WEEK 1 CHALLENGE
All-or-Nothing + Hunger Reconnection
Day 1 - 7
Mindset Shift Exercise: Overcoming the All-or-Nothing Urge (Challenge 4)
🔔 The goal of this exercise is to help you shift from an all-or-nothing mindset to a more balanced, step-by-step approach to change. It helps to calm your anxious thoughts and empower you to recognize that lasting progress happens gradually.
By focusing on one small action at a time, you can build confidence and trust in your ability to make sustainable changes without the pressure of perfectionism.
Pause & Breathe (1 minute)
When feeling anxious to "do it all now," take five slow, deep breaths. This focuses on slowing your heart rate and clearing your mind, getting you back in the moment and out of the fear.
Self-Talk Check
Notice if you’re thinking, “If I don’t do it all now perfectly, I’m failing.”
Reframe this by saying, “Progress in one area today is still progress toward my goal.”
Daily Priority Focus
Pick one specific action for today (like feeling hunger and acting on it). Trust that by focusing on today’s step, you’re building lasting change, which will make all coming tasks easier.
Visualize the Journey
Imagine the journey as a staircase: step-by-step, steady and intentional. Or the clothes-line picture.
Remind yourself that trying to skip steps may lead to overwhelm and more anxiety only.
Celebrate Small Wins
At the end of the day, acknowledge even small accomplishments, knowing they’re part of your bigger goal.
Day 3-5
Moving Past The Ideal to Honor Hunger + Appetite (Challenge 5)
🔔 This challenge is designed to build awareness and shift your mindset about "perfect eating". Start by understanding where your beliefs/the need for perfectionism come from.
Pay close attention to the thoughts and habits that reinforce certain ideas. With some practical observation tasks, answer a few questions honestly.
Continue to listen and honor your hunger + appetite. When you notice judgment around meal times (or foods), ask yourself why and be honest.
Reflect on diets you’ve followed in the past to see if any lingering judgment remains. For example, if you used to follow a low-carb diet, you may still unconsciously judge carbs, even if you're not consciously restricting them.
Challenge your eating times: if you’ve just eaten and feel hungry again, don’t judge or delay it—act on it (with a snack for instance), but also recognize any guilt that you feel. Identify where that guilt comes from (the thoughts), and then debunk it by reminding yourself of the truth: there is no perfect way of eating that you must follow. It’s only a false sense of control that creates more pressure and, ultimately, the urge to overeat.
Finally, remind yourself that you are unique. Your tastes and needs are different from others, and they can also change over time. What you like this month might shift next month, and that’s perfectly normal.
✅ This video is a great addition to our chat on the last call. Satiation is so important and this week i want you to further honor your appetite, so that we can reach satiation.
No need to do it perfectly, try to respect it whenever you can :)
Day 6 and 7
Feeling Fullness (Challenge 6)
🔔 The goal of this exercise is to help you feel your inner fullness and become familiar with recognizing it. I’ve included a video below explaining this further, including your "fullness window."
Right now, you may be used to eating based on set times, but we aim to move away from that by focusing on eating when you feel true hunger or appetite, regardless of time. This shift allows you to tune into your body’s signals, so it’s your body, not the clock, that guides when to eat next! 😊
Over the weekend, focus on feeling your fullness.
I won’t give you tips like chewing a certain number of times or sitting at the table. Instead, pay attention to your fullness signals (mental and physical signs listed below) by stopping, checking in, and asking yourself the AP questions, answering honestly.
Why not the usual tips like sitting at the table or not watching TV? I want you to practice eating in your normal environment, not in an exceptional setting. I eat while watching something or working all the time and no longer overeat. However, it’s important to pay attention to your signals, so as long as you do that, you can eat standing, watching your favorite show, etc. 😊
Physical Signs:
Increased Energy: You may start feeling more energized rather than sluggish/weak.
Slowed Eating Pace/Pause: You naturally slow down as you become more satisfied. You might even pause more often or get distracted more easily (for example, checking your phone and stopping eating to answer a message, as eating is no longer your top priority when you feel fuller and more satisfied). You find yourself naturally pausing or putting down your utensil, feeling content rather than driven to keep eating.
Comfortable Stomach: A sense of ease and calmness in your stomach, without tightness or discomfort.
Reduced Cravings: Your desire for more food or specific tastes diminishes. You might feel unsure or ‘whatever’-mood.
Satiated Appetite: Food starts to lose its appeal, even if you continue to eat. Especially when you eat something you were really in the mood for, it’s not as delicious as it was when you started.
Light Burping: A light burp can be a subtle sign that your stomach is full ☺️
Mental Signs:
Less Focused on Food: Your thoughts begin to shift away from the meal or snack. For example, you might mentally shift your focus to something else, like the text message mentioned above.
Increased Awareness: You become more aware of your surroundings and less preoccupied with eating. Like when watching a show, you start to pay more attention to the show itself, whereas before you were more focused on your food, its taste, and so on.
Emotional Calmness: A sense of contentment and satisfaction replaces any previous anxiety about eating.
Shift in Interest: Your attention may start to wander to other activities or tasks. You might think about when to do the laundry or remember that you need to book a table for dinner this weekend.
Decline in Taste Intensity: The flavors are less vibrant or exciting as you continue eating.
Satisfaction: A clear feeling that you've had enough and don't need more (which will become more obvious with continued practice and trust-building).
→ Don’t focus on being able to stop easily yet, we do that next week