Join me TODAY on 21 days Vanilla! May 14-June 3

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Mon May 14, 2012 3:22 pm

I'm starting today a stint of 21 days Vanilla No S.
I've tinkered with mods for a bit, but feel best, quite frankly, on Vanilla.
I've had one-too-many over-doing-its lately and feel bloated, heavier, and sick of it.
I need to get my hungry feeling back on!

JOIN ME!
START TODAY!
I need all the support I can get!

Helpful for me:
-no treats in the home during the week.
-3 meals. Get out of my food rut so to not get bored, even if I have to go out to dinner.
-I've been giving up Diet Soda altogether, but may let myself have it during my weak moments (4pm-ish and after dinner)

21 days baby!

rungirl96 · Post by **rungirl96** » Mon May 14, 2012 6:02 pm

I'm in!!!

I made the same decision this weekend after having so many failures lately. I am thinking of doing 21 continuous N Days. I have not done well on weekends and think it may be easier to stay away from sweets altogether. Unfortunately I don't think I can ban treats entirely from my house, but I'm going to make sure none of my favorites are there.

princesstina · Post by **princesstina** » Mon May 14, 2012 6:18 pm

Me too - I have been distracted recently and keep looking at other diets, having successfully no-S-ed previously, and the end result has been weight gain of 8 lbs or so when I was hoping to lose 4lbs - so now I am about 12 lb heavier than I want to be.

I need to go back to basics and do it properly - no tweaks, mods etc. Think I have a very similar outlook and history to you, Liz - had a look at your very interesting blog and I identify with a lot of what you say.

So, will keep in touch and send you encouragement. You are not alone!

I have been looking in on this board regularly over the past few years, but not posted before - so this is a fresh start for me and a venture into something new too.

sarahkay · Post by **sarahkay** » Mon May 14, 2012 6:22 pm

I'm in! I'm working at getting into the habit this month! So many mental changes are happening in just the first week!

princesstina · Post by **princesstina** » Tue May 15, 2012 8:21 am

Just quickly checking in to say Day 1 of 21 was fine.

I also put away the bathroom scales because I know that if I get the habits right, the weight will take care of itself. That helps me to feel much more positive already - after all, I don't walk around with a sign saying how many lbs I've put on so what does the number matter.

Will look in again later and see how Sarah, rungirl and Liz are getting on - anyone else going to join us?

loligoss · Post by **loligoss** » Tue May 15, 2012 9:48 am

Long binging and dieting history (One day I will fill you in). Lost 20 pounds and regained them twice in one year! Not happy at all. I need to low-carb but not to be so restrictive as it leads to binging.

I have been eating 3 meals a day for a long time now.
I exercise 5 days a week at least 30 minutes
I eat mostly home made food (that doesn't mean it's not fattening

)
I drink water, coffee, tea etc unsweetened
I love my fruit (hence my failure with Atkins)
I love my veg and have salads, roasted veg etc at least one or two meals a day.
I have a special occasion this weekend (Son's Bar Mitzvah) and the party is next Monday so I will make that evening an S time...Last Bar Mitzvah I didn't get to eat anything as I was too busy that's what I think will happen this time too...but I want the option to eat anything if I want to.

I also put the scale away for the month. I have a tendency to always gain weight when I check my weight and get mad I'm not losing. I am heavy and feel it in my clothes but I will stick to this and expect a very slow loss.

Do you want us to add what you are eating in this post? Or just to write whether you are succeeding?

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Tue May 15, 2012 1:18 pm

I'm in also. I have really struggled to get 21 days. I have tried this past couple months, and I just haven't gotten past a day or two. So I'm with ya! Mine starts today, though....5/15-6/4! I am almost 11 weeks pregnant so I'm almost out of morning sickness mode. That should help A LOT. Not snacking has been tough for me, but I know this is the best way to eat while pregnant!!!!

I had a bowl of cereal with some toast for breakfast. I think eating a large enough meal for breakfast is definitely going to be key for me. The mornings are the hardest with the nausea.

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Tue May 15, 2012 1:48 pm

I'm so happy that we have such a great team here!
Go 21 days!
I'm not going to say that yesterday night I wasn't TOTALLY tempted to have a treat. I had had 3 good healthy meals but temptations came in all forms. When you haven't been Vanilla for a long time, it's SO much harder to get back in the groove!!

But let me say that TODAY morning I already feel so much more confident in doing this. Because I feel not bloated this morning and refreshed for the day.
No big sugar hangover.

We can do this.
At loligoss:WELCOME TO NO S!!! Sounds like you are so on the right track with your 3 meals/day already.
Start a "daily check-in" thread for yourself so you can be followed/accountable.

Tobiasmom: wow being pregnant would be so hard in the early stages. I know I was really sick.

Keep at it!

Good luck, all today!

emullett · Post by **emullett** » Tue May 15, 2012 5:57 pm

I'm so excited to see this. I started yesterday for my 21 days. I'm doing N days every day including the weekend. When I have an opportunity for a treat I'll take it.

SW 166
Height 5 feet I'm a shorty

rungirl96 · Post by **rungirl96** » Wed May 16, 2012 1:08 am

So glad to see others have joined the quest for 21 days! I'm doing ok so far, three days of no sweets and I'm not struggling too bad. The weekend is what worries me. That's where I struggle and un-do all the good I've done all week. I have to work this Saturday so maybe it won't seem like a weekend to me until Sunday. But your right Liz, so nice not to wake up with a sugar hangover, or my case an ice cream hangover. I also need to stick my scale somewhere inaccessible. It's not a good way for me to start my day.

I just checked out the Beck Diet Solution book from the library after reading comments about it on Sparkpeople. It sounds like it could be very helpful, if I can actually get myself to read it and implement what I learn. I have so many self-help books, mostly about dieting and nutrition, but I have a bad habit of not reading them all the way through and forgetting about them. At least now I've learned not to waste my money and just get them from the library instead.

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Wed May 16, 2012 5:11 am

Hi, friends! How are we all doing?
I'm two N days down.
Not easy. My hardest time being after dinner. It's like I want to reward myself after a long day.
I associate relaxing with treats. And my anxiety goes away thinking of unwinding with food.
But then of course my anxiety gets worse, ya know?
So I'll just go to bed in order to get on with the next day.
We can do this!

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Wed May 16, 2012 7:14 am

Is it too late to join? I also want to get a 21 day streak down - I am so tired of those red fails on my Habit calendar -

I am starting today - May 16 - and commit til Tuesday June 5.

Be strong, everyone!

rungirl96 · Post by **rungirl96** » Wed May 16, 2012 12:40 pm

Obviously I don't know what day of the week it is. Just realized last night it was only Tuesday, so I have 2 N-Days, today will be 3, I hope!

After dinner is definitely the hardest part of the day. I drink calorie free drinks in the evening, (decaf) tea or Crystal Light lemonade or diet soda, to keep me occupied. I drink a lot of water during the day so the calorie free drink in the evening has become my reward.

Welcome Amy3010!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Wed May 16, 2012 12:51 pm

Day 1 was a SUCCESS yesterday!!! I didn't get any exercise in, but I plan to do some today. I also have my first OB appointment today!!! Excited to hear a heartbeat.
Goal for today: Three plates, period!

princesstina · Post by **princesstina** » Wed May 16, 2012 4:57 pm

Still not managing complete success, I'm afraid.

I am being partially successful in that I have managed to cut out the snacks and seconds, but I still very strongly want to have something sugary at the end of a meal. I have not managed to resist this urge.

I am wondering how I can overcome this problem. Is it a habit or an addiction - I am not sure, but I have tried and tried and been unable to shake off this sugar craving.

I will keep on trying.

So far I have had 1 completely successful day and 2 days with no snacks, no seconds but have had sugar during meals.

I hope to improve on this. Not fully confident about it though. It seems ridiculous to have to say that, but it's the truth unfortunately.

Anyone else having this problem?

emullett · Post by **emullett** » Wed May 16, 2012 7:03 pm

My hardest time is around 3 pm when everyone is coming home from work and school. Everyone grabs a snack and talks about their day. I think it's a social thing. I brew a pot of coffee and sip on that all afternoon. This is my third day and so far so good!

princesstina, I allow my self a sweet whenever I want, but it has to fit on my plate with the other food or else I can't have it!

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Wed May 16, 2012 10:01 pm

emullett:
you nailed it. that IS a hard time to stay compliant. i like your idea of brewing a pot of coffee.
for me, i have some herbal tea, a diet soda, etc.
eating is such a social thing.

princesstina: i totally relate, but i mainly struggle only after dinner when i want treats.
truthfully, if it's in the house (tempting stuff), i'll get to it. try not to have any sweets in the house during the week (my kids' popsicles and stuff doesn't appeal to me).
no one will suffer, not even your family.
sometimes after dinner ill have some crystal light, a diet soda, or sugar free gum.
sorry but it is going to be hard. no "EASY WAY OUT".
in order to change ourselves, we must change. i know that sounds silly, but i used to think in order to change myself, i could not change, but "try only".
not true.

take care!

sarahkay · Post by **sarahkay** » Thu May 17, 2012 1:29 am

that is tough. I'm the same way! I debated allowing sweets on my plate if it fits too... I think it helps to have my favorite flavors of yogurt in the house, and fruit and granola bars. Things that are sweet but not really a dessert or anything.

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Thu May 17, 2012 7:42 am

Day 1 (May 16) =

Day 2 (May 17) =

Day 3 (May 18) =

(S-day started at 4 pm on Fri)
Day 4 (May 19) =

Day 5 (May 20) =

(until 4 pm)
Day 6 (May 21) =

Day 7 (May 22) =

Day 8 (May 23) =

Day 9 (May 24) =

Going to take this one day at a time. Good luck everyone!

emullett · Post by **emullett** » Thu May 17, 2012 8:59 pm

So far so good today. Went out for breakfast with my hubby and only ate half on my plate. Lunch was the other half of my omelette. We're going to friends for a cook out tonight. It's 5 pm and I'm hungry but will wait until I can eat that juicy burger later tonight

Good job, Amy!

princesstina · Post by **princesstina** » Thu May 17, 2012 9:52 pm

Feeling better about things today - still just managed 2 S out of 3 but today it was no sugar and no seconds - because of how the day worked out (a bit out of routine as for various reasons I couldn't manage my normal mealtimes) I had to split my lunch into 2 half-lunches with a 2 hour gap in the middle. Does that make sense? I know it's not ideal, but I just ate what I would have done if I'd been having it all together.

I made a modification of a carrot cake recipe last night that has only the fruit content for sweetening (apples, mandarin oranges, currants and coconut) and that was a good solution to finding something sweet but not sugary.

Thanks for the helpful comments - good to know I am not the only one here with a sugar problem. Liz, yes I think it is going to be hard - and emullet, I like your idea of putting in on the plate as part of my plateful but I think I would find it very hard to limit myself in that way - I'm more all or nothing about it.

I decided to do a bit of research last night into sugar addiction and I have downloaded a selection of free samples of books on the topic onto my kindle, so that I can have a look at them all and follow up further anything that looks particularly helpful.

I also found an interesting website run by Karly Randloph Pitman, and the articles I had a look at there made a lot of sense. One was about the helpfulness of setting boundaries when it comes to giving up sugar. I realise that the boundaries of No S have been very helpful in terms of removing many of the little decisions about what and when to eat that we have to make frequently each day, so that structure is very helpful. Her approach seems to fit well with No S and so I will be looking into it a bit more, specifically for more help with the sugar problem.

I wonder if anyone else has come across her work - it seems useful. It may well have been already discussed on this forum - I must have a look in case I am rehashing old news!

I am aiming for a 3 out of 3 day tomorrow - this sort of accountability helps doesn't it!

Hope all my fellow 21-dayers are coping well too.

Gobble · Post by **Gobble** » Fri May 18, 2012 1:59 am

I hope it is okay to get in on this thread too? I was doing so good then slipped up after my Sdays last weekend. I made the mistake of thinking about doing a different diet....just thinking about that will do you in. I was also on a road trip during my sDays and went wild.....when the weekend before I did fine. Arrgh!

I KNOW this is the most sane diet and I really need daily accountability so if it is okay I would like to get in on this starting tomorrow 5/18 (thru 6/7). I know I am a few days late but I really like the encouragement here and hope you don't mind.

Thanks

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Fri May 18, 2012 6:12 am

princesstina: thanks for the recommendation of that site: i'll check it out!
glad you had a better day today. sugar is so hard to give up. i'm all or nothing too and need to train myself to be able to enjoy a little and not the whole sh'bang!

of course, gobble, you can join! anyone!
it's just great to have a goal. you can do it!

folks i am sad to report i had a fail today. the family went out to ice cream after tee ball game and i just didn't resist. i struggle with setting myself apart from them. i would have ended there, but then added some more food b/c i felt like a failure. yikes!

looking back, almost if i had let myself have just the ice cream with the family and not anything else and would have let myself get an "N" with just the ice cream, i think i'd be better off...
something to think about.

princesstina · Post by **princesstina** » Fri May 18, 2012 7:56 am

oh liiz this is a v quick reply for now i can so identify with that scenario but at least with those family type occasions it is not a secret activity. hope you have a good day today and thank you so much for starting this helpful thread which is making a big difference for me in organising my thoughts so hope it helps you too. please excuse lack of caps i am on my kindle and not quite as easy as the ipad but if this posts i will be v impressed. will check in again later with caps.

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Fri May 18, 2012 1:17 pm

So I totally messed up my 21 days....but I KINDA have a good "excuse". ha. I was going along fine, and then Wednesday I had my first OB appointment. All was well.....but I'm measuring HUGE (6 weeks ahead) so the doc is pretty sure it's twins! Oh, my goodness. I ran to the nearest Baskin Robbins! ha. The stress got me. I have an ultrasound on Tuesday to confirm, and I know if it's twins God will give me the strength.....but I am just overwhelmed. I need to be following NO-S more than ever right now. I'm just a majorly emotional eater.
I'm still here. I'm still trying. But I have to start day 1 again today cuz I'd really like to get 21 days in a row. Isn't that the goal?

princesstina · Post by **princesstina** » Fri May 18, 2012 10:11 pm

Hi, tobiasmum - hope you get off to a good start again tomorrow - yes, that was quite a shock to have to cope with but hope it all works out well and that you are pleased whatever the result when you go for your scan. You must be in a bit of turmoil about that.

Well, as for me I managed the no snacks and no seconds again, but have to admit I did have a small cereal bar which had some sugar in it as part of my packed lunch. I think in situations like that where we don't use a plate, it's easy to kid ourselves sometimes because what we're having is less obvious that when it is displayed in front of us on a plate. It's probably just as well I am usually at home at lunchtime, so I've no excuse for not putting it on a plate so it's very clear what I'm actually having.

The cereal bar was a perfect example of impulse eating as it came as a free gift with a magazine I had just bought - I wonder what made me buy that magazine! The rest of my lunch was planned in advance and quite appropriate. That just shows how hard it can be to avoid sugary temptations - they are everywhere, and I haven't developed good enough strategies to avoid them yet. I think I am over-influenced by external cues that sweep away all my good intentions. Wonder if it's to do with poor impulse control.

So, as you can see, I did not have a perfect day and still have a lot to work on - but I am doing that work now and hope to have got a lot better at following through on my intentions by the end of this 21 day challenge - we'll see!

How is everyone else doing today?

Tomorrow is Saturday, an S day. I am planning on having some hot chocolate for a treat in the evening, but other than that I am intending for it to be as close to No S as I can manage - will report back on progress !

By the way, I did a search to see if anyone else had mentioned that author and website I had come across - one thread from a few years ago came up, but I could not find the reference anywhere on the thread, but it was a most interesting read anyway. There's a wealth of fascinating stuff here isn't there!

princesstina · Post by **princesstina** » Sat May 19, 2012 8:14 pm

Hi, all. Best Saturday I've had for a while - feel as though I am getting my brain in gear at last.

Took it as an S day, and strangely enough I have had a couple of snacks (in the form of a banana mid-afternoon when I was really hungry) - actually, now that I think about it that's the only snack I've had ; but no seconds and no sugar!

So, actually one of my best days.

I plan to do similar tomorrow - ie acknowledge that it is in fact an S day, but not go overboard.

Is everyone else enjoying a good S day?

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Sun May 20, 2012 7:23 am

Good for you, Tina! I also had my best S-day yet yesterday since starting on April 1st. Not perfect but definitely much better!

emullett · Post by **emullett** » Sun May 20, 2012 1:01 pm

I had my S days on Friday and Saturday. They weren't too bad. Snacked a little bit and had seconds once. Sunday is an N day for me. This is a mod that works so much better for me. Hope everyone has a great weekend, whats left of it.

I start my new job tomorrow and I'm trying to not get nervous! I know food isn't going to calm me down so that's out of the question

princesstina · Post by **princesstina** » Sun May 20, 2012 9:50 pm

Hi, Amy - glad to know I'm not the only one who isn't quite perfect yet but we're working on it!

And emullet - good luck for your new job - do report back on how it goes, won't you?

I've had another good day - I took it as an S day, and I have done pretty well. I had a big gap before breakfast, because I had church and then a swim first thing and I don't like to eat breakfast before swimming so I just had a banana- but that was a snack, of course as I had my breakfast when I got home again.

I had some non-sugar-free chewing gum as a treat in the afternoon.

So only a couple of little S'es, and after just a few days of this 21-day challenge I am much more organised in my eating (and meal planning) already - I think it also has a knock-on effect in helping me to be more organised about other areas of life as well - I have spent the evening rationalising my various to-do lists into one notebook instead of being dispersed through various locations.

The harder challenge resumes tomorrow with a real No S day, so let's see how organised I really am!

I wonder how the rest of you are getting on - hope it has been a good weekend, but Monday is a good day for a fresh start. Good luck!

princesstina · Post by **princesstina** » Mon May 21, 2012 9:07 pm

Back to No S days again until the weekend, and today was fine. I feel as though I am getting back into a good routine again, and the structure is quite satisfying. I am really enjoying all my meals as I am properly hungry when it is time to eat, and I have been much better at planning meals in advance too.

This evening I have cooked a bolognaise sauce, so all I have to think about tomorrow is the pasta and veg to go with it for our evening meal. That is much better than wondering what to make on the way home, and then just choosing what is quickest but not nutritionally best.

I didn't miss sweets today - I had the most delicious mango and oranges instead. I think the secret to doing without sweets for me might be to have really nice fruit - not just any old fruit but the really good quality stuff that costs a bit more but is actually worth it.

Anyone else still here doing the 21 days? I'd love to hear how you're getting on!

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Tue May 22, 2012 6:42 am

I'm still doing 21 days (I've been editing my post above with my days and also post on my Check-In thread) but I had a small fail yesterday

Does that mean I need to start counting at the beginning again?

princesstina · Post by **princesstina** » Tue May 22, 2012 9:33 pm

Hi, Amy - I haven't been perfect either, but I'm thinking of the 21 days as a time to make a special effort so I'm not planning on going back to day 1 again each time I don't quite make it. You are obviously making a special effort too, and that's that important thing.

We might do better for our next 21 days as we'll have had more practice!

Today I did fine until tea-time when I actually forgot that I had planned to cut out sugary treats, and I had a chocolate mousse thing for dessert - it was one of those reduced fat diet type things, but it was quite nice all the same - and then I remembered that it didn't really comply with No S. I couldn't believe that I had eaten it without even thinking.

Apart from that blip, it has been a good day and I discovered a new lunch that satisfied my sweet tooth - a smoothie made with pineapple cottage cheese, frozen banana chunks, frozen berries and just a bit of milk to help it blend. It was very nice - quite nutritious, refreshing on a warm day and no sugar except what was in the fruits yet even nicer than ice-cream.

I had intended to have the cottage cheese with salad, but I had the idea of making it into a smoothie instead, and it worked very well - worth a try for anyone else with a sweet tooth like me.

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Wed May 23, 2012 9:21 am

Thanks, Tina! it sounds like you are getting on really well! I have to be very vigilant not to beat myself up too much for the small failures because it can tend to backfire on me...and at the same time be strict enough with the rules to develop the good habits... It's a fine line, isn't it? Have a great day!

princesstina · Post by **princesstina** » Wed May 23, 2012 9:06 pm

Hi, Amy - yes, I agree with you; that is what I am realising too. I found your daily check in thread - well done, you are getting there! I'm thinking I should have one of those too - perhaps this isn't the right place for my daily check ins, so I am being very quick today just to say another good day, completely No S.

Hope you have had a good day too - I am starting to realise that there is even more than I thought there was to look at on this website - it's great isn't it, and the mutual support is very encouraging to see.

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Thu May 24, 2012 7:10 am

Hi Tina! Yes, you might find people can find you easier if you have a thread on the daily check in board...and there are a group of posters there who pop in and check on each other nearly every day. It is highly motivating and supportive - has helped me tremendously. I'll keep my eye open for you over there!

Have a great day!

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Thu May 24, 2012 4:41 pm

Hi Liz! Hey guys!

Sorry I was just a little too late to join in on this latest round as I was on vacation. However, I am back now and despite a few false starts at the beginning of the week and changes to my regular working schedules for this week (back to regular routine next week, thank goodness!) - I am hoping for a new start/fresh round of 21 days. Probably starting Monday (even though I have been mostly compliant this week). I'm still deciding whether to post my 21 day log online or just do it myself and keep note of the results that way. I kinda thought posting my log on the board might help me a bit more. Even though I'm pretty much 'good' on N Days, the S Days are still a bit of a stickler for me! However, sometimes I think the less fuss and thinking about it the better it works for me. That would be the only reason I might not chose to post my 21 day log here. It could work either way dependent on my mood - as in appetite - that particular day. My next official weigh in log is June so I am hoping to get down from my current higher weight of 174/175 lbs. This am, I was 172 lbs on weighing in but I will hopefully get a clearer picture by next week i.e. if I am going to return to my regular 170 or if I am going to have to fight/yoyo to stay there.

Feeling more positive today though since I had a reasonably good (compliant) N Day yesterday.

indy920 · Post by **indy920** » Fri May 25, 2012 10:11 am

I have known about the No-S Diet for some years now. I would start, stop, start, stop, etc. I have looked at a lot of extreme ways for weight loss but none were truly as appealing/realistic/doable as No-S. Plus this diet/eating plan is very economical, which is a huge plus for me.

I travel regularly for my job and don't always have control of when/where I will eat. No-S identifies such limitations and encourages me to be more mindful of what I eat. I also am a stress/binge eater and believe No-S will help me deal with those demons in a great way. So, to kickoff the "new" attitude towards food, I will do 21 Vanilla No-S days starting 5/25/12 - 6/14/2012 (SW of 197.8, height of 5' 6"). To me, a disciplined start will help me reach my goals faster and motivate me to keep going (who has ever been over-motivated???).

I am keeping the fact that I am doing the No-S diet a secret, with the exception of telling my mom. I think that publicizing that you are on a diet, unless you are working with a few others who will join you, adds unnecessary pressure that may sabotage your success. If asked how I am losing weight/if I am dieting, I plan to respond something like "Just watching what I am eating." Sometimes you have to be vague because some people may try to sabotage you (maybe that sounds a bit negative/insane but you never know). You also have to watch out for those coworkers who always want to go out to eat or who bring in sweets/snacks regularly. ( I have been bringing in sweets lately, only because I really want the "danger" foods out of my home and don't like to throw away food...lol).

Plan to incorporate at least 30 minutes of walking a day as well.

Looking forward to posting my results in a few weeks!!!

princesstina · Post by **princesstina** » Fri May 25, 2012 9:43 pm

Hope it goes well for you, Indy and NoSRocks - I am just quickly posting that the 21 day challenge is still going well for me, and I have just had a perfect 2 days - but I know that sometimes when everything seems to be going well and I can't imagine why I ever had a problem, that's when things can go wrong - so I am still being cautious.

I agree about not telling people - there's actually no need, I've found; that's one of the best things about No S - it looks so normal!

Look forward to hearing how you are both getting on. I haven't had a chance yet, but I hope to find the time to sit down tomorrow and start a daily check-in thread for myself, and study the ones that are on the board a bit further for more inspiration.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Fri May 25, 2012 10:11 pm

I think I qualify but I was having problems before I went to a wedding the week of May 12 and i've recovered.

Suggestion for those who feel inner pressure to join in with others. Depends on what the reason is. If it si that you think they want you to, remember that naturally thin people rarely succumb to such pressure and don't feel bad about it. They just keep saying No Thanks, or take food and then not eat it. Nobody rejects them for it.

If it is that YOU feel left out, that can be harder. I can say only that weeks of compliance will start feeling good enough that it will become easier because instead of feeling that you are losing out, you will start thinking you will lose out if you eat because it will ruin your appetite for your next meal! And those first few scrumptious bites are so worth working up an appetite for.

I have a bit of a challenge because I'm getting together with the "girls" around 4 p.m. and they will want to start the munching. I have told myself I can start at 5, which is early, but here's where flexibility is so valuable. I give myself until 6:30 to eat a virtual plate of food. That means I estimate what would fit on a regular-sized plate. That's a bit long of an eating window, but I think the situation merits it.

princesstina · Post by **princesstina** » Sat May 26, 2012 8:38 pm

Thanks for that good idea, oolala - that combination of a virtual plate and an eating window would be a very useful structure for various occasions, including social events on S days when there could be a feeling of all or nothing otherwise, if you see what I mean.

And I do agree with you; non-dieters don't feel bad about refusing food - they don't equate it to hurting someone else's feelings, which is the reason I seem to find myself eating something I hadn't planned to. So we needn't feel uncomfortable about doing that either.

Another good day for me - an S day but it actually turned out to be no-S.

jenna · Post by **jenna** » Mon May 28, 2012 10:48 am

[ Argh! I've been deleted! I'm melting! Oh, what a world, oh what a world! ]

Grammy G · Post by **Grammy G** » Mon May 28, 2012 12:03 pm

I think Jenna is "spamming" us so i sent a PM to Reinhart... "she" seems to have a vested interest in another site.... We are doing fine without you, Jenna...

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Mon May 28, 2012 9:29 pm

Grammy, haven't seen you in a long time. Thanks for swooping in to save us!

princesstina · Post by **princesstina** » Thu May 31, 2012 8:31 pm

Hi, all - still doing well here, and just one No S day to go, as the next two are S days so the 21 day challenge will be finished.

Lessons I have learned; food is more satisfying and enjoyable when it is eaten within a structure that means it is not constantly available, and a set of rules that takes away the need to make decisions about whether or not to eat in between meals means I can forget about trying to "diet" and get on with all the other things I need to be doing in life.

For both these reasons, No S is working for me. I brought the scales out this morning, out of interest, as my clothes are looking better on me - and was pleased to see I have lost 7 lb over the past 20 days.

My next challenge will be to do another 21 days - now that I have got the hang of it - and my goal will be to not put on any of those 7 lbs again, and possibly even lose another couple.

Then I hope to maintain long-term in this way.

I think it is also a good model for children and teenagers to learn about sensible eating habits. I am not sure how much to taik about it with my teenagers at home though - it is a tricky subject when there are worries about youngsters developing eating disorders. I suspect No-S probably reduces that risk, but I wonder what others think. I will have a look to see if anyone else has commented on the boards about that already.

Hope all is well with all the others who took up the 21 day challenge - thanks, Liz, for the suggestion - it was just what I needed to get me organised.

rungirl96 · Post by **rungirl96** » Thu May 31, 2012 8:45 pm

Yay for 7 pounds lost, princesstina! That is SO awesome! I started a new 21 days yesterday and am hoping it will be better than the one, which wasn't so good.

My daughter is about to turn 14 and start high school, my son is 10. I have told them about No S, which is kind of funny because they'll say things like "hey it's an S day, let's go out for ice cream!" or "too bad it's not an S day, you could have pie". Unfortunately, the sweets only on S days hasn't rubbed off on them yet

Good luck on your next 21 days!

princesstina · Post by **princesstina** » Thu May 31, 2012 9:03 pm

Thanks for that, rungirl - and good luck to you for your new 21 day challenge - hope it's going well so far. Enjoy your S days with the family! I know exactly how hard it is to do without the sweets so I sympathise with your children - hope you can find some good alternatives though - mine had strawberries as a "treat" today instead of sweets.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Thu May 31, 2012 9:50 pm

Congrats! but I'm curious: what percentage of your weight was 7 lbs.?

My compliance on my exercise goals hasn't been good and even No s has been spotty. But I feel I'm finishing May pretty well. However, I'm glad I stopped in as I took some cake from a retirement party and was wavering about eating just a corner. Won't do that now. I've already used my two optional S days. It's going in the freezer.

rungirl96 · Post by **rungirl96** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 12:25 am

Woohoo Oolala! Keep the cake in the freezer. Way in the back if it were me

Way to go on cutting yourself a slice yesterday at lunch and not eating it. That's true thin person behavior!

princesstina · Post by **princesstina** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 7:28 pm

Hi, oolala - in answer to your question, I started off at 163lb (11 st

and am now 155lb (11 st 1). I'm 5 ft 9 tall, and only have another 5lb or so to lose to get back to a weight I'd be very happy with - although I am actually fairly happy now. But I think my problem is as much to do with irregular eating habits as weight in itself, if you see what I mean. A big part of No S for me is learning to keep sensible, stable eating habits and not to have too many snacks and sweets which I tend to do otherwise.

princesstina · Post by **princesstina** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 7:29 pm

I think I accidentally put an emoticon in my post - it should say 11 st 8!

Everyday Systems

Join me TODAY on 21 days Vanilla! May 14-June 3

Join me TODAY on 21 days Vanilla! May 14-June 3

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21 days

Day 1

21 days

Vanilla No-S