Kate Hudson doesn't want you to treat your health goals like a neglected love fern.
Because while she's starred in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, the actress—and her personal fitness trainer Brian Nguyen—want you to be able to stick to your intentions for a lot longer.
"Food, nutrition, active lifestyle is something I'm super passionate about," Kate exclusively told E! News while promoting her partnership with MyFitnessPal and its Small Steps, Big Wins Plan, which launched Jan. 8. "I've actually chosen that as sort of the thing that I focus in on—whether it's philanthropically with the World Food Program or my own personal businesses—and how do I use the platform that I've created in the arts to share ways for people to get healthier and be successful in themselves?"
This includes, she says, taking steps beyond the initial New Year's resolution. Feeling motivated? Frost yourself in her and Brian's best tips for staying on top of your health goals.
Understand That It's About More Than Physicality.
"I get how vanity gets people in the door. I understand that," Kate said. "But at the end of the day, it's about how you feel."
And for the Almost Famous alum, feeling good involves working on not just your physical health but also your mental health and immersing yourself in knowledge and resources—such as through podcasts and books—that can help you live a healthier life.
"We need to work on our mental fitness," she noted. "And the first thing you need to work on mental fitness is not to deprive yourself. It's to feed yourself. You need to feed your brain."
And Brian stresses the importance of feeding other parts of your body, too—not depriving it.
"The misconception behind losing weight and doing these things—it's not about starving yourself," he said. "It's not about depriving yourself. It's actually about feeding yourself great food, and a little protein every meal goes a long way."
Have an Appetite for Learning.
Which brings Kate to her next point: "The best thing I can say for anybody out there," she said, "is to learn about food."
And the Bride Wars star encourages fans to consume as much information as they can.
"The truth is you have to be passionate about what you're putting in your body, and why you're putting it in your body, when you're putting it in your body, learning about it," she added. "You have to want to love to learn."
Honor Where You're At.
Wellness is a journey. And as Kate put it, "The first thing is you have to connect to where you're at and honor it."
This means putting any pressure and judgment aside, she and Brian say, and making time to focus on your goals—even when life inevitably gets in the way.
"To meet yourself where you're at is a huge piece," he added. "Whether it is children that get in the way of your fitness goals, whether it's, ‘Oh, you know what? I'm going to do that later because I've got to work, work, work,' at some point in time, no matter who we are, if we do won't take the time to actually give some of that love or some of that attention back to yourself, we're going to continue to go down this spiral of whatever it is that we're feeling all around. It's an energetic thing."
Focus on Better, Not Best
And as fans embark on their own journeys, Brian urges them to focus on progress, not perfection. This includes, he says, approaching it with curiosity and asking, "'How can I make myself better this year?' Not any version of, 'I need to make myself the best,' but just a little better. 'What can I do?'"
Find Your Cheerleaders.
And while there may be some ups and downs, Kate notes the value of having a support system.
"Who are you surrounding yourself with?" she asked. "What programs are you using to help support you?....I have a support group that I've created over years and years and years. And I think what I love about MyFitnessPal and apps that create community is that you're giving access to anyone who chooses to say, ‘You know what? Today, I start something different.'"