Everyday Systems

I am back to No-S-ing after a few years of giving intuitive eating a try (didn't work for me). I followed vanilla No-S my first time around, and have decided that this time I need to make some mods due to my Binge Eating Disorder.

My mods are as follows:
1) I focus on regular meals without snacking ...

Hi all,

I am officially in the holiday spirit (a bit early, I know) and was wondering what kinds of holiday/seasonal favorites you all are working into your N days.

Mine:
*clementines (something is very holiday-ish about these to me)
*holiday flavored coffees and teas
*adding pumpkin to things ...

I think that the tracking did not really help my sweets habit. I often "saved" calories/points so that I could have my sweets. I always made sure to cover my nutritional bases - but I would definitely choose to use any leftover calories/points for sweets rather than, say, and apple and a piece of ...

I am on another board where maintainers seem to have to monitor like crazy to stay really thin

This was my experience with counting the "monitoring like crazy" for several years took a mental toll. I stopped all counting/monitoring for several years after losing, and realized that all of the ...

After a hectic summer and an antidepressant-induced (okay, Cheez-It & chocolate induced too) weight gain, I am starting fresh on No-S. I first became acquainted with No-S in the summer of 2010 and loved everything about it. I lost (and have mostly maintained) a significant amount of weight several ...

That was so flippin' hilarious!!! Thank you for posting.

When I started the No S plan, I was coming off of years of calorie counting, so I still had a "diet head" mentality. For the first few months, my S days were free-for-alls. I learned pretty quickly that this type of eating did not make me feel good at all. Now, about 8 months into this, S days have ...

My standard oatmeal is regular rolled oats + water, in the microwave for 2 minutes. Stir in peanut butter and honey, add either prunes or dried cranberries, and voila! Sometimes I throw in a half apple (chopped) before cooking, instead of the dried fruit. I am all about PB in oatmeal though. YUM!

With the whole world telling us that we should be dieting, no wonder it's hard to get rid of diet head! I am working on this as well, and it is not easy! Everywhere I go (work, hair salon, out with the girls) there is conversation about dieting, weight, etc. Turn on the TV, and every other ad and ...

I totally agree with the idea of getting some new clothes. Part of "diet head" (in my opinion) is the belief that we should postpone things until we lose weight, or get to "that" size, or whatever the case. You deserve to be comfortable NOW! So go out there, get a cute and comfy new outfit, and ...

I also use the Pyrex custard cups. They are a great size, and are very reasonable. I also sometimes use little 1/2 cup plastic storage containers. Not very elegant - but just the right size, even when ice cream is piled high and round over the top!

My beef with the berating and yelling is that it does not promote activity/exercise as something enjoyable that can make a person feel good. It makes it seem like a punishment - something people must endure - even if it exhausts them or makes them physically ill. That, in my opinion, is not going to ...

Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Prepare your favorite pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat some olive oil in a skillet. Add a container of grape tomatoes and cook until they blister and begin to pop. Smash the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon (be careful - they squirt ...

How I Conquered Diet Head
Limit exposure to visual media (TV, print and even certain online sites).
Intentionally reaffirm my values which don't include being thin. Mature, yes; ability to delay gratification, yes; good stewardship, yes. Thin, no.
Do things that make me physically stronger and ...

I usually enjoy dim sum or a multi-course sushi meal at some point over the weekend. I also like to choose a special sweet treat when I grocery shop on Friday evening. The sweet treat is generally good dark chocolate or black licorice. On occasion, I must indulge in some chocolate lava cake or panna ...

I have DD coffee pretty much every morning. They do (at least at my local shop) use regular real sugar. I, however, ask for ONE sugar, as I hate hate hate super sweet coffee. I watch them make it and "one sugar" comes out to about a rounded teaspoon. There is always the option of adding your own ...

Tips for handling office goodies:

1) Learn to politely say no without feeling guilty. There are plenty of nice ways to turn down a treat. And trust me, declining sweets/treats gets easier every time you do it.

2) Of course there are occasions where you may have to say yes to something in order to ...

Thanks for the great ideas! The intelligent dietary defaults thread was a wonderful resource too.

I am currently in what I would call a "lunch rut." When at work, I have been buying lunch out almost every day for the past few weeks. I would much rather bring lunch from home (for several reasons). Unfortunately, I am just plain bored with the things I would normally make. Nothing sounds very ...

My mom and I (also a No S-er) were just talking about this. She has a friend who has been a longtime Weight Watchers member. She's lost, she's regained, and lost again - countless times. I lost 50 pounds on WW myself, and managed to maintain (by agonizingly counting points and calories and sucking ...

Always in my desk at the office:

Oatmeal
Prunes
Jar of PB
Can of soup
Packet of palak paneer from Trader Joe's

The oats, prunes, and PB make a great breakfast (or lunch in a pinch). The other two simply need to be poured into a dish and zapped for a hearty meal.

I also try to keep at least 2 ...

Hi Deanna, and welcome! You really hit the nail on the head with your comment on the "cut-and-driedness" of No S. That is probably what appeals to me most about the plan. Like you, I always tried to negotiate with myself by saying "if I have this, then I'll make up for it later by not having that ...

August 13:

1) Success
2) N/A
3) Success
4) Day off
5) Busy day - no time for walking. :(

August 14:

1) Success
2) Success - went out for brunch; enjoyed a few small treats throughout the day.
3) Success
4) Day off
5) Beautiful day - wish I would have taken a stroll around the neighborhood ...

August 11:

1) Success
2) N/A
3) Success
4) Day off
5) Again with the yucky weather. Ugh.

August 12:

1) Success
2) N/A
3) Success
4) Success (2/3 done for the week!)
5) Busy day - no time for walking, but the weather has improved! Yay!

I'm getting ready for the upcoming weekend - heading to ...

1) Success
2) N/A
3) Success
4) Success - I reeeaaaallllllly wanted to excuse myself from exercising due to the insanely humid and hot weather. This is precisely the reason that my goal is simply to "break a sweat" 3 times a week. No set number of miles to walk or jog, no set number of hours to work ...

1) Success
2) N/A
3) Success
4) Day off
5) Didn't walk. Too sticky out. However, since I take public transportation to and from work, I do get about 2 1/2 miles in on work days. I can't wait until this hazy, hot, and humid weather is GONE!

1) Success
2) Success - Had a few small treats, but nothing crazy.
3) Success
4) Day off
5) Nasty, humid, sticky weather. No walk for me.

Feeling good! Planned a menu of heathly dinners for the week. Leftovers will make nice lunches for the following day. Looking forward to the week ahead.

Thanks, Julie!

1) Success
2) Success
3) Success - Went out for Japanese food. Enjoyed a meal of sashimi, sushi rolls, tofu, and nabeyaki udon. As far as limiting "problem" foods - I had just one piece of tempura (which came with my soup) and a small dish of green tea ice cream. Left feeling ...

I've been following No S since the beginning of June. I've had no trouble sticking with it until recently. I'm not trying to lose weight. (I lost 50 pounds by obsessively counting points/calories, and continued to do so in order to keep it off for the past 6 years.) I am following No S in order to ...