That's it. I QUIT!

[kccc]

Snacking, that is. Even on S-days, unless there are truly exceptional circumstances.

Today, I had a pretty non-idiotic S-day. However, I ate some nuts around 4:00, and noticed that I didn't enjoy dinner nearly as much as I do on N-days.

I'd previously noticed that 4:00 is a point at which I can suddenly "turn idiotic". I have a snack, then a bit more... then I don't want dinner. Then I perma-snack the rest of the night. So, I did better by limiting today's snack - but even that much interfered with my meal.

It's not a "restriction" thing in any way. (And I'd argue pretty strongly against restricting S-days, actually - too much risk of rebound). I've just - finally - recognized on a really deep emotional level that I don't LIKE snacking. I enjoy meals so much more when I don't - why mess that up?

Did anyone think I was leaving the boards, even for a nanosecond ? Actually, I am... for vacation. I may pop in when I have wireless, but won't be around for a bit. Y'all be good!

[la_loser]

Are you kidding me? I knew there was a catch-you all time No Ser you!

Have a wonderful vacation and come back safe and sound.

And enjoy your S's!

[gratefuldeb67]

Hahah, you almost fooled me!

Well, this is why I think the "sometimes" part should be left in the S day clause.. No restrictions, but with the "sometimes" S days aren't always assumed to involve sweets or snacks, etc. It's *optional*.

I had a similar experience just now with having seconds.
Just a bit too full for comfort.
I'll try to remember this feeling, and make a better choice in the future.
Still, I like being able to have the freedom of choice on S days.

[kccc]

Still, I like being able to have the freedom of choice on S days.

And so you should. And so do I.

I don't advocate intentional restriction at all, and hope my post isn't read that way. It's just sort of an "aha" moment for myself, as I realized that I genuinely prefer to make a different choice than the one I've been making.

But I don't think I'd have gotten to that point without making free choices for a while now. And I still think the freedom matters.

(I'm also sure there will be "relapses" - and I won't worry about them much, to be honest. The weight of N-day habit will sort them out over time.)

[Bushranger]

Did anyone think I was leaving the boards, even for a nanosecond ? Actually, I am... for vacation. I may pop in when I have wireless, but won't be around for a bit. Y'all be good!

I did when I saw the title. Then I read it and realised you were a politician!

[vmsurbat]

It's not a "restriction" thing in any way. (And I'd argue pretty strongly against restricting S-days, actually - too much risk of rebound). I've just - finally - recognized on a really deep emotional level that I don't LIKE snacking. I enjoy meals so much more when I don't - why mess that up?

I had the very same "aha" moment last weekend. I've never been prone to "snacking" between meals; my problem has been the licking and tasting while cooking and then later, cleaning up. Every weekend, I've taken advantage of S-day freedom to indulge my "licking and tasting" self.

Last Sunday, though, as I was about to clean out the remaining hummus, I suddenly thought to myself "Why?" I was already SATISFIED from a really nice meal, had no thoughts of wanting more at the table, and it was MERELY because the bowl was there with tempting bits that it even crossed my mind to eat it--a sort of Pavlovian response. THAT realization shook me up--NoS gives us back our dignity wrt to food; I didn't want to go back to mindless *bad* habits. That bit of hummus got put in the tiniest of tupperwares (actually containers from Ikea which I LOVE) , stuck in the freezer, and will be ENJOYED another day.

And, KCC, *no way* for a moment did I think you were quitting NoS! Enjoy your vacation!

[reinhard]

Scary subject!

But I knew that from you it must be a literary device

I don't explicitly restrict snacks on S-days, but I can see why you might.

Snacks are the only S that seem more or less totally dispensable to me.

Sweets and seconds are positive pleasures, in moderation.

Snacks are usually the mindless scratching of an itch.

I'd almost always rather eat a meal.

If you're hungry between your 3 square on an S day, why not just have an extra meal? Yeah, it's some extra fuss. But the extra fuss gives pleasure -- and encourages moderation.

Again, I don't have an explicit rule about this, and I do sometimes mindlessly snack on s-days. But it's not something I particularly enjoy. It's just not enough of an issue that I worry about stamping it out -- have to reserve my willpower for more egregious offenders.

Reinhard

[kccc]

I'm home from vacation! Glad to go, glad to be back.

Minimizing snacking really helped on the trip. I didn't do away with it entirely, or make hard rules, but just being very conscious of my recent realization that "I feel better when I avoid snacks" made a HUGE difference. I also kept "S-worthy treats" in mind when faced with sweets. (An amazing number are NOT, lol!)

No seconds was the hardest "S" to manage on vacation, to my absolute surprise since it's not usually an issue for me. First, some of the family cooking was just GOOD, so I would have a bit extra just because I liked the dish so much. And then there's the whole restaurant-food-serving-size issue... it takes serious attention to eat only what would fit on a normal plate at many restaurants.

I'm so glad to be back. And I can cook for myself, and have coffee exactly the way I like it... ahh... bliss.

My August challenge is "re-booting No-S" - restarting fresh to clean up all the little glitches that may have crept in over time.

[tarantinofan]

I'm home from vacation! Glad to go, glad to be back.

Minimizing snacking really helped on the trip. I didn't do away with it entirely, or make hard rules, but just being very conscious of my recent realization that "I feel better when I avoid snacks" made a HUGE difference. I also kept "S-worthy treats" in mind when faced with sweets. (An amazing number are NOT, lol!)

No seconds was the hardest "S" to manage on vacation, to my absolute surprise since it's not usually an issue for me. First, some of the family cooking was just GOOD, so I would have a bit extra just because I liked the dish so much. And then there's the whole restaurant-food-serving-size issue... it takes serious attention to eat only what would fit on a normal plate at many restaurants.

I'm so glad to be back. And I can cook for myself, and have coffee exactly the way I like it... ahh... bliss.

My August challenge is "re-booting No-S" - restarting fresh to clean up all the little glitches that may have crept in over time.

Welcome back! I just came back from vacation, too. I totally know what you mean about the whole seconds thing. I went to Hawaii with my parents this week, and they love having 3 course meals. It was pretty hard to watch them eating appetizers and eat out of the bread basket while I sat and watched Definitely glad to be back home where I can make/get whatever food I want (I missed my peanut butter lol).

[mimi]

Welcome back KCCC! I got back from get-away #1 a week ago, and now am leaving for get-away #2 tomorrow - to the beach with DD and the two little grandkids. A 2-year-old and a 2-month-old - we should have lots of fun!
Plan to use the same strategy as last time - only S-worthy treats allowed! Boardwalk ice cream definitely counts, and I'm not worried about anything else! Fortunately we'll only be gone for 4 days...not a problem.

Mimi