Everyday Systems

I'll work on these habits first:

- no snacks between breakfast and lunch, and after dinner
- sweets once a day
- exercise 5 times a week

I'll weigh myself once a month only. And I'll be VERY gentle with myself. Like I would be with a friend who suffered a lot with food, weight and self-esteem issues.

Sounds like a brilliant plan! You go girl.

Oh,if only I could somehow release you from fretting about sweets. Though Reinhard said in the book that he didn't know of anyone who dropped No S because of wild S days, I've seen over the years people disappear after deploring their behavior re:sweets.

I hope it's okay if I gently suggest that you stop saying "I can't stop eating them when I start." What is really true is that you eat more of them than you intend on a given day. You absolutely always CAN stop; This will be true as long as it's true. I know that sounds crazy but it just is. You just never know when you can let go of sweets. I overate them for two YEARS on S days. The urge never went away, and I was very afraid to impose a limit. In fact, despite all the pain they caused, I was still not willing to give up free access to them until I finally was so tired of the battle. You can't really know for sure when THAT is until you attempt to impose the limitation and are just willing to bear the pain. It didn't get easy, but it did get easier. Even then, after two years of being okay with all that, I started having problems again. Hoo boy.

But don't let that slow you down. The odds are definitely better with No S because it matches how some societies actually live. It doesn't require any weird behaviors that only the exceptions can do. Hang on to that! You are not being asked for the impossible!

Uuups.... posted too early.

Thank you oolala for your advice. I have been overeating sweets for the whole past year, and they caused me a lot of pain and emotional instability. I mean, I was overeating them for many years, but last 12 months was terrible. Oh, how much chocolate I ate! I was obsessed with chocolate, deciding to eat only a little every day, then eating everything I bought on the same day ( a lot!), then deciding not to eat it at all, only to go and by more later (maybe it will be better with this type of chocolate), and repeating this 300 times during the year..... At this point I am sick and tired of the battle, and I am choosing to limit sweets. I like your idea of only eating sweets in the company of others. I'll try that. But whatever happens I'll keep following No S rules on N days.

My new (and last!) start was Oct 20

Days 1, 2 and 3: Success! Ate four meals (including tea time meal between lunch and dinner). On Day 3 ate only 20 almonds with my tea. I go to sleep hungry, but that's OK. That's why my breakfast tastes fabulous!

Day 4: Success! Ate three meals only!

I feel great! I love the feeling of being satisfied after the meal. I even like the feeling of genuine hunger before the next meal.

That's what sweets mess up for me: I never feel full. Also, my blood sugar goes up and down, and soon after eating them I feel that I have to eat again. But that's not the normal hunger, It's more like an emergency, I have to eat to restore some balance in my body. I don't like that at all. Honestly, I think that I don't like sweets any more.

good luck with your battle with sweets.

Thanks, Mitchell.

Day 5 (Friday): Success. Ate four meals. I ate the fourth meal at 10 PM, after gym. I was very hungry. I am usually able to go to bed hungry, but I could not tolerate this level of hunger. I would not consider that a fail even if I was following vanilla No S.

Day 6 and 7: S days. I ate sweets, but not too much. Saturday: 3 small cookies, 2 pieces of birthday cake. Sunday: some cake, some chocolate, almonds in chocolate

Fantastic Freegirl!! Sounds like you are doing well and being sane in your approach to meals and sweets!

Each day's success makes the next one a little easier. & there will be some days that are harder than others but if you can look back on previous ones that were successful it is a good incentive to resist!

I am starting today with one S - No Sweets. I am also starting with two other habits: at least 1/2 hour of exercise 5 days a week, and relaxation. Regarding relaxation: I'd like to eventually do daily meditation; I'll start with deep breathing and mindfulness exercises. I'll record my food intake to be able to observe changes that will happen naturally.

Why I chose these habits: they will help with emotional stability. I need that, especially now that a cold and long Canadian winter is coming.

I commit to this plan and will not make any changes to it for at least 6 months !
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Saturday Nov 1st: S day; 30 min of elliptical + some weight exercises

Go Freegirl!!!!