“Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy are the noise before defeat.” – Sun Tzu

There is a surprising parallel between modern nutrition and this old wartime proverb. If you are working toward a health goal, the difference between strategy and tactics matters more than you might think.

Strategy: the bigger picture

Strategy is both the why and the what. It is the framework that guides your journey. Think of strategy as the map that tells you where you are going:

• Weight loss or body composition: creating a consistent calorie deficit while protecting muscle.
   
• Building strength or performance: fuelling with enough energy, protein, and carbs for training and recovery.
   
• Managing health conditions: balancing blood sugar, blood pressure, or cholesterol through food quality and timing.
  
   

Strategy gives direction. Without it, you risk chasing every new diet trend and ending up nowhere. The intriguing thing is that strategy in health is usually not controversial. Most experts agree on the fundamentals: nourishing foods, appropriate energy balance, regular movement, quality sleep, and stress management. The debate typically arises regarding the tactics and the best ways to implement those fundamentals for your individual needs.

Tactics: the day-to-day moves

Tactics are the how. They are the meals, habits, and daily choices that bring your strategy to life. Unlike strategy, tactics are personal and highly adaptable. What works for one person may not suit another, and that is okay.

Examples of tactics include:

• Meal timing: Some thrive on intermittent fasting, others prefer three square meals, and some do best with smaller snacks throughout the day.
   
• Food choices: You might lean on Mediterranean-style eating, a higher-protein approach, more plants, or a mix of everything.
   
• Cooking style: One person batch cooks on a Sunday, another preps simple components, while a third prefers fresh daily cooking.
   
• Tools: Calorie tracking, smaller plates, shopping lists, or simply building consistent meal routines.
  
   

These are the levers you can pull and test. The strategy, like eating enough protein to support strength or maintaining a calorie deficit for weight loss, remains steady. The tactics are what you change until you find the mix that fits your lifestyle and preferences and keeps your progress steady.

Why separating them matters

When progress stalls, people often panic and throw out the entire plan. But if you can distinguish strategy from tactics, you can adjust without losing sight of the end goal.

• Plateauing on weight loss? Keep the strategy (calorie deficit), but change tactics:swap out liquid calories, tighten up portion sizes, or add a walk after dinner.
   
• Struggling with energy for workouts? Keep the strategy (fuel for performance), but shift tactics: eat more carbs pre-training, or spread protein evenly through the day.
  
   

This way, setbacks become opportunities to refine the plan rather than reasons to quit.

Your takeaway

Sun Tzu may not have had nutrition in mind, but his words ring true. Strategy gives you the path. Tactics help you walk it. Together, they create progress that lasts.

So, define your why, set your strategy, and then choose the tactics that fit your lifestyle, preferences, and needs. The best approach is the one you can sustain and the one that evolves with you.

‍