Everyday Systems

Well I'm back after about a year -- in week 2 -- I fell off after losing about 15 pounds by doing non-vanilla (I cut calories on N days) and lo and behold I had the rebound effect and gained a few extra for my trouble.

I always knew the only sane thing would be to do No S vanilla, but I tried and failed dozens or more times. Why? Because I can't force myself to give up mid-afternoon food, especially when my kids were eating. So here's what I'm doing now, and it's great! I eat breakfast very late -- like 10 a.m. - because I'm not hungry until then. Then I eat lunch around 3 or 4, when the kids are home and hungry -- and now I can enjoy, guilt-free, the thing I've been fighting all this time. Also, I eat dinner at like 7 -and since I'm not as hungry as when I ate at noon, I have far less urge to have seconds (which I also used to fight alot)- and I no longer have the same desire to nibble at night, which I had when I ate earlier. Sometimes, if I work at night, I even eat dinner at 9 or 10. I find that 6 hours between meals (unheard of before) is no problem because I don't actually feel real, true stomache pangs until about an hour before meals, and I can easily consider them, rather than negative, as a "happy anticipation" of a good meal.

Don't know if I'll lose weight, but I LOVE that I don't have to fight the after-school snack urge,or the urge to have seconds at dinner. I also know for sure I won't gain on vanilla, so I can relax instead of worriedly watching my weight creep up.

This is total sanity. And -- again -- I'm finally full!

Sounds like you have a good plan to suit your schedule. Good luck!!

I think what it's all about is feeling that you have a general consistent routine for getting fed a few times a day and no more. I just am feeling more and more solid in my N days. This is how I eat now, I find myself thinking. Even though I wasn't consciously questioning it, I realized for months I was still wondering if this would be it. This is, at least during the school year.

People have different circadian rhythms, that's for sure. DH is a night owl. He can stay up to 1AM no problem. Not me. I'm an early morning person. I wake up without prompting by 6, often earlier. It doesn't surprise me the same is true for hunger. You're hungry when you're hungry and that's just the way it is.

Sounds like you've found a pattern that works for you! (And that's a key part, IMHO.) Congrats!