Eating for Consistency
Sustainable nutrition that survives weekends, holidays, and real life. Why good-enough habits beat perfect diets every time.
The Real Problem
Most nutrition failures aren't knowledge failures — people know what to eat. The problem is sustainability. Perfect diets that last 3 weeks lose to good-enough habits that last years.
The goal isn't to eat perfectly on Monday. It's to eat well enough across the whole month.
Perfect Week vs Real Week
| The "Perfect" Week | The Real Week |
|---|---|
| Meal prep every Sunday for 3 hours | Prep protein + carbs in 30 min, assemble during the week |
| Track every calorie precisely | Hit protein target, eat mostly whole foods, don't stress the rest |
| Never eat out | Eat out, make reasonable choices, move on |
| Six meals a day, perfectly timed | Eat when hungry, 3-4 meals, whatever schedule works |
| No "bad" foods ever | 80% whole foods, 20% whatever you enjoy |
| Start over Monday after a bad weekend | Next meal is a chance to get back on track |
The Principles
Never start over Monday
The "I'll start fresh Monday" mindset means 52 fresh starts per year and zero sustained progress. The next meal is always the reset point, not the next week.
Eat enough protein
If you do nothing else, hit ~1.6-2g per kg. Protein is the hardest macro to overeat, the most satiating, and the most important for body composition. Everything else is secondary.
Have defaults, not rules
"I usually eat X for breakfast" is sustainable. "I must eat X for breakfast" breaks the moment life changes. Defaults are flexible. Rules are brittle.
Make the easy choice the good choice
Stock your kitchen with foods that support your goals. If chips aren't in the house, you won't eat them at 10pm. Environment beats willpower.
Survive the weekends
Most people eat well Monday-Friday and undo it Saturday-Sunday. Two bad days out of seven can erase a week's deficit. You don't need to be strict — just don't go completely off the rails.
Accept imperfection
An 80% consistent nutrition approach sustained for a year beats a 100% perfect approach that lasts 6 weeks.
Practical Systems
- 1
Build 5-7 go-to meals you can make without thinking
- 2
Keep protein sources always available (eggs, chicken, Greek yogurt, protein powder)
- 3
Do minimal prep (30 min Sunday: cook protein + carb source)
- 4
Use the plate method when you can't track: 1/2 plate veg, 1/4 protein, 1/4 carbs
- 5
Plan for social eating — don't avoid it, just eat lighter around it
- 6
Keep "emergency meals" available (frozen meals, protein bars) for when plans fall through
If You're Just Starting
Focus on one thing — protein at every meal. Don't change anything else for 2 weeks. Once that's automatic, add the next habit.
If You Keep Falling Off
Your approach is too aggressive. Scale back to something you could do even on your worst day. Sustainability first, optimization later.
If You're Already Consistent
Small optimizations matter now. Dial in portions, improve food quality, experiment with meal timing. But protect the consistency that got you here.