“No more soda.” “Stop eating chips.” “Avoid dessert.”
These goals share a problem.
They’re built around avoidance.
And avoidance goals are harder to sustain than goals focused on doing something.
Research shows that positive goals, ones aimed at adding or obtaining something, are associated with more positive emotions and greater feelings of well-being.
They may also be more effective. When you tell yourself not to do something, your brain fixates on the very thing you’re trying to avoid.
The fix is simple.
Reframe avoidance goals as substitution goals.
Instead of “no soda with lunch,” try “sparkling water with lime at lunch.”
Instead of “stop eating chicken nuggets,” try “black bean tacos on Tuesday nights.” You’re not just removing something. You’re replacing it with a specific alternative.
This works because substitution gives your brain a clear action to take.
“Don’t eat chips” leaves a void. “Eat an apple with almond butter at 3pm” fills it.
Try this:
Look at any eating goal you’ve set recently. If it starts with “stop,” “avoid,” “no,” or “don’t,” rewrite it. Name the specific food you’ll eat instead, the time you’ll eat it, and where.
You’re not restricting yourself. You’re redirecting toward something better.
