Everyday Systems

Starting to check in today, but actually started the No S Plan on Tuesday.

Tues. - SUCCESS

Wed. - SUCCESS

Last night was extremely difficult. Sweets were calling to me, but I refrained. It was nice for a change to tell myself, "It's not that you can never have them...you just have to wait for Saturday." What a cool concept!

My weight is 225 lbs. I recently regained all 50 lbs. I had lost on Weight Watchers in '09-'10.

Thurs. - SUCCESS

Yay! Feeling very clean and energetic. It's nice to see everyone else here and know we're all in this together.

Good job Karen! I am finding that after almost 3 full weeks I don't struggle as much through those cravings. I am able to just focus on my meals instead. I have about 65 lbs to drop but I am a lot less focused on that... I like feeling more in control because here are so many othernareasbof my life that are not in my control....so good luck and hang in there from what I can see is that it gets easier...mj

Thanks, MJ! Something I see happening already is less of a focus on food. When you're dieting, you're always obsessing about what's to eat next, how much you've lost in the last day (ha!) and how long you're going to have to keep it up.

When I tell myself I'm focusing on the habit, not the weight, it feels like something I can keep up for the rest of my life.

I don't get online on weekends, so here's Friday-Sunday:

Fri. - SUCCESS
Sat. - S Day
Sun. - S Day

I love the program so far. However, I went a bit overboard on rule-breaking on the weekend, I think. Last night I read this from the book, under the section "What Does a Perfect S Day Look Like?":

"You don't have to be a saint. Nor is it a day when you gorged yourself on every imaginable restricted delicacy that you couldn't enjoy during the week, taking full advantage of the lack of rules like a looter during a blackout" (p. 105).

I wouldn't say I was THAT much of a looter, but I was definitely veering in that direction. I think once I get a few weeks under my belt, I won't be quite so free with the sweets. (They're my downfall, but I tried eliminating sugar entirely and it backfired.)

I could tell a difference in how I felt on the S Days - much more heavy and weighed-down, less energy. I think more of a balanced approach would be to allow myself a sweet breakfast on weekend mornings (waffles or cinnamon rolls) and a dessert after dinner. Beyond that, I don't think any excess is necessary.

Mom of 6! Congrats on doing so well with so many other demands on your attention!!

RJRO

Hi Karen....S days are a challenge for me...I end up indulging my impulses which is exactly what gets me into trouble most of my life...so I try and allow myself to grab a snack but stay away from sweets...I have cheese or some crackers and agin focus on my next meal.....I feel I have to change my focus on food from what to when but at the same time avoid the obvious trouble foods....keep it up! Mj

You may be able to get some control over your S-days by planning them a little. Maybe one snack between meals, seconds if you want, and dessert with a meal. I mean really, no one wants to be eating all day. There are too many other things to do! :)

kgayle1971 wrote:I don't get online on weekends, so here's Friday-Sunday:

Fri. - SUCCESS
Sat. - S Day
Sun. - S Day

I love the program so far. However, I went a bit overboard on rule-breaking on the weekend, I think. Last night I read this from the book, under the section "What Does a Perfect S Day Look Like?":

"You don't have to be a saint. Nor is it a day when you gorged yourself on every imaginable restricted delicacy that you couldn't enjoy during the week, taking full advantage of the lack of rules like a looter during a blackout" (p. 105).

I wouldn't say I was THAT much of a looter, but I was definitely veering in that direction. I think once I get a few weeks under my belt, I won't be quite so free with the sweets. (They're my downfall, but I tried eliminating sugar entirely and it backfired.)

I could tell a difference in how I felt on the S Days - much more heavy and weighed-down, less energy. I think more of a balanced approach would be to allow myself a sweet breakfast on weekend mornings (waffles or cinnamon rolls) and a dessert after dinner. Beyond that, I don't think any excess is necessary.

Good job.

Thanks for the comments and support!

Mon. - SUCCESS

It's been difficult the past few days since I've been tempted to eat for emotional reasons. The main thing that keeps me on track is knowing that I'm coming here to post and fill in my HabitCal.

Tues. - SUCCESS

Yay!

I sure do have a hard time waiting for lunch - 12:10 - even though I don't eat breakfast until 9:30 or so. Strange...

i have eaten lunch between 11:30 and 12:00 for 30 years....I have decided to put it off until 12:30 in order to not be famished between 4 pm and dinner at 6:30 ... it seems to be working...I ma in the middle of my 4th week...and haven't strayed a bit off of the plan...so hang in there...!!!!

Thanks for the tip...I'll try that.

Yesterday I bombed, so:

Thurs. - FAILURE

Today is OK so far, but boy am I tempted to nosh between meals today. I know it's stress-related because I'm going through some hard stuff lately, but I have to remember that eating is not going to sedate me!!!!

Whew...I feel better already just typing this out. Maybe the HabitCal will keep me accountable. I don't want another red day!

Didn't get online over the weekend, so here's a catch-up:

Fri. - SUCCESS
Sat. - S Day
Sun. - S Day

My weekend was a Bacchanalian Blunder...I am posting on another thread about my sugar craziness.

I definitely find I can delay lunch a lot more easily than I can manage the hungries at 5:00 when dinner is at 7:00. At lunch, I'm staring No-S in the eye saying "Pfft. I'm tougher than you." At 5:00 p.m., I'm a 98 pound weakling, getting sand kicked in my face by No S. Wise choice putting off lunch.

mjhalso wrote:i have eaten lunch between 11:30 and 12:00 for 30 years....I have decided to put it off until 12:30 in order to not be famished between 4 pm and dinner at 6:30 ... it seems to be working...I ma in the middle of my 4th week...and haven't strayed a bit off of the plan...so hang in there...!!!!

kgayle1971 wrote:Didn't get online over the weekend, so here's a catch-up:

Fri. - SUCCESS
Sat. - S Day
Sun. - S Day

My weekend was a Bacchanalian Blunder...I am posting on another thread about my sugar craziness.

Sugar can be a culprit...mine is bread...crackers... etc I find that my weekends are better if I choose to snack but stay with cheese sticks..or I heat up a couple of turkey meat balls... and focus on my meals to take my mond off of snacking...Hang in ! MJ

It is good to see that you are still here and still posting and still working through the adjustment period. I am currently in the middle of my second month which I am finding much easier than the first month. I have also had my ups and downs, but I refuse to quit. I lost 7.8 lbs the first month, and my goal is to just maintain that loss this month. My approximate overall goal is 70 lbs, and I am a mom of 3 (all in their 20s). Hope to continue to see your posts.

Thanks! I haven't been online much since my children are passing this stomach virus around. (Stop sharing, children! lol)

Thurs. - SUCCESS
Fri. - FAILURE
Sat. - S Day
Sun. - S Day
Mon. - SUCCESS

I've found that if I have only non-sugar sweets on S Days that I do better...I don't get so crazy and out of control. So I'll allow myself stuff sweetened with Splenda that I don't eat during the week.

I've cut out coffee altogether...I think it was messing me up and increasing my appetite. I've been off it for 5 days now and feel a big difference. (Although it was hell for the first 2 days - the headaches were severe.) Now I drink water when I would have reached for coffee.

Not doing so well lately. I will say that I'm eating smaller portions, so maybe that's a victory, but I'm still so drawn by the sweets that I can't cut them out. I guess it wouldn't be wise to do that anyway.

On some N days, I want a sweet so badly after dinner that I cave and turn a perfectly good "success" day into a "failure." Yet, I notice that when I have a sweet, it's not in the large quantities I used to indulge in. On Saturday my hubby took me out to dinner and I was amazed by how much restraint I used. I used to just inhale food and not even savor it. Now I'm not panicky around it; I know another meal is coming and my chance to enjoy food is not going to be taken away by the next diet.

So I'll count this as a learning experience rather than a failure. I'm getting out of the diet mentality! It was nice to walk by the diet book section of the book store the other day and not even be tempted to find another "perfect solution" to my eating issues.

Thurs. - FAILURE
Fri. - FAILURE
Sat. - S Day
Sun. - S Day