"Just because you got the monkey off your back does not mean the circus has left town. "
GEORGE CARLIN
So I had already got somewhat used to eating in moderation recently and experienced significantly less cravings than in first ~10 days or so. I really enjoyed that and saw it as a sign of progress and that I can do this.
Then I made a huge mistake - I let my guard down.
On the weekend, cravings came creeping back, like so often disguised as seemingly reasonable thoughts like "I've been doing well, I deserve this", "I can't stay away from sugar and carbs forever anyway", "just one more" or "this has so little calories, it doesn't count".
- and I gave in, because I didn't pay attention and didn't take the time to sit down and be honest if I my body actually needed food or if it was just those stupid cravings again.
Time to become realistic. I had developed an eating disorder - for reasons that are not my fault - during my teenage years, and of course this affected my brain. I need to be prepared to deal with more intense and more frequent cravings than someone who never had one.
It is important to set my environment up for success (put my trigger food away so it's hard to reach), and it's important to be patient and stay alert.
Thinking does change the brain, but not within a few weeks. Thinking "I made it" invites failure.