Everyday Systems

kccc

Every now and then, I flirt with the idea of doing Shovelglove. It's fast, it's a good workout, yada, yada - a lot going for it. What's holding me back is that I think of it when I'm short on time to exercise. And at that point, I don't have time to figure out a routine. So, I want to prepare in adv...

kccc

Recently, BrightAngel and I have been having an interesting conversation off-line about the pros and cons of calorie-counting. If youâ€™ve been on this board a while, youâ€™ll know that we have very different approaches. BrightAngel thinks calorie-counting is very important, while I strongly advocat...

kccc

I love leftovers. That's my lunch-of-choice, hands down. :) I also do a "pattern" for lunch that I like. It's not hard-and-fast, but is pretty much the standard: entree (varies), plus 2 fruit/veg. Somehow, having 3 different things makes it feel like a full meal. And the more fruit/veg the better, i...

kccc

What is an "NWS"? (I've looked around this forum, but I can't seem to find the answer). Non-Weekend S-day. A day outside your normal S-day routine where you make a conscious decision that "this is special enough for a treat." Usually reserved for major holidays and birthdays of immediate family, bu...

kccc

Hiya, Bonnie! Missed you, but sound as if you had a WONDERFUL reason to be gone!

Thanks for sharing.

kccc

Yes, and it's hard. Most of the time, I just enjoy the company and forgo the food. That gets easier with practice. But there are times, I take a NWS and join them - like today, when my son was part of a group of kids running a rootbeer float stand. (How can I say no?) But I try to keep it very "cont...

kccc

To the T-tappers out there - which workout do you recommend, and how often do you do it? Is it fun & relatively un-annoying? (some workout tapes have annoying music or instructors). How would you compare to Jennifer Kries' total body or the NYC ballet workout (if you have done them)? I tried T-Tapp...

kccc

The best way I've found is to get back on track is to "eat well on N-days." Plan special meals that you love for your N-meals. For me, that would be things like shrimp, or fresh strawberries... totally "legal" but yummy and perhaps a bit of a treat. Good luck. Once the habits are in place, it gets m...

kccc

ok,well the deal is I don't think I've eaten in excess for a while at all. My plates are like 10" in diameter or maybe 1'(my foot is 12" so thats what i'm visualizing right now). I've already set in the habit of only one plate or bowl(because I find it easier to eat rice in a bowl) a meal. No biggi...

kccc

Irish and Joelle.... Don't get discouraged. It took me a YEAR to "get" s-days. And then, it was like turning a corner. :) Which is not to say that my S-days are always perfect, but they are significantly better. And I always FEEL better, both physically and emotionally. Hope they get better for you ...

kccc

For Tuesday... No S Exercise Exercise was part of Pilates class - had to leave early. Such is life. Br - Oatmeal w/apricots and cafe au lait L - PB&J, watermelon, cherry tomatos D - 1/2 veggie wrap, salad For Wednesday No S Exercise Exercise - Yoga class Br - Oatmeal w/apricots and cafe au lait L - ...

kccc

From the Happiness Project (http://www.happiness-project.com): I was fascinated by Charles Duhigg's's article in last Sundayâ€™s New York Times, Warning: Habits May Be Good For You. In particular, I was struck by this observation: "[S]tudies revealed that as much as 45 percent of what we do every da...

kccc

It's easier to build habit if you have regular meals. Those meals can be at any time that works for you. If you normally want to eat at 2 AM, as Malivu says, you can count it as a meal. But if that's NOT when you want to eat on a regular basis, then eat something light at mealtime. Over time, your b...

kccc

Pilates and yoga classes, up to 3 days a week if my schedule allows. BodyPump on Saturdays (sort of weight-lifting in an aerobics format). I really like it, but between holidays and travel, I've missed a bunch. :( "15 minutes of something" on other days. I try to do "something" (either classes or my...

kccc

I did "plan" most of my overdoing it, I just didn't plan how I would FEEL over doing it. Next time I will have to plan differently :D ... Then I went to Von's to get some cake and get another tea, instead I sat on a bench and realized I was really sad that vacation was ending and eating a piece of ...

kccc

Welcome!

Cruise the forum - there's a lot of "new advice" on here. The biggest one is really read the book, if you haven't already!

Best of luck!

kccc

LALoser, I thought your additional habitcals were really creative! They didn't read like rationalizations at all - more like good incentives to not let small slip-ups become big ones. I think they've very smart. It is wonderful to see the different strategies other people use - I learn so much from ...

kccc

Three meals really do make a difference - took me a long time to get that. You can make them "special" in some way if you like. Maybe cook something you wouldn't have time for on the weekdays, or get something you love that's perfectly okay, just a treat to you. Do give yourself a truly delightful d...

kccc

Sorry the cherry pie didn't turn out well! I have not gotten to the blueberry one yet, and am not sure I will. Weekends are filling up, so berry-picking may not happen... I make cherry pie filling with just cherries (canned in water and drained - they are SO expensive fresh where I live!), sugar, an...

kccc

Thanks for the reminder that "it was an S-day." It was. So was Sunday - family reunion. I took it as a "full" S-day, instead of partial (I could fudge it - after 6 I just had two pieces of pizza as a late dinner - but I think it's more honest to call it a NWS because I wasn't really hungry, I just w...

kccc

TryTryTry, What an incredible realization. That's a tremendous breakthrough that you've shared with us. At this point, you are on the brink of tremendous positive change in your life. Which is not to say it will be easy. But it will be worth it. I consider myself a "recovering perfectionist," so per...

kccc

OG, I am sorry that you are experiencing so much pain.

May it cleanse as you experience it
May it pass and bring healing in its wake
And may it, in the end, make way for something better

I wish you support and strength as you go through this time.

kccc

For Saturday No S Exercise Real exercise - a "BodyPump" class. Essentially weight-lifting in an aerobic format. My legs felt like noodles afterward it was over. Which was good, b/c on food I did well until mid-afternoon, when we had a long party game-day at our house. Permasnacking from then on, and...

kccc

cvmom wrote:Day 29 - Success and Idiot Proof Sday! Exercise too.

I love "Idiot Proof Sday"!

kccc

However you count them, just move forward from where you are.

No punishment.
No skipping future S-days to "make up".
No beating yourself up.

Just focus on the future, and build your "greens."

If you have time, I recommend listening to the "strictness" podcast about now.

kccc

Hadn't seen that - thanks for posting!

(I was wondering when the pendulum would start to swing on the "eat lots of little meals" approach.)

kccc

Just adding a little extra encouragement - and a helping of sympathy for the hard circumstances you're facing right now. Browsing some of the threads for encouragement might help. There are so many people here who have floundered a bit, but then been quite successful. I expect you'll be one of them ...

kccc

I had the same issue - it was easy to fall into "well, I've blown it anyway, SO..." thinking. One thing that helped was to pair the habitcal with a daily check-in thread. Then I could say "it was three bites before dinner" as opposed to "I ate non-stop from 6 until bedtime." Somehow, being able to e...

kccc

Blueskighs, I will let you know how it goes! For Friday... No-S Exercise I start my S-days on Fridays at 6, and end on Sundays at 6. Exercise was 15 minutes of Pilates in the morning. Br - oatmeal, trail mix, coffee (when I write that, it's really cafe au lait, which I love. Maybe I'll start specify...

kccc

Blue, thought of you when I saw this: cherry pitter article Let us know how the straw works! And I will have to try the quinoa - though it may not be for a while. We're going on vacation soon, and I'm trying to "use up the pantry" a bit before we go. I'm considering looking at a rice cooker based on...

kccc

No S Exercise Br- oatmeal w/trail mix, coffee L - Tofu burrito with added spinach (yum!) Dinner - chicken quesadilla, apple slices, carrot No exercise - had a meeting that cut across both of the classes that I alternate between, and haven't gotten motivated enough to manage 15 minutes. (As I write ...

kccc

Okay you two... on quinoa, I've tried it in a package - sort of a health-food version of a pilaf mix - but don't you have to wash it or prep it in some way if it's bulk so it isn't bitter? I've been hesitant to just buy it "raw" to cook it, because I feel that I should do something but don't really ...

kccc

No S Exercise Br - bagel w/PB, coffee L - Mac and cheese, salad, apple D - Salmon, peas'n'carrots, slice bread and butter, fruit salad Planning a glass of wine Exercise - yoga class. Left me dripping. In theory, downward dog is a "rest pose." That's someone else's theory, though. I aspire to reach ...

kccc

KCCC, CHERRY PIE! how do you pit the cherries to make the pie? :D Something I've long been wondering. Very Cool gift idea for your husband. Coincidently watched movie Waitress last night ... it was all about making pies! I cheat and use canned-in-water. ::Hanging head and scuffing foot:: In my defe...

kccc

No S Exercise Real exercise today - my Pilates class. Alas, I could tell on some of the exercises that the tendon on my foot is still aggravated. But I could work around it. Doesn't bother me much in daily activity. Br - back to oatmeal with trail mix, coffee L- PB&J on whole wheat, salad, apple D ...

kccc

BA, I'll PM you then.

kccc

No S Exercise Br - scrambled eggs, biscuit L - Leftover BBQ "pie" (ground beef and onions w/ bbq sauce on biscuit base), watermelon, carrots D - chicken, salad, 1/2 peach, biscuit As I look at it, pretty heavy on biscuits today! I made them for breakfast over the weekend and had some left... and I ...

kccc

BA, why don't we move this discussion to my thread or a new one so as not to take over fkwan's check-in? I would like to talk to you about this more, but it doesn't feel polite to hijack fkwan's thread further. (Fkwan, please could you be understanding and focus on the fact that everyone means well ...

kccc

Good for you! I think Blueskighs said it well - when you can maintain habits under stress, you're REALLY building them!

Glad to hear the stresses have passed, and you're still here.

kccc

I have decided the only way to deal with this bingeing, etc. etc. is to make sure I eat 1000 calories or less during N days and figure out a way to throw out the ice cream on trash day (Thursday) so I can not binge on the weekends. Fkwan, IMHO you're going in exactly the wrong direction on this. Re...

kccc

So glad the kitty is better! Love the pie story. I learned to make cherry pie last year, and like you I was AMAZED at how much better homemade is than bought. (I'd given a coupon to my hubby for Christmas that said "baked goods of your choice for no reason" as a stocking-stuffer, and he asked for ch...

kccc

Breaking the evening grazing habit was hard for me too. I started having a glass of wine (or gum) after dinner, to signal "we're done here." (But I don't have one before.) Maybe moving your wine to after dinner? Brushing teeth? And get out of the kitchen/dining area as fast as you can after dinner. ...

kccc

Sunday, July 6 No S Exercise Debated counting today as red, since I did eat sweets after 6:00. A friend of my son's was over and asked if we could make cookies, and we did. Two varieties of chocolate thumbprint cookies, and I had one of each. I gave it a yellow because I thought about it while we we...

kccc

KCCC, I know you do yoga-- when do you fit it in? For all you moms and dads with busy schedules, what do you do to take care of yourself during the week??? I have a different work environment, and am able to take a yoga class on my lunch hour. (Yes, I'm lucky.) I also have one child and a supportiv...

kccc

KCCC, that's such a coincidence about our children being the same age, just as we are. That's a great tactic for getting your son to read. Wouldn't work for us as DD still has some fears of being left alone and still isn't up to being left alone while she goes to sleep. Love your idea of boundaries...

kccc

Blueskighs, so glad to hear your kitty is better! :) Enjoying the weekend... ate a good breakfast/lunch yesterday, got a bit snacky in the afternoon. Still had a proper meal for dinner, and quit when I was really full. I consider it all part of the learning process, and so much better than it used t...

kccc

I am sorry.

Sending strength to you and the family....

kccc

I read this thread with interest, b/c I actually find non-work days harder due to the lack of structure. On work days, my meals fall into a "pattern" that I get used to very quickly. During vacations, those patterns fall apart unless I'm very careful. I also eat my lunch quickly, but that's my own c...

kccc

Biggest advice is not to be too impatient.

Fifteen pounds is an awful lot to lose in a month - most nutritionists recommend 1-2 lbs per week for sustainable loss.

And No-S isn't a "fast" weight-loss regime. That's actually one of its charms - it's sustainable, which fast diets aren't.

kccc

So very glad to hear your kitty is better.

And I'm impressed that you faced this stress without binging - a real test, I'd say. Emotional times can be very hard...

kccc

I just found these awesome little containers at Kmart for packing a lunch. Nested pieces with an ice pack - very compact and efficient. Sort of an American version of Bento, for those that are familiar with that. Here's the website: http://www.fit-fresh.com/products/transportation/ The "lunch on the...

kccc

The first thing is DON'T PANIC or jump ship! :) There are many reasons why the scale could be two pounds higher. 1) Simple measurement error - even very good scales can miss by a pound or two. 2) Normal variation - if you had a full/empty digestive tract, etc. 3) Increased muscle (weighs more than f...

kccc

Tendon is fine, thanks - I just have to be careful not to wear tight shoes or irritate it in yoga poses that put pressure across the top of the foot. :) Yesterday I ended up feeling stuffed rather than hungry (July 4 S-day), but will keep the protein thing in mind. What was confusing is that I was p...

kccc

I had a snack this morning, while taking a break from painting the deck... a half-cup of trail mix (dried fruit and nuts and seeds, usually my oatmeal/cereal topping.) And after lunch, I had a treat I keep on hand for the kids - a tube of Stonybrook's regular yogurt, but eaten frozen. They adore it,...

kccc

No S Exercise WHY am I so hungry between meals these days? I thought I was over that stage. Ah well. At least I know that a little hunger won't kill me. Br - Kashi cereal with trail mix on top, banana, coffee L - Bagel with toasted cheese, carrot, peach D - BBQ chicken, squash casserole, fruit sala...

kccc

Yay, Mooseberry!

One of my discoveries on No-S is that "treats taste so much better without a side-order of guilt."

Happy independence day!

kccc

JamieS. wrote: The best part is I feel like a "normal" person now and no longer obsess about what to eat, how much to eat, when to eat, etc. Just normal. Yay for normal!

What a great testimonial!

Well, all your post is, but I like this part especially.

Good for you!

kccc

This is such a great idea!

I haven't signed on, only b/c I have a vacation coming up, and haven't decided how to negotiate it yet.

But I'll definitely sign on until I leave (all green/yellow until then), and I'll root for everyone else!

kccc

Congrats on your success - both your success at sticking to habit and at kindly negotiating well-meaning "food pushers." (Aside on that... I tend to "gush" a bit at them, because I don't want to refuse the good intent along with the food. "Oh, how nice of you! That looks lovely... I just had lunch a...

kccc

No S Exercise Yoga today - good class, even though I had to "work around" my foot in a few places. (Turned out to be an inflamed tendon, which I actually think I did in yoga to begin with.) Br - oatmeal, raisins, banana, coffee L- quesadilla, carrot, apple D - black bean soup with cheese and tortil...

kccc

There are so many cliches that address life in stormy times... without food as a crutch, we have to learn to face the storm. Breathing is a good technique. Others include journaling, exercising, or talking to friends. And, as you suggest, just waiting it all out... I journal (3 pages a day), and I r...

kccc

Blue, so sorry about your kitty. "When to let go" is one of the hardest decisions ever to me... I want to give them every moment of good life, and spare them every moment of needless pain, and unfortunately the balance isn't always clear. My heart goes out to you.

Best wishes.

kccc

Fwan, I agree with Sandy - how sad that no one noticed at work. We're noticing now. {{hug}} Your commitment in the face of many obstacles is admirable. I believe that you will find your path, because you continue to reach for it. Would love to see some of your photos. Do you have a website? May toda...

kccc

I like Rose's categorization. Some tweaks are so minor/gradual that they're almost unnoticeable. I found early on I needed more protein/fiber at mealtime to sustain me to the next. Not a big deal, but useful info, and I did notice it. My meals have gradually gotten healthier, but I don't even consid...

kccc

You go, girl! I sort of answered this post on your other thread... conflated them in my head...

kccc

Funfuture, I have a 7.5 year old son - and I'm 51, so I REALLY hear you on your whole story! [Including the bit on your other thread about how stressful it was at first... My weight really got out of control after he was born (I was 44!!!) and I couldn't do my normal exercise, plus was dealing with ...

kccc

kccc

Yes, the "tasting" thing has gotten me in trouble before, so I intend to be stringent about it! :) No S Exercise Br - 1/2 multigrain bagel with PB and banana, coffee L - bagel with cream cheese, apple D - veggie wrap (hummus and veggies), salad Evening glass of wine; also had an extra coffee in the ...

kccc

Enjoy them!

kccc

The general upshot of this rambling nonsense is that, by considering what I actually want and when I want it, I find that I can have both. Splendid, isn't it? I quite agree. I feel more "free" following No-S rules than I ever did before. Though I maintained my weight prior to No-S, it was through a...

kccc

On short trips across just a zone or two, I sometimes keep my "home hours." But it sounds as if you have a big time-change?

I second drinking - milk if you can get it, juice if you can't - as a first-line of defense.

After that... just do your best, and don't make yourself crazy.

kccc

Thanks everyone. I expected to be truly flamed for my post but you all were very generous and very uncult like d*mmit! :) That made me laugh out loud, for real. Please don't feel that you have to leave the forum to "find your own way." I think we all tweak a bit eventually, even though we do urge n...

kccc

resting52 wrote:Today marks my 3rd set of 21 days without a red.

That is IMPRESSIVE!

kccc

Meg, it sounds like today was a really useful learning experience, and you're wise enough to see it that way. What a GREAT start!

kccc

BA, given your past history, I think you've made wise choices for yourself. However, your experience seems quite extreme to me. I don't believe I've known anyone in real life who has gained and lost that much repeatedly. I've never been close to 200, even when I ate "what I wanted." (And yes, I am t...

kccc

I'm so sorry about your hip. That sounds very hard to deal with. Can the therapy dude recommend some exercises you can do at home? Is there another therapy dude type you can talk to? "Wishing you well" in the most literal sense of the phrase, and hoping that you will find an answer. Your commitment ...

kccc

No S Exercise Been a while since I've posted a "red" on No-S, and really it's a tiny, tiny red... a few bites while preparing dinner, but I'd told myself "that will be red on your habitcal if you do it again"... so, it's red. Br - oatmeal, banana, nuts, coffee Lunch - quesadilla, broccoli, watermel...

kccc

I'm not upset about gaining 3 lbs. I'm upset about being perfect for 8 weeks w/out any results. 1) You don't really KNOW that there were no results, since you didn't weigh before you left. (That must be really frustrating! If you did know, it would be so much easier to decide, wouldn't it?) 2) Howe...

kccc

Reinhard, I'm glad you found it useful. One piece of the "line" analogy that I don't think I made clear enough was that we should avoid comparing ourselves to people who are at different places on their own journey, or at least be ultra-careful about it - even when we're trying to help. It's easy fo...

kccc

I realize when I made my egg salad sandwich that SWEETS are losing their appeal ... Blueskighs I'm noticing that too. In the afternoon on Sunday, I wanted nuts and dried fruit for my snack, not sweets. Of course, that may be because I'd already had Ben and Jerry's for dessert at lunch. :oops: But r...

kccc

No S Exercise I have done something bad to my foot. Bad enough that I'm calling the doctor tomorrow. :( So no walk today. S-day until 6, when I switch back to N. This sounds weird, but I like it a lot. I used to feel very deprived on Friday nights, and eat frantically on Sundays. My 6:00 start time...

kccc

Hurray! I'm so glad you went for that massage!

What treat are you planning for THIS week?

(I'm just going to keep giving this assignment!

)

I'm going to visit the yarn store, and perhaps buy something gorgeous to knit with.

kccc

But with motivation, you can get used to something else. I have NO motivation at all to reduce my use of artificial sweeteners. I love the taste of them, and they are good to me. My take on the whole artifical-sweetener thing is: They taste good; They have zero calories; No proof exists that they c...

kccc

Great post, Remy! It really is an "Aha! moment" to realize that this works, and you CAN maintain with relatively little effort once you internalize the basic pattern. And it's a pattern that's flexible enough to live with under a variety of circumstances... Good for you! You sound so happy, and I'm ...

kccc

:) Sounds like you are doing GREAT! I do journal, but partly because it's so EASY compared to when I used to do it. I can actually remember 3 meals a day! Plus, I like keeping a record of menus for those "what shall we have to eat this week?" brain-dead moments. It is nice not to feel obliged to do ...

kccc

BA, I used to drink diet drinks and felt exactly the same way. Sweetener in my coffee seemed to dissolve better, and taste better at that time. Now, I find all artificial sweeteners absolutely repugnant. I can barely remember the old preference. It's what you're used to. But with motivation, you can...

kccc

I sometimes listen to "Zencasts" on my iPod. (Zencast on iTunes, or go to http://amberstar.libsyn.com/) The teaching stories and metaphors often seem relevant to No-S (or any habit-change). Some time ago, one of the teachers was talking about change, and used the metaphor of imagining a line, then i...

kccc

Blueskighs, your story is truly inspirational.

I am crossing my fingers that this plan is IT for you.

kccc

I bake more than I used to. I've always liked to bake, but used to "not allow" myself, b/c "I didn't need to have that stuff around." (If it's still around on Monday, it can be frozen. Or pitched.) After home-baked cookies, bought ones just aren't very good. Same for a lot of other desserts. I don't...

kccc

I am very sensitive to the social pressure thing, having had a "food pusher" for a mom. ("Food is love" type.) When I was first on my own, and had just lost to a normal weight, it was a real point of tension. Every time I came home, we had a fight when I walked in the door because she kept offering ...

kccc

For Friday No S Exercise I start No S on Friday at 6, and end on Sunday at 6. Br - usual oatmeal with trail mix, coffee L- PB crackers ("homemade"), watermelon, nectarine D- Honey-Dijon shrimp and brown rice, asparagus, watermelon, salad. Ss - One chocolate chip cookie for dessert, a handful of cash...

kccc

Ran across this today, and thought it might be useful for some of us who are re-connecting with emotions that we used to "eat away."

http://cnvc.org/en/what-nvc/feelings-li ... -inventory

kccc

This thread actually stopped me from "fudging" my lunch a bit... I grabbed a big container of watermelon chunks out of the fridge this morning, and was just going to eat them b/c "it's only watermelon." Yeah, but it was a lot. I got a plate, put the rest of my lunch on it, filled it with watermelon....

kccc

Some alternatives... Sparking water. You get the carbonation without calories (but read the labels carefully - a lot of the flavored ones have artificial sweeteners or other bad things in them). Water with flavorings. Lemon is nice, and oranges make a nice change. Think of the pitchers of ice water ...

kccc

Not a drop. Not even a weence. I don't get it. ... Terrible conclusion: something is very wrong with my metabolism. ...Very depressed due to walking limitations. Very important lesson: NEVER, EVER CONSCIOUSLY SET GOALS, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE DISAPPOINTED. Went home and went straight to bed. Fwan, Are ...

kccc

Mistress Manners wrote:Eh. Half a beer at night helps me relax and unwind without stuffing my face full of chocolate and other treats. I'm not sweating it.

Nor should you.

At these levels of consumption, we're definitely in "personal choice" territory.

kccc

Like many of you, I used to weigh daily, and couldn't envision not doing so. That was because it was the only metric I had that I trusted. Now I trust "days on habit," and am comfortable with that. I will say that comfort level happened only after I'd been doing No-S long enough to believe that it r...

kccc

No S Exercise Br - oatmeal with trail mix, coffee Lunch - apple, spinach salad and half-sandwich from the food place by the gym. (I didn't plan ahead today. Really too much, and the veggie panini was not very good. Next time, I'll resort to an "intelligent default.") Dinner - Chicken quesadilla and...

kccc

Betty, I think I obsessed about weight when (1) I didn't have a PROCESS I trusted and (2) it was the only metric I had. Now I look at "days on habit" and that's really good enough. So, I can let it go. It really, really hit me hard recently... I saw a photo taken about a year ago, before my "backsli...

kccc

How are you, Milczar? Hope you had a great massage!

Everyday Systems

Search found 3957 matches

Basic routine??

On calorie-counting: Point/counterpoint (LONG!!)

Warning: Habits May Be Good For You

Re: Month 4, day 7. Back to normalcy.

For those that pack lunches...

Re: What I want, when I want.

Five degree change...

Feelings inventory

Re: Month 3, day 25. Absolutely no weight change.