I just cant bear the thought of another diet and the more I cant bear this thought the more I turn to comfort eating and put my head in the sand.  I know I’m hiding from myself every minute of the day.  I just cant break out.  What would be a first step for an impossible case like me.  Bernice. 

Hello Bernice,  There’s no such thing as an impossible case in my world so welcome on board the Foodsane Raft.  Your question will help everybody else who feels in the same position and there will be plenty who do so first things first because you are no longer alone.  Also good news because I often see the people who feel the most stuck can move quickly once they see a way forward.   So for you its about a tiny step forward that you can manage and that is likely to be that you start accepting yourself exactly as you are right now whatever your weight or size.    As I say in Foodsane go and get your best outfit out of the cupboard and groom yourself up and make today your best self day because you have started the journey.  Second,  stop thinking about diets and start thinking about a really comfortable time frame for yourself and simply start to look at your timing.  If you started with a 12 hour eating window and a 12 hour resting window that would be ABSOLUTELY FREAKING AMAZING.  But you may only be able to cope with a ten hour resting window.  Either way you will have got your brain into a new pattern of behaviour where you re-focus your mind on what will work.   I always say you can refine your food portions and the quality of food later.  If you can just get used to eating in a time frame whatever the starting point then you are on the journey.  Bernice…..you are no longer on a diet and today could be your best self today.  You can make this choice now.  So write to me and tell me how you are getting on.   

Have a question for Jo? Use the “Ask Jo” form in your member area and it might feature in a future Q&A. And don’t forget to comment below – your story could help someone else on the same journey.