first timer--need help with s days

zoolina · Post by **zoolina** » Sat Nov 04, 2006 6:17 pm

I am committed to no-sing for 21 days, but after my first s day, it's clear that I need help. Help!

Basically, I was an "idiot." I ate sweets. I snacked, a lot. It felt like the floodgates were open and I was actually glad to have finished dinner so that I could stop eating for the day.

Has anyone else had this problem, and, if so, how did you regain a sense of normalcy about s days? I just want to be normal around food. I mean, I've always had moments where I would eat compulsively, especially when alone, but not so much lately. somehow the idea that it was an s day and therefore ok to let loose a little turned me into a horde of locusts.
Help??

Toro · Post by **Toro** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 1:16 am

Don't worry about it at all. Your first s days will tend to be out of control. As you get into the habit of eating right on a bunch of weeks in a row of N days the S days get real easy. Even though today is an S day, i'm eating normal just like it was an N day except I allowed myself a muffin at coffee time. I'm only into this for 6 weeks but it just "feels" like the natural progression.

Don't despair. If you're like me you have decades of bad eating habits to relearn. It don't think it can be done in one week.

kccc · Post by **kccc** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 3:24 am

I don't think you should worry. It's normal at first, like Toro says. Later, your weekly habits will carry into the weekend.

Also, think of it like this - an analogy is "the training wheels are off." So, you fell down once. You have another chance coming up in a week. (And, if you felt icky at the end of the day, you'll probably do better!) It takes practice to re-learn eating habits.

Plus, it's really hard to do enough damage in one day to make up for a week of eating reasonably.

zoolina · Post by **zoolina** » Sun Nov 05, 2006 2:02 pm

I really hope you guys are right. This binging feels terrible and the weird thing is that even though I don't feel hungry I feel somehow compelled to nibble, to get me through the next week or something.

I'm curious how the next batch of N days goes. sweets and snack foods haven't been hard to give up, though snacking is a tough habit to break.

silverfish · Post by **silverfish** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 7:22 am

Hey Zoolina,

I think most of my posts are about going overboard on S-days. For me, that was sort of the point. Think: consequences based learning. I thinking feeling sick was a much better teacher than feeling guilty

I still go overboard now, after more than a year (and 49/50 pounds... eek), but n days are fine.

Except for today, but it was Melbourne Cup day and I'm seeing U2 tonight, so it is probably an S-Day. (Well, Mark Twain would agree with me - I quoted him here: http://www.upsaid.com/silverfish/index. ... com&id=856).

zoolina · Post by **zoolina** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 10:34 am

That's an interesting, idea, Silverfish, that making an s day an s day takes away the guilt so you can focus on how the food makes you feel physically. I hope that works with me. I mean, I KNOW from lots and lots of experience that too many sweets will make me feel sluggish and crappy. But has that stopped me from overindulging on many an occasion?

Why are (some) humans, with all our ability to plan and think things through, so ridiculously unable to remember and learn from the consequences of our indulgences?

Today's n day number 7, and I am hungry. Counting the hours till lunch...

This path is my life · Post by **This path is my life** » Tue Nov 07, 2006 2:06 pm

Why are (some) humans, with all our ability to plan and think things through, so ridiculously unable to remember and learn from the consequences of our indulgences?

Zoolina,
I love what you said above. I often wonder that same thing myself, so I can't give you any definitive answers, but just tell you that you're not alone in that. We simply allow ourselves to be seduced by the idea that it will be different this time, but it never is. One day we'll learn.

I noticed Amsterdam on your location, I was wondering if you are Dutch or just living in Amsterdam. My boyfriend is Dutch actually and so I'm curious.

Best of luck today in making it until lunch and beyond.

zoolina · Post by **zoolina** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 9:19 am

Jenn,

I'm American, but have been living here with my Dutch hubby for 5 years. Where's your boyfriend from?

Zoolina

Twist · Post by **Twist** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 9:57 pm

zoolina wrote:This binging feels terrible and the weird thing is that even though I don't feel hungry I feel somehow compelled to nibble, to get me through the next week or something. "

I could have written that sentence myself a few weeks back, my first couple of weekends I felt like I had to eat enough chocolate and snacks while I was allowed to, because I wouldn't be able to for another five whole days. Now, I eat just like Toro described, the habit has carried over into the s days.

Also, I think the self-discipline that comes from NoS means that, even on the weekends, I always think twice before eating something, asking myself if I will actually enjoy it, or am I just eating it because I have permission to?

zoolina · Post by **zoolina** » Fri Nov 10, 2006 7:52 am

My second batch of S days begins today (I chose friday as an S day for two reasons: 95% of the Semi-Special days that might tempt me happen on Fridays, and, because I'm a teacher with lots and lots of vacation, I figured it would be a good idea to have practice with at-home N days)

the urge to binge seems a bit quieter, but I still had one of those chocolate chocolate chip muffins at the staff meeting today, even though I wasn't particularly hungry.

This path is my life · Post by **This path is my life** » Sat Nov 11, 2006 12:19 pm

Zoolina,

I hope you enjoy the weekend. My boyfriend is originally from Apeldoorn though now he's getting his Ph.D. in England. If you don't mind my asking how did you and your husband meet? How has it been living in Holland? I spent this past summer there with my boyfriend and found it a very interesting place/way of life. I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts on that. Good luck today! That's great with the biking 40 mins each way to work, of course that's so common there, but to Americans that seems amazing

zoolina · Post by **zoolina** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 7:28 am

This Path--

I like the NLs ok, but I love Amsterdam. It's great to live someplace beautiful. Where did you spend the summer?

Z