Keith's Daily Check In

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.

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Keith
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Location: Western North Carolina

Keith's Daily Check In

Post by Keith »

Day 1 Success (I think)

My daughter had a later than usual dance rehearsal and we ended up eating at an Italian restaurant. My choice would have been to eat at our favorite Mexican place where I could of avoided the chips and had one plate of food. Instead, I had a salad and a piece of bread and a dish of lasagna. All this could have fit on a good sized plate.

Not the "Day 1" I had hoped for but at least I started.
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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom »

That's called virtual plating and definitely a success! Great job staying green even in that tricky situation.

Keep up the good work.

Linda :D
SW: 210 lbs
CW: 151.7
GW:143
eschano
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Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:20 pm

Post by eschano »

Yeah, well done Keith!
eschano - Vanilla rocks!

July 2012- January 2016
Started again January 2021
Keith
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Location: Western North Carolina

Post by Keith »

Day 2 Success

Thanks for the encouraging replies.
clarinetgal
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Location: Western Washington State

Post by clarinetgal »

Good job!
Keith
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Post by Keith »

Day 3 Success

I'm starting to be more comfortable with the new routine. Nice to not have to make judgment calls about eating throughout the day.
automatedeating
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Post by automatedeating »

I remember when eating my three meals started to not be so much work. That's a cool place to be!
Month/Year-BMI averages
2013-26; 2014-24; 2015/2016/2017-26
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8; 6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6; 4/21 - 25.2
6/25 - 25.8; 7/25 - 26.9
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lpearlmom
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Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom »

Great job Keith!
SW: 210 lbs
CW: 151.7
GW:143
Keith
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Joined: Tue May 27, 2014 4:42 am
Location: Western North Carolina

Post by Keith »

Day 4 Success

I feel a future stumbling block may be my lack of skill, ambition, and creativity in the kitchen. I didn't eat tonight because I didn't feel like going to the store to get food and we have hardly anything in the house. I probably need to focus on simple, wholesome, staple type meals for my 10 yr old daughter and myself as well as keeping a stocked kitchen.
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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom »

Might be helpful to have a very basic rotating two or three week menu plan. Even simple meals like hot dogs, chips & fruit or pasta, bread & packaged salad will be more satisfying then just trying to scrounge. A plan will make shopping easier & maybe your daughter would enjoy helping in the kitchen. My girls do from time to time.

4 days of success is great. Enjoy those S days!

Linda
SW: 210 lbs
CW: 151.7
GW:143
automatedeating
Posts: 5391
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating »

Yes, I love my menu! And it's anything but gourmet, but it's getting the job done. Here is what we are having this coming week:
Monday: Costco frozen lasagne and bagged salad
Tuesday: Costco salmon burgers
Wednesday: Costco meatballs with a box of pasta roni and bagged salad
Thursday: Creamed tuna on toast with peas
Friday: tortillas filled with taco-seasoned ground beef, beans, cheese, and snack-sized guacamole, salsa, sour cream

Sorry if this list bored you, but I post it to demonstrate how I have found convenience foods to be a huge stepping stone/improvement away from fast food and take-out. It's also saved us a lot of money. Before NoS, I always gave up on my menu because I would try to do too much actual "cooking". This is "baby step" for me and I am loving it. We've been doing this style of convenience-food menus now since January.
Month/Year-BMI averages
2013-26; 2014-24; 2015/2016/2017-26
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8; 6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6; 4/21 - 25.2
6/25 - 25.8; 7/25 - 26.9
Keith
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Location: Western North Carolina

Post by Keith »

Day 5 S Day

Thanks for the meal planning advise.
clarinetgal
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Location: Western Washington State

Post by clarinetgal »

I agree with the other ladies. Keep it simple for now, and expand from there. One thing I do is cook something like a big pot of soup that can last for a few days. Just add some bread or crackers, a salad, and maybe extra protein if you're still hungry, and you're good to go. I have also started using my crock pot a lot more, and it really helps.
Keith
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Joined: Tue May 27, 2014 4:42 am
Location: Western North Carolina

Post by Keith »

Day 6 S day
Keith
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Location: Western North Carolina

Post by Keith »

Day 7 Success
snapdragon
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Location: midwest

Post by snapdragon »

Nice job!
Starting weight 185
Healthy BMI 139
Willingness without action is fantasy
Keith
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Joined: Tue May 27, 2014 4:42 am
Location: Western North Carolina

Post by Keith »

Day 8 Success
Keith
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Location: Western North Carolina

Post by Keith »

Day 9 Success
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lpearlmom
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Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 4:59 am
Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom »

You're rocking this! :D
SW: 210 lbs
CW: 151.7
GW:143
clarinetgal
Posts: 1709
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:16 am
Location: Western Washington State

Post by clarinetgal »

Great job!
Keith
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue May 27, 2014 4:42 am
Location: Western North Carolina

Post by Keith »

Day 10 Success

Thanks again for all the encouragement. It means a lot.
Keith
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue May 27, 2014 4:42 am
Location: Western North Carolina

Post by Keith »

Day 11 (Friday 6/6/14) Success
idontknow
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Location: UK

Post by idontknow »

Well done on all your successes! Keep it up :D
53 years old
Average weight loss:
May 18 - 2.45lbs
Keith
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Location: Western North Carolina

Post by Keith »

Day 12 S Day
Keith
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Post by Keith »

Day 13 S Day
Keith
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Post by Keith »

Day 14 Success
Day 15 Fail
Day 16 Fail
Day 17 Fail
Day 18 Fail
Keith
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Location: Western North Carolina

Post by Keith »

Day 19 S Day
Day 20 S Day
Day 21 Success
Day 22 Success
Keith
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Joined: Tue May 27, 2014 4:42 am
Location: Western North Carolina

Post by Keith »

Day 23 Success

Only lost about 5 lbs and probably have another 55 lbs to go. I'm starting to understand how the habit of not overeating is more important than just monitoring the scale. In the past I've shed weight very quickly but it obviously wasn't sustainable or I wouldn't be here now. I'm becoming a healthier version of myself each day and hopefully will be much less of a person this time next year.

I'll start cycling to work in the next few weeks which will provide me with some automatic healthiness each day.
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