Everyday Systems

vmelo

Khristal, your husband sounds like mine! (Can't really blame him---I have tried many, many diets). I hear you about the intuitive eating thing. To me, that was almost as bad (sometimes worse) than some of the other diets I've been on. When I tried it, sometimes my hunger signals did not coincide wit...

vmelo

Intuitive eating never worked for me, and the reasons seem summed up in Reinhard's post. Also, when I think about living life to its fullest, one of the pleasure inherent in that (for me) is eating well. Intuitive eating seems to relegate food to just necessity, and I found that that's not where I w...

vmelo

I envy those who like V8. I love fruits and veggies, but I just cannot stomach V8. My husband, who eats tons of butter, eggs, fried foods, etc. (and is thin, I might add!

) actually likes V8. It's one of the few healthy things he consumes.

vmelo

Catlady, sorry for your loss. As for the your weight, try not to think about the total amount you have to lose. I know that when I think of that, I get discouraged. It's best to focus on the present, one day at a time as they say. I like Reinhard's idea of establishing habits rather than focusing on...

vmelo

Since we're on the subject of smoothies, I make one that's easy and delicious and is the next best thing to a milkshake. I take about 1/2 cup of frozen dark cherries (you can use any berry, but I LOVE cherries) and 1/2 a frozen banana. I cut up the banana (which you can still do even though it's fro...

vmelo

Marc, Thalia was not an arguing about semantics or "minor details".. Your original post was rude and unsupportive. I think you were out of line frankly. If you want to toot your horn about your successes, fine. Good for you. Up till this moment, I was actually really impressed with your story, but ...

vmelo

I think this is a great question, and I've thought of this issue myself. I've noticed that many people who post big weight losses are men. It seems that men lose faster, and I'll bet the reason is that men are able to achieve a bigger calorie deficit than women. That is, if the average man needs 240...

vmelo

I'm sorry that you're having such a bad day! :( I've had many of those, so I know what you mean. Food is one of the easiest and most satisfying stress relievers isn't it? Temporarily at least----then, it just ends up adding more stress because we gain from seeking solace in it. I've only been No-Sin...

vmelo

Every night I have an espresso after dinner, and I sweetened it with Sambucca (a liquer), but I don't count it as an S.

vmelo

Thanks, LA Loser! I had created a tag, but for some reason, my calendar still wasn't showing up yesterday. When I logged in this morning, though, it was there. I really want to stay focused on successes concerning habits more so that successes concerning weight loss. I remember years when I got and ...

vmelo

Good for you Dave. That's fantastic news! :) No disrespect here, but I myself have no interest in limiting the weekends. S days are sacred for me. They aren't even gorgefests anymore and tend to be like N days but with a few treats. Also, forgive my wondering about this, but I don't really understa...

vmelo

I'm "think" I'm following the directions, but I don't actually see a calender. I click on "LOAD" to load an April calendar, but nothing appears.

Help!

vmelo

I would consider it a sweet. Years ago when I was in my 20's (I won't say how many years ago :wink: ), I was following a homemade plan somewhat like No-S in that I ate three, one-plate meals a day, but I allowed myself fruit in-between, and I did allow myself to eat sweets for breakfast. I got down ...

vmelo

One unpredictable thing I noticed yesterday (friday) was that I brought extra food with me to work just so I could get in some candy and snacks. I didn't intentionally do it and I didn't particularly enjoy it but it was like I felt that I deserved it. Obviously I will have to work on that part. Thi...

vmelo

Welcome, Aya! I kind of like what I put on the home page in response to this question (hidden way at the bottom): Is it hard? It's hard in a different way than most other diets. It can seem harder at first because it doesn't pretend that there is some trick to bypassing the work of building new hab...

vmelo

Welcome, Aya! I kind of like what I put on the home page in response to this question (hidden way at the bottom): Is it hard? It's hard in a different way than most other diets. It can seem harder at first because it doesn't pretend that there is some trick to bypassing the work of building new hab...

vmelo

Welcome! I'm back on No-S after a hiatus of about a year, and I didn't really do it right when I tried it last time. This time I'm committed. Like you, I just cannot go back on some weird diet with crazy restrictions. This way of eating seems so painless and normal compared to other diets. I wish yo...

vmelo

I just restarted No-S after an unsuccessful try at it about a year ago. (I was an idiot and didn't use my common sense on N or S days). I'm not one for modifications, so the only little guideline I use is that I try to make my meals somewhat healthy, i.e., I include vegetables or fruit with each mea...

vmelo

Darn! That is discouraging, but it seems as if from reading many other posts on this board that people lose slowly, but the trend is generally downward. I'll bet that will be the case with you, too, in the long run. I know what you mean about being stuffed, though. It an oxymoron to say that it's a ...

vmelo

Another "never"---I find it self-defeating: If I lose, I tend to have the mindset "Well, I can eat a little more as a reward." If I gain, I oftentimes get discouraged and throw in the towel. It's very weak-willed of me, but I just can't face the scale because it puts me on a emotional rollercoaster ...

vmelo

Thank you all for the welcome! I've been doing great for the last two days --LOL! I know it's only two days, but it feels so good to have some sort of reasonable boundary again. I have to admit the temptation to snack a couple of hours after dinner is strong, but I'm resisting it. I just try to keep...

vmelo

I think that is really key: I am ready. If you are not ready and you don't believe in it... it won't work. You are EXACTLY right! It's the same with exercise (with me, at least). Like you, I'm back on the wagon after a hiatus of other diets that worked as they always do: i.e., I lost some weight, c...

vmelo

I LOVE steel cut oats, and I've read that they're very good for you. I think Reinhard's daughter's description of them as "Three Bears Style Oatmeal" is perfect! They're thick and delicious and really stick to your ribs. However, they do take a lot of time, but some time ago, I found a recipe from A...

vmelo

Okay, today is my first day back on the No-S plan---of course, it is a weekend :twisted: Anyhow, boy have I strayed way, way off. I've gained so much weight in the last several months. I had lost weight last summer doing an old-fashioned, severely restricted calorie counting program, and of course, ...

vmelo

One thing I do is check the critical reviews to see what the rationales are for NOT liking it. . . . (I do look at positives too, but a good critique tells a lot. . . I'm so glad I'm not the only one! I always tend to gravitate towards the negative reviews. At times, I've found that the very point ...

vmelo

I haven't posted in a long time (hi, all!!!!). I was just wondering about this whole over-working thing. I tend to exercise about 30-45 minutes 5 or 6 days a week. Sometimes, even after 8 hours of sleep, I still feel tired. A couple weeks ago I lightened the load (had to b/c of schedule) and lost s...

vmelo

hehe yeah we do get a little nutty with our food relationships... but i knew i had to leave when people who disliked the food (it was aweful by the way) would be given the "you're not committed to losing weight... you must make sacrifices blah blah blah" speech. it just doesn't seem right that one ...

vmelo

welcome to the boards! i had a similar experience with nutrisystem boards. i would be baffled when people would ask if they could have an extra serving of steamed broccoli for dinner. i honestly thought it was insanity...:/ I agree. I'm a member of several dieting boards, but I can only take so muc...

vmelo

At my height, according to that formula, I should be 115 lbs. (I'm 5 ft. 3). However, in my adult life, I was only that weight once, and people were worried that I was anorexic. At 130 lbs. I can easily wear a size 6 and oftentimes a size 4. I've heard that calculation before, too, and I've always t...

vmelo

The blogger of that article had some remarkable insights about No-S, all of which I share. Here's a quote that I found especially insightful: "Also, as a somewhat "emotional eater," I've found it a lot easier to honestly answer the question 'Is it mealtime?' as opposed to the question 'Am I really h...

vmelo

I think that the current focus on protein is due to the prevalence of low-carb diets in the last twenty years or so. A few years ago, I was watching my calorie intake and trying to base my diet on the traditional food pyramid. I used to journal my food, and I realized that I barely ate any protein. ...

vmelo

Congrats on your success! I'm attracted to No-S because of its simplicity as well. Also, I just love the feeling of eating one reasonable plate of food. I feel like a thin person (if that makes any sense). Also, I have yet to leave the table hungry, but in the "old" days I would automatically refill...

vmelo

Congratulations on your success with staying on habit and with losing inches! I read some of your blog, and like you, I always find it difficult to fathom than I can lose inches and not lose weight, but apparently (as your circumstance proves), it is possible! Heck---I don't care how much I weigh as...

vmelo

Thanks to all who have posted (and to those who have not posted, keep it comin'!). Congratulations to you all on your success!

I know that everyone has to devise their own way of handling their eating, but looking at what you've done helps me to get an idea of what I should be doing. Thanks!

vmelo

I can completely relate to your post. At this point, though, I do not think it is possible for me to get back to that Edenic state of being unaware of food. What I'm shooting for now is some way to be less obsessive about it (and No-S seems to be the answer). Besides the emotional eating component, ...

vmelo

I wont go into horrors of what the animal farming industry does to chickens here, but if you are interested there is lots of information out there, suffice it to say that i prefer not to put THAT kind of stuff on my plate :D ITA!! If anyone is interested, here's a link to an article by Michael Poll...

vmelo

Yes, I made the switch, partly for dieting reasons and partly because at my workplace, the people responsible for coffee stuff would frequently forget to bring in real milk or half-and-half, and I can't stand Cremora. Drinking coffee black seemed so much easier. However, I used to drink my coffee wi...

vmelo

I've seen the testimonials, and they're great. However, I'm a person who needs examples to really get the point. So, I was wondering if some of you who have been successful on No-S (i.e., you've lost a good deal of weight) could post some specifics. What I'm mainly looking for is as follows: 1) What...

vmelo

I am seriously thinking of giving up TV. At least, cable. It's a little scary because I do loves mah TV, but I think it would feel good, ultimately, and bring improvements. And if I go crazy, I can always get it again... I definitely can connect many of my food cravings to advertising. And my cravi...

vmelo

Well, I'm not anywhere close to feeling as you do about sugar (wish I was!), but I have experienced some of the effects that you wrote about. I haven't eaten sweets for about two weeks (I'm doing another type of diet to lose weight more quickly, and I'll be using No-S for maintenance). Prior to that...

vmelo

Calories count, whether one consciously chooses to control calorie intake by counting them, OR whether one chooses to uncounsciously control them by limiting the amount of food they eat, and the times they eat - - such as is done within the No S Diet. (1 plate, 3 meals, no snacks) This is true, but...

vmelo

I think when you've been dieting and counting for years and years it can take another bunch of years to get that mind/body thing going and get in the habit of using your common sense instead of waiting for an outside source to answer the question, "Is this okay?" Absolutely! I tend to put common se...

vmelo

I do a combniation of calisthenics (push ups, situps, body weight squats) and self resistance exercises (one arm resisting against the other arm.) I was shocked at the results that I got from doing these exercises. Remember the Charles Atlas ads in the back of comic books? They really do work. I ha...

vmelo

. . . But the act of measurement has effects. I am completely convinced that a FOCUS on calories distorts behavior in ways that undermine chances of success. I feel very strongly about this, both from my own experience and from â€œhearingâ€ people on this board. . . . Your entire post was right on ...

vmelo

What is an "NWS"? (I've looked around this forum, but I can't seem to find the answer). Non-Weekend S-day. A day outside your normal S-day routine where you make a conscious decision that "this is special enough for a treat." Usually reserved for major holidays and birthdays of immediate family, bu...

vmelo

Right now, I'm committing to 20 minutes a day of cardio (usually a combination of walking, elliptical trainer, and/or another cardio machine). I try to keep the level as intense as possible so that I can really burn up some calories in a short amount of time. Before and/or after this cardio, I've be...

vmelo

What is an "NWS"? (I've looked around this forum, but I can't seem to find the answer).

vmelo

I think there's no problem with using another, traditional diet program to lose weight faster and then using No-S for maintenance. It's what I'm doing. There's no question that I do not want to be on a traditional diet program for the rest of my life for all the reasons that I think many on this boa...

vmelo

I'm on my third week of No-essing, and for the first week I definitely found that my plates were overloaded. However, I realized I needed that much food to get me through until the next meal. I was so used to snacking that I found it difficult to make it until my next meal. During my second week, I ...

vmelo

I often have a fruit smoothie for breakfast; it's delicious and has no sugar. Here's the recipe: 1 frozen banana (this is a great use for all those overripe bananas--just freeze them and save them for this) any other frozen fruit of your choice (I like frozen cherries, strawberries, and/or blueberri...

vmelo

Hi, folks. I'm loving the No-S way of eating, and I'm experiencing an interesting side effect: I find that I'm thirstier throughout the day. That's a good thing because in the past, I found that I had to force myself to drink the recommended amount of water (the usual 6-8 glasses) and usually didn't...

vmelo

Day 14: SUCCESS . . . I guess Although I didn't binge or anything, I still didn't do as well as I would have liked. I'm finding that on weekends, Saturdays seem to be okay, but once I get into Sunday, I tend to start grazing. This disturbs me because that's a behavior I'd like to stop. I'm not sure ...

vmelo

Day 13: SUCCESS I had my share of sweets and snacks, but I didn't binge out like last weekend! Breakfast: My own homemade sundae (about 1/2 cup of vanilla ice cream, 1/2 banana, a few pineapple chuncks, a few cherries, some melted chocolate, and some walnuts). Okay, this wasn't the greatest breakfas...

vmelo

Day 12 was a SUCCESS! Breakfast: Scottish oatmeal, 1/2 banana, 1/4 apple, a few raisins and walnuts. Lunch: Sandwich made with sliced barbequed chicken, 1 slice cheese, a bit of mayo; Some green beens and broccoli Dinner: My own concoction of sauteed shrimp, veggies, and brown rice, sprinkled with a...

vmelo

I'm new here, so I may be in that "honeymoon" phase you referred to, and I might not be the best one to give advice. However, after at least two decades of dieting (wow! I can't believe that as I type it), I finally realize that I can't count calories, measure my food, buy special food, etc., for th...

vmelo

Today was a success but barely! I was so tempted to have something both before and after dinner. Luckily, I resisted. I'll admit that my food choices weren't stellar, but I did stick to the rules nonetheless. Breakfast: 1 piece of homemade pizza (from last night's dinner) Lunch: 2 pieces of homemade...

vmelo

I do try to get in a total of three hours a week of cardio and about two hours of weight lifting per week (the operative word is "try"). However, I will say that I think the best approach is to set smaller goals and try to stick with them. Oftentimes, I don't go to the gym because I dread the 45 min...

vmelo

Hi, Lil Mouse. I'm new here and have just been perusing some daily check-ins to get the idea of how people work this program. I'm confused by one of your posts and was hoping you could clarify something for me. You wrote, I briefly considered "rationalizing" that since I had only had TWO meals/plate...

vmelo

Boy, I can't believe how many typos were in my last post! I'd better read more carefully.

Thanks, pynki!

vmelo

Hi, guys! I'm another newbie. Like many of you, I'm a diet veteran. My latest one--just counting calories--was the most successful. Starting from Sept. 2002, I lost about 50-55 lbs. over a period of about two years. However, during the past several months, I've regained about 15-20 lbs. (don't know ...

Everyday Systems

Search found 160 matches

Help with Habit Cal

Re: I'm Back

I'm back . . . (long)

Re: Hi

Question for successful No-Sers

Re: Calorie Denial

Re: On calorie-counting: Point/counterpoint (LONG!!)

Thirstier Since Starting No-S?

Confused

Oops!

Vmelo's Check-in