I wonder if it would be possible to ramp down like 10% in calories one year at a time instead of binge dieting like this. We are always looking for quick fixes.
You could of course.
It's just easier to cut 50% for a couple of months than 10% for years because the results come faster, and so does the motivation to keep it up.
Also, counting calories is not really an exact science, so you want to make sure you stay way below your daily goal, just in case the lunch had 300 calories more than you calculated. This is much easier with lower calorie-goals.
For me a good pace was 1 kg a week, which I could do by sticking to 2000 calories. Most weeks it lost only 0.5 kg but there's still some progress. Luckily, maintaining my weight works just fine with a daily intake of ~3000 cal.
Regarding quick-fixes:
You still have to keep tracking your intake long after you reached your goal of course, otherwise the old eating habits will come back slowly but surely. I think this is where most "diets" fail: They hold your hand for a few months, when you need them to do so for the rest of your life.
Also, counting calories is not really an exact science, so you want to make sure you stay way below your daily goal, just in case the lunch had 300 calories more than you calculated. This is much easier with lower calorie-goals.
For me a good pace was 1 kg a week, which I could do by sticking to 2000 calories. Most weeks it lost only 0.5 kg but there's still some progress. Luckily, maintaining my weight works just fine with a daily intake of ~3000 cal.
Regarding quick-fixes: You still have to keep tracking your intake long after you reached your goal of course, otherwise the old eating habits will come back slowly but surely. I think this is where most "diets" fail: They hold your hand for a few months, when you need them to do so for the rest of your life.