Yet another fresh start

Yes, here I go again.

It's the first of the month, and time to try once more to stop eating like I'm paid to do it competitively.

So far 2011 has not been a good year for losing weight. In fact, it's been the opposite – I've gained a total of four kilos since Christmas. Four! And I can see them. And feel them. Tagging along wherever I go and making my clothes feel like some little demon got into my closet and sewed them all a few centimetres smaller.

It's not on.

So, since the only time in the past that I've managed to lose a substantial amount of weight was when I was obsessive about calorie-restricting and carried thinspo around in my wallet, I think a return to former habits may be in order (only, this time, possibly without the attending crazy).

Seriously, I tried the whole everything-in-moderation, eat-when-you're-hungry-stop-when-you're-full thing. It didn't work. My idea of eating when I was hungry involved two slices of chocolate ganache birthday cake in one day (which I reasoned to myself was okay because really, they were very thin slices, which if you think about it, is like only having one large-ish piece) and two pizzas in the space of a week. Clearly I cannot be left to my own devices.

So, the new rules include:

• Less than 5 500 kJ per day (to start)
• As much exercise as humanly and social-life-ably possible
• Desperately trying to drink my 8–10 glasses of water a day despite the cold weather
• Not keeping up with the boys on weekends, ie no burger and chips and seven G&Ts at Peddlar's on a Friday followed by a braai with the works the following day. It's salad time – learn it, live it, love it.