Week 2: Why Week 2 Is Harder Than Week 1

I made it to Week 2!

The excitement of finding clever swaps has started to wear off, and now the real challenge has begun. This week was not really about food at all. It was about habits, identity, and what happens when your subconscious starts negotiating with you.

But I am still here, still swapping, and I have discovered some fascinating things about what happens when you push past the halfway mark of a 28-day experiment.

The Second Week: When the Routine Fights Back

Physically, everything has settled into a really comfortable rhythm. The initial water-weight shift from the first week has stabilised, my sleep remains deeply restful, and that Sunday slump I experienced last week did not make a reappearance. My energy levels during my morning treadmill and StairMaster sessions are high and consistent.

One thing has surprised me more than anything else: I never feel hungry.

That may sound strange because most of us associate healthy eating with deprivation. Previous "diets" left me watching the clock, counting down the minutes until I was allowed to eat again. This feels completely different. My meals are satisfying, nutritious and full of healthy fats and protein, so I stay full for much longer. Instead of feeling as though I am constantly denying myself, I feel as though I am nourishing my body. Every good choice leaves me with a genuine sense of accomplishment, and I finish each day feeling proud rather than deprived.

The real challenge this week was not physical at all. It was entirely mental.

In Week 1, willpower is fresh. In Week 2, your brain gets tired of being "good" and starts looking for loopholes. It turns out that breaking unhealthy habits is not just about changing what you eat; it is about changing your thought patterns.

The Three-Second Pause

I wish I could tell you that I no longer look at the rusk jar. I still do. Every single morning.

But this week, something changed. Instead of feeling that immediate pang of restriction, I introduced a three-second pause. I look at the jar, I acknowledge the craving, and then I consciously choose my eggs and avocado instead.

Those three seconds have become surprisingly powerful. They give me just enough time to remember why I started this experiment in the first place. Every morning, that little pause becomes another small victory. It is slowly getting easier.

And remember my frantic internet search for low-carb rusks last weekend? I have some wonderful news! I did not have to bake them myself after all. I managed to find a lovely health rusk made with sunflower seed flour, flaxseed flour, coconut, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. They are absolutely delicious—in fact, I think they taste even better than my usual muesli rusks.

To keep myself on track, I have set a firm boundary: one rusk on Saturday and one on Sunday. It is the perfect weekend compromise, and it makes my morning coffee feel special again without sending me back to Day 1.

The Evening Strategy: Shared Habits and Gentle Sulking

My evening dark chocolate is still my favourite part of the day. Those two squares of rich Lindt dark chocolate are non-negotiable, and those four packets of Liquorice All Sorts are still sitting untouched in their hiding place.

Two weeks ago, I wondered whether I could really survive without dipping into them. Now they barely cross my mind. That feels like a much bigger victory than any number on the scale.

However, one challenge I had not anticipated was that my experiment would affect someone else too.

For years, my husband and I have shared a slice of cake once a week while watching television in the evenings. Since I started this experiment, I have swapped my slice of cake for two squares of dark chocolate.

I suggested he carry on enjoying his weekly cake without me, but apparently cake is not nearly as enjoyable when you have to eat the whole slice yourself! So, instead of him enjoying the cake on his own, neither of us has had any cake for the past two weeks. Let us just say there has been a little gentle sulking in our household.

It turns out we were not just sharing cake—we were sharing a little weekly ritual. It made me realise that healthy habits are rarely individual. They quietly ripple through the people we live with. Sometimes, changing one person's routine ends up changing everyone else's too.

I am discovering that healthy choices do not leave me feeling deprived. They leave me feeling proud

My Biggest Lesson This Week: Identity Over Rules

This week taught me that lasting change is not about following a strict set of rules; it is about changing how you view yourself.

If I tell myself, "I am never allowed to eat rusks or cake ever again," I will eventually rebel. But if I tell myself, "I want to choose food that nourishes my body," the choice becomes empowering.

The swap stops feeling like deprivation and starts feeling like self-care.

We are officially halfway through this 28-day experiment. The invisible, comforting routines are still there, but they are slowly losing their grip.

I cannot wait to see what the next two weeks will teach me.

See you next Friday for the Week 3 update—we will be heading into the home stretch!

💌 Before You Go

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— Frannie ☕

I would love to hear from you!

Have you ever started a healthy change only to find it disrupted your partner's or family's routine too? Or have you discovered a small trick—like my three-second pause—that helped you break an old habit? Let me know in the comments below!