Everyday Systems

kccc

Blue, it's so nice to hear from you! I'm glad that this continues to work well for you - it really seemed to be exactly the right thing for you at the right time, from how quickly and thoroughly you caught on to it. :) Please continue to pop in each month, even for just a "hi, I'm fine" post. :) Che...

kccc

Resting, it really hit me. We went out because we'd had a hard week and wanted something festive. I can find food at the buffet that I like - has a reasonable salad bar, good veggies, grilled meats - but the desserts are really mass-produced stuff. Even the "fresh-baked" cookies clearly come from pr...

kccc

They vary considerably... and I don't worry about them. I pay attention to my N-days and let the S-days take care of themselves. S-days that feel best to me look like N-days plus something really special. I still eat regular meals and drink enough (key points for me!), and then I bake something wond...

kccc

Thank you both so much for the encouragement! Phyllis, thank you for the compliment, though you caught me on a good day, when I was able to act on my better impulses. Wish I were always that good! But in general, this is a really wonderful group and so nice to be a part of. I am also impressed by ho...

kccc

Welcome back. :) Very glad to see you, and wish you the best. (As an aside... You know, with other diets, it always seemed like "they only work once." After doing WW or Atkins or something, going BACK on it was harder. With this way of eating, it seems to work BETTER each round. So, I confidently pr...

kccc

I eat something very, very light, but sit down at the table and inform myself very firmly that "This is my meal." Then I get back on track for the day. That mental reminder is so I don't use "but I never had..." as an excuse to overeat later. It's habit-building for me. YMMV. One of the nice aspects...

kccc

What a lovely testimonial - very thoughtful and helpful!

You may not post a frequently, but it's always nice to hear from you. I have benefited a great deal from an earlier "mark it and move on" comment you made in an post.

Congrats on your success!

Cheers,

KCCC

kccc

Still beats eating out hands down. :) I would love to see the details of that study, compete with graphs showing the change per recipe over the editions. My copy is Joy is from the mid-70's. Recently, I used to it make "real" chocolate pudding for a pie. It didn't make enough, because the 4 servings...

kccc

Thursday - all green. Exercise was minimal - just stretches. But I needed them.

kccc

Tuesday was fine, as was today. Exercise was a real class both days, and I fit in meditation on Tuesday (haven't yet today). Lunch was a little big today, although "legal"... still watching that, because I should be hungry by now and I'm not.

kccc

Am still settling back down to NoS, but am basically happy with how this week has been going. I realised tonight that I've been on a downhill run with NoS ever since people complimented me back in August on my new shape (after 8 months of NoSing). I seem to have been self sabotaging ever since. I a...

kccc

hey Paulrone, I learned knitting from a guy! (A techie I work with, who is quite good, gave me a lesson on a lunch hour.) So don't be too quick to dismiss the fiber arts!

Of course, any other handiwork would work as well. What hobbies do you have, or might you be interested in starting?

kccc

Monday, MLK day, which I took as an S-day - a mild one. It's just hard to do NoS at home, and harder still when it falls after a series of S-days. Saturday - party. Sunday - ate out for lunch, and was rather stuffed. Went back on No-S at 6pm, which is normal. Monday - did No-S until about 7pm, when ...

kccc

Friday I start my S's at 6PM on Friday. We went out, and it became idiotic very quickly. I posted about it on the main board - essentially, I kept returning to the dessert buffet because NOTHING was satisfying. A learning moment. On the plus side, I've been doing well on exercise, and starting to pu...

kccc

I think there's real truth to this. Like you, when I make homemade sweets - even with refined flour, etc. - they are MUCH more satisfying than commercial. And I just posted on another thread about a recent S-day visit to a buffet restaurant, where I finally figured out I was continuing to eat desser...

kccc

But I must say that I'm feeling really happy with the N days because I am enjoying my food a LOT more at the meals. It's a nice, reinforcing side effect of not snacking and not eating sugar all day long. To me, this is THE biggest benefit of No-S. I feel so much more relaxed about food now. In cont...

kccc

No S Exercise Worked from home yesterday, and just didn't stop eating lunch until it was clearly seconds. The trail mix topping on my salad led to just a bit more and just a bit more... I expect I ate nearly a cup. (Once I realized "this is a red," I kept eating as much as I wanted...) The good new...

kccc

I gave myself "green" for No-S yesterday, but I'm aware that I'm "pushing boundaries" a bit with virtual-plating at dinner again. So, will call a halt to that. It will be red if IT WASN't ON MY PLATE WHEN I SAT DOWN from now on. Exercise today - Pilates. Not as intense as my old class, but still goo...

kccc

Richard, There are two things to consider... 1) Is it "against the rules" (I think it pretty clearly is) and, more importantly, 2) How will marking it red affect your morale/determination, etc. Just because you have room for improvement doesn't mean that you didn't do well. Recognizing "oh, this is ...

kccc

Monday 1/12 No S Exercise Meditation Exercise was a morning Yoga class - refreshing. Meditation was a meditation tape at bedtime. I've been considering that "barely allowable," but in all honesty it's the first meditation I've done in 5 days. (Yikes!) Food was fine - though I "tasted" a bit as I coo...

kccc

For me, a limited incident failure is a kind of success. ... So long as we keep moving forward, building new, healthy habits, we are winning. Great quotes, both! Kathleen, you've really thought through how you react to situations, and custom-designed a system tailored to your needs. I'm impressed b...

kccc

Sunday...

No S - success. (I end my S-day at 6PM, and count it as a success if I stop then.)
Exercise - exempt. I haven't had time today - very full.
Meditation... we'll see. So far, not.

Packing up for the morning...

kccc

Doing well on food, stellar on exercise... and terrible on meditation. I'm resisting it for some reason - not sure why. Today I did yoga in the morning. (And yes, I AM sore from yesterday... and dreading tomorrow.) My S-day looked like an N-day until dinnertime. I had sweets after dinner - a pretty ...

kccc

Janie, that was a great post. I think one of the things that I have found MOST helpful in No-S is the acceptance of failure. "Mark it and move on" is a mantra that I got from vmsurbat (see "catch-phrase" sticky thread). It is a GREAT attitude that has taken me years to learn... and is applicable to ...

kccc

Thanks for bringing this back up - the list is quite useful for me right now!

kccc

Well, you're ahead of me on the walking (good for you, btw!). Mixing in jogging sounds like good a idea... I think I wouldn't skip the birthday S-day. Maybe have an "S-event" instead of a full day. :) How are your S-days? Mine are still pretty idiotic (but I'm maintaining at a reasonable weight, so ...

kccc

Catching up... all good. Wednesday I did a Pilates class; on Thursday, I didn't do any official exercise, but I played WII with my son for about half an hour in the evening. It was mostly to spend time with him, but choosing an activity was good for us both! This morning was an exercise class at wor...

kccc

I might not lose a pound doing this (although I think I will) but at least I will stop the diet obsession. Yes, that really cannot be underestimated. I used to control my weight through an "armed truce" with food, and now I can actually enjoy my meals in a way I never used to. And I'm not always ob...

kccc

Can you exercise now? Walking? I would follow No-S, but up the exercise as possible. I might also look at food choices - not at counting level, but you KNOW that the cheese-dripping broccoli is not as low-cal as the plain, etc.. My mod when I'm attending to health is plate divisions - 1/2 fruit/veg,...

kccc

The biggest problem with breakfast-at-home is timing. I'd have to get up earlier to eat at home AND it's already so early that I have NO desire to eat before I'm en route. Trading sleep (at a premium right now) for a breakfast-I'm-not-ready-for isn't at all attractive. I am used to eating at 7-7:30,...

kccc

Thanks for the ideas. I do have access to a teensy fridge and a microwave - no toaster, and the only sink for clean up is the bathroom. For now, I think I'll keep the fruit-and-coffee on the trip, but look for more alternatives to yogurt once I arrive. The breakfast burrito is a great idea, and I co...

kccc

That sounds like such a healthy decision, in all KINDS of ways!

Congrats!

kccc

My success is that my house is STILL full of chocolates and treats... and I'm simply not eating them. We even had a guest over the other night, and I offered her truffles and fancy cookies without a twinge of desire. (Of course, part of this fortitude is due to an idiotic S-day that left me feeling ...

kccc

Also, if you cruise older posts, you'll find a lot of people start off maintaining (or even gaining!) as they experience a bit of "diet rebound" - loading up their one plate with previously-forbidden foods, etc. That generally wears off in a few weeks, and then people start losing. And at first, it ...

kccc

Just posted on the No-S board asking for suggestions... I'm musing on how external forces are causing me to re-configure my systems. I now have two hours of commuting per day that I didn't used to. That changes a LOT. One thing helping is that exercise and No-S are now priorities for me. So, the que...

kccc

I like the look A LOT!!

... but my old eyes would really prefer a two-pixel view, or a zoom of some kind. (Sorry to criticize a good thing - it's just that once you're over 40-45, the vision thing becomes an issue. Sigh.)

kccc

I have been in transition-mode for a while now, changing to a new job. The job is good, but the one bad thing about it is that I now have an hour-long commute each way that I didn't used to have. (Yes, I know to people who live in big cities that it's not much. But I'm used to being 10 minutes from ...

kccc

My holidays were not pretty either. Not many official failures, but the S-days were beyond idiotic.... to the point that N-days are a RELIEF. It feels so good to be back on track!

It's nice that N-days have become not just my default, but my preferred default!

kccc

KCCC, Your description of Saturday is why I think this diet works in the long run. You compare how you feel after a day like Saturday to how you feel on an N Day, and you gravitate over time to the N Day behavior. I'm not there yet, but I hope to be someday. Kathleen Kathleen, I think it takes time...

kccc

Thank you, Marjolein. I am glad to report Sunday was a MUCH better day. I treated Sunday as if it were an N-day, just because I really, really didn't WANT to eat much! Monday was a bit harder, but I was strict and feel better for it. :) It's good to be back on track! Got exercise and meditation in b...

kccc

Those are great photos! Your wife and daughters are lovely - such beautiful smiles!

Thanks for sharing, Reinhard.

kccc

Hi Heather,

I remember you and am glad to see you back. Welcome!

And best wishes for this pregnancy.

Cheers,

KCCC

kccc

1/3/09 - Saturday No S Exercise Non-idiotic S If I had a color stronger than red for yesterday, I'd use it. It was a stressful day in many ways, and I grazed on party leftovers all day instead of eating real meals. "Grazed" is too gentle a word. "Gorged" is more like it. After so many S-days in a ro...

kccc

Guess what? I already gave my Christmas copy of the book away. Someone ready to make a New Year's start... I hope it works for her.

So back on my wish list it goes, lol!

kccc

Wow, Dave, that's some testimonial!

You look great. Congrats on your progress.

Best,

KCCC

kccc

Happy New Year everyone! (Janie - nice to see you!) Can't remember what we've been eating... just haven't tracked for a while. I do know that I did well until 6pm Dec 31 (when New Year started). From there through New Year's Day was wa-ay over the top, and I am SO READY for GREEN days! Today (1/2/09...

kccc

GREEN day yesterday. It wasn't easy when dinner rolled around...I wanted another bowl of broccoli cheese soup! But I figured that wasn't going to die if I didn't have another bowl. Perhaps what I should be asking myself is, "What's going to happen if I don't eat that?" Or..."What's going to happen ...

kccc

One of the things I love about No-S and this forum is that both are year round. Sure, there are ebbs and flows that match the normal rhythms of the year, but it's GREAT to see people here between two major eating holidays! So many of my non-No-S friends are planning to start losing weight "in the Ne...

kccc

Dec. 28 No S Exercise Went to an art exhibit in the next town with family and friends. Our tickets were for 11, which meant we had lunch was nearly 2:00. I was quite hungry, and was probably pushing "seconds" on my one plate... but I am letting it pass, since it was a plate. However, I was so stuffe...

kccc

One thing you might look at is the composition of your meals. I found when I started that I really needed a little more fat/protein than I'd been allowing myself to make it to the next meal. If that sounds alarming, I'm not talking huge amounts - just attending to having a reasonable portion of both...

kccc

Saturday was an S-day, but a relatively tame one. Couple of treats, real meals.

Today is the same, thus far. And I exercised this morning.

Tomorrow I'm back on N-days.

kccc

This isn't so much an "I'm so proud" moment as "I'm so amazed." At Christmas, there were tons of goodies, including homemade fudge. My sister was eating piece after piece and saying how good it was. I tasted one, and said "it's pure sugar!" Sis agreed, laughed, and said that's why she liked it. I th...

kccc

Christmas and Boxing Day (which is our extended-family Christmas) were both over-the-top. Though today is Saturday, and thus technically an S-day, I don't want it to be. I'm ready for regular eating! So, I'll have an S-day with a strong emphasis on "sometimes." And I've already walked today - go, me...

kccc

Also, the two are not mutually exclusive if you think of No-S as a bundle of good habits rather than a diet. I have BOTH worked on No-S AND come to the realization that I need to accept myself as I am. (See my "five pounds less" light bulb moment, which I think is on my testimonial page). But if you...

kccc

Yes, of course, I've already bought and read it before - but I gave my original copy away. It was on my Amazon wishlist, so my sweetie got it for me. (I love Amazon. My husband and I joked that we had an Amazon Christmas, because the bulk of our presents to each other came from there, lol!) Nice to ...

kccc

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas Eve and a Merry Christmas (or Happy Hanukkah, or Solstice, or whatever winter holiday holds family and love and cheer for you).

kccc

Christmas eve... I don't know how many times I told myself today that "This is not an S-day." (Tomorrow AND the day after are, but not today.) Br - bagel w/pb and banana, cafe au lait L - ham and cheese quesadilla, salad with the last of the chevre and nuts S - Panera. I had "you choose two" broccol...

kccc

LALoser, I'm glad that line helped someone else other than me! Tiffani, my other patented line is "be gentle with yourself." Please do. It has taken me a long time to learn to do that, and one of the surprising findings is not only is it a more healthy stance BUT IT ACTUALLY WORKS BETTER. Yup, count...

kccc

Finishing out yesterday.... Dinner was "one plate" at my favorite "food bar" at the local organic grocery. Mostly salad and tofu, and all very good. (I love the way they make tofu - mine doesn't taste as good. And their salad bar has delicious things that I wouldn't buy for an at-home salad, at leas...

kccc

LA, you sound like you know where I'm coming from! It's the WHINING that just wears me out and tries my patience. Also, it hits double-hard when I think he "should" be grateful. And I recognize that's partly my fault for expecting overt gratitude from a kid. (More than the quick but sweet "thank you...

kccc

Monday 12/22 Exercise No S Meditation Low-level compliance - meditation tape at bedtime, 15 minutes of AM stretching. Better than nothing. And I ate decently, despite being in a situation that would normally send me into a stress-eating spiral. B - scrambled egg sandwich, cafe au lait L - chicken, r...

kccc

Lost track for a few days... Friday was "good" until 6, when I start my S-days (and still pretty good - an extra slice of pizza, and some chocolate), and I had a good "return to N at 6" today. Today was a normal breakfast, an extra big lunch with dessert, and that was it until normal supper. Saturda...

kccc

Coming in late to add to the chorus... and sorry I wasn't there to sing your praises when you needed it most. (But there were enough voices, and they seem to have done the job.)

Wosnes, that's exactly my opinion of the Four Agreements. Great timing in mentioning it.

kccc

Just a quick the-day-got-better update.

I am grateful to have a place to vent. Writing stuff out does help to restore my sense of humor.

kccc

One of my favorite bloggers - see http://www.happiness-project.com/ - did a one-minute movie on the theme "The days are long, but the years are short." The Big Idea is to enjoy your children while you have them, because time flies, and to take note of the little moments. I wholeheartedly agree with ...

kccc

No S
Exercise (walk)
Meditation

Br - bagel w/PB and banana, cafe au lait
L - turkey on homemade bread, salad with chevre and nuts, banana
D- tortellini with pesto, cut-up fruit
wine

Still too busy.

kccc

Yesterday - did not get any exercise (another long day) or meditate. I'm out of excuses this week on exercise. I did stick to No-S. That feels good. Br - PB&J on homemade bread, cafe au lait L - Out. McAllisters pizza on a sort of cracker crust. Very good. I left a few pieces b/c it was a big plate,...

kccc

Betty, I visited your thread again. Hang in there! Take babysteps toward where you want to go - they add up. Got up this morning and exercised. Go me! :) Menu for the day - will report any deviations tonight. Br - PB&J on homemade whole wheat bread, milk, cafe au lait (I was making PB&J for my lunch...

kccc

Dear Betty, I can so relate to where you are - it sounds similar to territory I've been in, more than once. Hard to find your way out. You're right about food not being a real comfort, but turning to it says you need SOMETHING. What WOULD be a real comfort? Even little things you can slip in will he...

kccc

Today was a red on "non-idiotic" - but could have been worse. Holiday party for a hobby organization that my husband belongs to, hosted at our house. Though I started with a "regular plate" for a late lunch, I nibbled through the afternoon instead of having discrete meals. And I had multiple dessert...

kccc

No S Exercise Meditation B- eggs sandwich, cafe au lait L - here's where it went downhill - making homemade pizzas, running late, hungry. Snacked on pizza ingredients, then ate some trail mix and fruit salad. Eventually ate pizza too, probably more than I needed, plus some Hershey's kisses... then ...

kccc

I'm so sorry. It sounds as if you've had a very rough time on multiple levels.

Be gentle with yourself as you work through this loss. When you're ready to be here, we'll be here.

kccc

Glad to hear the illness didn't last long. You sound as if you're really on the right track, and moving along at a good pace. Give yourself time, and accept that there will be bumps along the way... but I bet in a year, when you look back, you'll be amazed at the changes you've made. (Even when I ha...

kccc

I think a lot of us bought it. For many of us (okay, for me, and I'm projecting), the initial purchase was simply a "thank-you" to Reinhard for putting all this out here out of the kindness of his heart. However, I found that it was VERY useful to have the info compiled in an easy-to-carry-and-read ...

kccc

I'm a "pre-book" member, which I suppose makes me pre-historic. Though I don't generally categorize myself as QUITE so aged.

Welcome back, Laura and Paul.

Cheers,

KCCC

kccc

Glad to have you all on board with me! :) No S Exercise Meditation Br - bagel w/ cream cheese, cafe au lait L - Holiday party. I filled a plate, and that was that. Let's see - salad, chicken nuggets, a slice of a sandwich wrap, shrimp, a bit of stuffing... One plate. No desserts. I put my cookies on...

kccc

LA, I've decided to adopt your "not an idiot" habitcal idea. I'll try it a while and see how I like it. Not sure how I'm going to define the parameters - the kind of rules you're using feel a bit more constrictive to me than I think would be helpful. (Residue of too much dieting in the past...) So, ...

kccc

So far, this approach is REALLY helping. Just been a few days, but it still makes a difference, especially on the mental/emotional level. I noticed on my check-in thread that a few of you are joining me on the Vanilla No-S Special Holiday Edition. :) How cool is that? Welcome! I said on my thread th...

kccc

Thanks, Deb, Resting, and rpm! My version of "good vanilla" translates to very satisfying and somewhat special (but perfectly no-S) meals. For tonight, I've thawed a pork tenderloin. I try to buy organic meat, which gets kind of pricey, so this is something I usually save "for company." Right now, I...

kccc

No S Exercise Meditation Br - oatmeal w/trail mix, cafe au lait L - bean soup, bread, tangerine S- grilled cheese sandwiches, spinach salad with mandarin oranges and pecans 2 glasses wine - but NO cookies, even though I was up late baking again. (Yes, I know, I could buy them to take to the departm...

kccc

I used a similar service for a while, and liked it. Eventually, I quit - had enough of a repertoire that I didn't need to use it. But it was a good idea when I started. I think mine was called "the Six-O'Clock Scramble" or something of that sort. I still use some of the recipes. I had tried the savi...

kccc

As you've said so often, the HABIT is much more important than the actual activity. I rather wish you'd made SG a sub-category under something like "14 minutes of intense movement" or the like. (There's got to be a clever overall name.) And yes, I do it "seasonally" - it's the exercise version of an...

kccc

No S Meditation Exercise Br - bagel w/cream cheese, cafe au lait L - out at a favorite restaurant. Teriyaki tofu wrap (veggies and tofu in a pita), broccoli with spicy peanut sauce, coffee. A big plate, but one plate. D - salmon, corn, cauliflower, and a slice of homemade bread Exercise - yoga sequ...

kccc

Congrats, Resting - both on the 21X3 days and on the recognition of how your brain has changed.

I describe it as "making peace with food" after years of an "armed truce" at best.

kccc

Haven't been doing SG for a while - had exercise classes, and that's my preferred exercise.

However, they're over. So it's time to get back into "15 minutes of something." (Maybe SG, maybe something else.)

Picking back up...

kccc

Kathleen, I thought I had posted on this - I wrote something that didn't show up. (Sigh.) I totally agree about the emotional self needing to understand that you WILL take care of it. It takes a long time for that reassurance to sink in, especially if you've (I've) been in diet-restriction mode for ...

kccc

This has been a hard month for me in terms of compliance. Last year was not as hard, if I'm recalling correctly. I'm trying to figure out what's different. Part of it is stress, pure and simple. Don't want to write an essay on it, but it's extensive. However, it's mostly GOOD STUFF (transitioning to...

kccc

(Posted on the main board too.) This has been a hard month for me in terms of compliance. Last year was not as hard, if I'm recalling correctly. I'm trying to figure out what's different. Part of it is stress, pure and simple. Don't want to write an essay on it, but it's extensive. However, it's mos...

kccc

No S Exercise Meditation Br - oatmeal w/trail mix, cafe au lait L - Leftover sausage, couscous, and broccoli, tangerine S - Bean soup and bread So far, so good... except Late night SNACK - bread and butter and cookie dough I'm up late at night, making cookies for an event tomorrow (not my idea)... ...

kccc

PS - Betty, I'm very flattered that you consider me "sane." Right now, my life feels fairly crazy, so it's nice to hear that at least I present the semblance of sanity!

kccc

Hi Betty, I replied to you on my thread, but just wanted to stop by and offer encouragement. The first step in change is catching yourself AFTER the fact. Then you "catch yourself faster." You start by noticing the binge, then you pull out of the binge faster, then you catch yourself as you reach fo...

kccc

Hi Betty, I am not sure I have "major words of wisdom," but I will tell you what helps me. First, being gentle with myself. (Btw, I love your sig line on that.) Beating myself up is really NOT helpful - it just makes me feel worse, so I eat more. I try to listen to that "inner voice" and keep it in ...

kccc

Thank you, Starflower. (One of the things I love about this site is whenever I need an encouraging word, someone offers it. It really helps!) Today is better. Br - egg sandwich, cafe au lait. (Scrambled egg sandwich is one of my childhood comfort foods) L - PB&J on whole wheat, carrots, fruit salad....

kccc

Just. Too. Busy. Haven't posted in a while, partly b/c of life being crazy and partly because I hate, hate, hate admitting failure. But I'm putting in on the Habitcal and moving on. There's actually more yellows than reds. There would be more reds if I hadn't crossed a weekend and not only had S-day...

kccc

Exercise No S Meditation Br - oatmeal w/trail mix, cafe au lait L - out, but reasonable - veggie sandwich on whole wheat, with steamed veggies on the side D - black bean soup with cheese and chips I exercised - some AM stretches, and a short walk later. Either would have hit the minimum. And I medi...

kccc

This has not been the best week. Today was dentist appointments and the local Christmas parade. We ate out, and I think my portion actually counted as seconds. Hmph. I'm debating on whether to make it red, or to note it and say "if I do that again, it's a red." I did meditate, and that did help. I h...

kccc

What wonderful news!

Thank you for pulling all of your posts together - reading them sort of in sequence, like a story, is really powerful! And you describe the effects of No-S so well!

kccc

I cannot tell you all how much I appreciate your support. You guys rock! Blue, the meeting on Tuesday was a retreat that I was co-facilitating. So, got there early to set up, the only "breaks" were bathroom breaks and snack breaks. We even had a working lunch. (It's the culture - that part was not f...

kccc

I think the most valuable lesson of No-S is how to handle failure.

It's temporary. Unless you choose to quit trying.

You've already made a very different choice. Go, Janie!

kccc

Tuesday was not a good day in terms of habits. I got up at 5:00 AM to leave by 6 for a meeting in another city. When I got back, I had another session at 6:15 PM. So, I essentially worked from 5 AM to 9:30 PM. That meant no time to exercise. I didn't fit in meditation, either. I did eat - in the now...

Everyday Systems

Search found 3957 matches

Re-configuring systems due to external forces

Working on new habits - suggestions appreciated.

Here's to NOT waiting for New Years!

Guess what? I got the book for Christmas! :)

Children... the days are long...

21 Days of Savoring the Holidays....

21 days of savoring the holidays...