The elusive "zone"

[nugabug]

hello people, was wondering if anyone could give me any advice. I have been on and off Cambridge since october 08, and have lost about 4 and a half stone, but still don't seem to have curbed by bad eating habits, at all. I haven't managed to go 100% for more then 2 weeks as I always manage to make up some sort of excuse for cheating.

Some people on this forum talk of how it becomes easier once you get into the SS zone....

Could anyone please elaborate? how long did it take you, and how difficuly was it to get there.

My problem is that I still feel like i need to eat food, regardless of how nutrionally complete this diet is, and while I use that as an excuse I know that in reality I still use food as a comfort for boredom, sadness and as entertainment.

I hope that by sticking to it 100% for a good length of time, i will break this connection, and find other things to do then eat, or look forward to eating!

SO please guys and tips or advice would be much appreciated!!

 

[Serena A]

Hi and well done on your weight loss so far.

I don't think "the zone" is something you can advise of in terms of how long it takes to get into as it's not a tangible thing like "how long does it take to get into ketosis".

The Zone as I see it is just the moment at which you decide for yourself "right - enough is enough - I am going to knuckle down and do this properly". What drives people to get into the zone can vary from desperation to determination, from unhappiness to a new found optimism.

I think it might help you to sit down and really examine what it is that drives/triggers you to make up excuses for eating (more specific than just "feeling bored" etc) and then you can work out strategies that might help you to tackle them specifically. This will also be invaluble for when you reach goal and start maintaining.

For me, I told myself "absolutley no tasting/picking allowed - not even low carb". This was my "zone". For me the real danger with picking is not the effect it has on the scales, it's that it doesn't give you the focussed frame of mind that will get you through tougher times e.g. a poorer loss one week or a stressful situation. I've lost count of the number of posts I've seen where people say they can happily nibble on some ham or babybel lights or whatever with accompanying protests of "but it's protein and it helps me stay on track!" and then the moment something bad or stressful happens they dive straight into the carbs...the next thing you know it's "ticker not updated for 80 days" .

Not saying that happens for everyone of course, just the majority.

Good luck you can do it xx

 

[Bijoux]

I agree with Serena. If you decide .... really really decide you are determined to do it you will. It won't mean you won't be tempted, it will mean you can walk away from the temptations.

 

[Lucky~Star]

I agree, the 'zone' is a mental state rather than a physical.

I have done countless diets in the past and although have been technically good I usually end up failing at them because my actions may change but my thoughts don't. I'd always want what was on someone elses plate and would almost be waiting for the diet to end so I could do just that. I feel that i've connected with CD and this is no longer the case.

I think you can see the mental shift in small things like the 'options' you may have. For instance i've found myself in the past few days making the good choices whereas before I would just operate within the rules of the diet. If offered tea or coke zero which technically shouldn't do me any harm i've been choosing to drink water instead. I'm focussed on the fact that the closer I stick to the diet the quicker it will come off.

 

[nugabug]

Thank you serena, bijoux and luckystar!

You have inspired me to take a deeper look at why food is so dear to me, and why I sometimes go to such lengths to sabotage this diet!

I think for me, the fact that I use food for so much other then nutrition, is why I am finding this so difficult.

When I was a child, my mum would go out and leave us at home, with a plate full of fatty foods to stop us from getting up to anything remotely active(!) We were ALWAYS rewarded with food, whether it was good grades or cleaning the house.

Although as a family we all overate, we were never allowed chocolates and sweets, or take- away even though the meals my mum fed us were probably just as fattening. This restriction, and my rebellious nature helped to form the next phase of my relationship with food.

As soon as I was able to sneak to the shops, I started smuggling sweets and chocolates home, often going to ridiculous lengths to do so, like stealing money from my parents, and hiding wrappers in the most ridiculous of places. Suddenly there was something else fueling my overeating; the Excitement!

When I got to secondary school, the snack machines and fish and chips dinners were my new best friend, but my parents soon picked up on this and forced me to start taking packed lunches to school. Not only were these not anywhere near as tasty, the were standing in the way of me having any friends. I had just moved to a new school, and all my friends would go for dinner, while i would have to stay and have my sandwiches in the classroom. I was always very quiet, and as the "fat girl" didn't have very much confidence, so making friends wasn't easy.

Soon I reverted back to my old ways, of stealing form my parents, so I could go to dinner with my friends, and buying loads of chocolates, some for them and some for me!
This is when my weight ballooned, by the time I left school I was 17 stone.

After leaving school, my eating habits remained terrible, I eat for fun, I eat for comfort, I eat to be sociable. I eat when I was angry. On top of this I became less active, I was studying for my A levels, and spent a lot of time sitting around.

By the time I went to uni I was 21 stone.

Uni was all about socialising, and because I didnt drink, I eat! Almost every evening was take-away, Lunch I would eat out, and I would have breakfast with my housemates. When we bored we would have teak and cake, or go for milk shakes and cake. Everyone else stayed the same, but I just got fatter and fatter.
In my second year I went through a rough patch in my personal life, and lost contact with most of my friends. When I was sad or lonely, I found I couldnt talk to freinds or family for whatever reasons and always ended up getting a take away, or binging on ice cream. So then I really started using food for comfort, instead of talking it out.

So before I started this diet, I was using food for all the reasons I've written about, and when I cheat, it's still for these reasons. I just try and convince myself other wise.

I suppose I've got to just find other coping strategies, and if I put all my energies into SSing, I won't have any other choice, when faced with the these emotions, and no food to mop the up with, hopefully I will find another way!!

thank you!

 

[Zarf]

It's all just psycological, mind over matter stuff. Carry round a 500mm bottle of water and keep drinking any time you think about eating. Refill it as soon as you empty it. It's really easy to get through 4-5 extra litres of water a day this way.

Maybe it was my water strategy, having 4 regular meals, or simply luck, but my switchover into ketosis was utterly painless. I still miss having bacon rolls and pizza, but there's no physical hunger and I've actually been feeling more energetic right from day 1. My only symptom was a mild headache in the evening of day 2, and i've not had one in the 3.5 weeks since (very unusual for me, I do a lot of computer work and reading)

So far the only downside to this diet for me is having to visit the bathroom so damn much.