365 Changes

Author: Craig Constantine

  • The Trigger Identification

    Vague awareness of triggers provides no protection. Research by Gollwitzer shows specific if-then plans doubled or tripled likelihood of achieving behavioral goals. “I eat when stressed” is too broad to be actionable. You need specifics: which situations, emotions, times, foods. The triggers you can name precisely are the ones you can prepare for. Stop and list five specific scenarios that reliably lead to regretted eating. This companion covers why specificity matters, categories of triggers, the specificity exercise, and what to do with your list. (4 min read)

  • The Perfectionist Paralysis

    Perfectionism sounds like high standards but functions as avoidance. Research by Smith shows maladaptive perfectionism correlates with eating disorders and paradoxically poorer outcomes. When “perfect” is the only acceptable result, any obstacle becomes reason to quit. Ate one cookie? Day ruined, eat ten. This all-or-nothing thinking guarantees failure. The antidote: decouple effort from outcome and measure success by consistency. This companion covers perfectionism psychology, how it manifests in eating, why all-or-nothing produces nothing, and antidotes. (4 min read)

  • Growth Hormone

    Growth hormone increases significantly during fasting—sometimes 2-5 times baseline levels within 24-48 hours. Research by Ho and Hartman found five-fold increases during 40-hour fasts. GH is powerfully muscle-preserving, signaling the body to maintain lean tissue while burning fat for fuel. This is why fasting doesn’t cause the muscle loss that simple calorie restriction might—the hormonal environment is different. This companion covers what growth hormone does, the fasting effect on GH secretion, why this matters for muscle preservation, and practical implications for intermittent fasting and exercise. (4 min read)

  • The Clear Path

    The clear path is where healthy eating is the default—requiring no willpower or constant decisions. Effort moves from moment-by-moment resistance to front-loaded system design. This companion explores what “effortless” actually means, mapping your current obstacles (environmental, schedule, mental, knowledge), how to clear each type, designing the path where every cabinet option is acceptable and eating times are simply when you eat, and closing the gap between here and there incrementally. (5 min read)

  • The After-Dinner Sweets

    The post-dinner sweet craving isn’t about hunger—you just ate dinner. It’s about habit, reward-seeking, and transition from eating time to not eating time. Research consistently shows friction predicts behavior—people are significantly more likely to eat visible, accessible snacks. Your environment either makes this habit easy or hard. If ice cream requires effort, the habit weakens. This companion covers anatomy of the craving, what your environment provides, the habit loop intervention, the toothbrushing trick, and alternatives. (4 min read)

  • Nutrient Density

    Calorie-dense foods pack many calories into small volumes; nutrient-dense foods deliver high nutrition relative to calories. Research by Barbara Rolls shows people eat a consistent weight of food—lower calorie density means more volume with fewer calories. Vegetables are 0.1-0.5 cal/gram; oils are 9. The ideal: high nutrient density, low calorie density. This companion covers both concepts, why calorie density matters, the optimal combination, and practical application for building meals. (3 min read)

  • Leptin

    Leptin is the satiety hormone—released by fat cells to tell the brain “we have enough energy stored.” Research by Friedman discovered leptin in 1994, but subsequent studies found that people with obesity often have high leptin levels—the problem is leptin resistance, where the brain doesn’t hear the signal. Despite abundance, the brain perceives starvation. The fix isn’t more leptin but restoring sensitivity. This companion covers leptin’s intended function, the resistance problem, what causes it, and how to address it. (4 min read)

  • Protein Leverage

    The protein leverage hypothesis: humans have a strong drive to consume specific protein amounts. Research by Simpson and Raubenheimer shows if protein is diluted by carbs and fats, we overeat total calories to hit our protein target. A drop from 15% to 10% protein can increase intake by 12%. Modern processed foods are low-protein — the body keeps seeking. This companion covers the discovery, human evidence, why protein is defended, the processed food problem, and practical implications. (3 min read)

  • The Fasting Window

    At 12 hours, you’re transitioning out of the fed state. At 18 hours, fat burning accelerates. At 24 hours, full fasted metabolism with significant ketone production. Research by Anton on flipping the metabolic switch shows each milestone represents deeper shifts into fasted metabolism. At 36 hours, autophagy ramps up aggressively. This companion covers what happens at each fasting window, individual variation factors, and practical applications for matching fasting durations to your goals. (3 min read)

  • The Sauce Scan

    Most condiments contain hidden sugar—ketchup is often 25% sugar, BBQ sauce can be 30-40%, and many “savory” products contain high-fructose corn syrup. Sugar hides in savory foods because it enhances flavor, improves texture, and makes products more consumed without tasting obviously sweet. The cumulative effect from condiments alone can exceed 40 grams daily. This companion explores the hidden sugar landscape, an audit of your refrigerator door, why sugar hides in savory foods, and alternatives and swaps. (4 min read)