I have experimented with eating the same number of calories per day, and with having a couple of “cheat” days where I can eat more.  Both seem to work, but as my exercising is not what it used to be in the time of Corona, there is less incentive to reward myself extra on exercise days.  So I am currently aiming for 1850 calories per day.  Even without the exercise, I am still losing about the same amount as before – 2 pound a week, sometimes a bit more or less.  

Paying attention to why I am eating has been very useful to me during my weight control lifestyle.  I want to be eating for only physical reasons (hunger) and not emotional or mental reasons (comfort, support, coping, etc.).  For most of the last 6 months I was having tea every day, and I think that’s an example of having food for comfort reasons rather than physical ones like: hunger, waking up, clearing your throat, illness, etc.  So I have cut back on that, really without trying very hard.  I am also paying a lot more attention to my work, which is good for everyone.  

This means I have picked a set of life goals: weight control and vocation (work).  I am making myself into the kind of person who can lose 120 pounds, do his job well, and then go from there.  Anyway, focusing on doing my job better has changed how I am looking at food and eating.  I am amazed at how little food I physically need and still don’t feel hungry.  Some days this last week or two weeks I have had less than 1600 calories and gone to bed without hunger.  Most days I only want or take a little breakfast.  For the last two weeks I have had ice cream several times a week because I had lots of calories in my daily allowance left over by the end of the day.  

So much of all this is how you look at it!  You will sacrifice your old self and how you used to do things.  But that old self had his problems.  You can build a new self that will do better.

-The Doctor