Estimated Read Time: 7 minutes

The Four Pillars

  1. No Alcohol - Drinking should be only on rare occasions.
  2. Fast before breakfast - Minimum don’t eat for 12 hours.
  3. No/Low Sugar - Sugar consumption should be a treat and not a routine.
  4. Eat carbs with intention - Be aware of your carb portions and consumption.

A Quick Note Before We Begin

First and foremost, this article isn’t here to make you feel bad or like you’re not doing enough. For most of my life, I’ve never had all four pillars working at once. To put it in perspective, well into my 30s, I was relying on just one pillar—eating carbs with intention. And even then, that included plenty of pizza, cinnamon rolls, and croissants!

The point is, even focusing on just one pillar of your choosing can make a big difference in how you feel and how you see yourself. To make things easier, I’ve already summarized the four pillars right at the start of the article. That way, you can get the gist without having to scroll through everything—because honestly, nothing’s more frustrating than slogging through a clunky article full of ads and disorganized thoughts.

The Pillars: Behind the Grocery Store Answers

“Where do you work out?”

“What do you eat?”

“Do your tattoos have any meaning?”

These are the questions I get asked the most—whether I’m grabbing coffee or standing in line at the grocery store.

My usual go-to response? “I work out often and try to eat whole foods.”

It’s short, simple, and perfect for the time crunch of a self-checkout lane. The real answers, though, are a lot more layered. And while I’m flattered you might be curious about the meaning behind my tattoos, I figure sharing how I approach food might actually be more useful to you.

So, I put together the four basic principles I try to follow when it comes to eating—sort of like my personal foundation. They’re simple, flexible, and not about perfection. I stick to them about 80% of the time, and I fully believe you should break them for birthdays, holidays, or just a really good cake.

Pillar 1: No Alcohol

There’s no shortage of articles and podcasts outlining the negative effects of alcohol, so I won’t dive too deep into the science here. Instead, I’ll focus on the two biggest reasons I avoid it—what I like to call a double-edged sword.

Edge one: Alcohol slows down your metabolism. Rather than burning fat, your body shifts gears to prioritize breaking down the alcohol.

Edge two: Let’s be honest—heavy drinking almost always leads to poor food choices. There’s something about a night out that makes a 2 a.m. fast-food run feel like a great idea. The combo of high-calorie food on top of drinks can easily wipe out a week’s worth of progress.

That’s why cutting alcohol is my number one rule. To be clear, I’m not completely sober—I still enjoy a drink on special occasions or when hanging out with friends. But my college binge-drinking days? Long gone (no promises though 😉)

Pillar 2: Actually Fast Before Breaking for Breakfast

Intermittent fasting has become a major trend in the nutrition world. After hearing about it constantly—from friends, coworkers, and random podcast hosts—I finally decided to give it a shot.

The first time I encountered intermittent fasting in real life was through my friend Nick. After university, a small group of us started working in downtown Victoria and made a weekly tradition of meeting up at The Dutch Bakery & Diner. We always ended up in the same booth near the back—the one that gently vibrated, probably from some machinery behind the wall. It had a kind of underground subway vibe, and I weirdly loved it.

At the time, I was a cream-and-sugar coffee guy (or at least cream), and I’d usually grab a muffin or go all-in on a full breakfast. Nick, on the other hand, would just sip black coffee and not order anything. Naturally, we were like,

“Bro, you good? We got you—what’s it, like three bucks for a muffin?”

He laughed and explained he was doing something called intermittent fasting. He said it helped him lose weight and keep it off, and he highly recommended it.

My first reaction?

  • Black coffee? Nope.

  • Fasting? Sounds awful.

So, I brushed it off. I was still working out, eating whatever I wanted, and riding the wave of my youthful metabolism.

The second time intermittent fasting came up was during a work trip. I was sharing an Uber with a few coworkers who were deep in conversation about how life-changing it had been for them. I wasn’t really part of the conversation (to be fair, it started because someone asked what I did to “look buff” 😅), but I listened. One of them admitted she thought she could never do it because she couldn’t stand black coffee—but eventually got used to it and now prefers it.

When I got back from that trip, I decided to try it for real. I drank my coffee black, fasted for 16 hours, and yeah—I slimmed down noticeably.

After experimenting with intermittent fasting, here’s the version I now stick to: You don’t need to go all-in on 16-hour fasts. I’ve found that even a 12-hour fast—something as simple as not eating after 8 p.m. and waiting until 8 a.m. to eat again—can do wonders for your eating habits. You’ve probably heard “Don’t eat past 8 p.m.” before. That’s just a simplified way of saying: give your body a solid break.

One thing I’ve noticed? Food just feels better when you’re actually hungry. That first bite hits different when it follows a genuine fast.

Pillar 3: Low (or No) Sugar

I went back and forth on calling this “low sugar” or “no sugar,” because let’s be real—this isn’t just a battle anymore, it’s a full-on war. Sugar is ridiculously addictive, and the best-tasting foods? Yeah, they usually have it added in.

That said, I’m not against treating yourself. One of my all-time favorite foods is a cinnamon roll. And I do have one—just not every day on the way to work with my coffee. That’s when a treat turns into a habit, and that habit turns into a problem.

So, I aim for low or no-sugar alternatives most of the time. I don’t have a hard number or strict rule—I just try to be conscious of where my sugar is coming from. These days, most of it comes from natural sources like fruit, protein bars, and the occasional cereal. When I do indulge—whether it’s a cinnamon roll or a bowl of ice cream—it’s maybe once a week, max.

Oh, and if the choice is between Coke and Diet Coke? I’m 100% going with Diet. Every time.

Pillar 4: Carbs Eaten with Intention

Since I was a kid, I’ve had a deep love for bread. Some of my fondest memories involve my mom taking me to the bakery, where we’d pick up three croissants for 99 cents (wild, right?). I can still smell that fresh bakery scent if I close my eyes.

There’s also the image of sitting on the bus with my mom, who would carefully cut up a warm Cinnabon from the Eglinton subway station and pass me bite-sized pieces, all while balancing the jolts of city traffic. Bread was always my preference over rice—something my mom would lovingly tease me about, saying I was “truly westernized.”

To this day, my favorite foods are all carb-based: pizza, croissants, cinnamon rolls. So, how do I fit that love into a healthier lifestyle?

I don’t eliminate these foods—but I don’t eat them daily, either. I save them for occasions, not routines. For everyday carbs, I stick mostly to whole sources like sweet potatoes, yams, brown rice, and quinoa.

As for portions, I use a simple, visual guide: I cup my hands together to form a bowl—if it fits in there without overflowing, that’s my serving size.

Final Thoughts

If you’re thinking about trying out these pillars, here’s one key tip: don’t try to do it all at once. I introduced each rule into my life through 30-day trials—and fun fact, I actually tackled them in reverse order. I started with Rule 4 and worked my way up to Rule 1. The last two were the toughest because they really challenged my existing habits and lifestyle.

These four pillars aren’t about perfection—they’re about progress. I didn’t adopt them all overnight, and I definitely don’t follow them flawlessly every day. But by building slowly and sticking with them over time, each one became part of my routine. The impact? A noticeable difference in how I eat, feel, and live.

Start small. Pick one pillar. Adjust as you go. Those small changes? They add up to something real.