For years, diet culture shaped my perception of what “healthy” was supposed to look like.

Misinformation, wellness trends, and unrealistic expectations taught me to distrust my hunger, minimise my needs, and disconnect from my body.

So much of what I believed was “discipline” was really pressure to shrink, control, and override my internal cues.

No wonder I felt so disconnected.

If any of this feels familiar, please know you’re not alone. These are the seven habits I had to unlearn to feel connected to my body again.

1. Ignoring hunger because I thought I “shouldn’t be hungry yet.”

Ignoring hunger doesn’t make it disappear — it disconnects you from your body.

Over time, your brain learns to quiet the hunger signal, which leads to:

• confusion around appetite

• difficulty recognising fullness

• eating past fullness later

My body wasn’t wrong. It was trying to communicate with me.

2. Waiting as long as possible to eat in the morning

Like many women, I believed intermittent fasting meant “hold out as long as you can.”

I would ignore morning hunger and delay my first meal until the early afternoon. But all it did was:

• push me into stress hormone mode

• make me feel wired but not well

• disconnect me from hunger signals

• leave me chasing stable energy all day

My body needed nourishment — not a daily endurance test.

3. Skipping meals to “eat less overall”

I didn’t realise that skipping meals blunted my hunger during the day… and often led to eating past fullness at night or barely feeling hunger at all.

Both responses are signs of under-fuelling, not a lack of discipline.

My body wasn’t misbehaving. It was coping with inconsistency.

4. Avoiding carbs because diet culture taught me they were the enemy

I paired this with “clean eating,” believing it made me healthier.

Instead, it increased:

• food fear

• rigidity

• energy crashes

• digestive issues

• hormonal symptoms

• dissatisfaction with meals

Carbs weren’t the problem. Misinformation was.

5. Ignoring low energy (or mistaking adrenaline for energy)

For some women, under-fuelling shows up as exhaustion.

For others — especially in high-stress or HA states — it feels like:

• being wired

• jittery

• restless

• “fine”

This isn’t true energy. It’s survival mode.

I used to think I was coping well. But I was running on stress hormones, not nourishment.

6. Living in “weekday discipline, weekend chaos”

I know many women will relate — eating with precision during the week, then falling apart on the weekend when routines loosen.

This pattern didn’t mean I lacked willpower. It meant my body never had:

• predictable timing

• regular nourishment

• stable cues

• trust

I didn’t need perfection. I needed rhythm.

7. Avoiding snacks or sugary foods because I believed they were “bad”

I developed a narrative that certain foods were off-limits — classic black-and-white thinking so many women are taught.

I didn’t understand that:

• Needing snacks is normal

• Sugar doesn’t mean failure

• Restriction leads to reactivity

• Avoidance creates more fear

I coped by using exercise to “earn” or compensate for food. These patterns weren’t discipline — they were survival strategies.

What unlearning actually looked like

Unlearning these habits wasn’t about becoming more disciplined.

It was about becoming more connected —

to hunger

to energy

to satisfaction

to internal safety

to the cues I had learned to override

You don’t have to earn food.

You don’t have to override your needs.

Your body communicates — and you deserve to hear it clearly.

Rebuilding trust with food is not a quick process. But it is a possible and deeply healing one.

If this resonates…

I’d love to hear from you. You can reply to this blog or reach out on Instagram and share:

Which habit are you unlearning right now?

Your answer helps you reflect — and it helps other women feel less alone.

Want support in unlearning these habits in 2026?

In early 2026, I’ll be opening spaces for 1:1 coaching with a focus on:

• gentle nutrition

• rebuilding hunger & fullness cues

• softening rigid patterns

• supporting energy and hormones

• healing your relationship with food

  
  

If you’d like to explore working together, you can fill in an enquiry form(link below) or send an email to infoinsidenouthealth@gmail.com

You’ll receive:

✨ a gentle intake form

✨ personalised pathway options

✨ first access to start dates

✨ resources to support you before coaching even begins

Warm Wishes

Stacey

Certified MNU Nutritionist

Inside n' Out Health