Chapter 1: Building Lasting Nutritional Habits

Recently, my spouse pointed out that spending our final day in Finland obsessively checking my Medium stats wasn’t the best use of time.

The allure of the refresh button can be so strong that it feels more challenging to resist it than to give in. To effectively create lasting habits, one must reverse this trend: make your good habits so simple that it’s actually harder not to engage in them.

You might wonder, "How can I achieve this?" According to Dan John's book, Now What?, the journey of habit formation can be classified into four levels, ranked from easiest to most difficult: starting, increasing, decreasing, and stopping.

In the humorous words of strength coach Dan John, "Starting is the easiest. Right now, I’m about to begin fasting. Continuing that might prove challenging, but for the moment, I’m fasting."

Psychologically, halting a habit is the toughest. Not starting is my second favorite blend of sarcastic yet practical advice. Yet, my top piece of advice on habits comes from Dan John again. When a woman inquired about a diet allowing her to eat anything, he replied, “Sure, but first you need to consume two pounds of salmon, three cups of oatmeal, a cup of blueberries, two bowls of mixed vegetables, and a carton of cottage cheese. Only then can you eat whatever you like.”

In essence, prioritize unprocessed proteins, stay hydrated, and include plenty of leafy greens in your meals, and the rest will likely fall into place.

Removing the Slowest Hiker

The slowest member of a hiking group hinders overall progress. Many believe their dietary goals are primarily restricted by the foods they consume. Ironically, the time-consuming preparation of those foods often acts as their slowest hiker.

Transforming dietary habits involves more than just altering what you eat. For most, it includes rediscovering how to make nutritious meals enjoyable and organizing batch cooking so that healthy options are readily available (this reinforces our earlier point about making it easier to avoid bad habits).

A critical yet often overlooked concept in altering dietary habits is the elimination of decision fatigue.

Take my father, for instance. His second-to-last blood test indicated he was 'pre-diabetic', and the most recent one showed that his blood sugar levels had risen despite his efforts to reduce sugar intake.

Unbeknownst to his doctor, my father’s slowest hiker could be temporarily alleviated through intermittent fasting—not because it’s scientifically superior, but because it removes the need to learn new cooking techniques, develop a newfound passion for cooking, and reduces the mental burden he faces during grocery shopping.

To effectively alter your dietary habits, begin with the simplest changes and focus on increasing beneficial behaviors. With enhanced sleep, hydration, protein intake, and more vegetables, you may find your cravings for sugar diminish, your brain feels sharper, and your stomach satisfied.

Chapter 2: Common Mistakes to Avoid

This video discusses the Top 5 Mistakes Online Coaches Make Under 10k a Month, highlighting common pitfalls that hinder success.

In this video titled 90% Of New Coaches Make These 5 Mistakes (Do THIS Instead!), learn about the typical errors new coaches face and how to navigate them effectively.