Everyday Systems

marygrace

Like the others have said, whenever works for you is the right time. But if you're doing something sort of intense, like Jillian Michaels stuff, you might also want to consider how long it was since your last meal.

My dog and I walk for an hour every morning after breakfast (we're in a serious ...

marygrace

Can you incorporate sharing into your hobby? Make a cheesecake, and then invite the neighbors over, and send them home with the leftovers.

Everyone wins this way!

Yep. I often make a nice dessert on the weekend when we have friends over for dinner. By the end of the night, there are no ...

marygrace

Best baked oatmeal recipe ever!
http://www.lottieanddoof.com/2011/04/baked-oatmeal/

I made it earlier in the season with strawberries instead of blueberries, but I imagine pretty much any fruit would be delicious. Adding the melted butter on top really makes it.

marygrace

The blobs are tapioca pearls. They look weird, but they're great! They have a mildly sweet taste and pleasantly squishy texture (sort of like jell-o...but not really). When you get boba or bubble tea--that's what they call the drink with the pearls at the bottom--it's usually accompanied with an ...

marygrace

I agree with gratefuldeb. If you're not that into eating breakfast at 6, why not just eat it when you would have the mini-meal? If you're afraid you'll get too hungry between 6 and 10, you could have a cafe au lait or something along those lines at 6.

marygrace

I don't ever really weigh myself, but I notice that when I eat a lot of white flour or white sugar foods that my pants feel a little more snug the next day. I know these foods can cause some bloating; I figure I'm just a little sensitive to that since I don't eat those things too often.

marygrace

Thanks for the comments.

I feel torn about organic foods. While I know that it is absolutely better to eat things that are pesticide free and hormone free, I still wonder if the pesticides and hormones cause sickness. I mean, for those of you who read the Bible, you will notice that sickness was ...

marygrace

Leftovers are common. But I also like to spread almond butter on a whole wheat tortilla and top it with lettuce, cucumber, grated carrot and beet, and sprouts. Fold and eat. If there's good fresh fruit around, I'll have a piece--if not, a handful of dried. This is a really light lunch (nutritious ...

marygrace

I don't take any. I don't believe that the intricate, health-promoting properties of food can be replicated in the form of a pill, so I skip the supplements in favor of whole foods.

marygrace

wosnes wrote:I wouldn't shoot for any number -- weight or size. I'd focus on good habits and let the numbers fall where they may. That's the simplest thing to do.

Agreed.

marygrace

Organic food doesn't have more nutrients, but health might benefit because you aren't consuming any of the pesticides and chemicals that are sprayed on conventional agriculture. Still, the bigger benefit is environmental--organic farming practices are better for the soil, ecosytems, water, and ...

marygrace

Thank you all for your help! I will use your tips, and hopefully get this slow eating and over eating. Also, it's not that I'm getting seconds at meal times. It's just the one plate, and I just feel it all needs to be gone, or I'll get so hungry and want to snack!

As you get more and more used to ...

marygrace

5. I don't buy a lot of sweets or snack foods. When I do, I try to buy individual servings. If that's not an option, then I buy the smallest package of them that I can find. (I don't track this one as a mod, because I can't figure out how to do it with HabitCal, but I keep it as a general rule). I ...

marygrace

For the love of Anoia and all her ladles, of COURSE you'll lose weight quite quickly if you limit your food to 500 calories a day. The hormone has bugger-all to do with it!

Exactly. If someone is actually eating only 500 calories a day, they won't be able to maintain the weight loss for very long ...

marygrace

I like to take a bag of frozen berries and cook them down into a sort of syrup-y compote (this makes enough for a week or so). Then I stir a few spoonfuls into my oatmeal along with some chopped walnuts and honey. The combo is also really good with whole milk yogurt.

Sometimes I'll blend up my ...

marygrace

I've not heard anything about this, but I would almost certainly venture to say that it won't help with weight loss, at least not significantly. If it did, it would be all over the place.

Perhaps it has the same sort of effect as green tea, which is said to speed up the metabolism. Thing is, you ...

marygrace

From this article .

For $1,000/month some women are purchasing hGC, a pregnancy hormone derived from the urine of pregnant women, and injecting themselves with it daily. In addition to the hormone injections, these women are limiting their caloric intake to 500 calories per day in order to shed ...

marygrace

I don't own a scale, so the only times I get weighed are during doctor visits once or twice a year. Instead, I go by how my favorite pair of jeans fit--they're cut pretty slim and don't have any stretch, so they'll tell me if I'm starting to gain weight. I'm the kind of person who would get bummed ...

marygrace

I'm tired of hearing all about these "super foods" too. They all cost a fortune and you know what most of them taste like shit!

I'm also tired of hearing about the Super Foods, but don't agree that they all cost a fortune or taste like shit (though I think that most soy products and whole ...

marygrace

The Today Show was talking about the death of Jack LaLane (I'm sure I'm spelling that wrong) earlier this week and they cut to a clip of Anne Curry interviewing him a few years ago. For some reason, he was offered some kind of food on set and he refused it. He said he never eats between meals.

marygrace

I kind of like getting to sample things at the grocery store, so it's not something I've banned myself from doing on N-days. There are plenty of times when I don't try any of the samples I see, but if I see something that looks really good (in a SAMPLE size, not half a slice of cake) and I want to ...

marygrace

Actually just saw this news story today on scientists dispelling this myth.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/214476.php

marygrace

I went on the pill right after a serious bout of mono and viral pneumonia. The illness had caused me to lose about 10 pounds in little more than a month, and my doctor started me on steroids to help me get my strength back. (If you're thinking this sounds like an odd time to start taking the pill ...

marygrace

I read so many articles like this - many in woman's magazines like All You - about how families are putting a stop to snacking. "Great," I think, "people are catching on." And then the article goes on to say that the family is still snacking, but just with vegetables, fruit and "healthy" things ...

marygrace

I experienced something similar. I started NoS in August of 2008, my last year at college, and was very successful in losing and maintaining the 5-10 pounds (about 1 dress size) I was looking to lose. I always ate whatever I wanted on S days, but it never seemed to be a problem--I'd found a good ...

marygrace

Don't worry about messing up--a few days or even a week's worth of mess-ups won't affect you in the long term or cause significant weight gain. If you know what you need to do, do it! After a few days, you'll be back into the N-day habit and feeling good.

marygrace

I agree with this article completely. While I'm not yet a parent, I am a writer for a parenting magazine, so am very familiar with all sorts of topics plaguing parents in the realm of food and nutrition. I wish I could write a story on why kids SHOULDN'T snack, but I don't think my editors would ...

marygrace

Five or ten years ago I could have come up with quite a list. But now I'd have to say (in addition to No-S):

1. The Jungle Effect by Dr. Daphne Miller. Gives an overview of five traditional diets and shows that there is no one healthy way to eat, but many. The common denominator is real food. Not ...

marygrace

I enjoyed going to classes, but the new gym I joined does not offer any, but they do have a movie theater with all different types of cardio machines... it's great! Then the ones in the actual gym also have tv screens and ipod hookups.

That's so funny, our local movie theater is the exact ...

marygrace

No doubt. I hate, this time of year, coming across articles exhorting us to have a "healthy" Thanksgiving and Christmas by replacing real holiday food with nauseating, fake "low fat" versions of stuffing, turkey, "eggnog" and the like. Only a demented sadist would serve diet "gravy" and diet "cake ...

marygrace

I actually feel bad for people when they order food like that.
They're clearly misguided,
and I wish there was a way I could point that out without sounding like a jerk or snob. I think it's important to always REMEMBER...
PEOPLE are NOT ALL THE SAME.

Personally, I do not think it is a misguided ...

marygrace

I just worry that people will get the idea that it's hard-core or nothing,
and of course that's no more true of exercise than it is of diet.]
This is SO Very True. http://www.getsmile.com/emoticons/emotions-smileys-free/thumbs-up22.gif

I hope that's not true! There has been so much research ...

marygrace

Many experts theorize that
people are often driven to eat larger quantities of processed foods,
because they aren't as filling or satisfying as the real thing.
The operational word here is "THEORIZE". http://smilies.sofrayt.com/^/aiw/clever-man.gif
Although each of us may have an OPINION ...

marygrace

Well, now ... it's nice that you folks feel that interval training works well for you, but let's not discourage more gentle forms of exercise, shall we? Whatever works to get people moving, and some people may have no interest in doing intense bursts of hard-core exercise -- and they'll get ...

marygrace

I agree with Ina--I actually feel bad for people when they order food like that. They're clearly misguided, and I wish there was a way I could point that out without sounding like a jerk or snob.

marygrace

Fake food is what makes people fat. What people should be eating is things like long rise sour dough bread, REAL butter, and plenty of it, whole milk, and eggs from healthy, free range chicken, and grass fed meat

I eat all those things, always have done.
I cook everything from scratch with real ...

marygrace

The best thing is to do shorter work outs but really intense ones ... that burns more fat and boosts your metabolisms for the whole day.

20-30 minutes as hard as you can would give you more benefits than 60 minutes or more where you don't push yourself too much. If you can't do 20-30 minutes in a ...

marygrace

A lot of small, local farmers that produce pasture-raised meat and dairy (as well as fruits and vegetables) actually use organic methods, but don't bother going through the expensive certification process. I think the organic method--no pesticides or chemicals, growing or producing food in with ...

marygrace

Stick to your habits! Also, when I'm having a treat and get tempted to keep eating and eating because "its the holidays", I try to remember how gross I feel when I overeat.

marygrace

I think it's important to pick
- something you like
- something that you can fit into your ordinary routine.

This is the most important thing. I used to do a lot of running in college because it was easy to fit into my schedule (I could wake up not too early, eat breakfast, digest, then run ...

marygrace

I used to do this first thing in the morning during the winter when I didn't feel like exercising outside--what a way to wake up. I didn't have any weight to lose, but I found it appealing because it offers strength and cardio in a very quick workout. It's REALLY intense, but when the whole thing's ...

marygrace

I walk or run with my dog for an hour every morning, and usually take one or two shorter walks with her throughout the day (if I didn't have her, I'd definitely get less exercise. But she's a super energetic terrier, and I don't want her tearing down the walls!). I also practice a vigorous form of ...

marygrace

Did you used to eat a snack in the evening on most days? Or did you normally snack while doing something (such as watching TV) that you do in the evenings?

I'd second the advice of finding something to do that keeps you away from the kitchen. Don't hang around the kitchen unless you are preparing ...

marygrace

There's not as much going on in the evening--at least on most weekdays. You're just relaxing, maybe watching TV, and want a snack. Before I started NoS, I was a huge nighttime snacker, and cutting that food out felt very strange at first. For a while, it really felt like something was missing.

Of ...

marygrace

There's a lot of evidence showing that overweight/obese kids tend to become overweight/obese adults--probably because they've developed unhealthy eating habits as children that have simply carried over into adulthood. If you've gone your whole life snacking on tons of junk and sugar and thinking a ...

marygrace

Yeah, if I have something sweet in between meals--say late afternoon--I end up with an overwhelming desire to either sleep or keep eating more junk. One of the reasons why I tend to stick with dessert after dinner =)

marygrace

A good move on switching to water, I'd say. Have you considered buying a water filter for your tap water, and maybe a sports bottle to carry when you're out and about? I only suggest it as a cheaper alternative. On a flavour note, I tend to drink carbonated water, which gives the illusion of taste ...

marygrace

I USED to be a super picky eater, wouldn't touch a fruit or vegetable until I was 17, when I decided to become a vegetarian and realized I'd need to start eating fruits and veggies to stay healthy. It was really unpleasant at first, because I was so used to only ever eating my mom's water-logged ...

marygrace

I agree completely, and I think it's important to strive to keep Exception Days (I usually call them NWS days) planned--and therefore positive. It was something I was having a problem with (wrote about it in another thread), where I'd just randomly decide that I wanted a treat, and make it an NWS ...

marygrace

I find I have to do vigorous exercise regularly (4-5 times per week) to keep my body looking the way I want it to look. If I stop exercising (and consciously eat less to make up for it), I might not gain much weight, but my body will just start to look "doughy". I don't like it. Another thing I don ...

marygrace

In the past, I've been known to abuse the NWS day rule of two allowed per month. Sometimes those NWS days would go towards legitimate causes, like birthdays or major holidays--but if I didn't have two birthdays or major holidays in a month, I'd just give myself permission to randomly take an NWS day ...

marygrace

It will work, but your progress will probably be slower, and you may need to add exercise. For instance, I started NoS two years ago, at the beginning of my senior year in college. I lost 8-10 pounds over the course of the semester, so about 4 1/2 months. I also exercised 5 days a week--ran for 30 ...

marygrace

Wosnes, I've heard all the tips from the Today show before except the one saying to eat more cheese. What's the reasoning behind that?

marygrace

My hand is down. I had no Halloween candy! It wasn't a conscious choice. I didn't buy any and wasn't in a place where it was available.

I didn't have any, either. I live in an apartment complex and knew we wouldn't be getting any trick-or-treaters, so didn't bother to buy any candy. At the end of ...

marygrace

I recently watched a documentary about "Facts about Weight Loss" made by the BBC which I found from a link from a reader here. Sorry, I forgot where it came from.

In the doc, one woman was convinced that her metabolism was slow. She had given up dieting and was eating very healthy food and had ...

marygrace

Welcome. College can certainly be a difficult time to establish regular, moderate eating habits--you'd be doing yourself a world of good by doing something like NoS. As for sticking to it, try HabitCal. Something about seeing those green days rack up made it easier for me to adhere to the rules in ...

marygrace

I was reading Health magazine last night, and there was some feature on three readers taking up a challenge to lose weight. I noticed one of the readers was listed as not having lost any pounds or inches, but her body fat had dropped by about 3 percent, and she definitely looked like she lost weight ...

marygrace

Alas, the schools here in San Diego charge a lot more. But maybe I should consider it once a month. I wish I could find a girlfriend who would trade facials. Or maybe I should go to a yoga class or something. Anyway, I'll be musing on this. TX!

Yes to yoga. Practicing feels like nothing else, and ...

marygrace

No, I'm not saying this as an excuse. I'm just saying that the fact that us Americans even have to THINK about it makes it a chore! Those other countries don't think to themselves "...and now I will go get my daily exercise in..." they just say, "Hey, looks like we're out of bread and eggs. I'll ...

marygrace

Funny, because it pretty much is *that* easy.
Well, now, easy yet hard, surely? (I know, I know, don't call you Shirley. :)) I'm just thinking that "Eat less and exercise more" was *exactly* my diet plan, before NoS -- I called it "The Thermodynamics Diet". But it wasn't easy to maintain, because ...

marygrace

But see, it's just THAT much easier for them to get in those steps. The towns are smaller, the shops are closer. People walk to the grocery stores every day, bringing home a little at a time.

American culture has this whole commute attitude about everything. It just makes it that much harder to ...

marygrace

This, and people tend to underestimate the calories in food, and overestimate the calories burned by exercise. A 700 calorie treat as a reward for 400 calories worth of exercise is one step forward and two steps back. Wansink's book even mentions that people tend to underestimate the calories they ...

marygrace

I've started to hear some buzz that agave is highly processed, despite the fact that it's touted as a natural sweetener. I used to use it almost exclusively, but if I want a syrup-y sweetener now I just use maple syrup or local honey (there's so much good honey available in Texas!). Other times, I ...

marygrace

I've started to hear some buzz that agave is highly processed, despite the fact that it's touted as a natural sweetener. I used to use it almost exclusively, but if I want a syrup-y sweetener now I just use maple syrup or local honey (there's so much good honey available in Texas!). Other times, I ...

marygrace

At those times in between meals that you get so hungry, did you used to always have a snack? Before I started NoS, I had an afternoon snack every day without fail. When I started NoS, for a while I was very hungry at that snack time, I guess because my body just expected the food.

You may need to ...

marygrace

He suggests food trade-offs (things like "if I exercise, I can have potato chips")

All the rest sound good and sensible, but I disagree with this. I don't think food should be used as a bargaining tool, as it can quickly spiralize into having a disordered relationship with food. I.e., you run so ...

marygrace

This is insane! They are saying that a difference of 600 calories really doesn't make that much of an impact!

Just goes to show you how much we don't know or understand about nutrition yet!

Well, yes--but because it subconciously gets made up sometime soon after. Hopefully it doesn't make some ...

marygrace

This kind of sounds like S-days scientifically legitimized. Cool!

http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20101011 ... -your-diet

marygrace

After all, what would be the point of tallying calories
if they were going to end up being super high? AH !!!
The ongoing necessary WILLPOWER exertion is merely
to get oneself to walk to the computer and input the data.

BUT the above-quote states the crux of the calorie counting issue !

The ...

marygrace

I don't think I can be as strict as suggested before, though I don't have a lot of that stuff around. I start with great intentions/ plans, but I end up going out and buying the stuff anyway or eating it in the car, or whatever. I somehow don't know how to fill my time the same way I can on N days ...

marygrace

Like others will probably say, decide on your treats ahead of time. AND, don't keep anything else in the house. If you want a brownie on Saturday, buy one brownie from the bakery--there's no way you can eat more if there's only one around. If you're baking, halve or quarter recipes if necessary, and ...

marygrace

I feel you. I'm usually very hungry when I get home from work, and instead of waiting for my family or cooking a meal, I just want to EAT. Here's what I do instead:

-Find an activity that keeps me busy and/or away from food. Take the dog (or yourself) for a walk, practice yoga (as someone else ...

marygrace

It doesn't HAVE to take a lot of brain power, or will power to count calories.
Again, a plug for calorie counting via the use of a software computer program.

It's really easy to remember to walk to my computer,
click the icon that opens my software food journal,
use its search function to find ...

marygrace

I was like you in thinking that this diet would be easy, I don't snack and eat emotionally etc. Well, boy was I wrong. Cutting out night eating is so hard, I realize I'm not hungry, it is just a destressing I think. I also realize I eat more than I thought I did. Hope this diet works for you.

If ...

marygrace

I just read a fantastic article by a food sociologist who talks about why it's more important for parents to help their children build good eating habits than worry about minute nutrition details. She seems very much in tune with many of the ideals behind NoS.

http://www.fooducate.com/blog/2010/10 ...

marygrace

Gah!! Okay, here it goes:

The Martini Diet- I really loved (and still love) the concept of this. Eat the very best, but eat somewhat less of the very best. More specifically, every portion of your meal should be able to fit into a martini glass...and no snacking. My only problem with this were ...

marygrace

You read my mind. When I read the article this morning, the first thing I thought was: This guy needs NoS!

marygrace

Jenny Craig: SUPER EXPENSIVE and it works, however, you are not eating your own food and I lost quite a bit but gained it all back. (Moved and quit smoking)

Jenny Craig works (well, in the sense that it helps people lose weight---in the larger picture I don't think it really works at all ...

marygrace

oolala53 wrote:Magrat, you had the experience of distinguishing the difference between being legitimately hungry and just having an urge to eat. We could really use a different word for each sensation.

I think "appetite" does a good job of describing the latter.

marygrace

I also found stickk.com, from the freakonomics blog.

I made a 4-week commitment to stick to No-s (I'm still using habitcal to track). If I mess up one week, I'm going to be sending 5 dollars to the George W. Bush Presidential Library (anti-charity).

I think this is seriously going to help me ...

marygrace

Good luck! And I'm happy to see another Austinite on this board =)

marygrace

Really Wosnes?! So basically what you're saying is that in your neighbour's case, with slightly more calories she's actually losing more weight? That's fascinating. I think it's probably because if the calories are too low then metabolism slows down (or something like that, correct me somebody if I ...

marygrace

I could almost have written the exact same thing myself! Enjoying my food without guilt is the thing I love about No S, and is the reason I can't imagine myself ever giving up on it. I'm 5'6" and float around 145 lbs (and wear a size 6/8) with very little effort since getting down the basic No S ...

marygrace

I tend to agree with Spudd. When I was doing Weight Watchers years ago I was eating 1400-1600 calories per day and losing 1-2 pounds per week. I exercised almost daily, so assuming the average expenditure was an extra 200 calories, my sedentary calorie count for that weight loss rate probably would ...

marygrace

marygrace, i'm guessing that's probably because it's dissolving whatever built up deposits are there from hard water.. just taking a guess :)
my mom told me that soaking a clogged shower head in vinegar will remove the hard water residue, like calcium, from it.

That's probably true. I'm not sure ...

marygrace

I don't know if I'd try this as an appetite suppressant...but I have used ACV as a conditioner after shampooing. It makes my hair really shiny and squeaky clean =)

marygrace

another suggestion is when you're feeling peckish, try downing a big glass of water. I've noticed with myself that most of the time I was just thirsty and my body registered it as hunger. I also try to take a muti vitamin every day and that has helped curb my snack cravings a ton!

good luck ...

marygrace

It was the men on the high protein diet who ate three meals a day that felt fuller in the evening and late at night, plus they were less preoccupied with thoughts of food

Physically, the main reason eating just three meals a day helps people lose weight is because it's easier to keep track of ...

marygrace

It was the men on the high protein diet who ate three meals a day that felt fuller in the evening and late at night, plus they were less preoccupied with thoughts of food

Physically, the main reason eating just three meals a day helps people lose weight is because it's easier to keep track of ...

marygrace

One WINNER on the show even gained all their weight back. One of the contestants went on a talk show after the season (in one of the older seasons, Shay) and said she still works out 6 hours a day to lose weight. Sooo then to keep it off wouldn't she have to work out 6 hours a day for the rest of ...

marygrace

The article mentioned a low-calorie, high protein diet. One thing I've found is that fat is essential for satisfaction. I'm not saying go crazy with it, but some at each meal seems to aid in satisfaction and keeps the need for eating between meals at a minimum.

One thing I've noticed is that ...

marygrace

Soup season is year 'round as far as I'm concerned.

Yep, what she said!

Yea, and we've had a record number of 90 degree+ days here in Indiana this year. In fact, we just a a new high record for September 20th (or maybe it was yesterday). Supposed to get in the 90s today, too. I just realized ...

marygrace

Another number to ignore: clothing sizes.

My neighbor is 2 inches taller than me and over 50 pounds heavier (though she is losing weight). Just recently she told me she was going to have to buy new clothes in a smaller size -- which was smaller than I wear! Clothing size means nothing ...

marygrace

I'd add to the keep you satisfied list: something you will really like or enjoy. When I have a meal with nothing like that really included (usually a leftovers day), I tend to not be satisfied and have a much harder time waiting til it's officially time to eat again to eat again.

I second this ...

marygrace

Anytime I see that show, I can't help but feel pity for the ridiculous regimen those contestants are forced through. And clearly plans like that don't work in the long-term, since most contestants end up gaining back a lot of the weight.

marygrace

Anyone a fan of split pea soup? My grandmother used to make it for me all the time, but I don't see her very often anymore since I moved to Texas. I've tried making it myself, but it's just not the same.

Aside from that, I WISH it was soup weather here. The temps are still in the low 90s and I even ...

marygrace

I have a general idea of what I weigh, but can't remember the last time I stepped on a scale and gauge my weight by how my clothes are fitting. And BMI is completely useless--there have been a bunch of articles pointing out that many super fit, muscular athletes are listed as having an overweight or ...

marygrace

When I had an issue with "bites, licks and tastes," I made some rules for myself about that.

It's legitimate to taste when cooking. It's not legitimate to use that as an excuse. So...

If I know what it tastes like, it's not a taste.
Leftover bits are not tastes.
A portion of more than a ...

marygrace

If you're going to a house and are offered food when it's not at mealtime (or even if it is but you've already eaten), I think it's perfectly acceptable to say no thanks, I'm not hungry/I've already eaten. I imagine sometimes when you visit people, the food is just sort of set out for anyone to take ...

marygrace

Well, by my count, there are over 70 days between now and Christmas ... Is it possible to allocate one of your meals, each day, to testing a recipe? Even if some of the recipes are for things that would usually be snacks, you could group some together and make a meal of them ... And dessert recipes ...

Everyday Systems

Search found 327 matches

A ridiculous weight-loss strategy

A tip to stay on track

High-calorie splurging won't ruin diet

Re: Neuroscience research shows willpower is a limited resou

Re: Neuroscience research shows willpower is a limited resou

Not about nutrition