Rachel has now clarified her ideal future identity, created data-driven action steps, and redesigned her food environment. She could stop here and she would still be miles ahead of what most people do when they want to start eating healthier. She almost did.
What is left takes about five minutes.
She opens her IDEAL Goals Habit Tracker and writes down where and when she will eat each food. She will eat her first piece of fruit at 7:30 a.m. at the kitchen table. She will eat an apple at work, immediately after shutting down her work computer for the day. She will eat a cup of vegetables each day that week at 6:00 p.m. at her dining room table.
Now her goal is Action-Ready. You are not ready to act until you write down where and when you will do each action step.
Try this:
Take one thing you already decided to eat this week. Write the exact place and time (time of day or after some existing daily habit) you will eat those foods on your IDEAL Goals™ Habit Tracker.
Next week, Rachel picks a tool for the days her plan starts to slip.
Want to see how all five parts of IDEAL Goals fit together? Watch the 45-second video.
Coming soon: the 100 Days of Gratitude Edition of the Health & Well-Being Journal. It asks you a brand new gratitude question every day for 100 days. Watch the 40-second preview and sign up to be notified the day it is ready.
—Keith
If you have questions or topics you’d like me to address in future emails, you can reply to this message. I read and respond personally to all replies.
Keith A. Herman is the founder of the Expert Diet Project, an initiative dedicated to correcting health misinformation by spotlighting the advice of the real experts.
The Eat Like an Expert Newsletter, the Health & Well-Being Journal, and Keith’s upcoming book, Eat Like an Expert, are all part of the Expert Diet Project. The book is scheduled for release in 2027.
Plus, you’ll receive 10 days of email support to walk you through your first week of healthier eating, one day at a time.
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive more information about my book and journal (and to download your FREE fillable daily habit tracker).
Here’s how the journal helps you turn insight into results:
13-Week Roadmap: A simple, day-by-day system that removes guesswork and keeps you focused.
Trigger-Proofing Tools: Learn how to redesign your environment so healthy choices feel easy.
Built-In Accountability: Track food, energy, sleep, and habits so progress never slips away.
Daily Reflection Prompts: Just 5 minutes a day to stay aligned before life gets busy.
This isn’t about fixing something that’s broken.
It’s about making healthy choices feel automatic.
This is your 13-week reset.
You’re not in crisis mode, and that’s a good thing.
The Health & Well-Being Journal isn’t just for getting back on track.
It’s for levelling up, staying consistent, and building a food relationship that lasts.
📘 Even 5 minutes a day can help you track, reflect, and grow, before life gets messy.
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