Look forward with determination — you can and will succeed. One foot after the other. Someone in Los Angeles (me) is rooting for you!

qckfox, I bet MOST of us over indulged on Easter. I know I certainly did!!!

I started fasting again on Monday and I was really looking forward to it because my fasts always reset my appetites and my metabolism. In fact, I did 3 days of water fasting because I had had desserts and really was excessive.

Why not rely on the pattern you’ve established over the last 2 months? I’m betting you had a program that was very regular and do-able if you have already lost more than 20 pounds because that’s an excellent result! Just don’t fall into the trap of beating yourself up. That’s just not going to help you like resuming a healthy pattern will. And it’s not so much fun.

We’re all out here rooting for you. Let us know how you feel after you’ve finished your first fast day. I hope it gets you past the toxic consequences of sugar. If not completely, try a second fast day until you’re back in the saddles.

hi, irene here. I have just started on using this site last week. We are all the same. Like when we learned to cycle, just try again. I lost 20lb a year ago with weight watchers , stopped the diet in Nov.Put on 6 lb.. This week trying this . Lost 2lb . It will work

I have fallen off myself especially these last 2 weeks. 2 months ago I started this doing so well with the 500-520 calories on the lower calorie days and eating more veggies and fruits on all of the other days with 16 hours fasts in between dinner and the next meal the next day. I even started 3 weeks ago one 1 of my 2 days not eating anything but cream in my coffee and vitamins. But the last 2 weeks I have eaten whatever I wanted, not very healthy, things like candy, crackers, etc. so much that I think that I have gone over 2000 calories a day, and have felt so bad doing it too. I still fast for 16 hours or more, but I have not made myself do the 2 days of 500 calories this week like I know I should but just seem to not be able to. I am ok so far today with 550 calories and will try not to eat anymore.

I know what you are going through and all I can say is don’t get discouraged I did but just keep telling yourself encouraging mantras and you can get back on track. I wish you better luck than I am having with this the last couple weeks. Oh and also keep up the good work!

FastEnough-What I have been doing is when it gets hard for me to follow this, is I ask myself “Do I really want to feel bad anymore?” Let me clarify this, usually when I binge eat like I have been doing, I feel sick afterwards. My stomach hurts and eventually my head starts hurting as well. I know this happens every time, but like most of us who do it, we do it anyway. When I ask myself that question, I also say is it worth the pain that is associated with it? Or do I want to feel good about myself after I eat? Usually that works for me, granted not the last 2 weeks, but I have been saying it to myself this past week and I have been eating better and for the last 3 days, I have been eating “cleaner” meals and feel SOOOOOO much better.

The way I do it may not work for everyone, I have been saying the same thing to my sister because she is trying to “clean” up her diet as well, and sometimes it works for her and sometimes it doesn’t. But if you ask yourself a similar question and follow it with this “I can do it! I don’t need that candy bar (or other junk food)!” and walk away from it, it will eventually work. I know it sounds corny, but like I said, it will eventually work.

That’s an excellent post, littlezombie, and you are quite correct. We have to stop ourselves right before engaging in a bad decision and pose those sorts of questions to ourselves. It does work, just as you said.

I have yo-yo dieted many times over the years and lost weight each time. I have lost weight in many different ways, and each time it involved a measure of introspection and self-talk as you suggested. I only need to learn to keep the weight off for life once I reach my goal.

About 15 years ago, I was “only” overweight, and I lost 40 pounds eating submarine sandwiches. Before each trip inside the restaurant, I posed questions to myself, just as you suggested. I would literally sit in my car in the parking lot and say to myself, “Okay, this is the big decision time. I can go in there and order a foot-long sub with cheese, rich sauce, full-fat chips, and 3 cookies for dessert. It’s my decision, and I can do that. No one will tell me not to, so it’s up to me to make a better decision and exercise self-control. I will choose to have a six-inch turkey sub on wheat, with no cheese, only a little spicy mustard, lots of veggies, baked chips (low fat), and no cookies.”

I would then focus on eating slower and enjoying each bite, rather than devouring it all quickly.

I did that daily for a couple of months, and combined with a lot of running, I lost 40 pounds. So, yes, self-talk definitely works! When we are faced with that moment of truth, we have to pause and talk to ourselves. No one will stop us from making bad food choices. It’s up to us, and, yes, we have the power to do it.

Best,
Joseph