Everyday Systems

e-lyn

Sorry to hear you're still dealing with the reflux. I sure hope you're able to find some relief soon. It sounds like you have a good plan that might help you figure out where the problem areas are. I was having a horrible time until I stopped eating fruit with meals. And I've added in some fermented ...

e-lyn

Whoa, big FAIL last week. Actually, the whole week was a NoS failure. After some honest evaluation I did learn a few things that I'm hoping will help in the future.

1. All eating outside of an actual meal on my designated plate is 'Snacking'. I know this seems obvious but it's very easy to slip ...

e-lyn

I like the days where NoS comes relatively easily...without so much struggle, guilt, or feelings of deprivation. And not having to use all of our willpower reserves just to get through the day without a fail. Have some tea and enjoy your success!

e-lyn

Sorry to hear you're struggling with reflux. It's so miserable! I had to stop eating fruit with my meals and that helped a lot. I can't give up the caffeine, though!

Hurray for your productive day! I know how good it feels to get things done, especially after days of low energy.

e-lyn

I haven't been posting my meals daily, but I'm still plugging away with NoS.

I've recently made a few tweaks to my diet although I'm pretty sure the overall amount of food has remained constant. When I first began NoS I added back some foods that I hadn't allowed myself for some time. Mostly milk ...

e-lyn

Thanks for checking in KCCC! It's good to hear how NoS has helped you maintain your weight and your food sanity. And I like the way you describe food limitations as a choice you make in order to regain balance, rather than a resented deprivation. I'm really struggling with that right now.

e-lyn

The weekend went well and I had a very nice non-scale victory. My husband and I attended a jazz festival on Saturday. We ate a modest lunch at home around 1:00 and were at the venue by 3:00. We listened to music and wandered around a bit. There were some interesting food booths but we weren't hungry ...

e-lyn

Grease sticks...lol...but so good! I hope you enjoyed them and didn't let diet angst get you down too much.

Bunso, I'm in the same boat. Four months and no weight lost. On the plus side, no weight gained either. Small plates, lots of green days, and moderate food choices. I'm not going to rehash it ...

e-lyn

Oolala....I hope you don't mind that I copied and reposted this recent post of yours to my thread (I've never figured out how to use the quote function). I love this and need to put it here for inspiration! Thank you.

Food for thought from Oolala: Thu Sep 01, 2016 12:44 pm

I humbly suggest you ...

e-lyn

Good luck, Linda! After four months of NoS I've discovered that I don't enjoy snacking or late night eating anymore. This has been the biggest eye-opener for me! Not saying that I don't still indulge on occasion, but it makes me so happy to know that there may be food sanity in my future. And that ...

e-lyn

Oops...double post.

e-lyn

Very nice list and makes it so clear what your priorities really are. Food can be such a distraction for some of us. I'm really trying to put it in its proper place with NoS. Thanks for sharing your list.

e-lyn

I'm so impressed that you're able to maintain your weight and still enjoy plenty of social eating. It shows that your metabolism is just humming along....and you also practice good NoS habits.

e-lyn

Bunso, sorry to hear that pumpkin seeds and walnuts are now off-limits for you. I have just a couple of things that I just don't seem to tolerate well. I would hate to add to that list!

I'm curious about your chia seed pudding. I have a recipe that is similar but no apple juice. Is that the only ...

e-lyn

Well, I took a 4-day S holiday over the Labor Day weekend. I kept it kind of low key and didn't fall off too badly. I snagged a couple of strawberries from the garden. I munched on some almonds while watching TV.

Even though the transgressions were mostly minor, I'm still glad to be back to ...

e-lyn

Agreed! In general, good habits seem to win out over randomness in sustaining healthy body weight. This has been true in my own life. Some years ago I lost over 60 pounds on Weight Watchers by sticking to an almost ritualistic eating pattern. Unfortunately, i wasn't able to keep the weight off ...

e-lyn

On a more disquieting note, I have also observed my sister-in-law's eating habits for almost 30 years. Her habits are similar to my friend, somewhat random in nature and toggling between caloric foods and 'healthy' eating. She is also the same height and has an active job on her feet all day. Her ...

e-lyn

I wish it were that simple. Yes, cultural framework, family habits, genetics, food quality, eating times etc....all those things play a part. But it's really a complex deal.

I have observed my friend for the past 15 years. There is little rhyme or reason to her eating. If she puts on a bit of ...

e-lyn

My favorite pairing has always been family TV watching and snacks! Now, it's only on the weekend and only 'sometimes'. And like oolala, I also looked forward to theater popcorn and a movie. Sometimes the popcorn more! Now my criteria for seeing a movie in a theater is....do I want to see it even if ...

e-lyn

It has only recently become more of a problem. Her jaw issue really limits our choices. And it was somewhat easier before NoS. I could get away with eating a light salad, knowing I could have a snack before dinner if I needed to. Like osoniye said, my friend is blessed with a great metabolism and I ...

e-lyn

oolala....she definitely ate all the best parts, haha! I think she left some of the bun, the lettuce/onion/tomato, and the potato skin. We've split meals before but I usually get the short end of that stick. I think my best bet is to make sure I'm not ravenous at lunchtime. I'm more likely to resist ...

e-lyn

SUCCESS

B - egg, sausage, tomatoes
L - chicken salad, cucumber slices, a few almonds
D - steak, green salad, broccoli

e-lyn

osoniye, you're right, I really do need to have a talk with her. I just don't like calling attention to my 'diet' since I've been on so many and they don't seem to work, lol. It's more difficult lately as she has dislocated her jaw and can only eat soft foods. Add to that her general pickiness and ...

e-lyn

SUCCESS

B - veggie frittata
L - burger no bun, kale salad
D - hotdog no bun, green salad, baked cauliflower

e-lyn

Merry, I did enjoy lunch with my friend, but I really can't have too many days like that and expect to lose weight. My friend is ultra thin and really likes rich food. She's unhappy when we eat at simpler places. I'm trying to have NoS fit into my life without making a big deal about it. But we have ...

e-lyn

Hi LillianO....welcome to the NoS forum! I'm looking forward to hearing how things go for you. You're right. Patience, persistence, and consistency are crucial. I'm still working on some of those.

Good luck on your NoS journey!

e-lyn

Merry, I bet you were glad to wake up and realize it was just a dream! I have to admit a dream like that would scare me a bit, haha. Although not as much as teeth dreams or the ones about forgetting to take a final exam.

e-lyn

Thanks for sharing your story, reneew! I wonder every day if I'm doing the right thing, especially since I haven't lost any weight so far. But experiences like yours help me to keep going and not give up!

e-lyn

Thanks for sharing this, jackn! I admire her honesty and acceptance of her body.

e-lyn

Wow, Nantahala...your mother's story is very encouraging to me too! Is your mom very active?

Oregongirl, my story is quite a bit different than yours, but I wish you all the best on your NoS journey!

e-lyn

Thanks, Merry! Before NoS I would never have dared to order nachos. I think I've gone overboard a bit with so much freedom, lol.

Today was kind of interesting as far as food goes. Had lunch with my BFF at a local Italian restaurant. I rarely eat Italian food for lunch...way too heavy for me. But my ...

e-lyn

SUCCESS ...but just barely.

We went to a Mexican restaurant tonight and I ate a full plate of nachos. Yes, it was just one 9" plate, but it was too much food. I couldn't stop myself. Feeling stressed out is really not a good enough reason to overeat. So why do I continue to do this?

B - english ...

e-lyn

Thanks RawCookie!

SUCCESS

B - frittata, english muffin, apricots
L - tuna sandwich, 1 oz. cheese, cukes, 1/2 banana
D - BBQ pork on whole grain roll, broccoli, cucumbers, raspberries

e-lyn

I can totally relate to this. It seems to happen when I'm on a roll with lots of green days. I'll post something kind of self-congratulatory on my thread...yeah, I've got this down. Then a big FAIL. I guess it keeps me from getting too complacent.

Five green days in a row is really good! It does ...

e-lyn

SUCCESS

B - egg, bread, cheese, peanut butter
L - tuna sandwich, apricots
D - chicken curry w/veg, rice

e-lyn

Thanks, Merry! It always takes me a while to adjust. I go crazy at the beginning of summer with everyone home. By the time I get used to it and actually start to relax, they all go back to school and I have to shift again. Transitions have always been difficult for me. Really not a good excuse to ...

e-lyn

Well, just when I thought that I had conquered my after dinner snacking problem....I have obviously not! I won't go into the sad details because it's just too depressing. I've been fine during the day; noS on weekdays and sometimes on S days, but the nighttimes are another story. No amount of tea or ...

e-lyn

I couldn't agree more! The mods and tweaks are so tempting, but it's a slippery slope. You did great talking yourself out of it!

e-lyn

kaalii, I'm inspired by your dedication to staying physically active! I'm not a couch potato, but I'm not as active as I'd like to be. I used to walk regularly with friends, but no one is available and it's hard to find the motivation to go by myself. Glad to hear your walk in the forest cheered you ...

e-lyn

Allisonmeg, I have the same problem with the chip basket! Fortunately, our local taqueria has a salsa bar with pickled carrots and cauliflower so I've been trying to focus on that. It's not easy!

It definitely helps to get back to the usual routines. My family (hubby is a teacher) just went back to ...

e-lyn

Merry, I admire your ability to leave some of that pizza behind! I can do that at home sometimes when I feel more relaxed around food. My big challenge is restaurant eating. I really want to finish my whole plate of food! I've tried getting a to-go box and immediately boxing up some of my plate. But ...

e-lyn

Oolala, I very much enjoy reading your thoughtful posts. I agree with your basic premise on this one regarding fear. And I have to add that the ingrained, primal fear we experience around weight gain, although irrational in our modern society, may still be connected to the very real difficulties of ...

e-lyn

Welcome, This_is_it! I also experienced digestive distress during my first couple of weeks on NoS. I don't think my meals were any larger than before. The only thing really different has been that I'm eating fruit with my meals rather than snacking on it between meals. I'm happy to say the problems ...

e-lyn

Good for you...resisting all those sweets and snacks! It really does get easier. I pretty easily gave up the daytime snacking and sweets. But I still get itchy for something to eat in the evening when I watch TV.

e-lyn

SUCCESS

B - egg, bread, 1/2 banana
L - baked potato, cheese, garden veggies, pear
D - meatloaf w/mushroom gravy, brown rice, veggies, applesauce

I'm really enjoying my weekday meals! The fruit is a nice substitute for sweets. I do still have some cravings for sweets and snacks, especially while ...

e-lyn

Saoirse and RawCookie...thanks for the tea reminder! I really love a cup of peppermint tea but I tend to forget all about it in the heat of the summer. I have fresh mint in my garden so I could even throw a bit of that in for extra flavor.

SUCCESS

B - bread, peanut butter, banana
L - 1/2 turkey ...

e-lyn

SUCCESS

B - egg, bread, sausage, apricots
L - BBQ chicken, corn/arugula salad
D - Nachos (bean/cheese/guac/salsa/sour cream) and 1/2 beer

I really wanted those nachos!

e-lyn

Saoirse, so sorry you're in such a stressful line of work. I've been out of the work force for a while now, raising a family. There was absolutely no food culture where I worked many years ago. We were on our feet all day and no one brought extra food or snacks to work. Everyone smoked and drank ...

e-lyn

Welcome Slinkykitty!

We seem to be close in age and have similar diet histories. I've found NoS to be very helpful in reducing dysfunctional eating and anxiety around food. The structure and habits are very comforting. I haven't lost any weight yet, but I'm still relatively new to this way of ...

e-lyn

Welcome, Silverlining! My diet story is almost exactly like yours except I went on my first diet at the age of 12 and have been on one ever since. I graduated high school weighing 100 pounds and my highest weight was 200 pounds. Sigh.

Please accept my condolences on the loss of your precious baby ...

e-lyn

SUCCESS

B - egg, bread, peanut butter
L - ham/cheese/roll, potato salad, peach
D - chili beans, corn tortillas, cheese, pear

I was too full at lunch so I ended up throwing out 3/4 of the roll. But I ate quite a large portion of potato salad instead.

I steamed up a bunch of cauliflower for ...

e-lyn

Just a couple of additional thoughts....

I've been eating this way for almost 4 months now. I've had some fails along the way, but also many successes and for that I'm grateful. NoS has provided me with structure and a framework for good habits. But I still struggle a lot with food obsession and ...

e-lyn

So, I'm back after a week of vacation! I managed to have some GREEN days in there, but it was a challenge. We went camping on M, T, and Wed. I mostly stuck to regular one-plate meals while camping but there were some snacks and sweets involved. I continued to struggle after we got home. I think it ...

e-lyn

Welcome to the board! I wish you the very best on your NoS journey.

e-lyn

I see a lot of GREEN days happening here. You're doing great!

e-lyn

I took my best friend out for a birthday lunch today. I was prepared to declare it an S day and perhaps share a dessert with her if she wanted one. We were full after lunch so she suggested we have coffee and cookies at her house later on. I really didn't want to have an S day for a chocolate chip ...

e-lyn

osoniye, that was my thought exactly. Why waste an S day on a day when I'm too stressed to really enjoy my special treats? So I just took a fail instead.

It's okay...it happens.
Tuesday was better and today was also a SUCCESS .

B - raisin bread/butter
L - tomato soup, egg salad made with avocado ...

e-lyn

You are so right, oolala! I think I could have handled the visit from my sister better if it had been on my S days. Even though I felt nervous and stressed, I didn't want to just call it an S day ahead of time. My sister eats very healthy, but it's a faddish, picky, expensive, and judgmental style ...

e-lyn

Fantastic news about your weight loss! You're really reaping the benefits of NoS. I know you've had your challenges but you've done great!

e-lyn

Today was a bit of a FAIL really. My sister is visiting and we went out to a vegan place for lunch. She has all kinds of food issues and they are constantly changing. I try to go with the flow, but it really stresses me out and I find myself eating more out of sheer nervousness. I did okay, all ...

e-lyn

I have a couple of things like that. I mostly drink black coffee, but sometimes I'll make a coffee/milk drink with a tsp. of sugar, stevia, or splenda. And there are times I will swipe a bit of jam on some toast. I think those things are okay to have occasionally on NoS days but not to make a habit ...

e-lyn

I have a few that I rotate through. The latest is two slices of whole grain sprouted wheat bread (I like the crispiness) topped with peanut butter. I was using about 2T of PB but recently cut it down to one and that just covers the bread...barely. I usually have a banana with this and lots of black ...

e-lyn

Hi Merry! Yes, I'm still playing the guessing game as far as how much is 'enough'. Some days are easier than others. I do fine most days and have gotten used to the sensation of hunger. But there are days I just want more!

SUCCESS

B - egg, cheese, english muffin, peanut butter
L - roast veggie ...

e-lyn

SUCCESS

B - egg, english muffin, peanut butter, 1/2 peach
L - burger, 1/2 bun, kale salad
D - chicken sandwich, sliced tomatoes, peach

e-lyn

I like your idea, osoniye! I think I did freak myself out a bit, haha. I'll definitely add more veggies to my meals. And I need to be sure I have a very adequate and satisfying dinner. We eat around 6 but I don't go to bed until around midnight. It can be a long stretch. Thanks for checking in!

e-lyn

Wow, 10 years of low carb eating! I don't know how you lasted that long. I've tried low carb many times and I always return to the carbs. But I've been so indoctrinated that I still feel guilty when I eat them. I think we all need the food sanity of NoS. Glad you're back!

e-lyn

I had terrible sugar cravings the first few weeks and couldn't stop anticipating my S day treats. I found that fruit really works as a palate cleanser and a way to end the meal. At first I didn't like having it with my meals. I was used to eating it between meals and it gave me a bit of tummy ...

e-lyn

Emmama, today was a FAIL for me too. I got a little over confident and tried to cut down on my meals just a bit. About two hours after dinner I got very hungry. It wasn't too terrible, just some leftover pasta salad and about a bit of fruit crisp, but disappointed in myself. Like you said, tomorrow ...

e-lyn

FAIL

After 3 months of NoS and no weight loss, I've been experimenting with smaller portions. I haven't been cutting down by much, sometimes half a sandwich instead of a whole, or no butter on my breakfast toast. Also adding more veggies to my meals. It really hasn't gone all that well. I seem to ...

e-lyn

Sounds like you had a great time in SF! We were also there this past weekend visiting our son. Our food wasn't nearly as exciting as yours, though. We spent the afternoon at the DeYoung museum and had burritos and beer at a little taqueria in the Haight. I do enjoy reading your menus!

e-lyn

I'm still enjoying my mod of taking Friday evenings and all day Sunday as S days. It's easy going back to N on Saturday. Even though I'm still overindulging a bit, I'm also noticing a decrease in my overall appetite and the amount I can pack away in one sitting.

My husband and I celebrated our ...

e-lyn

Hi Theresa!

I'm dealing with the same issue. I'm happy with NoS and seeing many positive benefits, but little to no weight loss so far. I've posted about my frustration on my daily check-in thread....https://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=10962

I don't have any particular words of wisdom ...

e-lyn

Thanks for the links to the recipes! I'll be making it as soon as the weather cools down a bit. My sister recently gave me a Vita-clay pot so I might try using that.

e-lyn

Thanks for your comments, Emmama. It helps to know that I'm not the only one feeling this way.

I really appreciate all the encouragement and advice I've been getting. I'm going to try to incorporate some of the ideas and suggestions. I hope I'm just experiencing the frustration that sometimes ...

e-lyn

The dal sounds so good...would you be willing to share your recipe? I don't have a pressure cooker but I could probably make it in a crockpot.

e-lyn

Yes, meditation is very helpful. Thanks for the reminder!

I'm considering taking a break from my daily posting (not a break from NoS). I think I'm focusing too much on food, what I can and can't eat. I need to think about something else for a while.

e-lyn

osoniye, thanks for your supportive words. I completely understand and agree wholeheartedly with what you're saying.

I've always eaten and loved vegetables. Even as a child...I was the one eating the broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage etc. When I was growing up in the 70's, veggies were not half ...

e-lyn

I've tried different types of meditation in the past but have never been able to sustain the practice. I can see where it would be really helpful with food issues. I might try again in the Fall when my schedule gets back to normal.
Thanks for the suggestion, knitapeace and oolala.

After almost 3 ...

e-lyn

I'm still struggling with wanting to eat when I'm feeling stressed out or emotional. My automatic response has typically been, 'what can I eat to relieve this feeling?' The answer, of course, is.....'nothing'. Distractions can help but good habits are even better. I'm slowly getting there.

B ...

e-lyn

I also had ribs and ice cream on my S day. I've really been hooked on vanilla ice cream topped with caramel popcorn! I thought it might slow me down a bit to have it on top of a sliced banana. I think it worked...I still wanted another bowl but had to admit to myself that I was actually full. But ...

e-lyn

osoniye, even though I did okay this weekend with my new mod, you may be right. I'll keep track of it. If I start going wild on Sundays I might have to change it. Thanks!

B - egg, sausage, bread, dried fruit/nuts
L - ham/cheese sandwich, potato salad, carrot, cherries
D - spaghetti, butternut ...

e-lyn

Thanks oolala, linda, and bunso for the feedback on my mod!

Last night I allowed myself a small second helping of dinner. I also had a scoop of vanilla ice cream with half a banana and some caramel popcorn on top. It was a delicious and very satisfying dessert. Today I was ready to get right back ...

e-lyn

Nice menus, Emmama. It reminds me of how well we can eat on NoS. Moderation, not deprivation.

e-lyn

Thanks for the words of encouragement, Linda! I'm trying not to panic about the situation and just let our insurance company handle it. I feel so angry and it's hard not to take it personally but I can't afford to let it ruin my whole summer.

oolala...you are so right! Eating to excess does not ...

e-lyn

Not much appetite today. France, of course. :cry:

And we rec'd notice today that our neighbor is suing us. She claims to have tripped on the sidewalk in front of our house and broke her wrist...10 months ago.

I'll just record my food for the day and move on.

B - egg, toast, peach
L - chef salad ...

e-lyn

Hi and welcome, S-girl!

I'm also a recent diet 'dropout' and happy to have found NoS.
Good luck on your journey!

e-lyn

Beer and a swimming pool....sounds really good to me right now! We're in the middle of a heat wave.

Congrats on your green day!

e-lyn

Thanks for your comments, Emmama!

I almost deleted that post.
I was having a really bad day and needed to vent. Sharing personal stuff about my disordered eating patterns on this board is uncomfortable at times. But maybe it will be helpful for me to look back on at some point. And maybe some ...

e-lyn

Rawcookie, I appreciate your ability to simply note a 'fail' and move on. It reminds me to keep it all in perspective.

e-lyn

Summer evenings. Often, we watch movies at home and my skinny sons snack on crunchy things during that time. If it's hot they eat ice cream and I'm tempted by that.

Eating in restaurants, especially those I'm not familiar with. Too many choices and the food is often too rich and/or too much. If I ...

e-lyn

I've decided that I don't like eating in restaurants on N days. Unless I'm very familiar with the restaurant I stress out about the choices, portions, etc. Today I met a friend for lunch and it was a perfect example how it isn't working for me. I ordered a half sandwich and cup of soup, so far so ...

e-lyn

Congrats on your success!

I have such mixed feelings about Weight Watcher's. I lost 60 pounds on it many years ago by eating healthy, regular meals. But once I was near to goal
I got weary of obsessively counting points and freaking out over every little dessert. It took me a few years to gain ...

e-lyn

I hear you on the Oreos! I don't care for the filling, only the chocolate cookie and not even that much. But if they're in my house I want them. Maybe you can put a few aside for the weekend and get rid of the rest, haha.

e-lyn

Thanks, Jen and LifeisaBlessing! I'm determined to stick to No S and create better food habits for myself. I'm realizing that part of the process is the ability to have small food 'failures' and not let it go any further.

I didn't sleep well last night due to the heatwave and excess food of my S ...

e-lyn

Brings back so many memories of when I was home with sick little ones. They're grown now, but I remember just how flat-out defeated I felt. One time we all had the flu...me, my eldest son (5) and twin boys, (2). I was so sick I could barely move so we just threw blankets down and camped out on the ...

e-lyn

Great post, Jen! Very inspirational and gives me hope that food sanity is possible.

e-lyn

Yes, everyone beware of the buffet tables and the potlucks...haha! They're especially difficult on N days.

Thanks for the support, knitapeace, bunso, and liveitup. Glad we're all on this journey together!

Back to GREEN today.

B - raisin bread, peanut butter
L - green salad, potato salad, HB ...

e-lyn

Glad to hear you're enjoying the benefits of the No S diet!

e-lyn

You're off to a great start!

e-lyn

Tonight was a FAIL . We had dinner with my husband's family and there was just too much food at the table. I was overwhelmed by the amount of food and choices offered...like a buffet. I avoided all the appetizers. My dinner plate had modest amounts but I went back for one more bbq rib and a bite of ...

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