The Power of Small Habits and How Health Coaching Drives Sustainable Change
- Brainz Magazine
- Jun 25
- 4 min read
Cecilia is the COO of Terra Health Coaching, specializing in lifestyle medicine and behavior change. With a background in public health, nutrition, and an MBA, she is passionate about bridging the gap between medical care and lasting patient wellness through health coaching.
In today’s fast-paced world, many people are searching for a magic solution to achieve better health, a single diet, an app, or even a medication that will fix it all. But health doesn’t change overnight. It changes in the quiet moments: the five-minute morning walk, the decision to skip the soda, the habit of reflecting before reacting to stress. At Terra Health Coaching, we believe in the power of small, intentional habits, because those are the ones that stick.
Why small habits matter
Research in behavioral science has shown that lasting change rarely comes from overhauling your life overnight. Instead, sustainable progress comes from what psychologist B.J. Fogg calls “tiny habits”, small, manageable actions that become part of your identity over time.
Yes, we said part of your identity, and that’s exactly what our patients discover. Not just temporary changes, but a shift in how they see themselves and what they believe they’re capable of.
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, echoes this by saying, “You do not rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems.” But knowing what habits to build, and actually sticking to them, can be a challenge. That’s where coaching comes in.
Coaching through a lifestyle medicine lens
At Terra, our nationally board-certified health coaches don’t just help patients check off boxes, we work on behavior change from the start. We apply the principles of lifestyle medicine: a holistic, evidence-based approach to preventing and reversing chronic disease through changes in six key areas, nutrition, physical activity, stress management, restorative sleep, social connection, and substance use reduction.
Through this lens, we help patients build daily systems that support their goals, whether that’s managing weight, reducing blood sugar, sleeping better, or simply feeling more energized.
We’re not offering a one-size-fits-all program. Our approach is deeply personalized. Our coaches take time to understand each patient’s lifestyle, values, and barriers to uncover what drives them from within. We help them discover their intrinsic motivation, because that’s what fuels long-term change.
One week, that might mean helping someone identify a 10-minute window for movement. The next, it could mean designing a nighttime routine to improve sleep. And through it all, our coaches serve as thought partners, accountability partners, and cheerleaders.
Real life, real struggles
The majority of the patients I speak with are burnt out, not lazy or unmotivated, just genuinely overwhelmed. They’re navigating long workdays, caregiving responsibilities, financial stress, or chronic fatigue. Health often becomes one more thing on a never-ending to-do list.
So instead of telling them to “try harder,” we meet them where they are. Whether someone is eating lunch in their car between clients or squeezing in self-care after putting kids to bed, our coaches help integrate small, supportive habits into the life they’re already living.
Terra coaches don’t add more to your plate, they help you redesign your plate so it finally serves you.
Small steps, big results
The most powerful outcomes we see often start with the smallest actions:
A patient who began with one daily walk around the block and eventually trained for a 5K.
A working mom who started journaling for 3 minutes at bedtime and rediscovered her emotional resilience.
A GLP-1 patient who built healthy routines around their medication, learning to fuel their body, not just lose weight.
Each story reflects the same truth: consistency beats intensity. Our coaches are experts at keeping that consistency alive, even through life’s inevitable disruptions.
Empowerment through partnership
In partnership with Dr. Jenny Labonte at Inspire Family Medicine, Terra Health Coaching is proud to offer an integrated approach that combines GLP-1 medication support with lifestyle medicine coaching. Together, we’re helping patients not only lose weight but also rediscover their confidence to make healthier choices. Many tell us they feel empowered in their health for the first time in their adult lives.
This dual approach provides both the metabolic support of medical therapy and the transformational power of lifestyle change, where the goal isn’t just weight loss, but vibrant, sustainable health.
A human approach in a digital world
What sets Terra apart is our balance of tech-enabled tools and deeply human connection. Patients get access to a digital platform that keeps them on track, but they also get something far more powerful: a real person who listens, understands, and guides them forward.
Lifestyle medicine is the foundation of everything we do, and health coaching is how we bring it to life, one small, consistent habit at a time.
At Terra, we believe small habits create big impact, and we’re here to walk with our patients every step of the way.
Want to learn more about how Terra Health Coaching helps people thrive on their terms? Visit here to connect.
Read more from Cecilia Dinorah Lapolli
Cecilia Dinorah Lapolli, Terra Health Coaching
Cecilia is the COO of Terra Health Coaching, dedicated to ensuring smooth operations for long-term patient success. Passionate about lifestyle medicine, she focuses on chronic disease prevention and reversal. Raised in Napa Valley, CA, she now lives in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, where she earned an MBA in Business Administration & Project Management. Cecilia offers coaching in English, Spanish, and Portuguese and holds certifications from Wellcoaches and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. She studied Health Science Education and Whole Food Plant-Based Nutrition.
