cah-ching
Gold Member
I posted this on my diary, but thought folks could benefit from it here too.
I hope you don't mind.
HABITS
I think the key to this "Crazy Diet" is habit. Those who succeed, in my opinion, are those who are more predisposed to forming habit. Unfortunately I'm not one of those people - I think and analyse too much. Thus I have to consciously become systematic. A little anal I know, but needs must.
I believe the reason why the diet gets easier in time is a combination of three factors:
1) ketosis - physical change in the body that stabilises the blood sugar and eliminates hunger
2) weight loss - psychological: you see the difference in your body or on the scale and thus your will-power increases
3) habit - psychological the more and longer your do something the easier it gets.
I think that "habit" or "routine" isn't something that is specifically mentioned. There are lots of lovely encouraging folk that say "don't worry, it will get easier", but no one has specifically broached the subject of "habit-forming" which I think is the most important of the three factors mentioned above (as the other two are residuals of habit-forming).
It takes at least 21 days to form a habit. This means that you have to do something at least 21 times before it begins to become part of your everyday routine.
So for me, my goal is to lose weight and in order to do that, I need to make a true commitment to doing so and in turn make a commitment to forming the "CD Habit".
How do I do this?
Setting the goal: My goal is to lose weight.
Planning and scheduling how to do it: Decide exactly how I want to undertake CD i.e. SS/790 etc. and break that down even further. For me, that means halving my shakes and consuming them at exact times, for me that means having them at two hour intervals (8 (4) shakes per day - consumed with psyllium husk) wherever possible.
Planning my water consumption is also important, for me that means bringing a 500ml bottle of water up to bed with me at night and consuming it as soon as I wake in morning, then drinking another 500mls in the car on the way to work, so I've drunk 1 litre before 8AM in the morning. I write down ever 500ml I drink, so I know where I am in terms of consumption. I temporarily stop drinking water at 3pm every day, so that I can drive home uninterrupted!
Writing it down: writing down my goal and reading it every day: I post on here! Even my most inane thoughts and feelings are posted, sorry! If I'm doing well then I post thus enabling me to harness some of my previous positivity when I'm at my weakest.
It takes 21 days to form a habit, and akin to what has been said here so many times, "don't let anything get in the way of your schedule". Those 21 days are the "wagon".
The most hardest thing of all is: if you fall off the 21 day wagon, just get back on it, and start again as if nothing happened.
Consistency and dedication is fundamental in habit forming and achieving.
Once I've reached my 21 days on the wagon I'll be pleased, but the habit is only JUST beginning to form (it takes AT LEAST 21 days for a habit to form). One must continue until I do it, without even thinking about it, like driving!
I hope you don't mind.
HABITS
I think the key to this "Crazy Diet" is habit. Those who succeed, in my opinion, are those who are more predisposed to forming habit. Unfortunately I'm not one of those people - I think and analyse too much. Thus I have to consciously become systematic. A little anal I know, but needs must.
I believe the reason why the diet gets easier in time is a combination of three factors:
1) ketosis - physical change in the body that stabilises the blood sugar and eliminates hunger
2) weight loss - psychological: you see the difference in your body or on the scale and thus your will-power increases
3) habit - psychological the more and longer your do something the easier it gets.
I think that "habit" or "routine" isn't something that is specifically mentioned. There are lots of lovely encouraging folk that say "don't worry, it will get easier", but no one has specifically broached the subject of "habit-forming" which I think is the most important of the three factors mentioned above (as the other two are residuals of habit-forming).
It takes at least 21 days to form a habit. This means that you have to do something at least 21 times before it begins to become part of your everyday routine.
So for me, my goal is to lose weight and in order to do that, I need to make a true commitment to doing so and in turn make a commitment to forming the "CD Habit".
How do I do this?
Setting the goal: My goal is to lose weight.
Planning and scheduling how to do it: Decide exactly how I want to undertake CD i.e. SS/790 etc. and break that down even further. For me, that means halving my shakes and consuming them at exact times, for me that means having them at two hour intervals (8 (4) shakes per day - consumed with psyllium husk) wherever possible.
Planning my water consumption is also important, for me that means bringing a 500ml bottle of water up to bed with me at night and consuming it as soon as I wake in morning, then drinking another 500mls in the car on the way to work, so I've drunk 1 litre before 8AM in the morning. I write down ever 500ml I drink, so I know where I am in terms of consumption. I temporarily stop drinking water at 3pm every day, so that I can drive home uninterrupted!
Writing it down: writing down my goal and reading it every day: I post on here! Even my most inane thoughts and feelings are posted, sorry! If I'm doing well then I post thus enabling me to harness some of my previous positivity when I'm at my weakest.
It takes 21 days to form a habit, and akin to what has been said here so many times, "don't let anything get in the way of your schedule". Those 21 days are the "wagon".
The most hardest thing of all is: if you fall off the 21 day wagon, just get back on it, and start again as if nothing happened.
Consistency and dedication is fundamental in habit forming and achieving.
Once I've reached my 21 days on the wagon I'll be pleased, but the habit is only JUST beginning to form (it takes AT LEAST 21 days for a habit to form). One must continue until I do it, without even thinking about it, like driving!