Nutrition Challenge 3

Limiting Belief: “I seriously can’t handle being hungry.”

Hunger is a lot of things: annoying, uncomfortable, distracting…

BUT! Its not such a big deal that you should do everything in your power to avoid ever experiencing it.

Problem is, hunger feels like a big deal. Some clients have even told us that hunger feels like an emergency. They worry that if they don’t eat right away, their hunger will continue to get worse and worse.

For these reasons, many people eat as soon as they feel even the slightest pang—physical or mental. That often means they consume more than really needed, which leads to weight gain (or stalls fat loss). They also reach for whatever they find first (see Challenge #1).

But what happens when you don’t immediately meet hunger with food? Let’s find out.

The Challenge: Try fasting for a day.

We know it sounds scary.

We include this challenge/experiment, lovingly called “fasting day,” in our year-long coaching program. Over the years, our coaching clients have told us this day is one of the most impactful experiences of the entire program.

Here’s how it works: Consume no calories for 24 hours.

Zero. Nada. None.

Enjoy calorie-free drinks such as water, flavored water, unsweetened tea, or plain coffee. But other than that, avoid all food and caloric beverages.

Obviously this isn’t something we recommend long-term. It’s just one day. And it just might be the most challenging and insightful day you’ve had in a long time.

A couple of important caveats:

You can do this on a schedule that works for you. For example, you could fast from dinner to dinner, or lunch to lunch. If 24 hours feels like too much, consider just skipping a meal or two instead. This isn’t about getting it “perfect.” Also, it might go without saying, but you probably shouldn’t try this experiment on a day when you need to be 100% “on your game,” such as when you’re flying a plane or doing open-heart surgery.

Fasting isn’t right for everyone!

Do not fast if you: Have a medical condition that requires you to eat, struggle with disordered eating, and/or have been told never to fast knowing that periods of food restriction—even if done carefully and consciously—can lead to bingeing later on.

The lesson: Hunger isn’t an emergency.

It’s natural to worry that hunger will keep getting worse and worse—making us feel lousy and preventing us from getting anything useful done. But hunger doesn’t work like that. Hunger hormones are released in waves based on when our bodies are expecting food. As you’ll probably experience while doing this experiment, hunger is strongest around the three- to four-hour mark of a fast. Then it subsides.

It’s an incredible feeling (and often a great relief) to learn that you can feel hungry—truly hungry—and choose not to do anything about it.

There are several benefits here:

Benefit #1: If the available food choices don’t make sense for you, you know you can wait until something better is available. No biggie

Benefit #2: You learn what true hunger feels like. This awareness can help you distinguish psychological hunger (“I feel like eating something”) from physiological hunger (“My body is telling me it’s time to eat”).

Benefit #3: If it’s not “time to eat,” waiting until your next meal or snack won’t feel like a problem. This is not only convenient if hunger strikes somewhere food isn’t accessible (such as on your commute), but can also be extremely helpful if you’re trying to lose fat.

Keep challenging. Keep experimenting. Keep growing.

You can probably see why we’re such big fans of self-experimentation: It’s quite literally a win-win. You’ll either get a reaffirming boost of confidence and confirmation that you’re already on the right track, or you’ll get valuable information about how you can change things for the better.

By simply paying attention to how experiments make you feel, you empower and energize yourself to make better, more informed choices.

And remember: Self-experimentation isn’t about getting it perfect. It’s about finding out what works for you, and then putting it into practice—one small step at a time.