“I’m gonna lose 10 lbs, run a 5k, and eat healthy in the new year!”

That sentence shows up every January.

And not because you lack discipline.
Not because you don’t care.

You keep saying this because January is when people plan for the ideal version of their life.

Now fast forward a few weeks.

Work is still busy. Energy is still limited. Decisions still pile up.

Your plan that looked reasonable on January 1st quietly becomes unreasonable. Because you've got too many other priorities.

But this isn’t a motivation problem.

It’s a reality mismatch.

Most health advice assumes you have:

• More time than you actually do
• More energy than you consistently feel
• More control over your schedule than real life allows

So instead of asking, “How do I try harder in 2026?”

The better question is: What works when I can't change anything?

Because habits don’t fail from lack of effort.

They fail when they’re built for conditions that don’t exist.

Here’s how to build habits that survive real life.

1. Stop waiting to do things “properly”

The perfect time to start doesn't exist.

Some days you’ll cook. Some days you’ll get takeout. Health doesn’t disappear because things are messy.

Consistency comes from doing something—even when it’s not perfect.

2. When in doubt, add more veggies to your plate

One of the easiest ways to make meals more balanced is also the most boring advice: add vegetables.

Fresh, frozen, canned—it all counts. Aim to fill ⅓ of your plate with non-starchy vegetables.

Most veggies are non-starchy except peas, corn, and potatoes.

And no, starchy vegetables aren’t bad (despite what influencers say).

They just belong in a different portion of the plate—about ¼.

3. Ignore anything promising a shortcut to weight loss

No supplement or superfood changes how your body works.

Weight gain happens when:

• You consistently eat more calories than your body needs
• Muscle mass declines
• Daily movement drops

If weight loss is a goal in 2026, start with those 3 things before spending money on "solutions" that don’t match how bodies actually work.

2026 doesn’t need a dramatic overhaul.

It just needs a plan that works when your life is busy, energy is low, and conditions aren’t ideal.

That’s how change actually sticks.

Now go get ’em,

Ame Proietti

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