Everyday Systems

carpediem

Thanks AB! You always come though for me! The reason I think that I can't just decide on the WLS once and for all is the fact that I know it will still be a stuggle afterwards. I feel like I'll be dealing with the same 'demons'. And if I can't slay them now, what makes me think I can slay them ...

carpediem

I've read through your post several times, BrightAngel, and I appreciate your input. I sense that I may have struck a nerve and if so I apologize; certainly did not do so intentionally.
You're right...I do need to make conscious choices and I do need to consider my abilities and objectives. Just ...

carpediem

I am not a big eater, I am a poor eater. I never have eaten alot, just consistently choose chocolate over broccoli. Stands to reason if I don't like broccoli now I won't after surgery. If I don't like celery sticks and lettuce now, I won't after surgery. If I can't stay away from ice cream because ...

carpediem

Thank you all for your responses. Reneew, I was not able to open your link but chances are I've seen it anyway. I've been doing ALOT of research on VSG and have read many articles listing both pros and cons. The risks are pretty limited but just seems to me that it's more a temporary fix than a ...

carpediem

Is there anyone else out there seriously considering any type of weight loss surgery? When I first posted on here (clear back in April) I was debating whether to have the WLS or try to slay the chubby little demons inside me going strictly NoS. All these months later I'm still having the same ...

carpediem

Green day today. I'm glad of that but don't feel all that successful as my meals were not balanced. Toast for breakfast, left over french fries and a couple chicken strips for lunch, and tuna alfredo for supper. Too many carbs...not enough veggies (in fact none!) Not good....

carpediem

Thanks eschano and mimi~
"Return to sanity" is a good way to put it. It often feels that way to me. As many others on here have lamented, I just seem to go a bit nuts on the weekends most of the time. I know now it's emotional...everything is just 'off' right now.
It's also frustrating because I ...

carpediem

Emotional eating all weekend. Haven't broken any NoS rules but only because on weekends there are no rules. I wil consider it a relief to be back to normal again tomorrow....

carpediem

Thanks eschano

Has been especially challenging this week but so far so good!

carpediem

Three green days in a row! Yay!

carpediem

lol..I don't know about a 'noS culture' here oolala, but it is good to have someone else working on it besides me. My daughter has also started eating with NoS in mind. When I told her her father and I were both doing it she decided to jump on the bandwagon....she refers to it as he 'wedding diet ...

carpediem

Jld, I doubt there is a person on this forum who has not been where you are. We all get discouraged and we all end up binging. In my case it wouldnt have been peanut butter or cheerios, it would have been ice cream and chocolate chip cookies!
Wosnes is right...Mark it and move on. Today is a new ...

carpediem

Happy to report that my husband did NOT eat anything after supper last night, nor did I. Counting yesterday as a success!

carpediem

Thank you, Oolala. Healing is definitely what our family needs right now...

carpediem

Well today is the first day in quite a while that I was able to get out the green crayon to color HabitCal. It felt pretty good. My husband told me at supper that he fully expects to get hungry again before the day is over. Evenings will be the most difficult for him I suspect. Although I have to ...

carpediem

Thank you all. It's been a pretty horrible couple weeks, but we are all standing strong in our faith and the belief that God had everything under control. Just seems like the universe has shifted a bit. I'm sure anyone who has lost someone close to them can relate. I've never lost someone so young ...

carpediem

Got back home late Monday night. Were supposed to be vacationing another couple weeks but received bad news from my sister. Her daughter (my neice) and family were in a serious car accident. Neice and her husband both seriously injured, along with their 6 year old son. All will eventually be okay ...

carpediem

Still seems awfully humid here, Mimi, but the locals are all saying it is an unusually hot summer. Droughts everywhere, too, it seems. Weather has started to cool off a little the last couple days, tho. For all you NoS'ers across the northern part of the US, y'all live in a beautiful part of the ...

carpediem

Still doing pretty well NoS-ing my way across the country! The trip has been absolutely wonderful so far (currently in Wyoming and planning on taking in Yellowstone tomorrow). I am discovering that NoS fits in pretty easily when vacationing. The 3 main meals a day, at least for us, is no problem at ...

carpediem

Well we've made it through PA, Ohio, Michigan and now Wisconsin since leaving on Saturday! Lots of driving but we'll be slowing down the pace a bit tomorrow.

I'm happy to report that so far I feel I've done really well as far as meals are concerned. You're right, Mimi, it is a vacation so I ...

carpediem

Good to see you Laura!

So glad to hear from you! I figured out the name change a short time ago; had me confused for awhile tho... ;)

I came close to sending you a pm the other day. Really been going through a bad spell lately and I knew you would understand and be supportive. You're kind of my ...

carpediem

Why am I having so much trouble with this thing??! With very few green days, June was just a mess for me, and July is proving to be more of the same.

Making this experience a teachable moment, here are a few observations:

1. I allow life's circumstances to mess with my head too much! (Just an ...

carpediem

I totally agree with your views on calorie counting! Unfortunately, I also share your tendency toward evening snacking. After years and YEARS of trial and error, and heading down many wrong paths, I'm totally 100% convinced that NoS is the right thing to do. That in itself is a huge accomplishment ...

carpediem

Today marks a whole week of GREEN!! Woo-hoo!! It wasn't easy...seemed to be thinking about food way more than usual. Came close to blowing it several times, but managed to avoid temptation.

Overall this month has been horrible, but this week...THIS week... I've been good, so am patting myself on ...

carpediem

Why is it so hard for us mere mortals to grasp the concept of over indulgence?? Even though we know we're gonna feel crappy and we know we're gonna be kicking ourselves in our over-sized butts, we still seem to lack the fortitude to walk away from temptation. Don't be too hard on yourself, MJ, we ...

carpediem

YAY!!!

carpediem

I just posted somewhere on here that I was not going to weigh myself for awhile because I've been so far off track the last couple weeks. Figured I would be back to where I was when I started NoS, if not a bit higher. Well, I changed my mind. Decided that maybe seeing how badly I messed up might ...

carpediem

Chocolate should be a 4-letter word! We have a chocolate factory 10 miles from here that makes DELICIOUS chocolate...their mint meltaways are my all time favorite! Hershey can't hold a candle to these folks! I know enough to stay away from there because there is absolutely no way I could control my ...

carpediem

rJean, I do believe you're right that this diet is hardest for people who have trouble giving up sweets. For me that is definitely the toughest part! It's an every day struggle for sure. On one hand it helps me to get through the week knowing I can eat something sweet on the weekend; yet on the ...

carpediem

Solid green...sounds good, Amy! Let's do this thing!!

carpediem

I goofed. Was reading your post but didn't go to the second page...so thought you had last entered in May. Sorry!

So glad you're taking the dive, Sarah! Not sure how I feel about allowing sweets during the week, as long as they fit on the plate. If I tried that, I think I would be skipping the ...

carpediem

Haven't heard from you in awhile. How ya doin??

carpediem

Jean, sorry I didn't respond to your post. Seems it was the first entry on my second 'sheet of paper' here and I didn't realize it was there until now...

I totally understand colonoscopies! I was diagnosed with colon cancer a few years back and have lost track of how many prep cocktails I've ...

carpediem

Today is the first day of the rest of my life! Not exactly an original revelation but a good one!

I have walloed in the muck and the mire of self pity long enough! If anyone is actually reading my posts, they know I fell off the wagon in part because I was told by a 'professional' (I use the term ...

carpediem

Hi MJ~

I like the idea of a "onemessuponly" HabitCal. Think I might try a variation of that myself and see if it helps. I've been struggling this whole month and really need to get back on track. It amazes me that so many on here are totally sold on the merits of NoS and countless testimonies of ...

carpediem

Thanks Jean and Amy. I know you are both right, I know the approach this nurse took with me was the wrong one (although I believe her intentions were sincere). Bullying works with some people, but not with all...in fact not with most. I just get really irritated with the condescending tone that ...

carpediem

Hi Sarah~
I sent you a private message a while ago. Not sure you got it. No need to respond, just wanted to make sure you saw the dinky little notation at the top of your screen saying you had a message

carpediem

Jennifer~
I checked out the website you suggested and it's really impressive! I love the girl's style of writing and her testimony is so encouraging! Thanks for sharing

carpediem

I am in such a funk right now, just not in a good place at all. Was kind of struggling anyway, but then something happened that just really sent me in a tailspin...

Part of our health insurance package is a service that provides personal phone calls from someone (registered nurse I think) who calls ...

carpediem

Amy....Just got done listening to one of the podcasts. They really are good! Thanks for sharing!

carpediem

Thanks, Amy. Always good to know we're not alone in this fight! Yesterday was just a total disaster. I'm really hoping today will be better. As I mentioned, seems like one small discretion and I willingly and without any obvious signs of self control, just fall off the wagon with a major thud! I ...

carpediem

Oh my goodness! This has been a TERRIBLE month so far! Today was my FOURTH red for the month, less than 2 weeks! Seems I got started off on the wrong track and can't seem to get my footing again. I do okay until something unexpected comes up and then all my good intentions just go out the window ...

carpediem

Thanks for responding, Jean and Oolala! I tend to agree with both of you. It WAS the only thing I had for lunch and therefore didn't blow the diet calorie-wise (not that I count calories because I don't).
Interestingly enough, I don't even like the kind of sweetroll she brought (one of those ...

carpediem

So bright and early this morning, my 2-year-old granddaughter (who lives next door) showed up on my doorstep in her Hello Kitty nightgown and pink boots, carefully carrying her cereal bowl with a warm freshly-baked sweet roll in it. She had just helped her mom bake them and felt it was important to ...

carpediem

Well, oolala, when my husband decided he wanted to go to Golden Corral I knew it was all over. Don't know if you have any around where you live, but it's a buffet with LOTS of food, including delicious rolls and a whole section of desserts. I had plenty of salad and didn't overdo on the main course ...

carpediem

Unfortunately, congratulations was a bit premature, oolala. I have two iced cakes sitting here (practice cakes from over the weekend). Barely gave them a thought all day, but tonight my husband and daughter wanted some cake and ice cream, and I guess the temptation was just too much :( So gotta ...

carpediem

Thanks mimi! Cake decorating was fun, but I'm not ready to go professional with it yet!

Weekend was not a total free-for-all as far as diet is concerned, but still ready to get back on track and return to a level of sanity tomorrow...

carpediem

Time for another weekly post and happy to report a loss of 1.3 pounds! :lol: Considering my dinner date on Wednesday, that's not bad at all. Now the hard part starts: getting through another weekend without going overboard. Tomorrow my soon-to-be son in law and I are going to practice baking and ...

carpediem

Like wosnes, I can't do the regular shovelglove due to health reasons. But I make a point of doing some type of exercise every day. I'm not overly fond of exercising but figure it's an important part of the No S program.

carpediem

I've been doing really well since Sunday. Last night my husband impulsively asked if I wanted to go out to dinner. I almost declined but immediately thought about how long it's been since we've been out and how long it will probably be before we go out again.
I'm happy to say I did go out, I did ...

carpediem

"Why did you expect not to?" Love it, wosnes! That one's going in my journal!!

carpediem

I'm so glad you re-intoduced this thread, oolala! I wasn't around when it was originally posted and it was great being able to read everyone's responses.
I totally agree with milliem in that I am here to lose weight. Maybe someday I will be hanging around in order to help maintain, but for now it ...

carpediem

Oolala, your post could not have come at a better time! I so needed to hear that failure does not come from falling, but from not bouncing ! I love the way God works! :D
Looking at my HabitCal for May, I have 3 reds, all on Fridays. Something's wrong. This weekend, like the one before and the one ...

carpediem

All very good points, thanks everyone! I agree with you, Wosnes, Dr Oz has lost some ground with me as well. He has some good advice at times but goes way overboard with the recommendations and 'miracle cures'. I have never taken any kind of supplements but was just wondering if anyone else had ...

carpediem

Hmmmm.....messed up on the font colors there.....don't know how that happened, but guess it doesn't really matter. Just pretend I did it right!!

carpediem

Well yesterday I slide down the slippery slope into 'what the hell' territory and did nothing but eat junk food from 4:00 on! I made it til nearly dinnertime but was aware that I was feeling sorry for myself and fighting the depression that goes along with an undeserved weekly weight gain. I ...

carpediem

I'm so frustrated! Today was my weekly weigh-in and again I gained. Only .4 pounds but still...
I really worked at the diet this week. Wednesday was particularly hard but I stuck with it and I didn't go off the plan. As I previously mentioned, if anything I don't eat quite enough. This is the first ...

carpediem

Those meals all sounded scrumptious, Mimi! I sometimes think I don't eat enough, dieting too strictly maybe. Bowl of cereal for breakfast, sandwich and a yogurt for lunch, chicken breast, veggie and maybe a salad for supper. Usually water to drink, sometimes milk. Maybe if I ate a bit more I wouldn ...

carpediem

I totally agree, Amy! Some days are much more work than others for sure!!

carpediem

All I wanted to do today, it seems, was EAT! Was really craving sweets and carbs. I wasn't really hungry, just wanted something good to eat. Wednesdays seem to be extra hard for me. Seemed to take forever between meals. Good news is I stayed green, but sure was close to being a big ole red!!

carpediem

I agree with all that's been said, but think it's worth pointing out that those of us over 50 are just simply going to have a harder time losing than we used to. Over the years my metabolism has been bombarded with medications that cause weight gain, menopause, chemo and the 'sluggishness' that ...

carpediem

Nice meeting you, ruamgirl~
I am about 2 weeks away from the anniversary of my mother's death. She was in the hospital for 3 1/2 months. She lived over 2 hours away and I was driving back and forth several times a week, daily toward the end. In the midst of all that I ended up having to have a ...

carpediem

I'm feeling a little better about this weekend. Friday ended up being a Red Day but not by a whole lot. Spent the entire day with my daughter checking out wedding dresses, sampling cake, renting the reception hall and talking to photographers. Suppose it could have been yellow, but truth is I didn ...

carpediem

Thank you all for your comments! I have to say, wosnes, I never thought about food as being more quilt provoking than pleasure provoking, but now that you point it out...it really is true. I guess that's part of the process here in NoS Land is to learn to not only be sensible about food but to also ...

carpediem

Well my weekly weigh-in this morning showed a loss of .4 pounds. Not much I know, but certainly better than a gain! This whole thing is such a learning process. I haven't been at it as long as most on here, but already I feel a real change in my thinking. Not just about dieting or self image, but ...

carpediem

Lost .4 lbs this week. I'm very glad I didn't gain, but still fight the battle with my impatience. I know I know...baby steps! One thing that I find very impressive....In all my history of yo yo-ing, I have never managed to stick to a diet this long before. It's been a month and a half now and I ...

carpediem

Guess that's what I did, milliem. I knew I was going out for dinner so didn't eat much of anything the rest of the day. I know the danger there is that a person will over indulge, but I wasn't really that hungry so figured it was okay.
I really like the idea of an S-event/meal. Maybe even a ...

carpediem

"Yellow won't eventually turn red"...I like that, wosnes. Plain and simple. Also like your "relax and enjoy" comment, Reinhard. As I said, I knew for a couple weeks that this dinner was happening and I had predetermined that it would be an exempt day. What I realized during the meal was that I ...

carpediem

Thanks for the input, Liz and Dale! I tend to agree with both of you. I knew going into the evening that I would be eating more. Consequently I only had cereal for breakfast and a yogurt for lunch...so saved some calories there. Also, I didn't eat QUITE as much as I would ordinarily have eaten if I ...

carpediem

Went out to eat with a group of girlfriends tonight at Golden Corral. I was planning on counting this as an exempt day as I knew I would be eating more than usual. However, when does an exempt day become a red day? The key probably would have been to decide what and how much I was going to eat ...

carpediem

Welcome Banana! You will like it here :D Lots of nice people and great support group. Congratulations on furthering your education. I went back for my masters shortly after my husband and I adopted 2 special needs children (also had 2 biological children) so I have a sense of what you're going ...

carpediem

Congratulations Ginmarie! Bask in the glory and then move on to year 2!!

carpediem

Thanks Mimi! Do you have that written on one of your index cards????

carpediem

Thanks WouldYouEva! I appreciate your input regarding surgery and NoS. I've found that there are alot of conflicting views on any type of WLS. My main reason for considering the surgery is to improve existing health issues and to give my joints less of a workout. However, I want to give NoS an ...

carpediem

Those are great noSnacker! You had mentioned before about the 3x5 cards and that is certainly a good idea. I get such great tips from fellow NoS-ers on here...all very encouraging! Instead of cards, I think I might get a small notebook to keep in my purse. That way I can pull it out at any given ...

carpediem

So another weekend has come and gone, and again...I blew it! I do well during the week as a rule, and I seem to do okay (not great but okay) on Saturdays. But Sundays...oh my goodness! I just don't have a handle on that yet at all!
Mimi, I read and reread your 5 steps and they all make such great ...

carpediem

I love this forum! Seems every time I come on here I find someone else who is going through the same thing. It just confirms the fact that we are all in this together and NONE of us are alone in our struggles! I am a retired guidance counselor and the little spiel I used to tell any new elementary ...

carpediem

Well after gaining 3.3 lbs after last weekend's camping trip, I have lost 2.6 lbs for my weekly weigh-in. So even though I technically gained a wee bit this week Im not going to complain. Mark it and move on! Hopefully this weekend I'll be able to exercise a bit more self control!

carpediem

Thanks! Gotta see the humor in things cause otherwise life is no fun at all

carpediem

Cool! I haven't started looking for my dress yet, figure my daughter's is a bit more important

Hopefully by the time I need to start looking I can be a size or two smaller!

carpediem

Well, I'm doing my best to undo the damage I did last week, but I'm a little nervous about the weekend. My S Days go from 7PM Friday-7PM Sunday as a rule, but I know I will be eating cake tomorrow morning. My daughter is getting married soon and we are spending the day shopping for a dress and ...

carpediem

Welcome littleblackdress! There are alot of us who can identify with your story, and we're all cheering for you! This is a great forum, filled with people who are ready and willing to help you out of the low spots and celebrate with you when you're on the mountaintop....let the journey begin!

carpediem

I meant to say S Day, Wosnes. I didn't notice the typo until I had submitted it...sorry! I was just saying that I think at this point I need the added motivation of knowing that I can indulge a bit on weekends.

carpediem

Lily x, I emphatically echo your sentiments concerning this forum! I've checked out countless other diets and I've been in other weight loss forums....none of them have compared to this one. Everyone I've talked to has been so empathetic and supportive. We will succeed in this challenge because we ...

carpediem

Thanks Over43 and r.jean! I get what you're both saying and I agree, it's definitely better to have 5 good days and 2 not so good, than to have a whole week of not so good which is the way I was living before No S. And you're right....moderation is the key. I'm very conscious of the fact (like most ...

carpediem

I'm afraid if I limited No S Days to holidays and special occasions it would be too long between treats....too long between 'rewards'. You may be right, and I may eventually come to that same conclusion myself, but for now I think I'm going to try limiting myself to one treat a day on each S Day ...

carpediem

I can (eat moderately on S Days) if I think I can!
I can (control my sugar and carb cravings) if I think I can!
I can (squish the evil voices in my head) if I think I can!
I can (take control of my eating habits) if I think I can!
I CAN IF I THINK I CAN....AND I THINK I CAN!!

Thanks for reminding ...

carpediem

Thanks Milliem! I agree enthusiastically with everything you said, but find it disheartening to think that even after a year I will be fighting this same weekend demon (I just started NoS the beginning of April). Honestly, we may as well look at this thing logically. If a person is a sweet craver ...

carpediem

Thank you all for your comments! I know we've all fallen victim to the S Day 'Last-Chance Trap', but it's just so darn frustrating after working so hard all week. I just got weighted and realized my little weekend food fest cost me 3.3 pounds! Two pounds MORE than I lost last week! Grrrrrr!
Okay ...

carpediem

I find myself being forced to consider knee replacement surgery, one knee for sure and probably both. Family history of knee problems, joint degeneration due to chemo a few years back, and of course obesity have played havoc with my knees. I've put it off as long as I can but have been recently ...

carpediem

I seem to have such a hard time eating moderately on Sundays. I do pretty well during the week (only one red day in last 5 weeks) and I usually do okay on Saturday as a rule...but Sunday comes around and I fall victim to the "This Is My Last Day To Eat What I Want" pitfall. If I don't get a handle ...

carpediem

I am so irritated at myself! I started out the weekend doing okay, but by today (Sunday) I was eating anything I darn well pleased, and lots of it! Cookies, pop, s'mores, chips.....like I was totally oblivious to the fact that I am on a mission to eat healthier and lose this excess weight. I'm so ...

carpediem

"Why in the WORLD would giving it up be better than sticking it out and eventually winning the battle?"

My sentiments exactly, Determined! I'm frustrated, too. This past week was hard from Wednesday on. Wednesday, for whatever reason, seems to be tough for me. I just feel like everything is moving ...

carpediem

Well... lost 1.1 lbs this week. I know that's good and all, but I was hoping for more. Especially since I didn't lose, but actually gained a bit, last week. No red days and I cut way back on carbs. Honestly, I think I may not be eating quite enough. I'm not a great veggies and fruit person, and ...

carpediem

and you'll find you can't force it much, but you can ALLOW it

I really like that line, oolala....That is so very true! It can't be a job, it can't be drudgery. If a person makes it so then it has a good chance of getting tossed on the mountainous heap of discarded diets. This is NOT a diet! I've ...

carpediem

A donut here and a candy bar there
Depriving oneself does not seem quite fair
But continually snacking as if you don't care
Can cause extra girth in the derriere!!

carpediem

No S is the greatest, or so I have heard.
All other diet plans are just plain absurd!
According to Reinhard (and he should well know)
The secret to reaching your goal is â€¦ go slow!
What??! Go slow?? Go slow?? Please say it ainâ€™t so!
With each passing day my impatience will grow!
You just donâ ...

carpediem

Another Sunday of grazing, not quite as bad as last week but the same 'This-Is-My-Last-Chance-Until-Next-Weekend' cloud was looming overhead all day. I am aware that it's normal to over indulge at first but I still don't like it. This will be rough week, too, as I am meeting friends for lunch on ...

carpediem

I dont know if I could restrict myself to once a month for weigh-ins, Jean. Not that I enjoy the scales, but a month is a long time to wait. Although your way is probably better, I need the incentive each week...problem is when I haven't lost anything or when I've actually gained, it can kind of ...

carpediem

Yay!! Love those success stories!

Everyday Systems

Search found 133 matches

WLS or no WLS...that is the question!!

Yellow or Red?

Any thoughts on knee replacement surgery?

Sunday Sabotage....

Suessical reflections on NoS