Everyday Systems

Hi all, I bought the book last night after spending a day bingeing and feeling in total despair with myself. I found a link to it on a website about binge eating and it made sense. Anyway I have read the book but notice that the only real mention of alcohol wasn't that helpful. ie if you have more than two drinks you have a problem??

Is that it?....you are from now on restricted to just two alcoholic drinks? Is that just on S days too? For me I'm not that bothered about cakes but I do like a drink so what is the rule behind this please?

Thanks in advance xx

Alcohol is considered a separate issue. Reinhard himself promoted what he calls a 2-glass ceiling. Women might lower that. People might also decided to limit alcohol more. It just depends. No S cannot defy the laws of physics. In my mind--NOT a No S idea at all, but I think my body would agree- 2 alcoholic drinks are the equivalent of an extra serving each of fat and starch, except that they won't make you feel the same satiety.

I humbly suggest you work on only one element at a time. Certainly don't increase alcohol while you decrease food, but get used to the meal structure first. Then whittle away. You are not on a weight loss diet. You are changing your habits for the long run.

Good advice above, but if you can restrict to 2 glasses a day during the week you will probably see results quicker and feel better. I find alcohol can weaken resolve too.

For now I would relax around it on a weekend

Jx

Thanks for your replies. I don't really drink in the week just at the weekend, so I may treat alcohol as a snack and just have it on S days xx

The two-glass ceiling applies whenever. An appropriate adult S day snack!

Syfy74 wrote:Thanks for your replies. I don't really drink in the week just at the weekend, so I may treat alcohol as a snack and just have it on S days xx

I must admit currently I am allowing myself what I want alcohol wise at the weekend. Saturday we were out celebrating and I had more than 2 glasses but Sunday I found a glass and a quarter was enough!

I don't often drink in the week

Jx

Hi Soprano, I think I will be allowing myself whatever alcohol I want at weekends, if we can eat whatever we want of cake and sweets then I will take alcohol as my replacement

A x

Syfy74 wrote:Hi Soprano, I think I will be allowing myself whatever alcohol I want at weekends, if we can eat whatever we want of cake and sweets then I will take alcohol as my replacement

A x

Just see how you get on. If after a month you are not losing weight you can review it

Good luck
Jx

I'm new and want to be clear about this. Does this mean that I would be having my glass of wine at the table with my dinner, or can I have it while preparing my meal or in the hour before dinner? Then I'm wondering if it's more of an S - snack. Thoughts?

Hi Alene, I’ve always thought that drinks, alcoholic or otherwise, can be had at any time. I don’t see alcohol as an S, myself. But alcohol is subject to other social rules anyway - maybe that’s why it doesn’t need to be an S. I see glass ceiling as an optional thing, for those of us who might be likely to indulge a bit too much. Just my impression of things!

No S is about meals. The non-sweet beverage you have at meals is your choice, but I don’t think there’s anything official on it and no ass. Reinhard does recognize that beverages, at least alcoholic ones, probably need their own moderation bright line. That’s how he came up with the two glass ceiling. My own thoughts on how to moderate the content of meals or any intake is to see what habit is going to keep me from wanting more and more of whatever I eat or drink. I’m also willing to spend some mental effort determining whether I’m kidding myself about what is moderate. And this can change over time.

Hi Syfy74,

"Glass ceiling" (the 2 drink a day maximum rule) is different from no-s, but compatible with it. Its goal is to limit problem drinking, not reduce calories. If that's not an issue for you, then don't worry about it. But frequently going beyond 2 drinks might be a sign of a problem for many people (I know it was for me).

Of all the everyday systems rules, glass ceiling is the toughest for me. I still struggle with it after all these years, though it's been enormously helpful, and I shudder to think what I would have done without it.

Reinhard