So close I can taste it

  You have no idea about how much anticipation there is buzzing around my head at the moment. A shade over three weeks ago I embarked on the strictest regime I've ever tried to see the difference it would make. The plan is to stay super strict until the middle of July, but part of the experiment includes the occasional 'get out of purgatory free' cards, in the shape of the occasional weekend without restrictions.

  My first weekend is almost here and, to be perfectly honest, I don't think I could have been this disciplined I didn't have the opportunity to indulge as an incentive. There are definitely a lot of people out there who have, for whatever reason, adopted a lifestyle of restricted food choices without giving themselves a break clause but what if that's not what you want or think you can manage?

Looking forward to spoiling myself

  This is what interests me because there are many people who may not be ready to give everything up forever but still want to see benefits. In my experience it is the idea of a life sentence without any opportunity for time off for good behaviour that leads people to stray, and that is often the slippery slope that ends with diets being abandoned.

  If that sounds like you then this could be something to consider. In a nutshell, the more radical the changes are that you make, the more significant results you'll see. Turn to a strict candida, vegan, low carb, high fat diet tomorrow, forever and there will be huge and sustained results immediately. On the other hand, if you decide the only change you want to make is to only eat biscuits on the weekend instead of daily, the results will be more modest. That's quite an extreme example but it illustrates the point.

  This is something I really strongly believe; for the best chance of lasting and sustainable change, the choices have to be realistic for you rather than based on someones else's ideals or level of will power. My version of this is that I'll eat like some deranged monk what feels like forever then let my howling banshee off the leash for a couple of days as a way of preserving my sanity. I'll know how sustainable this is in the middle of July but for now I have a weekend of chocolate brownie washed down with rum and coke for breakfast followed by pizza and chips with chocolate sauce for lunch, a loaf of toast and jam for afternoon tea and then... (We get it. -Ed.).

Kirk out

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