Everyday Systems

After 1 year and 2 months, I'm still following No S (yay!), but spring and summer have been unusually challenging, to the point where my husband, also a No S-er, came up with the phrase above to explain our more frequent lapses.

I could say that it is a time when food is more abundant and since we live so close to the earth, what with gardening and eating local as much as possible, that we are availing ourselves of nature's bounty, blah-blah-blah, but that's not true. Or that we both have summer birthdays, but that's only two days out of the summer and does not explain why I give in to Wednesday-night urges to eat ice cream or why I eat more on S days. One factor is more visitors and parties, and social occasions bring on the great food. And there's some chafing at self-imposed restrictions.

As a result, I'm a bit heavier than I have been and somewhat less comfortable. But I am still committed to the plan, can still pass for a healthy weight in the eyes of the world, and I still exercise. I still think in terms of three meals a day and I am aware of every time I snack on weekends, so I do enjoy my S's, but I have gotten slightly looser. I am looking forward to being more compliant than I have been, and I'm glad that I don't feel like bagging the whole thing and just going back to my previous disordered eating.

Anyone have a similar experience?

Oh my yes. Last summer when all three sons were home I celebrated! Ice cream, during the week even. It was hard reigning myself in but I eventually did. Something clicked and it just got easier to be firm with myself.

Now the oldest is in Afghanistan (Helmand Province for those who follow such things) and the middle is finishing up his training (Marines) and will go to the fleet within a few months and probably be off to the war within the year. I'm not often in a celebratory mood these days.

Life has an ebb and flow. I think if you have the baseline good habit that first, you don't get as far off track as you would otherwise and second, you have an easier time re-orienting yourself.

Fall really is easier.

Thanks, Blithe. It was very encouraging to hear your experience, though I think you have had more justification than I for straying from the true path, so to speak. I recognize your name from previous posts and realize that you're a long-termer, so you know about hanging in through soft spots.

Best of luck to you and your sons.

I hear you! There are several summer birthdays in my family, and we've had a fair share of get togethers this summer, so it has definitely been more difficult to stay on plan.
I also like the structure of No S, because it's kept me from getting too excessive with the extra eating.

You know, it has happened to me too, after a bit more than a year, I eventually started getting looser in my rules, too.
I don't know why, maybe because I felt confortable that I had it all figured it out?, don't know.
The important thing is to realize that (well, in my case, my Wii Fit told me that I had gotten heavier and "to think why was that") in your case is even better because you managed to catch yourself.
Or maybe summer is "your" season, the one you enjoy best when it comes to culinary pleasures?, mine is fall, so many winter squashes and the smell of apples and cinammon and nuts...

So maybe, next summer, you can give yourself some room to eat more in summer, even if that makes you gain some weight, as long as you don't keep doing it all the way into the following summer.
I give myself some room in fall and yes, by the end of fall and the holiday season, I'm a bit heavier, but oh the joys I enjoyed!.

It really sounds like I advocate wanton eating and weight gaining but I'm not!, I simply endorse living your (balanced) life to the fullest.

Mavilu, I toally agree with you about living life to the fullest! Fall is not a huge deal to me (except for some family birthdays), but summer is the time where we get together a lot, and get to go out, so I just want to enjoy that time. I think as long as you're settled into your eating habits, the extra weight will fall off, once you get back to your normal eating again.