The Power of the Carrot

Long time no chat. It’s been a while since my last blog post—it’s been a busy few months. I hope you’re all doing well, and I wanted to share a few nutrition lessons that have worked for me this year.

First off, my nutrition has been a bit of a roller coaster in 2026.

I started the year with a 75-Day Challenge. I was successful, lost some weight, and proved to myself that I could stick to a plan. That said, I learned something important: I’m never doing that challenge again.

Seventy-five days is a long and somewhat arbitrary number. If I’m being honest, once the challenge ended and I was “allowed” to have alcohol and sweets again, I found myself enjoying both more than I did before the challenge started. I guess I was making up for lost time.

Not surprisingly, I gained some of the weight back.

That brings me to my second weight-loss effort of 2026, which is happening right now.

I found myself struggling with motivation. The reality is that I’m only accountable to myself when it comes to eating healthier, and that’s not always easy. Between sweet treats, busy days, and a Knicks playoff run, I like to watch at a bar (Go Knicks!), staying focused was a challenge.

So I made a deal with myself.

About a month before a family vacation, I decided that if I could eat almost perfectly, allow myself one cheat meal per week, and work out consistently, I would reward myself by booking another vacation later in the year.

Basically, I gave myself a carrot to chase.

It worked.

I worked out when I didn’t feel like it. I made better food choices. I enjoyed one evening of indulgence each week without feeling guilty about it.

I never stepped on a scale, so I can’t tell you exactly how much weight I lost, but I can see the difference in the mirror, and more importantly, I feel better.

The success carried over into our family cruise vacation.

If you’ve ever been on a cruise, you know the temptation is everywhere: unlimited food, endless drinks, midnight pizza, and plenty of desserts. Did I have some drinks? Absolutely. One night probably a few too many. Did I have pizza? Of course—I think three nights out of seven.

But I also worked out twice, spent plenty of time swimming, and took the stairs whenever I could.

For the first time after a vacation, I came home feeling pretty good instead of feeling like a Thanksgiving Day parade float.

I consider that a huge win.

Now I’m back at it, with another vacation planned for November. I’m currently trying to figure out what my next “carrot” should be. Having something to look forward to seems to help me stay focused, and I’m curious—what rewards have worked for you?

The other thing I’m working on—and honestly, it’s incredibly difficult for me—is slowing down while eating.

I absolutely inhale my food.

One strategy that’s helped is starting dinner with a large salad. It naturally slows me down. I’ve also started drinking a glass of water before going back for seconds. It doesn’t work every time, but it helps me pause and think before automatically grabbing more food.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that eating healthy is work.

There are ups and downs. There are good weeks and bad weeks. There are vacations, celebrations, holidays, and moments when motivation is nowhere to be found.

The goal isn’t perfection.

The goal is to keep showing up, making the next good choice, and getting back on track when you inevitably drift off course.

Stay strong, my friends.

And if you’d like a little help along the way, send me a message. I’d be happy to help.