Hello there,

I started 2022 with a goal to lose weight and improve my general health. I’m not pre diabetic but am overweight. I did the fast 800 for the first four weeks of the year (the whole of January) I was in ketosis and felt so good losing weight quickly. However, one night out I slipped up with some carbs! Had pizza and have never been able to get more than a couple days into the diet again. I keep falling off the wagon and am struggling to get onto it again. I’ve got two young kids so sleep deprivation a big factor into shoving bad foods into my mouth!

I really want to do the 12 weeks as personally I feel it’s the only way I’m ever going to lose this weight. If anyone has any advice on how to get back onto it I’d appreciate it 🙂

Hi australianfilmmaker!
Good start on the BSD! And don’t fret — you don’t have to do this perfectly and you will still lose weight. Just don’t quit.
So one of the research findings is that overweight people tend to be black and white thinkers. All or nothing. I suggest that you don’t try to be perfect, just keep cutting the simple carbs, keep avoiding all sugars, keep controlling the amount of alcohol, keep getting more exercise.
It takes time to train your mind to think differently — I think it took me about four months to finally think in a new way. I kept trying, kept choosing the right things, kept getting back on it after eating too much. I did lose the weight (like you, not diabetic but just plain fat) and I’m still good 7 years later.
There is a GIANT moment when you realize that you have truly lost the desire for sugar. It just literally disappears one day and you will be blown away. That is a key moment, and makes a huge long term difference. Everyone’s “no-more-sugar-desire” moment comes at a different point. Mine took around 12 months which seems long but it DID happen.
Keep cutting out sugar! Even if you are eating too much, eat protein and vegetables and keep cutting all sugar, breads, crackers, grains, fruit (tiny quantities), cereals, alcohol (limit it and have something low carb like wine). Become a label reading fanatic. Buy nothing with sugar!
And when you get weak (because we all do), remind yourself that this way of eating is not just for your body, but it is incredibly good for your brain. It is exactly how a healthy brain wants to be fed and we’ve got a lot of years in front of us in which we will need our healthy brains.
I love Dr. Bikman’s podcasts about insulin — he is a top rated researcher into insulin and it’s effects on the body. Insulin can be your best friend and your worst enemy – it’s all in the amount you secrete — some is critical for health, too much and you develop insulin resistance and we all know where that goes…
I also like Dr. Perlmutter’s Grain Brain and of course Gary Taube’s Why We Get Fat and Good Calories Bad Calories. There’s also Jason Fung — just Google them.
When I feel like I’m eating off plan, or just too much, I reread those books and listen to the podcasts. That pretty much does the trick.
Also, in extremis, fasting will “reset” your food responses and choices but that could be hard with children.