~ Reviving Renee ~

[SkyKitty]

Warning: You are being attacked by diet-head!!
Don't get side-tracked by other evil plans - stick to the true path ( )

Remember it's not just about the numbers on the scale it's also about the sanity in your brain! No S is the best plan to achieve that.

I think you have the right idea to stick to getting 3 plates a day down as habit first and foremost.

Also, I tried counting bites. It sucks. I gave up after one meal, it's a surefire fail. All you need to do is lose count and boom you've failed for the day. I only tried it when I was eating alone and it was hard enough to keep count, I can't imagine trying to have a social conversation, eat and count bites. Also it did NOT make me less hungry before the next meal.

[r.jean]

I had never heard of counting bites until recently on this forum, and I giggled when I read it. I do not mean any offense, and if it works then do it. However, my first thought was "REALLY! I did not know that they could come up with so many different things to count in the grand quest for weight loss!"

[~reneew]

I know I know! Diet head is my enemy! I'm doing my best to JUST concentrate on the 2-3 dishes. I feel less stressed and sane when I do and I loose too, so if I could just remember that ALL OF THE TIME I'd be thin and happy.

The bite thing is hillarious! I would have tried it too. I heard that every bite averages something like 32 calories. I can tell you that I'd wish I had a bigger mouth and fork! My hubby once fit 3 entire pieces of pizza in his mouth at once... and ate it! Shhhh. Don't say anything, he'd kill me. Our kids dared him. I have photos. That proves that that diet would never work!

[~reneew]

My 2 biggest problems are S day recovery and tasting while I cook or deserts. both of the later are small amounts. I'm wondering if I could gain control if I did my 2 dishes M-F and 3 S+S, adding a little ramkin dish of whatever each day. I don't like breakfast, so I usually have 2 meals a day M-F (brunch and supper). If I try for 3 dishes on the weekend and add a tiny ramkin dish daily I think I could handle it. Hmmm... that would save today anyway. ha! Maybe I'll try it. Legally I'd really be having the 3 dishes a day and one extra on the weekends. That's no S anyway, but that tiny ramkin dish could hold a sweet if I wanted it to. I think I'll try it!

[Kathleen]

Hi reneew,
I think I went an entire year trying out an approach that was three behaviors of which one was to chew each bite ten times. Guess what happened when I finally gave up on that diet? For a long time after I gave up on that diet, I wanted to wolf everything down.
Kathleen

[Who Me?]

Oh good heavens!!! That pizza image is hilarious and horrifying!

Hang in there. I think you might be over-thinking this whole thing. Can you loosen up (I have no idea what that means) and not worry so much?

[~reneew]

That's me... over thinking it. I need to trust. Be still and know... and avoid too much pizza. It is pizza night tonight.

I will quit trying to evaluate it so much and just do the 2-3 dishes a day period.

[~reneew]

Doin' pure vanilla now. Sweets have been sneaking up on me lately. O.K. that's not entirely true, I did buy them and have them around to haunt me.

And, I started another challenge. I haven't done a monthly challenge since May!

[Kathleen]

Me, too, doppleganger!

[~reneew]

I'm on a seemingly never ending pattern of either start-strong-get-over-confident-and-blow-it or try-fail, try-fail over and over. If I get past the first 3 days it gets easier. If I make it strong through a weekend without loosing control, I get confident. After a few weeks (if I make it that long) I feel so confident that I think that one cheat won't possibly hurt me and that starts the slippery slope. If I get on a great loosing streak like I did twice, Christmas comes and I gain it all back. I KNOW that if I follow it I'll loose, but I haven't hit my success stride yet. Hmm... Sorry to ramble. I guess I needed that.

[~reneew]

James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Resist temptation and you will get stronger! It will be easier to resist next time.

[NoSnacker]

AMEN Sister!!!!!

Now I have to remember who is in my head messing with me and WHO I have on my side...

p.s. on the Off Topic treads I have a post started with what is your favorite scriptures.

Have a blessed and tame weekend!

[~reneew]

I start double green days today! Perfect!

[NoSnacker]

Stopping by to see how you are doing?

I'm hanging in there and plan to have a green week!

Have a great Sunday!

[~reneew]

Struggling with snacks. Oh, and candy. And I guess, seconds. Ug.

[~reneew]

My October goal is strict plain Jane vanilla No S with no more than 5 fails. (I need to be nice to myself as I have been WAY off track lately.) This will actually be very difficult for me!

10/1 S day, and a good thing it was.
10/2 another S day. Off to a great start I'd say! Looong walk.
10/3 It's odd how yesterday's walk is motivating me today.
10/4 migraine
10/5
10/6 I bought doughnuts thinking I could actually wait until the weekend. HA!
10/7 why is it that I can't eat pizza without seconds? UG!
10/8 S
10/9 S and I abused it
10/10
10/11
10/12
10/13 close!
10/14
10/15 S
10/16 S
10/17 sick kids home
10/18 ug
10/19 very good day!
10/20
10/21
10/22 S
10/23 S
10/24 I'm having serious computer issues... so if you don't see me for a while... I'm still trying... and failing

[~reneew]

I'm having computer issues and have been just trying on my own. Struggling. I read yet another article in a magazine about food addiction and took a quiz that said that I'm the kind of food addict that is controlled by food and that the best way to beat it is stop (cold turkey) eating when you shouldn't. Period. Make a non-habit of it. I'm not the type to have just one or two bites and the crave will go away. It makes it worse! I totally agree... so, I'm going to try my best to get through the month cold turkey with NO sancks. I need to set a habit (or non-habit). Let's see if I can handle that! I don't eat breakfast M-F. I eat off of a small plate. I'm also not taking S days off since they flub me up. Here it goes.

[~reneew]

So, yesterday I was really frustrated about my lack of restraint from the day before so I thought I'd try some different route and try counting fat grams again. (Good grief, I know) I worked myself up into an excited fat-free state of mind and headed to the grocery store determined to give it a week and surprise myself by loosing 5 pounds by eating creatively prepared, well thought out chef-like cuisine. First isle, "lite" bread with only 1 gram of fat per 2 slices... what a deal! I'll get butter spray and fat free turkey and fat free cheese and live like there's no tomorrow eating as much of it as I want. I planned to make it into a grilled sandwich on my indoor grill. I wonder if it'll stick? Or turn into rubber. Next was chicken breasts which I'd eat this week when everyone else had wonderful juicy hamburgers. Hmm.. oh well, I deserve it for all of the times I have eaten 2 burgers. Then I had the miraculous brainstorm of making pizzas as low fat as I could and eating those wonderful creations all week for lunch or better yet, SNACKS just because I can on my new plan. I bought english muffins because I tried it as a kid and loved it (I also loved spaghetti-o's). I went to buy the kind of sauce that I always do that only has 1 gram of fat per 1/2 cup. Hmm... wonder why it has any, my homeade doesn't have any, guess I need to eat my homeade and have another garden next year. I bought peppers, fresh mushrooms and purple onions to add color and bulk to my creation. I plan on piling it on high! I think I need some type of meat...turkey pepperoni is still high in fat, so fat free turkey sandwich slices again! Wow, I'm good. Next, cheese... the most important part of this pizza. They had fat free cheddar which I know from experience doesn't melt at all until it chemically changes to rubber, so I sought out an alternative. Fat free cottage cheese!!! I'll strain off the milky part and it'll be JUST like mzzerella. I'm excited, so after purchasing baked (paper tasting) chips and skim milk I head home. I immediately start my pizza creation even though it's only 10 am... cuz I can! It didn't look too bad concidering my excitement factor, so I toasted it in my toaster oven. Loads of steam and smoke floating off, I couldn't wait. Then the moment came. I put all 4 rounds (remember it's 10 am) on my small plate and cut into it. It was toasty and mushy at the same time. Bite one: blah... well, maybe... Bite 2: Good grief, what am I eating this for? Bite 3: Yuck! I did finish just because I can, but that certainly was not good. So lunch rolls around an hour and a half after forcing those down and I see the leftover "real" pizza in the fridge from a couple days before and dive in. Since I went over my daily alotment of fat grams already, I then continued to eat Halloween candy, as many sugary drinks as I can find, as well as snacks and then supper with thirds... then more snacks. I even made a batch of cookies.

Why do I keep doing this?

What have I learned (at least for today)? No S is a sane, normal, and good tasting way to go and I'm back to vanilla!

[tobiasmom]

Oh, boy, do I totally understand this all too well!! I found myself laughing......but only cuz I have done the exact same thing with whatever the newest diet is my neighbor or friend is on. Then I come back down to reality and think how sane No-S is. The thought of fat-free frankenfood or eggs and bacon for every meal and snack or counting every calorie or point makes me sick. It actually gets me anxious these days.

WE are lucky enough to have found the best plan ever.....the plan for life!!!! Moderation.......who knew??

[~reneew]

I know, it is rediculously funny. And I keep doing it. Duh.

[~reneew]

Man, I wish I could commit. This is the time of year that I start my gaining for the winter and if I do, I am in huge trouble. I am not down 26 like I was the past 2 years. Uh oh.

[~reneew]

In need of some inspiration, so I'm going to copy some here for future feference.

linda45 said "I hit Onederland this morning. Weighed in at 198 with a weight loss total of 65-70 lbs after 14 months. No S & very small plates- it works. Just keep simple, one day at a time. This is the lowest I've been in 33 years. My health & mobility are amazing. I'm 66 yrs old & now feel like 40. Love this lifestyle."

anonymous 5'5" woman said "I'd just like to thank you for the NO S Diet. It truly has changed my life. Less than a year ago I weighed in at 230lbs, for a 5'5 woman, that was too much weight. I felt constantly sick, too lazy to tie my shoes, and suffered from headaches everyday. I decided to start losing weight by following the advice in a book I had brought a year prior, The No S diet. The simple three concepts launched my weight loss and with exercise i'm proud to say that after 6 months I weight 150lbs. I have lost 80lbs! Thank you! I preach this system all the time!!"

[~reneew]

Bad bad bad.

I'm at least holding and this is my gain season... If I gain from this starting point, I'll make new all-time highs, so I better not!!!

[mrsj]

Renew, will we be hearing from you any more this year? I miss you!

[~reneew]

I'm here and struggling. Too many kinds of cookies, carmels, almond bark covered pretzels, coffee cake, chex mix, ug! I love the season, but really? I am still trying to at least limit myself to my 2 dishes. At this point, it's my only hope. I'm going to plan for a tiny desert section on my supper plate so I don't go hog wild just after I finish dishes... AGAIN

[~reneew]

holding...

[mrsj]

Just keep holding! Thank Goodness the holidays are almost over!

[~reneew]

I was sick with an achey, stuffy, sneezy flu for 3 days over Christmas. 4 naps a day. How convenient. I may have actually lost some!

Something I commented on about eating 2 meals a day: Healthy eating trends come and go. The "eat every 3 hours" thing should never come back! I just wanted to add that as far as I know all the way through the Bible (old and new testaments) people were eating in the morning and evening. I don't think there was ever a lunch or snack mentioned. After the Isrealites were lead out of Egypt God fed them morning and evening for 40 years. No lunch. Jesus was said to eat in the morning and evening. It makes me wonder if we've invented lunch... whether you know Jesus or not, it is recorded how they were eating 4,000-2,000 years ago and I don't think they ate snacks or even lunch. Hmmm... I loose when I am able to eat only brunch and supper.


Another comment: The top 3 things that help... which after I wrote them is an eye opener to myself. Duh.
1. Plan meals ahead. If I don't I fail.
2. Don't snitch even one bite. That one bite is a foot in the door.
3. Drink drink drink. I like a big 4C. bottle of ice water with a splash of unsweetened cranberry juice or orange juice. (Nothing sweet)

[mrsj]

Sounds good! I also eat 2 meals a day. Brunch around 1000 and dinner around 1900. This leaves me a safety net to take a third small meal if neccessary. Sometimes I'll eat a small 3rd meall, others not.

It is important to drink water when eating less. Most foods contain at least 80% water.

God bless and good luck.

Remember that gluttony is a deadly sin

[Who Me?]

Mortal sin???

Can we not be so judgmental? This is a SUPPORT diet site, after all.

Also, folks, can we remember that participants here do not all share the same religious viewpoints?

[~reneew]

Thanks mrsj. I am mortal and gluttony is a sin.




Everyone has their own "viewpoints", and this is a site for helping others. I think you just shared your "viewpoint" who me? This is my thread.

[mrsj]

Sorry. Iused the wrong word. I meant dadly sin. Many faiths preach about the 7 deadly sins, including Islam, Christianity and Judaism to name a few. Just saw a documentary program about it.

As for sounding judgemental, glass houses and all that...

[~reneew]

Some quotes I came across that are well worthy of copy:

"I have an agreement with my body. I will eat my 3 meals a day and I will make sure that food is tasty and nourishing. But after that I am taking no shit from my hormones or my appetite. ...........I can tolerate 3 meals a day and am delighted to be so rich that overabundance of food is actually a problem."

"Eating this way is a relief. I don't have to decide if I should have a snack or not, have dessert or not - the decision is already made and there is no need to argue. When it is time to eat, it is time to eat."

"Habit is better than self control"

"Getting the habit down solid is more important than weight loss. The weight loss will come naturally after the habit is formed"

"Moderate hunger is good and that is all you will ever feel once you get this habit down. You don't ever really enjoy food if you never get hungry"

"Establishing regular meal times train the body to become hungry at those times"

As you can probably tell, I write down statements that are meaningful to me and look at them from time to time for support.
_________________

[~reneew]

Since the new year I've tried:

Paul McKenna's book and hypnosis CD
counting calories
counting fat grams
waiting until supper to eat
only fruit until supper
exercising a minimum of 1 hour a week rule (I usually do 30 a day M-F)
Drinking 8 glasses of water before supper time

Needless to say, I'm so so sick of this. I loose Mon.- Fri. and gain on the weekend. I think I need a weekend flu. I told myself that I'd try any plan I come up with for a full week. Most of them worked until Friday evening. I am not sane about this. I feel VERY frustrated.

I am going to return to No S and follow the no snacks, and no seconds, but allow a sweet if it fits on my plate. I will do my usual brunch and supper with a 3rd dish for an extra used mostly on the weekends. If I use it during... there I go again making more rules for myself. Ug.

3 Dishes period. I will start on Valentines day
as an action of love for myself (that's a change) Here I go

[iknit247]

You can do it! I started for the 3rd time yesterday. Am doing the "plain vanilla" NoS for at least 21 days before I start making up rules

[~reneew]

I have a 9 day vacation coming up and I just want to maintain during that. It will be hard. Sitting in the car with the family for 23 hours, eating out most of the time for 8 days, then another 23 hour car ride in which they will most likely be eating when THEY get hungry... I have 3 teens and a tween. Ug! I'm sticking with 3 meals (or eating bouts) and one s a day. In the car, I want to eat very slowly 3 times a day until I am not hungry anymore. I don't want to balance on a paper plate and I'm bringing snacky-type foods like crackers and cheese, apples, and such. The kids want twizzlers and cookies (manditory). Hmmm... Oh Lord give me strength!!! I plan on total compliance and complete tracking upon my return!!!

[~reneew]

I just read this on an Iowa blue zones e-mail and thought it was great advice:


FOLLOW THE 80 PERCENT RULE.


Blue Zones® learned that residents of Okinawa, Japan, have a smart strategy for maintaining a healthy weight. Before meals they say "hara hachi bu," which means to stop eating when you're 80 percent full. Studies show that cutting back on calories can lead to better health, longevity, and weight loss. By practicing hara hachi bu, you can:

Mindlessly cut 20 percent of your caloric intake
Lower blood pressure and cholesterol
Reduce the risk of heart disease.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



TOP 5 TIPS TO BETTER EATING.


Though some people gain weight by stuffing themselves too full, most of us gain 10 pounds every 10 years by eating just a little bit too much every day without even thinking about it. Here are easy ways to cut back on calories and eat more mindfully:

Downsize your dinnerware. The size of your plates and glasses can actually cause weight gain. Try using 10" plates and tall narrow glasses to consume significantly less - without even thinking about it.

Soup's on! Nutritious soups with fiber-rich veggies leave you feeling full and satisfied, and can boost your health and weight-loss efforts too.

Snack on nuts. A handful of nuts give you a dose of vitamins, minerals, and heart-healthy fats. Studies have shown that eating nuts may reduce your risk of heart disease and could even increase your lifespan. (or add it to your meal plate instead)

Eat an early, light dinner. By eating a light dinner earlier in the evening, you'll give your body plenty of time to digest the food before bed. This practice not only promotes better sleep, but can even lower body mass index (BMI). To learn more about a healthy BMI, visit http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/.

Slow down and be mindful of your food. Instead of eating on the run or in front of the computer or TV, sit down at a table to enjoy your food. You'll learn to savor a meal, become aware of what you're consuming, and as a result, eat less.

[~reneew]

Quote I read "Change from eating whenever you can and exercising only when you must' to 'eating only when you must and exercising whenever you can".

"Nobody is ever hungry when they reach for the desert!"

[~reneew]

Yesterday I started my new plan: I keep track of the little things that help me on a calendar...
- 3 dishes of food max.
- heart exercises, no minimum.
- soul exercises, no minimum.
- water, 6 glasses minimum.
- 8 hours of sleep or a nap.

I will keep track of all, but get a sticker if I eat nothing but 3 dishes of food. At least yesterday was successful. That's the best I've done in a long time. I need to get the habit back. I loose weight when I'm in the habit, and gain when not.

I will also try to record it on habitcal.

[~reneew]

2 successful days in a row... joy, happy, yipee!
how pitiful was that! It was once my norm. I guess I was quite a bit thinner then also. duh

[~reneew]

Day 3 was fine, considering I allow sweets. I had 2 dishes of food and one hand-scoop of Reeses Easter eggs. I'm calling it a dish. I may need to re-think that sweets thing if it gets out of hand. Why do I buy those little self-control busters anyway??? Today, Thursday, I will avoid those as much as I can!

[~reneew]

Those horrible great tasting Reeses easter eggs! UG! I'm starting to hate the pull they have. I've just decided to pack them away for the 4 Easter baskets I'll be making. Gee, good idea... it's almost what I bought them for


Actually, I'm going to clean out my kitchen and vow to not buy ANY junk. I'm headed to do that now!

[~reneew]

Done! I put all Easter candy away with the Easter basket stuff (which is why I bought it all in the first place) and made sure no junk is around. Things are looking up! Maybe I'll actually be successful today!

[~reneew]

I just read someone's post about having trouble with Fridays, and I just wanted to comment to myself on this issue. I HAD lost 26 pounds following vanilla noS. Fridays threw me off for the whole weekend, and I usually had a very difficult time getting back on track myself, but consider the alternative... off track all of the time!!! I've slowly gained it all back trying my own cut-and-paste-plans. I need to get back to the basics of NOS. Record on habitcal daily. Reinhard is coming out with some new version of the habitcal. Maybe that will give me added incentive. Go back to sanity Renee!

[~reneew]

bumping it up for a much needed fresh start.

[~reneew]

bumping to the top for my fresh start instead of starting a new thread.



yep I feel this necessary

[~reneew]

bump

[~reneew]

good grief. another bump. I really want to start at the top of the page.

[~reneew]

bumpity

[~reneew]

[~reneew]

Fresh start for me!


I'm turning 45 (ug!) this Saturday (St. Patrick's day). I went to the doctor for my physical yesterday and I'm depressed about my weight. Twice I've lost 26 pounds doing NoS. And twice I've gained it all back. My oldest child started college and moved out last year and my youngest (of 4) is no longer in elementary school anymore. Things are changing and I need to shake out of this slump I'm in and take control of my future. (Does this sound like a mid-life crisis?) I realllllllllllllllllllllly want to loose all of my weight this year, so I'm laying out my plan. I want to be fair to myself and have a goal that I can reach and be happy with, so I'm setting it about 5 pounds over what "they" say is the highest healthy weight for my height. I've lost 50 pounds twice in my life and stopped at about this weight but never felt happy about it because I didn't reach my goal that was 5-15 pounds less. So, now that is my goal. I'm figuring that I have 70 to loose to be happy. I'd like to be half way by mid-summer, July 15. I want to be at my goal by the end of the year. Vanilla NoS is my plan, and I will not cut and paste my own plans into it this time!


.

[~reneew]

I just wiped out my way-too-red habitcal to start a fresh one. Boy, that felt good!

[milliem]

Good luck with your fresh start!

You know you can lose the weight which is a positive, go Vanilla NoS!

[mimi]

Hey Renee! You can do this you know! Best wishes with your fresh start - just keep trudging forward and keeping at it and leave the tweaking alone for awhile. That's what I had to do - plain ol' vanilla NoS! It's working.
Hope you enjoyed your vacation and have a wonderful birthday on Saturday!

Mimi

[CMThib82]

Good luck! Sometimes it takes just being fed up! Your big red letters clearly state that.

[NoSRocks]

CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK!!

[~reneew]

Thanks guys! I came back again today just to color my habitcal green for today and I have 4 people cheering me on! WOW! I love this place. I also told my family that I'm doing NoS again and that they should feel free to police me. I figure I need to be as strict as I can, and they will watch me close! I know they can be a bit hawk-like, but I need that right now! I think I'll go read the book again too!

[~reneew]

I wasn't tempted at all yesterday, probably because I was soooo determined. I even made lasagna without snitching ANY hamburger (one of my favorites is fresh cook & salted hamburger). That was probably a first. This morning I went to the grocery store and when I hit the candy isle, I looked up and studied the vent system for the rest of the walk down the isle. Ha! It worked. Not tempted. Whatever works!

[Eileen7316]

I can really relate to the hamburger tasting. Salt is crucial! It's even better if you've added garlic and onions.

I will pray for both of us!

[~reneew]

I was really inspired by r.jean who has lost 45 pounds in a year and has about 25 to go. I got the feeling that she feels it's going slow now. This is what I said...

After just reading your post, I feel very hopeful. I started NoS way before you, but lost and gained the same 26 pounds doing exactly what you said "deprive myself, then overeat, deprive myself, then overeat again". Everyone says that slow and steady wins the race, and you are! I think of ~emilyr also who lost 45 pounds thinking just that way, while I the rabbit ran past her the turtle... twice... and am back at the starting line. Ug! Thanks for writing details, it really helps me!

[~reneew]

I don't think I've made it a habit and habit is the key to controling those binges! I personally think that I am a food addict, that being in my terms as someone who is controled by food. I am also a diet addict. Every darn day I start out with a plan that I AM going to follow. I go into all of the rituals of the current plan and write at length all about it. I buy little tablets and cool new pens, make graphs, make calendars, buy reward stickers, buy and read book after book or magazine article... I could honestly go on and on. I continue to return to my top 4 or so favorite ideas in hope that I have been away long enough for it to feel like a fresh start for me. Sometimes it works, most of the time it doesn't. Twice in my life I lost 50. Since I started no S I've lost 26 pounds TWICE and am back at the starting point again. (See page 1). But, I am learning as I go, and one thing that I've noticed this time of return is that while looking at my history of gains and losses, I get frustrated if I stall or it comes off too slowly. Then I seem to fall off the deep end probably because I think that it's not going as well as I want it. So, I start to tweak again, sometimes harshly, sometimes so weakly that it really is cheating myself. Then I gain. This whole last year I was in limbo thinking I knew better, but now I see that all I need is to continue on knowing that it WILL work long-term if I continue. ~emilyr and r.jean (sorry to use your names guys, but I need your influence here) both lost about 45 pounds while thinking most of the time that it was going slow and feeling frustrated. They were the tortoise while I was the hare... and I am back at the starting point AGAIN because I get impatient. Slow and steady wins the race. This does work! Hang in there! The habit will take over if you give it your all... keep at it. Be brutally honest with the rules. The habit will come and it will eventually help you when you want to chow on chips or whatever. Read the yearly check-ins for support on what I'm saying. They really help me. Take from their sucessful attempts.


I've come to realize that 5 good days and 2 sorta crazy days are way better long term for me than 7 fairly crazy ones...

[oolala53]

Hear, hear, renew. That is what kept me going through the long slog of crazy S days. I was still so much better off than I had been before No S. And now S days are better, too. Even if they weren't, what's the alternative?

[~reneew]

I just remembered something I had forgotten for a while:
Food tastes absolutely incredible when you are actually hungry!!!

yea! I'm doing great! I even behaved today and it's a Friday! Pizza is really hard to control... but it was easier today because it tasted absolutely incredible and that was only because I was actually hungry!

[ZippaDee]

Happy Birthday!!! Best of luck to you on your fresh start! Looks like you are doing awesome so far. I too am back for a fresh start. We have a lot in common. I am 46 years old and the mother of 4. My oldest is graduating from high school this year. I have also lost 25 pounds on NoS and gained it all back. The good news on that though is that we know this works for us. It's all a part of a learning process right? I'm not sure exactly what my goal weight is? 70 pounds would be nice, but so would 50 or 60!! Even 10 pounds makes a huge difference in how I feel! So, I'm not setting a goal for myself as far as weight, but I'm in this for the long haul...and like you, focusing on slow and steady! I'm cheering for you! GOOD LUCK!

[r.jean]

Cheering for you!

Some of my past echoes yours. I did not use specific diets, but almost every day I got up with the goal to improve my eating habits and lose weight. I sometimes made it a few days but usually gave up before the end of the day. I was an evening permasnacker and a chocolate hound.

I am at a standstill right now and have not lost in 3 months. At the moment I am right at the 45 lb loss, but I did briefly go up a couple pounds. Even after doing this a year, I almost went off track. I am happy for the maintenance right now but would like to start the slow creep down again.

Let's get there together!

[oolala53]

I ended up writing such a long comment that I felt like I was hijacking, so I'm going to put a link here, if you'd like to read it.

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/posting.p ... ply&t=4198

BTW, the icons above never work for me. [i]For instances, I just used the italics icon, and this is what happened.[/i] So sorry that you have to cut and paste-- or just go to my thread.

[~reneew]

Zippadee ~ it really helps me knowing there are people out there just like me! Thanks, I needed that! Keep in touch!

r.jean ~ DON"T FEEL DISCOURAGED! You've lost 46 pounds! I feel the need to tell you to go to your grocery store and pick up 4 of the biggest turkeys that you can find... If you can. That is about what you lost!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Repeat as necessary.

Oolala ~ thanks for your encouragement! I need that!

[~reneew]

I had a bit of an eye opener last night. It was my birthday Saturday and I had looked forward to cake all week, so last night I got a piece of cake to eat about 9 pm. If I was going to have to watch others eat MY birthday cake this week, I'd better squeeze another one in quick before an N day. Oh and since I love the frosting and not really a fan of the actual cake, I scraped the frosting off another one to add to mine since it wasn't thick enough with the stuff. Then my 16 year old son walked by and said "You're killing yourself Mom!"
Whew! I need to ponder that for a while... it's still echoing in my head. He's right, but for some reason it shocked me to hear it from him.

I really think I need help with my S days. I think I'll do some research on that...

[~reneew]

After browsing around looking for help, I re-read KCCC's thread about the phases of noS:

Phase I: Establishing habit
Phase II: S-day worries
Phase III: Got it!
Phase IV: Maintenance and fine-tuning for individual needs


I am solidly back at the first phase and need to get my habit on...
Phase I: Establishing habit
Description/Goal: Getting the N-days down. S-days are often still over the top, but the focus is building N-day habits, and getting them SOLID.
Suggested strategies (IMHO!):
1. Do a 21-day challenge and try to go that long following the No-S rules exactly.
2. If it's too hard to do them all at once, phase them in individually until they're all in place.
3. Lather, rinse, repeat until habits are solid - with some reflection/assessment on what's changing for you. Don't even think about Phase II until your N-day habits are in place.
4. Use the resources on this bb and website (the "Strictness" podcast - #13 - is the one I recommend most frequently at this stage).
Issues:


So, I am going to work on strictness, aim for 21 days (again) and listen to the "strictness" podcast.

[~reneew]

I just realised that I haven't renewed my membership to the 21 day club since May'09! No wonder I can't loose. I am going to be as strict as possible! I've started a 21 day challenge. Here I go!

[oolala53]

Oh, my, yes. Start at the foundation.

[~reneew]

I got through a Monday, which is as hard as Fridays because I need to jump back on the track and this heavy steam engine has problems getting back on the track! I eat so much when everyone is around that I BLOW every weekend, but I have been able to loose weight in August before, so I know it's possible with my 4 kids around. I can't help but think about how to curb my s days. I've tried absolutely everything. I keep wndering if I should try for N-like days and just plan in so many S dishes..... ? It's the grab-and-eat-whenever habit that is my downfall.

In the mean time, this calm N existence is nice to have back! There is not termoil in my head when I am STRICT about the rules. I don't debate it. Don't even go there when I am being that strict.

Also, I love the "marriage" to the no S plan concept. Too funny. But really, I've been married for 22 years and if I would have walked every time I wanted to I'd be at the bottom of the ocean... if I eat every time I want to I'd not be able to walk. Also, affairs might be fun, but they destroy the marriage. Don't even go there! I haven't. Think of snacks as affairs.

[~reneew]

I've been doing more thinking about the scale again... I really should bring up the scale history thread because I again am on a new scale. What is it #5? I do weigh almost daily. I've tried to not, but I think it helps to keep me in focus and not ignore it. I try to only record once a week though so I don't freak about little ups and downs. I can retain incredible amounts of fluids.

[gk]

Hope you don't mind the similarity of our post titles. I actually typed that in before noticing that yours is "Fresh Start" as well. It just seems like an upbeat and cheery way to look at things, doesn't it?

Hope all is going well for you. Have a great week!

[~reneew]

I think fresh start has been used dozens of time, I change mine all of the time. No problem.

[~reneew]

Wednesday and I am still on track. Day 9. This is the longest streak that I've had in a very long time. Pitiful isn't it? Anyway, this one will stick!

[oolala53]

Not pitiful! Wonderful! Even God cannot change the past.

[~reneew]

Today I strongly needed encouragement to make it through the weekend without a continual flub feast. I have lost 26 lb. twice and gained it back, and I feel this is my time... and I need to face my weekends. As I've said before, I loose all week, then gain on the weekends. Every week. I did so great all last week, then on Saturday (my binge birthday) I seemingly errased all progres, and gained back again. I can loose up to 10 pounds from Sunday evening through Friday morning. nude. honest. I almost did that last week, and I've done that again this week. If I could only maintain... or even halfway maintain through the weekend, I'd be loosing my weight. So, today I'm gearing up for tonight because that's when it starts and tomorrow when I usually let go. I am down 10 as of right now.

Having said that, this is the private part of me speaking here, so if you don't want to read anymore... that's fine, but...
On the way home from Bible study at a tender time when I know God is near, I prayed for help with this. On the radio started a song that I have sung along with for a long time but never had the words hit me like they did today. The words to "Voice of Truth" by casting crowns:

"Voice Of Truth"


Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves

To step out of my comfort zone
To the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out his hand

But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again. 'Boy, you'll never win!'
"You'll never win"

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
And the voice of truth says "Do not be afraid!"
And the voice of truth says "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant
With just a Sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again "boy, you'll never win!
"You'll never win"

But the stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don't seem so high
From on top of them looking down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
Singing over me

I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

Wow! This is for His Glory! I can do it for his glory! It really hit my heart. I want to do it for His Glory!

[dmarie710]

I love this Renee. I don't post here often, but lurk daily. I was part of your spark people, though. I've often sung to this song, but seeing those words is so beautiful. Your going to do great this weekend, cause the Lord is bigger and better than the food. We know this in our heads, sometimes it's hard to remember in our hearts. Thank you for posting the song.
Denise

[oolala53]

If you stay still during those moments of urge to eat, you will be able to feel the peace underneath that is the presence that all contentment comes from. It's under the urges, the anxiety, etc. With it, we're always safe, no matter what is happening on the outside. This issue with food is one of the doorways.

[NoSnacker]

I absolutely love the Casting Crowns..they are awesome..thanks so much for sharing the lyrics...I bought a book called "The Dieter's Prayer Book", by Heather Harpham kopp..a daily devotional...cover says spiritual power and daily encouragement.

My friend and I have it and read the same one on the same day and we discuss.

I saw on our daily 21 day challenge your struggled the last 2 nights..I know the feeling. It definitely is something deep within...nothing to do with food as I have been becoming aware of. Can't be the food as we are satisfied and yet feel empty.

I know that my S days are the reason I quit before...once I binged on the weekends I had a hard time stopping.

So I know they say not to worry about S days, but if I want to succeed I have to.

I'm allowing for one snack and one dessert, but healthy stuff for now.

Do great all week just to fail.

Who knows, we are all different that is for sure.

God bless..have a great weekend and let's pray for each other and give the urges to God.

[ZippaDee]

I too love this song!! Seeing the lyrics written out like that...WOW! Really fits with our struggles here! Have a good weekend!

[~reneew]

You guys are great! What encouragement this is for me. I actually went to bed early because I couldn't face temptation anymore. I was craving popcorn something fierce, slamming water and crocheting away (I haven't touched that afghan in over a year) when my dear dear husband sits down next to me with a big container of it! Ug! I could have screamed. Or maybe I did... I've blocked it out. I feel that this weekend is pivitol for me. I feel the need to at least prove to myself that a sane weekend is possible. If you have ever been addicted to something you know what I mean... that illogical pull that seems to be uncontrolable... it's there for me with food. I hate it. What's that hate the one/love the other verse??? I guess I've got that straight.
Anyway, I woke up this morning and actually thought "yea! Sday" and to me that meant a free-for-all when it comes to food. I quickly thought "no! I'm going to treat it as a normal n day with a tad bit of forgiveness." So, I'm doing well so far. Wouldn't that be cool if I could mark it green for a voluntary N day??? Bah, false sense of security.

[~reneew]

My weekend was sane, controlled, forgiving, on track, and enjoyable. I had a few controlled treats. Wonderful weekend! I have hope. I definitely feel like this is getting easier. I thought of the weekend as N days with a bit of forgiveness. Only a week and a day until I get to 21 days! Keep going!

[lbb (Liz)]

Way to go! Glad you had a good S weekend. It's hard to not get the hungover Monday feeling after most S days!
Good on ya!

[~reneew]

thanks! I know! It felt good to get back to an N day.

[NoSnacker]

Awesome report!!!! We both did fabulous!!! Let's keep the sanity...

I think weekends were my big downfall last time I tried this...binge, binge, binge...I looked forward to the weekends thinking I'll only have a little of this or a little of that..but never worked...

My only prayer is to become binge free...even on the weekends..no green for me to be a glutton on the weekends...

Keep up the great work..new week..before you know it our first 21 days back on track with be over and we'll be starting a new
deb

[KL]

Yay reneew and No Snacker You two rock.

Casting Crowns are awesome - I listen to them all the time but never saw the words for Voice of Truth written down - thank you.

I was reading this book Resisting the Temptation to Overeat (I'm on vaca so I don't have the book but I think that's the title) and the author promotes 3 meals with only drinks between. She noticed that thin people don't really eat between meals but they do drink, and often (as I'm sure you know) that hunger is confused with thirst.

That got me into the habit of the 3 meals and drinking tea between. Although it doesn't really help when the person next to you is eating aroma filled popcorn.

[gk]

Thought I'd pop in and give you a big pat on the back - you're doing so great! Keep up the great work!

Hey, I noticed on your 21-day thread that you crochet.....lately that has intrigued me for some reason. Do you find that helps with keeping your hands busy and helps with munching later at night? Is crocheting hard to learn? If I wanted to start out (and I know how to sew on a button and that's about it ), what direction would you point me in? What should I start with?

Trying to find different and new activities for later at night, so I can get my late-night munchies under control.

Thanks so much!

[~reneew]

Thank you sooooo much you guys! You really motivate me!
I am STILL doing great!

Gk - I'll send you a message with my ideas about crochetting

[~reneew]

Mimi said "Practice makes permanent!"
So true, I hope!

[ZippaDee]

You are doing so awesome!!! YAY!! Keep on keepin' on! GO!!!!

[mimi]

So true! Let's all keep on practicing!

Mimi

[gk]

Gk - I'll send you a message with my ideas about crochetting

Thanks so much for the info on crochetting. Once I finish my scrapbooking, I'll jump in and have some fun with it.

Thanks again!

[snapdragon]

Hi reneew,
Just here to cheer you on. I noticed in your signature you asked for prayers, I will add you to my intentions. Oh, my b-day is the day after yours! So happy late birthday .

[~reneew]

happy birthday snapdragon!

Thanks everyone! I come here for encouragement when I need it! It works because of you guys!


Still on track!!! :D :D :D :D :D ::D:D

[~reneew]

I came back today to tell you about my mental games that I had at lunch...
About 10:00 I was thinking that maybe I should fast until supper since I was going so strong and drinking water. I was sure I could do it, but I thought I'd leave it open and see what happens since I don't want to be the hare anymore ~ just a tutrle. So, 11:00 rolls around and I get hungry. I'll wait until closer to noon. 11:30 comes and I've got to eat now or I'll eat my shoe. I find leftover lasagna in the freezer. 2 containers. What was I thinking about freezing those tiny servings anyway? 2 will fit in my bowl. Ha! There's usually a way around it. I should probably have some vegetable... THEN, I spot a t.v. dinner that has been in the freezer for way too long and nobody will ever eat it because it is so pittifully bad (Banquet cheeseburger stuffed breadsticks with french fries. You should try it for a laugh) and besides I just want those fries in there anyway... So when the 2 lasagnas are done I grab a bowl, which I knew was stupid, I should try to fit it on a plate, right? Well, this way if it doesn't fit... (I virtual-cheat) So, I get the t.v.dinner and microwave the entire thing even though I only want the fries. Am I being sneaky with myself??? Then I sit down with my jug of water, my full bowl of lasagna and my entire t.v. dinner. Someone would have said something if anyone wa around, but they weren't. I'm happy. Lasagna's great. I try some pitiful breadstick (ew why?) and decide not to do that again in my life, and continue on. I get not even half way through it all and I suddenly get stuffed. Whew, saved by the bell, I would have had to fight with my concious for that one!

Over all I ate less than a plate's worth, so why do I do that?

[~reneew]

Husband, 4 kids, 2 cats, 1 dog, beige carpet, 8 acres with a creek running through it, new carpet steamer. Guess what I'm going to do for the rest of today?

[NoSRocks]

LOL! Good luck with your carpet cleaning, Renee! You're putting me to shame -

I also LOL'd at your Banquet Cheeseburger story!! Nice one! I'm a bit of a slave to the TV Dinner (oxymoron??) so I really appreciated that one. Thanks for the heads up !


I'm just chiming in with the No S weekend thing - maybe my S Days should stand for Sane? Because I am definitely INsane when it comes to the weekends. Not as bad as I used to be, mind, but still needs a lot of room for improvement. GLAD YOU AND NOSNACKER HAD A GOOD WEEKEND LAST WEEK! THANKS FOR THE INSPIRATION! FINGERS CROSSED FOR ME, TOO!!

[NoSnacker]

Loved your lunch time story..and glad to see you got full and was able to stop..hey you forgot the fries

The battles we go through day and day out..

Glad to see your day was not ruined..you'll wake up much happier.