Why your diet (and business plan) didn’t work. Thinking in first principles.

You didn’t fail the diet.
The diet failed you.

I’ve coached people through keto, vegan, low-carb, carnivore, detoxes, you name it.
And over and over, they’d come to me and say:

“It worked for a while… then I crashed. I just want to eat in a way I can sustain.”

This happened because they were thinking in diets.

Rules. Formulas. Short-term outcomes.
They weren’t thinking like a nutritionist.

Thinking in diets sounds like,
“I’ll cut carbs. I’ll drop the weight. I’ll feel amazing. Done.”

Thinking like a nutritionist sounds like,
“Carbs feed your brain, regulate hormones, support energy. If I cut them, where will I get what they provide? What’s the trade-off? Can I sustain this?”

A nutritionist thinks in first principles.
What does your body need to thrive?
What must be present in your meals, no matter the diet label, so your biology keeps humming long-term?

I can make any diet work.
Because I stop thinking in rules and start thinking in needs.
The person’s needs.
The body’s needs.

This isn’t just about food.
This is about your business. Your relationship. Your entire life.

You chase a formula, and it might give you results for a while.
But if you don’t know the why behind the formula, it’ll break when life shifts.
And it always shifts.

Before you follow someone else’s plan, ask,

  • What’s this built on?

  • What’s it assuming about me, my life, my goals?

  • What are the non-negotiables for my health, work, energy, growth, relationships?

The internet doesn’t know your past.
A coach on Instagram you've never met doesn’t know your values.
Even ChatGPT doesn’t know the full picture (or you have to do a heck lot longer prompts).

So stop thinking in diets.
Stop thinking in hacks.
Stop thinking in rules and shortcuts.
Start thinking like a builder. Like a strategist. Like a nutritionist.

Start thinking in first principles.

🧠 Micro-Practice: Build Your Own “Life Nutrition Plan"

  1. Pick one area: Food, Work, Relationships

  2. List what’s essential for you to function well in that area (e.g., for work: focus, autonomy, collaboration)

  3. Ask: Is the current strategy meeting those needs, or just following some rules I don't really get?

  4. Adjust the approach not to follow trends, but to meet your needs.