Counting carbs/calories is a drag. Obsessive scale stepping is a recipe for despair. If you want to count something, "days on habit" is a much better metric. Checking off days on a calendar would do just fine, but if you do it here you get accountability and support. Here's how. Start a new topic in this forum called (say) "Your Name Daily Check In." Then every N day post a "reply" to that topic as to whether you stayed on habit. A simple "<font color="green">SUCCESS</font>" or "<font color="red">FAILURE</font>" (or your preferred euphemism if that's too harsh) is sufficient, but obviously you're welcome to write more if you want. On S-days just register that you're taking an S-day. You don't have to do this forever, just until you're confident you've built the habit. Feel free to check in weekly or monthly or sporadically instead of daily. Feel free also to track other habits besides No-s (I'm keeping this forum under No-s because that's what the vast majority are using it for). See also my <a href="/habitcal/">HabitCal</a> tool for another more formal (and perhaps complementary) way to track habits.
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astitchaway
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by astitchaway » Mon Feb 12, 2007 11:52 pm
Just found about this today and I plan to start tomorrow. The print out business card is a good idea. I will stick it to my sweetie cupboard because I'm always grabbing things out of there before I even realise what I'm doing!
I have a friend online who is also doing this diet so I'll have some moral support too
Clare xx
I'm a stitch away from making it and a scar away from falling apart.
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astitchaway
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by astitchaway » Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:55 am
I ended up in hospital with a chest infection last week so I haven't been following the diet properly. This week has been my first proper full week, it's gone surprisingly well.
I've modified the rules a bit so I can have four meals a day instead of three. I tend to stay up to about 3 or 4am most nights and having my last meal at 5.30pm means I'm starving when I go to bed. I'd only end up getting up and binging on junk so it makes sense for me to have another meal around 10-11pm.
It's working, which is a first for me! Yesterday was probably the hardest day, it was shopping day and my boyfriend bought loads of crisps and chocolate (he's so supportive! LOL). I must admit I'm looking forward to tomorrow, I'm craving chocolate like you wouldn't believe!
Clare xx
I'm a stitch away from making it and a scar away from falling apart.
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astitchaway
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by astitchaway » Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:07 pm
I survived my first weekend, I felt a bit guilty about the S days at first but I didn't eat anymore than I would have on a regular day before the diet so I guess it's ok. In fact I probably ate less!
Went to the junk food cupboard by accident today, very nearly took a packet of crisps before I spotted the business card and remembered "No Esses!". It made me realise that I just snack out of habit, I didn't even want the crisps.
Clare xx
I'm a stitch away from making it and a scar away from falling apart.
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astitchaway
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by astitchaway » Thu Mar 22, 2007 5:25 pm
Excuse me while I do a little happy dance and give myself a pat on the back. I'm not usually so self-congratulatory but I've never stuck with a diet for more than a week before and here I am nearing the end of my second week.
It hasn't even been that difficult, I thought it would be torture (it has been in the past) but it's fine. I simply don't snack and I haven't even been craving chocolate this week which is practically a miracle in itself, lol.
I've been exercising too, 30 minutes a day on my exercise bike. I feel great. Go me!

I'm a stitch away from making it and a scar away from falling apart.
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Kevin
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by Kevin » Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:53 pm
It's nice to read your posts: you sound like you are doing very well.
So tell us about your signature line, Clare.
Kevin
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."
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astitchaway
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by astitchaway » Thu Mar 22, 2007 10:05 pm
Thank you

I'm just back from shopping, the cupboards are full of sweets but I'm staying strong!
My signature is a line from a Fall Out Boy song called 'The (After) Life of the Party'. It's a reflection of how I feel most of the time.
I'm a stitch away from making it and a scar away from falling apart.
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by Kevin » Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:32 pm
I'll ask my daughter to find it on her I-Pod. She's a big Fallout Boy fan.
Congratulations again, and keep up the good work. Isn't it amazing how small the world is since the advent of the Internet?
You must stay up pretty late... it's nearly Midnight there, no?
Kevin
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."
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astitchaway
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by astitchaway » Fri Mar 23, 2007 12:32 am
Your daughter must have pretty good taste in music then, lol.
Yes it's half past 12 at night as I type this. I guess I am a bit of night owl, I usually stay up until about 2 or 3am although I've been more tired since I started this diet. Not so jumped up on sugar and caffeine I guess!
How are things going for you Kevin?
I'm a stitch away from making it and a scar away from falling apart.
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astitchaway
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by astitchaway » Mon Mar 26, 2007 6:11 pm
I'm in a 'snacky' mood today, I have been good though. That's what I'm finding so different this time around, even though I'm tempted to snack I know that I won't give in to the temptation. I've discovered willpower I didn't even know I had!
The weekend was good but even though I had really been looking forward to my S days, I hardly strayed at all on Saturday. I had my meals as usual and about 5 biscuits and 3 little squares of chocolate. I was less good on Sunday, I felt like I really indulged but in reality it was about the same as a pre-diet day for me.
Exercising was sore today, we went ice skating at the weekend and I'm paying for it now! I had a little victory though, I 'cycled' my 10km in about 4 minutes less than usual

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astitchaway
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by astitchaway » Thu Mar 29, 2007 6:14 pm
The past couple of days have been really difficult, I have a bad cold and I feel really rough. I haven't felt up to exercising since Monday although I'm feeling a bit better today.
I actually had a lapse last night. I didn't get to sleep until 6am so I ended up having a snack (a sandwich and a packet of crisps) because I was so hungry. Oops! Does this mean I should start my 21 day count again?
Apart from that I have managed to stay on track, even with all the Easter chocolate around!
I'm a stitch away from making it and a scar away from falling apart.
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astitchaway
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by astitchaway » Tue Apr 03, 2007 11:36 am
Still going, just about. I can't decide if it easier or harder than it was! It's easier in that I don't have to think about it now. I'm not sitting, watching the clock and praying for dinner time to come and I don't accidentally head for the sweetie cupboard anymore. But... when the snack cravings hit, they hit hard! Usually about 2 am, I start feeling real hungry and think about having just a little snack. I've been good so far, hopefully I can keep it up.
I'm a stitch away from making it and a scar away from falling apart.
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astitchaway
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by astitchaway » Mon May 07, 2007 1:05 am
Well, I'm back!
I haven't completely gone astray, here's what happened. So I was just lazy between my last entry and Easter, I kept to the diet but was too lazy to post anything! On the 11th we went to visit my family, our hotel was right opposite Burger King and I'm sorry to say that healthy eating went right out the window!
I fully intended to restart on Monday (16th) but I wasn't feeling too great (serves me right LOL) so I didn't really eat at all, just stayed in bed. I got worse and had to go into hospital on the Wednesday. Nothing serious, I had my blood transfusion (I have a blood disorder) and I got out at the weekend. Then I kind of fell into a pit of depression and didn't get out of bed for a week. I actually can't believe it was only a week, it felt like years!!
Anyway, I gave myself a good slap and I've been back to normal for the past week. I've stuck with the diet, I've exercised nearly every morning. I feel so much better, I'm actually shocked by how much I missed it all.
I'm a stitch away from making it and a scar away from falling apart.
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astitchaway
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by astitchaway » Wed May 09, 2007 2:32 pm
Still going strong! I was feeling a bit snacky earlier but I had a cappuccino and that seems to have stopped the cravings

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astitchaway
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by astitchaway » Sun Jun 03, 2007 9:02 pm
I've not been updating this lately but it's not because I've given up, it's actually the opposite. The S-diet has become so much a part of eating habits that I don't even think about it anymore! For the first time in my life I feel like I'm eating normally. I don't feel guilty for my treats on S Days because now they really are treats and not just food.
If I'd known it could be this easy I would have done it years ago!
I'm a stitch away from making it and a scar away from falling apart.