Hey there. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last five years, it’s that sustainable change with food doesn’t come from someone handing you a meal plan. It doesn’t come from tracking every bite or living in fear of certain foods. It comes from getting honest with yourself. About what you like. About how food fits into your day. About your emotions. And about how life shifts and how your preferences shift with it.
This post is a deep dive into how I built my eating plan around my preferences. Not someone else’s. Mine. This process wasn’t linear and it wasn’t fast. But it’s stuck. It’s flexible. It’s mine. And I think you can build one that’s yours too.
Let’s rewind to the beginning. During the pandemic, my food habits started to change. I was eating more restaurant meals. At first it was curbside pickup and meal delivery. Eventually it just became part of my routine. I had a lot of emotional ties to food at that point. And honestly, I think emotional eating gets an unfair reputation. It’s often viewed as this completely negative thing. But the truth is, we have emotions tied to food for many reasons. Some of them are comforting. Some are nostalgic. And some are about connection. It’s not just about numbing out with a pint of ice cream.
That said, my habits during that time weren’t aligned with what I truly wanted. I was eating out more. I had snack foods around constantly. I was relying on food for comfort. But I wasn’t ready to change yet. I knew I would be eventually. And I didn’t guilt myself for not being there yet.
When I moved into my current place a few years ago, I noticed something. During that first week, I was having mixed drinks every night. Not in a reckless way, but it became a pattern quickly. Then one night I realized I didn’t really want to be doing that. So I stopped. For me, alcohol has always been more of a logical thing than an emotional one. I don’t like the way I feel after drinking too much. That’s been true since my early twenties. But food... food has always been a little more emotional for me.
I’ve always been fascinated by food marketing. The bliss points. The combinations of salt, sugar, and fat designed to keep us coming back for more. It’s not just about willpower. That game is rigged. So I stopped judging myself when I overate something that was literally engineered to override logic. And because I removed that guilt, I was able to shift my focus. Instead of obsessing over being perfect, I started asking what I actually liked. What I could keep in the house. What didn’t work for me.
I was still working out consistently during this time. That was never really off the table. Even when I’d take a break or had an injury, I always knew I’d get back to it. The eating plan though... that took a while. And honestly, it took a shift in mindset. I had to be willing to test things. I had to be willing to observe.
One of the biggest changes started when I got on the scale after a vacation with Heather. We were in Ocean City, Maryland, and when we got back, I weighed 239.9. I laughed to myself because I kind of wanted to see it hit 240. That was a turning point. I decided I’d start eating at home more often. That was it. No restrictions. Nothing was off limits. But I started cooking more.
I didn’t track calories. Still don’t. I used a photo journal to track what I was eating. And from there, it became a process of trial and error. I started prepping food more often. I tested out different snacks to see which ones I could keep around without going overboard. Ice cream? Yes. Certain chips? Not so much. Waffles in the morning? Fun for a while, but the cleanup got old.
At one point I was drinking a lot of ready-to-drink protein shakes. But those prices kept going up. I liked Premier Protein, so I switched to making smoothies instead. At first it was just after workouts. Eventually, I realized I needed something before my workouts too. I don’t like fasted training. So I added oats to the smoothie and made it my breakfast too. That gave me structure. Something that fit.
For a while I was doing three smoothies a day. Now I do two. Each has about 35 grams of protein and at least one serving of fruit. After that I have three meals. Usually chicken, salmon, or some other protein. Some veggies. A starch. I keep it simple. But I also keep it flexible.
I’ve found that I do well with certain substitutions. A couple of dark chocolate squares and some walnuts for a sweet snack. Restaurant meals where I swap out fries for a vegetable or coleslaw. Or I grab a wrap instead of a heavier entree. I don’t say no to pizza. Heather and I figured out how to enjoy our favorites while keeping our structure.
I used to go to coffee shops for baked goods. Now I make my own iced coffee at home. Sometimes I use syrups and creamers and cold foam. And sometimes I don’t. I like the control. I like the balance. I even tried swapping in Pop-Tarts on the weekends to see if they could replace the 1,000-calorie combo I’d get from a coffee shop treat. It worked for a bit. Then I didn’t want them anymore. Now they’re off the list.
None of this was about cutting things out forever. It was about observing. Testing. Learning. I realized if I wanted to enjoy something on a weekend, I could make a waffle or a pancake at home and keep it satisfying without losing the structure I had built.
Even with restaurant meals, I’ve learned to look at the menu differently. I try to choose items that still fit within my overall routine. I don’t stress about it. I enjoy the food and I move on. I know I’ll come back to my baseline. That’s the power of building around your preferences.
My daily meals now include a variety of fruits and vegetables. I get between seven and eight servings of produce a day. My protein intake is solid. Around 160 grams. I feel good about that. I don’t track obsessively. I go by structure and feel. And it works.
I’ve made small tweaks over time. I found frozen noodle bowls at the grocery that reminded me of restaurant dishes. But they were 500 calories instead of 1,200. I added some shredded chicken for more protein. That’s the kind of balance I aim for now. Lower calorie. High protein. Still satisfying.
Heather and I still go out for pizza. Still grab coffee together. Still split baked goods sometimes. I’m not rigid. I enjoy holidays. I eat the food. But I always come back to the structure that works for me. The one I’ve built. Slowly. Thoughtfully. Over time.
I didn’t force myself to change. I didn’t say “I should be doing this.” I waited until I was ready. I started by observing. Not judging. That gave me the clarity to make changes that stuck.
So here’s what I’ll leave you with. Don’t try to copy what I eat now. That’s not the point. What I do works for me. But it only works because it’s built around my preferences. You’ve got to do the work of observing your patterns. Test small changes. Build the foundation.
When life shifts again, and it will, you’ll have something solid to return to. That’s the difference. That’s why this works.
If you want help building that foundation, I’ve got a coaching framework that walks you through it all step by step. It’s called The YLF Experience. Join if you’re ready to build a plan that actually fits your life.