automated eating tracker

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Fri Feb 14, 2014 5:51 am

You're doing great auto. I love the amazon cart idea. Will give me a little time to decide if I really need/want it.

I understand about not wanting to lose weight too fast. Nobody wants to deal w rebound. You're not exactly starving yourself though so just trust that your body knows what it's doing. I think someone here said something about weight loss often not being linear and it make sense to me.

Keep up the good work. We just finished Book 1 of The Incorrible Children. So interesting!

Linda

NoSnacker · Post by **NoSnacker** » Fri Feb 14, 2014 9:57 am

I use the Amazon cart as well...then I forget about it..and then decide at some point if I truly want it. My motto for awhile was is this a "want" or "need"..if a need I would by it.

Are you a prime customer? I am and saved tons of money on shipping plus I get a free book a month for my kindle from the lending library.

Great job on sticking with your program..

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Fri Feb 14, 2014 1:26 pm

Oh, yes, I'm an addicted Prime member. That is what originally got me into this mess! It was way too easy to just click it and voila! I had just spent money painlessly (until the bill showed up at the end of the month!).

So my NoSpending is really meant to reel in two spending areas: Amazon/kindle; and lattes. It has worked like a charm!

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Fri Feb 14, 2014 2:13 pm

Linda, I wonder why our weight loss is so variable...... it must fluctuate with our metabolism, which means it might have something to do with how stressed I've been lately. Lots of cortisol and adrenaline.

On the other hand, maybe it's more simple calories in/calories out, in which case a) I'm walking faster now; and b) I think I'm putting less food on my plate, because I've learned I'm filled up with less than I used to think I "needed" to be full.

Or a combination of lots of things.

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Fri Feb 14, 2014 2:14 pm

I'm taking an S Day today (Valentine's Day) and Monday (holiday).
I think I definitely need to decompress a little.

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Fri Feb 14, 2014 4:00 pm

I am at a low point willpower-wise. Thoughts of:
buying lattes
not cleaning house
not wanting to get through homeschool stuff
not wanting to read to kids as much
wanting to let kids use electronics as a break for me

I am tired. This is the second or third time I have experienced this since starting NoS. At times of great weariness, my willpower is diminished. Makes sense, but can be challenging to deal with.

After looking through my list, however, I don't see a lot of "snacking" temptations. Interesting, and a pleasant surprise. I think that, for the most part, snacking mindlessly has lost its appeal as a mood-lifter. Cool. Laying around and doing nothing, on the other hand, has great appeal.

jw · Post by jw » Fri Feb 14, 2014 6:04 pm

Don't snack and don't buy a latte -- make yourself a good cup of coffee or even cocoa and then -- have the kids read to you!

herbsgirl · Post by **herbsgirl** » Fri Feb 14, 2014 8:34 pm

Automatedeating-I frequently have times like this when I just plain don't feel like following my eating plan, counting my bites, doing my housework contract (on stick.com) ect ect ect. but I a lot of times just do it anyway because I put money on the line

.

And you know what? I am almost always without fail glad I went ahead and did it after I do it, it is just pushing past that "I don't feel like doing this right now" feelings! Its not easy, I know! That is how stickk has helped me become a much more discliplined person. We homeschool and I am using it with homeschool too, for goals!

Hang in there, friend! These weary feelings will pass! Things will look better! We all go through that, and I go through it pretty often sometimes! Theres a lot of good in keeping on keeping on, cause you will be glad you did!

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Fri Feb 14, 2014 9:40 pm

Auto, I admire your honesty... And of course this too shall pass...

Tessytwinkle · Post by **Tessytwinkle** » Fri Feb 14, 2014 10:01 pm

When we are tired and weary everything is hard. There's nothing wrong with lying around and taking time out at times like these. On the other hand your insight into your change in snacking behaviour is a major one. Good on you

I hope your spirits lift soon. You are teaching me and inspiring me with your plans and goals I know you are doing this for others too. Read back through some of your posts while you are lying around

they will encourage you. Be kind to yourself and as sweetness says this too shall pass

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Sat Feb 15, 2014 1:04 am

Thanks for the encouragement ladies. Ah, yes, this too shall pass.
Friday, Week 25
S Day (Just need it)
134.2
NoSEating
coffee with cream
skipped breakfast
L: pizza and diet coke
D: McDonald's quarter pounder and fries
NoSitting
um, yeah, I've been sitting, trying to nap, actually.
NoSpending
$2.99 for Amazon movie for kids
NoScreeningKids
Let 4-yr old watch a movie, but I gave them an S Day too.

Feel tired and doubting my teaching ability. Worried about job stuff. Afraid of dying or my kids dying. Same stuff as last October! Fascinating, really, when I look at it sort of outside myself.

jw · Post by jw » Sat Feb 15, 2014 3:14 am

Is your resistance low? Is it just that time in the semester when everything has piled up? Has it been cloudy and grey for 10 days straight? I think it's great you can see a pattern -- and also see the progress you've made since last fall. Hope this passes soon, whatever the cause -- sending peaceful thoughts your way!

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Sat Feb 15, 2014 3:36 am

Emotions can be all over the place. You are in this to win it.

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Sat Feb 15, 2014 6:25 pm

Thanks jw and Sweetness. Yes, my resistance is low, jw! Thanks for the peaceful thoughts.

I try to plan my S Days at the beginning of the month. I had planned Feb 4th (husband's birthday) and Feb 17th (holiday), but earlier this week realized I was completely burnt out and needed less structure for more days, so I declared Feb 14th another S day. So, 3 non-weekend S Days for the month.

Right after that I wondered if I shouldn't have changed my S days so close to the Day of. However, after pondering I am OK with my policy--I will allow myself to declare an S Day right up to the day before.

We'll see how my policy plays out. When I look at my eating yesterday (S day), I actually followed vanilla. No desserts, no snacks, no sweets. The only thing different I did was eat fast food for meals and skipped breakfast. I really just needed to know I could eat anything I wanted, even though I ended up not.....

I think where I really needed a release from structure was with housecleaning and homeschooling. Those habits are harder to maintain.

I slept 11 hours last night (took a sleeping pill). This was amazing, and I am already feeling a lot better this morning. Better enough to check a few things off my to-do list! I'm going to do them right now!

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Sat Feb 15, 2014 10:54 pm

Saturday, Week 25
S Day S Day S Day
133.6
NoSEating
coffee with cream
B: donut
L: hot dog and a big glass of raw milk
Note: The thread on the general board got me craving the delicious 5+% milkfat raw milk we can buy in my town. It's $12/gallon!!!! Seemed like a great craving to give in to.

It is so creamy, so delicious, yum yum yum.
D: not yet, but I think it will be out on the town and a big meal! Update: got a peanut buster parfait from Dairy Queen and a couple of tacos at Taco Bell. The person in front of us at the Taco Bell drive through paid for our dinner! Wow, that was really cool. Inspires me to do that for someone else!
NoSittingOnButt
40-second plank
50 jumping jacks
NoSpending
$5 bought library bag at library
$12 raw milk
$90 -- homeschool curriculum, Taekwondo uniform, Star Wars trilogy on Blue Ray, one book (all items put in Amazon cart earlier in week)
$35 -- had to return a package, golly that was expensive
lots of money left to spend if my husband and I go out tonight....... kids are spending the night with a neighbor.
**Really needed this weekend outlet of spending! I guess this habit is difficult to build, but I won't worry about my S Days right now.
NoScreeningKids
Going well again. Kids have a window of electronics time, and then how much they read earns them extra time. There is a no elecronics time mid-day to get chores done and do more reading.

I managed to get my most onerous household chores out of the way so that it doesn't all crash down on me tomorrow. I don't work on Monday, so that should help me decompress enough to make it through the upcoming week.

jw, yes, the workload has just piled and piled and piled and piled up, plus my husband has some extreme work stress that I take onto my own stress burdens. The kids have picked up on all this stress, too. Then we found out that this period of high-stress is not going to be ending when we thought, so that really deflated what little energy I have left.

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Sun Feb 16, 2014 1:56 am

automatedeating wrote: I slept 11 hours last night (took a sleeping pill). This was amazing, and I am already feeling a lot better this morning. Better enough to check a few things off my to-do list! I'm going to do them right now!

A good night's sleep makes a big difference. I've been getting up earlier, think I'll go to bed early and treat myself!

jw · Post by jw » Sun Feb 16, 2014 2:24 am

I can so empathize, auto! You know those old cartoons with the guy crawling through the desert toward the oasis? I can actually imagine you crawling on your belly toward the next break! So sorry the break is farther away than you thought! Maybe Monday will give you a little bit of a breather.

chani8 · Post by **chani8** » Sun Feb 16, 2014 7:33 am

Last night I stopped by here and when I saw your comment about 11 hours of sleep, I promptly closed down and went to bed. LOL It helped a lot!

Enjoy your Yes S day!

minimizer · Post by **minimizer** » Sun Feb 16, 2014 6:11 pm

I hear you about getting a good night's sleep, auto....it does make such
a difference. I can really tell the difference when I occasionally manage to
sleep well.

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Mon Feb 17, 2014 12:46 am

Thanks for the comments, everybody! It seems that the lack of sleep thing is a common struggle for many of us! I structure my day so I go to bed early enough, but unfortunately I have a hard time staying asleep all night. It's a new problem only since having kids (so about 8 years). 10 years ago I couldn't imagine ever having trouble sleeping.

jw, your image of the guy crawling toward the oasis is a great one!

I only hope the oasis is not a mirage!!!

I'm definitely feeling a little better today. Our boys spent the night with a neighbor, and my husband and I went out. I slept in again today! Plus, knowing that I don't have to work tomorrow (meaning I don't have to lay out walking clothes, make lunch, get up early, confirm babysitting, lay out homeschooling materials, finish all the weekend cleaning) seems to have me quite relaxed at the moment. I did all the chores that can't be ignored (like cleaning the litter box, laundry, and grocery shopping), and I'm going to let the rest slide (washing the floors, decluttering bedrooms) until next weekend.

Sunday, Week 26
S Day S Day S Day
134.0
NoSEating
coffee with milk
B: bacon, eggs, hashbrowns
whole milk latte
L: glass of milk, finished Peanut Buster Parfait (couldn't finish it last night...guess I'm not used to that big of a sugar-load anymore); 1 peanut butter cup
D: ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, garlic bread
NoSittingOnButt
40-second plank
100 jumping jacks
NoSpending
Groceries, filled gas tank, latte
NoScreeningKids
Not bad at all. Not bad at all!

I make a graph every week now for the kids to log their reading time, and my 8 year old read (or I read to him) for 7 hours last week. I think that is very very good, for a little guy that has always been on the move and not naturally inclined to sit still for reading. Chani's advice to focus on what I want him to do has been terrific. I am now putting my energy into getting them to read more, rather than use electronics less. That said, we have great parameters in place right now for electronic use.

I know that originally when I contemplated No Electonics for the kids during the week, the question came up about schoolwork. At this point it's not an issue, I think when it is--the answer is--you do schoolwork as needed on the computer, that time is exempt for electronic use. Once the teenage years strike, I'll be shelling out big money to have all kinds of nifty "nanny" software on all our devices!! I am so not above that!

I already consider it a fun hobby to learn about all the parental control options on Amazon, Netflix, ipads, and our PC. With two boys in the house, I have had my radar up for years about how to protect them from early and over-exposure to things that will make it harder for them to have a happy marriage. Whoa, how's that for a tangent?

chani8 · Post by **chani8** » Mon Feb 17, 2014 6:07 am

You had a great day! Hurray on everything - the food, the sleep, minimal housekeeping, the electronics, even getting over-sweeted (new word) by the sugar.

Are you homeschooling full-time? Meaning, do your kids go to school part-time.

Woah, you did 100 jumping jacks!! Woo hoo, go girl!! I did some jumping jacks last night, too. They're awesome!

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Mon Feb 17, 2014 6:31 am

Awesome reading results!

We have controls on their electronics so they're not allowed to download, watch or surf anything inappropriate. Apple does it by age or rating (G, PG, Pg-13). Definitely helps me to feel les anxious.

You're a great mommy. Keep up the good work!

Linda

chani8 · Post by **chani8** » Mon Feb 17, 2014 10:48 am

Auto, it's fun that you took the enneagram test! Just fyi, 1s can relate to the 4, especially when the 1 is a little depressed. 1s are actually similar to the 5 by being curious and intellectual, and to the 6 by intuiting danger and recognizing problems/issues. And 9's are good for 1s by keeping them calm and cheerful.

My family is really into personality typing, using both the enneagram and the Myers-Briggs system. It helps us to accept our differences and not get so frustrated with each other.

So if your DH is a 9, then how does he do with all these rules? Lets you deal with enforcing them, is my guess. lol

jw · Post by jw » Mon Feb 17, 2014 6:32 pm

auto, the oasis is not a mirage! In fact, you're already at a watering hole of some kind, I can feel it!

I took the enneagram test, too, but like you, I was all over the map, with Investigator predominating, but by a tiny margin. Took a course in Myers-Briggs years ago and thought that was really interesting and accurate, though.

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Mon Feb 17, 2014 9:24 pm

Hi everybody.
Chani, my 4 yr old goes to preschool 3 days a week for a couple hours. I use it as babysitting, and hope that he enjoys himself a little.

I definitely don't do anything formal with him.
My 8-yr old goes to an alternative school where he can take electives. He goes 3 hours on Mondays and 2 hours on Thursdays. I use it for Taekwondo, Art, piano lessons, and science classes.
I find childcare with other homeschooling families on a couple of days, and my husband is home a couple days, and somehow we get it done.

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Mon Feb 17, 2014 9:35 pm

Hey, jw, I took the Meyer's Briggs tests years ago, and I just looked at it again for fun. I am an ENTJ. And, no surprise, my husband is the exact opposite: ISFP.

too funny.

jw · Post by jw » Mon Feb 17, 2014 9:50 pm

INFJ here!

-- But right on the very borderline between I and E.

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Mon Feb 17, 2014 10:11 pm

Monday, Week 26
S Day S Day S Day
134.2
NoSEating
coffee with milk
B: 2 eggs and an english muffin
snack: handful of reese's pieces and a chocolate almond
L: pork and beans
D: burger and fries
NoSittingOnButt
Let's face it, I haven't done much these past few days. And I think that's exactly what I needed!
100 jumping jacks
50-second plank
45-second wall sit
NoSpending
$4 on Liberty's Kids on Amazon (I use it as a history supplement)
NoScreeningKids
Today is an S day, but I've still curtailed most of the electronics. We got through all the school stuff, did a fair bit of reading, now the 8 year old is outside and the 4 year old is napping. We are going to watch Star Wars tonight.

Oh, and jw--I'm also on the border between E and I. I tend to feel like the ENTJ profile fits me best, though. The N I am off the charts dominant, it's as if there is very little S in me.

Ha, ha, get it?! No S Diet!!!!

NoSnacker · Post by **NoSnacker** » Mon Feb 17, 2014 11:06 pm

INTJ - Me too, borderline E/I......I'm always amazed at these tests. My place of employment offered for us to take it. The last once I took (not the miggs) I was a TFD (T needs details, lists, etc. F with come on team and last D let's get it done now)

So how you like lists I would be you are a "T" strong

p.s. I was a little shocked when the teacher said that women tend to be more F verses T, I think there weren't many women in the class that were T's..so I guess we just think a lot

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Tue Feb 18, 2014 4:00 am

Thanks for answering about the homeschooling, Ive been meaning to ask. I was wondering how you could possibly home school when it looks like you go to work every day. Now you explained it I'm still wondering how you do it. I homeschooled my two sons, but never worked more than one and a half days a week while I was doing it.

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Tue Feb 18, 2014 5:27 am

I forget exactly what I am but I'm definitely an introvert. It was interesting for me to learn what that meant exactly because I'm definitely not a shy person. In fact I'm known to chat up cashiers and strangers in stores on a regular basis. But being an introvert is very different from being shy.

It just means that I feel drained after being with people for too long (especially large groups) and I feel revived after spending time alone. In fact I need a bit of alone time everyday or I start to feel really grumpy! Apparently extroverts feel the opposite way. Of course there are probably people somewhere in the middle. Anyway was such a relief to know there wasn't something wrong with me!

Fun stuff!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Tue Feb 18, 2014 10:47 am

Thanks for your kind words on my thread auto!

I'm also an out-going introvert. Knowing that made things a lot easier.

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Wed Feb 19, 2014 3:59 am

Tuesday, Week 26
N Day
NoSEating
coffee with cream
forgot breakfast, crazy busy
L: chicken, corn and potatoes, apple, clementine
D: 2 tacos, chips and guacamole, margarita
NoSittingOnButt
walked to work (40 minutes)--was slow and tired
45-second wall sit
NoSpending
OK
NoScreeningKids
I wouldn't know--I left this morning at 6:30 and didn't get home until 8pm!!!! Crazy crazy day.

Today I had to have my husband pick me up from work for our date night--I didn't have time to walk home because I had so much work to get done.

Tomorrow I have to drive to work because I have dentist appts scheduled for both boys and me directly after a work meeting. Ugh. Please tell me my diligent habit-building of walking to work isn't falling apart. Oh, man, I have worked so hard to build this habit.....don't fail me now willpower!

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Wed Feb 19, 2014 5:57 am

Two days of not walking is definitely not enough to throw you off course so don't despair!

I know how you feel though. I was so afraid to get a red day because I thought it would cause me to go completely off course but turns out barely made a dent in my overall compliance so have faith in yourself and your strong habits!!

Linda

Tessytwinkle · Post by **Tessytwinkle** » Wed Feb 19, 2014 9:50 pm

You will be back walking very soon, I feel certain your habit is strong. But sometimes we have to adapt to everyday changes in life, that is normal living and your walking is established ' normal' behaviour for you now. Besides I am counting on you keeping me up to my swimming every day I can. Which is not established yet, but is being encouraged and sustained by my belief in your good walking habits. We all need each other

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Thu Feb 20, 2014 1:02 am

Thanks for your encouragement, Linda and Tessy. Sigh. Feel like I'm drowning under my to-do list.
Wednesday, Week 26
N Day
133.6
NoSEating
coffee with cream
B: oatmeal
L: turkey pot pie, clementine
D: spaghetti and garlic bread
NoSittingOnButt
45-second wall sit
100 jumping jacks
Discouraged because I didn't walk today, but trying to avoid the WTH effect with walking to work and just giving up completely.
NoSpending
So hard, so hard, wanted to buy a latte before my afternoon meetings, then wanted to get fast food with the kids after our dentist appts. Somehow resisted.
NoScreeningKids
Fail. Let them play on my phone during wait times at the dentist.
Still need to read an hour to the boys....... oh, man, I sense yet another fail coming.

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Thu Feb 20, 2014 3:31 am

Hang tight! These little bumps along the way are to be expected and seem to come in waves. I'm certain you will get back on track soon and go another nice long stretch before the next bump.

You are working on a lot of things at once so don't forget to give yourself credit for the things you are getting right. The not spending win was a big one for today for instance! Giving in while waiting for the dentist seems pretty minor. Sometimes you have to put your sanity first!

Linda

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Thu Feb 20, 2014 9:34 am

Hi Auto,
you know what - don't be so hard on yourself! The dentist is not a pleasant experience for most of us, let alone kids, to distract them beforehand with a bit of phone games - sounds to me like the smart thing to do. It's not a routine thing and I don't think it will affect your overall success you have had. It's like a "fail-worthy treat", there are "fail-worthy situations" for NoScreeningKids, as long as they are contained.
I think you are doing fantastically! Big pat on the back

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Thu Feb 20, 2014 2:04 pm

Thanks Linda and eschano. Sigh (again). I guess I'm sighing a lot this week.
Well, good news is that I actually completed reading to the boys for over an hour last night. That felt good. But yet another unusual event means that I can't walk home from work today. I can walk there, at least, which I'm just about to do.

I've been dabbling with Reinhard's "foot soldier", and "officer" cards. Anybody else use this idea? I'll post more later but I have some strong opinions on the system so far

that I think apply particularly to females (mainly, how cute does the system look--and this one, not so much).

jw · Post by jw » Thu Feb 20, 2014 3:07 pm

You really miss your walking, don't you, auto! Hope things settle down soon -- I understand, it can become the time of day when you get your head straight and have some me-time. Hang on!

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Fri Feb 21, 2014 12:31 am

Thursday, Week 26
N Day
NoSEating
coffee with cream
B: oatmeal
L: leftover spaghetti, apple, clementine
D: Beef chimichanga, sour cream, guacamole, chips, salsa
NoSittingOnButt
walked to work (40 minutes)
45-second wall sit
NoSpending
fail.....but not too bad. Had to pay $1.50 to bring the kids home from my work on the bus. But is was "fail-worthy" because otherwise I would have driven to work this morning (instead of walking). So, whatever. I'm fine with it.
NoScreeningKids
All good, although I still have to push hard to get that hour of reading in.

CM2014 · Post by **CM2014** » Fri Feb 21, 2014 1:13 am

I really like the fact that you can walk to work. That is not possible for me. I wish I could though.

chani8 · Post by **chani8** » Fri Feb 21, 2014 11:16 am

Where do I find out about the 'foot soldier cards' you mention?

Thinking of you! Hope all is well.

minimizer · Post by **minimizer** » Fri Feb 21, 2014 10:55 pm

I'd like to hear more about the 'foot soldier' and 'officer' cards, too!

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 4:19 am

Friday, Week 26
N Day
132.5
NoSEating
B: 2 eggs and english muffin
coffee with cream
L: spaghetti, apple, clementine
D: salmon, garlic bread
wine
NoSittingOnButt
0 activity!!!!!!!!!
NoSpending
Fine, but oh, how I craved buying a latte this morning because I knew I would be in meetings all day.
NoScreeningKids
Great. Made it to Friday 5pm. We just finished watching Empire Strikes Back.

Organizing To-Do List

Ladies, "foot soldier" and "officer" and "general" are from Reinhard's podcast on his productivity system. He describes these in podcasts......42-44.

I've been using them just for one week so far. I am tweaking quite a bit already. My biggest issue is that carrying a notecard is kind of annoying; it's too flimsy, it's not pretty, it doesn't feel good in my hand. Here is what I do:
1. I ordered bright neon-colored 3 X 5 cards.
2. I cut out a 3 X 5 sized manilla folder and 3 extra bright pink "foot soldier" cards inside and one bright green "officer" card inside.
3. On the outside of the tiny manilla folder, I paperclipped my pink "foot soldier" card and attached a pencil. Because of the nature of my teaching schedule, it makes sense to have one foot soldier (to-do list) for Monday/Tuesday, one card for Wednesday/Thursday, and one card for Friday/Saturday/Sunday. When done with the foot soldier card, I just toss it. Reinhard keeps his.
4. On the outside of the manilla folder (on the back), I paperclip (same paperclip) my bright green Officer card (this is stuff that needs to be taken care of in the next couple of weeks. It ends being my grocery/shopping list as well as things like -- get oil changed and do taxes.

The whole shebang is the same size as my cell phone, so all I need to carry in a very small bag is: cell phone, index cards, small wallet and keys.

In the past, my to-do list were written on scraps of paper. The grocery list was kept on the side of the fridge--problem? I'd think of something I need while at work and then forget to put it on the shopping list. This system has completely fixed that. I have always kept my appts on my calendar, but I absolutely do not like using my smartphone for my to-do lists. It takes too long to open it and too long to write it (compared to an index card and pencil). So this system has promise. What I wish is that it were cuter. I've spent time browsing amazon this week for simillar small to-do list notebooks that open flat, but nothing is all of the following: right size, right price, right thickness, right "stay-openness", right amount of space for to-do..... etc., etc. The best products seem to be these moleskine notebooks. But honestly, for very cheap these notecards are working just fine. Any barrier I might put on them (like a cute plastic sleeve or something) merely makes them less convenient to update.

Week in Summary
What a week. I worked 12 hour days on Tuesday and Friday, had dentist appts with kids on Wednesday, and did massive amounts of advising students on Thursday. I only walked to work on Tuesday and Thursday. I did not walk home a single day this week. I barely got any other movement in.... I even missed my planks, and jumping jacks.

Although I didn't make it to one hour reading to kids on the three nights I aim for that, I succeeded 1 night and was very close on a second night.

What's weighing on me most these days would be the things on my "officer" card--those are the things that have got to be done in the next couple of weeks: taxes, replace a cracked windshield, rotate tires, catch up with the house (it's degenerated in the last couple of hectic weeks).

Those are things that I can only do on Saturday and Sunday. Believe it or not, the list was uncomfortably long a month ago. Each weekend I try to slash through a couple of items in addition to my regular weekend chores. I know I will feel so good once I get through the remaining items. New things always crop up, yes, but I would say this has been a particularly busy month of "extra" responsibilities.

A little victory I can celebrate is that I was shopping online this week wanting to buy a different kind of wallet or purse. I never could buy anything (no spending) and so I had three things in my cart for today. Well, by then I had found an old purse that is working great, so I deleted all those items from my cart and saved some money!

And another victory in the finance dept--we have been in the green at the end of the last two months. We are officially saving a little money every month. That feels good.

Thanks to my new NoSpending, I really have to plan out my weekend errands, so I don't overdo it. I just managed to avoid an extra library trip by renewing the one book that was due today (Incorrigibles, the book Linda recommended! We are in Chapter 13, and really liking it!).

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 10:43 pm

Saturday, Week 26
S Day S Day S Day
NoSEating
black coffee (we were out of milk!!)
B: 2 eggs, 1 piece of toast
snacks/desserts: handful of grapes, shared a strawberry sundae with kids
L: bowl of chips, 3 see's chocolates
Dessert: 3 more sees chocolates, diet Pepsi, cup of milk
D: BBQ-pork on a roll, a pickle, lemonade, coffee with cream
Dessert: 2 more See's chocolates and wine
NoSittingOnButt
40-second plank
45-wall sit
75 jumping jacks
NoSpending
Groceries, See's Chocolates, $5 at Goodwill, $1 for 8-yr old's game (on Amazon), paid bills
NoScreeningKids
We were running errands until almost noon, so they haven't played too much today. Then they've helped a good bit with housecleaning. We're going someplace at 5:30 and so today seems reasonable.

I'm feeling really snacky, junk-food cravings today. The only restriction on this I'm trying to put is to keep some semblance of a 3-meal/day structure. I always try to do that, but today it's a little more challenging. I wonder....could it be because I didn't have my usual 3 cups of creamy coffee this morning?

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 5:13 am

Seems like a pretty good day all and all. I see you managed to get that creamy coffee in later!:)

minimizer · Post by **minimizer** » Sun Feb 23, 2014 4:36 pm

Thanks, auto. I'll try to find where the podcasts are located.

(OK, found 'em! Thanks!)

jw · Post by jw » Sun Feb 23, 2014 5:46 pm

Love your week in summary, auto! And those longer-term things weigh on me, too -- taxes, for example. I did my own long form, Schedule C, Schedule SE, etc. etc. at the last minute for years but now I treat myself to a nice 40 minute visit at H & R Block. Why? LAM! It's a cheap date when I consider the stress I don't feel as a result!

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Mon Feb 24, 2014 12:06 am

Sunday, Week 27
S Day S Day S Day
NoSEating
coffee with milk
B: 1 egg and 2 pieces of toast
snacks: blueberries and grapes
L: tortilla with beans, cheese and guacamole
snacks/dessert: potato chips, 3 See's chocolates
D: meatballs and toast
Snack: chips
NoSittingOnButt
45-second plank
45-second wall sit
75jumping jacks
NoSpending
Nothing
NoScreeningKids
Watched Return of the Jedi with the kids. Cried at the end (the scene with Darth Vader, Luke and the Emperor) like I always do.

I finished my taxes (all but the finishing touches!). Thank you TurboTax--it's worth it to pay them to keep all my info, saved enormous amount of time. I also got the tires rotated this weekend, got all my cleaning done, very productive overall! I have my foot soldier and officer cards ready to go for tomorrow.

And now it's snowing, so beautiful. And you know what? Since I walk to work, I have zero stress about getting to work in the morning. So it can snow all night if it wants to. I've been hoping to have one day this winter when I get to walk to work in the snow.

update: yuck! I spent half an hour throwing up in the evening! I wonder if it was just that I ate so much, and dinner was so greasy? Anyway, I feel fine now (next morning), but that wasn't fun!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Mon Feb 24, 2014 2:39 pm

Glad you're feeling a bit better Auto! And congrats on having done your taxes. One less thing to think about

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Mon Feb 24, 2014 3:11 pm

So glad you got some of those big tasks out of the way. So stressful having that stuff hanging over your head.

Sorry you felt sick last night but glad things seem back on track for you in general!

Hope you got your snowy walk this morning!

Linda

Tessytwinkle · Post by **Tessytwinkle** » Mon Feb 24, 2014 9:54 pm

I love walking in the snow. We don't have very much in the uk where I live. So it is nice to think of you walking to work. Enjoy

. I think you are doing so well with all your plans. I know you have felt down lately. But hopefully a walk in the fresh snow will lift you up. You deserve a break.

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Tue Feb 25, 2014 12:04 am

Monday, Week 27
N Day
132.5
NoSEating
coffee with cream
B: got busy and forgot to eat it
L: steak burrito with guacamole, apple, clementine
D: lasagne and buttered toast
NoSittingOnButt
walked to/from work (in slush, not exactly pristine snow!) -- 90 minutes Yay! So glad to walk home too....first time in over a week.
45-second plank
45-second wall sit
75 jumping jacks
NoSpending
All Clear
NoScreeningKids
All Clear, still need to get in the hour or more of reading to them. Update: Did it! Read quite a bit of our fun history book and a chapter in the Incorrigibles, then topped it off with some of our favorite picture books (Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day is one of our favs).

My little foot soldier (bright pink) and Officer (bright green) index cards have already tightened up my productivity. Wow, I gotta hand it to Reinhard, it is a super simple system that is working for me (albeit with tweaks). My foot soldier cards cover 2 days (rather than one)--because of my particular work schedule this is more appropriate. My Officer card only covers 1 week (rather than ~2). This is also more appropriate for my schedule and shopping routine. I think it might be because I'm a woman (or to be less sexist, I am the partner in my relationship that does the shopping). The real key is that you carry the two cards (and a pencil, ideally) everywhere with you. It is way to keep track of domestic and work responsibilities all in one place, so you don't forget groceries for home, or a work meeting at work.

snapdragon · Post by **snapdragon** » Tue Feb 25, 2014 2:58 am

Thank you for stopping g by my thread! Been reading a bit through your thread. Lots of interesting things to think about!
I love that you homes school your kids. I was very seriouse about the idea and even joined an online local group and organized a meetup with other interested moms, it really didn't gel well and finally decided it was not the best choice for us. I supplement a bit for our kids and occasionally still feel a little regret.
I think I will borrow your no screening kids idea. Especially for the "littles" my "bigs" are pretty busy with activities and lots of their school work involves the computer.

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Tue Feb 25, 2014 4:38 am

So glad you got your walk in today. I knew you'd get back in track. Sometimes it's good to miss a few days because well you miss it & really appreciate how good it makes you feel.

Btw, have you thought about graphing your weight at some point? I think it'd be really interesting/helpful for others to get a sense of a possible timeline.

Linda

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Tue Feb 25, 2014 10:06 am

Auto, I always come away inspired from your thread.

I now have a walk to the station that is 25 min mon-fri so I'm finally a fellow walker - 50 min a day so nothing against you but still

I saw you posted on josia's thread you don't like cooking - I never did until very recently and love that NoS doesn't need you to. I did a year and a half on NoS without cooking much at all and it worked well enough for me!

jw · Post by jw » Tue Feb 25, 2014 3:35 pm

Did you get to walk in the snow? I've seriously had enough for this year, but I get all excited every year at the first snow fall!

chani8 · Post by **chani8** » Tue Feb 25, 2014 4:18 pm

Great No S'ing, great sounding food, great exercise, great soldier, and a Great Mom!!

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 3:38 am

Tuesday, Week 27: Officially 6 months of NoSing!
N Day
133.6
NoSEating
coffee with milk
B: forgot again
L: lasagne, apple, clementine
D: fish and chips
wine
NoSittingOnButt
walked to/from work (85 minutes)
NoSpending
A-OK
NoScreeningKids
All Clear

No time right now, but thanks to everyone that commented.

Have a good night!!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 10:04 am

Success on all fronts! Doing well auto!

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 2:44 pm

I'm trying to post my weight trendline in my signature, but it's not accepting it. Here it is. Thanks for the suggestion, Linda, to graph my weight. You can clearly see my plateau during December on here:
https://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/HackDiet

Marianna · Post by **Marianna** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 2:49 pm

I'm impressed with your walk to work and back! I wish I could make that happen--I may try biking to work and back in the summer, although there would be some gnarly hills to conquer--

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 1:22 am

Wednesday, Week 27
N Day
132
NoSEating
B: coffee with cream
L: lasagne, apple
milky coffee
D: pot roast and mashed potatoes
NoSittingOnButt
walked to/from work (85 minutes)
NoSpending
All Clear
NoScreeningKids
Good so far, but I've got to read for 1+ hour still.....I find myself almost getting nervous about that. I never tell the kids that is my goal, so it's a little nervous energy inside me to try and succeed at this goal. update: got it done!

6 months complete (yesterday, actually)
*NoSEating is solid. I know my first red day will eventually arrive, but now I am not quite so freaked that I will give up and quit on that day. I have failed at NoSitting, NoSpending and NoScreening and I keep on with those habits. Even coming close to success is an improvement over not trying!

There will be some hunger before meals. I get hungry about an hour before I eat, but it is usually easy to distract myself (for example, I type on here, I go outside with the kids, I read a book, or I lay down for a few minutes). However, the hunger is not bad. When I feel it, it doesn't terrify me anymore. It's uncomfortable, but at the same time, anticipatory (for the good meal that is coming). Once I distract myself from snacking, I often forget all about food and then I hardly feel hungry once I sit down at the table. Once I start thinking about food again, then I feel hungry again.

So much of our hunger is psychological and routined. For example, I eat lunch at 12 and then I work and often don't "feel" hunger until I think, "hmmm, wonder what I'll eat for dinner?" Then my stomach growls!! Another piece of evidence: on rare occasions, I've had to miss a meal or eat much later than expected. I found that hunger would build until maybe 1 hour after the usual mealtime, then wane!! My body had accepted that it wouldn't be practical to act "hungry" until the next mealtime rolled around. I am trying to say that WE CAN TRAIN OUR BODIES SUCH THAT THEY GET HUNGRY AT MEALTIMES, AND NOT OTHER TIMES!!!! Wow, that's awesome and sure emphasizes the value of routined eating habits and NOT being a grazer.

My children are not allowed to snack (very much) anymore, either. And I have seen them change from whining and thinking they'll die because they are so hungry (so they say) to them find ways of distracting themselves until dinner. You know what they usually do to distract themselves? Go back outside and play some more! Talk about "killing two birds with one stone": greater activity and less disordered eating, plus they are learning skills that will serve them the rest of their lives!

Even at my hungriest meal, I now know that a regular-sized meal will satisfy me. Weird, but true. I don't need to eat a LOT more when I feel a LOT more hungry. It's not directly proportional. I guess our hunger is the ultimate squeaky wheel, and we can be so convinced we're starving that we pile on the food. That said, I am a BIG supporter of piling the food on in the beginning of NoS! Eat until you're stuffed and can't believe how much you shoveled in.

It helps to alleviate the fear of feeling hungry between meals. Over time, without ever purposely working on it, you'll look at your plate one day and be astounded that such a regular amount of food can do the trick. Just three times a day.

My stats are beautiful to me because they reflect the gentle sustainability and efficacy of NoS. I've lost about 1.5 pounds a month, with a couple plateaus. I'm down 8.5 pounds in 6 months. I'm a normal BMI now. Six months ago I had a tentative goal of dropping to 130 by August of 2014. That goal is no longer a big deal to me. Rhythm and routine to eating are my reward. I feel so .... connected..... with my body and its needs. I feel like my spirit and my body are in agreement and are working together like a married couple. My body and spirit are very different from each, but they complement one another in function, given the chance.

NoSpending update: I am so glad I started this! It has transformed my budget. First, it curtails frivolous spending. Second, it brings structure to spending days and requires list-making and organization to fit spending into the weekends. Third, it eliminates the egregious offenders that tend to suck money and PUT ON WEIGHT: lattes, and fast food (I was guilty of McDonald's or something similar on a regular basis).

NoScreeningKids has found its groove. I had to tweak this system quite a bit to make it work for our family. The critical ingredients ended up being simple: a morning "start" time for electronics, a "mid-day" break from electronics, and an evening "stop" time. Then chores, outside time and errands keep the whole weekend from being a binge for the boys. My own electronics use has found a pattern, too, without me even formalizing it (although I am thinking about formalizing it soon)---no computers for me after dinner on the weekdays. No computer for me after 8am on weekends or before dinner (it flips, basically, for me on the weekends....)

And, just a recap, here was my natural progression:
Month one: just NoS
Month two: added in walking to work
Month four: added in a daily plank, and developed other "systems" for finances and electronic use for my two kids (ages 8 and 4)
Month six: added in Reinhard's productivity index cards (he explains these in podcasts 42-44), and trying to read more to my kids
Month seven: I've started mulling over the idea of working on my negativity--my fear of death, rejection and failure. Stay tuned.

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 5:08 am

I'm in total awe of how much you've grown & accomplished these last 6 months. You're amazing!!

I was just wondering the other day if you ever had a red day but now I see you haven't. Pretty awesome! I definitely had that fear about having my first red day too but my fears were completely unfounded. I think it helped that my habit was pretty firmly in place at that point. The same will be true for you too I'm sure.

Anyway congrats on an astounding 6 months well done!

Linda

chani8 · Post by **chani8** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 9:32 am

A beautiful 6 months update. Thank you. <Hugs> for just being awesome you!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 10:21 am

automatedeating wrote: I feel so .... connected..... with my body and its needs. I feel like my spirit and my body are in agreement and are working together like a married couple. My body and spirit are very different from each, but they complement one another in function, given the chance.

Beautiful auto! Big, fat congratulations on the success with all your systems but especially the above!

You're a great inspiration!!!

finallyfull · Post by **finallyfull** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 2:33 pm

Thank you for being so generous with the detail! It's very reassuring and helpful. You and I have alot in common, although my spending and no screen have never been intertwined with Everyday Systems ideas... yet. We have come to many of the same conclusions, which I guess are the fruits of moderation. For instance, that we don't need a huge meal just because we're hugely hungry. How that can be new information to me at my age is beyond me!

You are doing great. I love that you put losing fear of death as a goal - ha! Who does that? And yet, there it is -- we're doing to die -- what do we do with that information? I have found alot of peace about that in my middle age (probably helps that my parents are dead -- they have showed me by example that you can die and that it's okay. faith tells me they are somewhere good). Still fear the pain of it, because I'm a big baby about pain.

I think you are a wonderful example of a good parent -- having introduced cultural norms that are lacking in our culture bring about a more balanced, harmonious life and you are not only leading by example (the most important thing) but actively structuring and prodding your kids to benefit from moderation. Awesome! 130 pounds could never, ever compare to the harvest you are reaping from this journey, from where I sit. I love how through this process our goals can change from the surface goals (look better, be healthier) to gigantic goals (take your focus off of immediate gratification and discover a universe around you, feel better, be a better parent, live life to the fullest, etc.) This is cool.

Keep us posted!

Tessytwinkle · Post by **Tessytwinkle** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 9:43 pm

Wow auto I'm speechless really. You are such a star and such an inspiring woman. Thank you.
"NoSEating is solid. I know my first red day will eventually arrive" how amazing you can say that. I am wondering when my first green day will arrive most of the time

yet I read your journey and am renewed in my determination to make this work. Happy 6 months anniversary

Jill d · Post by **Jill d** » Fri Feb 28, 2014 4:31 am

Thanks for all the encouragement on my journal, automated! Big, big congratulations on your 6 month anniversary.

I loved going back and reading about your experiences.

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Fri Feb 28, 2014 3:40 pm

Thursday, Week 27
N Day
NoSEating
coffee with cream
L: rice and beans, chips, apple, clementine
D: tacos, chips and salsa
NoSittingOnButt
walked to/from work (85 minutes)
100 jumping jacks
NoSpending
Good
NoScreeningKids
All good, except the new dentist let's the kids play video games during the appointment (what?! now my son wants to go to the dentist instead of to the babysitter!!!)

Fail on Reading. Complete fail. Ugh.

Thanks to all that kindly commented on my 6-months on NoS.

finallyfull, thank you for your thorough comment. I totally know what you mean about similar realizations: who knew moderation was so well-hidden as a pleasant way of living? I guess we all have to find out things the "hard way" when it comes to living moderately.

minimizer · Post by **minimizer** » Fri Feb 28, 2014 11:40 pm

Congrats on your six-month milestone, auto! I feel encouraged reading
your posts--I feel like my weight loss will be slow as well.
Let's keep on keeping on!

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Sat Mar 01, 2014 3:00 pm

Thanks mimimizer for "just checking in" with me.

Friday, Week 27
133.9
N Day
NoSEating
coffee with cream
L: lasagne, chips, apple
D: burger and fries, 2 bites of humbo
2 "tiramisu" mixed drinks: kahlua, cream, espresso. Wow, those were AWESOME!
The couple we went with wanted to stop and get these special humbos first. They had told this ahead of time, so I figured I'd virtual plate by just having one bit to see what they taste like. Of course the friends wanted to buy more and try more, but I stuck to my guns. I used phrases such as, "I just want to try a bite of each to taste-test them"; "I do not want a whole one to myself"; and when pressed to have more, I said, "I am saving my appetite for dinner".
NoSittingOnButt
walked around downtown for 30 minutes total
NoSpending
S Day--planned outing to watch "Spamalot". I would say the whole evening ended up with "spendingalot". Alas, it was a rare kind of outing.
NoScreeningKids
All Clear

snapdragon · Post by **snapdragon** » Sat Mar 01, 2014 3:28 pm

What is a humbo!?

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Sat Mar 01, 2014 4:36 pm

Hi Snapdragon: A humbo is like an Asian dumpling. One was baked sweetbread with pork inside; another was baked bread with chicken inside.

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 4:02 am

Saturday, Week 27
S Day S Day S Day
133.7
NoSEating
B: coffee with cream, raspberry cream cheese crepe, hashbrowns and eggs
L: 1 chocolate bar, 5 See's Chocolates
D: Diet coke, 1 bowl of Pub Mix (pretzels, etc.)
NoSittingOnButt
hmmm, nope didn't exercise
NoSpending
Went out to breakfast, just me and the boys
Costco wowza! spent a lot
See's Chocolates
NoScreeningKids
Not too bad, but I could have had them do lots more chores.

Tessytwinkle · Post by **Tessytwinkle** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 7:22 am

Sounds like a good Saturday. I always read your thread as no screamingkids not noscreeningkids!!

have a good Sunday.

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 3:17 pm

Ha, Tessy, I meant it as a play on No Screaming Kids, actually, so you were on the right track.

Our little phrases (LAM, WIDRT, etc) are fun and helpful for so many of us on this board, but I remember when I first joined it was like another language: mods, vanilla, NWS days, and so on. Pretty funny, actually, but it really would take to long to write all of that stuff out every day -- even for me, the super long-winded one!

Oh, and that reminds me (! ha, I always have a new thought, don't I?):
I write SO much on my thread. I have to just laugh at myself. As a teacher, I "traffic" in condensing complicated information into bite-sized summaries. I'm pretty good at it, believe it or not. But then I acknowledged that before I summarize for my students, I spend A LOT of time working through the information, expanding and expanding my own knowledge. Only then can I condense it down to a simplified form that is short, but doesn't compromise the main concepts. In order to teach really well, I have to follow so many rabbit trails of ideas myself, and then find out which ones to selectively lead the students down. I guess, in a way, I'm a "Scout"....

OK, so how does that relate to NoS? Well, I am learning so much on my NoS journey. I am "studying" moderation in eating (amongst other things, as it turns out....moderation spreads easily!): my experiential knowledge is expanding, expanding, expanding. Guess what? If I "master" it, my posts will get shorter. I will be able to boil all my rabbit trails down to a few highly recommended and heavily practiced rabbit trails!! Yeah, and that will happen when I'm ready to die. Hopefully by then I will also have conquered my fear of death.

Marianna · Post by **Marianna** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 4:08 pm

ill be able to boil all my rabbit trails down to a few highly recommended and heavily practiced rabbit trails!! Yeah, and that will happen when I'm ready to die. Hopefully by then I will also have conquered my fear of death. Razz
_________________

Love this! Boiling rabbit trails, lol!

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:12 pm

Sunday, Week 28 (sometimes I feel like I'm tracking a pregnancy, rather than NoS--except my weight is going down, not up)
S Day S Day S Day
NoSEating
B: coffee with milk, 2 bowls Frosted Flakes
L: pizza, diet coke
snack: chips, 2 pieces of chocolate (last ones)
D: not yet
NoSittingOnButt
sitting....again. I am drained, tired, limping toward the finish line of the quarter. Not much left in the tank.
NoSpending
Nothing yet
NoScreeningKids
Fine. My out-loud reading has been pathetic lately.

Feeling almost flu-like today. Tired but not sleeping well. Big week ahead of me. Couple more chores that HAVE to be done, several more that I will be glad later if I have finished....

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Mon Mar 03, 2014 2:13 pm

How did you like Spamelot?

I think it's important to have a day or two of rest for the body per week so if you're NotSittingOnButt during the week then surely S days should be S days, no?

Love reading your thread! You're doing amazingly.

jw · Post by jw » Mon Mar 03, 2014 5:51 pm

You are a Scout, auto! Taking No S into all kinds of new territories and taking us along for the ride. I am just now catching up on a week's worth of your posts and they are a fantastic read!

snapdragon · Post by **snapdragon** » Mon Mar 03, 2014 8:02 pm

Now your boiling rabbits?!?

I was at the eye doctor to try contacts, he gave me a sample that are half a unit under my prescription and I am not reading off a screen to well so I read boiling rabbits and their tails! He ordered some that will hopefully be better than these! Not to thrilled with contacts because now I can see all the wrinkles around my eyes!

I love your read aloud choices. A book my kids like is D'Aulaire's Book of Trolls. the only caveat is I would look at it first. It is more of an epic adventure story and not Disneyfied. My girls LOVED sitting around the kitchen table drawing as I read this. My son did not like the pictures of the twelve headed trolls and refuses to listen to it.

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:55 pm

Auto, Thanks for stopping by my thread. Loved catching up on yours and your boiled down rabbit trails!

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Tue Mar 04, 2014 1:31 am

Eschano, we loved Spamalot!

It was a fun night out.
And, well, I always feel like since I only walk and do very little other exercise that I should try to do something on the weekend. But I guess I do go up and down the stairs 50X while cleaning the house.

Jw, maybe someday I'll change my username to Scout. Ha ha---I always did love little Scout in To Kill A Mockingbird!

Snapdragon, glad to hear you are getting your eyes taken care of. Although the whole boiling rabbit tales thing did get me laughing!!

Thank you SO much for the read-aloud suggestion. We are nearing the end of our current one and I was just thinking of some to try next. Thanks! (And my boys are not sensitive about violent trolls.....they eat it up!)

Monday, Week 28
N Day
133.3
NoSEating
B: coffee with cream, oatmeal
L: chicken pot pie, apple, banana
D: spaghetti and garlic bread
NoSittingOnButt
walked to/from work (85 minutes)
40-second plank
NoSpending
All Clear, but I'm getting the itch to order some D'Aulaire books!

NoScreeningKids
All Clear, and a night of reading and board games awaits me!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Tue Mar 04, 2014 9:41 am

Oh auto! You, Linda and Chani must be the best mothers in the world. I just love reading your threads. If I ever have kids, I will ask you for lots of advice

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 3:43 am

Thanks, eschano. You really are sweet.
Tuesday, Week 28
N Day
133.3
NoSEating
B: coffee with cream; oatmeal and 1/2 banana
L: spaghetti, garlic bread, apple, 1/2 banana
D: beef chimichanga, chips and guac and salsa
wine
NoSittingOnButt
walked to/from work
NoSpending
A-OK, but thinking about buying lots of books this weekend
NoScreeningKids
All Clear....finished Incorrigibles last night, Linda. Thanks for the recommendation. What a cliff-hanger!

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 5:06 am

Ah glad you liked it auto!

Thanks eschano!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 11:43 am

Spending lots of money on books this weekend - well, could be way worse! If you're spending on anything than surely books are the best investment.

I've taken a page from your book and given up coffee for lent to minimize my spending as I always buy the coffee on the way to work and don't fancy the lackluster one we have at my work.

Tessytwinkle · Post by **Tessytwinkle** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 9:15 pm

Ooooh I love books so much, I am addicted to reading and I love everything about them even to just feel the covers of books, I can't imagine my life without them. Thank goodness they are not fattening. I would be very very overweight and searching for a noBs diet

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Wed Mar 05, 2014 11:27 pm

Haahahahahahah Tessy that is precious!

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 1:58 am

Wednesday, Week 28
N Day
NoSEating
B: oatmeal, 1/2 banana, coffee with cream
L: chicken pot pie, apple, 1/2 banana
D: spinach mozarella ravioli, avocado on toast--I really put a lot in my bowl....I feel kind of overfull. This is a classic case with me and avocados....I have done this before when they are ripe. I overeat them in order to use them up.
NoSittingOnButt
walked to/from work
NoSpending
All Clear, but I have put a few books in my Amazon "cart" for the weekend!

NoScreeningKids
Good to go, already finished one game of Monopoly and Battleship.
NoNeglectedReading
Got the 2nd book in the Incorrigible Children at the library today. Also got D'Aulaire's Norse Myths and few others of their work. Unfortunately, they didn't have Book of Trolls. I applied for that through Interlibrary Loan. Still need to log 1 hour of reading.
I've been thinking about my out-loud reading. I have been failing at my goal to read 1 hour on Thursday nights (I do OK on Monday and Wednesday nights). I have this idea that I want to read to my kids 2 hours a day, but given my schedule/fatigue level, that is just not realistic. So I think I should readjust my goals to set myself up for success. Here's my new plan:
Thursday, Saturday, Sunday: 20 minutes each
Monday/Wednesday: 1 hour each
Tuesday/Friday: Reading "S Days"

PS My systems need some new shinier names. I'm not liking everything be No this and No that.

Brainstorming in progress. Suggestions, anyone?

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 9:41 am

Haha, I understand. So some ideas:

NoSittingOnButt: MoveIt, ShakeThisBody, WalkAMile, JustDoIt (yep, totally stolen from Nike here), Motivate, HealthyKnees/HealthyButt/HealthyBod

NoSpending: Skimpy, SavingMuch, SoonToBuyAYacht,

NoScreeningKids: HappyKids, OldSchoolFun, FunTimeKids, EngagedKids, FamilyFun, CleverKids, SocialKids

NoNeglectedReading: Storytime, FantasyHour, Imaginarium

None of them might work but, hey, this was fun hahahaha!

Pipina · Post by **Pipina** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 2:58 pm

Wow automatedeating, you're keeping track of a lot of habits, I feel overwhelmed!

I love the name NoSittingOnButt, don't change that, it's funny

.

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Thu Mar 06, 2014 8:31 pm

We're reading the 2nd book too! Loving it although sometimes it spooks my kids (they're wimps!).

I have a weakness for avocados too! If you keep them in the frig when they're ripe or close to ripe it'll get you a couple extra days. Luckily my whole family shares my love though so avocados don't last long in our house!

I'm not as creative as eschano but like old school kids or maybe connectedkids? Love SoonToBuyaYacht

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Fri Mar 07, 2014 4:19 am

you guys are awesome, thanks for the fun suggestions and chime-ins!
I had a BAD BAD BAD day at work. More on that later.
Thursday, Week 28
N Day
NoSEating
B: oatmeal, 1/2 banana
coffee with cream
L: chicken and rice, chips, apple, 1/2 banana
D: pizza, breadstick
wine
NoSitting
walked to work
NoSpending
All Clear
NoScreeningKids
All Clear--Got 20 minutes of reading in as planned.

Love the name suggestions, eschano and Linda.

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Fri Mar 07, 2014 4:49 am

Sorry about your day at work. Hoping it's something that'll pass soon.

Think you're smart to re-evaluate your reading goals. Two hours a day seems like a lot! I read to my kids about 20-30 mins tops/day and I feel good about it. They also read on their own 30-60 mins a day. DH thinks it's a bit much that I still read to them but truthfully it's my favorite part of my day.

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Fri Mar 07, 2014 10:46 am

Ah auto, I can relate, I had a terrible day at work yesterday as well. LAM really helps me to recover my mood once I step out of the office. This little gem also makes me laugh, although I know it's not true at all:

Oh, you hate your job? Why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called everybody, and they meet at the bar.

Drew Carey

Tessytwinkle · Post by **Tessytwinkle** » Sat Mar 08, 2014 5:56 am

Hi auto. So sorry you had such a bad day. I know how that feels

hope life feeling a bit lighter now. I had a think about your challenges and realised they were all in the negative. No this no that etc. maybe you should reframe them in the positive? Just a thought

Have a joyful weekend.

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Sat Mar 08, 2014 3:52 pm

Friday, Week 28
S Day (special NWS Day)
I couldn't sleep, had so much on my mind. Finally I just went in to work at 5:30am so I could pound through my To-Do list. By the time I came home at 1, I had decided to make it an impromptu S Day. I wanted to do something fun with my family. I really needed to get my mind off all the things running through my head. My husband and I decided to take the kids to see a movie (as a surprise).
132.8
NoS
B: coffee with cream
L: soup and bread with avocado
movie snacks: popcorn, Reese' pieces
Dessert: Chocolate milkshake
wine
MoveIt
no exercise
CheerfullyCheap
movie for all 4 of us! sheesh, expensive
We had SO MUCH fun watching The Lego Movie!! I loved it. I laughed so much and even cried a little at the end. It was EXACTLY what I needed today. Spent time with the family but in a very relaxed activity that didn't demand a lot of me.
KidsCreatingFun
All Clear at home, but we went to the movie as part of our S afternoon.
ReadingRainbow
Greek Myths, 25 minutes

I'm just messing around trying out some new names for my systems. Keep giving me suggestions as they come to you!

Well, I don't know how much I really need to say further about how rough this week was. Suffice it to say that I had that same pit of despair I get in about my teaching, but combined with 2 other actual work conflicts and 2 other ongoing highly stressful work situations that have still to be resolved. All told I've felt very worthless on the inside.

So much of my identity is built around being a "good" teacher. If it turned out that I'm not, I would be crushed. That's embarrassing to admit, but that's probably the first step to working on this issue.

You would think that most of my identity is built around being a "good" mom. But rather, I think somewhere along the line I resigned myself to mediocrity in that area--I knew I couldn't compete with the AMAZING moms I know, so I accepted being an average mom. I know that sounds bad, but in some ways it means I'm more gracious with myself about my mistakes as a parent than my mistakes as a teacher. Who knows...maybe my next post I'll be just as depressed about my parenting. It does seem that the teaching fears are far more prominent in my self-esteem problems as I reflect back on my check-in thread.

Just a question: from reading my thread, do I seem like a perfectionist? I don't think of myself as one (my house is always a mess, for one; I don't cook, and I dress in the same boring jeans and fleece's every week), but maybe I am about teaching, and that's why I get so depressed about it from time to time.

Or does it just seem like I have low self-esteem? I don't know, when I read my thread, I probably just seem crazy. I read my sentences and can see how dysfunctional they look. Oh, well. It is what it is. And I always come out of it. It never lasts too terribly long.