how to not give a fucksubstitute junk food
willpower is a terrible diet strategy. it's a finite resource that depletes throughout the day, which is why you eat clean until 9 PM and then demolish a bag of chips on the couch. the solution isn't more discipline. it's smarter substitution.
the swap, not the stop
the worst nutrition advice is "just stop eating bad food." your brain doesn't work that way. it craves specific textures, flavors, and mouth-feels. when you eliminate without replacing, you create a vacuum that willpower has to fill. and willpower always loses eventually.
instead, find alternatives that scratch the same itch:
- craving chips? try salted nuts, roasted chickpeas, or seaweed snacks. you want crunch and salt — give your brain crunch and salt.
- craving soda? sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon or lime. you want carbonation and flavor, not necessarily sugar.
- craving dessert? frozen berries, dark chocolate (85%+), or a sliced apple with almond butter. you want something sweet to close the meal.
- craving fast food? prep simple meals that take the same amount of time. a rice bowl with pre-cooked protein takes 5 minutes.
the 80/20 approach
you don't need to be perfect. you need to be better than you were. if you eat 21 meals a week and you can make 17 of them solid, you're winning. the remaining 4 can be whatever you want. no guilt, no stress.
perfectionism kills more diets than cheeseburgers do. the person who eats pretty well consistently will always outperform the person who eats perfectly for two weeks and then binge-eats for the next two.
start with one swap
don't overhaul everything at once. pick your worst habit — the one thing you eat that you know is terrible — and find a substitute. live with that swap for two weeks until it feels normal. then pick the next one.
small changes, compounded over months, transform your body without ever requiring you to white-knuckle your way through a restrictive diet. make it easy on yourself. you're not training for the suffering olympics.
if this resonated, share it with someone who needs to hear it.