Hi Jaz,

I know gaining six kilos feels frustrating, and I completely understand why you want to regain a sense of control over your body. But I also think it’s important to acknowledge that IVF medication likely played a significant role in this. It’s similar to being in the luteal phase of your cycle—where all of us women naturally experience changes like an increased appetite or craving sweeter foods. This isn’t something you’ve done “wrong”; it’s simply how the body responds.

That’s why I want to shift the focus from control to balance—because trying to micromanage weight often leads to even more weight gain, not less. The goal isn’t to restrict yourself back into your old body. The goal is to build habits that actually work for you, so your body finds its own natural, healthy rhythm again.

Breaking Out of the "Health Box"

Right now, it sounds like your idea of "healthy" might be heavily influenced by external factors—social media, gym culture, or even what your friends do. But health isn’t a set of strict rules to follow; it’s about what truly supports your well-being.

For example, think about your workouts:

• Do you hit the gym because you genuinely enjoy it? Or bc you want to shape your body a certain way?

• If there were no aesthetic outcome, would you still choose the same workouts?

• Are you doing this because it makes you feel good or because you feel like you “should”?

I used to choose my workouts based entirely on calorie burn. Running was the most efficient way to burn the most calories in the least amount of time, so I ran five times a week—even when I didn’t want to. Swimming? I never even considered it because it didn’t “burn enough.”

Today, I still run, but only twice a week—not to "burn off dinner," but because I actually enjoy it. It’s good for my stamina, my skin, and my energy. But I also swim twice a week now—something I would have never done in the past. Swimming feels amazing, it keeps me consistent, and it doesn’t leave me exhausted, annoyed, or dreading my next workout. I actually look forward to it, because my motivation is completely different now.

Ask yourself:

• What does "healthy" actually mean to me?

• If I could define my own version of health, what would it look like?

• What kind of movement feels good, not just effective?

This is about making health work for you, rather than using it as a means to an end. If your version of healthy is something you enjoy, it will be possible to maintain. If it’s something restrictive, it will always feel like a battle.

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001. HEALTH: From Control to True Support

Current Symptoms

You get triggered by a friend, binge eat when you skip a workout, and sometimes don’t eat at all because you feel like you’ve already used up your “allowed” calories or food intake for the day.

Real Problem + Reasons Behind:

These are likely lingering symptoms from 12 years of dieting. Although you no longer follow rigid diet plans, if you haven’t fully let go of a perceived version of health—one shaped by social media, friends, or even your own past habits—those beliefs can still linger. We’re going to redefine health in a way that actually works for you, as mentioned in the introduction.

Cure (how we will approach healing):

This is primarily a mindset shift but also an experimental process. For example, instead of seeing workouts as something you "must" do, we’ll explore different forms of movement that actually feel good. You’ll also try reintroducing foods that work for you rather than sticking to what you perceive as “healthy” within a rigid framework.

002. Hunger & Fullness Reconnection

Current Symptoms:

You feel like you could eat all the time and snack mindlessly.

Real Problem + Reasons Behind:

You’re not yet fully connected to your hunger cues. You might have a broad idea of what hunger feels like, but you’re not fully in tune with how to honor and respond to it in a way that leads to satiation. Emotional ties to certain foods are still present, which is why you feel constantly hungry. This also leads to cycles of overeating, feeling guilty for eating too much, and then trying to regain control by skipping meals—only to trigger restriction and eventually binge again.

Cure (how we will approach healing):

You may understand the concept of listening to hunger and fullness intellectually, but we’re going to actually practice it. You’ll learn to recognize what real hunger cues feel like—both mentally and physically—and how to respond to them in a way that truly satisfies you.

The same goes for fullness: you’ll learn how to respect it so you can quiet the constant food noise.

003. Appetite & ‘Wrong’ Foods

Current Symptoms:

You eat chocolate daily, even though you try to avoid it. You don’t buy it, yet you feel triggered by sugary foods—especially at work.

Real Problem + Reasons Behind:

The chocolate, the sugary foods, and the workplace environment are not the real issues. The issue is the lingering moral value you’ve attached to those foods. Even though you’ve practiced intuitive eating, you never fully let go of old thought patterns or belief systems that label certain foods as “bad” or “forbidden.”

Now, since you’ve put on some weight and don’t feel comfortable in your body, those old fears are resurfacing, making you feel out of control around those foods.

Cure (how we will approach healing):

We’re going to reframe your mindset and actively practice it in your daily life. You’ll prove to your brain that you’re safe around these foods and that your fear of losing control is based on false beliefs.

We’ll change your reaction to these foods so that you have complete freedom—you’ll be able to keep chocolate in the house without feeling the urge to eat it all, and at work, you’ll naturally say no if you genuinely don’t have an appetite for whatever is offered.

004. Habitual Eating

Current Symptoms:

You eat after skipping a workout, eat at work out of habit, and snack throughout the day without real hunger.

Real Problem + Reasons Behind:

As mentioned above, the skipped workout isn’t the problem—nor is the food. The real issue is that you’re reacting to a perceived failure with food. You still associate “health” with a certain number of workouts, and when you don’t meet that standard, you feel like you’ve failed—so you turn to food as a way to cope, often eating what you consider “bad” foods.

At work and throughout the day, you engage in habitual eating because you don’t have a clear understanding of your hunger and appetite. This isn’t about lack of willpower—it’s simply a habit that formed over time due to disconnection from your body’s cues.

Cure (how we will approach healing):

Your reactional eating is fueled by lies your brain tells you, often mixed with guilt. We’re going to debunk those lies and practice new reactions.

• Habitual eating will naturally decrease as you strengthen your hunger awareness and remove the moral value from food.

• If emotional eating occurs, we’ll find alternative coping mechanisms that actually soothe you.

• If reactional eating happens, we’ll use a step-by-step approach to create boundaries and rewire your response.

The Bigger Picture

As you can see, this isn’t just one issue to “fix”—everything is layered on top of false belief systems and outdated habits. That’s why I’ve unpacked all of this for you, and over the next three weeks, we’ll tackle it step-by-step in a way that allows you to continue on your own afterward.

You’ve already done so much work and came so far! Now, we’re just fine-tuning so that you can finally be free—for good.

Even if, at a later point, you put on weight again, it won’t lead you back into these old patterns. I’ve got you, and I’ll walk you through this every step of the way.

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What to Expect in the Next 3 Weeks

Each week, we’ll build on the last, making small but impactful shifts that will help you reconnect with your body, change unhelpful patterns, and find true freedom with food.

Week 1: Rebuilding Trust & Awareness

• Shifting your mindset around health and letting go of leftover mental restriction.

• Observing your appetite—learning when and why you feel hungry.

• Hunger reconnection

Week 2: Acting on Appetite & Fullness

• Learning to listen to and act on your appetite

• Troubleshooting guilt and fears that might sabotage progress (based on your reflections from Week 1).

• Fullness reconnection I

Week 3: Building Long-Term Habits & Emotional Awareness

• Fullness reconnection II

• Habitual eating