*****September Challenge*****

[eschano]

Hi All,

After an August breather I'm back on vanilla NoS and keen to get this challenge started

1 NWS Day - Holiday
2
3
4 Went for Indian in the evening with all my boyfriend's school friends and judging from my level of fullness I didn't do a great job with virtual plating
5
6 S Day
7 S Day
8
9
10
11
12 - 1 single fruit pastille in the afternoon as all colleagues were sharing. Minute fail so quite at peace with it.
13 S Day
14 S Day
15
16 despite a work event in my favourite Italian Restaurant with access to 3 courses - big win
17
18
19
20 S Day
21 S Day
22
23 - another work event in the Italian Restaurant - I didn't even think about not doing NoS. Yay!!!
24
25
26
27 S Day
28 S Day
29
30 - orange chocolate brownie baked by my colleague -yummy!!!

[aspencer27]

I'm in - after a long vacation without following NoS, I'm ready to be back to a normal routine!
1 NWS Day - Holiday
2 S Event - dinner
3 FAIL
4 SUCCESS
5 SUCCESS
6 S Day
7 S Day
8 S Event - dinner
9 FAIL
10 SUCCESS
11 FAIL
12 SUCCESS
13 S Day
14 S Day
15 SUCCESS
16 SUCCESS
17 SUCCESS
18 SUCCESS
19 FAIL
20 S Day
21 S Day
22 SUCCESS
23 S Event
24 SUCCESS
25 FAIL
26 SUCCESS
27 S Day
28 S Day
29 SUCCESS
30 SUCCESS

[noni]

Count me in, eschano. I've been needing a kick in the pants lately.

September
1 NWSD/HOLIDAY
2 GREEN
3 GREEN
4 GREEN
5 GREEN Now to face the S-Day giant!
6 S-Day
7 S-Day
8NWSD I treat the kids to their favorite Chinese buffet at the beginning of each school year. It's a good evening to take them because hubby is fasting for a medical procedure and doesn't like Chinese food. I will eat nothing or very little until then (hopefully!).
9 GREEN
10 GREEN
11 GREEN
12 GREEN
13 S-Day
14 S-Day Trying to have moderate S-Days. This weekend didn't fill the bill.
15 GREEN I resisted eating the ends of the pork roast I was slicing. First time ever, and all because of the challenge!
16 FAIL Just a small one. A little too much unnecessary sampling of applesauce while making it.
17 GREEN even tho' I had lunch at my food-pushing-but-God-bless-her,
mother's house.
18 FAIL Had brunch with a friend and ate everything on my big plate. And already used up my 2 NWSDs.
19 GREEN In spite of having to put my 16 y/o kitty to sleep
20 S-Day
21 S-Day Too much "weekend." Heartburn is my tell-tale sign. Last chance to strive for 5 green days in a row this month. It's been either a fail or a NWSD otherwise.
22 GREEN
23 GREEN
24 GREEN
25 GREEN
26 GREEN
27 S-Day
28 S-Day Bad sinus cold. Couldn't smell or taste my peach pie. Ate very little today. Redeemed from yesterday's wild eating frenzy.
29 FAIL Taste came back, ate that pie!
30 GREEN

[aspencer27]

Yay! Any other takers for the September challenge?

[Shadowfairy]

Well I'm just getting started so might as well.

[eschano]

Shadowfairy - delighted you're joining as well despite being a newbie

[Shadowfairy]

What's the challenge though? Or is it just following vanilla noS? Sorry if I don't see the difference I don't exactly have a calender with me now hehe

[eschano]

As a default the aim is to get a green vanilla NoS month. However, you can set your own challenge, declare it and try to stick to it, no matter what it is. The aim is only to stick to it throughout September. I barely ever get a month green but it helps me to post it here as people might not follow my thread but here it's very easy to see how people are doing (and if it's not going so well also to find comfort in knowing that other people have some too).

[Shadowfairy]

Ahh okay. So the challenge is to be a perfect angel this month I can do that...hehehe

[noni]

Why doesn't my edit button show first off on my challenge post? For two days I had to hit the quote button, then I have to delete the post or it will be doubled. After that, then my edit button shows on the original post and I can write on it properly.

[aspencer27]

Noni - it looks like you got it figured out, but if not you can e-mail Reinhard or post in the Help I'm confused board.

September hasn't started well for me, I was in a total rebellious mode yesterday with everything and I got nothing done. I counted yesterday as a fail because even though I skipped breakfast, so I guess I could've counted my snack as a 3rd meal, I ate between lunch and dinner - and I didn't even need to! Ugh! Oh well, a new day, and I'll focus on making it green. In the meantime... I'm off to get some breakfast.

Keep up the great work everyone!

[noni]

"Oh well, a new day, and I'll focus on making it green."

Thank you, aspencer. And you also have it figured out!

[eschano]

Ahh okay. So the challenge is to be a perfect angel this month I can do that...hehehe

As long as you don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. The great thing about NoS is that you don't need to be perfect to see results. That is probably what most of us have such a problem with: to stop having to be perfect. A history of dieting doesn't help. But learning how to be good enough and standing behind some failures is a good lesson you can get out of this challenge. As someone once said on this board: people who have no red days fall in two categories: people who haven't had their first red day yet and liars

Noni, glad you sorted it out.

Aspencer: new day new start

[Shadowfairy]

Ahh okay. So the challenge is to be a perfect angel this month I can do that...hehehe

As long as you don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. The great thing about NoS is that you don't need to be perfect to see results. That is probably what most of us have such a problem with: to stop having to be perfect. A history of dieting doesn't help. But learning how to be good enough and standing behind some failures is a good lesson you can get out of this challenge. As someone once said on this board: people who have no red days fall in two categories: people who haven't had their first red day yet and liars

True I guess. I'm aspiring to be a perfect angel for the sake of the challenge. Either way I don't see much point in not being honest about it if I do fail, afterall I'd only be fooling myself wouldn't I?

[aspencer27]

Agreed on perfection. I find that not worrying about a fail has helped me stop myself after a small fail for the day, whereas before NoS, I would have likely binged and sabotaged myself until a new day. The way I see it on NoS is that each meal and the time in between a meal is a new start, even if I've already failed that day.

[aspencer27]

Yay! My first green for the challenge - I'm back on track!

[osoniye]

The way I see it on NoS is that each meal and the time in between a meal is a new start, even if I've already failed that day.

I couldn't agree with you more, aspencer!
OK, I'll play... just jumping in where I am-
5 Red day- had some chocolate after lunch
6 S Day
7 S Day
8 Success
9- Fail
10
11 NWS Day
12
13 S Day
14 S Day
15- Travel day-
16
17
18
19
20 S Day
21 S Day
22
23
24
25 Sick day, very small meals, some cookies and cokes
26
27 S Day
28 S Day
29
30 Yay, end of month!

[Amy C.]

This newby is in the September challenge.

1 NWS Day - Holiday = yellow
2
3
4
5 although on the edge.
6 S Day That was so fun to eat a dessert! I really wanted popcorn, but didn't have enough room to really enjoy it. I actually refrained from eating a few hours before dinner so that I could enjoy what I spent two hours making!
7 S Day Ate more than was comfortable. Will check this next weekend.
8 Woohoo!
9 Success again. A little unbelievable that I can lose weight with this eating plan, but at least I am probably not gaining.
10 Was hungry during the day - especially in the afternoon. Was not hungry after dinner or at night. Over the hump!
11
12 Success here completes 2 weeks on the No S Diet.
13 S Day Gained .2 lb, but the loss last week was pretty high. Still plan not go bonkers this weekend.
14 S Day Went bonkers yesterday, but was in charge today. I really should be in charge on both days. Maybe next week.
15 Woohoo!
16 I am on a roll, although the fence is coming down a bit
17
18 This was day 19 on the No S Diet. It should be a habit soon!
19 Did not do well this day. Party at work. I should have not gone.
20 S Day. Didn't totally binge out. Had two servings of dessert and more dinner than fit on a plate
21 S Day Substituted coffee hour snacks for lunch and didn't binge at all. Kind of unusual
22 one more
23 another
24 and another! Not really losing weight, but not binging either. Will probably add calorie restrictions a couple of days a week in October.
25 woo hoo
26 Didn't work on this day. Totally blew it.
27 S Day - something else was in charge of my day.
28 S Day - was not in charge of my eating
29 Back on track. Added in reduced calorie days twice a week.
30 Did OK. Lost only 2 lbs this month.

[noni]

Welcome aboard, Amy!

[aspencer27]

Keep up the good work everyone! Welcome Amy.

This weekend was... um, interesting... Saturday was good, but Sunday was out of control! Back on track today with my S Event for dinner tonight.

[gwenkkelly]

Sure, why not have another place to be accountable?

1. NWS-day (Labor Day)
2. Success!
3. Success!
4. Success!
5. Success!
6. S-day
7. S-day
8. Success!
9. Success!
10. Success!
11. Success!
12. Success!
13. S-day
14. S-day
15. Success!
16. Success!
17. Success!
18. Success!
19. NWS-day (camping)
20. S-day
21. S-day
22. Success!
23. Success!
24. Success!
25. Success!
26. Success!
27. S-day
28. S-day
29. Success!
30. Success!

Woohoo, a whole green month!

[eschano]

Doing well everyone!

[Shadowfairy]

Hahaha I wish I could say I'm doing well. I've already had a bunch of red days. But oh well. I'm STILL on the challenge.

The weakness? Sweets.

But now, they've started to make me sick. So now I HAVE to start cutting down. I'll try my best.

[aspencer27]

Everyone is doing awesome for September!

Shadowfairy - no worries about the red days - they are over and done with. Just move on and focus on right now - we'll get the hang of it soon!

[aspencer27]

Fail yesterday! Oh well, today is a new day to get back on track.

[Shadowfairy]

Is having cookies and milk instead of lunch and dinner a fail?

[noni]

Is having cookies and milk instead of lunch and dinner a fail?

If you are doing vanilla No s, then it is, even tho' you may have taken in less food overall. It's about establishing the no-sweet-during-the-week habit. I've been doing No S for quite some time, so I tried modifying out of boredom, doing exactly what you did. For me that was a real slippery slope...lol. Nevertheless, I do hope you enjoyed those cookies!

[aspencer27]

Woo hoo, a successful day yesterday. I had to really think back about what I ate yesterday, and I realized that it was a really easy success. I love those days - they tend to be when I have a lot going on and I don't get bored.

[aspencer27]

I debated about whether or not to call today a success, but I had a tiny bite of dessert when I was out with friends last night, so technically a fail, but a pretty insignificant one.

[noni]

I debated about whether or not to call today a success, but I had a tiny bite of dessert when I was out with friends last night, so technically a fail, but a pretty insignificant one.

You'll keep all of us honest!

[aspencer27]

I did great on Friday and Saturday, but Sunday was a wild S Day. Glad to be back on the sanity of an N Day. I will get my wild days under control eventually!

[eschano]

They'll get tame all by themselves just give it time!

[aspencer27]

Good to know! I will be trying to be mindful with my eating in the meantime. That usually helps.

Nice job everyone with the September challenges, everyone is doing so great!

[Amy C.]

Taking this one out. Don't need two entries. It isn't obvious how to delete an entry.

[eschano]

Not long now. Doing well team!

[aspencer27]

I can't believe September is almost over! Look at all of those greens stacking up. And, everyone has done amazing after the fails - right back on track!

Keep up the great work, and we'll crush this last week in September!

[oolala53]

Better late than never.

Mine is mostly about exercise. ANY will be considered success. I can't honestly say I'm 100% committed to Vanilla or any consistent mod right now. 3 meals are still my foundation, though, and I am not trying any specific diet to replace No S.

Sept.
24- success
25-I am calling this a success because I am signed up to attend 2 exercise classes I've been wanting to go to.
26- my birthday but NOT a designated day of
27- optional
28- optional
29.
30.

[aspencer27]

oolala - how did your classes go?

I had a major fail last night, and I really thought about not posting today, but really, what is the point of that?!?! I'm not going to be perfect 100% of the time, and a fail is no big deal as long as I get right back on track. I can't believe September is almost over!

[noni]

Happy Birthday, oolala!

[eschano]

Well done everyone! I see lots and lots of green.

Amy C. I love your summaries!