Rebecca Webber

No.  This diet does not “mess” with your metabolism.  Understand, though, what the metabolism is:  the energy required to run the body’s essential functions.  The only thing that slows–and only temporarily–is your GI tract, because you are putting less in.  But when you are thin, you will resume eating and everything will be exactly where it w…[Read more]

Right on!  I LOVE that attitude.

Remember: finishing Stage 1 is like playing golf.  You have to want to win.  You have to want to shoot low.  So you have to be perfect ALL THE TIME through to the finish line.  One bad shot in golf can ruin the entire round.  So, focus on the next 5 minutes.  Find a way to endure the next five minutes withou…[Read more]

Wow!  Welcome, Leona!

Right!  You will be skinny by December, but you really need to adopt the 5-bite lifestyle until you are there.  Assume that you actually had a surgical gastric bypass, and force yourself to adhere to just 5 bites.  When a family member or friend asks you why you are eating so little, tell them you had a gastric bypass and…[Read more]

Great Leonag.  I will say this: when you start off, you WILL be hungry.  WHAT you eat won’t change the your hungerstat or the time it takes to set it, so eat what you want to eat.  But I want you to push yourself these first three days: really challenge yourself to welcome and embrace the hunger, then hone in on it when you feel it.  I think you…[Read more]

This issue with caffeine?  Yes–probably most people.  I do at times as well.  Caffeine causes detrussor instability–an overactive, hyper-contractive bladder.  BUT, at least for me, the coffee is better than its side effects.

It’s a lot to gain in 1 week–too much for sure–but it’s a great learning experience.  As you said, it just wasn’t worth it.  And all the food you ate wasn’t going anywhere.  You can have more of it today, if you want.  So it is NEVER worth eating extra just to eat extra.

So, spend the next day or two resetting your hungerstat to 5, and get bac…[Read more]

Ann.  Fine, but don’t throw out your scale.  You will need it to finely titrate your weight when you hit your magic number.  For now, just use the scale once a week.  But when you are skinny, step on it frequently until you know and can feel how weight fluctuates about your ideal number.  I can tell you what I weigh to the 0.5 pound sens…[Read more]

Exactly.  You can always have more when you are skinny.

I’ve gained 1 pound–from 128 to 129, so I’ll join you in eating just 5 SMALL bites for lunch.  That should put me back where I want to be.  

These are great.  I especially love, “I ONLY HAVE TO FOCUS ON MY NEXT MEAL BEING A PERFECT 5 BITE MEAL.”  No matter what happens–whether you’ve been eating perfectly or not–your next meal is an opportunity to get back into a PERFECT groove.

Right, Pia.  Eating extra food isn’t going to solve anything in the long run.  In the short run it satisfies a craving and some hunger.  But can you delay gratification for a few days to reset your hungerstat?  Think of doing so as the hardest, but greatest challenge of anyone’s life.  Harder than running a super-marathon (100-miles).  But a few p…[Read more]

Correct.  For most people, they never get their portions sizes small enough to make a difference in their weight, and they give up trying.  You, on the other hand, are eating the perfect amount to make a dramatic difference in your weight and to lose ALL of it, leaving you in a truly spectacular position.  When you are there you will eat small to…[Read more]

The Chats (have you not seen them?  They are part of the first thread on the community) are a chance to video conference with me personally.  It’s like having office hours with me from anywhere in the world!  Often it’s just one or two people with me, so I can really hone in on your particular hang-ups and we can tackle those.  Honestly, my off…[Read more]

Don’t worry about this, Pia.  But right now, when you overeat, you WAY overeat.  I can remember times when I used to eat two 12″ Subway sandwiches for lunch.  That’s a TON of food.  (Granted, I was running 50 miles/week, so I thought I was burning the calories, but I wasn’t–I kept gaining weight).  If you had told me at that time I would neve…[Read more]

Hi Alexsie!  Welcome!

Yes: Fat cells secrete a bunch of these tiny inflammatory chemicals called cytokines.  IL-1, IL-6, TNF-alpha are just a few.  We know of 50 different cytokines that are produced by fat cells.  The cytokines are the beginning of a cascade of chemical reactions that drive our immune system into a state of chaos, thereby lea…[Read more]

A. Barnes – above you mentioned that the traffic is bad on your long ride home.  Wonderful!  All that time you spend in the car, away from food, is VERY PRODUCTIVE.  You lose your weight by breathing and not eating (so DEFINTELY no snacks/drinks in the car)!  Stopping for a cup of black coffee is a WONDERFUL idea.  I like that a lot.  Rea…[Read more]

Yes.  It is always worth it.  Also, for those of you who have a longer journey, I can’t emphasize enough the importance of eating precisely.  If you do, the journey becomes relatively easy; it is certainly NOT a struggle.  But you’ve got to set your hungerstat precisely and stick with it.  Eating at that point is fun and adventuresome, as you real…[Read more]

I think it helps, Danica, that you know where you are going.  You remember being thin, you remember what it feels like, and you can’t wait to get back there.  The 5BD will ABSOLUTELY get you there FAST.

Shelly, do you remember what it feels like to be skinny?  I know you haven’t been there in long time, but do you remember?  Do you remember run…[Read more]

Hi Guys.  This brings up an interesting point:  Often times people like Danica actually cross the finish line before people like Pia.  It’s all about getting into the weight-loss groove and going with it, which is where Danica is now.  Pia, the problem with you is that you don’t have enough to lose in your mind to justify going all the way dow…[Read more]

Great, Pia.  The volume here is low, but we did just do a site changeover and there have been some issues we are still working on.  But another way to look at it while the volume is low: You’ve got me all to yourself!  USE ME!  Ask me anything and everything–whatever it takes to keep your eye on the prize and the fire under your butt lit.