Make It Satisfying

The last rule in Atomic Habits, in order to make a lasting habit, is to make it satisfying.

In our situation (talking about food) I really believe that is why I have been able to maintain this way of eating for as long as I have (nearly 18 yrs now).

My food is satisfying to me.

I believe that is really important and not something many experts talk about. Like the photo says, I can feed you the healthiest food in the world, but it’s not going to do you a bit of good if you don’t eat it, or don’t eat it for very long.

Let’s use McDougall’s potato diet for example - his Mary’s Mini.

For those of you who are not familiar, it’s a 10-day restrictive diet where you pick a starch (potatoes, oats, rice, etc) and only eat that starch for every meal over the next 10 days. You are allowed to eat some non-starchy veggies along with it…. but let me tell you, and from someone who loves potatoes, it does get old REAL quick.

It’s really hard to stick to - and a lot of people can’t do it.

I remember I created a few recipes to help me get through it, like my potato soup, and even my cheese sauce. I would post these to the Facebook groups, hoping it would help those who were struggling to get through their own Mary’s Mini, just like I had.

And I got slammed for it.

I was so confused. What’s wrong with my cheese sauce?! It’s made of potatoes!?! But as we all know, EVERY Facebook group has their band of ‘experts’ and they told me it just wasn’t boring enough. The whole idea (according to the experts) was to BE boring enough that you could reset your taste buds.

Funny thing is, I also had an expert to talk to about it. And when I mentioned what they were saying, face to face mind you, he just laughed. He smiled and said, “I don’t do Facebook”. I’m curious now if that was why.

Of course my expert was Dr. John McDougall himself.

What’s the point of trying this 10-day, super-restrictive diet, only to quit after a day or two? I know many people who did just that. So if a bowl of potato soup or a little cheese sauce & salsa on your baked potato will actually help you get through the entire program - isn’t that a GOOD thing??

Like I said - your food HAS to be satisfying, otherwise you’re likely to quit.

That’s why my focus has always been comfort foods, like my no-beef manhattan I posted yesterday. If it helps you get through one more meal, or one more day without eating that cheeseburger or meat-lover’s pizza - I’d consider that a win.

Today, 18 yrs later, I still eat all of my favorite foods that I ate before, and they are incredibly satisfying.

I just had to learn how to make them a little bit better.