Everyday Systems

Hi,

I am a self-confessed all or nothing person! I don't think moderation is in my genetic makeup. However, my Mum did three meals a day, no sweets, biscuits, chocolate, cake or snacking and walked loads. Saturdays and Sundays followed the same principles or else, like me, once she had got the taste back, she was done for. Does anyone else mainly keep all days of the week like N days, because I saw it says "except (sometimes) on days that begin with S."

I ask because I know me. Saturday and Sundays if taken as the diet suggest would have me bingeing for two days and totally undoing all the good of the N days. Is anyone else like this?

yeah, I'm pretty much the same way. I'm an all or nothing person, but I still allow myself the s days and I've managed to lose 8 pounds so far in about a month and a half. So, even though I ate a whole pound of chocolate and four candy bars and coffee cake and a brownie on my s day, I still lost a pound just for doing really well during the week.
I'm still not advocating eating all that bad food though.

Welcome! Two days of excess doesn't usually undo the five days of moderation -- and as you come to enjoy moderation (it really does happen!), your S days will get tamer, too. It's a long, long process -- and to deny yourself snacks and sweets for that long a time is a recipe for failure. I have lost about 20 pounds since July 2013, and think this is really sustainable. Hope you'll give it a try!

Welcome!

S-days are probably the single biggest concern and point of discussion on these boards. This is a little strange, because S-days are supposed to be the fun part, the carrot to entice you -- but human nature is a funny thing!

My short answer is try not to worry about S-days. Worry about N-days and the S-days will take care of themselves.

If for some reason that turns out not to be the case, or you can't restrain yourself from worrying, here are a couple of relevant podcasts I did on the subject:

Episode 34: S-days Gone Wild

http://everydaysystems.com/podcast/episode.php?id=34

Episode 40: No Solitary Snacking -- even on S days.

http://everydaysystems.com/podcast/episode.php?id=40

Best of luck, whatever you decide!

Reinhard

reinhard wrote:Welcome!
My short answer is try not to worry about S-days. Worry about N-days and the S-days will take care of themselves.

That's been my experience. You have to learn to trust yourself. That was (is) the scary part for me...

Hiya,

I am an all-or-nothing person too but: this is food - I inevitably always slid back into the wrong side of all-or-nothing after an abstaining period before discovering NoS. Now, all-or-nothing is built-in with 2S days a week and I've really learnt how to deal with sweets and gradually know how to eat moderately.

I lost 20 pounds in my first year and have managed to maintain that for over six months now. I never had perfect compliance for long and I had massively wild S days and yet - I reached my personal goal of a healthy BMI.

So it really depends. If you want to look like Kate Moss, NoS isn't for you and you will not be able to handle wild S days. If you want to be healthy with a healthy relationship to food that allows you to celebrate from time to time with a sweet treat - this is the greatest learning experience you can get and NoS is definitely your thing.

Hope you decide to stay.

Yes, you probably will binge on S days for awhile. I'm not sure you'll prevent that by TRYING to make them like N days before you've gone through the process. Bingeing on S days for a few months (or even longer) does not undermine the real value, in my mind, of No S. I had wild S days for two years, but lost weight each year and lost 20 more after they calmed. My eating continues to evolve, but the program is the foundation. The balance tips for each person at different times.

Try to be as detached as possible for awhile. Assume the healing is happening under the cast. The revelation will come when truly needed.