Counting carbs/calories is a drag. Obsessive scale stepping is a recipe for despair. If you want to count something, "days on habit" is a much better metric. Checking off days on a calendar would do just fine, but if you do it here you get accountability and support. Here's how. Start a new topic in this forum called (say) "Your Name Daily Check In." Then every N day post a "reply" to that topic as to whether you stayed on habit. A simple "<font color="green">SUCCESS</font>" or "<font color="red">FAILURE</font>" (or your preferred euphemism if that's too harsh) is sufficient, but obviously you're welcome to write more if you want. On S-days just register that you're taking an S-day. You don't have to do this forever, just until you're confident you've built the habit. Feel free to check in weekly or monthly or sporadically instead of daily. Feel free also to track other habits besides No-s (I'm keeping this forum under No-s because that's what the vast majority are using it for). See also my <a href="/habitcal/">HabitCal</a> tool for another more formal (and perhaps complementary) way to track habits.
Well, here I go. I've been reading and lurking and trying to get some of the prinicples down for half of December but this is my first official No S day and I've done OK. No sweets, no snacks, no seconds and I think I've got the plate proportions down.
Breakfast was a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries. Lunch was a sandwich and salad. Dinner was a beef patty, potato, corn & peas and fruit. Sound OK?
I'm a bit hungry but headed for bed soon so I don't mess up the first day. Wish me luck on my journey. I only plan to weigh in once a month.
So...........this is Day 2. I believe I'm doing ok today, even though I think my portions might have been a bit larger. I think I'm going to have to put in a night time snack so that I can sleep at night. Last night I was so hungry that I couldn't sleep well.
Day 3 was a bit harder. Seems like my body wants more food than what I plan to give it. I'm still on track but was a bit more uncomfortable. Oh.......and the glass of milk last night helped a lot.
Don't worry about the larger portions. Eat as much as will fit on the plate so you keep going until the next meal. The portion sizes will gradually reduce without any effort on your part as your body gets used to the meal schedule. Enjoy your S-days!
Annie,
I found that I had better luck with reducing my portion sizes by getting a set of 9" dinner plates instead of the regular 13" ones. Even with normal portions, it looks like a TON of food. I also like to make sure I get enough veggies and I also like to slice up an apple or have a bunch of grapes with my meals. Lots of nice fiber to fill you up.
Give it some time and your body will adjust. The first week was hardest for me, although I still have some rough hunger times (breastfeeding my 4mo doesn't help w/the hunger lol).
Thanks Jam and Sham (Hey that rhymes ) for your encouragement. Today was a bit easier. Coincidentally, I have been shopping for some new smaller dinner plate. I've got my eye on a set of Sandstone Corelle that have the 9 inch plates!
Today was a bit better. I'm doing better with a bit of milk before bedtime.
Nice to see you join the check-ins. I hope they help you (they sure help me).
Upping the veggies cuts my hunger, and more protein helps too. One hunger-killing food I particularly like is yogurt. It tastes good, has a lot of protein, and takes longer to eat for me (compared to meat or cheese). High-volume, slow-to-eat foods in general have helped me satisfy my appetite--soup is really good for that.
I tried the smaller plate trick too, and just ended up starving/snacking. I eat a full plate of food on a normal sized Corelle dinner plate, but I am not cramming as much food on it as I did in the beginning. Eat as much as you have to eat to get from one meal to another. The amount will reduce over time.
You are really eating nutritious meals...good for you!!!
Thanks again for the input. Comments help and let me know someone is really out there.
Today was my first S-Day and I did well. I only indulged in one snack.....98% Fat Free popcorn, though I munched on it off and on most of the afternoon.
Gettnbusy.......Um, I think that was Shamrockmommy's guy. MY DH is also very supportive and says he can tell a difference in me when I'm eating right too, though my disposition usually sours with too many sweets, I do know that I feel better when I'm not over stuffed.
Well, I transitioned back to No-S more smoothly than I thought and now have completed my first full week! I haven't gotten on the scale yet. Part of the reason for that is that my scale needs a new battery and the other is that I want to weigh in once a month so I'm not obsessing over scale numbers, but I can say that my rings are loser and I can even feel that my clothes are a bit looser already, so I've got to say YIPPEE!
Day 7 = Success
Day 8 = Success
Quite a string of Successes, Annie. You can be very proud of yourself. You had a lot of worries in the beginning but you have worked through them. You are on the journey and I think it is a sane and healthy one. Congratulations.
PS I have enjoyed the insights you add to the discussion board as well. You are certainly a lovely and welcome addition to this group. Welcome.
A lot of growing up happens between "it fell" and "I dropped it."
I finished my 21st day successfully but then caught a nasty case of flu so I haven't been posting. The cold weather has hit here too, with a vegence. I hadn't seen a flake of snow until Feb. 1 and now it's all around. Sigh. Anyway, the good news is that 10 lbs are gone since Jan. 2!!!
Good job Annie on your 21 days!!! Sorry to hear about the flu, that is the pits!
Congratulations also on your weight loss. 10 pounds is something to be proud of. So is doing 3 weeks in a row of no-sing. I just did my 21st too and it feels good. I have only maybe lost a couple of pounds, but at least I haven't gained, and I feel like I'm losing weight, just very slooooowly.
Tomorrow, Feb. 7, I'm going to start a check in for a second 21 days. I was trying to wing it but I think I need to keep checking in here to stay on track, so as of tomorrow.......I should be here daily.
Real life has kicked me in the butt, but I'm still living the NO S life. I think it is really becoming ingrained, so even though I may not be checking in daily. I AM doing this.
Glad to see you back Annie! You're so wise to recognize the need for some additional support before you get into serious trouble. Down 20 Pounds! That's fantastic! That is also my goal which I hope to reach by the end of the summer. Curious...you being a seasoned No Esser and all, do you have any really good pointers or advice for newbies? Talk to you later!
mimi
Discovered NoS: April 16, 2007
Restarted once again: July 14, 2011
Quitting is not an option...
If you start to slip, tie a knot and hang on!
Remember that good enough is... good enough.
Strive for progress, not perfection!
Wow! It's been a year since I used this feature but I kind of fell off the wagon a bit and I think I need to use it again.......at least once a week or so. This has been a good week and I'm back in the groove again.
I'm still hanging around. Mother's Day was pretty food filled and I am detoxing today. Right now I'm right on target and intend to stay that way until bed time.
Wish me luck on my journey. I only plan to weigh in once a month. 
) for your encouragement. Today was a bit easier. Coincidentally, I have been shopping for some new smaller dinner plate. I've got my eye on a set of Sandstone Corelle that have the 9 inch plates!
My apologies; I'm gettn old!
