Everyday Systems

Yes, some days I do want to run and hide when I get a fail, but most days - who really cares. With my successes, it's better than what I would be without NoS, so one (or multiple) fail(s) doesn't mean much in the long run.

Sorry about the fight last night. Hopefully things are better now.

I hope things are calmer on the homefront now. My kids are still small so that's one source of stress I don't have to worry about. It's hard enough living through the social trials and tribulations of a 7 year old. I don't know what I'm going to do when he's older ...

To sort of answer your question, I'm pretty lucky. I gained weight when the kids came along but lost it counting calories. Since then my weight has fluctuated around 165. I'm about 5'8" so I'd really like to lose those proverbial last ten pounds, but I'm really starting to realize how fortunate I am compared to so many other people that that is all I have to worry about. One thing I have learned is that whenever I try to get below 165, the weight comes right back, practically overnight. And sometimes my weight starts to slowly creep up on me. It's gotten as high as 171.

What I'm really looking for is to be able to maintain my weight, not spend much mental energy on eating, and enjoy my food. A bonus would be to lose some (or all) of "those last ten pounds", even if it takes a year or three. But if it doesn't happen I'll be ok.

Jibaholic, I think we have similar weight gain/loss stories. Exept I'm working on 20 pounds not 10. I like no S because it really doesn't take much thought and is there is no"punishing" or hurtful self-talk.

Anyone reading who cares, My daughtet and I have resolved our differences. We accidentally hurt each other's feelings and in the heat of the moment didn't recognize that it had happened.

We have so much going on in the family right now that everybody is a little more edgy and emotional than we normally would be.

I came up with an idea that I hope will smooth out our communication a bit. I thought of it because she has, on several occasions, left a note on my pillow when she was uncomfortable talking face to face. Today we'll buy a nice journal or notebook and take turns writing in it. After one of us writes in it, we will leave it under the pillow of the other. My thought is that, it will become a safe place for her to tell me thing.

We both like to write so I'm hopeful that it will be a worthwhile shared project.

And finally. . . The moment you've all been waiting for . . . fail[/ color] If I went to bed at 8:00 I would have no fails ever. They all come after 9:30/10:00. I'll have to problem solve. again

I'm glad you made up gingerpie! I find fights very stressful.

That sounds like a great plan with the journal. Being more edgy with all of your family stuff is probably throwing you out of whack. You'll be back on track.

For snacking at night, can you try and distract yourself in some way? For me, if I'm bored (or trying to avoid something like de-cluttering) I'll be more likely to graze in the kitchen. Some nights I'll just give myself permission to skip whatever I'm trying to avoid or I'll convince myself to do just one tiny thing. That usually helps me avoid snacking.

s day it's a good thing too because we went to our local Octoberfest in September. Brat, Sauerkraut, and beer oh my!

My disclaimer for the day: sometimes after I post I see the strangest spelling or grammar mistakes. I'd just like to mention that I use either my phone or an antique iPad to post and they each have their idiosyncrasies. Just sayin'

Aspencer, I'm with ya on the decluttering. Especially the paper clutter. Chipping away at it a little at a time is definitely the way to go. The evenings are hard for me in part because my husband and I have a long history of spending the last hour or two of the day together on the couch. Sadly, the ritual includes snacks. I'm sure I'll get it in time. I'm just impatient.

Enjoy your s-days everybody.

s day with no drama.

Hope you all are doing well and good.

Welcome back from Bavaria!

fail darn kettle corn at a festival did me me in. . . But I definitely enjoyed it. [/u]

success I'm sure I'm eating less over all but I'm exercising much less since the school year started. I wish it was easier to find a balance, especially, since I know I feel better when I exercise regularly. I have a walk scheduled for after work today. Hopefully I'll get back on track.

You will get back on track! You're doing great with the eating, and the exercising will be back, too. Keep it up!

success it's a good thing there were no chips in the house. The only reason I didn't eat them was because they weren't here. I Also walked today, and that always makes me happy.

Lol gingerpie! Good thing you didn't have them. Your walk sounds lovely.

I realized yesterday that I've let my 21 day challenge slip away so I'm restarting it today. I do find it helpful to check in daily. If nothing else it keeps me honest. Now, I just need to work out the compliance part; hence back to the challenge.

I'm also adding a separate challenge of a daily walk/run. It already was a habit before n-s but I let it side about a month ago. I just have to re- commit to it.

I have to admit, I'm a bit surprised by how nice it is to post. Sadly, I don't have enough time to read very many posts of other people. But I am interested and wish you all the best.

Hi kind lady! Happy to see you still posting. Have a great weekend.

I know I said I was going to start my 21 day challenge today but now I realize that today is an s-day so I'll wait till tomorrow to start.

I did get my walk/run yesterday. Amazingly, I was able to jump right back in where I left off. So:success with my exercise goal. My son went with me. He is on the cross country team but currently recovering from a stress fracture. So, as I was "running" he did a one legged skip beside me. Aside from the humiliating truth that even injured and one-legged he is faster than I am, it was fun and seemed easy because I had company.

Enjoy your S-days everybody.

gingerpie. My husband can run backwards faster than I can run forwards (he's an umpire). Great that you're getting back to running.

21 day challenge re-boot: success

Exercise challange: success

Hey, I'm still around just super busy. My Mum's declining in health again and two kids getting ready for home coming.

It has been a mixed bag of success and failure but overall I'm satisfied (more or less) with my efforts both with no-s and exercise.

I hope you all are doing well and enjoying the process.

Been having a bit of a tough go at it the last few days. I'm trying to just relax and ride it out but I'm starting to get frustrated. I've definitely been eating more than I need and senseless cravings have reappeared. Today is an S-day so I'm just trying to focus on making it a reasonable day without over thinking it.

Does anybody else find summer to be so much easier than any other season?

Hi gingerpie, glad you're still around, although I'm sorry that your mum's health is declining.

I find summer quite hard. I often lose weight in November/December pre-holidays as I'm super busy at parties while in summer it can feel like one constant BBQ and I'm not particularly good at virtual plating.

Just checking in the let you know I'm still around and still enjoying life. I haven't given up no-s, I just gave up posting for awhile.

As for No-S, I'm not as successful as I'd like and I see way too many fails on my HabitCal but I'm still plugging along and I can see distinct improvement in small ways. This last week has felt like a turning point so I'm feeling confident again not just going through the motions. I'm also gearing up to start training for a 34 mile hike next summer. Training for a hike always makes me happy

My mother continues to have a bumpy ride and she takes up most of my free time but I'm also volunteering at an animal shelter with my 11 year old. It isn't really my preferred way to volunteer but she is too young to go alone so I'm willing to support her interest. The other two kids are full on into their winter sports and neither drives yet so I spend the rest of my time driving them to where they need to be.

That's it for now. I hope you all are doing well and are enjoying the journey.

Virginia

I'm back to my 21 Day challenge.
Day: 1
No- s fail - my daughter offered me gummi bears and I had 7-ish

Glass ceiling: success

Challenge day 1 do-over:
No-s fail, 6 tortilla chips just because they were there- worst kind of fail, totally unsatisfying and unnecessary

Glass ceiling success I actually have an almost 10 Day streak of successes with this do I'm very happy dispite my no-s fail

Haven't read all your posts but wanted to say hi, and keep up the good fight. I'd bet your habits are better than they were a few months ago, even if you aren't getting a lot of green days in a row.

Hi Oolala,
Yes indeed my habits are better but for now the habit that is carrying most of the load is actually my exercise habit. When I exercise regularly it reduces stress and makes my daily life that much easier to manage. Plus I sleep better so I wake up refreshed and better able to make beneficial decisions. Almost all my no-s and glass ceiling successes (and near successes) rest upon the habit I already have in place.

I hope January goes more smoothly for you than December did and that you re-find your no-s stride. I totally agree with the title of the book you mentioned (although I've never read it) " When you can, you will"

Have a happy New year!

Challenge day 1 do-over-over I'll get there eventually.

No-s fail, 6 pistachios Can you believe it? Who eats 6? I know it was 6 because I counted the shells because . . . I couldn't believe I failed for 6 pistachios I don't know whether to be happy it was only 6 or embarrassed that I couldn't resist them. I guess I'll go with happy.

Glass ceiling success[/color

Just walked over to say hi Gingerpie!

I work for a pistachio company, sometimes I bring home bags. My husband will eat a 1lb bag in one sitting! Only eating 6 pistachios is tough! You've got lots of willpower!

Keep on truckin'

Habit theory says looking for the positive is probably more effective. You didn't use WTH. You are easing yourself off the mindless habits. It will be a lot easier to eat less or nothing next time. Even a fail can be a win!

S-Day new year celebration. Happy New Year everybody.!!

Challenge day 1do-over-do-over:
No-s: hard earned success.Last night's snack time was challenging but I made it through. Hope tonight's goes a bit easier. I had to keep reminding myself that if I were reallyhungry, carrots would sound as good as chips. But I wasn't hungry for carrots so I assumed I wasn't really hungry at all. And look, I didn't starve throughout the night. I'm still here.

Glass ceiling: . success This one's getting a bit easier but I have to make sure I have my favorite tea available.

Bernard Jensen, an alternative health practitioner from way back used to say we should wait to eat until we had "the keenest desire for the plainest food." That's a bit of an extreme ideal, but just like your telling yourself that if you were really hungry, carrots would satisfy, it sure puts things in perspective. Then we still have to tolerate the desire.

Tolerating desire when there's no real need for food I'd bet is one of the quickest ways to weaken a habit of unnecessary noshing.

The No Snacking on N days is a toughie. But, I'm here to tell you it can be broken.

For the first couple years I struggled with a 8pm snack. That habit was so strong, some nights I went to bed at 7:45!

Persistence finally paid off, now the No Snacks rule is no longer hard for me to follow.

You're doing great!

Challenge day 2:
No-s: S-day evening potato chips. Don't really know how many since bag was shared with rest of family but I distinctly remember thinking "I don't really want anymore" as I was eating my last handful.

Glass ceiling: fail by 1/2 glass. Better than 1/2 a bottle I guess Total amount 2 1/2 glasses.

Feel-o-meter:2
rating from 1 to 5: 1 = no sleep issues-5 = worst sleep issues I've ever experienced.

I'm going to start adding a feel-o-meter to my daily check-in so that I have (somewhat) impirical evidence of how I feel after S-days. I realized recently that I think my choices effect my sleep-I wake up very hot, anxious about a variety of life events and somewhat nauseous- but I'm not really sure it is related to S-days. It might be more random than that.
I've updated yesterday's check in to reflect more specific information.

That could also be perimenopause....! I am and have been enjoying that situation for quite sometime now...LOL. The other night I woke up and totally started freaking out about living in this house for the rest of my life. Let's just say it snow balled from there. I learned this technique recently that helps a lot...I count my breaths or say in when I inhale and out when I exhale...gives your mind something else to focus on.

Oh, for an eating regime that would stop the anxiety. Or that that counting thing would work. I've done a lot of techniques over the years, but sleep remains an issue. It's better, but I ascribe that to having completed menopause. And man, am I grateful for my body going back to sleep after the nightly bathroom visit, early or late.

But even thinking about restrictions on foods that come from the outside I continue to enjoy makes me anxious from the get-go. Catch-22!

Yeah, I had anxiety long before No S and it continues relatively unabated during the years of now-minimal eating wildness. But you could be different, especially if this is new for you. If that's true, that could be a tremendous motivation! I would do A LOT if I thought that eliminating certain foods or eating way less than I already do would quell my stressful thought factory. I just hear too many competing food theories to allow me to have faith in any of them without the weirdness upsetting the balance I've achieved. But they all work for someone.

In any case, you have permission to remember how cruddy you felt when you're contemplating how delicious you imagine some wild amount of S's will be, as long as you're rational about it. No matter what bells are clanging in your head, it's really not life or death- either way.

oolala53,
It isn't so much that I'm looking for a magic pill as I'm beginning to suspect that going to bed with a full belly and too much wine coursing through my veins has side effects other than the obvious one. Much in the same way as consuming too much caffeine too close to bed time will keep me awake, I'm thinking that too much food and /or wine brings on other side effects. In any case, I'm pretty confident that keeping a metaphorical eye on things can't possibly hurt and might yield some useful information.

I also didn't mean that eating too much would cause anxiety. I'm fairly certain that the myriad of unknowns in my life are responsible for that. But normally I can count on my exercise regimen to keep the worst of it at bay and guarantee me a good night sleep. I'm just wondering why sometimes exercise doesn't do the trick.

nbh76,
I love your story about freaking out about living in your house for the rest of your life. I woke up thinking that I am totally unprepared for any significant life event that might happen. Including but not limited to: what are we going to do with this large house when the kids are grown and gone; what if my husband losses his job (mine doesn't pay enough to even begin to cover the bills); I need to start thinking about funeral arrangements for when my mother passes.- No, she isn't on death's door but apparently it is on my mind; The cellar is a mess and when am I ever going to have time to clean it; and I have a tone of vegetables in the fridge that need to be used before they spoil. Oh, and we're out of cat litter.

Thanks you both for listening. It is good to know someone is thinking "been there".

Challenge day 3:
No-s s Day went out to eat an early (for us) dinnerat my favorite comfort food restaurant which left me both full and satisfied to the point that my . .

Glass ceiling was an easy success

Feel-o-meter: 2

I'm tweeking my feel-o-meter already to simplify it. I'm going from a 5 point rating to a 3 point. I had to think too hard about the 5 point one.
So:
1= no sleep issue
2= moderate issue
3= severe issue

Dang it I too am out of kitty litter !

Challenge day 4:
No-s: fail - evening snack of, get this, croutons. I really wanted salt.

Glass ceiling: fail

feel-o-Meyer: 2

Challenge day 5:

No-s: fail peanut butter cups at work. *sigh* back to the starting line for me. At least it makes it easier to remember what day I'm on.

Glass ceiling: success

Feel-O-Meter: 1

Happy New Year Gingerpie!

Challenge day 1:

No-s: success

Glass ceiling: success

Feel-O-Meter: 1

Challenge day 2:

No-s success Why is it, that when it seems hard it seems so very hard and when it seems easy, it seems so very easy?

Glass ceiling: success

Feel-O-Meter: 1

Challenge day 3:

No-s fail

Glass ceiling fail two things I noticed. 1) wine leads to snacks and 2) tiredness leads to wine.

Feel-O-Meter: 2

And it's back to day 1. Despite my fails, I'm actually feeling strong and confident. I joined a weight loss challenge at work which I'm hoping will add just a bit more impetus to my efforts to get my evening habits in line.

You are speaking the truth! Goodluck today Miss....tomorrow is an S day !

Hiya gingerpie!
Wine. I don't want to cut it out. But it seems like a snack trigger for me too.
Dang it.

Challenge day 1:

No-s: s day

Glass ceiling: fail

Feel-O-Meter:1

Challenge day 2:

No-s: s day

Glass ceiling: success

Feel-O-Meter: 1

Hi ladies,

walkerlori, your comment about "just walking over" made me

Lots of great advice and wisdom on this thread,

I have also heard that concept about - when a person says they are eating a not so healthy choice because they are so hungry - would they be willing to eat an apple instead, or as oolala said, a carrot? If not, they are not truly hungry, they just want to eat. Big difference.

Hang in there gingerpie, you are dong fine.

Challenge day 2:

No-s:success

Glass ceiling: success

Feel-O-Meter: 1

YAY You give me such hope when you have glass ceiling success!

Do you lose when you No S/ glass ceiling?

nbh76,

I don't know if I loose because I haven't been successful all that much. recently I've been a bit more successful, but the number on the scale hasn't noticeably moved yet. I trust that it will eventually begin to creep down because of the number of calories I eliminate by not snacking and/or imbibing every night. In the mean time, I take heart that no matter what, my habits are slowing changing to the healthier end of the spectrum and I don't feel that I'm missing out of anything due to the change.

Challenge day 3:

No-s: success Had a late-ish dinner so it was a fairly easy success.

Glass ceiling: success No temptation in the house so it was easy but I also didn't want it either so I really feel like I'm moving in the right direction with this.

Feel-O-Meter: 1 for sleep but I'm pretty sure my body is fighting off the local virus(es)

My new game. . . Sometimes I estimate How much money I'm saving by following no-s and installing a glass ceiling. I definitely deserve a massage

gingerpie, Oh, so true about the money saved. I think about all the bags and boxes of snacks and 12 packs of soda I used to buy (and drag home and unpack) and am amazed.

And we all know liquor isn't cheap My nightly glass of wine has been replaced with a big hot mug of SleepyTime tea!

Sounds like you are doing great ! You deserve a hot stone massage for sure.

Challenge day 4:

No-s: success

Glass ceiling success

Feel-O-Meter: 1

I think that it helps to keep the Feel-O-Meter. Not because I'm learning something unexpected, but because I can't lie to myself about how I really feel after too much food and wine.

Challenge day 5:

No-s fail it's a sad tale. 3 tastless, small, hard candies and 1/4 cup of mixed nuts.

Glass ceiling:success

Feel-O-Meter: 1[/u]

Challenge day 1:

No-s: success

Glass ceilingsuccess

Feel-O-Meter: 1

Good news, the scale is moving again. I think it is because I've started to get a grip on the glass ceiling habit. I'm hoping to get my extra weight off before my big hike in June; at least 10 maybe a bit more but I'll let my body decide where I end up.

Challenge day 2:

No-s:s-day I don't like the shade of yellow available so I'm switching it up.

Glass ceiling: success

Feel-O-Meter: 1 for sleep but I'm still convinced my body is fighting off the local virus. I just don't feel right.

Enjoy your s-days everybody. (But don't be an idiot)

Challenge day 3:

No-s: s-Day
Glass ceiling: fail

Feel-O-Metet: 2

Challenge day 4:
No-s fail tortilla chips just because my husband had some. *sigh* Well, I'm still doing a lot better this month than last.

Glass ceiling: success getting easier.

Sorry I'm a little behind on everyone's threads but I thought S days were suppose to be no fail days no matter what?

lpearlmom,
I have my S-days on Fridays and Saturdays as it fits more comfortably with my schedule. Sometimes I consider switching it to Saturdays and Sundays but for, for now, I think I'll keep it as is.

Oh gotcha that makes sense! Nice to be able to enjoy those Friday nights out.

Challenge (back to) Day 1 - I feel like I'm going to make it this time.

No-s:fail Oh wait, I meant next time

Glass ceiling: success

I'm dropping the Feel-O-Meter. I think I've learned what I need to learn. Not surprising at all. I guess I just needed confirmation.

OMG I was going to put the same thing you did...The whole I feel I'm going to make it then the "No S fail Oh wait, I mean next time ! "

You are funny and what good is anything if you don't have a sense of humor. Good care and take luck Gingerpie ! ( that last comment is from a stand up routine my son made me listen to )

Challenge day 1:

No-s: success so far in January I've had less than 1/2 the number of fails than I did in December. And, with one exception, they have been very minor fails indeed. If I keep up the trend in February, I'll be very happy. But, I'll try not to count my chickens before they hatch.

Glass ceiling: success I've had about 10 consecutive days is success with glass ceiling! ! Yeah It is definitely easier to get up in the morning and I'm sleeping great. Of course, I've also increased my exercise program which helps my sleep as well.

Delighted it's going well!

Challenge day 2:

No-s:success

Glass ceiling: success It was tempting but I resisted.

To all those in the lurking zone you know who you are. . . Glass ceiling is totally working out for me. The scale is nudging downward again. but it was a long time coming. I've been working on my evening wine/snack habit for a year. So, keep at it even on days you want to give up.

Challenge day 3:

No-s: fail handful of cashews. Totally thoughtless - my husband had a bowl of them so I reached over and got a handful. I must say, they tasted amazing after having had no sugar for a month or so. I think that the best side-effect of the"no-sweets" rule Is that naturally sweet food tast so much better.

Glass ceiling: success I'm so massively proud of this. I hope I don't hurt myself patting myself on the back!!!

I'm glad the glass ceiling is going so well for you!
I was wondering, do you often stop at 2 glasses of wine or have no wine at all, on your success days? When you mention herbal teas, it sounded like you are avoiding the alcohol altogether some days.
I know I do well, just leaving it out most of the time when it's not a special occasion or vacation, but I know some people do really well with a limit to one or two drinks per night.

No sugar for one month is amazing. I will consider it, although I imagine it to be so hard.

Your mealplan on my thread sounds amazing. Please do share the recipes

osoniye my glass ceiling is 0 on work nights and 1 on weekend nights. I tried to do 1 and 2 but it turned out to be easier to be more strict rather than less. I assume because alcohol (even in moderation) interferes with my decision making abilities.

Challenge:

No-s: s-day it felt "wild" and out of control but it was really no worse than an old pre-no-s-day. I guess I just don't feel comfortable with that kind of eating behavior anymore. Ok old timers, I'm going to trust that what you say Is true. That the habit of moderate eating well spill over into the S-days, no overthinking required. But, I am a bit concerned about this.

Glass ceiling:fail first fail in 14 days and I'm sure it is related to the eating behavior on an s-Day. (See above) I'm just not sure what came first. . . the chicken or the egg.

You know what I appreciate? I appreciate that my life is so good thatthis is what I have to worry about.

Have a nice weekend everybody.

I really like what you said at the end. It is great perspective to realize that overeating is one of our biggest worries in life. We DO have it good!

Challenge:

No-s: s- day

Glass ceiling: success

They call it a challenge for a reason:

Day 3:
no-s success

Glass ceiling: success

No time to chat, I have to go shovel snow.

YAY on success! You're shoveling now...ughhh we are in for it too but I've got today to get ready. Oh January you never dissapoint.

congratulations with your glass ceiling successes. I am seeing a direct link with it being easier to have No S success with cutting my nightly wine.

Mitchelll There is absolutely a link between wine and food for me. I'm only amazed I didn't realize it sooner. I'm feeling much better all around now that I'm starting to get a handle on that particular bad habit. Good luck with your goals.

walkerlori does shoveling snow count as cross training? My husband claims an unequivocal yes but my perfectionist nature isn't so sure.

my check-in isn't so good today.

No-s fail chips again. . . Left over from the weekend. Maybe I can start storing them in the freezer if they are in the house during the week. . . Ummm, have to think about that.

Glass ceiling: fail only 1 drink but 1 over the limit

Challenge day 1:

No-s: success

Glass ceiling: success

More snow to shovel

You are doing great!

Chips are a huge trigger food for me too. I can't have them in the house. arrrgh!

the only chips I can safely have in the house are corn chips and tortilla chips because I don't really like them on their own---only with something like chili or cheese dip, so I often end up throwing leftover corn chips away because they've gone stale. Sour cream and onion chips, however, are a different matter. I can plow though a party-size bag in 15 minutes, and unopened bags sing siren songs to me from the kitchen.

I completely get the chip-craving. I'm the same.

Challenge day 2:

No-S: success

Glass Ceiling: success

I was checking out my HabitCal for the last 3 months. I see definate improvement even though it is far from perfect. It really motIvated me to buckle down and focus on consistency. [/u]

Hiya Gingerpie!
I'm curious about how you quit consuming sugar.
Did you have much of a sweet tooth?
Did you go cold turkey?

I need to get this sugar monkey off my back.

Hi Gingerpie, my email is tmilacic@hotmail.com if you want to connect. Walkerlori, feel free to contact me.

Today is day 2 on my sugar free life. In the past I have been sugar free for several months, and felt fantastic. But sugar slowly crept back in. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN THIS TIME! Below are my reasons for quitting sugar:


1. I quit sugar because ‘sweetness’ of sugar blocks any other sweetness
from my life
2. I quit sugar because I want to feel light and energetic, not heavy, tired
and lethargic
3. I quit sugar because I want to feel good in my body, not be burdened
and blocked by fat that makes every movement difficult
4. I quit sugar because I don’t want to create imbalance and encourage
illness in my body
5. I quit sugar because I want to feel normal hunger and satisfaction after
eating, not constant cravings that can never be satisfied
6. I quit sugar because I want to enjoy moving my body: dancing, yoga,
hiking, skiing, canoeing…….
7. I quit sugar because I want to wear clothes that I like
8. I quit sugar because I want to create organized and clean home, get rid
of clutter and junk, get rid of all the clothes that does not fit me because
it’s TOO BIG
9. I quit sugar because I want to enjoy my reflection in a mirror, I want to
enjoy looking at my pictures
10. I quit sugar because I want to make changes in my life that inspire my
daughter

walkerlori and freegirl I had thought about cutting out sugar for a few years before I actually made the change. I was very impressed by a video presentation by Dr Robert Lustig called Sugar: The Bitter Truth. You can find it on utube. It is 90 minutes long so it is a bit of a time commitment to watch it but it is interesting. Once I decided to cut out added sugar, I cut it all out. No cookies, candies, icecream ect but that was the easy part. The hard part was finding and eliminating the hiden sugars. It took hours at the grocery store to read all the labels and find the brands and products that have no added sugar. Now, I have a mental list of what I can buy but I still read the labels of anything new I'm considerIng buying.

Once I eliminated any sweets from the house and stocked my pantry it wasn't too hard. As it turned out, the less sugar I ate, the less I wanted and the process was much the same as No-s. I just set my goal and marked each day as a success or not.

I lost my craving for sugar after about a week or ten days although I was still being tempted in social situations much longer. But I don't even have that anymore. I do still occasionally think something looks delishious and will try it but that is really very rare. Maybe two or three times in the last year. I also sometimes sort of mindlessly take something but I've been known to spit out cheap candy because it is just gross.

So that's it. If you can do No-s, you can eliminate added sugar. The process was exactly the same.

I'm not totally sugar free. I eat fruit, milk, sweet vegetables, wine and when my husband does the grocery shopping, some products with small amounts of added sugar. But in true No-s style I consider myself to be good enough moderately sugar free.

Hope this helps

Challenge day 3:

No-s: success

Glass ceiling: success

freegirl In addition to my post above, I think I should mention that eating sugar-free wasn't a magic pill for me. I still overeat and I still have food related issues of various kinds. I do feel better for it and I see multiple benifits from it but I just view sugar free as one possible positive diatary change in a virtual sea of possible positive changes.

Enjoy your savory day.

Thank you, Gingerpie.

For me sugar is a big problem. Once I start eating it, I cannot eat it in moderation, it gets out of control. And it's getting worse. Last year I was behaving like an addict. I would decide to follow No S and not eat sugar on workdays, and then change my decision (sometimes the same day) to eat 'just a little bit' every day. I'd go and buy chocolate, and sure enough, eat the whole bar ( 100 g - > 3 oz). And I would repeat that pattern, changing my decision every few days. I cannot go on like that. For me not eating sugar at all is easier than eating it only on S days. If I allow it on S days, I still see it as something desirable, so my struggle on N days is greater. Not to mention the mess that sugar does in my body, so I have to struggle over and over again to regain balance - only to ruin it again on weekend.

At the moment I am not worrying too much about snacks. But it is so much easier for me not to eat snacks when I don't eat sugar! So that may fall in place by itself with time.

I am not saying that this approach works for everyone, we are all different.
I may start a regular check-in thread. Even though I am not following Vanilla no S, I am following two S-es (no sweets and no seconds).

ChallengeDay 4:

No-s:s-Day

Glass ceiling: fail 1 over the limit.

freegirl (I sent an email did you receive it?) I think sugar can have addictive qualities that can be quite challenging to overcome but it sounds like you are on your way to success. Are you keeping the HabitCal or some other means of tracking? I find those types of support very helpful. Checking in can also be helpful because of the level of support on this board.

Two things that were key to my success: 1) don't be afraid to throw food in the garbage. You overeating sugar isnot going to help the starving children of the world. And 2) Don't stop trying. You can only succeed if you try.

One last pearl of wisdom if you look up the word "success" in the dictionary, it does not mean the same thing as" perfection".

Challenge day:5

No-s: s-day

Glass ceiling: fail 1 over the limit. Game night at the neighbors. Not a great showing this weekend But it could have been worse.

Challenge day 6:

No-ssuccess

Glass ceiling: success

congrats on staying below your glass ceiling!

Thanks Mitchelll, I see on your thread you had a learning experience last weekend. Funny how quickly our bodies adapt to an alcohol free lifestyle isn't it? If only our minds were as quick to give it up! !

Challenge day 7:

No-s: success

Glass ceiling: success

Had to work at it a bit yesterday. For some reason I was craving sweets in the evening. Weird. Also had to decide if a very small handful of nuts counted as a snack while I was cooking. I finally decided "no" because the intent wasn't there. It was done more as a bad " nibble" as I cook habit not as a snack. I am reporting it as funny business though because it is a habit dangerously close to a snack.

Thanks for the info on how you kicked the sugar habit

I also watched Dr Lustig's video. He had lots of compelling reasons not to eat added sugar.

I like your "good enough moderately sugar free" approach.

Hmm....I've got some thinking to do...

Hi Gingerpie! I enjoyed reading your thread. You have a great sense of humor. It sounds like we have the same weakness of salty, crunchy stuff! Don't get me wrong, I love my sugar treats...but the salty. Oh, my.

Funny business is just that. I don't even report mine as I don't think it's a bad thing. Although my rule is that it can only happen once in a while (to eliminate making it a habit) and usually it's close enough to my meal that it's not a snack but maybe more of a second or third. I'm taking the European approach and make it a slowly eaten meal That said, it would always fit on my plate. Example: breakfast: 1 banana and plain yoghurt. 20min later a serving of nuts as I got interrupted. Or dinner: a meal and a handful of grapes 20 min later to help keep the chocolate craving at bay.

Challenge day 8:

No-s: success

Glass ceiling: success

My new game:
1st - go on-line and look up images of living cells. Maybe your heart cells or lung cells. Doesn't matter you chose that part.

2nd - drink a glass of water and imagine how happy your cells are. Then drink a glass of soda or wine or anything else nutritionally empty. Can't you just see How sad it makes your cells?

Sometimes I think I have too much time on my hands.