Everyday Systems

oolala53

I noticed that your BMI is lower than when you started. Granted, not as low as you'd probably like but give credit where it's due. It's lower and that's against to odds in your age group!

oolala53

Oh, forgot to say: just go with the afternoon eating and don't be surprised or afraid if it starts seeming like it's just not necessary. Just try to be calm and curious about it.

oolala53

With all due respect, I'd skip looking at the calorie site for another six months. :o On Dec. 26, I'll have my 5 year anniversary. When I first started No S, I had already determined that lunches and dinners with a hunk of some animal protein, a couple of servings of a grain product, a couple of tab...

oolala53

I went to my doctor over my loss of appetite (but not the DESIRE to eat. ) She didn't know what to do for me. I purposely have NOT been eating just by appetite, as I suspect, from a few days' experimentation, that I would be hungry for only a meal a day. However, that is not good news to me. I had s...

oolala53

Oh,if only I could somehow release you from fretting about sweets. Though Reinhard said in the book that he didn't know of anyone who dropped No S because of wild S days, I've seen over the years people disappear after deploring their behavior re:sweets. I hope it's okay if I gently suggest that you...

oolala53

I don't think it sounds stupid at all to say that more than anything you want to succeed at No s. I think it sounds quite wise. With all due respect, although I know you need somehow to motivate yourself to get over the 21 day hump, you will be setting yourself up if you think the problems will go a...

oolala53

That's the magic.

oolala53

It was a change in my appetite and inability to enjoy eating as much as I had been. I keep looking for that pleasure. I still haven't resolved some other issues and have not found other avenues of pleasure and balance. Hard to admit, but I think that's what it boils down to. And the beat goes on.

oolala53

I weigh rather haphazardly lately, but if I'm going to be "official" about it, and I tend to be official at the change of the seasons-though skipped this fall one- I weigh for one week every day and average the seven days. I adopted the habit of averaging daily weighings once a week from following T...

oolala53

I had fails yesterday and today. Dang! After over 4 years of pretty good success. It's been rocky for months, but the transgressions have been hills, not mountains. I've got to get back to the place at which I didn't believe I had to have anything else in place in order to eat moderately. Maybe it's...

oolala53

This dovetails one of Baumeister's observations on reducing eating. Rather than choose a specific lower calorie limit, choose limits per situation. At a buffet, I will _________. My daily lunch (situation) will be a portion of protein, one or two portions of starch, some fat in the entree or extra, ...

oolala53

Remember this tomorrow or whenever it's time for your 14 minutes or to make it to that next meal...

oolala53

Snacking is frowned on in the culture you live in? What a blessing! There is NO obligation to snack in No S, just caution in jettisoning extra pleasures while they are still pleasures. I think I can say that I have NEEDED possibly ten percent of the snacks I have eaten... I was going to say since I ...

oolala53

I was just going to update a little, though the window of opportunity passed and it may be a few weeks before I have the time again. I think it always helps to have new reviews. I wish I could write a new one just to refer to my old one so that it would look like there is recent interest, but I thin...

oolala53

Wow! I guess I'm getting too old for electronic media...

oolala53

Noni, that can be tough, though a quarter of a pound might be all that is reasonable. And eating sanely can be its own reward, if need be. The body really does have so many ways of keeping a weight equilibrium. I for one can't let it completely rule me, though it does still enter my thoughts. But I ...

oolala53

Good point, noni.

oolala53

I was thinking of updating my Amazon review of No S but I can't find it. I did a search for my username but nothing came up. I tried browsing through the dates I might have posted (I committed seriously at the end of Dec. 2009) but found nothing, either. If anyone has a few minutes to kill, could yo...

oolala53

I officially eat sweets only on weekends and only in the company of others. That can easily mean weeks on end with no dessert. That is okay with me after nearly 5 years, though some recent digestive issues have thrown me off my game, but I still consider Vanilla the core of truth. I still overeat sw...

oolala53

Maybe not posting daily means things are going so smoothly, who cares? I hope so!

oolala53

Wow, the publication date was Sept. 23, and there are already 6 customer reviews. It gets me how much people base their opinions on how excited they are about how they think something will work. However, I love this guy's stuff. I think one of the problems with it is that for many people, it would t...

oolala53

Stick to No S like a life raft, be gentle and forgiving of yourself for your thoughts, and calmly shift your attention to something else when you notice them. Do that at least 1000 times before you allow yourself to even THINK you "can't" do it. This technique comes from a protocol for people with O...

oolala53

Kudos!

oolala53

Have fun with your meals!

oolala53

I'm glad I just saw this. I had eaten rather lightly but solidly in response to hunger today, and was feeling some rumbles now late at night. Because it's an S day, I was toying with eating something dense, but I realize I will feel much better going to bed without that. The middle ground is so much...

oolala53

I don't believe in trying 100% of the time to emulate the naturally skinny, but I do sometimes remind myself what one of them would do in such a situation if she had already eaten, since she didn't want to wait to eat so late or would rather eat with her hubby. She would likely put some food on a pl...

oolala53

Just want to reiterate to try to focus on moderate behaviors and the good feelings that come from them whether there is weight loss or not. The focus on weighing a certain amount rather than on living a sustainable way has been, in my opinion, one of the major mistakes of modern times. And PLEASE tr...

oolala53

We are having one of our fall heat waves here in SoCal. I am looking forward to the surge of energy to use on gardening and the garage once it lets up. Not to mention other kinds of fall fun you alluded to. It does my heart good to think of you enjoying it there where you are.

oolala53

Also late to the party. Happy B to a fellow Libra.

oolala53

You're welcome, says the woman who left a buffet last night pretty darn full and a little bit miffed with herself over the last bites. But ultimately, okay with it because it was only one day and an S day at that!

Moderation today is feeling pretty darn good.

oolala53

35 minutes of exercise a bit more vigorous than "normal" is pretty good. If you can do that much consistently at least a few times a week, you are ahead of the game.

oolala53

aspencer, the ironic thing is that all this trouble came about as my hunger decreased, as one other poster said. When I lost the joy and pleasure of getting hungry and then satisfying that hunger at three meals a day, I lost my way. No real hunger and satisfaction to guide me, much like it used to b...

oolala53

Hmm. That might do it. During a recent heat wave, when I bought a diet soda at a local outdoor shop at a seaside shopping center, a man there struck up a conversation. He claimed he had just signed a contract with Pepsi for them to use a version of stevia his company had perfected that got rid of th...

oolala53

It's almost October already! I hope we'll hear a monthly update. P.S. You must have known you are the exception with your freggies consumption. My habit of almost always adding freggies to lunch and dinner has wavered these last months. Can't say I'm ready to commit to changing that. (kind of poutin...

oolala53

Perhaps you'll keep us posted every month or two? Happy eating!

oolala53

Nice! Though I'd say your blood sugar readings are probably more important for your overall health these days. I think higher weight and lower consistent readings would be preferable than the opposite, if you couldn't have both.

oolala53

Went to an art reception of an old boyfriend. (Ended on good terms.) Beautiful art, met his lively, friendly wife, and got to talk to his delightful mother, now 90 years old. Of course, I'm assuming this thread doesn't HAVE to have a food component, but there was some great Middle Eastern food there...

oolala53

How did your two weeks go?

oolala53

How did your week go?

oolala53

How about this for a motivation: the alternatives. Feeling cruddy from overeating too often. Not really enjoying a lot of the food you do eat. Being torn over thinking there's an easy diet out there that will make all the problems go away and down deep knowing there's little chance you can live on o...

oolala53

I had raging S days for a couple of years. :( But I now often eat even less- or less often, at least- on S days because I'm more likely to eat out and the food is so rich, it lasts me longer. I don't know if anything could have speeded up the process. It's really much more about restructuring the ap...

oolala53

Excellent! Unfortunately, the masses will likely keep thinking there is no way for them to rein in overeating besides some strict diet that won't teach them to enjoy the buffet as you did. I bet quite a few of those people have been on diets in the past. It didn't get them to the middle ground. In f...

oolala53

Better late than never. Mine is mostly about exercise. ANY will be considered success. I can't honestly say I'm 100% committed to Vanilla or any consistent mod right now. 3 meals are still my foundation, though, and I am not trying any specific diet to replace No S. Sept. 24- success 25-I am calling...

oolala53

That's amazing and wonderful for you, especially since you don't really have that much to lose! And an extra serving of apple crisp sounds like a minor overage. So glad you are recommtting. I've never left completely but have been wobbling for several months. Really helps to read of those who are re...

oolala53

Did you have your soup meal, or is it coming up?

oolala53

Well done on getting rid of the bars. I don't have anything "bar-like" on N days, because they're like a "gateway drug" for me. If I can have a sweet fruit and nut bar, why not a sweet fruit and nut bar with chocolate chips? Then why not a bar of chocolate with fruit and nuts in it?[/quote] Hilariou...

oolala53

Failed yesterday. I'm trying to navigate the sea of "failure." I keep saying I want to return to Vanilla and I set out that way, but just as I long ago I used to say I wouldn't binge each day and then I did, I say I won't snack or have seconds--like a nibble of grapes after dinner-, I do. It' snot e...

oolala53

Good tactic, adding a little more food. I was thinking that, but didn't want to add to the complication of your getting ready for a guest. You ARE breaking a diet rule having bread. Just not THIS diet, thank goodness. Nor the diet "rule" of most slim cultures in the world. Ain't it grand? Enjoy feel...

oolala53

I didn't have as much to lose as you, but my loss was very sporadic. I am sometimes bothered by the fact that others were faster and that a few who have been at it a shorter amount of time and are the same height have lost and maintained a lot more than I. Sigh. But then I look at what I would be wi...

oolala53

Don't know if you're done with this topic, but I suggest you consider days on habit as a measure of your success for the first few months. You can add in weighing later and possibly adjust meals then, if necessary. If you're not willing to give up the scale, I vote for the moving average approach as...

oolala53

Do you not have enough larger bowls for everyone? I'd say under the circumstances since you know you would serve yourself a larger portion to start, it would be okay -though a little "funny stuff," as Reinhard calls it- to use the smaller bowls for everyone and serve yourself a second bowl after you...

oolala53

Signed up for a 90-day online free program related to something called Eat for Heat. I have a feeling it's not going to be "it," but I feel these days I can look at things with curiosity rather than desperation. I was curious because there were some references to stimulating hunger, which I need the...

oolala53

So nice to hear from you.

oolala53

Most diabetes sites support the claim that eating sugar does not cause diabetes. There are plenty of overweight and obese people in the world who will never develop diabetes nor heart disease. Overweight has never been shown to be the cause. It is just correlated, so the odds go up, but odds always ...

oolala53

Humans have had a lot more practice eating than writing...

oolala53

You MUST have a genetic predisposition to develop diabetes?

oolala53

When I first started, on S days I could easily eat more sweet before noon than it sounds like you did with your chocolate AND s'mores. You are doing great!

oolala53

Congrats on getting to 21 days awhile back. And congrats on losing THREE inches on your waist! That measurement is the real health marker. The other reductions are nice for vanity's sake, but the waist is where longevity is made or broken. Yay for you!

oolala53

Have been browsing and saw your post about having made it 21 days. Congrats! I know it sounds impossible, but try for a few months at least not to be focused on the weight loss. It really takes a lot longer, and usually some success, stumbles, and rebalancing, to feel like the commitment to habit an...

oolala53

You also can't judge how you are going to be affected by sweets in a year by your efforts now or previously. I was kidding myself in the past when I said I "tried" eating them in moderation. I gave up way too early in the past. Until a person has consistently kept to No S or something like it for se...

oolala53

I agree that having at least a period of time without the most attractive foods is a good strategy. It may not always be necessary, but the data shows that when most people have easy access to highly palatable food, they eat it!

oolala53

I didn't want to say, but I've seen very few-yes, a few, but ONLY a few- make eating a small amount of sweet daily work. Once that neural circuit has been laid down, it's very hard to reverse with frequent exposure. Not impossible; just much harder to do with little justification for the tactic.

oolala53

I'm glad I help anybody. There is so much misery over this topic. I enjoy your postings as well. It's such a shame that No S is relegated to these little pockets of support as if it was some weird diet while the bookstores are full books on diets and even lifestyles that I just can't imagine our who...

oolala53

Are you still trying? It can take several attempts to get it going. Even failure can eventually make a person more determined. I won't tell you today how short my attempts were and how long it was between failed attempts before I surrendered to No S 4.75 years ago. I'm still not perfect, but it is t...

oolala53

Yesterday, I had my super mocha for breakfast and an apple for lunch. I wasn't really hungry for either of them, but WANTED them. I wasn't hungry until around 4 pm. I had a meal and did end up grazing a bit, but basically felt okay about it. Today, an S day, I started the same, chose to have a light...

oolala53

I"m glad you're having some relief, but with all due respect, you can't tell in one week if you've been cured of bingeing. People follow diets for months very happily, saying how satisfied they are, and how much it is now their lifestyle, and end up returning to their old habits. I know IF has some ...

oolala53

Decided my previous post wasn't as supportive as I'd like to be.

You go, girl! I'm sure you will learn what you need to as you go.

oolala53

Just out of curiosity, what does your doctor say? Did he/she say you were eligible to see a dietician? Were you obese when you had a 31" waist? Does your doctor say that weight loss is indicated? I've read that obesity can be associated with PCOS and that losing even a small percentage of weight can...

oolala53

One thing that helped me when I started nearly 5 years ago was seeing that all the other options had not taught me to be satisfied with less permanently. When you think this is your best option for the long run, rather than just something you're trying out, it helps. I also saw that in the past, whe...

oolala53

Greek yogurt is thicker. It's been strained, I think, and its protein content per serving is higher. Some people think that's "better," but I don't think it's why the Greeks eat it and the French don't. It's just a taste/texture preference.

oolala53

Amy, I used coffee-mocha, really- between meals for over 4 years on No S. I was drinking it with milk and sweetener even when I wasn't hungry. I've lost a fair amount of my hunger, and unfortunately, a lot of pleasure I used to get so much satisfaction from. I'm trying to get that back. But I don't ...

oolala53

True that.

oolala53

A yellow day is an S day. It means it is not a failure to have an S. Officially, any S on an N day is a fail/red. Some people design two habitcals for themselves: one that shows any failure as a red, and one that marks only BIG fails as red. The first one keeps them honest; the second one keeps them...

oolala53

Oh, I didn't stop drinking it. Just between meals. I drink it with the works and I was using it as a crutch.

oolala53

That's awesome!

oolala53

Somewhere it was proposed that people even consider deleting one S at a time and work up to three. If you can live with a small sweet each day, go for it. I worked my way off drinking coffee all morning by eliminating it one day the first week, two days the second, etc. Now I have it on N days only ...

oolala53

What about finding an online program that keeps a trend line for you? physicsdiet used to do that. If weighing helps keep you on track and feeling okay about yourself, do it often, average the weights periodically, or keep a trend line. Weigh at the same time and under the same conditions. If it jus...

oolala53

Pleased to meet you.

oolala53

You mean they cause obesity by causing overeating? Because I think there are few people who are obese who aren't overeating. I was only mildly obese, but I overate when I was normal weight, overweight, and mildly obese. I still do sometimes. I think we can say that they contribute to the desire to o...

oolala53

Sweets were always a problem for me, too. yes, it can seem like we can't stop, but the day will come when it becomes clear that the momentary pleasure is not worth the cruddy feelings later. It doesn't mean it gets easy not to eat them, just more worth the early pain of moderation . Go ahead and try...

oolala53

"Gluten for punishment" and "I can't afford my dietary restrictions." Just those two laughs were worth reading this thread, though there's plenty to delight in here. I think sometimes we in rich countries feel almost an obligation to find the healthiest diet. If we can't, who can? I think we'd bette...

oolala53

I've toyed with the idea of running a local group in San Diego, but I've never followed through. I am very much committed to using No S for establishing moderate, orderly eating for its own sake, not for weight loss. I haven't figured out how to do that. I've seen so many people leave because they w...

oolala53

Thanks, eschano. I wasn't really that hungry after 6 hours, but I'm not going to force myself to wait much longer, at least not now. Maybe I'll try to start inching the gap up. I'm just trying to be content with what is. I still get some pleasure from eating, just not before and after like I used to...

oolala53

I admit I am not exercising regularly, but I haven't been for these nearly 5 years and it's only in the last year that my appetite has dropped so much. However, hope springs eternal. In fact, after work today, I went to over to the water and walked for half an hour. It was not as cool as I thought i...

oolala53

I should have called it the "normal" range. There's plenty of conflicting evidence about whether or not being overweight is a health risk or not. Last night's episode of 60 minutes had a doctor who has been studying longevity. Data so far shows that the elderly who gain a little weight live longer, ...

oolala53

school is better this year, though not exactly a joy. But better. Eating has been better with some big bumps. It's still hard because I have so little appetite. For example, today I had a breakfast (not starved, but wanted to eat) of about 300 calories around 8:30 a.m. and was still not REALLY hungr...

oolala53

Enjoy the process, if you can!

oolala53

A chart on which I am not at the top of my range!

oolala53

Yes, the French government is concerned because health care is socialized and they have counted for years on the low obesity rate and attendant lower rates of degenerative illnesses. Snacking could prove extremely expensive, as it has here.

oolala53

Doing well with No S trumps checking in. Yay for you!

oolala53

I second the motion to not beat yourself up or call slips a "disaster." The less negative energy around fails, the better. That's not just my opinion. It is backed by habit change study.

And if you can't weigh without all the drama, let it go, too.

Just keep going.

oolala53

May this be the last time you "come back."

And congrats on your little family!

oolala53

That's a fantastic change in only two months. Keep it up for yourself AND the little ones.

oolala53

Skelton, where are you? I eat more slowly than my peers, but I rarely count the chews. I took the advice from decades ago of Bernard Jensen, a "health" advocate who said chew your juice and drink your food, meaning, as one other poster said, chew solid food until it is very liquid. I live alone and ...

oolala53

If you want to learn to eat less permanently, No S has a better chance of helping you do that. Please remember the stats: "diets" have a notoriously high failure rate at getting people to eat less permanently. Though there are successes, the probability is even HIGHER that a person will weigh MORE t...

oolala53

Sorry for your difficulties but your attitude sounds good in that you are not feeling resentful or wanting to fight back or ignore the condition. Eating good food three times a day is still a gift. I'd wager you even enjoy your meals without the high proportion of sugar and starch. Here's to your be...

oolala53

Hoping for the best for you, Tessy! Just keep reminding yourself: stress doesn't MAKE us eat; it just makes us WANT to eat. I don't have to eat just because I want to. People often give up waiting to eat just when the urge is getting to its peak. This REINFORCES the habit. It is incredibly powerful ...

oolala53

I couldn't get to it, either, but that people are getting fat just about any place they have access to food underscores the value of No S. The only countries with access to food that don't get fat are ones that have stuck to sitting down to savor real meals and do little random eating/snacking. Who ...

oolala53

I'm wobbling a bit in my last 8 months leading up to five years, but this meal-based eating is still the core of my approach to living WITH food.

oolala53

Just feel the need to say it: you are not your weight nor your eating habits. A question to ponder with curiosity and compassion: where does your fear and panic go when you find yourself overeating? Have you accepted yet that the fear and panic actually make it MORE likely that you will binge again?

Everyday Systems

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