Counting carbs/calories is a drag. Obsessive scale stepping is a recipe for despair. If you want to count something, "days on habit" is a much better metric. Checking off days on a calendar would do just fine, but if you do it here you get accountability and support. Here's how. Start a new topic in this forum called (say) "Your Name Daily Check In." Then every N day post a "reply" to that topic as to whether you stayed on habit. A simple "<font color="green">SUCCESS</font>" or "<font color="red">FAILURE</font>" (or your preferred euphemism if that's too harsh) is sufficient, but obviously you're welcome to write more if you want. On S-days just register that you're taking an S-day. You don't have to do this forever, just until you're confident you've built the habit. Feel free to check in weekly or monthly or sporadically instead of daily. Feel free also to track other habits besides No-s (I'm keeping this forum under No-s because that's what the vast majority are using it for). See also my <a href="/habitcal/">HabitCal</a> tool for another more formal (and perhaps complementary) way to track habits.
DAY 1: unintentional SUCCESS - was searching for healthy snack ideas yesterday morning and came across the noS site. Lurking instead of working most of the morning convinced me to give it a try. Started right away (hadn't had any snacks yet!). Happened also to have weighed myself that morning (hence the search for healthy snack ideas), so my start weight is officially 184 lbs. I'll try this out for 21 days and see how I do!
Day 2: SUCCESS!- it felt really good to conciously walk away from the snacks. I never realized how I never let myself get hungry - always snacking. Usually healthy snacks (nuts, yogurt, fruit), but still such a habit. Looking forward to it being a normal practice...
DAY 3: SUCCESS! - I'm obviously missing snacking and rely on tea and sugar-free gum to see me through. Dreamt about failing one day and I was devastated. But the failure was apple crisp with ice cream and it was so real in my dream! Good thing dream cheating doesn't add to the caloric intake...
DAY 4: SUCCESS! - First Friday night on the noS. I can certainly see the thinking of those who take S days from Friday night to Sunday afternoon. I'll stick with vanilla though for at least 21 days and see where I'm at then. A little nervous about my first S day, but have no specific plans. I've been eyeing the bottle of red wine leftover from last Sunday (I gave up week day wine a few weeks ago) and look forward to that and probably will make an apple crisp for dessert at some point!
DAY 5: S-DAY. First S-day... not too bad, so nice to enjoy the little package of peanut M&M's. A little too much enjoyment of the red wine however.
DAY 6: S-DAY. Not too much appetite for snacks, but made my family (and myself) a lovely semi-healthy (whole wheat flour and fructose based) chocolate cake. Put remainder in freezer!
DAY 7: SUCCESS!. Not too hungry and not thinking about snacks all the time like last week! Thinking about decreasing plate size, but maybe will decide after 21 days are over if nothing moves on the scale.
DAY 8: SUCCESS!. My body is getting used to the new eating schedule and I'm not as hungry between meals (if at all). I suspect that means I should be decreasing my meal/plate size. I'll try a smaller supper plate for a couple of days and see if I survive the evenings!
DAY 9: SUCCESS! - yesterday was my first N-day challenged by female hormones Was very difficult to shun the chocolate, but I did it! Today might be a different story...
DAY 11: SUCCESS!. A little harder because I was visiting my dad and I had little control over the meal preparation (and he is a snacker). Was hungrier between meals but was able to avoid the pretzels with a double shot of V8 juice! Oh and his plates are smaller than mine! But I survived (the best advice I've read on this forum is the idea that I will not die of starvation between 4 pm and 6 pm!).
DAY 12: S-DAY
DAY 13: S-DAY
Almost forcing the snacks! Was waiting for the weekend to enjoy some cookies I made for my son's lunches and ate two even though I was not hungry. I think that is the habit that needs working on, regardless of the N or S status of the day (i.e. eating when not hungry). I am actually looking forward to today's no snacking!
DAY 14: SUCCESS! , but it was difficult! Really had to distract myself from the snacks - did so by knitting, chewing gum, drinking tea, among other things. So far today is a bit easier...
DAY 16: SUCCESS. . I'm still thinking a lot about not eating. What I mean is I am making a conscious effort not to snack, especially after supper, or if I'm not working. I don't think noS is a habit yet. Of course, the S habit was ingrained in me for the last 49 years - from birth really... hey, if I cry when I'm hungry now will someone feed me?
DAY 17: SUCCESS
DAY 18: SUCCESS
DAY 19: S-DAY - first S-day away from home. Declined snacking (except for the handful of almonds during a 4 hour drive to Toronto - passed up a Tim Horton's muffin though!), but indulged in dessert and wine with friends.
DAY 20:S-DAY - hubby's birthday - enjoyed the cake guilt-free. Loving S-days!
DAY 21: SUCCESS! I'm in the 21-day club! No significant weight loss but will continue working toward making noS a lifetime habit. I think "respecting the 4th S" (as Kevin points out) will be the secret along with commitment to more and regular exercise. Will check in periodically.
- was searching for healthy snack ideas yesterday morning and came across the noS site. Lurking instead of working 
most of the morning convinced me to give it a try. Started right away (hadn't had any snacks yet!). Happened also to have weighed myself that morning (hence the search for healthy snack ideas), so my start weight is officially 184 lbs. I'll try this out for 21 days and see how I do!
Was very difficult to shun the chocolate, but I did it! Today might be a different story...
But I survived (the best advice I've read on this forum is the idea that I will not die of starvation between 4 pm and 6 pm!).