I’ve decided to restart my health journey.  I weighed 197.0 pounds when I made that decision, and after thinking about what’s gone wrong over the last few years, I’ve realized something important:  I don’t have a diet problem. I have a decision problem.  I already know how I want to eat.

My wife Karen and I have eaten primarily ketovore/carnivore for years. I generally eat only one or two meals a day. I usually keep those meals within about an eight-hour window. I walk around 8,000 steps a day. I belong to a gym. I have a spin group.  On paper, I’m doing a lot of things right.

So why am I 197 pounds?

For me, I think the answer comes down primarily to two things:  I eat too much, and I make bad decisions when I’m eating away from home.  That’s what I’m attacking for the next 30 days.

Rule #1: Stay Ketovore/Carnivore

I’m not reinventing my diet.  For the next 30 days, I’m sticking primarily with the foods that have worked for me before: meat, eggs, protein, healthy fats, and very limited carbohydrates.  I’m not interested in obsessively measuring every gram of everything I eat.  I know the difference between a steak and a slice of cake.  My problem hasn’t been knowledge.  My problem has been making exceptions.

One exception becomes another. Then it’s a special occasion. Then there’s a client lunch. Then somebody brings dessert. Then it’s Friday.  For 30 days, I’m going to stop negotiating with myself.

Rule #2: One or Two Meals a Day

This is actually one of the habits I’ve maintained fairly well.  I don’t normally eat breakfast, and most days I eat lunch and dinner within roughly an eight-hour window.  I’m going to continue that.  I don’t need six little meals.  I don’t need to graze all day.  And I certainly don’t need to eat something at 9:30 at night because I happened to walk through the kitchen.

One or two good meals is enough.

Rule #3: Stop Overeating

This one is probably more important for me than I’ve wanted to admit.  You can eat the “right” foods and still eat too much.  Just because I’m eating steak doesn’t mean I need two steaks.  Just because something is low-carb doesn’t mean I need another serving.  And just because food is still sitting on the table doesn’t mean Fred has been appointed by the federal government to finish it.  No seconds for the next 30 days.

I’m going to eat one reasonable plate of food, give myself a chance to feel full, and stop.  That sounds ridiculously simple.  That’s because it is.  Simple doesn’t necessarily mean easy.

Rule #4: Decide What I’m Eating Before I Get to the Restaurant

This might be the biggest change I’m making.  A significant percentage of my meals aren’t eaten at home.  I own a business. I meet with clients. I attend meetings and events. I serve on a school board. There are lunches, dinners, receptions, catered meals and people constantly offering food.  That’s part of my life.  I’m not going to spend the next 30 days hiding in my house so I can stay on a diet.

I need to learn how to succeed in the life I actually live.  So I’m going to start planning ahead.  If I know where we’re going, I’ll look at the menu beforehand.  Steak? Great.  Burger? Skip the bun and fries.  Mexican restaurant? Fajita meat and appropriate sides instead of destroying a basket of chips before my meal even arrives.  BBQ? Meat, not three sides and banana pudding.

Breakfast meeting? Eggs and meat.  The goal is to make the decision before I’m hungry and staring at the menu.

Rule #5: I Don’t Have to Eat Because Someone Offers Me Food

This may be my hardest rule.  Food is social.  Someone brings dessert to a meeting because they’re being nice. A client wants you to try something. There’s a buffet at an event. Someone ordered appetizers for the table.  And saying no can feel strangely rude.  But here’s something I’m going to remind myself for the next 30 days:

Someone offering me food does not create an obligation for me to eat it.  “No thanks” is a complete answer.  I don’t need to explain my diet.  I don’t need to announce that I’m trying to lose weight.  I don’t need to give everyone at the table a lecture on carbohydrates.  I can simply say:  “No thanks, I’m good.”  And move on.

Rule #6: Dessert Is an Automatic No

This rule eliminates another decision.  For 30 days, I’m not deciding whether dessert looks good.  Of course it looks good.  That’s why it’s dessert.  I’m simply not eating it.  If everyone at the table orders dessert, I’ll have coffee, water, or nothing.  This isn’t forever.  It’s 30 days.

I think I can survive watching someone else eat cheesecake for a month.  Check on me around Day 17.

Rule #7: No Seconds

I’m deliberately giving this one its own rule even though I already mentioned overeating.  Because this is one of those small decisions that adds up.  One plate.  That’s it.  If I’m genuinely hungry later, I can deal with that later.  But I’m going to stop eating simply because there’s more food available.  The meal ends when I’ve eaten my plate—not when the serving dishes are empty.

Rule #8: Keep Moving

I’m already averaging about 8,000 steps per day, and I’m proud that I’ve maintained that habit.  I’m keeping it.  I’m also going to continue going to the gym roughly three times a week.  And then there’s spin class.  I have a dedicated group of people who show up consistently.  My problem is that work gets stressful and I cancel.

For the next 30 days, I’m going to make a much greater effort to treat those workouts like appointments.  A client wouldn’t get bumped because I decided I was too busy.  My health shouldn’t always get bumped either.

Rule #9: A Bad Meal Doesn’t Become a Bad Week

I know myself well enough to know I’m probably not going to execute all of this perfectly.  Something will happen.  I’ll make a bad choice.  I’ll eat something I shouldn’t.  I’ll miss a workout.  Historically, that’s when the wheels can come off.  “Well, I already screwed up today…”  No.

One bad meal is one bad meal.  The next decision is another opportunity to get back on plan.  I’m not waiting until Monday.

Rule #10: I’m Going Public

This might be the most uncomfortable rule.  I’m documenting this.  My starting weight is public:  197.0 pounds.  I’ll report what I’m eating, how I’m exercising, where I’m struggling, what works, what doesn’t work, and what the scale says.  If I lose ten pounds, I’ll tell you.

If I lose two pounds, I’ll tell you.  If I somehow gain weight while writing a weight-loss blog, I suppose I’ll have to tell you that too.  That’s the experiment.

My Goal for These 30 Days

Obviously, I want to lose weight.  But I’m deliberately not setting a “lose X pounds in 30 days” goal.  Because I think I’ve been focused on the wrong scoreboard.  My real goal is:  30 days of making better decisions.  Eat ketovore/carnivore.

One or two meals.  One plate.  Plan restaurant meals ahead.  No seconds.  No dessert.  Say no when I need to say no.  Keep walking.  Go to the gym.  Show up for spin.  And when I screw up, make the next decision a good one.  That’s it.

I already know what I’m supposed to do.  I’ve known for years.  The next 30 days aren’t about discovering some secret to good health.  They’re about something much harder:  Doing what I already know works.  Day One starts now.