trick you may appreciate: temptation bundling (3). “Pairing the reward with the task is a twist on the rewards system. You take a not-so-fun activity and something you do enjoy and bundle them together,” says Katherine Basbaum, a MyFitnessPal dietitian (3).
Here’s how to do it: Pick something really fun for you, like a new episode of a favorite podcast or TV show, and do it while you meal prep or sweat it out on the treadmill.
About the Experts
Elizabeth Shaw, MS, RDN, CPT is a nutrition expert, four-time cookbook author and early nutrition pioneer in the field of fertility nutrition. She is the president and owner of the USA-based nutrition communications and consulting firm Shaw Simple Swaps.
Katherine Basbaum, MS, RD is Food Data Curator at MyFitnessPal. She received her Masters in Nutrition Communication from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University and completed her Dietetic Internship at UVA Health, where she also works as a nutrition counselor for cardiology patients.
Trick 3: Craft a space that fuels your goals
Use visual cues in your kitchen, workspace, and bedroom to trigger your desired habits. Think about tiny nudges that will help achieve your goals.
Trying to eat more fruit? Place it in a bowl at the center of your counter, or in a glass container cut up, front and center in your fridge (4). Want to walk more? Set out your walking clothes and shoes the night before so you’re ready to go first thing in the morning.
These small shifts can help achieve your goals.
Trick 4: Build your support network
Research shows the people you surround yourself with can help you stick with and accomplish your goals (5). Have a friend who constantly talks you out of the gym to go to happy hour? Rethink who your support network is. It can be helpful to have the support of people who share your passion for healthy habits.
“Share your goal of making a new healthy habit with someone you trust to support your goal,” says Basbaum. “When you find yourself struggling, their encouragement will keep you moving forward.”
Trick 5: Celebrate wins, big and small
Whether you met your weekly fiber goal or went for the side salad at lunch, celebrate those wins (6). Give yourself a pat on the back, mark that as a win in your journal, or simply tell a friend and let them high-five you right back.
Celebrating your wins releases dopamine, a feel-good neurotransmitter directly linked to your reward system (7). Dopamine helps reinforce the habit.
Trick 6: Anchor new habits to existing routines
Adding new habits onto one you’ve already established can help make that new habit stick. In fact, research published in the British Journal of Health Psychology found participants who attached nutrition behaviors to an established daily routine or specific time of day were more successful at making those behaviors stick (8).
So, you’re finally ready to buckle down and log your foods in the MyFitnessPal app? Great, plan to do it after brushing your teeth at night.
Trick 7: Build momentum with micro-moves
You don’t have to overhaul your diet and lifestyle overnight. “Start with a microhabit that you can build on,” says Basbaum. For example, if you want to create the habit of eating 5 servings of produce per day, start with adding one serving of fruit or vegetable to breakfast every morning. Once that routine is set, you’re ready to add produce to another daily meal or snack.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long does it take to build a new habit?
It can take anywhere between 18 to 254 days to form a new habit, with the average being around 66 days (2).
What’s the best way to stay motivated to eat healthy or exercise?
Celebrating wins, big and small, is a good start to staying motivated. If you wait until you reach that goal weight, your motivation may fizzle. Celebrate those miles you just logged or the hour you spent meal prepping.
How do I make healthy habits feel easier or more automatic?
Anchor your habit to something you already consistently do. For example, trying to drink more water? Then pour yourself a glass and drink it before you dive into your coffee (or tea).
What should I do when I fall off track or break a habit?
Lean into your support network and remember your “why?” Let those two help you get back on track. MyFitnessPal is here to help, offering not only meal plan support but a weekly habit tracker function now too.
How do I create a routine that helps healthy habits stick?
Focus on changes you can easily add to your day; in the long run this will make it easier for those healthy habits to stick. Don’t have time for a full hour workout? Don’t sweat it. Even 10 minutes counts.
The Bottom Line
It’s possible to retrain your mind and learn to love a new habit. Neuroplasticity, or the ability of your brain to change and adapt with time, is a big factor in this (1). Planning ahead, building your support network, focusing on micro-moves, and simply celebrating your wins, can all help reinforce healthy habits in a way your brain responds to. (5, 6, 7, 8).
Download the MyFitnessPal app today and start building habits that last!
The post How to Trick Your Brain Into Loving Healthy Habits appeared first on MyFitnessPal Blog.
