“Just eat healthier.” Sounds simple… until you realize it’s actually 100+ tiny decisions—from grocery shopping to social situations to recovering from setbacks. Talk about decision fatigue. No wonder willpower doesn’t work!

In this episode, I’m walking you through a simple behavior change formula that explains why you get stuck and what to do instead, so you can make habits like eating healthy and exercising more actually stick.

If you want to top relying on motivation and start building a plan that supports your brain, your energy, and your second spring, this episode is for you.

What to Listen For:

• [0:00] Introduction: The Challenge of Eating Healthier
• [02:59] Recap of Last Week's Episode
• [03:56] Listener Feedback and Addressing Stuck Points
• [04:47 ]Steps to Transition to a Brain Healthy Diet
• [07:26] Preparation Stage: Getting Ready for Change
• [12:15] Action Stage: Implementing Daily Habits
• [13:50] Maintenance and Relapse: Navigating Challenges
• [15:54] The behavior change formula in plain English: what has to be true for a behavior to happen (hint: it’s not “try harder”) 
• [19:00] Why motivation and ability “trade off”—and how environment design makes the healthy choice easier 
• [20:00] Motivation waves (and “Cliff Day”): why your January energy disappears—and how to plan for that on purpose
• [22:31] The Rider, The Elephant, and The Path Metaphor
• [29:48] Next Week: Learning to Speak "Elephant"

If “eat healthier” has felt overwhelming, this episode will help you see why—and give you a behavior change formula to make the next step simple and sustainable. Hit play, take what fits, and start building momentum one doable choice at a time. 

And if this helped you, make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next in this series.

Let me know how you did in this week's challenge. You can find me on Facebook @amylangcoaching or Instagram @habitwhisperer 

RESOURCES:

• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Purchase Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Book a FREE Discovery Call with Amy
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

If you made a resolution to lose weight, get fit, or optimize your brain health so you can prevent Alzheimer’s — but you have a history of not staying on track — this episode is for you.

Chances are you've been approaching your health goals by focusing on these desired outcomes and relying on motivation and willpower to achieve them. But what if that's exactly why it’s not working?

In this episode, Amy shares the science-backed roadmap for creating lasting change by identifying and addressing the barriers to change — so you can finally start building real momentum and get the results you've always wanted.

🎧 What to Listen For

• [00:25] Why most New Year’s resolutions fail — and what to do instead
• [01:45] The #1 mistake women make when setting health goals
• [03:00] What Arnold Lobel’s “Frog and Toad” story teaches us about willpower
• [05:00] Why successful change is NOT about motivation (and what to focus on instead)
• [06:20] The 4 levels of change
• [08:40] How to identify what type of behavior change you’re trying to make
• [11:00] The 5 stages of change — and the roadmap to transformation
• [13:15] Why ambivalence is the sneaky trap of the “yes, but…” stage
• [15:00] The power of situational agency
• [19:40] The most overlooked factor in behavior change

True change doesn’t start with a better diet or exercise plan — it starts by understanding exactly where you are on the path and identifying the barriers that are in your way. In this episode, you learned how to use the stages of change and types of behavior change to create a realistic, science-backed action plan. Remember: it’s not about doing more — it’s about doing what’s right for your current stage.

👉 Listen now to take the first step toward lasting brain health and joyful living. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast, join the mailing list, and check out next week’s episode on the internal environment — the thoughts that sabotage your goals before they even start.

🔗 Important Links Mentioned

• Angela Duckworth’s article: Willpower Doesn’t Work. This Does. – https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/28/opinion/willpower-doesnt-work-this-does.html
• Book: Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg – https://tinyhabits.com/book/
• Book: Grit by Angela Duckworth – https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-book/

RESOURCES:

• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Purchase Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Book a FREE Discovery Call with Amy
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

If you’ve ever felt like your small wins don’t “count,” this episode will change how you see yourself and your progress. 

In this special episode, Amy reflects on 2025 and shares her favorite moments and notable wins, and what five years of weekly podcasting have taught her about showing up, gratitude, presence, and letting go.

If you’ve struggled with sacrificing good for the sake of perfection, this one’s for you.

🔍 What to Listen For

0:00 - Introduction: Why this year in review matters
2:26 - What I'm grateful for in 2025
4:44 - The story of two peach jellies (why small gestures matter)
5:16 - 9 years of Alzheimer's caregiving: lessons in presence
8:47 - My 9 wins from 2025 (that I almost dismissed)
11:34 - How decluttering freed up my energy
13:28 - Breakthrough moments: stop playing small
14:52 - The 10 life lessons that changed everything
16:22 - Lesson #9: You're not responsible for who others think you are
18:30 - Planning for 2026: What's next

As you head into 2026, remember that the secret of change is focusing your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new. Your wins count. Your showing up matters. And the messy, imperfect version of you is exactly who the world needs.

Ready to make 2026 your best year yet? Subscribe to Happy and Healthy with Amy for weekly brain health strategies, and tune in to the next episode where I'll share my goals for 2026 and take a deep dive into the barriers for change.

RESOURCES:

• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Purchase Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Book a FREE Discovery Call with Amy
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

Forget motivation — it’s not your problem.

In this episode, Amy Lang reveals the surprising missing ingredient behind habit success: trust. 

If your brain feels stuck, overwhelmed, or skeptical about new habits, this one’s for you. Amy unpacks how rebuilding self-trust "one marble at a time" can create unstoppable momentum — even when life is busy and chaotic.

🔍 What to Listen For:

• [0:01] Brene Brown’s "marble jar" metaphor and why it matters for brain health
• [2:48] The #1 reason your brain resists change — it’s not what you think!
• [5:12] The connection between trust and energy conservation
• [9:15] How to choose one category from the RESTORED protocol to focus on
• [10:45] Amy’s favorite technique to make habits stick
• [13:21] What “binary action” means and how it builds self-trust
• [18:20] How celebrating your wins accelerates habit formation
• [21:40] Why systems (not willpower) are your brain’s best friend during stress

If lasting habit change has felt impossible, chances are the missing ingredient isn't motivation — it’s trust. 

🎧 Ready to start rebuilding it? Listen to this empowering episode now and subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next.

RESOURCES:

• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Purchase Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Book a FREE Discovery Call with Amy
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

What if the real reason your habits aren’t sticking isn’t you—it’s your implementation plan? 

Most of us try to create lifestyle change without understanding how our brain actually works. In this episode, Amy shares the neuroscience-backed framework to help you create healthy habits that actually last—without relying on willpower— and shows you how to personalize your plan so your habits become simple, sustainable, and aligned with your goals.

What to Listen For

• [00:45] Building a blueprint for change
• [04:40] Understanding the architecture of your brain
• [08:28] Creating a personalized plan
• [11:43] Mastering your triggers
• [12:38] Taking binary action
• [14:15] Embracing a growth mindset
• [17:01] Connecting with your why
• [21:45] The quote that perfectly wraps the episode

To make habits stick, you don't need more willpower and you’re lazy or broken, you need a plan that was designed for you. By personalizing your approach using these five 5 steps—rooted in neuroscience, compassion, and self-trust—you’ll finally create habits that support your brain health and the life you truly want.

Recommended Episodes

• What's Your Compelling Why (Season 1, Ep 205)
• The 5 Keys to Staying Motivated (Season 1, Ep 195)
• How To Get What You Want with James Wedmore (Season 1, Ep 171)

🎧 Listen now, subscribe, and share this episode with a friend who’s tired of starting over.

RESOURCES:

• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Purchase Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Book a FREE Discovery Call with Amy
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

You’ve joined the gym, cleaned out your pantry, downloaded a bunch of healthy recipes… but somehow, you always end up back where you started. Sound familiar?

In this episode of Happy and Healthy with Amy Lang, we're digging into why traditional habit change strategies don’t work, the three most common mindset mistakes that sabotage even the best intentions — especially when it comes to brain health, weight loss, and stress management — and how to shift them so you can finally follow through with ease and integrity.

What to Listen For

• [00:40] Why going “all in” often backfires—and what to do instead
• [01:58] How survival, safety, and reward drive your habits
• [04:15] The real habit loop: trigger → routine → reward
• [06:22] The sneaky reason your thoughts derail your consistency
• [07:30] Thought habits vs. action habits: which one matters more?
• [08:40] Mistake #1: All-or-nothing thinking
• [11:05] Mistake #2: Using shoulds and shame as motivation
• [14:00] Mistake #3: Trying to overhaul your lifestyle
• [16:15] The 2-minute habit that builds integrity and follow-through

Your thoughts are powerful. They shape your actions, your results, and your identity. If your health goals keep slipping through your fingers, it’s time to look beyond what you’re doing—and start shifting how you’re thinking. This episode is your guide to rethinking habit change, so you can show up with consistency, self-trust, and clarity.

RESOURCES:

• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Purchase Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Book a FREE Discovery Call with Amy
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

It starts with forgetting a name or a date. But Alzheimer’s is so much more than memory loss.

In this powerful episode, I share the five A’s of Alzheimer’s progression—what they are, how they affect your loved ones, and what you can do right now to protect your brain. If you have a family history of Alzheimer’s, if you’ve been avoiding learning about Alzheimer’s because it feels too scary, if you think hoping you don't get it is your only option—this episode will change your mind.

I’m getting real about what actually happens in the brain as this disease progresses, and why understanding the 5 A’s can empower you to take action and protect your future.

What to Listen For

• (00:01) A vivid, gut-wrenching description of what late-stage Alzheimer’s really feels like
• (05:45) Amy’s personal journey with her mom’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis—and how it changed everything
• (10:10) The 5 A’s of Alzheimer’s explained: Amnesia, Anomia, Agnosia, Aphasia, Apraxia
• (14:15) Why short-term memory loss isn’t the only symptom to watch for
• (17:00) The heartbreaking signs of agnosia: when your loved one forgets your face
• (21:30) Why someone with Alzheimer’s might put keys in the freezer—and what it really means
• (24:45) How incontinence and mobility loss often signal the tipping point for caregiving
• (28:40) The stages of Alzheimer’s progression—how the disease takes over the brain
• (32:50) Why women are at greater risk—and how menopause plays a major role
• (35:00) What you can do now to reduce your risk

Alzheimer’s isn’t just about memory and finding your keys in the freezer. It’s about losing your independence, your identity, and ultimately your dignity and your life. 

In this episode, we dive deep into what’s really happening in the brain, so you can take control of your cognitive future. 

RESOURCES:

• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Purchase Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Book a FREE Discovery Call with Amy
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

Feeling grateful isn’t just a positive emotion—it’s one of the most powerful tools you have to build cognitive reserve and protect your brain from Alzheimer’s.

In this episode, we're breaking down the science-backed benefits of gratitude for your body and brain—and revealing why traditional practices fall short, and what to do instead to rewire your brain so you can reduce stress, improve your memory, and protect your brain against cognitive decline.

Plus we're sharing 4 journaling prompts that can make your gratitude practice truly transformative.

🎧 What to Listen For:

• (01:10) Why gratitude is more than a feel-good emotion—and how it rewires your brain
• (04:42) The three categories of gratitude benefits: physical, cognitive, and emotional
• (06:25) How gratitude reduces inflammation and lowers cortisol
• (08:15) The role of working memory and how gratitude strengthens it
• (10:03) The brain’s negativity bias and how gratitude helps shift your baseline
• (12:30) What the “meaning-making network” in your brain is—and why gratitude activates it
• (14:50) Why your gratitude practice isn’t working (and how to fix it)
• (16:17) The most powerful form of gratitude (it’s not what you think)
• (17:44) The journaling prompts Amy uses to tap into genuine, brain-changing gratitude
• (21:40) A personal story about the power of receiving gratitude—and how it fuels purpose and meaning

Gratitude isn’t just good for your mood—it’s essential for your brain health, especially if you’re trying to protect against Alzheimer’s.

Try one of Amy’s four prompts and feel the difference.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and follow Amy on Instagram @habitwhisperer for more tips on how to stay happy and healthy!

RESOURCES:

• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Purchase Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Book a FREE Discovery Call with Amy
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

Have you heard that your brain “eats itself” during menopause if you don’t take hormones? That viral soundbite has a lot of women scared—and confused. 😟

In today’s episode of Happy and Healthy with Amy Lang, we bring clarity to the conversation around menopause, brain health, and hormone therapy. 

First and foremost, the statement that “the brain will eat itself” without hormone therapy is medically inaccurate and needlessly alarming many women who certainly don't need more stress. This is a misinterpretation of Dr. Robert Brinton's research.

What IS true:
• Your brain is not atrophying during menopause.
• It's adapting to a hormonal shift.
• Some women need more support during this transition.
• Maybe that's hormone therapy. Lifestyle interventions can definitely help.
• The current evidence does not support using menopause hormone therapy to prevent Alzheimer's disease

What is ALSO true:
• Menopause is not a disease or a medical crisis. It's a neurological transition state. The process itself is adaptive, not destructive.
• Rats do not experience menopause the same way human females do
• What happens in rodents should not be extrapolated to humans

You’ll hear:
• What REALLY happens to your brain when estrogen drops
• Why your brain is renovating, not self-destructing
• What top neuroscientists like Dr. Lisa Mosconi and Dr. Pauline Maki want you to know.
• Lifestyle strategies to support cognitive resilience through menopause

Let’s stop making decisions out of fear and start leading with facts and self-trust. 💜

💡 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe.
💌 Share with a friend who needs reassurance right now.

RESOURCES:

• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Purchase Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Book a FREE Discovery Call with Amy
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

What if 60 wasn’t the beginning of the end—but the start of something better? Join me and Allison McCune Davis, author of 60 Is A Good Start, as we unpack the emotional, physical, and mindset transformations that come with aging and how to thrive well into your 60s and beyond.

What to Listen For:

• Why Allison wrote 60 Is a Good Start and how turning 60 catalyzed a decade of reinvention (00:28)
• What a “restlessness” signal might mean in midlife—and how to honor it (03:51)
• The pivotal role purpose plays in longevity and vitality (02:29)
• Allison’s late-in-life motherhood journey and how it shaped her approach to health (04:52)
• The impact of gut health, hormone testing, and functional approaches in her 40s (06:36)
• Why allopathic medicine alone isn’t enough for true wellness (11:07)
• How our belief systems—about aging, genes, and health—shape our reality (13:32)
• Debunking the idea that “genes are destiny” and how lifestyle pulls the trigger (17:45)
• The power of the “60 Dream Questions” journaling practice for rediscovery (20:58)
• Why mindset is the most overlooked tool in the fight against cognitive decline (18:04)

Allison’s story reminds us that the most vibrant years of our lives might just be ahead. Whether you're navigating menopause, caring for aging parents, or reimagining your next decade, this episode offers inspiration, perspective shifts, and actionable steps. 

Be sure to listen to the full conversation, subscribe to the podcast, and check out Allison’s book and dream questions for your own rediscovery journey.

RESOURCES:

• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Purchase Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Book a FREE Discovery Call with Amy
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy