Have you ever tried to lose weight?
How was it?
Was it hard?
Did you stick with it — or did you fall off after a while?
You know the pattern.
You quit smoking.
You stop drinking because it makes you want to smoke.
You hire a nutritionist.
You eat clean.
You work out.
You start feeling amazing.
You lose weight.
Friends notice.
You’re proud.
You feel unstoppable.
That was me — between January 2025 and June 2025.
I went from 114 kg down to 98 kg.
16 kilos gone!
I felt great.
My clothes fit better. My energy was back.
But then… life happened.
Summer trips, social dinners, a few “I’ll just relax” weekends.
My workouts became irregular.
I stopped tracking my food that much.
I stopped working with the nutritionist — after some time, she switched from helpful to just trying to upsell me every time we got in touch.
Result?
I’ve already slipped back to around 102 kg.
And here’s the part that scares me: I can feel my weight creeping back.
I can already see the old habits knocking at the door.
I know myself.
If I don’t act now, I’ll be back at 114 kg in no time.
That’s why I’m doing this experiment.
This isn’t about chasing six-packs or “summer shreds.”
It’s a course correction.
A reset.
Why People Keep Falling Off the Healthy Cart
Let’s be honest.
This isn’t just about food or ciggies.
This is a repeatable pattern — one I’ve been stuck in for a very long time.
And chances are, you’ve been stuck in it too.
It’s called the boom-and-bust cycle (also known as the all-or-nothing trap).
Here’s how it usually goes — you’ll probably recognise it.
You start strong. Full motivation. Strict diet. Daily workouts. No alcohol. Total focus.
You feel great. You’re making progress. You’re in control.
But then… life happens.
Stress. A weekend away. A meal out. One skipped workout.
You slip.
And because you’ve been going all-in, that little slip snowballs into a “screw it” phase.
This is when you tell yourself:
“Screw it. I’ve already failed. I might as well eat everything, drink, smoke, and deal with it later.”
Then you either stay stuck for a few weeks — or longer — and after some time, you try to swing right back into extreme mode again.
But the more you slip, the harder it gets to get back on track.
Sound familiar?
This isn’t some rare personality flaw — it’s a human pattern backed by research.
Why We Fall Into This Trap Over and Over (According to Research)
It always starts the same way.
We begin with high motivation.
We jump into strict diets, tough workouts, or try to quit bad habits overnight. Full commitment. Big plans.
But according to research, this is where we already set ourselves up for trouble.
Psychologists call this the false hope syndrome.
We massively overestimate how quickly we can change—and totally underestimate how hard it’ll be to stick with it.
Then, life happens:
- One “bad” meal
- A missed workout
- A little slip
And instead of brushing it off, we freak out.
This is the “what-the-hell effect.”
Studies show that people with an all-or-nothing mindset are far more likely to give up entirely after even one small misstep.
So what do we do next?
We quit.
We tell ourselves, “I’ll start fresh on Monday.”
Or “next month will be different.”
But research shows that this quit-and-restart cycle rarely leads to success.
In fact, it makes things worse.
The more we beat ourselves up after a slip, the more likely we are to fully give up —eroding confidence and making future efforts even harder.
And then… the cycle repeats.
Strict plan → slip-up → guilt → give up → restart.
Again and again.
Studies show this pattern — also called weight cycling or dieting relapse — is incredibly common and can even lead to higher stress, worse health, and long-term weight gain.
And here’s the worst part:
This happens in every area of life — dieting, fitness, quitting smoking, alcohol, sugar — you name it.
Why?
Because it’s all driven by all-or-nothing thinking — that ridiculous belief that you either do something perfectly or you’ve totally failed.
One missed step?
We treat it like we’ve wrecked everything, instead of just hitting a small bump.
This mindset is everywhere — pushed by diet culture, fitness trends, even self-improvement books.
In other words:
I’ve been treating my health like a switch — either ON or OFF.
But what I really need is a dial — something I can turn up or down depending on life, without ever fully switching it off.
And my first step to finding a solution is through a little experiment.
How to Lose Weight in 2 Weeks Without Losing Your Mind (The Experiment)
It’s not a diet.
Not a challenge.
It’s a simple pact with myself designed to break the boom-and-bust cycle by living in the middle — no extremes.
This is already my course correction after more than 5 months of heavier workouts, pretty strict dieting, and falling off the health routine yet again.
Here Are the Rules:
For 2 weeks (Monday to Sunday, twice), I will:
- Weigh myself.
- Do a 15-minute workout.
- Record my calorie intake.
- Journal how I feel.
Monday to Friday:
- Track everything I eat in MyFitnessPal. No guilt. No lies. Just data.
- Stick to a small calorie deficit — enough for slow fat loss without misery. For me, that’s around 2,500 to 2,600 calories per day. (I came up with it after a little chat with Mr Gpt.)
- Do a Freeletics workout — at least 15 minutes per day. No excuses. .
- Around 80% of my food will be healthy, more or less. If I want a snack—no problem. But everything still has to fit within my calorie target. No exceptions.
- Journal daily:
- Quick “Did I do it?” check-in via Everyday App (just ticking off what’s been done).
- A short 3-5 minute reflection using the +/–/next method.
Saturday + Sunday:
- No Freeletics workouts at all — these are official rest days for relaxing and enjoying life.
- Optional light movement — like a walk or stretch — only if I feel like it.
- I can indulge a bit more — beer, dessert, whatever —but I still track everything honestly and keep it within my calorie target. No hiding.
- Same daily 3-5 minute reflection using the +/–/next method.
The Grand Rule:
14 days. No cigarettes. No exceptions. This is non-negotiable.
What I Want to Learn:
Can I lose weight and fat without going extreme?
Can I stay consistent without flipping between “super healthy” and “wreck everything” mode?
Can I finally find my middle zone — a pace I can live with long term?
Even if my experiment isn’t “successful,” I won’t treat it as a failure.
I just hope to walk away with more clarity and some useful insights that will help me course-correct further—and get better at this whole weight loss thing.
I might learn:
- What triggers me.
- Where I naturally drift.
- Which habits are worth keeping—and which ones need tweaking.
This Isn’t a Hack or a Shortcut
It’s a real-world, personal experiment to break the cycle that’s ruled my health for years.
No extremes. No guilt.
Just small daily actions — and honest observation.
P.S.
The experiment starts tomorrow, Monday 7th July 2025. I might pop back in with some early thoughts after the first week, but more likely, I’ll publish my full results after 14 days — on Sunday 20th July 2025 — along with my weigh-in and everything I’ve learned.
Until then stay happy, stay curious, and remember:
Progress doesn’t come from perfection.
It comes from keeping the dial moving.
— Jacek (Jack) Iciek