#straightfromcait: How to Change The Habit That Is Keeping You Stuck

Jul 27, 2025

Cait Donovan reveals her personal struggle with a long-standing sugar habit, highlighting how habits can mask deeper discomforts. With support from dietitian Sydney Green, she explores her relationship with food through compassion rather than shame. Instead of drastic changes, she opts for a small yet powerful shift — no sugar in her coffee. This simple decision leads to greater awareness of her body and emotions, inviting listeners to reflect on what habits they might be avoiding and encouraging them to start small on their own journey.

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ANECDOTE

Cait's Sugar Habit Struggle

Cait Donovan shares her ongoing struggle with a long-standing sugar habit post-burnout.
She reveals emotional discomfort as the core issue behind her sugar cravings, not just the habit itself.

ADVICE

Start Small With Kindness

Avoid harsh self-criticism when trying to break bad habits; kindness and honesty are crucial.
Start by making one small, manageable change like removing sugar from coffee instead of overhauling everything at once.

INSIGHT

Insight from Tracking Blood Sugar

Tracking blood sugar with a CGM revealed how maintaining stable levels improves sleep and energy.
This personalized data insight helped Cait understand sugar’s real impact on her body.

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Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]

Cait Donovan is back with a #straightfromcait episode that gets real about something most of us wrestle with quietly, how we soothe ourselves when things get hard, and what that looks like after burnout.

This time, Cait’s digging into her long-standing sugar habit. Not the occasional treat, but the reflex to reach for something sweet when emotions start to build. She thought she’d done the work. And in many ways, she had. But what happens when one old pattern refuses to budge? What if the thing you’re avoiding isn’t the habit itself but the discomfort underneath it?

With support from dietitian Sydney Green, Cait starts looking at her sugar story with a new kind of honesty, one that doesn’t involve shame or harsh rules. Instead of overhauling everything, she chooses one small shift: no more sugar in her coffee. That simple move starts a ripple effect, including tracking her blood sugar with a CGM and learning what her body’s been trying to say all along.

This episode is an invitation to ask yourself the hard questions with compassion. What have you been unwilling to change? What would it feel like to start small and let that be enough?

Episode Breakdown:

00:00 Sugar, Self-Neglect, and Burnout Recovery

02:16 How We Trick Ourselves Into Thinking We’ve Done the Work

03:10 Unpacking Lifelong Food Patterns with Sydney Green

04:26 Why Starting Small Actually Works

06:13 Using a CGM to Understand Sugar’s Impact

07:26 Real Healing Begins with Small, Honest Steps

Links

Connect with Cait:

Initial Call with Cait: bit.ly/callcait

Initial Call with Sarah: bit.ly/callsarahv

Burnout Recovery works better with support. UNFRIED is our small group (5 people max!) coaching program to help guide you through your recovery. Apply now! [http://bit.ly/unfried]

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