Everyday Systems

http://meadowend.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/weightloss/

I am going to make S days Christmas Day, Boxing Day, my birthday, my daughters birthday, Easter Sunday, my husband, mother and fathers birthdays and that is it! Plus my annual family vacation. The article above confirmed that I need to scrap weekend S days becauseI am an idiot on those days, eat for the sake of it and can't get back on track on Mondays. I will really look forward to the S days mentioned above. I really think this is the way for me.

I have done this for a month and I really like it. I will caution you that if it doesn't "work" it may just be that you're not ready. I think I truly needed 18 months of vanilla weekends to actually crave structure on the weekends consistently. I needed to "sow my wild oats" first. If I hadn't, I would struggle. Because I was "ready" I am taking to "N" weekends like it's fresh air.

I am still allowing sweets or snacks if they are Special, though, such as hors d'ovres (not looking up the spelling of that) that were made special at a party, a favorite item at an event. Because I don't have a problem with sweets, I will also allow the occasional ("sometimes"!) sweet like an ice cream cone with the kids or a home-made dessert after dinner.

Good luck to you on this -- I think you will either find it to be a good fit, or you will experiment and find it's not the right time yet. I think the test is always whether it hurts or helps your N days. For me it helps, for now. (If It stops helping, I will head right back to vanilla!)

I would also allow sweets in single servings when away from home - like a special dessert at a restaurant or when dining at the home of friends. Or as finallyfull suggests, the occasional ice cream cone.

Limiting as much as you plan to do would be too restrictive for me. I would definitely feel deprived not being able to enjoy the indulgence that appears on a day not on that list.

The article you link to is by a self-described "fit, athletic" man who is over 6 foot. His story is very interesting, but I wouldn't be too disappointed if your journey is different, you know what I mean?

I agree with finallyfull - see if you can experiment and calmly observe whether things are better or not. Know that you can always revisit the decision if your additional rules are not helping.

If you are willing to buck the odds, so be it. Some here have done something similar after a couple of years, but they are the exceptions. The real test results won't be seen for a few years, but so what? Like learning a sport or musical instrument, just keep practicing!