Everyday Systems

Kevin

I certainly wouldn't mind it being sticky. That's hardly pushy, Reinhard. You're going way beyond the call just investing your time in this site.

Kevin

I don't usually SG every day - I alternate days with other resistance exercise. Personally, I think the more variety in exercise, the better.

Kevin

You rock.

Kevin

All I meant by that tough day statement was that I really, really wanted to eat. I was hungry all day long and resisted the urge.

I'm pretty lucky otherwise. The spouse and kids are doing well, the sun shines occasionally, and I have lots of work to keep me busy.

Kevin

Had a really tough day yesterday, suprisingly. Stuck with it, though.

Other than that, a successful week.

Kevin

reinhard wrote:We in the business refer to it as a Deweyian slip. And it's no laughing matter, they can really add up.

Good job, Reinhard. You didn't slip up again and type "dueian"...

Kevin

Is this "the Fireman?" I do this at about shoulder/head high. I can pull off about 35 each side with my 14 lb hammer before the muscles on the front of my shoulders are screamin.

But it's my favorite exercise.

Kevin

...as of 7/22, And cruisin!

That's a triple!

Kevin

No disrespect intended, Deb.

Kevin

I saw 179 on the digital scale for the first time in 10 years.

I'm doing a little extra walking with the dog. I think it's paying off.

Kevin

Kevin

I explain the No-S diet to others this way:

It's always simple, but it's not always easy.

Kevin

Well, if you are as old as I am, it doesn't competely. You just feel grateful that you are getting stronger even if you are a little sore. :0)

It does lessen quite a bit, though after a week or so. If you are big/bad sore, lay off a day.

Kevin

Pretty good week.

Kevin

I think I'll just eat my regular three meals a day. :0)

Kevin

that 16 pound hammer is a monster. It's what Reinhard uses. I started with a 10 pounder and used it for months.

You can buy 12s and 14s online. If you have a Harbor Freight in your area, they sell them for $20.

Kevin

Cynthia, if find yourself making a mistake (I once, for instance, when making the kid's lunch, found a piece of ham in my mouth that I didn't remember putting there), consider doing penance. That slice of ham cost me 15 minutes of walking and 35 pushups. The penance reinforced my new habit, was good...

Kevin

Hey, there's nothing wrong with variation. You can SG every other day and do traditional resistance training on the other days. Variation keeps you from developing repetitive motion injury. Even SGing, I do fewer reps of more exercises than I used to. I do 35 reps of these things now: 1. Shoveling 2...

Kevin

Good work, keep it up!

The weight loss might slow down over the next few weeks, but after two months I can say that it does continue, at slower pace.

Kevin

You'll start feeling them very quickly. You'll probably not see them until you've lost some fat (assuming that you, like me, have more padding then you wish you had). But you'll eventually develop the lean/strong visuals that your wife will like. I've been at this constantly for about six months. I'...

Kevin

Read Reinhard's shovelglove page for humorous answers to all of your questions. What follows are my opinions. You won't get massive doing this: you will get strong, though. Suprisingly strong. I have put on significant muscle mass, but not like a body builder. You'll see results in just a few weeks....

Kevin

I've lost 15 pounds in two months and continue to lose, slowly, but I'm losing it.

Kevin

That evil wife thing can be hard to overcome. Ask her if maybe she'll bake for you only on the weekends.

My wife undestands now. I still can't get her to try the diet, but sooner or later, she'll break down. She admires the change in visuals. Try SG. It's the obvious compliment to No-S.

Kevin

I'm not sure the weight loss over vacation week was a good thing. I really do think I lost some muscle mass from not swinging the hammer.

Still, I won't complain. I wouldn't have been suprised, or upset, if I had gained a pound or two.

Kevin

An eight pound maul is a fine starting point. Just be careful with the pointy end. Men have shoulders like men. Women have shoulders like women. You aren't going to get all "big" like a powerlifter doing SG. You will get defined, and you will get strong. And if you chop wood sometimes, think of this...

Kevin

Deb, I read your description of the weighted squat that you do. I wanted to point out that a Hindu squat is quite a different motion - it's back straight, up on the toes, butt to the heels, full range of motion, and unweighted. It's almost more like aerobic Yoga than it is like power squatting. Bala...

Kevin

Jürgen, while your girlfriend is laughing, laugh along with her. That's just more great exercise. SG does look idiotic, but it feels good. My wife doesn't laugh anymore - she knows I'm a whack job and loves me for it (at least, I think she loves me for it...). She's also happy that I'm exercising fo...

Kevin

Dru... The big problem on vacation for me was that meal times could be really stretched out - dinner wasn't until 8:30 a couple of nights and boy, was I hungry by 8:30. Keeping - as much as you can - to a schedule will help a lot. My wife is parsimonious, so she doesn't mind not spending for meals o...

Kevin

I had to face a vacation in Florida with the family over the last two weeks. I took 5 "special" days in two weeks, although they weren't Saturday or Sunday. Still, I did as well as I could have expected on a theme park vacation and continue to lose weight. I saw 180 on the scale yesterday morning......

Kevin

itf , give it a day or so until the soreness goes away, then get back to it. I find SG to be the perfect exercise. It takes almost no equipment, puts on muscle mass pretty quickly, and gets you in the shape you need to be for real world kind of work (yard work, DIY stuff, etc.). Have fun with it. T...

Kevin

I think the important aspect of the Hindu squat - the thing that differentiates it from other squats - is that you lift up to your toes as you lower your body. I don't know that I'd like it with additional weight. I incorporate it into SG by pretending I'm picking up the spoils of my work. I, too, h...

Kevin

Does anyone lose weight as fast as they'd like? :0)

Kevin

Welcome to the site. I've been toying with a tire-enabled shovelglove variant for a few months, on and off. I beat it with a wood chopping motion, squat/lift/toss it, drive it with the hammer with a shoveling motion, drive it with a croquet like swing (only much less dainty, very manly), stand it up...

Kevin

Boy, does that sound familiar... I was holding pads for someone who disregarded the instructor's command to stop... and threw a viscious roundhouse at a pad after I relaxed. Ended up with a frozen left shoulder which, two years later, is finally beginning to loosen up. Jan, I don't think you'd find ...

Kevin

If you had dual citizenship, it would be a heck of a long holiday weekend this year...

Kevin

...in that they don't seem to understand the damage you could do. My dog wanders over every once in a while to investigate, and I chase him away before I continue. This is definitely an exercise to do without animals - or children - around. If you want to "step up" from your claw hammer without goin...

Kevin

Reinhard can weigh in. I believe S days count to the total. 21 days is, I think, three calendar weeks.

Kevin

You should be proud of yourself. I'm not sure I could have pulled that off, bringing the kids for ice cream and not eating any...

Kevin

It does take a lot of will sometimes. I wonder, if I weren't middle-aged, comfortable at home, comfortable at work, and married to an understanding spouse, whether I'd be able to maintain this diet.

Kevin

Let it be natural. Don't work on cutting back portions until at least day 22.

I'm at 42 days, and my meals are smaller than they used to be pre No-S.
It's just not an issue any more.

Kevin

If you keep pretending, you'll love it. Remember, shovelglove is play work. You're working "for the man", stoking the ovens, picking the ore, shoveling the coal.

Kevin

I do a two handed motion that has sort of the same effect, with a work analog: I figure I'm standing beside a train rail and banging it back into alignment, raising the hammer to the side, both hands on the handle. It hits the deltoids pretty hard. I do maybe 30. Almost like a golf swing, or playing...

Kevin

Sahd, I do this move with probably more "swing" than is recommended, but if you were doing it for real (say busting a bench off its supports), you'd use plenty of backswing. I really like to pretend I'm working. So, with my 14 pound hammer I choke up on the handle about 1/2 of the way, and use my fo...

Kevin

A pretty easy day. I did have to treat an episode of hypoglycemia after dinner, but I'm not taking of points for being diabetic. It would be a lot easier to not have diabetes and not have to be insulin dependent. July 1 (today) is six weeks. I've lost 12 pounds (195 to 182). Good enough for me. I'm ...

Kevin

A 10 pounder would be plenty heavy to start with. You might even want to do the first couple of days with a broom stick.

Kevin

Hindu squats are done on your toes: it really changes the dynamic. I found that my long-lasting, low-intensity-but-annoying-knee-pain gone after just a few days of them. There is a balance component too: I wouldn't want to do them with a baby in my arms. Google "hindu squats" or go to Matt Furey's c...

Kevin

When I was trying to make this a habit, I would go as far as washing peanut butter off my hands when I was making my kids lunch rather than licking it off. This while gritting my teeth and muttering curses at myself. I don't think anyone here would hold you to as high a standard while you are preppi...

Kevin

Maybe not the best portion control day, but I did stick to No S.

Kevin

A lot of old time strong men (and many new time functional fitness guys) like unweighted "Hindu" squats in huge numbers rather than weighted squats. You can google it to see it performed. I like to do bodyweight exercises, so it fits in with my regime. When I'm working at them, I can do maybe 200 in...

Kevin

I've been trying to decide when a near-failure is a failure. Here's what I've come up with: If you catch yourself unconsciously snacking, and immediately do something to rectify the situation, it's not a failure. For instance, I reached for some raisins that were in a ziplock bag and got them in my ...

Kevin

It sounds like you have this licked.

Kevin

It would work if you put the weights on your wrist, but it effectively weighs much more at the business end of the lever.

Kevin

Oh, you Northerners...

It won't be below 90 degrees (Farenheit, that's about what Celsius.. oh nevermind) and 90 percent humidity here in Maryland until September...

Although it has been a beautiful late Spring early Summer.

I hyperbolize, but not much.

Kevin

For me, it's self defense. If I don't have a big lunch, I'd never make it until dinner.

Kevin

I think late afternoon is by far the worst time. It always was for me. It's particularly hard when you are prepping dinner... All my near failures were during this time.

Good luck and keep it up. You'll get there.

Kevin

Success today. Smaller portions for breakfast and dinner. Still eating a big lunch. I don't think I'll cut back there for a while.

Kevin

...Reinhard. I was worried that you'd find it, I don't know, glib.

Anyway, cvmom should be here, too... and there are several others that look like good candidates...

I never liked exclusive clubs.

Kevin

I'll have to give this a try.

Kevin

21 drinks on a Greek Island at 21... you sound like fun!

Anyway, post in the 21 club thread. Let's see how many of us get there!

Kevin

21 days on June 10. It won't be too long till I get the double...

Kevin

So, who's next to the 21 Club? Once you've hit 21 successful consecutive days, post in this forum thread...

Kevin

Welcome to the "21" club. May your second 21 be easier and more successful. I, too, am beginning to work on portion control.

Kevin

Okay, so Saturday night I went to town. I mean, I ate extra servings, snacked, etc. I felt really, really crummy Sunday morning. I don't think I'll be doing that, to that excess, again. Sunday I drank a beer and ate pizza for lunch at the Nationals game (I went to watch them lose their first home ga...

Kevin

It sounds like you are doing very well. I would not worry about portions during your meals - just try to avoid "stacking" too much. You'll find soon that meals won't be any larger than before... you will be hungry before the meal, but full is full, and you'll stop. If you are still feeling hypo/head...

Kevin

I'm glad you could do so well. It must have been difficult - it would have been terrible for me.

Kevin

This is particularly true where you live, Jan!

Kevin

How about setting your timer for 14 minutes and shovelgloving? It's far, far more interesting. Forget the hammer for a while, use a broomstick, or a broom, or use nothing. 14 minutes of SGing usually leaves you wanting more. 14 minutes on an exercise bike... well... I'm a No-S proponent, but I'm an ...

Kevin

I think I was about 226 or so from what I remember, my weight can fluctuate about 3 lbs during a day. Well I weighed myself this morning and I am 118 !!! about 7 lbs in 24days. That is a perfectly healthy weight loss, right about 2 lbs a week. And I haven't even picked up the shovelglove aspect yet...

Kevin

Good luck, Deb!

Kevin

Being more severe with yourself than required is rarely a bad thing, unless it makes you resent the plan. Frankly, on most S days I eat only a little more than I would on non-S days. Maybe an extra helping of something, or a beer after dinner. You don't have to go nuts. In fact, for the first three ...

Kevin

Okay, so I walked by my son's popcorn bowl and had a handful in my mouth before my brain even kicked in. I'm not counting this as failure - my brain did kick in and I didn't eat any more.

Kevin

You can chew gum and not be hungry? The chewing action always makes me much hungrier.

Kevin

I just read your post in another thread: clearly, you know about leverage. It sounds like you need a bigger hammer sometime soon.

Kevin

You can vary the load dramatically by moving your forward hand back a few inches.

At any rate, I'll bet those ankle weights cost more than a new hammer... or close to as much, anyway.

Best regards,

Kevin

Dont' be afraid to eat that big lunch if it carries you through till dinner. For a while, I was postponing lunch as long as I could (till 1:30 or so) so I could make it to dinner.

You're doing great avoiding that midafternoon snare.

Kevin

Aside from definition and increase in muscle size, the big payoff for SG is strength and endurance. I went to my cousin's house tonight and we ended up messing around on his Solarflex. He showed my how much he benched, then did a set. He asked if I wanted to try. I did. I ripped off a set of 15 whil...

Kevin

Personally, I think that eating Atkins can't be good for you. Humans have the teeth of omnivores, leaning hard to the herbivore end of the spectrum. While lots of folks think vegetables and the chemicals in them help prevent disease, I've heard few of the same claims for meat. I think that eating th...

Kevin

We have a Harbor Freight store in town. They have a very nice 14 pound hammer with a beefy wood handle for $20. I don't think I could handle 16 yet.

Kevin

I noticed the same thing about SG. Swinging that hammer around makes one stronger even by traditional weight lifting measures. My realization came through pull ups - I could suddenly do five. I mean, how does SG help your lats? Maybe I was doing them all on triceps, but I don't think so. You'd think...

Kevin

Rollin' on. Not losing much weight, but I'm okay with that. Only lost maybe half a pound this week.

Kevin

and move on. It's a healthy habit, not an obsession, right?

Kevin

on your signature quotation?

Kevin

macaroni with garlic-lemon butter; green peas; grilled dog; slices from a whole wheat baguette

Er, I assume you mean grilled hot dog... otherwise, I'm calling the ASPCA.

Kevin

Happy Birthday, Deb. I remember 38 as a vague memory... here I sit at 46, resenting my wasted youth (meaning when I was in my mid to late 30s)...

Best wishes for a great day.

Kevin

After three weeks, it's not an issue anymore. That should be comforting to you, but maybe not so much right now, huh? I will say that it took a while for my body to adjust. I had to dicker with my insulin pump settings to keep from getting low in the afternoon - low blood sugar will make refraining ...

Kevin

I hope you do well. It works for me.

By the way, I love your signature line. I'm betting it's a point of cultural reference that I don't understand, but its general absurdity is cheering.

Kevin

Well, I always called them "pick up the pieces", like I was picking up pieces of wood or stone... to emphasize the work analog and stay away from the scatological aspect. Anyway, IMHO, the on-the-toes thing makes the squats much easier on your knees. I go all the way down till I'm sitting on my ankl...

Kevin

I hope everyone is well.

I didn't shovelglove because I'm sore from using my new 14 pounder. I'll be back at it tonight.

Kevin

Keep going, or start over, however you want to look at it. I weighed more this morning than I did a few days ago. It's not encouraging. But I have a simple plan I can stick to. If I keep this up for a year, will I weigh less? That's probably a better frame of reference, because this isn't a diet, it...

Kevin

Oh, you'll tone up. Pay particular attention to hoist the sack motion if you are worried about your triceps. My arms have gotten bigger, but mostly the've gotten way, way more defined. If you are worried about working five days in a row, add some squats every other day (unweighted squats, with your ...

Kevin

I'm pleased for you, Reinhard. I don't even remember my first Father's day (my daughter is 14, my son is 11). Heck, I barely remember this one and it's only Tuesday... Maybe in a year or so I'll feel light and confident enough to blow it completely on an S day. Until then, I'm savoring the small con...

Kevin

I noticed you mentioned your boyfriend's beer... Beer is not precluded on the No S diet. You just have to have it with a meal. I drink one with dinner almost every night. I believe beer is proof that God loves me, personally (a joke, but a semi-serious one). If No S meant no beer, I doubt I'd be on ...

Kevin

I've been seriously considering an additional meal in the late afternoon to help with hypoglycemia (I'm the Type I diabetic trying to eat just three meals a day - in fact, it's been working pretty well, mostly because I use an insulin pump.). My suggestion to you would be pick the number of meals yo...

Kevin

Successful No S day.
Successful SG day.

Weight is not dropping, but muscle mass is increasing and weight is not increasing, so I'll take that.

I hope everyone is doing well.

Kevin

Okay so it was Father's day today, and we went out to dinner last night. I hat too much beer. Let me tell you, my friend, that second one really lowers your resistance to snacking. Still, I only ate the crabcakes and didn't even touch the fries. Had a couple of crackers back at home. The Nats were l...

Kevin

My personal opinion is that your Friday was a complete success. If nothing else, giving blood makes you an "s" (for special) person on an "s" day. I wouldn't think twice about it. Maybe make Sunday a non-S day if you are so inclined. Another way to think of it, if you are so inclined - I've been tem...

Kevin

Ah, I know that predicament.

My house is still stocked with junk food for my teen daughter. It's not always easy to walk by it, but I've managed. It truly does get to be a habit right around week three.

Stick with it: you can do it.

Kevin

Great going. Keep it up!

Kevin

On my birthday Thursday, I made one concession to it being an S day - I held fast. No special treats. I'll celebrate on Saturday, instead. Thanks to all for the Birthday wishes. Deb, I'm not opening those e-cards on my pathetic internet connection (my dial-up is running at 26.4 for some reason)... I...

Kevin

I second Reinhard's comments on forming a habit - it can be very difficult to follow this diet until the 21 day mark... then it's cruising. Between meals I'll drink water, maybe with lemon juice, or tea. That's it. No-S has simple rules, but they must be followed to the letter, not the spirit. If yo...

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