Everyday Systems

Just wondering how much you guys splurge on your S days? Do you truly eat whatever you want for 3 meals, 3 times in a weekend or do you tend to splurge more on just one or two meals in a weekend?

I don't think I will do seconds--even on my S days since I don't do seconds now--never really have. And I probably won't snack either unless you count getting an appetizer with dinner as a snack. Other than that, I'm wondering just how crazy I can get on the weekends and still maintain my weight

I have only had one S weekend so far, and it wasn't a free-for-all like I'd feared. What I did on my S days was vary the type of food I ate. Instead of grilled chicken, I had fried chicken. I actually drank lemonade sweetened with sugar instead of a Diet Coke (this is not unlike the Lubavitcher Rebbe admitting to having a bacon-cheeseburger!) I enjoyed everything I ate, and surprisingly, after going out for dinner twice, realized at Dairy Queen that I just simply wasn't in the mood for anything. Yes, we went to DQ twice. I might not have been so resolute had it been Ben & Jerry's.

Best part: Monday was back to normal eating. No deprivation, and no urge to walk by the DQ.

This weekend, we're going out for my brother's b-day and I'm looking forward to a good steak with fries. I am also planning to go to the market, and I'm equally looking forward to all that awesome local produce.

2 meals. I get up quite late and usually have brunch with friends so I feel stuffed for ages. I often have some sweet in between brunch and dinner though. So maybe that makes it 3 meals.

It's only my third S weekend coming up. The first one was wild. It was 1 big meal throughout the day, really. I felt sick until Monday evening. But the second weekend was much better. I just had two meals and a snack and I ate whatever I wanted. Once I shifted my mindset from "I have to eat all the food that I can't eat on N days" to a focus on Enjoyment I automatically ate less.

I tried "overindulging" at a birthday barbecue we had (for me!) last Sunday (a week ago). I had "a few" chips and salsa and "a couple" bites of veggies with ranch dip and what-not ... and then had a cupcake, and then a cookie ... I was so poisoned/sick I was ill the entire next day and didn't experience the feeling of "hunger" until TUESDAY AT LUNCH. It was unbelievable. I just felt so gross. (ETA: I also had a plate of food, sausages, sauerkraut and German potato salad ... it was a SMALL plate, too ... but that + the appetizers + the desserts ... ugh)

Same thing happened Saturday ... we went to the fair, I had some french fries, and a bite of my husband's corn dog and some bits of his funnel cake (all spread out -- not eaten at one sitting like I am used to now) ... and I did not feel truly hungry until today at lunch. I ate lunch and dinner yesterday (I'm nursing a 4 month old) and still lost weight this morning, but that gross "oh my stomach is sooo full" feeling just didn't go away until today.

I find that I try to be purposeful about my s days ... I think about "What do I really want to enjoy?" and usually? The answer is "nothing". I don't like that feeling of being sick from food. But I like having the freedom of knowing if the family gets frozen yogurt, I'm not going to be the sourpuss sitting there going "Awww I can't have any" ... and I'll get some.

This way of eating has totally changed my life. So, I guess I would say S days for me aren't much different from regular days. I just feel better that way.