Long-Term Healthy Eating Habits After Fuel U

Embarking on a health journey with SHIFT's 12-week Fuel U program is an incredible step toward achieving your wellness and weight loss goals. But what happens when the 12 weeks are over? Maintaining sustainable eating habits and long-term health requires continued effort and strategic planning. If you come this far, it’s important to remember to keep up the momentum because the habits you establish now can lengthen your lifespan and improve your healthspan.

This is difficult for many busy corporate professionals who frequently travel for business and deal with unpredictable schedules — but your commitment to health fosters a thriving work environment and drives long-term organizational success.

Whether you’ve recently achieved weight loss success by seeking diet help in Chicago or by making changes on your own, our team of registered dietitians can help you maintain your healthy habits for the long haul with simple adjustments that prepare you for whatever corporate life throws at you. 

Read on to discover how you can continue to optimize your wellness journey, maintain peak performance, and sustain weight management after completing the Fuel U program with insights from our expert nutritionists in Chicago. 

7 Expert Strategies to Keep You Motivated in Building Long-Term Healthy Eating Habits

After completing a structured program like Fuel U, some may find it challenging to stay the course. Without a structured program, it's easy to revert to old habits, struggle with maintaining motivation, and become overwhelmed by the myriad of food choices and meal planning details. 

For long-term success with your health transformation, however, you’ll need to maintain and build upon the progress you've made. Regular dietary guidance and support from SHIFT are always available, but when life throws you unprecedented challenges, like extensive work travel or long days at the office, maintaining your healthy habits is difficult. However, a few simple healthy eating tips for executives from our wellness experts can set you on a trajectory for long-term success and high-quality life for years to come. 

These seven strategies, from the leading nutrition coaches in Chicago, will empower and enable you to continue your health journey after taking part in Fuel U’s structured program:

1. Consider Your Food Decisions

Instead of categorizing your food choices as good or bad and feeling guilty about cravings, explore what drives your decisions. Mindful eating habits require thoughtful consideration, and making healthy food choices is no exception.

2. Plan Ahead

Life will always throw obstacles your way — vacations, heavier work periods, or unexpected events. Utilize what you’ve learned from your nutrition coaching journey to develop strategies that help you navigate these challenging periods. By planning ahead, you can ensure that your sustainable eating habits remain intact.

3. Stay Consistent

Consistency is crucial for long-term change and optimal health. Avoid the “all-or-nothing” mindset. If you have an unbalanced meal or week, ground yourself with healthy habits and get back into your routine. Progress isn’t linear, and setbacks are normal. Recovering from deviations from your routine ensures that you will continue progressing toward your goals.

4. Make Adjustments

Just as life changes, your nutritional strategies should, too. Adjust your timing and nutrient balance as your schedule and needs change. Your ability to adhere to your routine is just as important as the routine itself. If your habits become unfeasible, adjust them to ensure they are easier to follow and maintain.

5. Avoid Complacency

Over time, your nutrition habits might not produce the same results as they did initially. This is often referred to as hitting a “plateau.” To keep progressing, continuously find small improvements and tweaks that help move you forward. Unless you’re in “maintenance mode,” there’s always something to improve in your diet.

6. Seek Help When Needed

If you struggle to maintain your habits or face new challenges, consult your nutritionist in Chicago. Follow-up sessions, “tune-up” consultations, or maintenance programs can help reset and reframe your habits. Sometimes, a check-in with your nutrition coach is all you need to get back on track.

7. Establish Care with a Personalized Healthcare Provider

Squeezing in regular check-ups with a primary care doctor can be difficult for business professionals in Chicago, but concierge healthcare offers a unique solution to managing chronic disease, disease prevention, and monitoring for potential health conditions. A concierge physician brings high-quality healthcare wherever you are and can provide regular health screenings for early detection of potential medical conditions or health problems. This ensures that you stay up-to-date with recommended screenings and receive customized healthcare that meets your needs and goals. Your concierge doctor can also work with your Chicago dietitian to improve your eating habits. 

Regardless of where you are in your nutrition coaching journey, getting high-level support from experts who understand your unique lifestyle as a busy Chicago professional can elevate your success and help you build sustainable habits that keep your weight and long-term health in check. 

Client Testimonials: Fuel U and Ongoing Healthy Eating Support 

Everyone’s body is different, and the personalized methods that SHIFT and our Registered Dietitians take make all the difference. Our unique approach to nutrition coaching in Chicago includes: 

• Creating a personalized nutrition strategy, such as macro coaching, that combines sustainable approaches with evidence-based guidance for body composition change. 
• Working alongside your primary care physician for a unified and highly personalized health and fitness plan. 
• Helping you create life-long fueling habits that keep you progressing toward your health goals. 

Learn from some of our clients about the transformations they’ve experienced: 

“My experience working with Lauren, the dietitian at SHIFT, has been incredible. After a lifetime of dieting and getting nowhere, with Lauren's guidance, I finally stopped dieting and learned and employed the healthy nutrition habits that will last me forever.  I lost 30 lbs. and have maintained that weight loss for over two years. Lauren is amazing to work with. She is smart and supportive and every step in the process was tailored to me. I recommend Fuel U Nutrition Coaching to everyone working on their health journey!” - Janet

“I have been working with my SHIFT dietitian for almost two years now, and she has been a vital part of me figuring out how to redesign my approach to nutrition and live a balanced life. She is infinitely patient and always helpful with tangible tips that are applicable to my life. She really listens and customizes her advice to make it work for you. Instead of just trying the same thing again and again, if it's not working, she comes up with a new way to tackle the week or a new way of looking at the situation. From recommending specific food brands to strategizing how to approach business trips to reminding me to give myself a bit of grace, she is a welcome partner who keeps me from giving up - which I know I would have done if I was trying this on my own. My SHIFT RD is the perfect blend of accountability and compassion.” - Ellen

“I would highly recommend working with a SHIFT Dietitian! Over the last three-plus years of working with my RD, she has been an amazing coach and teacher to me on my health and nutrition journey. She always has great ideas and advice to help me build a good plan and manage new and ongoing challenges. By working with a SHIFT dietitian, I have been able to build new habits into my diet, fitness routine, and lifestyle that helped me not only achieve my goals but, more importantly, maintain and continue to improve over time.” - Andrew

How Busy Executives Can Get Help with Long-Term Healthy Eating Habits in Chicago

At SHIFT, our team of health and wellness experts and registered dietitians take a personalized approach to long-term health and wellness to ensure that Chicago business professionals achieve optimal health and maintain sustainable eating habits. 

Graduates of SHIFT’s 12-week Fuel U program, which includes one-on-one nutrition guidance from a registered dietitian, have the tools to continue being successful on their own or the option to continue getting ongoing support from leading Chicago nutrition coaching experts. 

Continued support with SHIFT guarantees our Fuel U graduates a lifetime of custom wellness strategies, sustainable eating habits, and personalized fitness training that can be adjusted as professional and personal goals change. Additionally, a Primary Care Membership with SHIFT gives business professionals access to top-level concierge medicine and the benefits of a collaborative, patient-centered approach to weight management in Chicago.