It might be time for a humiliating climbdown

I’ve been thinking a lot about my diet choices over the last couple of days. Alternate-day fasting has worked for me up to now, but the recent plateauing has forced me to consider what happens when I get to where I want to be, and whether what I’m doing now is preparing me for that.


ADF has certainly taught me one thing: that hunger isn’t disastrous. I know that I can survive on 500 calories for a whole day, even if it isn’t enjoyable. I think that that is a very valuable lesson, because it totally negates the argument of “I have to eat! I’m hungry.” I’ve learned not to use hunger, however intense, as a binge trigger (touch wood).

What ADF hasn’t taught me, however, is moderation. I have been trying to use my calories wisely on both up and down days in order to minimise hunger, but there’s no denying that eating 500 calories is extreme behaviour. There are maintenance techniques for this diet out there but I don’t think it’s sustainable behaviour for me personally in the long-term.

So I started thinking about alternatives.

Atkins, South Beach and their brethren I dismissed out of hand. (Atkins always made me remember a student dinner party where one guest, learning we were doing bolognese, said “Can I just have some minced beef with grated cheese on it?”)

Straightforward calorie counting isn’t really my friend, as discussed before.

I’ve tried Alli already – I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that I lied to buy it online as I wasn’t overweight enough at the time, and there might have been something in that because it really didn’t work for me: none of the horrific side effects but no weightloss either.

The GI diet could work, but the lack of structure terrifies me. Maybe something like it but with more accountability and support?

And then I found myself on the WeightWatchers website. And the more I read about their new plan, the more I thought “Hey, maybe I could do that!”

I know, I know. Two days ago I said “Never again!” However, a major impediment has been removed. I didn’t want to go to meetings because I resented the time they’d take up and because they are usually at times that are either too early or clash with workout time. But (and here’s some News-with-a-capital-N) I have a new job which starts in four weeks. A job where I will spend every single day in the same place, not roaming the region like a particularly boring nomad. A job with a lunchtime WeightWatchers meeting just round the corner. So I can go without eating into valuable workout/relationship/plain old me time.

I love it when a plan comes together.

So... I will continue with the ADF (and keep working out) until we go on holiday in just over two weeks.

While on holiday I will eat more or less what I like, while trying not to go nuts and to stay active.

Then when I get back I’ll add a new eating plan to the Brand New Life mix.

Watch this space!