Getting Started: Building Systems for Your Nutrition

If you’ve ever said, “I know what to do, I just don’t do it,”
you’re not lazy, you just don’t have a system yet.

Systems are what successful people lean on when motivation fades (and if you haven’t read our last blog post on motivation, go check that out, it's a perfect foundation for this one).

Now let’s answer the real question:
How do I build a system for my nutrition?

🪥 Start With What You Already Know: Brushing Your Teeth

You don’t wake up debating whether you’ll brush your teeth.
You just… do it.

That’s a system. And it answers every single question:

• What? Brush teeth
• When? After waking up and before bed
• Where? At the bathroom sink
• How? Toothbrush, toothpaste, 2 minutes

You don’t need motivation. You don’t overthink it. It’s embedded in your day, a habit that started small and became automatic.

Now let’s do the same thing with your nutrition.

A System Answers These 4 Questions:

When creating your own nutrition systems, walk through these four checkpoints:

1. What?

What exact behavior are you doing?

• “Pack a protein-focused lunch.”
• “Eat a vegetable at dinner.”
• “Track dinner in MyFitnessPal.”

Be specific and simple.

2. When?

When does this happen?
Tie it to a time or an anchor habit:

• “Right after my morning coffee.”
• “As soon as I get home from the gym.”
• “While the kids are eating breakfast.”

3. Where?

Where is this system set up?

• “My protein powder and shaker are in the same cabinet.”
• “My pre-cut veggies are always in the top fridge drawer.”
• “My food scale stays on the counter.”

Remove friction by having the tools where you need them.

4. How?

What’s your method? What steps are needed?

• “Sunday I make 3 chicken bowls with rice, beans, and salsa.”
• “I use the ‘repeat meal’ feature in MacrosFirst to log dinner.”
• “I set a reminder to drink 12 oz of water before my first meal.”

But What About “Why?”

The “why” behind your actions is important, but it will change, it will fade, and sometimes it will even disappear.

That’s motivation. And it’s fragile.

Your systems?
They’re solid. Predictable. Repeatable.

Your why may get you started… but your system is what gets you results.

Start With Baby Steps

Start with one small habit. Build it until it’s automatic. Then stack the next.

Here’s a great beginner example:

System: Drink 20 oz of water within 30 minutes of waking

• What? 20 oz of water
• When? Right after waking
• Where? Water bottle by bed
• How? Fill it the night before

Make It a SMART Goal

Every system needs a way to track whether it's working.

• Specific – “Drink 20 oz of water every morning”
• Measurable – “I’ll mark it off on my habit tracker”
• Achievable – “I already own a water bottle and get up early”
• Relevant – “I’m trying to improve hydration and energy”
• Time-bound – “I’ll do this every day for the next 7 days”

Use a Habit Tracker

Visual tracking = instant feedback.
Use an app or paper tracker and check it off every day you complete your habit.

Your job isn’t to be perfect, your job is to practice.

Your Homework:

1. Pick ONE habit you want to automate
2. Answer the 4 questions: what, when, where, how
3. Make it a SMART goal
4. Track it for 7 days

Then share your system with your coach or post it in the group for accountability.

Final Thought:

Motivation may come and go. But systems stay.
And systems turn hope into results.

You don’t need more willpower. You need a better plan.

Let’s build yours.

‍