Trying Jason Vale's juicing diets. I have had two attempts at this. My first failed because I kept thinking one little bit of this or that wouldn't hurt in a whole day. My body was still used to me snacking on something and so was still craving and so I would give in and have something. It was a vicious circle. On my second attempt before Christmas I craved something for probably the first 5 days but this time I didn't give in. I went completely cold turkey (very occasionally snacking on a tiny piece of raw fruit or veg to get me through). Day 6 and 7 were easy peasy and it helped me change my eating habits for good. I found I actually started craving fruit and vegetables not crisps and chocolates. I made sure I kept all junk food out of sight and didn't buy any new stuff at all.
It's best to make juices up fresh but if there are times when you know you might be tempted to not bother cos you haven't got the time then do some in advance for those times. Also I put the right amount of fruit I needed for the different juices in labelled bags and chopped up anything like pineapple that can't be juiced whole. It made making the juices up a lot less tedious and it meant I could just whizz whatever was in the bag without really thinking about it.
I didn't put the weight back on only over Xmas when I pigged out massively. It's a lifestyle change. You can do it for a quick fix but if you go back to your old eating habits then you'll put the weight back on. If you want the weight to stay off you need to change your eating habits for good.
These are my personal golden rules which I based loosley on Jason Vale's principals:
A) Only snack on fruit/veg/natural yogurt
B) Try to not eat anything after about 5pm (i have to stretch this a little bit cos don't always manage to have dinner at 5pm)
C) Drink 3 litres of water a day
D) Eat crackers or whole meal pitta breads for a quick lunch rather than bread.
E) Eat lots of soup or chicken and fish with vegetables/salad/rice.
F) Think about the ratio of what you put on your plate. 60-80% of what you eat should consist of high water content foods - fruit, vegetables, juices, smoothies and soups. Only the remainder should be made up of fish, chicken, rice, bread, potatoes, nuts, seeds, pulses and dairy.
G) Buy yourself a small dinner plate (or larger dessert plate). I now eat all my meals off a 9 inch plate so I don't overeat. A just-right portion will keep hunger away for 4 hours.
H) Meal plan your whole day and try not to deviate from it. This is to stop mindless eating and picking at food for the sake of it, cos you are bored etc. Once your body has set new eating patterns and got used to them you will naturally graze less and can be a bit more flexible.
I) Always go shopping after you have eaten, so you won't be tempted by crap. Avoid the junk food aisles.
J) Do you have a pringle food? (once you pop you can't stop) With these foods just don't buy them. If anyone offers it to you, politely decline, because you know it won't stop at one, it will be a slippery slope til there's none left.
K) If you are eating out, look at the menu if you can and decide what fits in with your eating plan before you go and stick to it. If you have in mind what you are going to have you won't be tempted by other stuff on the menu when you get there.
L) Tell yourself that eating that chocolate bar will only make you happy for a minute or two. You will be pissed off after that you ate it. You will be proud of yourself for not giving in afterwards. You will be much happier when you stand on the scales and have lost weight. Every time you are tempted by something naughty remember the feeling of standing on the scales and weighing a bit less.
Think of your diet as a game against a powerful opponent. You won't win every encounter, but with practice you can get a lot better. If you don't lose for a few weeks don't lose your motivation and give up on the diet and think it's not for you. These things happen and in time you will start losing again. Dieting is a bit like surfing, sometimes you just have to wait and catch the next wave, whether it be motivation, waiting for your body to catch up with all the good work you've been putting in or until you can concentrate more on what you are eating perhaps cos of other important things going on in your life.