Everyday Systems

jessdr

I was on a low-carb diet for about 3 years to control my unstable blood sugar. (Discovered later that most of my crashes were actually caffeine/adrenaline crashes from WAY too much diet coke. I still occasionally get real blood sugar crashes, but only if I'm completely reckless about what I eat.)

I ...

jessdr

Anyone else struggle with it? How do you deal with it? Is it false guilt, or should one allow oneself to be guilt free if one is sticking to the diet?

Yep. I came to No-S after The Diet That Shall Not Be Named, which looked fine on paper, but turned into highly disordered eating in practice. Most ...

jessdr

for most people this isn't really the heart of the problem, and that paying attention to things like the nature of the foods they're consuming is less important than just reducing the total amount consumed.

I totally agree. I forget where Reinhard said it (one of the podcasts maybe?) but I think ...

jessdr

The thermodynamics argument is a bit oversimplified. The body isn't a linear system. Your metabolism can and will adjust to its circumstances: slowing down in times of famine, putting on fat stores during pregnancy, etc. It's a complex system that can change its mechanical efficiency on the fly. And ...

jessdr

Had a slip-up on Friday: went out for dinner & a movie with friends, and got tripped up by the communal pizza. They served us two pies for the table, and only gave us little 5" appetizer plates, so I ended up having seconds. Not a huge overindulgence, but still a red day. I did, however, get a nice ...

jessdr

Congrats!

jessdr

Ooh, I'm going to start doing that! I actually dance most days, but it's usually in class, or practicing something I need to work on. I'm going to try just putting on some music and moving for the fun of it.

jessdr

Had a nice all-green day yesterday. It was not easy: I had a shoot for my belly dance instructional video last night, and didn't have dinner until 10. This isn't that unusual for me; I have several evening commitments in any given week (usually dance classes, but occasionally shows or a shoot). But ...

jessdr

guadopt1997 wrote:That's a great way to look at it, Jess!

Thanks. Just have to stick with it now.

jessdr

I have no idea what moves to start with, and how to keep myself safe. You have to take into account that, as I said, I'm completely out of shape, so please could you suggest the safest & easiest shovelglove moves to start with (and where to actually see them done- perhaps online- so that I know I'm ...

jessdr

Yay, a new podcast!

I REALLY like the Constitution metaphor.

I do still plan to keep my mod, but thinking about it like an amendment reminds me that I need to be strict about it. The amendments aren't enforced any less just because they weren't originally in the Constitution.

jessdr

So, I just discovered that today is 41 weeks to my 30th birthday, and I am exactly 41 lbs. over my preliminary goal weight.

Now, I am NOT going to make a scale- or deadline-based goal. Not not not not NOT.

I've had bad luck with that. About a year before I started NoSing, I lost 30lbs on a diet ...

jessdr

Glad to hear you're back with it!

Great walking in Somerville/Cambridge, isn't it?

Audiobooks are a great incentive to walk. Once you start to associate the two activities, you'll be looking for excuses to walk somewhere.

Reinhard

Camberville is a very nice place to walk. Assuming you know how ...

jessdr

I use my 8x8 square salad plates almost exclusively, including on S days.

Thanks for the field research!

One thing I forgot to mention: I wouldn't recommend switching to smaller plates until you're really comfortable with vanilla NoS. This is something to do once you no longer have to ...

jessdr

We don't yet have any yet reports from actual experience, but there's a book out called "The 9 Inch Diet" touting the virtues or smaller plates and a website/movement started by Brian Wansink called "The Small plate movement."

I'm not so sure how effective it would be by itself, but in conjunction ...

jessdr

I was doing some consistent urban rangering last summer, but I hurt my hip in September (which I exacerbated by ignoring it and continuing my 5 mile a day habit). I re-injured it THREE TIMES, but I'm finally back up to speed.

I just started easing myself back into the habit at the end of last ...

jessdr

I do best with "lunch" foods: chili sticks with me all day. A hamburger (homemade, usually without a bun, since I don't keep them in the house) and a glass of V8 works well too. Lately, I've been laming out and getting bagels, but I don't do as well on them as I do on a more protein-heavy breakfast.

jessdr

I am even thinking of starting making my own CHEESE at home, apparently it's not that hard either ... lol ! Somebody stop me ! The mad scientist ! ;-) Bread, bagel and pizza dough coming up ??

Heh. We are clearly thinking along the same lines!

I borrowed Ricki Carol's book from the library ...

jessdr

I LOVE wheat germ. Try it on cottage cheese with strawberries or the TINIEST drizzle of honey; sounds disgusting, but it's yummy.

I like making my own yogurt as well, although it was always a snack for me, rather than a meal component, so I haven't been eating it much lately. I use a yogurt maker ...

jessdr

Kathleen,

I'd just like to add that some weeks it took until Thursday or Fridays for my weight to come back down, maybe depending on salt intake too I don't know, but then my weight would be lower on Friday and/or Saturday which would indicate I was still "losing".

My weight loss has not been ...

jessdr

Anyone else up for the 21-day Special Holiday edition of Vanilla No-S with an extra emphasis on enjoyment?

Oh, count me in! I'm up for vanilla and enjoyment!

Speaking of vanilla, since you said you like shrimp, I have a recipe you might like: grilled/broiled shrimp with vanilla bean dipping ...

jessdr

I've been doing shovelglove using the posture from T-Tapp, which is a really effective workout, but not fun enough to get my lazy self out of bed on a regular basis. The posture goes:

- feet shoulder width apart

- toes point directly forward

- bend knees deeply (but not past your toes)

- bum ...

jessdr

I'm hypoglycemic as well, and was terrified of giving up snacking. When I read the book, I assumed that I would be drinking milk two or three times a day to avoid blood sugar crashes. But if I don't eat complete junk, I rarely have to have a liquid snack more than twice a week.

I did gain some ...

jessdr

I came to NoS after a really crazy, restrictive diet, and the most valuable thing I've gotten out of it is getting my head back on straight, and making peace with the idea that it's okay NOT to obsess about what I eat.

Since you haven't found food diaries helpful in the past, and ESPECIALLY since ...

jessdr

That looks good! I've done similar with brownie mix - I dump the whole box into a tupperware, then stir in some liquid (and sometimes powdered eggs, if I happen to have them) and microwave or bake.

You might also want to check out the book Small Batch Baking - all the recipes are for one or two ...

jessdr

Thanks for all of the great answers!! Actually I did not really tell him about the "No S" diet, I just said I was watching what I ate, then when he saw cinnamon rolls on Saturday morning, he said "I thought you were on a diet"- and I did tell him how I felt about him saying that, and I did not ...

jessdr

I'd hate to see what some students at MIT could heap their plates with--oh, the marshmallow cathedrals!

Was that a challenge? :wink:

Then again, I was in ocean engineering, so building a marshmallow oil platform in my soup would be more up my alley. But then, I never had a really good soup on ...

jessdr

http://xkcd.com/477/

jessdr

I'd love to put together a (proudly low production value!) dvd...

Are low production values important to you, or just low-budget? You can produce a really nice-quality program on public access TV.

I'm shooting a dance instructional video at my station. It looks great (we have the same cameras ...

jessdr

Hi there,
I was thinking about recommending the shovelglove to a female friend.
Are there any women reading this, willing to share some SG experience?
Are you using lighter hammers (than my 5kg ~ 11lb)?

What do you say, dear shuggettes?

I've only done it four times, so I'm not exactly the voice ...

jessdr

gratefuldeb67 wrote:ps.. I don't know where I came up with Jessesdaughter??
Hahah you just have Jessdr..
Maybe you are a doctor!

Nah, those are just my initials! I wanted to be a doctor when I was seven, until I found out how little sleep residents get.

jessdr

Jessdr -- the regular google maps thing is actually perfect (did they beef this up recently? I don't remember the vanilla site having this feature).

Yep, the walking directions are relatively recent, and still in beta. It limits you to roads, and doesn't know about the various pedestrian ...

jessdr

I have to say, though, "Culinary tyranny" makes it sound not particularly appealing! Though I guess it's a useful reminder that there were negative aspects about the good old days. Better plentiful food that we figure out how to moderate voluntarily than not quite enough.

Michael Pollan refers to ...

jessdr

I'm so happy to hear it, Deb!

The mental part is great -- and a huge incentive for the physical. I look forward to my walks to and from work every day like no other time. It's the only real private headspace I get. Swinging a sledge is fun, but walking has become necessary .

Reinhard

Me too. I ...

jessdr

THank you for that suggestionm Definitely will check that out,
another great one is HOW TO COOK WITHOUT A BOOK!

Blueskighs

That's a great book! I just traded that away on swaptree (which I also highly recommend) last month, after realizing that I no longer had to consult it. So it definitely ...

jessdr

Especially "fast" recipes

YES! with minimal ingredients :D

Blueskighs

The book "The Minimalist Cooks Dinner" by Mark Bittman is great for fast meals from scratch without a ton of ingredients. What I really like about it is that the recipes are based around certain techniques (which he covers ...

jessdr

I'm a kilt wearer, and when I first started to wear my kilt I found that I would get very sore in my inner thighs. Then I found a great product called Bodyglide. Bodyglide is used by runners, it comes in a stick (like deodorant), and one swipe in the affected areas (before you start walking) will ...

jessdr

Congrats!

jessdr

Perfect! I made a stab at Your Money or Your Life earlier this year. I learned a lot and made a major attitude shift, but tracking every single cent I spent on ANYTHING got to be too much (analogous to calorie counting). This, on the other hand, is manageable. Will report back after I've given it a ...

jessdr

An alternative to focusing exclusively on behavior (behavior should always be your primary focus) or sharply limiting scale stepping, is to take a more frequent but disciplined approach (i.e., tracking the moving average in excel -- see rose's excellent example) .

I'm doing a 7-day window ...

jessdr

Would love to have your ricotta gnocchi recipe

Here is the recipe I used for the gnocchi:
http://www.cheflive.com/index2.php?option=com_rapidrecipe&page=printrecipe&recipe_id=13/

You can make just the gnocchi, but the full recipe (fava beans, morels, asparagus) was good too!

I also used the ...

jessdr

Good Tip, Jessdr. I noticed in the summer when I had time to make exactly what I loved and wanted at the moment, No S was so much easier. Now that I'm at work and rushing all over the place, I tend to make what's fastest, and eat with a whole lot less enjoyment.

Finding time is always the tough ...

jessdr

Wow, the rest of that site is SCARY!

jessdr

The fact that you've lost the "hurry" and "fear" makes me even happier than the pounds you've lost (which are also great).

That is exactly why I'm here. This time last year, I reached the lowest weight I've been in my adult life, but the diet that got me there was extremely unhealthy, both ...

jessdr

I am brand new to No S, but I can suggest a not-really-a-tweak that might help with overeating at meals. Your mileage may vary, but I find that I eat a lot less if I:

- get the best quality food I can afford/find
(ex: real mashed potatoes vs. instant)

- choose foods that sound delicious to me at ...

jessdr

There's also podiobooks.com. Some are not very good, but some are fantastic.

Everyday Systems

Search found 46 matches

Re: Guilt!

Re: New to shovelglove! (and to exercise in general)

Jess' Check-In

Finally walking again

Re: 21 days of savoring the holidays...

Re: Writing a food log or not?

Re: not gravity

comic for weekend luddites

Re: Shovelglove for girls?

Re: Bodyglide