Gamifying Nutrition: How to Lose Weight by Making it a Game

Most people don’t think nutrition is sexy. They think it’s hard, restrictive, and kind of miserable, which makes it difficult for people to stick to a diet that will help them lose weight.

But what if you approached nutrition like it’s a game to be won?

That’s how I coach my clients – through four clear levels, just like in a video game. You don’t move to the next level until you master the one you’re on.

You win each level with consistency, not perfection. Here’s how it works:

Most people are either eating too much junk and moving too little, or they’re trapped in a binge-and-restrict cycle that destroys their metabolism. Level 1 is about getting back to real food.

What to focus on:

• Eat mostly home-cooked meals
• Cut back on processed and packaged snacks
• Ditch the “protein bar and shake” routine
• Eat meals, not filler food

If you’re reaching for snacks but don’t want a real meal, you’re not hungry – you’re probably tired or dehydrated. Learn that difference, and you’ll naturally stop overeating.

You’ve mastered this level when
Snacking is no longer part of your daily routine. Eating at night will end with your final meal that should be at least three hours before you go to bed.

Once you’ve built consistency with real meals, it’s time to dial in protein and fiber.

• Protein builds and preserves lean mass
• Fiber helps regulate hunger and supports long-term health

Aim for:

• 1g of protein per pound of your target body weight
• 25g fiber daily (women), 38g (men)

This is where most people think they need supplements. But truthfully? You can hit your numbers with whole foods once you know how.

You’ve mastered this level when
Adding protein to your diet is something you can do without worrying if you’ve had enough throughout the day. You can eyeball portion sizes to tell if you’re eating the right foods.

Hydration is incredibly important.

Here’s the rule:

• Drink half your bodyweight in ounces
• Add 20 oz if you’re training
• Add electrolytes daily (especially if you’re eating clean)

Why electrolytes? Because if you’re drinking water, eating less processed food, and not adding salt – you’re flushing sodium, magnesium, and potassium out. That leads to:

• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Brain fog
• Cramping

I recommend LMNT, but Drip Drop and Hydration IV are great, too.

Locking in hydration helps with fullness, energy, and muscle fullness. You don’t get bloated—you look more defined.

You’ve mastered this level when
You’re not constantly needing to go to the bathroom, urine is a light yellow color and doesn’t smell, and hunger and fatigue cues in your body are reduced.

Most clients never need to track every calorie to feel great and look great.

But if you want serious results – like visible abs, body recomposition, or performance-based goals – you need to track.

Not forever. But for long enough to know:

• What you’re actually eating
• Where you need to adjust
• What works for your body

By now, you’ve built the foundation. You don’t obsess—you observe. This level is about tightening the screws to dial in elite results.

You’ve mastered this level when
Tracking becomes second nature. The feeling of anxiety is no longer there and planning out your meals the day before is an easy task.

The way we’ve been taught to approach food is broken. People dread meal prep, think they need to give up all their favorite foods, and believe that success only comes if they “go all in.” So they start strong, burn out fast, and blame themselves when the plan doesn’t stick.

Add to that the chaos of real life – kids, work, financial stress, exhaustion – and of course a processed snack or fast-food meal sounds better than cooking a meal from scratch.

And then social media piles on the shame with influencers selling you:

• Fasting as the cure-all
• Carb-cutting like it’s the gospel
• Supplements and shakes as actual meals
• Workouts that barely break a sweat and somehow “melt fat”

None of it’s sustainable. And it’s not your fault for not keeping up – it was never designed for you to succeed long-term.

Let me break down a few of the most common myths I hear from clients:

• “You need to eat like an influencer to get results.”
  When I started out, I did intermittent fasting, avoided mixing carbs and fats at breakfast, and lived off snacks and powders. I was lean, but I was tiny, tired, and always chasing the next “hack.”
• “Carbs make you fat.”
  This one drives me nuts. Carbs help you perform better and look better. After you’ve hit your protein goal (roughly 1g per pound of your target body weight), carbs are what help fill out your muscles, improve recovery, and give you that full, athletic look.
• “Fasting works best because you’re skipping meals.”
  Fasting made me lightheaded and under-fueled. Sure, I looked lean, but I didn’t look like I lifted. I didn’t have the muscle density or energy I wanted because I was constantly depriving my body of what it needed to grow.

Nutrition requires planning, not perfection. It’s an act of self-care, not self-control. It’s about being intentional with your time, energy, and food, and not militant.

Ask yourself:

• Are you sleeping enough?
• Are you eating real meals, or just grabbing snacks to survive?
• Are you skipping meals because you’re too busy, only to binge later?

You might think you’re “eating too much,” when you’re not eating enough of the right things. And you’re stuck in the cycle of restrict → binge → regret → repeat.

It’s time to break the cycle.

Most people fail because they try to jump to Level 4 on day one.
They burn out. They blame themselves. They quit.

But when you treat nutrition like a game, you stop trying to “win” with willpower and start stacking consistent wins.

You don’t fall off – you drop back a level, then level back up.
So let me ask you:

What level are you on right now?
And are you ready to play the next one?

If you’re not sure where to start- or feel stuck between levels – book a free consultation with me. My nutrition coaching will help you find your starting point, and we’ll level up together.