Everyday Systems

oolala53

I'm so jazzed when I hear that someone else wants peace with food more than weight loss. All along the way, even during some shaky times, I knew that nothing else was going to help me be more successful with that, and I could take some comfort in knowing I was doing the best I could. In a world of w...

oolala53

I'm convinced that part of feeling heavy is frequent eating with little hunger. When I get hungry, I feel thinner!

oolala53

Snacking was common in many of the countries I travelled in. There were chunky people there, but not like in the U.S., esp. some states. However, I doubt it was promoted as a weight loss tactic, as it is here.

oolala53

I use the food proportions for most meals except breakfast, which is small. But I do trade a bit of starch and veggie for fruit often, as well.

You can work up to this!

oolala53

Just try not get into bargaining, meaning saying to yourself, "Oh, it's not so bad that I cheat on an N day because I'll just skip Sunday."

Now hang in there! Keep telling yourself that it's worth it to wait until the next meal to eat.

oolala53

Have had a good week, even with exercise.

oolala53

The book is worth marking up and rereading.

oolala53

Thanks for the link, BrightAngel.

oolala53

It's really up to you. Can you commit to always having only a small snack? Just know that the trend in the past is that small snacks every few days grows to every day and then larger snacks and then the person isn't No S-ing much anymore. It's only the exceptions that keep it to small and infrequent...

oolala53

I think sometimes doing the other things and failing helps our determination when we find something reasonable.

oolala53

Hang in there. When things are especially tough, try to follow the "day at a time" thought. And review your reasons for wanting to make this change to your eating. Right now, I feel the same way about my career and my problems with disorganization. Running in place. Okay, maybe not running, but not ...

oolala53

Reminds me, I have to renew my passport!

I hope we'll hear about the food.

oolala53

MIght as well experiment with S days, since there's so much leeway. And N days to come back to.

oolala53

That is rather tough news. I'm glad you're feeling saner and more determined. Trying a plate size change is a good mod. And there are others that aren't too painful, either. No need to inundate you until needed. You can try them a month at a time.

oolala53

I had one fail on exercise last week. I did decide to rebound 2x as long one day, but I'm willing to admit now that that doesn't make up for it as a habit-forming tactic. I was able to dance a lot last night and tough out some bike riding today that I don't think I'd be able to have participated in ...

oolala53

And if you go on a strict diet and get below 200- what then? It is often true that we have to eat less than we thought we could to actually lose weight. Partway through No S I read that I would actually have to average about 200 calories a day less than I had often been told I should for weight loss...

oolala53

I've felt a bit sad at times that I don't get the same pleasure out of things I used to eat. I bought some expensive cupcakes for a little event last night. They were just okay, honestly. I wish I had held out for chocolate mousse cake. The only sweets that seem to really do it for me now are chocol...

oolala53

vegetarian low carb? Yikes! That sounds very challenging.

oolala53

Those thoughts are just the overeating reptile brain talking. It'll say anything! Let your prefrontal cortex lovingly coax it back into its cage and feed it the mouse....later.

oolala53

I don't know how I did that! I hope it doesn't do it again.

oolala53

Whenever someone talks about how bad carbs are for you (and honestly, I do eat a lot less of them than I did years ago), all I can think of are the Italians and French. The French start the day with bread. I think they don't have meals with no starch, though they don't load up on anything, it seems....

oolala53

Nice work! Keep up with us, no matter what.

oolala53

Since it costs more to buy a few courses at a restaurant, even though I can't eat as much as I used to, I still feel I get a decent deal at buffets. (But they become a bargain when I get it to go. I get two or three meals out of less food than many people eat sitting right there.)

oolala53

Since it costs more to buy a few courses at a restaurant, even though I can't eat as much as I used to, I still feel I get a decent deal at buffets. (But they become a bargain when I get it to go. I get two or three meals out of less food than many people eat sitting right there.)

oolala53

Since it costs more to buy a few courses at a restaurant, even though I can't eat as much as I used to, I still feel I get a decent deal at buffets. (But they become a bargain when I get it to go. I get two or three meals out of less food than many people eat sitting right there.)

oolala53

It's become such a habit for me now not to eat such things that I almost feel at times that there is an invisible force that keeps me from reaching for the foods. It feels almost as unnatural to extend my hand to pick up the food as it used to feel necessary to reach for it once the urge occurred. I...

oolala53

Just get from meal to meal, if you have to.

oolala53

Oh, I wasn't actually hungry. Just had that antsy feeling.

It's true that I've become a little more peaceful with eating my meals for the sake of routine. And I do get legitimately hungry sometimes.

oolala53

got in my two bouts of exercise Mon. and Tues.

oolala53

Yes, "strict" N days just means no nibbling/snacking. Eat real, full meals of everything except sweets, all put on a plate before you start.

oolala53

WEll, I've been out of your loop, but things are moving in the right direction for sure. Congrats! I still have days in which the wait for dinner can seem too long, even with my coffee snack. Yesterday I ate 45 minutes early, and ate quite a plate! but nothing later, so it still fit. I'll make more ...

oolala53

Boy, I once again felt driven to eat dinner early and I ate hearty. I don't know if it was from a couple of stressful events or my starchless lunch. I doubled up on fat to replace it but I wasn't content. But I've gotten in my morning exercise everyday this week and two evenings. I think it's an adv...

oolala53

They HAVE to be sugary?

Yellow agreed.

oolala53

What great results! Especially the fact that your habits sound so solid.

oolala53

I hate to disagree with the founder, but I don't think binges come only from resentment, and they don't necessarily disappear after a few weeks. But for me it was certainly worth the wait. Keep strict N days, keep improving the quality of your food on N days, and keep noticing how good you feel. Eve...

oolala53

Making my own "junk" food would be a modification in my book. I binged for a loooong time. I didn't like the way I felt and resented the fact that the desire to overeat didn't really go away, but I couldn't stand the idea of curtailing myself, either. I finally got tired enough of it all that I star...

oolala53

Plate sizes and checking in with the body really can work together. Plus those gaps between meals. Magic.

oolala53

Welcome, clarebear! Even more than losing weight, the habits of No S will sustain you through a lot more than your wedding. This is the basic way urban French women eat and they don't tend to gain a lot of weight during their pregnancies so there is not that issue that sidetracks so many American wo...

oolala53

OMgosh, Khousely! (I think I know you, right?) What an experience! Anyway, we're on your side. Food sanity is worth a lot.

oolala53

I'm here for exercise. Got my 14 minutes in today.

oolala53

Welcome! I've been at it 3.5+ years and still grateful I found No S. I was at the high end of my BMI oh-so-many years ago when I ruined everything going on a diet. I'm within a few pounds of it now after 38 years of struggle and working my way up to the low end of obesity. I hope this helps you avoi...

oolala53

Welcome back! I say try it again with no mods for at least the two months again. Then you can experiment with more of your plates filled with freggies, or smaller plates, or whatever. Give it a year! Then even if you decide you need to be more drastic, you'll have a lot more discipline under your be...

oolala53

Ellyn Satter, a specialist in feeding children, says the same thing about adults offering what and when. People often cite a study that found that very young children ate an adequate diet when given a variety of foods to choose from on their own. What they neglect to say is that there were no junk/s...

oolala53

No S is pretty much it for me. No matter what else influences me, it's the core.

oolala53

Nice work!

oolala53

Your reaction to not having sugar is normal. It is also normal to possibly want to have A LOT of it when you reintroduce it. That is the nature of the neural pattern. You can either go with it or limit it. Eventually, the reaction will be reduced either way, or your desire not to experience the cons...

oolala53

Boy, I've been thinking about food most of the afternoon. Partly it's because I'm trying to wean myself off doing too much stuff online after work. That used to occupy me quite well, but I'm starting to feel it is just an avoidance tactic. Yet I didn't feel I could concentrate enough to do productiv...

oolala53

As long as you enjoyed it.

oolala53

What you've done in this area is no proof of what you will do. Even if you have had a history of not sticking to programs, you can stick to this one. Please try to think in terms of changing your habits instead of losing weight. Losing weight comes with reduced eating and you must get used to reduce...

oolala53

Try to give up at first the need to lose weight and concentrate on the misery of dieting and rebounding. Don't you want a consistent way to eat moderately without watching every bite? Can you really go on another diet, stick to it, and curtail your eating afterwards? If you take it seriously, over t...

oolala53

How long has she been at it? If it's less than three months, just wait it out. I agree with having planned sweets then, but generous amounts to start. I didn't give up my S-day binges for two years, but most don't want to wait that long. I'll never know if it would have backfired or not, which was m...

oolala53

For me it took quite awhile. I don't even want to say. I wouldn't say it's harder to EAT it, but to recover from it. It becomes more obvious what the whole experience is during and after, and that becomes less worth it. I haven't ever lost my taste for it, though, even though things can taste VERY s...

oolala53

Lots of good positive stuff so far. I suggest writing down a list of the most appealing thoughts and review them often for at least the first few weeks. (Sorry if I'm repeating myself.)

oolala53

Whether you lose a lot or not, it's definitely possible to establish new eating habits. If you really do need to do it for your health, then.... do it. Keep reminding yourself of how you would like to live rather than how you've been living with food. I started a bit earlier, at age 56, but the ince...

oolala53

Yes, why have a bar? Unless you prefer it as a sweet. Try to relax and give yourself time. I know it's exciting and we're used to on diets micromanaging and having to immerse ourselves in details, but this is simpler and more organic. Looking for evidence of success right now is like pulling up a se...

oolala53

No matter how surprised people are by the idea of eating three meals a day, since it doesn't match our culture now, I wonder in what culture paleo or veganism would not be a hassle, unless you are very much in love with the principle. I was always in love with the idea of being in love with them. Wh...

oolala53

Go for it!

oolala53

The first one was 40 years ago. I don't remember the name. I do remember that it started on a Monday, had a lot of hard-boiled eggs and had no fruit until Saturday, when it prescribed a fruit salad. I inhaled that salad! I've actually been terrible at sticking to diets. Escalating amounts of sweets ...

oolala53

I like how he emphasized being gradual, although even 1-2 months is pretty fast, in real life. He didn't say to throw out all the junk food today. And he didn't try to claim that there was a way to avoid the difficult feelings that would occur from the changes or imply that they would be over in a f...

oolala53

Has being mad at yourself ever actually motivated you to keep to the program? Being shamed by others is correlated to later weight gain. Why shouldn't it work that way with ourselves? Instead of being mad, cultivate a sense of rational benevolence towards yourself in this area. Get very clear that i...

oolala53

Breakfast isn't the lynchpin for me.

oolala53

When I buy those meals and bring them home, I usually add at least some raw or cooked veg. I keep fresh and frozen veggies, so it's pretty fast. It started with just a serving, but now it's usually 2-3. It's a process. This time 4 chicken tenders, next time 3, and a handful of lettuce or some pea po...

oolala53

Is this thread allowing new comments? I got an email message saying there was a new post, but when I clicked on the link in the email, I got the page that says that link cannot be found. Then I got an pm from LA Loser that her comments would not post.

If this posts, the gremlins must have left.

oolala53

Good for you.

oolala53

If you don't let yourself eat chicken tenders on N days, you are setting yourself up for even more overeating on S days, I think. It's more likely you'll go wild on everything! And it's very diet head-y. And how did that plain meat and veg eating work out for you? No wonder Medifast long term recidi...

oolala53

Though thin people can stop when they're full, they can also be tricked into eating more, as Brian Wansink has proved over and over again. I think naturally thin people are the exception in the human race. In thin wealthy countries, eating is culturally moderated by portion sizes and a lack of admir...

oolala53

The body can definitely react to perceived famine by getting you to eat more later. That's why experienced fasters say that it's harder to come off the fast than stay on it. I tried a 24-hour fast this week and cracked at 23 hours after feeling very antsy for food for 6 hours. I still felt antsy two...

oolala53

Isn't it interesting how many of the junk foods start with s, c, or p? Maybe Reinhard needs to suggest some other letters as a mod.

oolala53

That's 8 weeks of more chances to let N days help moderate your appetite. I hope you can find a way to magnify your successes. You stuck to one plate and didn't cheat when you really wanted to. This is progress! How many uncrappy meals of your 15 N day meals a week do you think you're supposed to ea...

oolala53

It's not mentioned, but it's pretty commonly cited that it takes at least 20 minutes for the brain center to register the food that is eaten. You'll feel even more satisfied with less if you take longer. I sometimes purposely stop for a few minutes, even getting up to get the mail or something, betw...

oolala53

Fantastic! The fact that you're doing it without gritting your teeth is even more impressive.

oolala53

I bought a lot of cherries this year. I would never spend the money on them before, but realized that they're here only for a few months, and they cost about the same as what I would binge on in the same amount of time.

oolala53

Anticipate with confidence that at some point, with enough practice, workplace or other snacks will basically become as good as invisible.

oolala53

Sounds tough. Hope something shakes out for you soon.

oolala53

Of course! I can ease my way into 24 hours. I had already done several 16-hour fasts just by not having to be at work this last 7 weeks, so I had discretion over my time. It may be harder now that I'm back at work because I won't get to choose when I can eat, or at least to stop and savor my food, w...

oolala53

Hoo boy, the feeling didn't go away after a normal meal. I finally opted two hours later to have a salad with some avocado that I had thought to put in my previous meal and forgot, so I called the first meal a late lunch and the second dinner. I feel I'm still compliant with No S. I may try again ne...

oolala53

OK, you experienced IF-ers. I had been toying with the idea of doing a 24-hour fast after having occasional days of 16-hour and sometimes even 19-hour ones that kind of came on by themselves. It was not easy at all. I finally left work early and made it only to 23 hours. I was very hungry and could ...

oolala53

Well, I'm not a guy, but our founder is. I guess you didn't really want to hear from the girls, but you can ignore the post, if you like. Actually, I can't remember the source I saw this in, but it said that men are more likely to lose weight just by cutting out/down on their highest calorie habits ...

oolala53

Yesterday, had the closest to an old S day as I've had in a long time. It worried me, but just a little. I don't really feel it's the beginning of a slide back, but these things can sneak up on you, too. I had a midday meeting with a friend get cancelled last minute. I had been looking forward to ge...

oolala53

I hope you can get over that. I'm a little skeptical that a trainer will help you get over feeling like a failure if you can't lose weight. Little bit of conflict of interest. I sent the rest of my response to your personally as it's a bit of a rant against the thin machine. But I'm big on eating an...

oolala53

Exactly, Broca. Have the one (or ones) that seems most special. Sweets used to be my greatest downfall. They are the S I have the least of now, but I used to go to town on them-- as snacks, mostly, but pretty darn big snacks! I still get a kick out of popping grapes or cherries in my mouth as I make...

oolala53

Yippee! Welcome.

oolala53

Another thought (and memory, after you've been compliant for awhile): That food might look good, but it will ruin my appetite for X, and I'm going to have a great X!

oolala53

It's not that I can't find things I don't want to eat. I still want to eat all kinds of things! It's that there isn't the sense of satisfaction or contentment when there's no hunger, and I don't actually feel very good later. But I don't feel good NOT eating, either. I used to feel good physically s...

oolala53

There is nothing that says you HAVE to eat all three S's on S days, although in looking at how eating (or many other) habits change, intermittent allowances for more freedom, which can "allow" for a failure without engaging the WTH effect, are more successful. Sometimes, just saying at one point tha...

oolala53

Even after over three years, I can still look at the plate before I begin and have a little fear that it won't be enough. In those circumstances, it always is. But thin people do the opposite, I've noticed. My thin nephew-in-law invariably takes more food on his plate than he finishes, although his ...

oolala53

Yes, I think in family therapy it might be called a double bind, and was indeed considered crazy-making.

oolala53

Because I still WANT to eat, even though I'm not hungry, and I am just not happy waiting 8, 10, or even more hours to get hungry to eat. I've experimented and that's how long it might take. One time, I went 36 hours with no hunger. But it's not a peaceful experience. (Sometimes it's a work thing; so...

oolala53

Finallyfull, I am looking at that issue of being able to enjoy the meal food even if I'm not hungry. It already had actually happened at times, mostly dinner, when I would just feel I couldn't wait another minute to eat even though I knew I'd be truly hungry an hour later, but I had already waited t...

oolala53

Can't you just use it for the exercise part? As you say, you already have an idea of what to be eating. but maybe you feel you need someone else to tell you to actually eat it? Maybe that will work long enough for you to be reminded of what it feels like to be eating well, and that can tip the balan...

oolala53

Maybe, but it won't let me go. A lot of my incentive for sticking with N days was the pleasure from eating when I was hungry. When that first started to go, I started overeating, paradoxically. Or maybe not paradoxically. I'd lost one of the major rewards of moderation, so what was the point? The co...

oolala53

I think the value in abs work is actually in keeping the core exercised if daily life doesn't tax it. What makes abs stand out is reduced body fat, not the abs work. (per that bodybuilder, Tom Venuto. Yes, I succumbed years ago to his program. So glad that's not my goal now. Reinhard is my hero! So ...

oolala53

Just want to say that in year three I've had a few breakfasts of similar small size as one egg and spinach be enough. But I wouldn't have forced that on myself in the beginning.

oolala53

Still mulling over number of meal options. Why? because it's become harder to eat a satisfying amount and yet be hungry for my next meal. I'm reluctant to let go of having a lunch routine because of social reasons. When I'm working, it's often my only meal with others, and a reason on weekends to so...

oolala53

Escaped the Matrix! Golden. I never saw the movie, but I can imagine. Glad for your experience and still want to say take it a few days or weeks at a time. I've gone through some times of little hunger and then had the pendulum swing. But the lessons you've had are definitely gems and will bring you...

oolala53

Yeah, I'm trying to work on that in those other areas, but failing at this moment because I'm here online! Uh-oh. I realized I need to have a daily limit. But which days? and what limit? yikes.

oolala53

Simple to say. In the right frame of mind, simple to do. Oh, that dang frame of mind.

oolala53

Science, with all due respect, in this case seems to me to be done as the example from the Persian story of different blind people examining an elephant, each having a different part to look at. They can each see their part, but not the whole. It's not the reason for the original story, but nonethel...

oolala53

Should this thread somehow be merged with the one on no snacking?

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... 086#135086

It seems it would be useful to have them all together...

oolala53

Should these two threads somehow merge? They seem to be coming from the same "place" even though they are titled differently.

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=9496

I'm going to suggest the same thing on the other one.

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