Oh you naughty little Bandsters! I am not talking about potato chips, corn chips, fried chips or chocolate chips!

Here's a new fun thread that we can all use. I'm looking for volunteers to create Virtual Chips that we can put in our signature line after we EARN THEM. I think Trish is good at creating all those cute computer diddies, so can those of you creative with the computer "create" some virtual chips and post some samples here for us to vote on?

In AA, you get a 30 day chip if you don't drink booze for 30 days. It's a little plastic chip for your keychain. You get another after 60 days, 90 days, 3 months, 6 months, a year, etc. You get the same chips in OA (Overeater's Anonymous) for abstinence. For example, my big problem right now is sugar and soda. I haven't had any for 3 days, so in another 27 days I'll have earned my 30 Day Chip.

WHO ELSE WANTS CHIPS?

Post your starting date, your abstinence and the number of days you have. If you stick to your plan for 30 days, you can add a chip to your signature. This is based on honesty.

Here are some abstinence suggestions:

Three meals a day, no Snacks.

No sugar.

Exercise 5 times a week (abstain from laziness)

No Carbs

No Booze

No Caffeine

I'll start:

Lisa, abstaining from sugar and soda, currently on Day 3.

You folks are so funny! I just love my little LBT family! Thanks for the kind words. My little kiddos are all my pride and joy!

Blessings on your day!

Jon

Jon, what a beautiful family you have.

Lisa and Beanie, you two just stop it or I'll smack you both so hard yo mama will feel it.

We should start a thread with goofy pictures of us, you know, ones you dont want anyone to see naaaaaaaah naaaaaaaaaaah !!

All this talk of dang chips.... and no dip, whats wrong with you?

okay, I gave up my beloved coffee with sugar and 1/2 & 1/2 in hopes of shaking something lose.

Over a month without coffee, and not a pound lost. It's just wrong. Just wrong.

okay, I gave up my beloved coffee with sugar and 1/2 & 1/2 in hopes of shaking something lose.

Over a month without coffee, and not a pound lost. It's just wrong. Just wrong.

No coffee? Yikes!

You can't drink it w/ sweet n low? The sugar & 1/2 yes, but I don't think giving up coffee is going to help you at all. I think the caffeine kick helps. Certainly someone who has been caffinated for a long time is going to slow down their metabolism w/o it. Are you getting your caffeine somewhere else?

I start every morning with 2-3 cups of coffee that I mix my vanilla Protein powder in. That way I get my protein and my coffee. It's really the perfect Breakfast for me. I know the jury is out on caffeine, but I think it's a good thing. Whenever I've given up coffee I've ended up having to take asthma medication. I'd rather just have the coffee than pay for meds. There have been many studies of athletes on caffeine (I read every one I see) and if there are negatives they seem to be balanced by positives. I think caffeine is one of those things that people react differently to and if you're one of those who does well with it, it's a mistake to give it up.

Oh, I switched to black tea, lots of anti-oxidents. Black tea with splenda and milk. Helps me get in some protien and part of the 3-a-day dairy

coffee is not to be sullied by artificial sweeteners. I am a cofee snob. (said in my best Garbo) I've tried it with splenda, but it was just too wrong. I loooove African coffees, and I can tell the difference between, say an Ethiopan Harrar and an Ethiopan Siddamo.

I find if I don't drink a morning caffinated beverage that I do not get a caffien headache, but if I drink coffee after say, noon, it will keep me up late. And yes, when I have asthma issues that I find I drink more hot coffee. Heh, probably one of the reasons I started drinking quad short americanos...

But anyway, I'm back to my beloved coffee, the experiment failed.

Bummer, Crystal. I do the coffee & protein powder breakfast, too. Coffee, vanilla protein and a dash of Cinnamon... very nice.

Dang it Dang it Dang it! Not only did I fall off the wagon...but I think I killed the horse that pulled it.

Bad news....I have to start over again on the no sugar treats challenge....a very bad few moments that I care not to speak of again.

Good News...I just had my first fill...so I'm going to let that be a catalyst to start fresh (please please please). So...I'm counting again starting on the 17th.

...Still no caffiene, though. Yeehaw!

Bummer, Crystal. I do the coffee & Protein powder breakfast, too. Coffee, vanilla protein and a dash of Cinnamon... very nice.

what is this vanilla protein you all speak of and where can I get it? sounds like a great way to get in some extra protein that I desparately need and I already drink decaf - does creamer count for dairy or do you have to use milk? and i agree with VINES - artifical sweetner in coffee is just plain WRONG - I do however drink only DECAF - so I hope that at least helps a little that I'm not all caffeined up everyday since I don't drink soda either.

You can get Protein powders at a lot of places - from GNC to Walgreens to Walmart. Look for it with the other diet products or Vitamin supplements. GNC has tons of the stuff and you can buy it on line at lots of places, including FitRX.com...

I use a Meal Replacement one called Ultramet that has 42 grams of protein, 24 grams of carbohydrate and about 50% of the Vitamins that you need in a day. There are also lots of them that don't have all the vitamins - just for protein. They also come in Low Carb... The list goes on and on.

I hear that GNC has sample packets so that you can try several varieties and pick the one that you like best - which is great if you have GNC where you live.

Happy shopping!

The end of November marked 60 days for me without any chips! I hope this mean I broke the habbit of eating them!

Today I've officially gone 30 days without my beloved Diet Pepsi.

My band doc says no carbonated, ever, but it seems to me it is a YMMV situation.

I do miss it, as the cans linger in my garage refridgerator... mmmmmmmmmm diet Pepsi.........mmmmmmmm........

Actually, I prefer it in bottles to cans.

Okay, how about I give up sex for 30 days? My husband may have a cow about it, but it sure won't bother me!!! wink wink

Let's see, I am only two days into this, so I am going to go with walking at least 30 minutes everyday for 30 days - does that sound reasonable?

Let me know if this is a good chip choice!!

~cheri

Well I will be adding a chip to my signature...30 days and not 1 cigarette!!! Yeah!!!!!

Whooo Hoooo! 30 days without smoking is fantastic!

Mega props on the smokless days Teresa! I've been over 4 years without cigars now. It does get easier with time.