Everyday Systems

So. I'd been happily (relatively) going along with No S since I joined in Sept 2008. I was very successful with my N days. I had been basically been following my own version of No S for a few years after reading about "The Martini Diet" and "The French Fallacy" in 2006. It was more like no snacks and no seconds, but with a sweet at the end of each day. This worked well until I realized that I was skimping on nutrition to support my growing sweet habit at the end of the day. I run marathons and have struggled with undereating so that wasn't a good plan for me. Previous to finding No S, I also began struggling with bingeing.

I've been loving No S; and with the exception of some "S days gone wild," I thought that I would never fall off the wagon again. Then April Fool's Day hit me like a tons of bricks, and guess who was the fool?!

I basically went on a huge No S "vacation" (wrong word because it wasn't fun like a vacation should be) for the last six days (three reds and three yellows). I pretty much ate every thing but the kitchen sink!

It turns out that there are 21 days between now and my 39th birthday. I am recommitting to No S starting April 7th and plan on ensuring myself a new spot in the 21 day club. I need to reestablish my regular habits.

I'd like to make my 40th year on earth my best yet. Thanks to all of you on these boards. You are inspirational and supportive and I think that increasing my level of participation here will help me stick to my No S habits. Here's to golds and silvers on my own personal Mt. Olympus!

Day 1
SUCCESS
Not the easiest day, but not the hardest either. I had sugar in my tea and sugar in my coffee which I would have usually saved for S days, but I know is allowed on N days. Those small details eased the transition from "being an idiot" for the last week to being in control for this day.

Right now, I'm taking it one day at a time until the days add up to 21 and I'm back in the No S rhythm!

Day 2
SUCCESS
Still not the easiest day. I'm surprised at how hard a time I'm having getting my motivation back. Still I made it through the day. Tomorrow's another chance at more habit rebuilding.

Day 3
SUCCESS
At last! An easy day. I'm starting to feel like my old "No S" self again The intense cravings of the last couple of days have waned. I'm probably eating more food on my three plates each day this week in an effort to keep these N days green, but I'm hoping I can ease up next week once I feel more completely back into my regular No S habits.

Sounds like you are doing really well! It's comforting getting back on the wagon, or it was for me at least. Good luck!

Thanks for the encouragement Marleah! BTW, I'm a vegetarian too!

Day 4
SUCCESS
A moderately challenging day. Breakfast and lunch went well, but I find it hard to watch everyone in my family eating sweets after dinner. I had my usual glass of whole milk kefir so that helped me feel satisfied and healthy and some how I managed to stay with the No S rules.

Day 5
SUCCESS
A very good S day.

Day 6
SUCCESS

Day 7
FAILURE
Binge to end all binges.
Tired of abusing my body.
Tired of thinking about food all the time.

I know that No S is supposed to put food in the background of my life, but even when it was going well, I thought about food a lot. (When I'm hungry, I spend a lot of time planning my next meal, my next S day treats, etc.)

Frankly, I don't want to throw in the towel on No S, because it makes sense to the logical part of my brain and I have to do something to maintain my weight so that I can be healthy and active.

The optimist in me believes that if I could just get on a roll again, No S would work and the bingeing would just go away. After all, my username here is all about Hope . . .