Really struggling after Christmas to get back and stay on the wagon, I have not stopped eating rubbish, I’ve lost 4.5 stone since using this diet and found it relatively easy. And I have never felt better, But since Christmas Eve I’ve put on 9 pounds from eating sweets/chocolates. I’ve eaten less this week but I’m finding it a real struggle to stick to my meal plan and I feel sluggish and tired! Any ideas?

Hi Clarissa so many of us are in the same boat or most recently have been! It IS a big struggle once we let things go a bit. Not sure if the head or the body is willing and the other is weak…

My approach has been to get rid of absolutely everything with added sugar, all ‘treats’ etc and to plan and log every meal for the day ahead. Once I have logged what to eat, that is it. No wavering. Not that I have been successful every day but that is the intent. Plan and move with intention. And routine, as far as possible. Getting back to some sort of ‘normal’ routine is hugely helpful.

We have been here before and we know what it takes. The first few days are the bit to crack and once we hit about day 6 it should be much easier. Each day, each meal, each thought and what we do with it. Move with BSD intent step by step. Go well and so may we all 🙂

Oh my goodness Clarissa and Tigs, if I had a dollar for every messed up day… I have succeeded and struggled (on maintenance now) — here’s my “reboot” idea for those super cruddy moments: First, calm your mind, the panic of losing control makes us lose more control, which results in eating, which results in panic, which…. So step back mentally for a minute — take a slow breath — if you gained weight, so be it. It is ok. You’re not going to gain any more. You know how to get the weight down, all those skills you have learned or read about are going to serve you well again.
Clear your fridge, freezer (yes I eat frozen cake), cupboards of anything tempting. Lay in some red peppers, anise, cucumber, olives, nuts, sparkling water for “go -to” snacks. Do not accept social invitations for now (you can see your friends next week) and CALMLY start each day by fasting as many hours as you can, followed by a healthy meal or two. Drink black tea and coffee and water.
I find just one day of calming it all down gets me back in control — but don’t panic if you are above calorie counts — ANY lower calorie count is good because you are retraining your brain. So don’t criticize your efforts.
At the end of each day, write down three things that went well that day (don’t have to be diet related). Keep them in mind as you prepare for bed and go to sleep. You’re doing fine. We are intellectual minds inside of physical bodies that need food to survive. If we get that a bit messed up now and again, it is not surprising. Just don’t quit. Bad days come and go. We are still here.

Hi Clarissa,Ive been going through a tough time too .Yesterday I read MM ‘s book again and I had a good look at how bad my eating has been, mostly snacking a lot on BSD foods and wrong food portions.It turns out the missing thing for me was exercise. It took me an hour and a half to force myself out the door for a walk,I have never played sport and I’m really lazy, Usually my active job gives me enough steps but , I’m on leave at the moment.So I did 4000 steps, ate more carefully, still went over on calories but not carbs .It worked this am my weight is down by .5kg. So after a happy dance. my hubby offered to walk with me today,first time in 40 years,he walks a bit slow but we talked about setting goals and getting healthy so its a big win. My fasting sugar was still up so I’m working on smaller portions.The food scale had migrated to the cupboard so I reinstated it in its proper place on the bench. Also I brush my teeth and drink extra water before I give in to starvation urges and it seems to help. keep trying one day at a time.don’t get too upset with yourself. I think that if we are trying to change the habits of a lifetime , its going to take a while to consolidate new habits.

Oh Californiagirl that post is worth putting up on the fridge 🙂 Calming the mind has to be key. Thank you for that. So often the self talk is super damaging and leads to all sorts of bother. Will make a point tonight of remembering 3 things that went well today and reflecting on that.

Hi Clarissa, your post resonates with me. The advice provided by everyone is spot on.

I’ve just bounced back after a Christmas gain of 9.5lb. I was expecting a gain but was disappointed by the size of the gain in just 10 days. My first week back saw a loss of 5lb, one of my highest weekly losses and I haven’t exactly had the best fast 800 week.

My advice to you is not to feel bad about what happened – you celebrated, made the most of the festival and recognised that you now need to improve. Have a little tidy up of all the bad stuff and then make a start. It doesn’t have to be a perfect start, just make one.

It’s all about building a series of small successes that will steadily gain you momentum. If you’ve got a friend who’s also trying to lose weight in the new year then pair up and spur each other on.

All the best for your return, we’re all rooting for you.