I have thought about and diagnosed the mechanisms of weight gain and found that they are largely conditioned loops and the continuation of eating past satisfaction. I have made a simple and realistic plan that involves pre-portioning and gradual reduction of meal sizes.
A reframed mindset is essential. This time it is not a grand plan, nor is it a big challenge like running an ultra marathon. Quite the opposite, I am entering a sustainable state and not trying to reach a fixed goal.
We have a historical proof of concept. From our records, in May 2015, we started a 30-day Slow Carb Diet challenge, dropping from 82.5 kg to 77 kg. I kept going and reached 68.5 kg by late November 2015. My wife had equally strong results, but once attained, the condition proved fragile and eventually broke down as life events and increased stress levels at work prevailed.
Understanding why previous attempts failed and why the plateau reasserted itself helped reframe the mindset: no fixed goals, pure focus on process to reach a steady state, no matter how imperfect. From this emerges my mantra to anchor the work ahead: βPre-portion. Steady state. Not perfect. Just consistent.β