“If you keep good food in your fridge, you will eat good food.”
– Errick McAdams
“I wish I had the self-discipline to eat like you.”
That’s what someone told me when I shared my 30-day Nutrition No-Brainer challenge: 130g of high-quality protein a day as an ovo-lacto vegetarian and upholding all meals through my 5 Nutrition No-Brainer principles.
Discipline in healthy eating seems so difficult since many people assume it’s all about restriction, guilt, shame and tribulation.
Really, it’s a matter of mindset shifts and intentional environmental design.
Let me explain:
Why does self-discipline feel so hard?
If you’ve ever struggled to stay consistent with healthy eating, it has LITTLE to do with character flaw.
More often than not, the root cause is this:
You’ve outsourced your control to external factors, people and circumstances.
We tend to eat what’s easy, what’s around us, and what’s culturally “normal" or "acceptable".
That means if your kitchen or pantry is full of sugary snacks, your coworkers order fast food all the time, and your family frowns at your salad and chides you about living costs...DUH…self-discipline becomes an uphill battle.
Your environment dictates your performance.
Realize that you have an ACTIVE role to re-design your environment, both physically and mentally.
I’ve coached nearly 40 people on their nutrition over this past year.
That includes clients from my time as an Educogym fitness trainer, as well as peers who often sought my advice. Along the way, I’ve absorbed and refined mindset frameworks from podcasts, books, and personal experiences.
All of this has given me a deep well of insights to share.
Here are 6 powerful ways to help you rebuild your commitment to healthy eating, and make self-discipline sustainable:
(Now...Don’t go applying every one of these all at once!
START WITH JUST ONE for at least 14 days before you decide to add another)
#1: Own Your Surroundings
If you live at home with family or depend on others for meals, this can be tough.
I’ve been there. I used to feel guilty refusing my mom’s homemade meals or bakes, even when they didn’t align with my health goals.
But when I moved out, I realized how much CONTROL I actually had.
I stocked on the right foods, removed distracting snacks and cooked using trusted oils and ingredients that aligned with my diet plan.
I designed a space where making healthy choices was the path of least resistance.
Even if you can’t change where you live, you can still take ownership:
- Be selective of what you eat and what NOT to eat (even if it's offered to you)
- Clear out tempting snacks from your personal space.
- Speak up about your goals if others pressure you to quit.
If you can’t alter the whole room, have the personal agency to design a small change in your small corner of it.
This STILL applies to any workplace.
If the nearest food stalls don’t align with your health goals, it’s on you to take charge. Prep your own meals when possible, or order the right foods ahead of time so you’re not stuck with poor choices.
Your environment DOES NOT have to dictate your health.
#2: Choose Self-Respect
Discipline already thrives on a connotation that means: a “difficult” quality to uphold.
And NO, a "lack of discipline" does not directly translate to laziness.
It can also be due to fear.
- Fear of judgment.
- FEAR OF SUCCESS (yes, literally)
- Fear of being “the different one.”
As a matter of fact, choosing to eat well is an act of self-respect.
It’s choosing to prioritize your future and maintaining the most mentally and physically optimal self over fleeting approval from others.
In Belizean culture, fear of disrupting traditions or lack of spending more on healthy foods due to a price tag often keeps people stuck.
This leads to settling for less with a scarcity mindset and normalizing chronic illness. In fact, sometimes the hardest part is setting boundaries with loved ones who expect you to stay the same as them.
Real change starts when YOU decide what kind of life you truly want. But if that feels like too much right now, there are other gentler ways to start this healthy eating self-discipline, no worries:
#3: Embrace Identity (unapologetically!)
“I’m trying to eat healthier” isn’t the same as:
“I’m a health-conscious individual who fuels my body with intention.”
Adopt the identity of someone who respects their body.
The discipline of healthy eating strongly flows from this, because you already know the answer to:
What would a healthy person eat or what would they choose over these sodas, sweets, fried foods, processed snacks, etc?
Stop seeing healthy eating as some sort of "extra" chore; it’s meant to be as essential as brushing your teeth or taking a shower.
Prepping meals, cooking at home, and choosing better groceries are not "inconveniences", but REAL self-alignment in action.
The modern food system is designed to keep you hooked and tired and surrounded by easy dopamine and cheap options, but you DON'T have to succumb to their manipulation!
When your choices and actions align with your values and identity, healthy choices become second nature - A NO-BRAINER!
#4: Leverage Atomic Habits
I LOVE the book, Atomic Habits by James Clear, and I actually first discovered it as an audiobook ever since my third year in med school. I would go on to repeat listening to it over 10+ times.
If you want to build real consistency, follow these 4 Habit Laws:
a) Make it Obvious
b) Make it Attractive
c) Make it Easy
d) Make it Satisfying
I’ll link in the audiobook in the additional resources below, so meanwhile, here are some practical applications:
(again, don’t be doing these ALL at once.
Choose ONE of these and apply it conscientiously for 2 weeks before adding another rule)
a) Make it Obvious
- Leave healthy snacks out (so they’re easy to choose instead of buying a pastry or chips).
(Personal example: I just make sure I have apples or maybe slices of wheat bread and low fat cheese available as snacks)
- Put your healthy foods grocery list on the fridge (so you don’t have to overthink what to buy or succumb to unhealthy desires at the store or farmer’s market).
(Personal example: I follow the low-glycemic low-fat diet, ever since Educogym, but it’s also a list you can build by searching online and deciding which foods align.
So I just follow the right foods to buy from this diet style (by now, at least after 90 days of committing, it has become internalized and a NO-BRAINER~))
b) Make it Attractive
- Pair your meal prep or cooking times with listening to a podcast, or even scheduling this as a shared activity with someone.
(Personal example: I don’t particularly enjoy cleaning the fat off of chicken breast, but I DO enjoy a contrarian podcast treat for myself whenever I have to do this part of meal prep)
- When replacing unhealthy snacks, don’t just leave it at that: a void. Replace it with an enjoyable alternative so that you still enjoy a snack, and one that supports your wellness goals.
(Personal example: I LOVE cereal, especially the Corn Pops one (no, not corn flakes…Corn POPS) but I don’t really mind replacing it as a snack with something I still equally enjoy: a whole apple, berries, 80% dark chocolate.
*actually once again to let you know that I rarely get cravings after upholding the 5 Nutrition No-Brainers, but only after at least 3 months into consistently choosing the right foods each time, so it IS possible)
c) Make it Easy
Start with baby steps. PLEASE.
Going into an all-in will backfire if you’re not prepared for it.
Literally each of my Nutrition No-Brainer mini-dive articles that I’ve written, come with a simple step to try (for good reason!) and meant to be applied daily for at least 2 weeks (you don’t have to be so afraid of permanence).
(Personal Example: A LOT of my veggie sides are stir-fry or soup recipes that have the same process, but just different ingredients to get a particular flavoring.
For eggs, ever since coming up with better variations to enjoy them during my 30-day Nutrition No-Brainer Challenge, I’ve defaulted to boiled, fried or scrambled as needed.)
(Personal Example: I haven’t used any white rice when it comes to homemade meals, ever since committing to healthy eating.
All that I have stocked are brown rice and whole wheat pasta and when it’s time to figure out what to eat for lunch or dinner…well, that’s what I’ve got!
The same approach is what I apply when I am seeking bread or tortilla: I choose the right ones I need for my goals, aka whole wheat ones!)
d) Make it Satisfying
This is the recipe for building confidence:
More reps (# of times you did it (doesn’t matter how well or bad)) = More evidence =
More confidence.
NOT the other way around.
- Track your progress tangibly
This can include taking selfies, logging a food diary, marking a checkmark on a designated calendar for healthy eating goals
(Personal example:
I tracked my first healthy eating journey from the 28-day challenge at Educogym. Many times this can be called obsessive, but it was mostly about protecting my investment and holding myself accountable.
Tracking gave me clear, objective proof of whether or not I was following the diet plan I had been given.
I also tracked my first Vegetarian Keto diet challenge during the month of January 2025 with this same accountability mindset in action.
*Reply to this email if you'd like me to share these!
- Celebrate streak wins for the week or for the month!
(Personal example:
You can treat yourself occasionally after having continuous evidence of choosing the right foods!
As a matter of fact, over time, your body actually adjusts to these healthy foods, and your old "bad food" favorites often lose their appeal. I stick to treats that fit my diet plan, and still feel special: like fresh blueberries, fruit juice or Greek Yogurt.
Indulgence feels better when it also aligns with your goals!)
5: Negative Visualization
(Optional, yet Powerful)
Most motivation techniques focus on positive imagery or optimistic manifestation or visualization.
But sometimes, negative visualization actually works better.
Here’s what it entails:
Visualize what happens if you DON’T change a thing:
- You remain tired, inflamed, bloated, or prediabetic.
- You skip photos at social events because you feel self-conscious.
- You spend money on pills and medication instead of food that could have prevented those conditions or symptoms.
Pain and fear-setting can clarify what matters.
If the future like this hurts or "sucks" enough, you WILL find out a way to go in the RIGHT direction, opposite from the negative outcomes you DON'T want.
6: Use the “Next Best Decision” Rule for any Slip Ups
You will mess up sometimes.
That’s normal. What matters is your NEXT CHOICE.
Instead of spiraling into guilt, apply this “Next Best Decision” rule:
So you happened to eat quite a lot and a couple of choices that weren’t part of your specific diet plan.
That’s ok, it’s important to acknowledge it (and not beat yourself up about it).
So for the next meal or the next day, you choose the foods within your diet plan.
That’s all there is.
Truly, it’s knowing with certainty that you will do your best the next time: eat the right healthy foods to support your goals, or at least stay inventive and intentional if there are other factors (if you still need to eat takeout if on a traveling trip or business conference away from home, for instance)
If you’ve been tracking your healthy eating milestones, you’d have the direct evidence to know that you can do it and always return to it.
Momentum is built one conscious rep at a time!
So many tips! I JUST don’t know where to start…
Self-discipline in nutrition comes from strategy, ownership, and repeated reps of self-respect.
Slip-ups are normal, especially in the beginning.
What matters is staying self-aware and noting them, whether in your head or on paper. Then, commit to getting back on track and keep applying the right approach to build both habits and confidence.
Remember, just choose ONE of these methods (if you haven’t heard of them already, choose the most contrarian one, because it’ll feel like the most novel and would stick to you more even within the first week because of this).
And the next time you’re faced with a choice between say apple or sweets, ask yourself:
“Will this bring me CLOSER to or FURTHER from my goals?"
This one question, asked daily for practically, nearly anything, can change your life.
Additional Resources:
James Clear is a bestselling author, speaker, and productivity expert, best known for his transformative work on habit formation, decision-making, and continuous improvement.
Through his book Atomic Habits, read by millions worldwide, and his widely followed newsletter, he has helped countless individuals and organizations create lasting change through small, actionable steps.
Here's the audiobook of Atomic Habits that teaches the fundamentals of habit formation through the 4 main Habit Laws:
A Simple Step to Try Today:
Here are easy actions you can start applying, based on the 6 methods for building self-discipline for healthy eating that we've covered~
(Remember: choose ONE of these and apply for at least 2 weeks)
1: Own Your Surroundings
Prepping for the next day: remove one unhealthy snack from your personal space (desk drawer, bedside table, pantry shelf) and replace it with a healthy go-to snack (fruit, nuts, Greek yogurt, or cut veggies).
2: Choose Self-Respect
Before your next bite today, ask yourself: “If I truly respected my body, would I eat this?” Follow through on the answer without guilt or second-guessing.
3: Embrace Identity (Unapologetically!)
Write down this sentence and keep it somewhere visible:
“I am a health-conscious person who fuels my body with intention so that I can be at my best self: both physically and mentally at work/school or for family/relationships.”
Read it once before each meal today.
4: Leverage Atomic Habits
Pick ONE of the 4 Habit Laws and apply it to healthy eating today. Example: “Make it Obvious” → Keep a bowl of fresh fruit on the dining table instead of hiding it in the fridge (Reduce the friction of getting to eat this healthy snack!).
5: Negative Visualization
Take 60 seconds to picture your life a year from now if nothing changes: energy levels, health costs, confidence, daily routine.
Let that image SINK IN and guide your next food choice today.
6: Next Best Decision Rule
If you eat something that’s off-plan today, don’t wait until tomorrow to “start over.”
Make your next meal or snack fully aligned with your goals.
Do you have any specific questions?
Were you able to take the simple step and put what you’ve learned into action?
I’d love to hear how it went and what you noticed.
Reply to let me know!