relapses naturally occur after any NOTICED change in what you eat
change must be imperceptible to avoid relapses
the only initial goal is to moderate hunger 24/7
start eating everything you want, on a schedule
eat every 3 hours, or even every 2 hours if needed (I needed this)
never miss a meal
document exactly how much you eat in calories each meal
(no need to log after a month or so, you'll know the calories by heart)
make it a game of reducing by 5 calories per day
starting with 1500 calories or more per day:
Average of 300 calories per meal
Each new day reduces calories per meal by only 1 calorie
In 3 months you will be down to 1,050 per day
and NEVER NOTICE the change
As you reduce, slow down the decrease to maintain consistent loss
If you're down to 800 calories per day, reduce by 5 calories only weekly if you need to.
ANY HUNGER IS A SIGNAL TO SLOW DOWN THE REDUCTION The main principle is just to get rid of hunger with gradually less and less food, until you get to the optimum weight. Your body will tell you that by starting to be hungry all the time again, when you start getting down closer to your optimum weight.
I have not reached that point yet, but this is what some people into fasting have told me
"What I don't notice, only makes me thinner"
Since resorting (as a last resort) to self-talk, and then applying it to food, I always think of it when reading any advice column.
Here's a good one-page list of tips from a Doctor, and I've translated it to self-talk at the bottom of this post:
http://health.yahoo.com/experts/sportsnick/1027/beach-body-10-step-plan
What I covered previously is a synopsis of some emails I sent out spontaneously, but it applies to the above.
A perfect example of imperceptible gradualism: Do 1 pushup and 1 situp per day, adding 1 to each, every week.I'm trying this out of giving up on more radical things that i eventually quit anyway.
Self-talk from the Doctor's article. The three main things were:
I eat right
I make smart food choices
I work out regularly
And then:
I modify my behavior by simply talking to myself
I read food labels
I drink at least 8 glasses of water per day
I lift weights at least once a week
I always get enough sleep
I eat a good breakfast with complex carbs every day
I never eat sugars
I never eat sweets
I never drink sodas
I never eat candy
I never eat cake
I never eat pastries
I never eat processed food
I eat fruits and vegetables often
I constantly develop positive lifetime habits
I enjoy improving my life
Yeah, I left out the one about alcohol and the one about keeping a diary, but alcohol should be minimal and seldom, and the diary is only temporary to train yourself.
