WEEK 1 EXERCISE

Body Reconnection: Hunger

Day 1 and 2

Feeling Hunger (Exercise 1)

Over the next two days (Monday + Tuesday), I want you to focus only on feeling your hunger. Don’t worry about acting on it, how much to eat, or when.

💡 Why are we doing this?
I want you to get familiar with what it really feels like for your body to demand something—communicate with you.

This way, we move away from feeling the need to control it and start building trust again.

Solely focus on the mental and physical cues, observe the actions of your body, and take notes:

  1. When it happened

  2. What you’ve eaten before/last time

  3. What type of hunger it was. Was it more of a craving or physical energy hunger?

→ Example: "My stomach growled at 11:00 a.m., I felt lightheaded at 3:00 p.m. etc." ✍🏻

Below are three physical and three mental signs to pay attention to. We will explore more if needed; for now, three from each category is enough.

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Hunger Signals

Exercise 1

Physical:
Pay attention to any signs of low energy. Do you feel tired, sluggish, or like your body is running out of fuel?

Mental:
Notice if you’re having difficulty concentrating. Are you struggling to focus on what you’re doing because food keeps popping into your mind?

Exercise 2

Physical:
Check if your stomach is growling or rumbling. This natural signal often indicates that your body is ready for food.

Mental:
Focus on whether you’re feeling irritable or moody. Do you notice that you’re more easily frustrated or agitated than usual?

Exercise 3

Physical:
Focus on whether your stomach feels empty or hollow. Pause and ask yourself: Does my stomach feel like it needs nourishment, or am I eating for another reason?

Mental:
Cravings: A specific desire for certain types of food. Are you feeling a strong pull toward a particular meal or snack?

Day 3, 4 and 5

Acting Hunger—Overcoming Control  (Exercise 2)

With this exercise I want to start to change your view on eating. It will shift it from a mindset of eating out of obligation or habit to one of truly listening to your body.

💡 Why are we doing this?

Currently you are listening to the signals (for breakfast) but you don’t respond to them authentically, which is causing you to restrict yourself later on and live in that health-idea box of how you should eat, which then ends up in you snacking when you don’t actually want.

Imagine your hunger signals as a friend who wants to talk because she needs your advice. She calls you, and you listen with care because you love her. Your body does the same thing when it "knocks" for food—it’s reaching out, asking you to respond.

I want you to welcome that hunger, listen to it with curiosity, and treat it with the same care you would give your friend. Your body "knocks" for food because it has a need, just like your friend would reach out when she needs support. You don’t have to focus on what you "should" eat or any limits—just like when you talk to a friend, you wouldn’t think about the number of things you have to say or answer, you’d simply engage in the conversation and respond naturally.

Right now, the goal is to connect with your hunger in a way that feels right. If your body asks for breakfast, you respond with what you truly want, not because it’s "healthy" or because you feel like you “should,” but because that’s what you need in the moment.

And that could also be no meal, when genuinely not hungry. You then just bring breakfast and eat it later.

You don’t need to set a limit or control yourself with rules for the rest of the day. Just like you wouldn’t set a strict agenda for a conversation with a friend, don’t limit what you eat based on what you’ve already eaten earlier (but we will deepen that next week).

For now, act only on your first hunger, breakfast, and then for the weekend we do the next step :)

1. Act on your hunger for breakfast.

→ When you feel hunger in the morning (whenever that may be!), respond by eating something you genuinely want.

This is the first step toward letting go of control and moving away from the idea and the box for the rest of the day, in a way that feels manageable and not overwhelming.

2. Spot the Guilt-Thought

Spot the thought that comes up when you feel guilty, worried, or overwhelmed about what meals to eat next. This will help you become more aware of the emotional patterns that drive restrictive eating (the “box”) later on, which as we know, triggers the over-snacking.

For example:
“Breakfast was really good, but should I now have a smaller lunch/dinner?”

→ Take a moment to observe the thought without reacting to it, knowing it’s just a thought—not a directive.

(P.S. send me these thoughts or write them down in your notes so we can discuss them in our calls)

3. Change Your Response

✅ Change Your Response (reaction) to break those false beliefs and the need for managing your meals for the rest of the day. This step will help you reframe hunger as a message to respect, rather than something that needs to be controlled or feared!

Remember:

  • When you feel your mind start to anticipate or limit your future meals based on breakfast, gently remind yourself that hunger is here and now. Focus on what you need in this moment.


    → When you listen with curiosity and respond with care to your friend or partner, the relationship can thrive.

    → The same goes for your hunger—it feels respected and won’t continue to “nag” you for more (the snacks), when you stay in the moment and respect the current needs of your hunger.

  • Hunger knocks to communicate
    👉🏽 You are ready to listen with curiosity, without limits.
    👉🏽 Respond with respect and care for its needs.
    👉🏽 Satisfied hunger leads to peace.

  • Only when hunger is satisfied will the food noise stop
    This will result in decreased binge urges and overeating. By starting your day with a satisfying breakfast, you’re laying the foundation for a less stressful day.

  • This process isn’t about perfection, but about building trust with her body which will lead to full food freedom ☀️

Appetite Hunger Mindset Shift  (Exercise 3)

With this exercise I want you to change your views on normal cravings and your appetite. Chocolate isn’t bad, and we want to normalise it.

So soon, you can always have sweets in the house, like the cookies and feel normal around them! 😎

These questions will help you identify whether your desire for chocolate (or any food) is coming from hunger, appetite, or an emotional trigger. The goal is not to control or restrict but to build awareness and respond in a way that truly satisfies you.

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When the thought for chocolate, sweets or anything more appetite related comes up, don’t dismiss it or see it as a bad thing. Rather see it as a new opportunity to understand your body:

Ask yourself the following questions:

  1. Why do I feel like eating it?

  2. What food did I have today?

  3. Did I honor my hunger (right portion and the food I actually wanted)?

  4. Did anything else happen (sadness, boredom, stress…)?

  5. Why do I not just have chocolate? 

→ Allow yourself to have whatever you’re craving, and remind yourself that you eat not only for energy but also to satisfy your appetite. When your appetite is satisfied, the food noise decreases even more and for good.

→ Don’t worry about portions just yet. We will start focusing on fullness and stopping when eating these foods next week.