Everyday Systems

[milliem]

Thursday 18th August: success

Lunch: burrito, apple, yoghurt
Dinner: chicken teriyaki stir fry

I bought a new skirt today, size 14 woop! Been YEARS since I fitted into a 14...it's quite high waisted (I'm kind of hour-glassy with big hips/thighs...) which I think it why I can size down now. Lower waisted trousers still need to be a 16 I think to fit round my massive bum

Friday 19th August: failure

Can't quite remember what I ate during the day but I do remember having a giant cookie in the evening

[milliem]

Saturday 20th August: S day

breakfast: 2 slices toast with marmite, small choc bar
lunch: chicken teriyaki 6" subway roll (lots of veggies!)
dinner: sloppy joe, tortillas and dip
dessert: vienetta ice cream (2 slices)


Sunday 21st August: S day

breakfast: small chocolate bar (!)
lunch: ham and cheese pasty, yum yum
dinner: bacon, spring onion and cheese omelette, potato smilies
dessert: bowl of mixed summer fruit and slice of vienetta ice cream

[gk]

[milliem]

Thanks - I don't feel very inspirational with all my failures lately, lol, but I guess it just shows that you don't have to be perfect to see changes!! I'm aiming for a green week this week, I'm going to actually TRY to stick to NoS rather than pretty much accepting all failures before they even happen. A bad habit to get into.

[milliem]

Monday 22nd August: success

lunch: pita bread with hummus, apple, yoghurt
afternoon: monster munch, milk
dinner: pork stir fry with noodles

[Who Me?]

I'd never heard of Monster Munch, so I looked it up.

Have you see this?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/6712576/Crisp-lover-changes-name-to-Mr-Monster-Munch.html
_________________
http://howsrobb.blogspot.com/

[NoSnacker]

Like you, I'm trying to wipe off the Red yesterday and rub on some Green today!

That is what is great about No S...so much easier to do as long as we don't beat ourselves up..

[milliem]

oh wow, he really does like monster munch! i think 3 bags a day is a litte excessive!

Tuesday 23rd August: success

lunch: chicken, pepper and cheese wrap, monster munch, yoghurt
afternoon: peach, summer fruits
dinner: chicken kiev, waffles, leeks

[gk]

Your week is looking very green......way to go!!
_________________
SW (as of 3/25/13): 172 lbs.
CW: 171 lbs.

[milliem]

Thanks gk, yep it's going well so far! Once I stop saying it's ok to slip, it's actually easier than I thought to stick with it. Not saying it'll be an all green week but 3 days in a row is good for me lately!

Wednesday 24th August: success

lunch: chicken, red pepper and cheese wrap, strawberries, apple, yoghurt
afternoon: peach, skinny frappuccino
dinner: sloppy joes, potato smilies, 2 glasses of wine

Served myself up 2x sloppy joes as they both fit on my plate with ease, but was full about halfway through the 2nd so 'donated' it to the OH

[milliem]

Thursday 25th August: success

Lunch: leftover sloppy joe filling in a wrap, strawberries, yoghurt
Afternoon: peach
Dinner: fish and chips

Piled up my plate tonight with the fish and chips, but only ate half. It was delicious but my god it was greasy.... feeling the effects now, my stomach doesn't feel so good :/ Remembering why I only have it once every few months!!

[gk]

Woo hoo! You're doing awesome this week. You're almost there.....just one more green - you can do this!!
_________________
SW (as of 3/25/13): 172 lbs.
CW: 171 lbs.

[Who Me?]

What's a smilie?
_________________
http://howsrobb.blogspot.com/

[milliem]

These are potato smileys:



They are VERY cute (but not cute enough to stop me eating them...) they are basically mashed potato, shaped and with some kind of coating, and they come frozen and are oven baked Prolly not the healthiest way of eating potatoes but they make me grin as I chomp into them

[milliem]

Friday 26th August: Fail

Oh well, 4 days out of 5 is pretty good for me lately! Fridays have always been my weak spot, especially days when I'm out of my 'routine'. I need to practice eating 3 squares at sensible times on weekdays when I'm not working.... I didn't binge or go overboard (in fact I didn't eat an awful lot yesterday, my stomach was feeling quite sore) which is one blessing, on days at home I have a tendency to just permasnack.

Brunch: mushrooms on toast, kit kat chunky
Afternoon: magnum ice cream
Dinner: gammon steak, pinapple, peas, salad, chips (a small handful, left most on the plate for my OH to hoover up )
Dessert: 1/2 chocolate sundae shared with the OH

[tobiasmom]

How cute are those smiley potatoes! Potatoes in ALL forms are my favorite. When I was pregnant it was kind of pitiful how often I had potatoes! ha.

I understand what you're saying about Fridays. That's where it starts for me. I mess up Friday, have two S days, and it's near impossible for me to get my act together Monday! Thanks for helping me realize that! I'm gonna focus this week all I can on making Friday a success (along with the rest of the week, of course!). Will you join me? ha.....

[milliem]

I will try my best! There's no reason (except habit) to be eating sweets and snacks on a Friday, time to break that habit!!

I am pretty good and re-starting fresh on a Monday, it's almost like 'aaaaah now I can get back to sensible eating, woohoo!' I find it easier to stick to NoS when I'm in my workday routine - being busy means I don't mind not eating breakfast, I don't snack,and I find it easy to resist temptation at work. At home it's a different story....

[milliem]

Saturday 27th August: S day

Lunch: steak bake, fondant ring doughnut
Afternoon 'snacks': an orange, an ice lolly, a caramel wafer bar
Dinner: chicken, yellow pepper and broccoli stir fry with noodles

Sunday 28th August: S day

Breakfast: american style pancakes, bacon, strawberries, maple syrup

Think 'breakfast' will see me over til my evening meal!! We had it pretty late as we were up and about, and whisking egg whites by hand is NOT a fast process, ouch. Next time I make these I'm buying an electric whisk! Deeelicious though!

[NoSnacker]

Thanks for taking the time to stop on my daily check-in....and encouragement...

Now I like your Saturday food .

I had bought 2 pastries yesterday, one for me and one for hubby and ate both, as well as other things...that was enough to throw my whole body out of whack..

Today is another day...I just went for a 3 mile walk which I'm totally enjoying.

Hope you have a great day...

I do much better on my workdays as well...structure I guess..

[gk]

[snapdragon]

Glad to see your still here!!! haven't been on in a while. Congratulations on the smaller skirt.
_________________
Starting weight 177
Healthy BMI 139
Willingness without action is fantasy

[milliem]

Sunday was ok, didn't have any snacks or sweets during the day, 2 mini-pizzas for tea but then ate way too much flapjack afterwards :/ Not enough to feel sick or anything but I wasn't hungry, just craving something sweet.

Today's been a bit of a struggle as it's a bank holiday so I'm at home again, out of my normal routine. I did have jam with my toast which is probably a bit too sugary for a normal N day, but I genuinely forgot what day it was this morning, lol! I have sugar free fruit spread that I normally keep for N days, must remember to use that instead

Monday 29th August: success

Breakfast: 2 slices toast w/jam
Lunch: cheese omelette, bacon and marmite english muffin, strawberries
Dinner: red pepper and ricotta pasta with tomato, onion and pepper sauce + garlic bread

Almost had a fail yesterday when I was tempted to finish off the entire garlic bread stick but managed (somehow) to put it down when I realised I was full.

[milliem]

Oof busy few days...

Tuesday: failure
Can't remember what I had for lunch/tea but I know that I ate cake and popcorn afterwards lol! I submitted my professional qualification documents so was in a celebratory mood, and I guess I haven't broken the 'food=celebrating' habit yet


Wednesday: success
Was pleased to have a success as I went out to eat AND to the cinema, so the temptation to fail was definitely there...

lunch: lamb kofta flatbread, apple
dinner: toulouse sausage, french fries, salad

Thursday: failure

Lunch: mackerel and couscous salad, cherries, wasabi peas
Dinner: chicken, broccoli and pepper stir fry

The failure was the leftover cake from Tuesday - gah I knew I should have thrown it out afterwards!!

Friday: success/S event

brunch: 2 kiwi fruit, orange, strawberries
afternoon: 2 toasted english muffins - one with marmite, one with fruit spread

Off out for dinner tonight with the OH to properly celebrate my submission, and I'm off on hols next week leaving him to fend for himself for over a month! We have a voucher for 3 courses at a nice italian place so will take it as an S event.

[milliem]

Ooh and I weighed at the doctors today - first time in ages. 79.2kg (around 12 stone 6) which is pretty good considering all my latest failures! It's about half a stone less than I was when I started NoS, and keeps me out of the 'obese' BMI range so I'm happy for now I think I've been this weight for a while now, but maintaining is good.

[snapdragon]

So what are your professional qualification documents for?

It's nice to see your slow but steady success.
_________________
Starting weight 177
Healthy BMI 139
Willingness without action is fantasy

[herbsgirl]

[milliem]

Thanks snapdragon and herbsgirl I've never really tried to lose weight before, so slow and steady progress is better than slow and steady weight gain!! And I'm really happy with the NoS habits, even if they aren't 100%, I am 100% that I want to keep at them.

I'm in training as a psychologist, so the submission was for my qualification as a Chartered Psychologist. Been working towards it for about 3 years so it's a big thing to submit all the work finally!!

[milliem]

This weekend I have mostly been eating gourmet scotch eggs

http://www.handmadescotcheggs.co.uk/

Saturday 3rd September: S day

brunch: black pudding scotch egg, huge pile of salad
afternoon: pecan caramel slice
dinner: calzone, a few bites of bread and olives, sticky toffee pudding

Sunday 4th September: S day

breakfast: 'scrumpy' scotch egg
lunch: planning on just having some fruit, I snacked on popcorn earlier....
dinner: planning pancakes and bacon! breakfast for tea

[NoSnacker]

[NoSnacker]

[snapdragon]

Millie come back we miss you!!!!
_________________
Starting weight 177
Healthy BMI 139
Willingness without action is fantasy

[gk]

[milliem]

Hi all! I'm still here kind of - in new Zealand at the moment, due back home in a week so I'll be back on track soon enough trying to follow no s here hasn't really worked but on the up side I've done a lot of walking!

[snapdragon]

Glad you haven't given up on us
_________________
Starting weight 177
Healthy BMI 139
Willingness without action is fantasy

[milliem]

[milliem]

Well I'm back from New Zealand, but currently nursing a cold and jet lag, so I'm taking a 'sick week' and planning to start afresh on Monday. The NoS plan for the last week of our holiday worked on and off - some green days, some S 'events', a couple of red days.... I gave up when travelling back, trying to eat to a 3 meals a day plan is really difficult when travelling for 43 hours, eating weird plane food and crossing 12 time zones!!

Looking forward to getting back into the routine once I feel better though

[milliem]

OK so tomorrow is the start of getting back on the NoS wagon! In the interests of building habit (and forcing myself to be honest about my food intake) here is today's food diary:

breakfast: 2 slices toast w/marmite
lunch: bacon, cheese and mushroom omelette, slice of bread
afternoon: 2 ripple chocolate bars and a milkshake....
dinner: a lemon meringue pie!!

Oh dear Oh well it's an S day so nothing to mark as red, but still, the slide from 'decent meals' to 'sugar overload' throughout the day was interesting! I feel like I should have a bit more of a plan to getting back to N days tomorrow but I don't really - will just aim for three squares and see how it goes!

[milliem]

Monday 17th October: Success

Lunch: bbq chicken low fat wrap, crisps, fruit smoothie
Dinner: chicken, baked potato and salad

Only 2 meals yesterday but didn't feel particularly hungry. I did have some full fat fizzy drinks though, will cut those out this week. So far so good!

[milliem]

Ah not such a good week....

Tuesday and Wednesday both FAILUREs although not terrible ones.... still, no excuses!

Tuesday:
Lunch: white vegetable and cheddar cheese soup, tiger roll, apple
Dinner: 3 slices pizza, individual sponge cake

Wednesday:
Lunch: same as Tuesday
Dinner: individual quiche, crisps, individual sponge cake.

That'll teach me to a) buy cake on an N day and b) buy a TWO pack of cakes so I feel obliged (hah) to eat one each day!! Oh well, I'll give myself greens for no snacks and no seconds at least

[milliem]

Confession time... I ate four cookies today

Really not on track but fortunately, I'm stubborn, so I'm not derailing completely. In good news, I did 16 minutes of WiiFit (Although I'm back up to 81.5kg, not entirely unexpected after the holiday though!)

[milliem]

Saturday and Sunday were S days, as expected.

Monday 24th October: Success

lunch: red pepper, tomato and lentil soup, roll, apple
dinner: chicken and stilton burger, waffles, crisps

WiiFit: 20 minutes

Not the healthiest of dinners today but kept it to the rules, and have avoided the ice cream in the freezer that's calling to me!

[milliem]

Tuesday 25th October: failure

Lunch: same as yesterday
Dinner: pizza

I'm going to be strict with myself and call this a failure - I had an entire takeaway pizza for tea tonight and I know full well that if I'd tried to fit that onto one of my normal plates I would have had to do a lot of creative stacking!! In good news, only 2 eating 'events' today, no snacks and no sweets I've got out of the habit of having a third mini-meal in the afternoons, not sure whether that was why I was so hungry and overate on pizza...

[milliem]

Wednesday 26th: Failure

lunch: bbq chicken baguette, apple, 2 plums
dinner: chicken, broccoli and red pepper stir fry with noodles

the fail was chocolate at the cinema

Thursday 27th: success

lunch: beef and dumplings
afternoon: giant mushroom with stilton
dinner: turkey curry with rice

[milliem]

Friday 28th will be a success/s event

Had a late lunch due to leaving work late (a small plate of sausage and mash with gravy) and haven't eaten anything else all day. Am off out this evening to celebrate my OHs work giving him a nice payrise to keep him

[milliem]

Saturday and Sunday were S days of course! Ate a fair amount on Saturday night (evening in with my mates, many cookies were consumed...) but Sunday was a little more normal. I say normal, I had one proper meal and then crisps and a chocolate bar for tea.... wasn't bingey though!

Monday 31st October: success

lunch: vegetarian lasagne, grapes
dinner: cod fillet with tomato, green beans and red onion, baked potato

[snapdragon]

Just popping on to say hi .
_________________
Starting weight 177
Healthy BMI 139
Willingness without action is fantasy

[milliem]

*waves at snapdragon* Hi

Tuesday 1st November: success

Lunch: tomato and basil soup, bread roll, apple
Dinner: as yesterday

I had my motivation really tested today - we had some training in work which in combination with leftover Halloween treats brought in by colleagues meant a huge pile of food! There were cookies, chocolates, caramel slices, crispy chocolate cakes.... oof it all looked very delicious, but I managed to decline everything. I've set today as a success already even though I haven't had dinner yet, not planning on eating anything else!

[milliem]

Hmm so I've been slipping on food logging and can't really remember what I've eaten this week, although in my head I know when I've had a successful day (or not!) Still struggling a bit to keep to the NoS routine. I always wonder how compliant I need to be to maintain/lose weight - I know I could do with losing weight but I'm lacking in motivation to be strict with myself!! This time of year is really difficult when it comes to temptation - the supermarkets are already full of mince pies, big boxes of chocolates, biscuit tins....

Anyway, this week's been up and down a bit:

Wednesday 2nd November: failure

- the failure was a small chocolate bar after dinner

Thursday 3rd November: success

Friday 4th November: failure

- the failure was a toffee dessert (one of those single portion creamy ones) after dinner, and a chocolate bar later on. Technically I think it was after midnight but who's counting?! We also had chinese for tea - I had one plate of this but I'd imagine it was very calorific!

Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th November are S days.
Yesterday started off relatively sanely - small brioche roll for breakfast, one (large!) slice of chicken and veg pizza for lunch, and a one plate dinner (oat crusted chicken, asparagus, watercress salad, garlic bread). Then I had another toffee dessert and half a bag of pretzels dipped in chocolate... yum!

I'm also trying to get a bit of exercise in using the Wii that i've borrowed from my sister while she's in uni. Not doing too well with that so far, although I did 20 mins or so yesterday.

[gk]

[milliem]

Thanks GK it's funny how I can resist temptation in some situations but not others!

I am glad that I am keeping it to small fails, but 'fence around the law' and all that - I'm pretty sure that the less often I have sugary or sweet foods, the less I'll crave them, and I have a MONSTER sweet tooth.

Monday 7th November: success

lunch: pumpkin and chilli soup, apple, HM bread
afternoon: toast w/marmite
dinner: toad in the hole, mash, broccoli

LARGE plate of dinner last night but I stopped eating when full (of the good bits anyway ) and it did all fit on one so no fails there

[gk]

[milliem]

haha, it's a classic british dish - sausages oven-cooked in a dish with a savoury batter poured over them. The batter rises and the sausages peek out of little holes in it

here is a recipe if you are interested!

Tuesday 8th November: success

lunch: pumpkin and chilli soup, apple, HM bread
dinner: beef and aubergine pasta

[gk]

Ohhhhhhh.....might have to give it a try. Thanks.
_________________
SW (as of 3/25/13): 172 lbs.
CW: 171 lbs.

[milliem]

Hmm ok NoS is not going well for me lately.... I've been busy so haven't checked in much, and I think the less I log my food the more I eat, and the worse I eat the less I log my food, vicious cycle!! So I'm committing to logging everything I eat for the next week, fail or not! I really DO have time for a 5 minute check in, no matter what I try and convince myself.

Monday-Wednesday were FAILS for me. I got sucked into the celebration=food trap plus have been really struggling with sugar cravings, so have been eating chocolate and snacking. I am still tending to do well during the day and even in the afternoon, but dinner and the evening are my main problem.

Yesterday however was a success, hooray! My first for what seems like ages!

Lunch: aubergine and tomato parmigiana, 2 satsumas
Afternoon: handful of pretzels
Dinner: red pepper and cheese omelette, 2 slices toast w/marmite

[determined]

Sometimes I think the hardest-won greens are the ones right after the red days....you did great yesterday & I hope today is a success too!

janie
_________________
"Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day."
Winnie the Pooh

[milliem]

Thanks Janie, it certainly was good to get back to sane amounts of eating on Thursday!! Yesterday however was a NWS-day due to visiting friends so eating was not quite as good haha

Breakfast - fairy cake
Lunch - 2 slices toast w/marmite, 2 satsumas
Dinner - chicken burger, olives/feta/tomatoes, peanuts

After dinner - another fairy cake, some doritos and dip (and lots of cider!)

The fairy cakes were made by my mum for children in need so I donated her a fiver for a few cakes

[milliem]

Saturday 19th November: S day

Brunch: american pancakes with strawberries, bacon and maple syrup
Dinner: plate of chinese takeaway (+beers)

Sunday 20th November: S day

Brunch: as yesterday
Snack: Wispa chocolate bar
Dinner: probably chicken-something-or-other....

Dinner ended up being chicken nachos and some leftover chinese, I also had some sweets at the cinema.

[milliem]

Monday 21st November: failure

Lunch: tomato soup, slice of bread, strawberries
Afternoon: 2 slices toast w/marmite
Dinner: chicken and aubergine parmegiana

The fail was a handful or two of tortilla chips after dinner. Felt starving all day after lunch, maybe not getting enough protein/fats during the day to see me through the evening.... I am pleased that the fail wasn't a sweet though, trying to get out of the habit of having something sweet every day!

[milliem]

Tuesday 22nd November: success

Phew, glad I got a green out of the way

Lunch: tomato soup, 2 slices bread
Afternoon: english muffin w/peanut butter
Dinner: toad in the hole, baked beans

Eating plans are a bit funky for today, going to the cinema with a friend sometime this evening, so I'll have to figure out how and what to eat around that...

[milliem]

Wednesday 23rd November: Success

Woohoo 2 in a row!

Lunch: aubergine parmegiana (in a sandwich... random but tasty )
Afternoon: mini sausages and ketchup, crisps
Dinner: toasted muffin with marmite

Yesterday's eating was a little funky, I went to the cinema straight after work and knew I wouldn't be home til 9, so didn't have time for a full tea. The sausages and crisps were snacks in the cinema - but were planned, thought through and chosen as non-sweet snacks so I feel ok about them

Thursday 24th November: success
Lunch: plate of 'buffet food'
Afternoon: ham, cheese and pickle baguette
Dinner (planned): chicken dippers, apple

I'm on a training course for a few days so lunch will be the buffet foods provided. Avoiding the sweet cakes and stuff though and sticking to one plate of the food at lunchtime.

I've also started a workout programme with help from my super-motivated gym bunny boyfriend Going to be doing a weights workout and some wiifit at home, so no excuse!

[gk]

Sounds like you're doing great! Staying green and exercising - can't get much better than that!
_________________
SW (as of 3/25/13): 172 lbs.
CW: 171 lbs.

[milliem]

Thanks! Not totally green but the green-red ration is definitely improving

Friday 25th November: failure
Second day of some brain-intense training left me absolutely shattered, and I gave in to the temptation of pizza (and pudding, oops)

Lunch: plate of buffet food
Dinner: dominos pizza, mozzarella sticks, warm cookies

Exercise = 20 mins WiiFit

Saturday and Sunday 26th/27th Novemberwere of course S days.

Saturday:
Lunch: plate of buffet food at the training (plus a small cake/some fruit afterwards)
Dinner: shared portion of potato skins, cheeseburger, cinnamon waffles. Also had a lot of wine/cider/tequila

Sunday:
breakfast: english muffin with marmite
lunch: all you can eat buffet (I had FOUR plates!! Not all overflowing meals but little bits and bobs of the food... wow...)
dinner: some pretzels (didn't feel like a massive meal after all that lol!)


Monday 28th November: Success??

Today is my 'Sunday' as I had to work on Saturday, so I woke up and had a chocolate waffle for breakfast - totally forgot that it was actually Monday!! So I'm not going to beat myself up about that, will make sure the rest of the day is a success

Breakfast: chocolate waffle
Lunch: sushi
Dinner: (planned) carvery

Exercise: weights workout

[snapdragon]

I think it's key not to beat ourselves up when we make those silly mistakes like the chocolate waffles, when I do that I sometimes say oh well and keep on eating bad things.

Reading your post about toad in the hole made me chuckle, I make a toad in the hole with meatballs instead of sausage sometimes and my kids named it frogs in the bog.
_________________
Starting weight 177
Healthy BMI 139
Willingness without action is fantasy

[milliem]

[milliem]

Wednesday 30th November: success

lunch: butternut squash soup, cheese on toast
dinner: toad in the hole, broccoli, leeks

Exercise: weights (upper body)

[milliem]

Thursday 1st December: success

lunch: tomato soup, roll, apple
dinner: loaded mash, turkey kebabs

Exercise: 30 mins walking

[milliem]

Friday 2nd December: success

lunch: tomato soup, cheese roll, crisps
dinner: burger, chips and salad

Exercise: none

Wow, I think that's my first 4 green days in a row in a very long time!! Went out after work for a friend's leaving do, which helped with the eating - we had a planned meal, but were out in bars then so no opportunity to sit around and stuff my face. Did mean I didn't have time to do my planned weights though, but I'll do them today instead.

[gk]

[milliem]

Woah just had a very busy week! With a lot of fails

Monday and Tuesday last week were fails - due in large part to my stupid decision to buy lots of 'treats' theoretically for Christmas, but in reality, as an excuse to binge on sweet things. Bleh. So I ate fudge and a couple of other sweet things after dinner on both those days.

Wednesday if I remember rightly was a success....

Thursday - Monday were all S days inclusive as I was on holiday for a long weekend to celebrate my birthday Funnily enough, although I ate quite rich, calorie dense food, most of those days involved little snacking or sweets and generally a 2/3 meal per day structure. I also did a lot of walking which hopefully helped to counterbalance the indulgent meals and cocktails!!

Today I am sick, so will be eating whatever I think will make me feel better

[milliem]

Well this week hasn't gone very well either! Monday and Tuesday I was ill and my comfort food was a large apple crumble with custard - tasty but not very good for me, lol! The pattern that seems to be happening at the moment is doing well during the day and in work, eating sensibly and healthily, and then just going for the sweet stuff during the evenings... it didn't help that I had treats lying around from the weekend.

Not sure what to do about it, intellectually I know exactly what to do and why I shouldn't be eating it, but I still keep on reaching for that tasty fudge!

[idon'tknow]

Welcome to my world....

[milliem]

[milliem]

Monday 19th December: success

Lunch: chicken, red pepper and cheese wrap, 2 clementines
Afternoon: sweet potato with boursin
Dinner: sausage and bean stew

Hooray a Monday success! That hasn't happened in a while I think getting back into the habit of having an afternoon mini-meal and a later dinner helped stave off the evening hunger/cravings, plus I threw away the last bakewell tart from the weekend before I ate it!! Have rediscovered the importance of not having sweet things in the house during the week at all.

Today and tomorrow I am not working, so will need to be careful how my eating routine goes. Planning on a late breakfast (around 10am) late-ish lunch (around 1-2pm) and dinner at around 7, should keep me going...

[milliem]

Tuesday 20th December: success

breakfast: toasted muffin with marmite
lunch: stir fried chicken and peppers with noodles, 2 clementines
dinner: toad in the hole, broccoli

Keeping busy is definitely helping with the eating - and the lack of treats in the house! Today is a little less structured as I've been out and about, but hoping to keep the eating sane still. Not sure why it's easier this week than last week, but I'm glad all the same!

[milliem]

Wednesday 21st December: failure

Well damn. All my best intentions went out of the window when my OH turned up with a giant xmas hamper filled with goodies that he'd been given from his employers.... he wanted to open the chocolates, I failed to resist the temptation!

Lunch: bbq ribs, 2 clementines
Dinner: loaded mash

I think I had something between lunch and dinner but can't for the life of me remember what now... anyway, the fail was a bunch of chocolates, a choc chip cookie and a handful of cashew nuts.

[milliem]

Eh this week is going to be a No-S bust. Continued the hamper fail yesterday evening and today is a NWS because birthday party Had a small lunch today of leftover pizza from last night, won't eat again til this evening when we have a buffet of tasty food (and I know for sure one plateful won't be enough!)

Oh well, I know I can still do N days, so planning on getting right back to them next week! I may mod one sweet treat every day next week to clear the Xmas treat backlog in a sensible-ish fashion, we'll see how it goes.

Also been doing well with weight training - did my 3 workouts this week and am tweaking my training routine as I go.

[milliem]

Happy holidays everyone!

Well the usual excesses of the festive season have come and gone (sort of...) Friday - Tuesday were all 'holiday' for me, spending time with my family and enjoying festive treats. Probably half my calories came from alcohol though I'm thinking of cutting out drinking for a month or two to save money and my waistline!!

Trying to get back to the NoS ways today, but my house is FULL of treats and festive food leftovers so I have no idea how I'm going to manage it!! We got given a huge hamper from OH's work, and my parents also gave us a big hamper of food and housey bits and pieces. Much of it is snacks and sweets (christmas cake, cookies, nuts, popcorn etc.) and I just don't know what to do with it all. In theory, I should just squirrel it all away and bring out something every weekend to treat myself until it's all gone. However I'm afraid my willpower won't stand up to knowing it's all there! Well I haven't indulged today so far, so that's a good thing at least

[milliem]

Wednesday 28th December: success

Lunch: omelette with bacon and cheese
Afternoon: handful of pretzels
Dinner: plate of chinese food (chicken satay, bbq ribs, plain rice)

not the healthiest of days lol! But I stuck to meals, no snacks or sweets. Ate the pretzels due to having dinner much later than normal - measured out a handful and then put the bag away, now that's what I call a success!

Exercise: weights

[milliem]

Happy New Year!

Last week was a NoS bust, oops. But I am determined to increase my compliance with NoS this year! I've been poring over my 'stats' as it were.

Overall compliance since starting in March 2011 has been 69%
April - 79%
May - 80%
June - 81%
July - 75%
Aug - 63%
Sept and October - didn't track (was away for almost 6 weeks)
November - 48%
December - 25%!!

So things have gone drastically downhill in the last few months! My aim for this coming year is to keep increasing my compliance with vanilla NoS to achieve an 80% compliance rate.

I'm also aiming for compliance with exercise - 3 weights workouts per week minimum.

[snapdragon]

Happy New Year Millie!
Let's stay motivated this year!

[milliem]

Thanks snapdragon! Today is an S day obviously! Had a nice lie in after new year celebrations, then didn't really eat much all day til late afternoon when I had a big meal with family - 3 courses + wine. Probably a good thing that's my only real meal today! Not planning on eating much else today, if anything.

So my main goals for 2012 are:

- increase Vanilla NoS compliance to at least 80%
- remain under 30 BMI
- exercise compliance of at least 90% (with weights workout)
- use the Wii at least twice a week (for WiiFit or Just Dance)
- track food/habitcal daily

I'm not setting myself a weight goal at the moment, but I'll see how the first quarter goes and may re-evaluate...

[oolala53]

Just started checking your thread. I think your goals sound very smart. I am two years in and things are getting even better. It was so rough for awhile I couldn't believe it, esp. after many, many green weeks. But I always ask myself what the alternative is: count calories? cut out starches? I get the willies just thinking about those two. Nothing else even shows up on the radar. This has to be it! And I can always get stricter about my meals later.
_________________
I don't count calories. I count plates. Three a day.
Age 59 Ht. 5'6" SW 1/10-185 lbs. 10/11-166 1/12-161 3/12-154 6/12-154 9/12-154.5 1/13-151 CW 146.5 some regular exercise/S days mostly tame

There is no S better than Vanilla No S.

[milliem]

I totally agree oolala, even though I've found it difficult to consistently stick to NoS, the fact that I've been trying for 9 months is brilliant for me - I've never stuck to a diet in my life! I've tried counting calories but it never works long term, I'm convinced this is the only reasonable way to eat that won't drive me insane... I may not be losing much if any weight, but I've maintained at least since I started, and I'm just happy that I haven't put on any!

I'm hoping this year that having found an exercise plan that I am actually interested in doing, it will help motivate me to also eat healthier and stick to NoS

[gk]

[milliem]

With Wiifit plus you can string together the muscle and yoga exercises to make one continuous routine which is really good. The balance and aerobic style exercises you need to pick each time so there is more pausing, but if you want a strenuous continuous aerobic routine you might be better off finding a treadmill or going for a run/cycle

I really like it - you can track progress easily, there is lots of variety and you can time yourself. It's good to work into the 14 mins a day principle as you can track how many minutes you actually do the activities. Personally I wouldn't use it as my only form of exercise if you are serious about it, but for something to do at home particularly if you dislike exercise, it's pretty good and definitely gets you moving.

Just dance is definitely strenuous if you put effort in!! There is a 'sweat' mode as well which is more about exercise but I haven't tried it out yet.

Monday 2nd January: success

Lunch - baked sweet potato and 2 chicken burgers (no buns)
afternoon - muesli with yoghurt and tsp of honey
dinner - teriyaki rice and 2 small chicken kebabs

Exercise - 20 mins just dance

[gk]

Sounds interesting. Will have to give it a try. Nice green, by the way.
_________________
SW (as of 3/25/13): 172 lbs.
CW: 171 lbs.

[milliem]

Thanks gk! Seeing you one green and raising you another...

Tuesday 3rd January: success

lunch: tomato soup, roll, 2 satsumas
afternoon: bowl of muesli with yoghurt and honey
dinner: toad in the hole, broccoli, leeks

Exercise: weights and 25 mins just dance

I tried the 'sweat' bit of JD3 yesterday - basically it just tracks how much effort you put into your dances, and you're meant to reach a certain amount of points to emulate a 30 minute walk, jog or swim. It's nice to run the dances one after each other - definitely gets the heart rate up!! Did it after my usual weights routine. I'm getting stronger, I started about a month ago lifting puny 1kg dumbells, now I'm already up to 3.5kg and I can tell I'm able to do my workout on higher weights already.

[milliem]

Wednesday 4th January: success

lunch: Moroccan tagine soup, 3 crackers with soft cheese, 2 satsumas
afternoon: small bowl of teriyaki rice
dinner: sausage and bean stew

Exercise: none

[milliem]

Thursday 5th January: success

lunch: moroccan tagine soup, 3 crackers with soft cheese
afternoon: 2 satsumas
dinner: loaded mash

Exercise: weights

I ended up forgetting to eat my satsumas with lunch, so I had them in the afternoon before my workout. Fortunately I was busy all evening so didn't think about hunger or food much at all!

Weighed in briefly on the Wii, after almost a whole week of green days and exercise i've lost half a pound Oh well, it's all about trends not individual days Not that confident about today, it's been a loooong week and I'm craving sweets! I've been thinking over the past couple of days about adding a mod to allow one sweet OR snack on a Friday if I only have 2 meals rather than 3.... hmm we'll see. I think I'll aim for vanilla for today, surely I can wait one measly day for a treat?!

[oolala53]

I've found my losses haven't been steady. I can go with very little and then have a drop. Keep at it. When the habits are established, you can play with the ratio of foods or plate size. You are on the right track.
_________________
I don't count calories. I count plates. Three a day.
Age 59 Ht. 5'6" SW 1/10-185 lbs. 10/11-166 1/12-161 3/12-154 6/12-154 9/12-154.5 1/13-151 CW 146.5 some regular exercise/S days mostly tame

There is no S better than Vanilla No S.

[milliem]

I'd also forgotten that after I weighed last Friday, I had a weekend of alcohol, food, more alcohol and more food So I'm just glad I haven't put ON weight!! Plus I've been using up my 'full fat' sodas that I had from over Christmas... back on the no sugar stuff now

[gk]

[milliem]

You might be right gk! I've never been too obsessed or worried about what the scales show fortunately, I'll just keep checking and see what happens

Friday 6th January: success

Lunch: bbq chicken baguette
Afternoon: pickled herring and peanuts
Dinner: bacon, chorizo and tomato pasta

No exercise.

Woop a whole week of successes! The first for a VERY long time... I just realised yesterday that it was silly to think I had to have something sweet NOW when I just needed to wait a few hours. Had quite a strange afternoon meal though lol! Once I had decided that I wasn't going to cheat or add a mod, I needed a third 'meal' of the day, so had a small (5 inch) plate and put a few leftover savoury bits and pieces on it that I wanted to eat. My afternoon meal has always bordered on being a snack, but as long as I plan it and plate it, I feel ok about it.

[Sweetness]

Millie,

Congrats on 5 greens in a row Especially the Friday one, that was a huge success!

If you could lose a half pound every week all year, that would be 26 pounds down by this time next year. I don't know what your goal is but a half pound is a huge success.

Thanks for stopping by my thread, I love the feedback.


_________________
Patty

The person who really wants to do something finds a way; the other person finds an excuse. --author unknown

He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else. --Benjamin Franklin

[idon'tknow]

Well done milliem - a fantastic green week. Keep up the good work
_________________
Don't fear failure, don't crave success, just love what you do.

[milliem]

Thanks patty and idon'tknow for the encouragement

Saturday and Sunday were S days of course. Did my 3rd set of weights yesterday so met my exercise goals for the week! Ate more than I needed to, but hey, I'm still getting back in the habits

I'm off on a week of training for work today, so eating and exercise will be... interesting. Planning to try and do some bodyweight exercises in the hotel (I'm still scared of gyms...) and to stick to NoS though. Will be far more difficult as I expect there to be biscuits and snacks at regular intervals in the training that I will need to actively resist! Plus restaurant food is always more calorific than home cooked.

I'm taking my laptop and phone with me so will try and check in during the week, if not, everyone have a lovely week!

[oolala53]

I've found if I eat my good meals, the snacks at work events have a lot less pull. And I actively told myself in the beginning "I'm not a snacker. I save my appetite for meals." And enjoyed a hot beverage. I wasn't afraid to eat less of the entree and starch at meals, if I was getting full. It's doable! It's got to be, because life has to be doable, and you're going to have these things come up. Take your time and savor every bite!
_________________
I don't count calories. I count plates. Three a day.
Age 59 Ht. 5'6" SW 1/10-185 lbs. 10/11-166 1/12-161 3/12-154 6/12-154 9/12-154.5 1/13-151 CW 146.5 some regular exercise/S days mostly tame

There is no S better than Vanilla No S.

[r.jean]

If you can play DVDs on your laptop try an exercise video in your room. I use WATP (Leslie Sansones Walking Away the Pounds). I sometimes skip the hand weights while on the road and just do the video. Good luck!
_________________
The journey is the reward.

[milliem]

Free wireless hooray! Although having trouble connecting so I'm hoping it doesn't crap out on me halfway through an epic post

Man alive trying to eat normally is difficult at these events! We have a huge buffet for lunch including desserts, chocolate bars and biscuits presented at every break, and the dinner included is three courses!! Why do the organisers think we need to eat so much?? Not even many healthy options available - the only break snacks were chocolate bars, not a piece of fruit in sight. I did manage to fill half my plate with salad from the lunch buffet though.

I've been ok at keeping to one plate (no dessert) at lunch and not eating the snacks at breaks, so that's one positive. I have ordered the full three courses for dinner though, just couldn't face being the only person not eating when everyone else is, I'd feel so deprived! I may reduce this to two courses from tomorrow onwards, or even one if I'm feeling brave, I'll see how it goes tonight...

On the exercise front, excellent idea about the DVDs! If the internet holds I can access some exercise vids online, or look up bodyweight exercises to do in my room. The gym is a crappy tiny little thing right off reception with just a few running machines, nothing I'd really want to use in any case.

[gk]

Sounds like you're doing a good job managing while at training!

You know, you could have considered the week a good excuse to just chuck No S and go hog wild, promising yourself you'll "start again" next week, but you didn't! Good for you! You are making No S part of your life, no matter what comes up. Not to mention, you are attempting to exercise while gone as well. Atta girl!
_________________
SW (as of 3/25/13): 172 lbs.
CW: 171 lbs.