Everyday Systems

ironchef

I live with a naturally slim person who loves his food - my husband. No S is a very non-intrusive way to manage around someone like that. The key for me has been letting go of "but he can do it, it's not fair". He'll eat a bunch of stuff that I don't on N days, but he'll also sometimes just not eat....

ironchef

Another red day, again because of schedule and going out in the evening. I misjudged my lunch (too small, too early), so ended up having an after work snack. Then because I had to get to a show straight after my son went to bed I ended up eating half my dinner before I left and then running out of t...

ironchef

I know, we're really spoiled here. A green week, except for red Friday night. I had a green Friday, then went out with mr chef and our friend J to a Lamb concert. It was a great concert, but pretty hot in the venue and standing only. When we came out at about 11pm, mr chef was craving an icecream fr...

ironchef

Sorry to hear you're having such a tough time with your health. As you so rightly say, you are still learning, both about managing your health and your No S habits. I hope you feel better soon. Also, everyone's habits are dumb; habits are routines we perform thoughtlessly - otherwise they wouldn't b...

ironchef

gingerpie wrote:I can only hope I learned something but I'm very much afraid I didn't.

Red days can be learning experiences about what works and what doesn't. But not everything has a deeper meaning - sometimes they're just red days. I really like vmsurbat's mantra "mark it and move on".

ironchef

I used to exercise plenty, but now with a job, a toddler and 5 months pregnant I'm just not in the same zone. Firstly, sometimes we tell ourselves things until they become true. You have a concept in your head of capital 'E' Exercise, which equates to painful, exhausting, boring - right? So right of...

ironchef

Do they have fresh key limes in Australia? I was raised in South Florida where key limes were prevalent. Mom made a pie often. Where I live (Perth, Western Australia) citrus grow really well. In our back yard we have a lime, a lemon and an orange tree. Green so far this week for No S and green for ...

ironchef

One of the best pieces of advice I read on here early on was not to try to fix everything all at once. Concentrate on setting up a good regular habit of 1-plate meals at times that suit you. Once that is habitual and feels easier, then worry about the next thing (e.g. exercise). I really like the co...

ironchef

Oh, I love flower markets. We went to an incredible one in Holland when we were there - just amazing.

Glad you are feeling better.

ironchef

Well done you for not "crashing the car" after one handful of chips dented your fender :) That's one of my favourite things about No-S: you're only ever one meal away from being a success! On S days - I totally agree with eschano. Seriously, give it 6 months first. I don't know if you've listened to...

ironchef

Wow, you're off to a great start, well done.

ironchef

I'm glad others liked the quote :) Lovedby2 - thank you for that, what a lovely compliment :) I'm not exactly a FlyLady stalwart: I work outside of the home 3 days, and Australians are not big on wearing lace up shoes all the time and so on. I delete about 95% of the emails un-read, because I don't ...

ironchef

Before No S I went through probably a decade (at least) of dieting plus regaining. Like your friends, I would do really well with something (calorie counting, "clean" eating, whatever) and lose weight fast down to the bottom end of my healthy BMI range. I would manage to white knuckle it for a while...

ironchef

I love reading the wisdom on this board, thanks gingerpie and oolala for some excellent food for thought. I live with a "naturally slim" husband, so I have a constant example of what the exceptions look like :) I have had issues in the past with orthorexia (obsession with "dietary purity") and had m...

ironchef

Thanks CG! Yeah, a part of the birthday "cake" at a birthday party is what the S in No S is all about for me :) I read a lovely quote today by Nayyirah Waheed that really resonated for me, especially as my body is currently building a baby: and I said to my body, softly, "I want to be your friend". ...

ironchef

Well done, hope you enjoy some well deserved treats this weekend. I am big "self-pity" eater when I am sick or tired (especially both), especially something not that severe, but annoying and dragging on, like a horrid, clinging cold. It's like that little sugar burst (or caffeine burst) will get me ...

ironchef

A red day on Friday - went to a birthday party for a friend with my husband, and had a dessert (mini-Eton mess) with everyone else at about 10:30pm. Main reason was that I was awake and on my feet so long after dinner (we ate dinner about 6). Ah well, otherwise a good week. Great Saturday today. Wal...

ironchef

Very hard won victory last night. I had a chocolate brownie Ferrero cupcake in the fridge with peanut butter frosting (my neighbour made it). I had kept it in the fridge rather than freezer because I thought my husband would eat it. He forgot it yesterday (oh, the naturally slim!). Last night I was ...

ironchef

Well done you for holding out! At least good to have an explanation, although no fun if you'll have to do this every month.

ironchef

Thanks ladies. Yes, porcini risotto with leek and bacon is one of my favourites, but it takes a bit longer to make so we don't do it as often these days. Green Tues, Wed for No S and green for exercise (lots of walking today in 38 degree C heat, phew!). I was really craving an icecream today, so I'm...

ironchef

You're doing great Linda! Last week was great as well as this weekend. Today was red and I really have no clue what I'm doing or what I want to do in regards with my eating/weight/exercise. Blah! It's just a red day. Everyone has 'em. Don't let one red day throw you off and make you question everyth...

ironchef

I'm firmly convinced that if I'd had a couple of margaritas (approximately 600 calories), I would have plowed through my entree that night---either there at the restaurant or later at home while watching t.v. I think that in the past couple of years, my nightly wine (or beer or margaritas) has been...

ironchef

Way to go eschano - it's the small consistent efforts that will get you there in the end :) We had a really packed Australia Day long weekend, so I didn't get much done, but I did declutter two shelves that really needed it. In the process I found several concert tickets and noted the dates on our c...

ironchef

Thanks ladies - you are really too kind :) It was a lovely chocolate mint dessert, and I enjoyed it very much on Saturday! This was a long S weekend for me, as my husband's birthday party was yesterday (on Australia Day). So, I baked and ate a piece of the lawn bowls birthday cake. Today is his actu...

ironchef

Welcome! And well done on your loss. I hope posting helps you, I know it helps me a lot. You don't have to post your food, unless you find it particularly helpful for compliance. It's a choice of some posters, not a part of vanilla No S. I've been here over 2 years and never really posted my food, e...

ironchef

Thanks CG

Completely green week - green for No S and walked every day. Cycled 2 days.

I almost caved last night when my husband had dessert and I was thinking "c'mon, it's almost the weekend". I stayed firm at the last minute and I know I'll enjoy that dessert tonight even more as a result.

ironchef

Wow, how exciting Bonnie! First trimester for me was all bets off, just eat what I can keep down when I can keep it down. Now I'm back to normal No S, as I'm one of the lucky ones who feels better in the 2nd tri. Now I will pass on to you the best piece of advice I got before having my first child: ...

ironchef

Green Wednesday No S
Green exercise - walking. Didn't get in the strength stuff I wanted to, as I had to take a rug to be drycleaned during Ironbaby's nap.

ironchef

I'm a constant craver, it says I should do an intermittent diet". Good news, I already am! It's called No S, and I have 5 N days and 2 S days a week

ironchef

I am curious if anyone has made a huge career change...if so, was it worth it? I am in the midst of that right now and am so scared of stepping out into the unknown. I haven't, but my husband did. He was an engineer until 2009, then retrained as a teacher. It's been up and down. Initially he was ve...

ironchef

GREEN Monday and Tuesday for No S. Avoided macarons at work morning tea (really nice ones from French bakery), so I'm really happy with that. GREEN for exercise: walked Monday, walked and cycled Tuesday. I'm thinking of reviving my HomeFree system, to track greens and reds for getting my house more ...

ironchef

Nice work Linda! mmm, olive bread...

ironchef

Good, sensible plan eschano! And besides, you might set up good habits for fun exercise that carry over AFTER the wedding has been and gone :) A sad case from the other side: I went to a hen's party on the weekend, and the bride (a pretty and healthy woman) is on a 2 month "cleanse". Someone gave he...

ironchef

Thanks Linda :) With 4 months still to go, and Mummy looking much the same as before, I don't think Ironbaby really has much concept of "having a sibling". I decided not to make a big deal of it with him until after the 12 and 20 week scans came back all clear, as I thought it would be difficult to ...

ironchef

New years eve, new years, easter, 4th july, Halloween, thanksgiving, christmas eve, christmas... I think thats roughly my list... Throw in a couple bdays and weekends and sick days... Anyone use/not use those days, or uses others, and why Living in Australia, a few of mine are naturally different. ...

ironchef

Spent the weekend at my mother's house and at the beach, so didn't get anything done at home. However, did get in two good sessions at my mum's, so now you can see her desk! She just has SO MUCH STUFF packed into one room, so it takes a long time. But definitely can see an improvement

ironchef

Unpacked the final box in the nursery - yay! There are still few things left in there from when it was a study, but definitely taking shape. Really excited. Yeah, the quilt. It's a nice antidote to my engineering day job. I've only ever made one before, because I don't have a sewing machine and doin...

ironchef

Ironchef, I saw you are having a little girl and had to tell you how I smiled when I read that. It reminded me of finding out when I was pregnant. Thanks Sinnie :) Little girls might just be the best thing ever :D I'm a little biased ;) Well, I'd say the same about little boys, but of course, would...

ironchef

Yum, your food sounds delish. The trick with the zucchini pasta is to only cook it very, very briefly. I find there is a lot of pressure by the wedding industry to spend tons and tons of money on treatments and sometimes it gets to me and I wonder if I'm missing out by not doing it. Either way, it's...

ironchef

Red Day Thurs 15th. Failed to bring enough lunch (no bread left at home) and was hungry and headachey by mid afternoon at work. Went out a bought a small brioche roll and a decaf coffee. Sitting feeling sick for the rest of the work day didn't seem like a good option. A conscious fail, and now I'm w...

ironchef

For my first year or so on No S, I weighed daily, but did not worry about the individual numbers. I calculated a trend - check out The Hacker's Diet or physicsdiet to see how that's done. Calculating a trend takes out the noise (up 0.4 pounds, probably just drank a glass of water, down the same amou...

ironchef

Absolutely agree that the big days / clean outs are more exciting, but it's the daily maintenance that actually makes a home nice to live in. Dull, but true. Perhaps a bit like the difference between dropping 5 kilos in a week doing low carb, compared to the slow and steady No S? We're still working...

ironchef

Thanks eschano. It will be fun, but a challenge. All green so far this week for No S. Went walking this morning (walks are still patchy - need to get back in a rhythm). Recent Ironbaby recent: Ironbaby (wrapping rugs around himself): I've got my wool back, now I'm a real sheep! Ironbaby: Mummy, I've...

ironchef

Thanks ladies! Looks like a little girl this time :) All was well with the anatomy scan (fingers and toes in the right places!). Bub was spot on the expected size and weight, and moving around nicely. My placenta is in front of bub, so I might not feel movement for a few more weeks. Had a normal N d...

ironchef

I agree it is a constant effort, but I can definitely see some big improvements lately, now that I have energy back :) Yesterday I did more unpacking / sorting of boxes in the nursery. We've picked out a few baby clothes to donate, and mr. chef helped me move some heavier stuff to long term storage ...

ironchef

A relatively sane weekend, quite a few small snacks, and a few slices of homemade banana bread, but otherwise pretty low key. I got a 20 minute foot massage on Saturday morning (my Sat yoga hasn't started again yet), so I am keeping my "nurture" resolution. My anatomy scan is today (20 week scan), s...

ironchef

I think others have answered the first two questions well. On drinks: Vanilla No S (that is No S without any mods) doesn't put limits on drinks based on calories, meals or times of day, it just says to avoid sweets and snacking. So, if a drink is a full sugar soda, or a cocktail called a "toblerone"...

ironchef

Friday green for eating. Green for exercise - walking and a swim with my son. I'm really pleased to complete my first completely green week in a while. It feels like things are much easier lately, so I'm going to enjoy the ride :) Spent a difficult day yesterday with my cousin who is visiting from a...

ironchef

The past two nights I've unpacked and culled a few baby clothes and toys in the new nursery. Really pleased with the progress. Also, my husband came in last night and helped, and said "it makes it seem real now that there will be a baby soon". This is so good to hear, as I know he'll be more willing...

ironchef

Thursday green for No S, green for exercise (walking).
I'm excited, if I can just get through Friday this will be my first completely green week in a while.

Walk-wise, I'm just arriving in Bree

ironchef

Happy New Year eschano! I like your resolution on using more veggies. You've been given some good recipe links, but I wanted to mention shopping and prep. I've found I get lots of veggies and fruits home with good intentions, then don't use them up. It makes it easier if you wash, prepare, even chop...

ironchef

I have NOT been able to form a group of compassionate friends in my life is one of the areas of deep concern. I know and love some dear people, but have never formed a "group" of compassionate friends. Due to my choices of study and career, most of my friends are men, and not many of those friendsh...

ironchef

Nice work eschano! To me part of the reason to declutter is to make room for stuff that is useful and/or loved, so clearing junk to make room for a slow cooker fits the bill. I spent about 5 hours last night at my mother's house going through her study together. She is finally feeling ready to tackl...

ironchef

Wednesday - green for No S. Green for exercise - swimming with my son.

ironchef

Happy New Year eschano, lovely to "see" you. I'm one of the lucky ones I guess, in that my horrid illness and mood only lasts from about 6 - 14 weeks. Some people are sick the whole time, while other people are very fortunate and get no sickness at all. I'm pretty sure you're not meant to diet while...

ironchef

Food and drinks are meant to taste good! You don't have to kick this one to the curb purely for the crime of tasting nice :) Whether you consider this an S is personal choice - one of my favorite things about No S is that it doesn't micromanage you, the small decisions are in your court. I'm assumin...

ironchef

Managed a completely green and strict Mon 5th Jan. Onwards to Tuesday! Off for a walk with my dog, so green for exercise already :) Funny sayings from my son this week: Ironbaby: Mummy, I'm a sheep Me: Oh, I thought you were a boy Ironbaby: I'm a sheep with no wool. Ironbaby (putting his blankie on ...

ironchef

What a cool idea!
I follow an exercise blog called Nerd Fitness for this reason - his motto is to treat life like a game and instead of punishing yourself with exercise you have fun with something you love, and try to get better so you can move up into the next level of the game.

ironchef

Thank you for the lovely inspiration to choose a one word resolution.

I'm glad you did so well in December and look forward to reading about your worthy welcome in to a safe and gentle 2015

ironchef

I'm back on the wagon with decluttering after 1st trimester followed by the holiday season. We had an awesome day on the 2nd, with my husband helping me clear our entire garage storage shed, clean it of dust and spiders, and then make decisions about our stuff and only put back what we actually want...

ironchef

Like Dale, I'm not totally comfortable with the symbolism at work in this piece. It made me think of that Kate Harding piece about the "fantasy of being thin" (from way back in the dark ages of 2007), and the weight industry mythology around a "thin person struggling to get out". I'm in an interesti...

ironchef

I love this idea. I'm choosing "nurture". This sprang to mind easily, since I'm expecting my second child mid-year. I realised that it also nicely touches on a whole lot of things I want to do, quite apart from nuturing my children: Nurture myself with healthy food, movement and rest Nurture my crea...

ironchef

Thanks gingerpie

Monday, 5th Jan
Green so far for eating
Green for exercise (cycled to work)

I'm going to record more vigilantly for a few weeks, as there have been a lot of S days and fails recently and sloppiness has set in.

ironchef

I started in the middle of my healthy BMI range, and ended near the bottom (I have the smallest frame size for my height). It took a while (I think about 4 - 6 months). My full stats are in my posts on the testimonials page. On weighing - I fluctuate quite a lot (several pounds a week). The slow dow...

ironchef

Thanks oolala! Happy New Year to you

Today being New Year's Day I am having a few left over Christmas treats. Friday I am back to No S and Monday 5th I am back to work. Hope everyone has had wonderful holidays.

ironchef

No need to be sorry at all. I was having a particularly hard day (work deadlines keeping me up into the wee hours of the night after being a SAHM during the day, my youngest cutting teeth) This is part of what I was trying to get at - that is a lot of pressure on top of the not snacking. If you are ...

ironchef

Welcome!

I know letting go of the habits and thought processes of long term dieting can be a challenge. On the subject of guilt / punishment, I highly recommend having a listen to or read of Reinhard's podcast #13 "Strictness".

Good luck on your journey!

ironchef

Oh honey, you poor thing. Is there a friend you can call, someone who can come and give you a hug and listen for a while? I would gently suggest that this might be about more than snacks, if things are feeling so intense that you break down crying. You say you're taking Vit D, but it's not helping t...

ironchef

Hey auto - you don't sound bossy, you sound caring, which I really appreciate :) We'll definitely find out the sex - we did last time. We got them to write it down on a piece of paper for us at the scan, then went out for a fancy dinner together to open the envelope (like the Oscars!). It was really...

ironchef

No sweets and no snacking from breakfast to lunch went ok last week. This week I've added back in no snacking after lunch. I think there will be heavy reliance on milky drinks while I get back to this again. I'm leaving open the option of a 5pm mini-meal after I get home from work if I am very hungr...

ironchef

I try to pay attention to my body within the structure of No S, i.e. how do I feel after a plate of fruit, veg, fish and rice, compared to after a plate of pizza? Am I ready for breakfast, or should I leave it 1/2 hour? I've never had much luck with being purely intuitive. Partly this is because my ...

ironchef

I always take my S days as usual, regardless of what happened during the week. Reinhard had a great podcast (#13, Strictness), which talks about how "punishing" or "compensating" after a failure is actually counterproductive when trying to build habit. I'm going to quote from the podcast, although I...

ironchef

It seems so simple, I just can't think that I will be that hungry while following this plan? Maybe I will? If you aren't hungry, that's great. Most people find they are pretty hungry if they've been used to having snacks between meals - the body is used to it. If, after a while, you find you are ne...

ironchef

Great news about the school, and your cleaner

Really pleased to read that things are improving.

ironchef

I'm a lot like you, ammara, in that I tend to have a relatively normal Saturday, but sometimes fall prey to a perma-snacking Sunday. I still do this, from time to time (even after 2 years). My S days are less wild than they were, and they are wild less often, but I'm still not a paragon of moderatio...

ironchef

I've decided it is time to get back on the No S horse. I'm starting off small, as I've always advised other posters to do when they're struggling. At present my goals are: 1. No sweets on week days 2. No snacking between breakfast and lunch. If I need to eat between lunch and dinner that's fine. Tod...

ironchef

I sometimes get crabby by the end of the week. I don't think it has anything to do with No S, I think it is just working plus toddler care plus other obligations leading to stress and tiredness. The difference is that now I can't just stuff a bunch of food over the top of these feelings, so I have t...

ironchef

Whoa, auto, so sorry to hear of your horrid experience with your health. That sucks. On the how to handle the stress part, when you crack that one, let me know. Most of the advice I've seen about handling stress seems to give me more tasks (exercise, meditate, book a massage) instead of fewer tasks!...

ironchef

Welcome back KCCC, it's a pleasure to hear from you. I enjoy reading your excellent and insightful posts.

ironchef

Hi all, thanks for the congrats and support :) I'm now 12 weeks, and I'm still pretty out of whack with tiredness and feeling vaguely ill all day, but the worst of it is over I think. To be honest what I find hardest about these hormones is the grim mood they put me in. I'm generally a very sanguine...

ironchef

Wow eschano, things are really moving along - how exciting :) I'm so pleased you're sticking with vanilla No S, wedding websites would have us all believe we must fad diet before the day. You've already picked up my top wedding tip - don't look at other people's weddings / plans / budgets / dresses....

ironchef

My advice would be to keep really simple: get back on board now, with your next meal. Then do that again with the next meal, and so on. If you slip up, get right back on board at the next meal and do that as many times as it takes. Don't spend too much energy wondering why you don't feel as excited ...

ironchef

Spent some time over the weekend sorting things in my son's room and boxing up stuff that will go or will be for the new baby. Really nice to be back in the swing again.

ironchef

Two thoughts: 1. You can still eat cheese with your wine 2 days out of 7, so that's almost 29% of your evenings. Sounds like quite a lot of the time, doesn't it :) 2. If you have to, you can virtually plate the cheese - i.e. leave a slightly exagerated space on your dinner plate where the cheese wou...

ironchef

Welcome MerryKat! The more the Merry-er (ack, pun!). Sounds like you've got a lot on your plate with such a big reno. I am FINALLY back into some kind of order after several weeks of illness, tiredness and badmoodedness (shaddup, it's a word - don't make me more badmooded). I am still sick, but seem...

ironchef

Oh Linda, I'm really sorry to hear of your loss.

I'm glad that your family was able to support one another. I'm sure knowing you were sorting everything out on the home front made this tough time that little bit easier for your DH.

ironchef

My routine changed significantly when I went back to work, and even now it is widely different on work days compared with days at home. On work days I have staggered my breakfast later, and have basic supplies to make oatmeal and sandwiches at my office, in case I am stuck. I go for things that don'...

ironchef

Yum, your food sounds nice. No S is the first way of eating that let me rediscover butter, whole milk and a whole host of other yummy things. I've been eating my morning porridge recently with a dollop of sour cream - yum! I sympathise, I never feel satisfied with a meal of "nibbles", even if object...

ironchef

Good work on the GREEN days :) I hope your dinner works out ok. I also don't like "dinner of nibbles" situations. Just on the "rules vs guidelines", I wanted to add that nothing should be "punishable" (neither rules nor guidelines). I highly recommend Reinhard's podcast #13 on Strictness, where he t...

ironchef

Yesterday was a big fat FAIL. Last night after supper I thought to myself 'I must prepare a more delcious, substantial breakfast'. So I was preparing nut butter on special dense bread and then thought 'WTH' and ate it then and there along with some honey on top. And then, just to drive the fail hom...

ironchef

raindropz seems spam-ish - slightly off sentence construction followed by link.

ironchef

So glad you are starting to improve after your op. If I only ate 2 eggs for a meal I'd be eating the furniture. Your coffee mod was about being kind to yourself and enjoying a drink you like. Don't take away that kindness by "punishing" yourself for your coffee with a skimpy breakfast. That's diet h...

ironchef

Honey is totally ok. Also, coffee with sugar is totally Vanilla, so I don't see why coffee with honey would be any different. Good luck working out your medication situation. My partner has a chronic illness managed with meds and working all this out with a doctor you can trust is invaluable in the ...

ironchef

Yeah, it is pretty insane. I've told them I'm of course happy to pay for the goods and services we've bought on this card, but I strongly resent paying interest that I would never have accrued if I had known about it (and if their system had remained the same as it was the previous 6 years). We'll s...

ironchef

Thanks guys :) I'm definitely not leaving No S, or the boards, but just am giving myself permission to not post about red days or use HabitCal for the next 6 or so weeks until morning sickness abates. Partly because it seems a bit pointless (who really wants to read about me eating a hand full of dr...

ironchef

Yay!! *bounce* Hooray! *bounce* Squee! *bounce* (that's me jumping around and shouting with glee, luckily it is getting late and everyone else has left the office). Massive congratulations to you and your man! Enjoy this special time of being engaged - it is short, but lots of fun :) Also, don't bel...

ironchef

I'm going ok, at least sticking to savouries during the week, but other than that I can't be said to be following No S at all. My energy is just about zero most days, so I probably won't post much for the next few months, or bother keeping a HabitCal. I'll come back when I'm past the sick patch I gu...

ironchef

Sorry you're feeling so off balance. Remember that sick days are S days too! Focus on taking the best possible care of yourself while you recover from your surgery. Who cares if someone else thought you'd be up to working or not by which day? One thing I find on S days is that I usually feel better ...

ironchef

After 2 years of No S, my breakfast is the most "standard" meal of the day: usually a bowl of rolled oat porridge made with whole milk, with blueberries, sultanas and a spoon of peanut butter. I used to also have a slice of fruit toast with butter, until I realised I was actually feeling overfull by...

ironchef

Nice work aspencer - maintaining what you've already cleared is half the battle I think. I've been pretty slack on decluttering lately. My tiredness and queasiness has meant that I'm getting to the evenings ready to just collapse. Also, we're in the process of closing down all our accounts with our ...

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