Everyday Systems

This is actually my fourth day, not my first. I am aiming for that 21 day club.

I somehow skipped lunch today. I didn't do that intentionally, but now I am wondering if I should eat another late meal, or if I should just go with it, and start again tomorrow.

Day 5: This is my first S Day. I toyed around with the idea of not S'ing today because I am a little apprehensive as to how Monday is going to be after the weekend. I decided that if I didn't use the S's on the days that they were allowed, I might end up using them later in the week when they are not allowed.

Day 6: OK. I didn't really like today. I was very uncomfortable, and felt like I had "blown" my diet. I guess I am coming at this from a position of fear and it is a powerless feeling. Hopefully after several weeks of successfully following the parameters of this diet, an S day will be more of the pleasure it is supposed to be. I am nervous that getting back on the No S wagon tomorrow will be hard. I did eat some treat type foods today because I thought they might be something that would tempt me later in the week.

Hi Junie Bumble!
Sorry I you haven't received a proper welcome yet.. Seems like a bunch of newbies are joining up these days!
Welcome!

Don't sweat S days at all.. Reserve your willpower for having good N days..
The all or nothing attitude of "I blew my diet" is unhelpful, and what's more downright destructive of your positive energy...
Getting back on the NoS wagon (hey we are a food addictions recovery group) might be hard, but do it for enough weeks and little by little it will get easier...
Habits will form..
You will find yourself walking down the aisles of the supermarkets chanting "You are predisapproved" at the cookies and icecream sections..
Promise!
Fear of failure is the problem, as you already pointed out.
Acceptance of failure (but you didn't blow anything since it was an S day, so *really embrace* this concept!)
is the best thing you can do, without judgement...
Acceptance of our faults is the only way to stare at them, point blank, and then begin the process of freeing ourselves from them..
First become fearless..

I promise you have nothing to fear here.. You certainly won't gain if you stick with NoS, and most likely you will lose weight and lose your bad habits over time..
Congratulations on a good first week!
Peace and Love,
Deb

Day 7: SUCCESS ( I just re-read the part about describing our days as either successes or failures).

Thanks for the welcome Deb. I read a discussion you and Reinhard were having (must have been a while back) about "fearless" eating. I eagerly await the day. Unfortunately, my most recent dieting experiances make S days feel like I just blew my diet and then Monday I am starting over. I obviously have an unhealthy relationship with my food. One of the things I am most hoping for with this program (besides the obvious losing weight) is to change the dynamics between myself and food.

Today wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

Day 8: SUCCESS

Used a little willpower today. Otherwise, it has still been easy.

Yay! Great job on that successful day, Lou.

On willpower - some days I need a ton of it, and some days I just seem to breeze through with no problems. I wish I could spot some kind of pattern, but so far no luck on that one.

C.

Day 9: SUCCESS

Thanks CaroleJo. I think being full helps me have willpower. It's not infaliable, I am sure, but in the past when I was starving on a diet, it didn't take much to make me slip up.

In the past, when you were starving on a diet, if you didn't slip up, there would've been something wrong! Eat and enjoy; enjoy your S-day treats; enjoy the structure and freedom of No-S days. Don't let yourself get to the point where you feel starving (although a bit of hunger before mealtimes is a really terrific appetizer!)

Welcome to the program and to the Board!

Day 10: SUCCESS

Yay for me! Thanks Jan. I am feeling something on this diet I haven't felt in an aweful long time.....Hunger. And it's o.k., if I can keep this up, I might be able to feel something else I haven't felt in a long time.......my ribs!

Day 11: FAILURE

Well, there you go. There I was cruising along smugly, enjoying the ease of this new diet I found, seeing success on the scale thinking I had it down when life came along and bit me in the butt.

My youngest turned three yesterday so we had a party. Also I brought my cousin and her family dinner yesterday (new baby home from the hospital). The problem was that in order to prepare for these events I had to cook all day Friday. Unfortunately, I am the kind of cook that relies on taste testing to get it right. I don't even have a frosting recipe (maybe I should get one not many night before birthdays fall on an S day in this family- I looked) I just taste, and test the consistancy. To make a long excuse, I mean story, short, I taste tested my way to failure Friday night. Ya, I kicked around the idea of justifying it by starting my S days Friday night, but I figured that would set me up for a repeat next weekend. Instead, I am starting my 21 day habit former over.

Day 1A: SUCCESS

21 Day club here I come.

JunieB..

Listen...

I just wanted to tell you that you are doing great!
Personally, I couldn't get into the 21 day club till a whole year of failed attempts..

But each time was practice..
Sometimes I didn't even want to try.. but I was resolved to keep trying to get my weight down...
Your habits will form over time if you persevere...

The "fearless eating" comment you mentioned.. Well.. Suffice it to say that even Reinhard took some time to get to that point..
Okay, he used to eat much more than now and it took some time to get into his current fantastic shape!
Yay our buff and inspiring leader!!!
LOL..

But before that, he didn't really know if those S days were going to do him in or not... With time, he stopped really overdoing it, and gained trust in his plan... That made the difference between just "guiltless" eating and "fearless" eating.. He found, like most of the people who are slowly but surely losing weight here, that the weight doesn't come back due to an occasional wild S weekend.. it comes back if you just stop trying altogether and abandon ship for weeks and weeks..

Keep on truckin and only weigh once in a while...
There's no "blowing it" if you consider ever experience you have here as a stepping stone to your future self...
Envision yourself in control, happy, slimmer, healthy..
This should constantly be in your inner view of the future and just get tunnel vision...
Do not beat yourself up any more... Take a deep breath and just start over..
Maybe you, like me, feel more tortured by the 21 day challenge..
If that's the case, and it's not motivating you, then don't worry about it..
It's not mandatory..
Focus on whatever you need to do to feel ready to be in this for the duration...
ps.. In the first 6 months or so, of being on NoS, I screwed up at least once or twice a week...
It happens...
Then it gets better...
Spring is almost here and we will all be blooming together!!!
Stay positive!

Peace and Love,
Deb

Day 2: SUCCESS

Thanks Deb. I looked up your before and during pictures and you really do look great. Younger too. Now that motivates me.

I don't want to fixate on the scale, but I do want to have some goal, so for me the 21 Day Club is just a goal. I have seen a little success on the scales these past two weeks, but I don't want to get discouraged if my clothes don't get looser, or if the scale stops being my friend. So, I figure if the time comes when I have no other reason to keep going (now, doesn't that sound dramatic), having that as a goal might be reason enough.

By all means!
That's a great goal..
Perhaps I was jumping to a wrong conclusion that you might be feeling bummed by the other day...
You have a great outlook!
Very sane and you will make it!

Thank you very much, for you kind words, and saying I look young...
I have an infantile personality!
LOL..

The Yoga in my life has been transforming me in many ways..
I always feel I look old when I'm fatter..
I'll be 39 this June, Juniebumble

Keep going strong!
Peace and Love,
Deb

Plus, I think the birthday of your youngest qualifies as an S day...so if that is the case, you didn't blow it at all!! MJ

Day 3: SUCCESS

Day 4: SUCCESS

I think logging in helps me stay focused. The last few days I haven't had the time to log in but I have been sticking with it.

Thanks for the words of encouragement you guys. I've decided to weigh myself when I make it to 21 days. That seems like enough time to have something happen. I was weighing myself regularly the last few weeks and was so excited to have lost 4 pounds, then I weighed yesterday, and had gained back those four plus two more. ARGGGHHH. So, I'll check when I get to the 21 day point. I have to admit, that 6 pound gain had a psychological effect on me.

MJ, I agree, the birthday of my youngest would definately be an S day, BUT, I blew it the day before when I was preparing for his birthday. Do you count that kind of stuff? I guess if I wasn't trying to join the 21 Day Club it wouldn't matter. Because, then I would just pick myself up (so to speak) and start again the next day. Are you to that point? I guess I figure once I have made this a habit, any mistake is just life. Until then, mistakes are me trying to revert back to bad habits. Any advice on that?

I don't know if I'm a good example or not, but even from the start I've taken the attitude you mention that 'mistakes are just part of life, pick yourself up and keep on going'. Perhaps this is why I've only just managed my second run of 21 days solid 'on habit' despite doing this for more than 8 months now!

some of us just seem to have more trouble with consistent good behaviour than others here. The thing is though, despite the fact that I've fallen off the waggon any number of times, I've never actually FAILED at NoS yet. I'm still consistently eating less junk and less food overall than I was beforehand. How can that be anything other than a rip-roaring success?

So, what I wanted to say was, if you're still giving it your best shot overall, it doesn't matter how long it takes to get that 21 solid days down pat. You have the whole of the rest of your life to work on it. Even when I didn't stick to it very well all those months, I'm still building habits and you will be too. Just the action of thinking about when and what you eat can have a huge impact.

You're doing fantastically well, JB. AND you've got the right attitude about it all - something that is usually takes considerably longer for people to get right! Don't worry too much. You're definately ahead of the game.

C.

Day 5: SUCCESS

CaroleJo, I appreciate your example. I think doing this for 8 months does show consistancy, even if you only have two "solid blocks" of 21 days. I wouldn't mind that kind of success at all. If I do this for 8 months and never reach 21 days, I will still be proud of myself. In the past I have given up easily after a diet failure. I don't want to give up because I don't know what else to do to lose weight. Believe me I have tried everything. From these posts, it sounds like real people have had real success with NoS and I want some of it. Using the 21 day club is a strategy for me. It's a reason to try again. So, even if I can't make NoS a habit right away, maybe I can make it a habit to start right over again instead of throwing in the towel when I blow it.

P.S. I was really tempted to blow it last night. The only thing that stopped me was thinking of how I would have to post it.

Good on you for not giving in to temptation. And (at risk of becoming boring on the subject ) I think you're absolutely right that the most important habit of all to build is to keep on showing up and keep on going, even if you don't behave perfectly the whole time. I also use the '21 days in a row' thing as a goal to aim for. Not in a "I'm going to give up if I can't get there" way, but in a "Let's see if I can do this one little thing, and do it right for a solid 3 weeks" kind of way.

I look forward to reading about your continued success!
C.

Day 6: SUCCESS

I used the virtual plating method for the first time last night. We had pizza. I know that I followed the letter of the law for virtual plating, but perhaps I was ignoring the spirit of the law.

Day 7: FAILURE

What is it with Friday nights? I didn't even go anywhere or do anything. I just snacked. It's discouraging to "fail" when you only have six hours to wait before it's O.K. I thought about swapping my Friday with my Sunday but decided that my 21 day goal needs to be my most honest effort with this program. Also, I really want to see results on that scale.

Day 1C: SUCCESS

Apparantly I better put the initial idicator. Three times a charm right?


Day 2C: SUCCESS

Day 1d: FAILURE
Day 1e: FAILURE
Day 1f: FAILURE
Day 1g: FAILURE

O.K. the honeymoon is over. I can't even remember how week one felt when it was so easy. My computer has been down since last Sunday and maybe not having to be accountable every night made it "easier" to fail. I don't know, all I know is that I did and I am trying to get back on that 21 day track.

You can do it! You can use these failures as learning experiences and go on to do better next time!
Take things a meal at a time!

Day 1h: SUCCESS
Day 2h: SUCCESS
Day 3h: SUCCESS

Here we go again.

YAY!!!

You're now officially my HERO of the week!

C.

Day 4h: SUCCESS

Now that felt good to type. Today I have to take my kids "to work" with me. Since it is snowing outside (Oh Spring, where are you?) I am going to have to keep them inside with a movie or two and snacks. Generally on days like this, I share the snacks. I hope that writing this here will be a preventative. No snacks (don't want to dissappoint Carole Jo ) for me today so that I can call day 5 a success tomorrow.

No snacks (don't want to dissappoint Carole Jo ) for me today so that I can call day 5 a success tomorrow.

JB, you could *NEVER* dissappoint. Not as long as you keep showing up and keep going regardless.

I'm amused that you think me so fierce and had a good chuckle when I read this.

Rock on! Day 4 of success. COOL
C.

Thanks for checking up on me Carole Jo. I need the support and accountability. Actually, I don't take you to be fierce (twisted, maybe....)at all. Your posts usually amuse me, I appreciate your humor that comes through accross the keyboard. It's hard to portray sarcasm or dry humor when you are typing not speaking. Sometimes you type something meaning one thing, and others read it as something completely different. I guess that's 21st century communication. Maybe I'll use more emoticons.

Day 5h: SUCCESS

Day 6h: SUCCESS

Good job!!!!!
Peace and Love,
Deb

Hi JB,

looks like you're back on the right road again. Great going!

C.

1i: SUCCESS

2i: SUCCESS

3i: SUCCESS

I took a break from the obsessiveness I had for this diet. No surprise, but it seemed to help. No, I have'nt made the 21 day club yet, but I am still trying daily.

I have been chugging along with No S for the last few weeks. No 21 day club yet, but I still want it. Since I have stopped obsessively checking in, I have lost 2 pounds, and stayed mostly within the diet guide lines. I like to check in every day so that I can watch my progress (or lack of) but I was driving myself crazy. I still pop in occasionally to see every one else's progress and it is inspiring.