“What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” – Spencer Johnson

I really want to get you guys thinking about all the things you can have in order to become the healthiest version of yourself. We all have tendencies to run ourselves into shitville and then want a quick fix to get us looking and feeling at an optimal level ASAP. I’m a strong believer in balance and long-term change that is both enjoyable and sustainable. So let’s talk about how to treat yourself in the best possible fashion so you can feel positivity and progress on a daily basis.

Firstly, it’s really important that you all know that you’re not doing yourself any favours by focusing on what you can’t have/don’t have. For example, I recommend against food planning around restrictions and instead think about the huge variety of food you can indulge in and enjoy in a guilt-free manner. Ask yourself if your meal contains all essential vitamins and minerals so you can sleep better, stabilise your mood, increase energy levels, prepare you for a killer gym workout etc etc. If it doesn’t, you need to eat more of the right nutrient dense foods. Aim to have more; more muscle, more green juices, more sleep, more water, more protein, more healthy fats, whatever it is that get’s you excited! Focus on what you can have more of and stop punishing yourself and setting a bunch of rules around all the things you can’t do.

I want to point out that there is a big difference between appetite and hunger. Appetite is the desire to eat or drink and generally not influenced by a physical response to needing food in that moment. It can be triggered by your senses; the sight or smell of something delicious for example. It can also be triggered by the availability of food or even the temperature around you. Appetite is a thing that happens purely because it’s putting in place the pleasure and anticipation for your next meal. Whereas, experiencing actual hunger is your body telling you it’s time to eat.

I used to eat like a retard. I believed eating 5-6 meals a day and working out 7 days a week, sometimes twice a day, was the best method to rev up my metabolism and get super lean. Truth is, I was hungry all the fucking time because I was exercising so much and my body got used to eating from the moment I woke up to the moment I slept. I hand to heart believed I had to eat within 30 minutes of waking up or my body would begin to eat itself. I always had snacks on me and having two breakfasts was not uncommon. This is a ridiculous way to live people!!

It’s not a bad thing to let yourself feel hungry for a little while, you are not going to die. I used to have this massive fear that getting hungry would produce hangry-ness to the point where isolation might be necessary. Perhaps for some people they’re afraid that hunger might trigger an uncontrollable eating rampage, which sounds glorious until it happens, the fog clears and our rational brain hates us. Others may imagine they are loosing hard earned muscle mass and envision it disintegrating by the minute. I can tell you right now, it’s not harmful for you to feel hungry momentarily as long as you are eating enough throughout the day overall. Hunger get’s you in tune with what your body actually needs as opposed to just what it wants in a fleeting moment.

Building trust and confidence in yourself to not spin out of control has a much more powerful long-term influence compared to eating all the time as a preventative measure to feeling fear, discomfort or anxiety. It can be so empowering to self-experiment like this because it can shine a light on what you are really struggling with internally and open you up to experience powerful change that is really liberating.

Lastly, if someone else lost their appetite and you’re thinking you’ve found it, something else might be going on for you. Instead of actual hunger, you might be thirsty! To figure it out in the moment, I find it helps to imagine drinking a litre of water and seeing how that sits with you. If you think you can easily do it and the thought makes you feel really good then you are probably thirsty. Think about it, if you are “full” but still feeling hunger, the idea of having so much water would be really uncomfortable. Also, it’s not a bad idea to drink water prior to a meal anyway to curb how much you eat (water can be a great hunger suppressant). Another option could be to think about it practically; Do you have a dry mouth? Do you have a headache? Do you feel fatigued? All these can be symptoms of dehydration. Don’t be afraid to up your water intake.

Pause.

Isn’t it funny how drinking 8 cups of water a day seems impossible sometimes but 2 cocktails, 5 gnt’s and 3 shots in the space of a few hours is a no brainer ?

Moving on.

I love to have a glass or two of water before I eat so I don’t stuff my face unnecessarily. I also love to follow my meals up with a hot peppermint tea and/or to aid digestion and improve blood circulation. Knowing you have to drink all that liquid makes you think twice about eating the extras.