How All-or-Nothing Thinking Was Sabotaging My Goals (And What Finally Set Me Free)
I used to be completely trapped by all-or-nothing thinking.
It’s the slave sister of perfectionism—and they held me captive for years.
Maybe you know the voice:
“If I can’t do it perfectly, what’s the point?”
“I missed my workout today, I’ll start over next week.”
“I ate a cookie, so now I might as well eat the pack and start over Monday.”
It’s the kind of thinking that feels productive or disciplined on the surface, but in reality?
It keeps you stuck, swinging wildly between extremes.
For Me, It Showed Up Most Frequently in Exercise
I’d plan to go to the gym for an hour, but if something came up—kids, work, energy—I wouldn’t just go for 20 minutes or do a quick walk.
Nope. I’d do nothing.
Because in my mind, if it wasn’t all the way “right,” it didn’t count.
I never saw the in-between. It was one hour at the gym, or it was failure.
But here’s what I’ve learned:
A car that only knows 0 or 100 burns out.
And it can’t navigate most roads.
Life isn’t a perfectly paved highway.
It’s a winding road with stop signs, detours, gravel roads, and BIG curves.
If your body can only go full throttle or be at a complete stop, it won’t get very far—at least, not without breaking down.
We have natural ebbs and flows:
Sleep interruptions.
Hormonal shifts.
Sick kids.
Busy weeks.
Emotional stress.
These things are not excuses. They’re terrain. And the key is learning how to adjust your speed accordingly.
When you learn to let your “speed” flex with your season, you unlock something powerful:
Consistency.
Not perfection.
Not punishment.
Just small, supportive steps that honor where you are and help you keep going.
What Finally Shifted Things
I stopped focusing on what I couldn’t do—and started asking,
“What CAN I do?”
I don’t feel well enough to do an hour at the gym today—but I can do 15 minutes of squats.
I don’t have time to cook a whole meal—but I can throw together a protein and veggie plate.
I didn’t hit my macros —but I can still drink my water and go to bed on time.
This one shift changed everything.
I started building a wellness rhythm that worked with my life—not against it.
And slowly, I stopped quitting. I stopped shaming myself.
I started being consistent.
And my body responded.
This Is Why I Created EmpowerHER Nutrition
Because too many women are still stuck in that same cycle I was in.
Trying to be perfect.
White-knuckling through someone else’s plan.
Starting over every Monday.
But it doesn’t have to be like that.
EmpowerHER Nutrition is an 8-week journey to break up with all-or-nothing thinking, and build a sustainable, supportive relationship with your body.
We focus on:
Using real body data (not just scale weight) to guide your choices
Learning how to adjust your nutrition to your life and cycle
Releasing all or nothing thinking and perfectionism and finally finding your middle ground
This isn’t about willpower.
It’s about wisdom.
It’s not about restriction.
It’s about restoration.
And most importantly, it’s about freedom.
You don’t have to keep living in the extremes.
You can start today—right where you are.
Ask yourself: What CAN I do?
Then do that. And keep going.
This is what we do in EmpowerHER Nutrition.
We stop waiting for the “perfect” day to start.
We stop throwing in the towel when life throws us a curveball.
And we learn how to stay on the road—because showing up imperfectly is what gets you there.
Consistency beats perfection every single time.
And it beats burnout, too.
Every. Single. Time.
Let’s go. 💛
