Everyday Systems

exdieter

Despite being a woman, I really enjoyed this article in men's health: http://www.mensjournal.com/everything-you-know-about-fitness-is-a-lie

I take weight-lifting classes at the gym, but they focus on reps and variety... Have never tried the kind of weight-lifting the author talks about. I'm ...

exdieter

Busy, busy! I have quietly been keeping up with No-S. Am on week 2 of my new job, and am really enjoying it. However, having some issues fitting working out into my new routine. I go in earlier and leave a bit later, and no longer have an on-site gym.

I know I'll figure out a schedule, and things ...

exdieter

Hi there! I use Habit Cal to track the number of times I eat out each week. Instead of doing it using negative reinforcement, however, I use positive reinforcement (much like I do to train my dog. LOL).

Anyhow, I have a habitcal called "home-cooked meal." For everyday I eat dinner at home (that I ...

exdieter

Woooooohooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got the new job and I start on Monday.

I want to make a big, long post about this life change, but too sleepy tonight.

Retiring from advertising/selling snack food (and diet food) is a HUGE step forward for me. No more diet head for me! No more selling diet ...

exdieter

Raises hand to both! And Becoming, I know exactly what you are saying, and have been learning to feel my feelings bit by bit (as opposed to swallowing them down with chocolate).

exdieter

Hi honeys! I'm home! Was down in Austin playing SXSW. Good times, and I did pretty decent. Gave myself just one additional S-day (although I ate nothing but BBQ and junk food the whole week).

Definitely hard coming back -- I've been stopping myself from snacking all day long. La! Feeling so much ...

exdieter

I know I do! I'm in the eye of a storm right now, and it is such a relief not to have to worry about my diet in addition to everything else!

exdieter

Thanks for the kind words, KCCC. :)

Yesterday, I would say I had a binge, even though it was an s-day: half a sleeve of girl scout cookies, a serving of frozen custard and a peppermint patty. I think all that saint patrick's day minty green food advertising was getting to me. I feel pretty sated ...

exdieter

What's your handle? I'd follow your tweets.

exdieter

Still barely hanging in there. Am at my parents' house taking care of my mom post-surgery, and they are major snackers with a large case of diethead. I can't seem to get a satisfying meal, which leaves me continually hungry.

Had a red day yesterday. I snacked on some dried apricots and an orange ...

exdieter

GK, as a fellow midwesterner, I would just like to give you extra props for this success in the face of Culvers! For those of you who have never tried the deliciousness that is Culvers frozen custard and butter burgers, to be able to enter this restaurant on a weekday without going off of No-S, is ...

exdieter

Ha. As predicted, I bumped back up to 154 this week, after adding exercise back into my routine. Also part of the gain equation were meals out every night last week (had social events that included dinner Thurs-Sun nights), something I hope to avoid this week.

It's interesting: I have been 100 ...

exdieter

Just wanted to update ya'll. Turned down the low-hanging fruit job, and then had my third and fourth interviews for career change... All went very well, and I received a verbal offer. I am sooo excited, and I feel like it's definitely the right decision.

Now I am just waiting for a written offer ...

exdieter

Murphu,

Welcome and congratulations on a successful first week! Wishing you many more!

exdieter

Nice work! That all sounds so tasty -- way more delicious than Twizzlers, imho!

exdieter

I'm with the camp that says "eat whatever you want on weekends" (within reason). For me, this has been a slice of cake, a tootsie pop, and a sleeve of thin mints so far, plus a healthy breakfast and dinner. Not exactly my finest moments, but I'm not panicked about it, and have gotten the thin mints ...

exdieter

This has been rather a weekly check-in as of late, worked a string of 12+ hour days, and have been focused on simply hanging in there. I think that these are the weeks where no-s is really tested, and where the eating habits I am forming really begin to help me maintain a sense of control.

Really ...

exdieter

I ignored the plate of chocolate chip cookies and brownies that sat next to me at work (on coworkers desk) ALL DAY LONG, through stress, hunger, stress and more stress!

exdieter

Welcome!

I've been doing No-S for almost two months. I dunno if this will help you, but one of the hardest things I've had to do now that I no longer snack is find new ways to comfort myself when I'm anxious. I have not had a problem w binging, but I do have clinical anxiety/depression, and once I ...

exdieter

I like a decaf latte to keep me going if I get hungry (caffeine makes me feel hungrier). Also, if I am going to work out between lunch/dinner, I will always plan a mini-meal (which is either a banana or an apple), so I don't bonk during my workout.

exdieter

KCCC wrote:
Starla wrote:Success (for me) is figuring out ways to succeed instead of finding excuses for failure, especially when it comes to exercise.
Awesome quote! It should go on the "Sticky" quote thread.

I second that!

exdieter

I think I am beginning to understand the power of habit. Had an s-day yesterday, and without thinking about it, limited myself to one plate of food at dinner.

Also, had my first planned s-event on Friday night. It was a dinner party celebrating my friend's new job with homemade baked goods for ...

exdieter

Just went for a big lunch out with my team. The restaurant gave out free, homemade cookies afterwards. I didn't eat one. There is nothing I love more than homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Can't wait for Saturday!

exdieter

That's the conclusion I've come to as well. I think Miss Hartshorne would approve.

exdieter

Kevin,

That's amazing!! I have found (and returned) somebody's wallet, found $20, reported graffiti to the city, discovered a park, and met tons and tons of people who would never talk to me if I weren't out on the street with my dog. Good stuff!

exdieter

Seems like you gotta make a stir fry, with chicken thighs, snow peas and broccoli!

Also, I've made this, without the nuts/seeds. Bet you could toss some broccoli in there: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Asian-Chic ... etail.aspx

p.s. Good Pesach to you!

exdieter

wosnes wrote:Equal volumes of Kosher or sea salt has less sodium than table salt.

Good factoid, wosnes! I had no idea! And it tastes better than table salt!

exdieter

Best of luck to you, Nicole. It will work out! You should be VERY proud of the two weeks without binging.

exdieter

Whee! Lost .6lb this week. It's a miracle! Or maybe it's No-S.

Finally warmed up here, so I got out and did a little Urban Ranger with my doggie today. Tmrw, will hopefully actually make it to the gym, for a change, this month.

Planning tomorrow's dinner now, so I don't get too busy and go out ...

exdieter

Daunting and dangerous!

exdieter

Feeling your pain here in Chicago! It warmed up over 32 for the first time since November, today. Spring is just 5 weeks away, and March is always warmer than February, which is always warmer than January! Hang in there!

exdieter

Don't feel bad -- I just ate a Reese's heart for the sake of it. Because I could. Always pushing my limits...

YES, it is an S-day!

exdieter

Ha. Thank you for all the support.

I have an update: The second interview with career change went really well. They told me they could move pretty quickly and seemed extremely interested. Then came home to a message from low-hanging-fruit job that they would be delaying their decision for about a ...

exdieter

Hi, Roxy! Nice to meet you!

Well, this week was not awesome: PMS, full workload, three job interviews and I've only exercised once. Just had a huge dinner, and even though it is an s-day, feel like I overate. It's not a comfortable feeling. Sigh. I guess, in a week like this one, I will be content ...

exdieter

Thanks for all the thoughtful replies, ya'll. I have a second interview tomorrow with the potential career change job. Meanwhile, I am about to get a job offer from the low-hanging fruit (the job that pays well in advertising packaged foods, which is similar to what I do now, but at a better firm ...

exdieter

Hi, IDK. I am really excited about the career change! It's something I've been wanting to try for several years.... it's just scary to lose my safety net!

exdieter

So.....(and yes, I appreciate the irony of this) for the past several years, I have worked in the ad industry selling consumer packaged goods. Yup, processed food. I've got an opportunity to get out. It's gonna mean that I have to take a pay cut (would work base + commission, so there is the opp to ...

exdieter

Just saw a WW commercial as I was doing my daily check-in. Haha! None for me, thank you!

exdieter

Library Lady, I love the vision of you in your Tally Ho jacket (even though I have no idea what you look like!) LOL. Congrats!

I had a ridiculously stressful day today. At 6:15pm, I was still in the office, hungry, and my coworker broke out homemade cupcakes. I declined.

Then, after dinner, came ...

exdieter

Ha - thanks, Kevin! It is nice to know that somebody out there is listening... It's as if my diary is talking back to me. LOL.

exdieter

I had one today -- a triple green on my habit cal! That means I followed No-S, exercised and ate a home-cooked dinner! Woohoo!

exdieter

Hey there!

I actually suffer from clinical depression/anxiety, and have also realized how often I would snack to soothe myself! It's really crazy to figure out what to do with those feelings now that I don't have food to help quell them.

Two things that work really well (er, in addition to my ...

exdieter

I loove fish tacos! Some great recipes for them in Rick Bayless' Everyday Mexican.

exdieter

I had a red day yesterday (I hate to call them failures... because even when I screw up I learn something... I prefer to think of them as "red alerts.") :)

Anyhow, I had seconds at dinner (ordered pizza, and didn't put enough on my plate). Coincidentally, I am reading the chapter in Reinhard's book ...

exdieter

Well, ate a lot this weekend... but not nearly as much as old me would've eaten. And something really strange happened today: I ran out of time to make/eat the peanut butter cookies I'd planned on all day. I hope that I will be able to be successful next week despite having had no sugar on Sunday ...

exdieter

I'm a big reader, and seems like reading something new every month or so really helps me keep my motivation up. Thought I'd start a thread with books to read, in addition to the No-S Diet book, of course!

Here are my recos for the morning:

1. Health at Every Size, by Linda Bacon: http://www.amazon ...

exdieter

KCCC wrote:Sometimes you DO need a treat... But it doesn't have to be food.

KCCC, I think this is gonna be a revolutionary idea for me! [looking down at unmanicured nails. hmmmmm.]

exdieter

The worst thing about your post? Last night I put two containers of chicken broth into my fridge (right next to the veggie broth!), while thinking about this post and KNOWING that I would not be able to tell them apart in two weeks, simply because I was too lazy to find some tape and a pen to label ...

exdieter

I LOVE reading the testimonial section of this board, because it's so motivating. I was thinking how cool it would be to have a thread where we posted about our everyday little wins (all of which come together to get you to that magic 10mo/10lb, etc).

(i.e. yesterday, when somebody left a cookie on ...

exdieter

I think that's a big win!! (BTW, I am also a frosted lover. lol)

exdieter

I love, love, love your post! I am sooooo proud of your success!! Just read through each of those amazing accomplishments! Wow!!

I think you've answered your own question: It's a gradual process, and you'll take a step backward here and there, but in the big picture, you'll just keep on moving ...

exdieter

The city got dumped on by the blizzard of the decade, which is making it hard to get my workout in... I also have a cold. Sticking to No-S, however, despite my Monday-night event.

exdieter

Hahaha! I wish they would call me -- I've been dying to say, "Sorry. I've decided to stop dieting and start living!" LOL.

Good for you!

exdieter

I used to feel the same way... Here's what changed for me: I stopped exercising to lose weight/tone up, and decided to attempt to just have fun. You know how kids run and play just because they enjoy it? That's how I want to be.

So, I tried a bunch of stuff at the gym/outside of the gym, all ...

exdieter

Week 4: I had a red "event" last night -- got to go to a very expensive and delicious restaurant on my husband's work's expense account (his reward for working 60 hrs over the weekend! ugh!) Anyhow, I overdid it. Not a binge, but not exactly sensible either. On the other hand, this is a very very ...

exdieter

p.s. Not sure if they would be to your personal style, but Levis jeggings did my body a world of good. They look super cute with tall boots and are really, really comfie.

exdieter

I third and fourth the new clothes thing! Go buy something (or three or four) that you feel good in! I did this, and it made a world of difference.

exdieter

In! I had a couple less-than-perfect days, but I am a changed woman!

Here's where I am after a month:

1. Down a total of 2lb
2. Becoming a better cook
3. Way more thoughtful about what I eat
4. Really enjoying every meal

Goals for the next 21 days
1. Stop weighing myself everyday. Will attempt to ...

exdieter

Agree -- great article!

exdieter

@Kevin, hahaha. Love your delicate explanation of the weight fluctuations. I think the most accurate for us women is probably to only look once monthly, and certainly never the last week of our, ahem, cycles. :oops: I was a compulsive weigher for the past several years, so trying to decrease that ...

exdieter

For ripped abs: Pilates! The girl to guy ratio in most classes is pretty awesome if you're single and straight too.

exdieter

Raising a glass to soup! Sitting here with a full belly from my homemade roasted butternut squash soup! (note: part of the full belly is due to the fact that the soup requires you to roast the butternut squash seeds for the garnish. I ate all of said garnish while waiting for soup to finish, which ...

exdieter

Woohoo! 4 weeks down. I didn't lose any weight this week, but I did eat Korean food the night before my weigh-in. So I reserve the right to retain water. heh.

Didn't have the proudest s-weekend ever, but I'll keep following my rules and not beat myself up over it. I made a delicious butternut ...

exdieter

First of all, I have finished my first four weeks of no-s-ing!! I love love love (almost) everything about it. I don't feel deprived, I am not obsessing about food, my habits are changing.... I've had a couple red days but have shouldered on.

So, I haven't weighed in to end my fourth week yet (but ...

exdieter

Thanks for the kudos, Eileen! Feeling a lot better this morning. Now I'm craving a Belgian waffle. However, I am going to have a delicious mediteranean chicken salad for lunch instead.

exdieter

Nicest of the Damned wrote:
wosnes wrote:
Over43 wrote:I love fries, and other than doughnuts, they might be the worst food in the World.
I think there are a lot of foods worse than fries -- and even doughnuts for that matter.
Have a look here for some examples:

http://www.thisiswhyyourefat.com/

That just made me hungry.

exdieter

Is it really week 4? Holy crap. This has been a HORRIBLE work week (layoffs on the way). But I have stayed on no-s. Weirdly, not showing a weight loss yet. But I'm committing to this anyhow. I feel so much better not putting energy into thinking about losing weight every day.

Today really, really ...

exdieter

Thanks, @marygrace! That's promising! So far, I've seen a slight move up, but could definitely be attributed to tough strength training and salty foods (all of which I've enjoyed this week).

exdieter

Well, as of today, I'm back on it! I think appetite may have a lot to do with it. I'll keep ya posted about how I do this week.

exdieter

This one's for the ladies.

So, I found No-S a couple months after I'd had a surprising 7-8lb weight gain after going OFF of my bc pills (I'd been holding steady for years and years, basically since I'd gone ON them back in 2004, after which I also gained about 10lb).

Here's my question: We've ...

exdieter

Day 6: Success
Day 7: S Day! I ate a snack today (piece of think veggie pizza). Interestingly, and something we've been discussing on the main forum, I think the coffee I drank at breakfast made me hungry. Also, I had french toast, a sweet, rather than something a little more filling. Big win at ...

exdieter

Congratulations, and thanks for sharing your story!

exdieter

I definitely am doing both -- I don't think they're mutually exclusive. However, I focus way more on what I am eating in a meal than how much. i.e. I'm not going to eat a bowl of cereal and skim milk alone at breakfast, because I'll be hungry in 2 hours. So if I want cereal, I'll beef it up with a ...

exdieter

Here's mine:

1. Allows me to enjoy eating without obsessing!
2. A sustainable, moderate lifestyle without deprivation
3. Fun on weekends

exdieter

Also -- love this quote: â€œIronically, caffeine can make it more difficult to lose weight because it stimulates insulin secretion, which reduces serum glucose, which in turn can increase hungerâ€.

exdieter

Heya Nicole --

Coffee gives me the shakey hungries -- hours and hours after I have it -- and always seems to trigger overeating for me. So I think you could definitely be onto something.

In fact, just did a quick google and found we are not alone. Here are links to a bunch of articles about ...

exdieter

I dunno if I am more a moderation-er or abstainer, but I do know that there are times when my only motivation to not grab a cookie or bite of cake (and they're always hanging around my office), is that I know I can plan out and have exactly the sweet I want over the weekend.

exdieter

Day 5: Success. Phew!

exdieter

WEEK 3: Days 3 & 4 (tues-wed) -- Had two red days! :( It's interesting, though... I thought for sure my red days would happen with snacks, but instead it was overeating while going out to dinner, something I'd never really even noticed I did. So, in a positive light, as my snacking habits have ...

exdieter

I haven't tried it, but I do want to recommend Linda Bacon's book, Health at Every Size, as a starter in kicking the diet mentality to the curb.

http://www.amazon.com/Health-At-Every-S ... 885&sr=8-1

exdieter

Awww, I feel so much where you are coming from, Nicole! You probably got the shakes from a combination of not enough food and the coffee. Whenever I drink coffee, I get the shakes like that.

Maybe you can give yourself permission to have a banana if you ever get the shakes again! I mean, the world ...

exdieter

@Summerwine, that's EXACTLY how I feel! So exciting!

I think I need to buy that small- batch book.

exdieter

I think that's where my recipe originally came from! I might have to buy it. They turned out great. But maybe not until next weekend....

exdieter

It's an S day, here, and I decided I was in the mood for cookies, so looked up a small batch recipe and cooked them up for me and my husband.

I made seven cookies, ate 3 (one raw, two cooked). I'm totally full and totally satisfied. Actually, next time, I might just eat two raw cookies and leave ...

exdieter

Ha! I can relate! I watched that movie several weeks ago, which prompted me to buy both of Pollan's books, and in a roundabout way, led me to No-S! I've found some good beef at Whole Foods (but not chicken). I also use Applegate farms bacon on weekends, and am beginning to rely on my local farm co ...

exdieter

WEEK 3 (up .4 from week 2, down 1.4 from start of program):

Day 1: S day. Woke up discouraged because of my weigh-in, but I have had a drink or two (beer or wine) with dinner almost every night this week, and suspect I am kinda bloated. Work has been extremely stressful, am attempting to ...

exdieter

Day 5: another success, had a huge glass of wine with dinner

Day 6: success: had beer with dinner which makes me bloated, also a tired workout of zumba.

S day. More beer, belgian waffle for breakfast and panna cotta for dessert. :)

Day 7: S day! mini-pack of m&ms, and a pretzel for mid-day ...

exdieter

Week 2:

Day 3: Wasn't sure whether to call this a success or not. At dinner time, started eating a hummus appetizer without thinking about it. I cut way down on my entree when it arrived, but could really only eyeball it, not be sure that I ate only one plate of food. Also missed my workout.

Day 4 ...

exdieter

Week 2 - Day 1: S Day! Whee! I didn't go too crazy. Enjoyed a mini-loaf of coffee cake, half of which I ate with breakfast and the other half I enjoyed in place of lunch. Then, had the rest of a leftover biscuit after dinner. One thing I noticed is how much hungrier I get after snacking. Hmmm ...

exdieter

I am right there with you!! Congratulations, and keep up the good work!!

exdieter

Pancakes!!!! (At least, that is what I'm planning on enjoying Saturday morning when I wake up).

exdieter

Hahaha. Lucky for me, I have never watched ESPN.

exdieter

I am definitely feeling more energetic -- probably because I'm NOT snacking, which means my blood sugar is a lot steadier during the day (as opposed to a typical snack and crash afternoon).

Are you exercising at all? Nothing helps me sleep better than that (err, unless I exercise too close to ...

exdieter

Wow! I had no idea Rick Bayless had a brother! Learn something new every day.

exdieter

I'm only one week in, but the scale moved down this week for the first time in MONTHS. Down almost 2 pounds, which is more than a coincidence (take it from a compulsive weigher-inner).

I followed N-S perfectly, with my modification for Meal 2.5 (a piece of fruit) to compensate for my extra-late ...

exdieter

A place that accepts businesswear for men: http://careergear.org/
And one that does for women: http://www.dressforsuccess.org/

exdieter

I couldn't agree more! It's just astounding! I keep wondering when the other shoe is gonna drop... After all the years of denial, calorie counting, points, and dieting, could the solution really be this easy??

exdieter

I'm a big fan of Rick Bayless' Mexican Everyday . I live in Chicago, so most of the ingredients are available for next to nothing in my local grocery stores; the recipes are generally easy with lots of healthy, fresh and grilled choices; and the food is delicious.

I also love both of Bittman's ...

exdieter

Heya Jarls! Great story! Congratulations!!

Maybe you could donate your suits to a homeless shelter, that way you can at least take a tax deduction for them next year! Lots of people need clothes for interviews, especially in these times.

Enjoy shopping. On the brighter side, it's a great time of ...

exdieter

Day 7: S-day! That was fun. I didn't really go nuts. Had some kahlua and cream in my coffee for breakfast, and a single, reasonable serving of non-parels (sp?), which tasted damn good after 5 days without chocolate!

Then had a home-cooked meal. I did have seconds, but only of parsnips. :)

Not so ...

Everyday Systems

Search found 109 matches

Everything you know about fitness is a lie

Taking a huge career risk. Gulp.

Books To Read With No-S

Mini-Testimonials (add yours!)

Why do people keep asking if I've lost weight?

Birth control pills? (sorry, guys)

FTW: I made chocolate chip cookies!

Holy %^%&! It's working!