Everyday Systems

lin47

That makes sense, Oolala!

Back on track this week---easily, too. Last was was TTOTM (sorry for TMI guys), so that probably explains my increased urge to eat.

It felt easy again this week. And tomorrow's an S day and I'm already planning to have homemade fruitcake for breakfast (I already hear the ...

lin47

Well, the first week was flawless, but I've had three red days since---darn it! My usual M.O. would be to just say the heck with it and either not follow any plan (especially since it's the holidays) or start calorie counting again. I'm sticking with it, though.

I know that so many long-timers say ...

lin47

. . . my husband has started a sort of self made IF program whereby he eats breakfast, dinner and usually an evening snack but skips lunch

Oolala, I hope you don't mind me popping in to comment on Gingerpie's post. Gingerpie and Oolala, my husband has eaten this way since I met him (about 30 ...

lin47

Like you, I tend to get neurotic when I start weighing. Unfortunately, in the past, I've allowed it to mess with my mind to the point where it influenced my eating decisions (e.g., weight down = license to eat more; weigh more = discouragement, and possibly eating more because "I give up"---in other ...

lin47

Good luck, Barbara!

lin47

Going great so far! I don't know why (maybe the braces?), but this seems SO much easier than in the past. My husband brought home chocolate covered cherries, one of my favorites, and I wasn't even tempted. It's like because I know I can eat what I want on the weekend, I don't really get tempted on ...

lin47

Thanks, oolala. I do need to listen to Reinhard's podcasts. I haven't listened to any. I love his writing, so I'm sure I'll enjoy his podcasts.

lin47

I'm a little surprised that walking on a treadmill desk felt like it was too much. When I read about them, the recommendation was to keep the pace at about a mile an hour. 'Course, that's still several hours of walking a day! I wonder how many steps that was

I wasn't actually following that ...

lin47

NoelFigart wrote:
reinhard wrote:No Solitary Snacking -- even on S-days
I like this one. I'm adding it.

Ditto

lin47

Oolala, I know I've tried it at least twice. I have a terrible memory, so it may have been three times. I can't remember how long I stayed each time, but I do know that i wasn't using common sense. I feel like I am now, so we'll see ðŸ˜€

lin47

Lin, my experience with Zen sitting for several years helped set the stage for using this attitude for No S purposes. The body would sometimes be screaming for me to move but I learned it was rarely helpful to do it. It would start screaming again in awhile

This has been my experience in the yoga ...

lin47

I am doing 2 meals a day and trying to keep obvious carbs to a minimum on weekdays.

I'd like to eliminate snacks on weekends as snacking is a really bad habit for me, and I think I'd conquer it faster if I eliminated it completely. Snacking always makes me feel out of control.

lin47

We're looking for something, but it isn't food. And we may not even be able to find "it." Then we have to just sit like a grownup with some passing discontent.

These are words of wisdom if I've ever read any. I wonder sometimes of one of the reasons I've always struggled with my weight is that I ...

lin47

This is my first "S day" since coming back, and I am noting how much I have "grazed" already. (In part because of an early meeting with food that was not entirely satisfying, but...)

After I began grazing, it became "procrasti-eating." Because I have stuff to do today and don't wanna.

Time to ...

lin47

I find I sometimes need other influences with a bit different reasons or metaphors or whatever.

ITA! Sometimes, I can hear the same advice for years, but one day someone conveys that same advice in a different way and it finally sticks.

Just to let you know, at 5' 5'', I probably average fewer ...

lin47

Thank you!

lin47

I've tried No S on three occasions, but I seem to stop for one reason or another. I refer to each of my first two attempts as the "weeks of magical thinking" because I was eating like an idiot (a fattening meal for every meal, pigging out on weekends) hoping that No S was magical (like other diets ...

lin47

I gave up sugar in my coffee about 20 years ago, and despite the fact that I have a major sweet tooth, I cannot stand sugar in my coffee now. If I pick up my husband's coffee by accident, I cannot drink it because he puts a tsp of sugar in it. Unfortunately, my penchant for sugar has not faded in ...

lin47

Virginia, I am so sorry. I don't have words either, but I will pray for you and your family.

lin47

Good luck with the mammogram nbh76. I need to schedule one as well.

Yesterday was green, and today is so far. Like so many others, I find that if I eat some protein with my meals, I'm more satisfied. I had a tub (yep, 2 cups) of cottage cheese w/ a banana for breakfast yesterday, and I didn't feel ...

lin47

I really shouldn't post my meals the day of. Thursday night, I went red and Friday was the same. Argh! The funny thing is Saturday and Sunday were just fine. I had two bites of a desert, but other than that, I had no "S"s.

The good news is that I've been trying to do the 16/8 woe (fast 16 hours ...

lin47

You are amazing, lady! I can't get a three-day streak under my belt and you're going for close to 1 1/2 months! Great job!

lin47

Oh, I can't seem to help the calorie counting. I guess because I've had been doing it for 4 years, it's hard to break that mental habit. It's annoying, though, because it makes me food-obsessive.

lin47

Great article! I think this quote from the article is one of the key aspects that sets No S apart from the restriction diets. The habit turns into something we do without having to think about. It doesn't take up any mental real estate!

â€œMaintaining weight loss is not a lifestyle,â€ she says ...

lin47

Even when everything is going great...eating right, exercising, losing weight...getting enough sleep...blahblah I still find myself ...just out of the blue saying "why am I doing this again?!" IT IS hard to stay motivated LOL. You are doing so great ! You know how the "hungry " will behave...in a ...

lin47

You will be fine, ginger! Not sure if this applies to you, but with me, anything that is a bit off my usual routine tends to throw me for a loop temporarily. If that's the case for you, cut yourself some slack: You know you'll get back to it.

lin47

Had a successful two days, so I'm back in the green!

Wed.:
B - steel cut oatmeal w/ brown sugar & a banana
D - homemade Moroccan chick-pea soup and 1/2 a pita

Thurs.:
B - two slices multigrain toast, 2 tbsp. cashew butter, banana
D - salad w/ creamy Italian dressing & a bit of feta, tuna salad in ...

lin47

Thanks, ladies! You're right about the oatmeal, and actually, I had prepared steel cut oats, but I wasn't in the mood for them yesterday morning. I've found that sometimes when I don't eat what I really want, it backfires big-time (i.e., I eat what I'm "supposed to" and then later eat what I want ...

lin47

Argh! Red already! Today was an off day. We have a special event going on at work today and tomorrow, and it started at 8 a.m. I hate the crap they serve us as these things, so I knew if I didn't eat breakfast before I left home (7:30 a.m.) I would get nothing decent. So, I ate. But that's really ...

lin47

The weekend went okay. I snacked more than I would have liked on Saturday. I went out to dinner on Sunday, but I managed to skip the appetizer (not the bread basket, though!). I had dessert (of course!), but I really didn't feel as overstuffed as I did the last time I had dinner out, so that's ...

lin47

Linda, your husband sounds like mine: doesn't focus on food as I do. Mine won't work out though---thinks it's ridiculous (he has never had a weight problem & is naturally "built"; he can gain muscle so easily by working in the yard for couple of weeks).

I know what stage you're talking about ...

lin47

You're an inspiration for me to keep trying to get a green streak under my belt!

lin47

Thanks, Ladies!

Nbh76, I can definitely see how you would be happy and sad about your daughter going to Australia. Of course you're going to miss her! I'm sorry. Thank God we live in a world with so many readily available ways to communicate (Skype). Hey, and there's always the possibility for you ...

lin47

Friday: Success!

I haven't been posting my food because I didn't want to admit I was eating only two meals a day. However, now that I've "confessed," I'll try posting meals. (And the content of my meals will explain why I'm only eating two of them!)

B - scrambled eggs w/ smoked salmon, bagel with ...

lin47

Gingerpie, fwiw, my mother was told years ago that her cholesterol was high, despite being a normal weight, a regular exerciser, and eating fairly decently. She's on a ton of other medication for glaucoma, so she didn't want to add more to the list. She decided to make one change: Eat oatmeal for ...

lin47

Linda, you're doing great! ITA with ironchef: You had the yogurt but didn't let it derail you for the day. I wish I could say the same for Wednesday. I slipped but then I used it as an excuse to overeat the rest of the night. I need to be careful about that. The one thing about calorie counting was ...

lin47

nbh76, I hope you had a great visit with your daughter. That's the kind of staying up late I don't mind (spending time with loved ones).

Today was on-target. Actually, I overate big time yesterday, so I wasn't even hungry until around 11:00. I ate some cottage cheese and a banana for breakfast, and ...

lin47

Where's the "crater"? Is it those two red days? Puh-leese! Do you know in March that I've had seven red days? Yes, seven! If I had all the greens on my calendar that you have on yours, I'd be doing a happy dance. You're doing great!

lin47

Wednesday: Failure :cry:

All those statistics that link not getting enough sleep to gaining weight definitely applies to me. Whenever I do not sleep well, I'm always looking for more food. (My husband has even noted that when I wake up from a nap, I immediately head for the fridge in my sleepy ...

lin47

I woke up HUNGRY this morning---probably because Tuesday's dinner was fairly light (for me!). I'll have three meals today rather than two. That's my fall-back in case I'm really hungry, and it works out well because I'm still within the NoS guidelines.

Here's wishing everyone a fabulous Wednesday ...

lin47

Thank you all for your replies! Today is a green day! I get home late on Tuesdays, and although the temptation is to kick off my shoes and have a snack, I resisted.

Thanks for the encouragement about how the automatic calorie counting will fade over time. I would really like for it to. I don't have ...

lin47

So far, so good. Sunday wasn't bad. I didn't mindlessly graze as I did the previous weekend. Monday was on track.

A little confession: I've been actually trying to eat just two meals a day, a late breakfast and dinner. I can't get out of the habit of mentally calculating calories (a holdover from ...

lin47

Your starting and goal weights are about the same as mine. I figure it will take me a while to lose, but an equally important goal for me is to create habits that will be sustainable for a lifetime.

Good luck to you!

lin47

If you hate structured exercise, try something unstructured. I have been the most consistent with exercise in my adult life during the past 3-4 years (can't remember when I started) because I had my husband make a homemade "desk" for my treadmill (Google "tread desk" and you'll see the official one ...

lin47

nbh76, I must have missed mention of the quantum scale---so glad you mentioned it!! I've never heard of it, but it sounds great! I---who hate the scale---might even get one.

lin47

Wow---I had no idea that regular (i.e., not plastic) divided plates even existed! Thanks, Nay-Nay, for pointing it out. I'm going to get one!

lin47

Congrats on the weight loss, Linda! Sounds like everything is going in the right direction!

lin47

Ginger, forgetting to eat would definitely be considered major progress in my book. You are doing great! As they say, "If it ain't broke . . ."

I hope your kids are recovering well!

lin47

Dinner was great----& I'm still so stuffed that I can't stomach the thought of breakfast. We like to go to fine dining restaurants and the portions are very small, but funny thing is, I always feel stuffed when I leave. Granted I get an appetizer, entree, and dessert (and, of course, there are a ...

lin47

nbh76, I'm sorry about your uncle.

I'm sure you'll get through this weekend just fine!

lin47

Oh, Linda, I am so glad that your dog is okay. I have one little doggie left (we had to put the other one down in Sept.), and he is really part of my family. I was devastated when I put my other one down and know I will feel the same when this one's time comes. But the shock of one getting hit by a ...

lin47

You guys are terrific! Thanks for your continued support.

As contrasted with yesterday, today my first meal was at Noon! I had a wake to attend this morning, and in the rush to exercise this morning, walk my dog, and get ready for that, I was too busy to think about breakfast. By the time I got ...

lin47

walkerlori, I've been reading over your initial and some of your past posts, and in many, many ways we are alike---e.g., the many tries at NoS (I'm so encouraged by the fact that you keep at it---it inspires me!), the head games that happen when I weigh myself, the trap of eating what is "good" for ...

lin47

Whew---I made it through today----barely! Even though I technically had just three meals, I don't like how they panned out. I under-ate for lunch and overate at dinner. I waited too long to eat, so I ended up grabbing my food and actually started eating it standing up. I ate part of it standing, but ...

lin47

You're doing great, Linda! You are an inspiration! (Let me add, that I, too, love that Goethe quotation. I copied it so that I'll remember it).

lin47

3/19 - green

lin47

But I never stuck with it for long, because I never quite got it. I was following the literal rules of No S without internalizing the philosophy of moderation behind them. Instead of accepting what No S actually is ("a shortcut to caloric restriction"), I treated it like magic and got discouraged ...

lin47

Thank you for posting! I have fewer than 10 lbs to lose, and it's encouraging to know that it can be done in a reasonable amount of time. Your post gives me hope (although I'm not pressuring myself to lose by X date; my main focus is establishing the habit).

lin47

Sounds like you're doing great, Velvet! Your thoughts about the bread reminded me of something that always seems to trip me up: eating something because I don't want to waste it. The freezer has been my friend, though, in this regard. Please do try freezing the bread----it works GREAT! I always ...

lin47

You're doing terrific! Keep up the good work!

lin47

Wow---your progress is amazing! You're an inspiration. If I can get a 21-day streak under my belt, I'll be so happy. You're doing great!

lin47

Okay, back on track. Yesterday was a success! Yes, I ate some french fries with dinner, but it was still one plate, so that's green to me.

Thanks, again, Linda & nbh76 for your words of encouragement!

lin47

Mitchell, that is definitely a great suggestion, and in my saner frame of mind, it's one I practice. If it's out of the house (or even out of sight), it's not a temptation for me.

Oolala, thank you for that suggestion. I am going to try it. I will feel so accomplished if I just emulate "normal ...

lin47

Thank you, lpearlmom! I'm not going to give up. Every time I think about doing so, my second thought is "what else will I do?" I know myself enough to know that if I over-complicate things, it backfires. What could be simpler than three meals a day? Forming good habits is what I am after, and it's ...

lin47

All good strategies, noni. I need to use the freezer more. Years ago, I didn't mind "wasting" food, but I eat organic, and with food prices so high, I feel as if I am literally throwing out money when I throw out food. Freezing is the best option.

lin47

Thank you both so much! You both have given me some good ideas to consider. Gingerpie, I do need to adjust my environment. The truth is that my husband likes lots of desserts that I don't, so why don't I buy him those?? Also, I completely agree about it taking more than 21 days to build a habit. If ...

lin47

Thank you, nbh76! Your success has inspired me! I came into this SO sure that I would have a perfect 21 days. That didn't work out, but I am going to keep plugging along. Congrats on your weight loss!

lin47

I started NoS a little more than two weeks ago, and as of now, my red and yellow days exceed my green ones. I'm really discouraged. I mean, if I cannot follow this plan---which is the simplest one that I know of---what hope is there for me? I lost 45 lbs through calorie counting, have probably ...

lin47

Haven't checked in in a while; I knew it would be difficult for me to keep this up. Historically, I've terrible with check-ins.

Besides, I'm embarrassed: My red and yellow days exceed my green ones. I'm really discouraged. I mean, if I cannot follow this plan---which is the simplest one that I know ...

lin47

. . . I know that calorie counting works. It does. But . . . I believe it puts your perspective in the wrong place, making you obsessed with food

Yes!! I completely agree. I've just come off from 3 1/2 years of calorie counting, and while the smartphone app I used made the actual counting easy, I ...

lin47

i have one more question for the forum.
if i were to take a poll..what would you recommend..sticking it out with 3 meals a day till it gets easier or adding a fourth meal sometimes in the mid afternoon or evening as that is the hardest time for me sticking to the plan.
i agree everyone has to do ...

lin47

For people that have overcome that sort of thinking, what do you think helps?

I probably shouldn't answer this because I still battle that kind of thinking, but I find what really helps is to talk back to the negative voice in my head. If I find myself thinking, "Well, one little bit won't hurt ...

lin47

I swear my S days have been so much better since I've implemented some structure into them. It kind of makes me question the wisdom of allowing S days to be a free for all even in the beginning although I know the purists would argue with me

I tend to agree with you. I find that I do much better ...

lin47

I'd find that I'd often have days with a little slip-up - for instance, eating the food while I was cooking it - that would end up being a red day, and I'd feel disheartened. But although I hadn't stuck to the diet to the letter, it was still close enough and I was losing weight. For some people it ...

lin47

Wow---you're doing fantastic, lpearlmom! I wish I could lose as fast as you seem to be. Also, your menus sound great!

lin47

Good for you! Six pounds is great! Keep up the great work

lin47

Being uncomfortably hungry and stomach growling a half an hour before a meal is about right, and it means that even the plainest meal is going to taste AWESOME. Yep, the whole "you'll spoil your dinner" thing is absolutely right. Eating should be pleasurable and satisfying, and this helps in an ...

lin47

I'm starting anew, too, after several failed attempts at NoS. The last few times I tried Nos, I was missing a crucial ingredient that I now know I need to implement it successfully: common sense. I was following the letter of the NoS rules without following the spirit of them. I would fill my plate ...

lin47

ETA: Dang! I have to change today to red. I just had 1/2 banana and an apple. I don't know what came over me but I had a crazy urge for fruit of all things. It felt so intense. Darn it! I was feeling so strong yesterday, as if I would never screw up. I really wanted to get at least a full week of ...

lin47

Wow--you're doing fabulous! It seems like you're losing pretty consistently. Good for you!

lin47

Good luck, Gingerpie! You can do it! Persistence is more important than perfection.

lin47

Another green one!

B - 1/2 avocado, boiled egg, half mango
L - homemade biscuit w/ cheddar
D - 1/2 avocado, boiled egg, 1/2 pita, 1/4 cup homemade hummus, 2 sundried tomatoes, some feta

I worked late, and boy do I want something now that I'm home and relaxed, but I realize that it's just my mind ...

lin47

Thanks for the encouragement, gingerpie & lpearlmom!

Yesterday was green!

B - mixed fruit (some banana, berries, pineapple)
L - a piece of leftover pepperoni stromboli
D - homemade 1/2 pita & hummus, w/ sundried tomatoes, cucumber, & feta. Two small strips of barbeque chicken breast.
Exercise: 2 ...

lin47

Well, the weekend went better on Saturday than on Sunday. My plan was to keep the no snacks, no seconds rules even on weekends because I think that those will be the most difficult to implement as a habit. It worked out somewhat on Saturday, but went down the tubes on Sunday. Also, I overate on ...

lin47

Thanks! A tread desk is a set up that allows you to walk on your treadmill while simultaneously working on your computer. Here's a link to a brief video by James Levine, the Mayo Clinic doctor who came up with the concept:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLgGf0BO4tw

I didn't buy a tread desk ...

lin47

At the gym today, I heard someone who is eating Paleo say that it is a "lifestyle change" (She has been on it for a couple of months now). Now, I know I've been there and said that with almost any diet you can name, but listening to it from my perspective of being on NoS, I was skeptical. I know it ...

lin47

When I first started dieting (nearly 4 years ago), I didn't like the thought of formal exercise, so I tried to work it in in other ways, including housework. I definitely broke a sweat, especially since I would scrub my floors on my hands and knees. What mentally helped me was entering that in my ...

lin47

Okay, today's an S day, but oddly enough, I didn't see it as a day to pig out (probably because I just started yesterday! :D ). What I'm hoping to do, even on S days, is to stick to no snacking and no seconds because I think it will be really difficult for me to ingrain those habits if I don't ...

lin47

I'm historically terrible about keeping up with check-ins, but I'm going to try.
First, some history (this is long, but I'll try not to be as wordy in my other posts):

For the past 3 1/2 years, I've been maintaining a loss of about 40 lbs by calorie counting. I had made a number of rules that I ...

lin47

Hi, from another ex-calorie counter (starting today!). I agree with you about the obsessiveness thing. Although I never really minded the actual calorie counting (smartphone apps make it so easy to keep track now), after several years of calorie counting, I began to get more and more food-obsessive ...

lin47

I'll bet you remember some of the more delightful meals that got you there. I have to admit I learned what meals I actually preferred most of the time from a couple of diets I had been on in the past. I used those a lot unless I started to feel like they weren't allowing for more zip. It was pretty ...

lin47

Desert Rat wrote:Excuse me, but I doubt our cave-dwelling ancestors ate almond-flour pancakes dripping with agave syrup

I literally guffawed when I read this. How true it is!

lin47

I haven't been back here for a couple of years, but now I wonder why. Of all the forums I've visited online, this one has the greatest number of posters with wisdom and good old common sense.

This thread interested me because I was tempted to try IE again. I've been maintaining a 35-40 lb. weight ...

Everyday Systems

Search found 93 matches

Hoping the fourth time's the charm

Re: One guy finally getting it after years of failure

Feeling discouraged

Re: What can I expect from No-S

From the outside looking in

Lin's [maybe] daily check-in

I love this group!