The ‘What, When & How Much’ Theory: Your Mindset for Sustainable Health

We are drowning in a sea of information. Keto, Paleo, intermittent fasting, calorie cycling, plant-based, low-carb… the list of dietary doctrines is endless. We’re armed with apps that track every morsel, watches that log every step, and a 24/7 stream of social media influencers showcasing their ‘perfect’ routines. We have more data, more plans, and more advice on health and fitness than at any point in human history.

So why are so many of us still struggling?

The answer, I believe, has very little to do with finding the ‘right’ diet or the ‘perfect’ workout plan. The real battle isn’t in the kitchen or the gym; it’s in the six inches between our ears. It’s a battle against decision fatigue, against the overwhelm of a thousand daily choices, and against the quiet, corrosive feeling of having lost control.

My name is Phil Jessé. Many people know me as an endurance athlete who has completed over half a million pull-ups, or as a mindset and performance coach. They see the intense physical effort and assume a will of iron. What they don’t see is the daily internal negotiation, the same temptations and challenges that everyone faces. I’m in my 40s, not my 20s. I train hard, but I also know that a single moment of mindless indulgence can undo a day of mindful effort.

This is why I developed a simple, powerful mindset tool that has become the cornerstone of my own health and the foundation of my coaching. It’s not a diet. It’s not a rigid set of rules. It is a process for bringing profound, present-moment awareness to your choices. I call it the ‘What, When & How Much’ theory.

This article is your guide to this framework. It’s an invitation to step off the hamster wheel of yo-yo dieting and information overload, and to step into the driver’s seat of your own life. It’s a tool designed to cut through the bullsh*t, simplify your choices, and help you build a sustainable, healthy lifestyle that is uniquely yours.

The Overwhelm Epidemic: Why We Get Stuck

Before we build the solution, we must understand the problem. The modern health landscape, for all its good intentions, often sets us up for failure. The sheer volume of choice is paralysing. This phenomenon, known as the ‘paradox of choice’, suggests that while we think more options are better, an overabundance of them leads to anxiety, indecision, and ultimately, inaction.

This is amplified by the digital tools we use. For a time, I was obsessed with tracking everything. I weighed my food, logged every calorie, and measured every macro. The app became my master. It created a rigid, data-driven prison that stole all spontaneity. Meeting a friend for lunch became a source of anxiety because it wasn’t in the pre-planned, pre-weighed schedule. This isn’t freedom; it’s a habit that, for many, breeds a new kind of anxiety—a dependency on external data to make internal choices.

When we inevitably fall off these complex plans, we blame ourselves. We think we lacked willpower or discipline. But more often than not, the system itself was too complex, too demanding, and too disconnected from the reality of our daily lives.

The ‘What, When & How Much’ theory is the antidote. It moves the locus of control from an external app or a rigid diet plan back to where it belongs: inside you. It’s a mental checklist, a rapid-fire moment of mindfulness that you can deploy at any time, in any situation, to make a more conscious choice.

The Three Pillars: Deconstructing the Theory

The theory is built on three simple, interconnected pillars of inquiry. When you’re faced with a choice—be it reaching for a snack, ordering a meal, or deciding whether to exercise—you pause and run this internal diagnostic.

Pillar 1: What (Your Awareness Audit)

The first step is to simply ask, “What?” This question is about taking a non-judgmental inventory of your day so far.

• ➡️ What exercise have I done today?
• ➡️ What food and drink have I consumed today?
• ➡️ What is my hydration level?

This isn’t about calorie counting in a notebook. It’s a mental visualisation. When I apply this, I literally picture a table in my mind’s eye. On that table, I place everything I’ve eaten and drunk that day. The main meals are there, but so are the things we conveniently ‘forget’—the handful of nuts grabbed while on a call, the biscuit with a cup of tea, the hidden bits of food tasted while cooking. The mind is a master of strategic erasure; this visualisation brings it all back into the light.

Crucially, I also visualise my water intake. I know my water bottle holds a specific volume, so I can mentally stack up how many I’ve consumed. This is for water only. Cups of tea or coffee are on the table as food and drink, not as hydration. This simple act of seeing it all laid out provides an instant, honest snapshot of my day’s intake and output.

Pillar 2: When (The Timeline of Your Day)

The second question is, “When?” This adds the crucial context of time to your awareness audit.

• ➡️ When did I exercise? (Was it an intense morning session, or a gentle evening walk?)
• ➡️ When did I last eat? When did I break my fast? (Am I truly hungry, or just bored?)
• ➡️ When will I next have a chance to eat or exercise?

Understanding the ‘When’ helps you connect with your body’s real signals. A craving at 3 PM feels different when you realise you had a large lunch an hour ago, versus when you know you skipped breakfast and your last meal was 12 hours prior. It provides a narrative to your day, helping you understand the flow of your energy and the rhythm of your choices.

Pillar 3: How Much (Your Volume Check)

The final question is, “How Much?” This brings the dimension of quantity and portion into focus.

• ➡️ How much exercise did I do? (Duration, intensity, reps.)
• ➡️ How much food and drink have I consumed? (Portion sizes, volume.)

This is where my personal battles are often fought. I know myself. If I buy a bag of jelly babies, my default setting is to eat the entire bag. Portion control with treats is not my finest moment. The ‘How Much’ question forces me to confront this. It’s not about shame; it’s about honesty. Acknowledging that I’ve already had a significant amount of sugar today makes the decision about that next handful a conscious one.

The Story of Alex: A Visual Guide

This is the starting point for so many of us: a sea of conflicting information and the feeling of being completely overwhelmed.

The most powerful act is to simply pause. This is the moment we stop reacting to the noise and activate our own inner wisdom.

By asking 'What?', we create a mental inventory. The chaos of the day's choices becomes a clear, simple picture.

Armed with awareness, the choice becomes simpler. It's no longer a battle of willpower, but a conscious decision aligned with our goals.

The ultimate goal isn't a number on a scale; it's a sustainable state of wellbeing. This is the peace that comes from taking back control, one conscious choice at a time.

In Practice: A Real-World Dialogue

So how does this work in the moment? Let’s use my own example—the desire for a second chocolate bar on a rest day. Rest days are the most challenging for me. Without the structure of a heavy training session, it’s easy to mindlessly consume hundreds of calories, telling myself, “It’s okay, I’ll just burn them off tomorrow.”

The old me would just eat the chocolate. The new me deploys the theory.

The Temptation: I’ve finished one chocolate bar, and my brain is screaming for another.

The Pause: Before my hand reaches for it, I stop. I take one deep breath. I activate the framework.

• 1️⃣ WHAT? Okay, let’s visualise the table. I had my usual breakfast. For lunch, I had that large sandwich and a packet of crisps. I’ve had three cups of tea, each with a splash of milk. I’ve also had one of these chocolate bars already. On the exercise front: it’s a rest day, so nothing. What about water? I visualise my bottle. I’ve had two of them, so that’s good.
• 2️⃣ WHEN? I had lunch about two hours ago. I had the first chocolate bar 10 minutes ago. When am I eating next? Dinner is in about three hours.
• 3️⃣ HOW MUCH? How much have I eaten? The portions were reasonable, but that first chocolate bar was calorically dense. How much exercise? Zero.

The Conscious Choice: In this brief, 15-second internal dialogue, my day’s activities have been brought into the sharp focus of the present moment. I am no longer operating on autopilot. I can see the full picture. I can think about what has been that day and what is to come.

Now, I can make a choice from a position of power, not impulse. I can see that a second chocolate bar isn’t aligned with my energy output for the day. I understand that I’m likely not hungry, but probably just seeking a dopamine hit from the sugar. The desire doesn’t magically vanish, but its power is diminished. I can just as easily put the bag down and walk away as I can eat it. And more often than not, I now choose to walk away.

This is the theory in action. It’s not about restriction; it’s about informed, present-moment awareness. It puts you back in the driving seat.

The Science Behind the Simplicity

This simple mindset tool is powerful because it works in harmony with our body’s complex biological systems, rather than against them.

The Hunger Hormones: Leptin and Ghrelin

Our bodies have a sophisticated system for regulating hunger and satiety, primarily managed by two hormones: ghrelin (the ‘go’ hormone that signals hunger) and leptin (the ‘stop’ hormone that signals fullness). In a balanced system, these hormones work in tandem. However, a diet high in processed foods, poor sleep, and mindless eating can disrupt these signals, leaving us feeling hungry even when we’re not.

The ‘What, When & How Much’ theory promotes mindful eating. By pausing to assess your day, you are giving your brain a chance to catch up with your stomach and accurately register leptin signals. The ‘When’ pillar is particularly crucial here. Eating at regular intervals and avoiding constant grazing helps to stabilise ghrelin production, preventing the wild hunger swings that lead to poor choices.

The Weight Set Point Theory

Have you ever felt like your body has a ‘favourite’ weight that it always wants to return to, no matter how hard you diet? This is the core idea of the weight set point theory. Your body has a weight range it considers ‘normal’ and will defend it by adjusting your metabolism and hunger signals.

Aggressive, yo-yo dieting can wreak havoc on this system. When you drastically cut calories, your body perceives a famine and fights back by slowing your metabolism and increasing hunger hormones, making it incredibly difficult to maintain weight loss.

The ‘What, When & How Much’ theory offers a sustainable alternative. It encourages gradual, consistent, and mindful adjustments. By making small, conscious choices day after day, you are not shocking your system. You are gently guiding your body towards a new, healthier set point, allowing your metabolism and hormones to adapt in a balanced way. It’s a long-term strategy for finding your body’s true, healthy equilibrium.

The Dehydration Deception

As I explored in my article, "Are You Drinking Enough Water?", dehydration has a profound impact on body and mind. One of its most common tricks is to masquerade as hunger. The symptoms are similar—low energy, fogginess, a feeling of emptiness. Many of us reach for a snack when what our body is actually crying out for is water.

The ‘What’ pillar of the theory directly addresses this by making you consciously visualise your water intake. When you pause and realise you’ve only had one glass of water all day, the choice becomes clearer: rehydrate first, then reassess if you are still truly hungry.

Working with Your Body's Unique Biology

It’s important to acknowledge that for some, the equation is more complex due to factors beyond our immediate control.

The Thyroid Factor

Conditions like an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) or an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) directly impact metabolism, making weight management more challenging. The ‘What, When & How Much’ theory is not a medical treatment. However, it can be an exceptionally valuable tool for individuals with these conditions. When your metabolism is a variable outside of your full control, gaining clarity and control over the factors you can manage—your food intake and your physical activity—becomes even more critical. The theory provides a simple framework for maintaining that awareness and accountability, working in partnership with the medical guidance from your doctor.

The Menopause Factor

This journey, most commonly experienced by women, represents one of the most significant biological shifts in a person's life. The decline in key hormones like oestrogen, progesterone, and sometimes testosterone can impact everything from metabolism and body composition to energy levels and mood. This can be an incredibly frustrating time, where familiar methods for weight management suddenly become ineffective. It's crucial to understand that this is not a personal failure, but a physiological reality. In this context of profound internal change, the ‘What, When & How Much’ theory becomes an even more powerful anchor. When your body’s hormonal signals feel unpredictable, the theory provides a stable, reliable framework for managing the controllables and maintaining a sense of agency.

The Testosterone Factor

Similarly, while often discussed in relation to men, testosterone balance is crucial for many people's health. Imbalances, both high and, more commonly, low levels of testosterone can affect energy, mood, muscle mass, and metabolism, making health and fitness goals feel harder to achieve. Just as with other hormonal shifts, this is a biological reality, not a lack of effort. For anyone navigating these changes, the ‘What, When & How Much’ theory serves as a vital tool. It provides a clear, logical framework for taking control of daily choices around nutrition and exercise, empowering you to work with your body and manage your health proactively.

💡 Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. If you have or suspect you have a thyroid condition, are navigating menopause, or have any other health concerns, including those related to testosterone levels, please consult with a qualified healthcare professional.

A Tool for Life

While we’ve explored this theory through the lens of health and fitness, its application is universal. It’s a framework for accountability that can be applied to any area of your life where you seek to make more conscious choices.

• ➡️ Productivity: What have I accomplished today? When am I most focused? How much time am I spending on high-value tasks versus distractions?
• ➡️ Finances: What have I spent money on this week? When do I tend to make impulse purchases? How much am I saving versus spending?
• ➡️ Relationships: What have I contributed to this relationship recently? When did we last have quality time? How much of my energy is this relationship taking versus giving?

It is a universal tool for present-moment awareness.

Conclusion: The Power of the Pause

In a world that wants to sell you a quick fix, the most radical act can be to simply pause. The ‘What, When & How Much’ theory is, at its heart, a structured pause. It’s a moment of conscious inquiry that disconnects you from the autopilot of impulse and reconnects you with the present, empowered version of yourself.

This isn’t about perfection. There will be days the chocolate bar wins. There will be moments of indulgence. This is not about eliminating those, but about ensuring they are conscious choices, not mindless reactions.

The power to build a healthier, more fulfilling life doesn’t lie in the next diet book or fitness app. It lies in the quiet moments of choice that happen throughout your day. By asking yourself ‘What, When, and How Much’, you are not just making a better choice about food or exercise; you are casting a vote for a more conscious, intentional, and empowered way of life. You are taking back control, one present moment at a time.