The Right Environment for Success With Nutrition

Following up on last week's blog post about the power of mindset, which clearly resonated with many of you, I want to discuss another crucial factor in achieving your fitness and nutrition goals: your environment.

While the stories we tell ourselves are incredibly powerful, they are not the sole determinant of success. We simply cannot overlook the influence of our surroundings—what's in our environment, where it is and even who is in it.

Many people face daily tests of willpower in environments that actively undermine their health goals. 

For example, constant exposure to doughnuts in the breakroom, pizza at catered meetings, or a partner who expresses affection through rich meals and frequent dining out. 

Environmental challenges can be real barriers when you are aiming to lose fat or maintain a healthy weight. If you can set clear boundaries, you won’t be in an environment where you can win.

If you are struggling with your current surroundings, here are some practical solutions to help you strategize for success.

Where

You have more agency than you think, whether the environment is your workplace or your home.

At Home: Prioritize grocery shopping, meal planning and meal prepping. No matter what your family or partner has in the fridge, you will always have healthy, readily available options, making good choices easier.

At Work: Plan to take your own meals. This allows you to stick to your nutrition plan even when meetings are catered. Remember that many people have food sensitivities or preferences, so you generally don't need to justify your choices to anyone.

Dining Out: Plan in advance. Determine how the meal fits into your day and your week. While it might be time to simply relax and enjoy a rich meal, if it's the third time this week, you need to make smart menu selections. If you always find yourself in restaurants that make that impossible, you will need to manage the frequency of dining out.

What

The modern world is designed for easy access to quick gratification, meaning you won't always control the food available (even hardware stores sell chips now).

Plan Ahead: Advance preparation is vital so that you are not scrambling and making poor choices due to hunger while you are on the run.

Travel Strategy: On a road trip, what healthy items are in your cooler, and when is your next scheduled sit-down meal? If you don't know the answer, you'll likely end up eating convenience store candy. For a vacation, check if your hotel has a fridge and locate the nearest grocery store—this is fundamental planning for anyone who is serious about nutrition while traveling.

When advance planning fails, focus on making the best possible decision with what is immediately available.

Who

The people in your life—your partner, friends or kids—significantly impact your choices. Again, ownership and planning are key.

Toxic Relationships: If a relationship is so toxic that it causes you to cope by stress eating, assess if that relationship needs to stay in your life. Can you manage the way you feel after interactions in a healthier way, perhaps through a walk or a workout instead of by bingeing on unhealthy snacks?

Partners and Family: If your partner enjoys eating out frequently or cooking calorically dense food, you must establish ownership of your boundaries. Healthy relationships involve concession and compromise so both partners can meet in the middle.

Finding Ways to Win

Take an honest look at the where, what and who of your environments and determine if they align with your health goals. 

If they don't, identify the small changes you can start making today to move things in the right direction. 

The goal is not to eliminate all turbulence in your environment—that’s impossible. The goal is simply to be better equipped to manage turbulence and put yourself in a position where you can score a win.