Everyday Systems

That's about 3 times my walk to work, so I'm not really in a very good position to advise. But I am in a position to be impressed -- wow! Two ideas: 1) give it more time. Your body will get better at walking these distances and it'll become easier. this is still a pretty new routine. 2) consider ran...

Larissa, The two day weekend is a relatively modern innovation (though one I'm rather fond of!) so you've got plenty of historical precedent for going down to one. I do like the predictable rhythm of (mostly) fixed S-days... but there are advantages to floating S-days as well, and it sounds like you...

I'm glad these resonate with you, Winnie.

I'll consult my Dungeon Masters Guide (1979 edition!) for a suitable ovoid pun. I'm SURE it's in there somewhere.

Reinhard

So I've successfully stayed on habit for as many days as I my old in years ( 51 ) That is fantastic, congratulations! I'm down 15ish pounds. That isn't bad either! My brain wants another days-on-habit target but I fear it is building itself a clever progress trap...I think I'll switch to a monthly ...

You're doing great, 185. That's MORE than I would expect. As others here have pointed out, No-s is about building long term habits, not quick fixes. The only thing at all alarming about what you reported are your expectations -- they really do need adjustment, or you'll get impatient and quit. Best ...

That is fascinating, about the hip replacements. And personally relevant... lots of hip replacements in my family. Just got off the phone with an orthopedist for my mom today, in fact. I'm going to keep my eyes open for a way to incorporate something like this into my routine. Maybe as part of some ...

Mon Feb 16: President's day (no-s and shovelglove special day)

Thurs Feb 19: no-s special day for fancy dinner at friends'. I was on the fence about whether to try to single plate it, but decided to err on the side of hospitality.

These are mini-system successors to the long abandoned " Sieben Sachen der Wissenschaft ." (a sensible effort, and I built on some of the underlying concepts as you'll see below, but ultimately insufficient -- especially when I stopped wearing a watch and was thus down to sechs Sachen :-)) I've been...

I am emphatically not one to obsess over this (sweet chocolate on S-days seems totally sufficient to me), but I recently got a pack of "cacao nibs" to mix into my optimized oatmeal and am finding them surprisingly good. No sugar (though plenty of fat) and loads of (overhyped, in my opinion) antioxid...

Ah, but I am an ecumenical Lutheran

Reinhard

Nice!

I'm on a mac, so this won't work for me personally.

Wonder if I should try to write a cross platform Adobe Air version...

Reinhard

Looking forward to it!

Thanks for the link, Blondie! Nice testament to the power of making monthly resolutions. And also to the impossibility of "perfection." What she needs is a little more (systematic!) moderation. I'm giving myself a little leeway, like special occasion permission to indulge. Proto S-days? Maybe she'll...

Thanks, Deb. My, mom is doing fine.

Yes, I love Zabars. Their chocolate babka and apricot tartlets are among my (many) favorites.

Reinhard

My wife got me a mere 2 pounds of chocolate this year. http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=22900&highlight=#22900 I actually get more chocolate as gifts than I can consume. My stash is gradually building up and I'm afraid that if people don't stop giving the diet guru so much chocolate (wh...

Malivu, Congratulations and thank you for sharing your experience with us here! I'm astonished again and again at the psychological benefits people (myself included!) report having thanks to no-s. They seem so out of proportion to that tiny, practical little formula. Reinhard P.S. no pressure, but t...

Congratulations and welcome to the club, mama-g and gymbo! I got here, but I still feel like I need to get this habit entrenched more firmly Yeah, 21 is a fun number to shoot for, but obviously it isn't going to bring everyone 100% of the way there. Keeping a habitcal is a good way to keep the motiv...

magicman, Congratulations on your resolve and welcome to the group! I think you're absolutely right in comparing you're waking up as "non-smoker" (congratulations, by the way!) to how you have to change your relationship with food. You're going to be a "non-snacker" a "non-seconder" etc. On one leve...

KCCC, though I wish the "stress test" weren't necessary, I'm very happy to hear no-s is holding up for you under these conditions (and that it's even a "point of sanity" holding you up a bit)! It is funny how most conventional diets feel like ballast, something extra, that we immediately reach to je...

Welcome, I_can! As others here have pointed out, don't worry about lists of specific foods. The reason the word "no" is in the title of the diet is not because I like being all negative and a downer, but because there is so little that is actually forbidden. A "yes" diet describing the same thing wo...

Brother John, I will no longer feel that the no-essers see me as a cracker in a neon jumpsuit walking in search of my next Krispy Kreme. Instead, they know that I am Henry David Thoreau walking to my cabin on Walden Pond. I love it. This is brilliant. The Don Quixote workout :-) I'm sorry if my "aqu...

I think it's a general rule that applies to almost any subject that people like to pontificate before taking the trouble to "do the homework" and inform themselves. I guess in this case you can gently suggest to them that the "homework" is actually kind of fun... that all it takes is a quick look at...

Hi Kipper, Probably the simplest plan would be to add a 4th mini meal on days like that (just don't call it a "snack!"). The no-s mods and tweaks discussion has a bunch of other ideas that you might find useful. http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=2527 Best of luck and let us know what you...

Congratulations! And thank you for sharing your experience. A lot of people start out very anxious about "sugar cravings" and bingeing on weekends. It's great to see more evidence that these can subside quickly.

Thursday Feb 12.

Took a special day for Nosdiet and shovelglove. Personal day in NYC to take my mom to the doctor -- for which she insisted on rewarding me by stuffing me with sweets from Zabars.

Congratulations and welcome to the club, Richard and turtledove! i'm really happy that i've been successful the first time I tried That is impressive! I keep a physical note on a wall calendar (a green triangle). When I feel like cheating after dinner, I think about how I'd have to put red on there ...

If you're a huge nerd

http://www.1234567890day.com/

I certainly qualify, but since I took an NWS-day yesterday ("vacation" visiting my mom to take her to the Doctor for which she insisted on rewarding me with sweets from Zabars) I think I'll pass.

Reinhard

I think the "no sweets" rule should get most people in this ballpark. From: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/health/nutrition/10brod.html?_r=1&ref=health While the current recommendation is a maximum intake of eight teaspoons of sugars a day, one 12-ounce can of regular soda (or a 20-ounce bottle o...

Marc, I think most people (and I could easily query the database to check that this is actually true) use the habitcal for a very small number of habits -- possibly just one. For that, Calendar view is fine, and the most familiar paradigm. But I'll make it a preference -- I too am mostly in table mo...

The thing that kept me coming back was reading the encouraging and kind postings of members like Deb. You are not the only one! I am very grateful to all the helpful old-timers here -- and to Deb in particular. Not only do they make my job as moderator easier by fielding questions and providing sup...

Welcome, breslaver!

I'd love to be able to "sponsor" everyone's daily checkin, but I'm afraid I just can't keep up...

What might be a good idea is to partner with someone else to sponsor each other. I know that's been done before. And then you both get something out of it.

Reinhard

Congratulations and welcome to the club, Tracy! That is a very impressive start.

I find it helpful to look at exercise (and almost all my activities) not as something that's toward a goal, like cramming for a test, but as a good in itself; not as something that I'm going to get done some day, but something that I'm going to be doing for the rest of my life, ideally. The challeng...

I decided that since this was a DIY (Do it yourself) type of program, I'd use a DIY sledgehammer as well. Nice! And there actually is some precedent for this, let me see if I can dig up the post... Well, here's fungus's DIY "upgrade:" http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=21559 Pretty sure ...

Hi Russ, I haven't done anything comparable, but I guess I'd suggest the following possibilities 1) skip shugging on the days when you're doing you're training (sounds like what you're doing already). If you're using the habitcal and worried what to put down, simply track "exercise" or "14minutesOfS...

It's actually been a month, and seven pounds gone. Congratulations, Thalia! No one knows I'm "dieting" unless I tell them The fact that it's so unobtrusive as to be imperceptible most of the time is one of my favorite things about no-s. Besides this, of course: I make a real effort to eat real, goo...

Welcome, back, Meredith! You've got plenty of company here; it takes most people a few tries for No-s to click. It's nothing to get down about; replacing bad habits with good ones is HARD, but in the end, so incredibly worth it. being a little hungry is NOT GOING TO KILL ME I've actually come to enj...

With some "spin" I think you'll be all right. Just say to yourself "the fact that I didn't have full-on maxed-out S-days is a GOOD thing. I'm ahead of the game! And if I can make it through to next weekend I'll be sure to give an extra nice reward to myself..." Think of some specifics for the reward...

Rose has just posted some very impressive numbers here: (2 years, -25 pounds):

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=54260

But even more impressive than the numbers is her description of how automatic it's become for her.

Reinhard

P.S. Make sure to click on the chart in her signature!

Thank you for posting here, Rose! And please, you are not "lazy!" I REALLY appreciate it that you, who have contributed so much already (especially that wonderful chart that I link to all over the place!) would take the time to jump through yet another semi-redundant hoop to let people know how last...

CrazyCatLady, I LOVE your post. Ditto. That was beautiful. I officially, by the power invested in me by my guru-ness, grant you the prize. :-) Think I might quote/link to it from the main testimonials page, to put them in proper perspective. First off, as a former proofreader, it bothers me that it...

Dear Deb,

I'm sorry you've been having such a hard time recently...

We'll certainly miss your kind, wise, funny posts -- but if anyone here has earned a bulletin board sabatical it's you!

Best wishes getting things sorted out and looking forward to hearing from you again soon,

Reinhard

"Social Pressure" is tough -- it's the only S that ever gets me these days. I'd say plan ahead. Come up with a script of excuses to make, legitimate alternatives, etc. If there are particular places you go a lot, focus on the specific details of those places. One thing I've found helpful is the real...

Welcome! I haven't had much of an issue with this personally, but I found a couple older threads on the subject than might contain something helpful: http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=4017&highlight=rsi http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=1229&highlight=rsi I'm guessing small r...

Welcome, slyce23! Some people make modification to the rules, but from my reading of the forums I have seen a lot of "this is my Nth attempt at No S after getting bogged down in mods" and the consensus seems to be that you should build the habits first before you contemplate adding extra layers of c...

mjn, Congratulations and thank you for letting us know! This is absolutely "testimonials" thread worthy, by the way. Stunning drops can be attained with almost any diet but the hard part is just what you've been accomplishing: it is the first time I have maintained a weight range for this long. Rein...

A whole family of IDDs could center around "Plate Division" (what proportion of your plate to devote to vegetables, starch, protein, etc.). I just posted a link to this in the mods thread, but I think it'll be more effective as an IDD than as an iron clad rule: http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopi...

KCCC has already touched on this with her "plate quadrants," but here's another take on qualifying/modding/extending the "no seconds" rule: http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=4650 At some point maybe I'll divide the mods into the rule/exception that they affect/build on. We've got at leas...

Thanks for the tip/link! I personally find that limiting my intake to just one plate sufficient incentive to keep it "looking good," but this is a pretty simple and unobtrusive way to quantify the aesthetics of a good looking plate for those who could use the extra nudge. It certainly makes for a ve...

Nice work, Deb!

Glad "glass ceiling" translated so effectively to another medium.

Reinhard

Phayze, Best wishes for a speedy and total recovery! That sounds awful. In the meantime, for what it's worth, I hereby grant you all the shovelglove indulgences you're inclined to take. If you keep going gangbusters in the state you're in, not only might you make it worse, but you'll start to loath ...

Hi Spudd,

I just fixed the page (and updated the data file).

Thanks for bringing this to my attention -- the problem was an old data file path that changed when I moved to the new server.

Enjoy!

Reinhard

Welcome and congratulations, Joe! Nice avatar.

They forgot the sweater

Gymbo, Congratulations on your impressive start! You're not alone in your anxiety about S-days. It's funny because on the surface S-days are the most fun and appealing thing about no-s, but people have posted so much about their fear of and guilt at overdoing it that I did a podcast on the subject a...

Gail just posted a short and sweet (-21 pounds) testimonial to Vicki's thread:

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... 4021#54021

Reinhard

Congratulations, Gail! And thank you for letting us know.

Reinhard

Deb,

I'm happy you and Richie like the new features!

It's going to be a few weeks before I can start thinking seriously about version 3 (big deadline at dayjob), but keep the suggestions coming...

Reinhard

Sandiko, Sorry the book is hard to find in Australia... even in electronic form (that makes zero sense and is extremely annoying). I hope the Australian Good Health article will persuade more booksellers there to stock it (from what I understand, it's a pretty high circulation magazine). The good ne...

Bad news... just had to delete another of these guys.

The spam arms race escalates.

Reinhard

Reinhard: out of curiosity, how long were you shovelgloving before you noticed significant changes? I don't quite remember. I'll have to poke around in my "audiodidact" diary and email for evidence. I probably imagined results before they actually materialized. I certainly was immediately blown awa...

First off, i over paid for the sledge, 31 for a 10lb sledge...can't say it looks like a sturdy one either The going rate for a ten pounder on amazon is $24.99 (free shipping if you spend 1 cent more on something else!) http://astore.amazon.com/shovelglove-20/detail/B000ELWH5G But I wouldn't worry t...

phillamb168, s there data on the average amount of time spent on No-S (or equivalents) before seeing results? I feel like five months is a long time to not see anything. I think on average no-s is pretty slow, though some people (like me!) have lost quickly. The crude rule of thumb I like to quote (...

Congratulations, MrsPartridge! That's a big milestone. People think that hunger is this unnatural disease, something that should be avoided altogether. This is not only sad ("appetite is the best sauce," and they're not getting any) but disastrous for weight control (preempting hunger with snacks gi...

Winnie,

I'm very glad to hear you're enjoying the old episodes so much -- inspiration to get off my duff and push some new ones out.

Gingi and Zippy send their apologies! (they are LOUD cats! Matched only by my daughters

)

Reinhard

Congratulations Spook and Mo and welcome (back) to the club!

I don't want to be responsible EITHER for creating a blood shortage OR for causing selfless (but strict) no-essers to faint. Make it an S-day! (or at least an S-Event, with whatever fortification you think you need before and after). Reinhard P.S. Juice is definitely not a problem. P.P.S If they giv...

This reminds me of a discussion from a little while back: From: http://www.everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=34659 "In Mindless Eating, surveys show we make over 200 food decisions a day" Mindless Eating is a good book, but this number is part of the problem: that's too many decisions to make w...

These spambots keep getting more and more sophisticated.... I think I've weeded out 99% of them just with that little "complete this phrase" box in the create new account form over a year ago. I used to have to delete over 50% of new accounts a day - this breach brings the grand total up to 2 since ...

Welcome back, mama-g!

It sounds like you're coming back with some serious motivation. I'm impressed!

I don't know if the habitcal was around last time you were here -- I and a lot of others here have found that very useful for getting and STAYING on the wagon.

Reinhard

BizzyBee, Congratulations! It's a funny image, that wee little No S Diet book clearing out a whole shelf of big bruisers. If what you're doing becomes a trend I'm going to have to start looking over my shoulder for hit men from the Diet Industrial Complex :-) Patty, I thought this was a great observ...

Yeah, it may take a few such lesson days to properly calibrate your excess to the point that you actually enjoy it... I find a little advance planning and an insistence on QUALITY instead of mere bulk goes a long way. Remember, you're rewarding yourself. Trash isn't a reward, even (especially) a mou...

Welcome back, xJocelynx87! I remember you well. I've found that continuing to use the habitcal even after you've established your habit is a great way to resist complacency and drift. It provides a lot of incentive for only a tiny effort. And it's an increasing incentive: the more green you have beh...

Welcome, Ravioli! This sounds like a great initial routine -- and don't worry too much about upping the reps. Worry about the opposite -- about throttling your enthusiasm to stretch it out, and so that it doesn't lead you to overdo it and injure yourself. I still do at least two days a week of very ...

Thank you for boldly diving in like this! I (for one) hereby witness the contract. I'm also convinced that this is going to be one hell of a picture show -- assuming (as I do, of course) that you live up to your end of the contract. Here's hoping this will be as motivating to you personally and insp...

I'll call it "Swedish Mode," then :-) Seriously, that's helpful to know. I did some poking around on the web and it does seem like there is some support/precedent for calendars starting the week on Monday. It does certainly make a lot of SENSE. It looks like outlook's calendar lets you choose the st...

These are hilarious! I wish the documentary paper scraps had been posted for them all -- they're almost too good to be true.

Reinhard

Congratulations! Love this idea: I've enjoyed counting down the 21 days in my daily check-in so I'm going to set another totally arbitrary goal by deciding that the number of days it takes to make a habit is actually your age. Only 30 days to go. Abitrary maybe -- but personalized! And there is a ke...

droth, If I understand you correctly, table view lets you do this. Just hold down the shift or control key and tick multiple habits. I meant to show this in the url above, but accidentally limited it to a single habit (I'll edit the link now). http://everydaysystems.com/habitcal/view/?o=2&v=ta&sc=1&...

winnie, I'm happy to hear this! Sorry I've been dawdling so long getting the next episode out -- my darling second daughter makes it VERY difficult to carve out the solid few hours of concentration I need to put together something remotely worthwhile. I am actively working on it, though; I have a pr...

Joe, I'll look into it! I think it would be easy technically, and I see the rationale, I just want to be careful about adding seldom use options. The Sunday start is the conventional calendar paradigm, and I'm not sure how many people would want to break from that (anyone else out there, let me know...

Vicki has just posted some very impressive 6 month results (both physiological, minus 20 pounds, and psychological). http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=4605 Lots of detail on how she accomplished what she did (the importance of the habitcal, limiting scale stepping, and more). Worth a loo...

Vicki, Thank you (and congratulations!) for this impressive and detailed testimonial! The specific, helpful, tested advice you give is worth a picture or two, I think! And it's wonderful that you seem to be enjoying the psychological and physiological benefits of no-s in equal measure. I'm delighted...

Thanks for your concern, Deb and Spook! She's fine.

We've actually been to the hospital PLENTY over the last few years, I really ought to know how to get there. My problem is I'm such an urban ranger that I hardly every drive.

Reinhard

Congratulations, Richie! You're over a third of the way there. As for exercise, do you have a timer? I'd say set the timer for some small amount of time (say, 14 minutes :-)) then do any and all the exercises you can think of till it goes off: pushups, jumping jacks, squats, even situps and crunches...

Congratulations! 4 months is serious business.

I don't have a set time. I carry it around with me in my wallet and add (and cross out) tasks throughout the day. Sometimes (rather often, actually) I'll even retroactively add a task if I forgot to write it down first. When I'm at my desk I'll often take the card out of my wallet and put in in fron...

Welcome back!

Three times is well short of 12.

Reinhard

Tuesday Jan 20: glass ceiling failure. 1 drink over the limit. Met an old college friend after work for beers. Justified it to myself at the time as a "time zone shift," but since I'm officially not doing that anymore, red. Also tasks failure: forgot to pray.

Thanks, all! Glad you liked them.

Here's hoping 2009 will be of me standing beside my good buddy Oprah

Reinhard

I don't have any explicit limits for my S-days. Some of them are still pretty over the top. But it's certainly no worse than I used to eat all the time. I think once the initial panic subsides ("must cram myself full of treats before Monday!") S days get much less excessive. Keep your focus on the N...

Here's another "mod" that was just posted: "Use a smaller Plate" http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=4592 We don't yet have any yet reports from actual experience, but there's a book out called "The 9 Inch Diet" touting the virtues or smaller plates and a website/movement started by Brian ...

It would certainly be VERY compatible with no-s (even down to the historical underpinnings). Just three issues that I can see to watch out for: 1. it's obviously not tremendously portable (are you really going to carry around a 9 inch plate with you everywhere you go?). But even if you used it just ...

Welcome, sheri!

Upon returning home, I looked at the forum for the first time and this thread jumped right out into my eyeballs.

Coincidence, or providential sign?

In hoc signo you will exercise.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_hoc_signo_vinces

Reinhard

Nice!

That is one meticulously gloved sledgehammer!

Love the union jack (just read lengthy wikkipedia article as to whether to call it "jack" or "flag" and decided the issue was sufficiently confusing to stick with what slipped off my keyboard).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Flag

Reinhard

Thanks for the update. Very helpful to know which of the many interesting ideas posted here are "keepers!"

Reinhard

Congratulations and thanks for getting the ball rolling in here again for 2009!

Now I feel like I am on a maintenance plan first and working backwards.

This is exactly right -- and very well put.

Reinhard

Congratulations!

"Art of Manliness" is a fun site... I've come across it before.

Do brace yourself that probably won't continue to lose weight at quite that rate (though by all means bask in your triumph now).

Reinhard

I am anxious/worried that I'm stuffing myself in order to not be hungry before my next meal. And its scary to think I might be over-eating in the process of trying NOT to over-eat. Does that make sense? It makes perfect sense. And it's probable, maybe even inevitable that you will do this (at least...

stacers, I'm sorry you havn't seen better "results"... but do remember that the point of no-s is to eat moderately, not to lose x amount of weight. Now moderate eating usually does result in weight loss, but not always, and not always quickly. It sounds like you feel like you are eating moderately (...

Everyday Systems

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Designated Pocket and Cube of Forth

Cacao nibs for N-day chocolate fix

Today is an S-day....

From 20 to 8 teaspoons of sugar a day