Everyday Systems

sharon227

Thanks very much for the additional thoughts (and encouragement) Soprano. A key point is "if you stick to the plan." If I stick to Weight Watchers it works. If I stick to South Beach it works. But I didn't. If I stick to NoS it works also, but more slowly. Which is OK if I truly can stick to it for ...

sharon227

Thanks, Soprano. I appreciate the virtual hug! (And need one) You have a point about the end date. Thing is, at some point I have to decide if this plan is working for me to reach my goal, if not quickly, ever. I'm really disappointed, to say the least. I was following the rules more seriously today...

sharon227

Thanks automatedeating. The sad story, via my Excel tracker: https://i.ibb.co/HdzkNCH/graph.jpg If I'm honest with myself, I can't say it's a huge surprise. I could tell this was happening from my waistline. This is just confirmation. I didn't really gain all that much - about 3.5 lbs. The problem i...

sharon227

So the holiday period ended up an utter nightmare. I just went on the scale, and I'm up a LOT. In fact, I'm only down 2 lbs from when I started NoS in May. I can't begin to explain how upset and disappointed I am. I suppose it's better to be starting the year down from 2018 at all instead of up . Bu...

sharon227

Thanks very much, Octavia! I'm slowly improving, but still don't have all my energy back. Really happy to hear about the meditation, automatedeating! I decided to increase from 3 to 4 minutes today :D I got a bit fidgety but plan to stick with it. I felt well enough to want some of the frozen Yule l...

sharon227

Thanks, automatedeating! I was thinking about the hot tub! But then the idea of hair possibly being still damp and going out in the cold made me decide not to. I did light treadmill - no incline, no jogging, just varying between 3.5 and 4 mph - and a little stretching. Was good to get moving a littl...

sharon227

I'm so happy for you that you are examining your drinking to figure out what will ultimately be best for you. I have a big issue with sweets. And although there is some debate in the scientific literature as to whether sugar is "addictive," researchers have definitely shown that sugar lights up the ...

sharon227

Thanks Octavia. I guess part of me just needed "something, anything sort of sweet" and was satisfied, even if another part REALLY wanted those pastries. And thanks, automatedeating, I do find the forums a great place for self-accountability but especially support!! I got sick Thursday night, includi...

sharon227

I read Marie Kondo's book and got inspired to start cleaning out my house. I went through a reasonable amount of clothes but never got to the other stuff. I do still fold up my clothing nicely before putting it in drawers, though. Would love to get back to it and get rid of the mountains of clutter ...

sharon227

So I wasn't the only one with a big craving for something sweet! I think it's hard to get back to routines when we've been SO out of regular routines in every respect. Congratulations on not having the big chocolate bar! It's so easy to say the heck with it, you can (and will) do anything I want.

sharon227

Well, New Year's Eve was definitely an overeating experience, although not a complete pig-out. Not having peanut M&Ms in the house was a wise choice. I had some chips, some dark-chocolate-and-nuts trail mix, 2 bowls of healthy soup, 2 dinner rolls, and a slice and a half of pizza for dinner, 2 glass...

sharon227

Heh. You and me both, automatedeating. I was thinking to buy some peanut M&Ms for New Year's. (I'm not big on the regular ones, but am addicted to the peanut ones). But as I thought more about it, it's probably better if they're not in the house. We'll have chips (which I've never really lost contro...

sharon227

I agree 100% with automatedeating. It is super empowering to respond with a contented no thank you. And also a lot easier to stick with than saying no when it's obvious you really want to say yes. The contented no thanks is also usually more effective (some people are just clueless regardless, but m...

sharon227

Yes on the walking! I also do it for my mood and my health/fitness. I've never tracked calories burned or cared. Interesting about the need to bake a cake weekly. The thought of doing that every week just makes me tired, but I can see how you would miss it if it's been a habit. But as automatedeatin...

sharon227

Very cool that your Christmas indulgence period burnt itself out, and you were ready to get back to No S. Not because you felt guilt that you needed to, but because you needed to. Happy New Year!

sharon227

I'm also finding that I have much less tolerance for rich/fatty/very sweet foods than I did before I started NoS. Interesting.

sharon227

So I just looked up pistol squats. It seems unlikely I'll be adding them to my workout routine anytime soon! (reverse lunges are enough for me at the moment).

sharon227

What a good way of putting it, automatedeating! The sensible, not-overly-restrictive boundaries are there. Even though I'm not making very healthy choices this week, at least I'm not pigging out on crap and my portions are reasonable! Happy New Year to you as well! I had an S day today and finally h...

sharon227

Thanks for the encouragement, automatedeating and Soprano!! It's definitely a new me who is able to put aside cookies until an S day. They are sitting on the counter and I didn't dive in yet! And Soprano, whoa, that is SO impressive not to have increased your weight during the holidays last year!! W...

sharon227

It is kind of incredible, Octavia! I really don't want to change anything except my attitude, that I should celebrate my new habits and not obsess about the scale. If in May (my 1-year NoS anniversary) I'm the same weight that I am now, I'll reassess. But I really do just want to keep going as I hav...

sharon227

HI automatedeating. That's helpful. Older? Check. Female? Check. Tendency to be unable to control sweets consumption? Check. I probably do need to cut back more on the refined carbs, but will see how things go. I'd like to think I can enjoy them in small amounts. I do find that when my eating is und...

sharon227

I'm somewhat back on track, although dipping into the cider once again in the late afternoon. But I'm having a tiny bit, and enjoying it, and that's OK. Did an hour+ workout at the gym today, mostly weights but about 10 minutes of cardio also. Leftovers for lunch from Monday (homemade chicken & brow...

sharon227

Thanks for the encouragement, lpearlmom. Not eating until I feel sick seems like an obvious thing to do, but it's new for the holidays. Oh, and the Yule log is amazing. It's a chocolate cake in the shape of a log, with a yummie filling and frosting. Friends bought it from an incredible European bake...

sharon227

Sorry for your frustrations. It can get very overwhelming and disheartening to work so hard and not see results. Having too many rules and plans and prohibitions makes things even worse. Maybe just try one thing at a time? For me, one of the big advantages of NoS is to develop logical habits without...

sharon227

Totally leave a testimonial! The fact that you are 10 lbs less is very inspiring to me. I will be thrilled when I get to being down 10 lbs. Being able to stick with it somehow even when weight loss is slow is hugely important. Whatever tips you can share for that will be very valuable. I agree with ...

sharon227

Thanks, Octavia! And, well, if you're only a greedy sloth one day every few months, I think it works out OK! Our friends made an insane amount of food for their Christmas feast yesterday. Fish dish, 2 chicken dishes, steak, lasagna ... plus tons of sides, cookies, and they bought a Yule log cake (th...

sharon227

Thanks for the support Soprano and Ladybird. I am mulling doing 2 weeks of South Beach phase 1 after the holidays -- it's healthy and a good way of losing for me, if not enough structure to maintain. I'll see how much I'm up after this week. This is a particular time of year, says Captain Obvious he...

sharon227

Hugs from here. I don't have kids, and honestly don't know how people raise children (particularly at the toddler and teenage stages) and stay sane. I think one really needs to take the l-o-n-g view -- that eventually they'll turn into lovely, wonderful adults and that will be awesome. It happened /...

sharon227

Thanks, Soprano! And yes, good advice. At least I do need to remember to sit down, eat slowly, and savor! I did a little eating standing up, a definite no-no. Work stress seems to slowly be resolving. I was so busy yesterday I didn't have time to have my full proper lunch, though, so had my cheese a...

sharon227

Thanks very much for the support, Soprano! This has not been a weekend I am proud of. We unexpectedly got a gift of baked goods in the mail this weekend. Ack. The package arrived Saturday afternoon, perfect timing to be picking at it all weekend. It included some fabulous chocolate chip cookies, tru...

sharon227

Thanks Eschano and Automatedeating! The party day went reasonably OK. At the afternoon party I had both a tiramisu and raspberry mousse. These were not full-sized dessert portions, but one still would have been plenty. So, not as restrained as I might have hoped, but I think reasonable for my first ...

sharon227

SI'm back from a week of vacation. I did not follow No S while away. I was visiting friends, and it would have been challenging although possible to keep to No S most weekdays. I chose not to, the point of this vacation was to relax and have fun. I can relax and have fun on N days at home , but worr...

sharon227

If I stop weighing, I gain wait too, automatedeating. Totally. If I weigh too compulsively and frequently, though, I end up getting too emotionally involved with what the scale says. It's a tough balance.

sharon227

At least for me, the holidays and dark days of winter combine to make me want to eat a lot more. Part of it is seasonal darkness, but another part of it is that after saying "no" so many more times to holiday treats during the week I feel I'm "entitled" to more food on S days.

sharon227

I risked ruining my Sunday and got on the scale. I'm up slightly more than half a pound from last weigh-in, and we went out for Thai last night (plus I didn't get a lot of sleep. Should have weighed yesterday, I had a great night's sleep the night before.) So that seems reasonable. I do need to watc...

sharon227

Thanks, automatedeating. I'm trying to find a balance between what's reasonable that I can live with, without doing so many modifications that I won't get the results I want. I made it through my post-Thanksgiving N days to another S day! My first thought was that I could have another day like my fu...

sharon227

I spent more time on meals today than I would have before NoS. Didn't have much decent for lunch in the house. Instead of scrounging and snacking all day, I ran out to the store to get some tuna salad and whole grain bread and made myself a sandwich. Then instead of going out for dinner, I made whol...

sharon227

I think those scenarios where we either slightly overeat or undereat (and then feel either overfull or starving) are great learning experiences for us to assess (just as you did) with calm curiosity (oolala's phrase). Our food journey is just part of a life journey. And everything that happens is a...

sharon227

Heh, thanks Soprano. It was! Thank you, Ladybird. And yes, it was very helpful! As the program is designed to do, I didn't think about it or need to use willpower, it's just something I don't do. Same with the candy testing at work today. Sample 20 and pick your favorites! Good grief. I didn't touch...

sharon227

Thanks so much for the support, Soprano!! The encouragement really means a lot. And you are so right about the attitude. Is this a "diet" or is this now me? There was pie at work yesterday. I was very happy that my response was an automatic "I don't do that" in my mind. So my habits stayed ingrained...

sharon227

Glad you're feeling OK now! And sounds like you had a good N day!

sharon227

Thanks, Soprano! A new reaction for me, not to feel guilt. I'm not getting on the scale again for awhile. I don't need to punish myself because I enjoyed the weekend. This is a normal fluctuation of life. I'm dealing with it in a rational way. That's also new! And yes, automatedeating, green week he...

sharon227

What happened with the medicine??? Very sorry to hear about the reaction, hope things have stabilized and you got a good answer from your doctor.

sharon227

Hi automatedeating! Thanks, and same to you - hope you had a wonderful holiday! Thanksgiving weekend was great - as you said, relaxing and joy-filled. But eating-wise, somewhat of a train wreck. I decided in advance that Thursday and Friday would be S days - I was away visiting family and wanted to ...

sharon227

I've really been feeling like I'm in the NoS groove this week, following a bit of overindulgence on my weekend S days. I've been eating quite healthy in these pre-Thanksgiving days. And not because I'm thinking "I must punish myself and abstain from all enjoyment since I'll be eating lots of forbidd...

sharon227

Thanks automatedeating! Same to all who celebrate the holiday! (And even if you donâ€™t)

sharon227

Yes, Soprano, I'd like to get as far away from measuring and tracking as I can! I felt a bit out of control yesterday (Sunday), but when I stop and think about exactly what I had, sort-of out of control is probably like an average not-dieting day before NoS. I went to an open house and only had 1 sl...

sharon227

Thanks, Soprano! And yes, automatedeating, I found out about NoS from my doctor! We had the "your weight is creeping up and it would be a lot healthier if you kept your weight at a maximum of 138" discussion this spring, as we've had for several years now. I told him: Look, I'm at the point in my li...

sharon227

Iâ€™m had my doctor's appointment today, and at weigh-in I was exactly at the top end of the healthy weight range he recommends for me! He was quite pleased. Almost as happy as I am! He was the one who first recommended No S to me, and itâ€™s worked. Iâ€™m down 6 pounds in 6 months. When I write it,...

sharon227

Alene, that's it exactly. "Ireally should do more planning for grocery shopping and meals" never worked for me. But "I want to enjoy this meal because once it's done, that's it for awhile" seems to be working better! And Thai food does rock. I'm still not great at knowing how much food I should put ...

sharon227

automatedeating, I think some of that is hard wired in us. So far, the best thing I can see doing to deal with my seasonal hunger is lots of exercise. I may not be less hungry - I may even be more hungry - but when I'm exercising seriously, at least I lose the urge to put junk in my body. We went ou...

sharon227

This is a tough time of year. I think we naturally crave more calories and more calorie-dense foods as winter approaches.

sharon227

Soprano, nice to know I'm not alone! My goodness, I came home ravenous from the gym tonight -- a weights day, not a cardio day, can't imagine I burned up all that many calories. I could have easily eaten 3 plates of food, and then snacked all night. But I decided that's not who I want to be anymore....

sharon227

I may not have specifically asked, Oolala, but I am definitely interested in your insights! And also insights or comments from others who are reading. Thanks for letting me know you are finding my posts inspiring, Jenji. Very good points about packaged foods, Oolala. I agree that packaged snacks are...

sharon227

And thanks automatedeating and Soprano for the comments. It's nice to know I'm far from alone in feeling like I have to have sweets and seconds and snacks on S Days because soon I won't be able to again. I also sometimes wonder if I should just cut out all the sweets and refined carbs altogether. Th...

sharon227

OMG eschano, I've been overeating on S days for months . But it turns out there's something to the habit thing, and the self-shame thing. It took quite awhile for me, but it seems to be slowly settling in. Yesterday I went out for a lovely Italian dinner with friends. I certainly ate way more calori...

sharon227

Thank you for the support, Soprano and ladydbird! And automatedeating, glad to hear I'm not alone in stopping weighing when I start making poor food choices. My sister says she weighs every day no matter what. Which I guess lets you know what's happening if you can focus on the overall trends and no...

sharon227

Another pound down, that's great!

sharon227

Stressful day, I went to the gym after work and did an intense (for me) 50-minute session of running intervals on the treadmill. We took in pizza for dinner, I had one slice and a big pile of salad instead of my usual 2 slices. I really wanted more at the time, but when I finished, I was sated but n...

sharon227

Thanks Soprano and eschano!

Off I go to have a healthy breakfast (whole grain cereal and fruit)

sharon227

Thanks, Soprano! And yes, ladybird, good point. What is not eating "clean"?? I chose to make Halloween an S day holiday. I had 2 small packages of fun-size M&Ms with peanuts, a piece of cheese and some grapes as a snack (making me feel much better than diving into more candy), and a tiny sliver of c...

sharon227

Congratulations on the change of habit not automatically having dessert!

sharon227

Thanks, Soprano. I think trying not to overstuff myself is definitely a good next step. I am already exercising pretty vigorously -- usually 45 minutes a day, brisk walking or running intervals on cardio days, 1 or 2 days a week of weights as well -- which is why it's particularly disappointing the ...

sharon227

I think "don't do X" carries all sorts of negative baggage. It brings up memories of when you did X and so "failed" and were unhappy with yourself. Constantly thinking like that doesn't make for a happy inner dialog. I read Marie Kondo's "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" as I was trying to dec...

sharon227

I think Soprano is right. My weekends were pretty ridiculous my first few months. I'm still eating more than I'd like, but things Have definitely calmed down. I do think we gradually get into a rhythm understanding that not having snacks and sweets during the week isn't lifelong deprivation like so ...

sharon227

I'm still eating more than I'd like on weekends, but I wasn't out of control or truly an idiot about it. That seems like progress. And while I had multiple sweets and junk food, they were much smaller portions than I used to have. I had a few handfuls of potato chips, not half a bag. I had a small a...

sharon227

Thanks, automated eating. It is empowering! There was a Halloween party at work today. I just decided not to go. Too many temptations, and Iâ€™m really not in the mood to be eating large amounts of processed sugar and corn syrup. I know how lousy I feel when I eat too much of that. Better not to sta...

sharon227

I'm only 5 months in on my first try at this, but I would ask you whether you are enjoying the meals that you eat during the week. I don't think this works unless you are able to savor and enjoy your plate of food each meal.

sharon227

Thanks! I'm kind of amazed, but my eating feels under control, yet I'm not feeling particularly deprived. Oh, when Monday rolls around, I miss being able to have a snack or a sweet, but it's manageable. It astonishes me that I am not stress eating anymore when I work at home. Usually every time I ne...

sharon227

Yes, take the things you feel you might want. I took a load of things from my parents' place, and they sat for awhile until I was ready to go through them. Some things I needed at the time and could then let go; other things I'm still really happy to have. It will change over time. It's hard to imag...

sharon227

Belated happy birthday! Hope you are enjoying Head of the Charles.

sharon227

I am so sorry for your loss. Grief is very very difficult - physically as well as emotionally. Your feelings may be different if you were very close to someone than if you werenâ€™t, but the death of a family member is very hard no matter the relationship. Be kind to yourself and remember that exhau...

sharon227

Something else strange - for me - happened tonight. I went to a local organization's pre-Halloween party. I decided I would count it as an S day if it was compelling enough for me to have sweets or snacks there. I ate a ton at that party last year. Tonight? There was candy and popcorn there and I di...

sharon227

Thanks for the support, oolala & automatedeating! And you are so right, oolala. Thinking "I'll just be happy if [fill in the blank]" almost never works. There's always another goal to look toward. I've got to balance the current moment with wishes for the future. What's different about NoS for me is...

sharon227

I was at a training program at work yesterday that had absolutely nothing to do with eating or nutrition, but I think I can apply some of the lessons to NoS. After we had some instruction about the best ways to do X and saw some of the mistakes we were making, the trainer started asking us for our t...

sharon227

Wise words, ladybird. Thank you. I so desperately want to be back at my goal weight -- it's a weight I maintained for quite a few years until my parents became ill and passed away and my eating went off the rails. I know how great it feels to be at my goal. But I also know in my head if not emotiona...

sharon227

5 kids and a husband to feed? I'm tired just reading that. One thing I find No S is doing for me is making me plan my meals. That's long been a goal of mine, but it was always too easy to be busy and then just graze and grab. If I only get one plate, though, I need to make it count. So I put more th...

sharon227

Thanks, oolala!! I did pile up my initial plate, and had some sweets, but you're right: It was an excellent performance at a buffet, especially for me! I need to be careful about my N days now, though. As the days here are getting shorter and colder, I'm starting to crave more food and more carbs. H...

sharon227

Something very strange (for me) happened over the weekend. It was Saturday, I was at a party with an all you can eat lunch and dessert buffet. It was an S day! I could go back as many times as I wanted! The plates were medium sized. I took a plate of food, finished it, and it was enough! I didnâ€™t ...

sharon227

Jenji, in my case, it's more when the scale drops a lot that I sometimes think: Hey, if I'm seeing such great results when following plan to the letter, maybe I can relax a bit and still get pretty good results. Very dangerous. Why I'm finding the HatbitCal to be so useful. I don't want to be fillin...

sharon227

OMG it sure is, Soprano. While I feel like I shouldn't need external validation, in fact it is so great when people notice! I went out to dinner with friends to a Mexican place tonight. 'Virtual plated' about half a dozen chips with salsa, and then ate about 2/3 of my fajitas. Definitely a bigger po...

sharon227

I don't want to sound preach-y or scold-y, but I do agree with automatedeating on this one. Needing processed sugar every day doesn't seem to be a good thing, especially if it's displacing other calories, but even if it's not. It's only when I stop having candy, cake, cookies, ice cream, whatever ev...

sharon227

Another vote for soups! I especially like lentil or barley soups. I usually add a slice of whole grain bread, or make it a cup of soup and half a sandwich. Or I'll cram some salad and/or fruit on the plate with a small chunk of cheese along with the cup of soup.

sharon227

Good point, Soprano! Reinhard discourages it, but I agree with you! And I do think I piled up a bit more than would have fit on my virtual plate, oolala :) But I enjoyed the food, I didn't go wild pigging out, and I got mostly back on track right away. As you said, Soprano, this is life! I need it t...

sharon227

We're given such terrible signals in American culture: these foods are "bad," those foods are "virtuous". Add in the ridiculous female body images that are glorified, and it's no wonder many of us have an unhealthy relationship with food. I wish I could remember where I read about a survey of Americ...

sharon227

There was a big celebration at work Thursday - an off-site cocktail party with hors d'oeuvres from 6 to 8 pm. I didn't think it was reasonable to expect that I wouldn't eat anything and then wait until 8:30 pm to have dinner, so I called this an extra S day. I only had 1 glass of wine (despite the o...

sharon227

Thanks, Oolala!! And not a hijack at all. It's always useful to hear from someone with more experience. And it does seem that some of us need a little more S day structure in figuring out how not to be ridiculous. Like me. :) Iâ€™m trying to keep traditional eating in my mind. I know it's become a c...

sharon227

Wow, congratulations! Impressive and very inspiring. And I got a chuckle out of not having to throw out the damn ketchup

sharon227

I seem to be settling into the groove of N days, but I really do need to work on the S days so they're not quite so freeform and snack/sweetladen. I'm down almost 6 lbs since I started in mid-May. Another 6 lbs in the next half a year would be fabulous, but we're heading into the tough time of year ...

sharon227

It's been a challenging month: 4 holiday days plus my wedding anniversary. My goal was to stick to NoS on N days, and to cut myself some slack on the extra S days without going crazy. I was proud that on our anniversary, I had an N day right up until dinner. We went out, I had an appetizer, bread, m...

sharon227

Thanks both!! I stuck to my 3 plates a day today, despite the urge to shovel in a whole bunch of extra junk. Progress!

sharon227

You are right, Soprano. Thanks for the additional encouragement. I'm especially frustrated because I'd finally gone below 140, and now I'm back over it again. In my head I know that the difference between 139.6 and 141.4 isn't that big a deal, but psychologically it is. If I could be down 11 lbs in ...

sharon227

Thanks, Cedar. I needed that encouragement today! Friday scale was up 0.2 lbs, which was OK. But it showed up another pound and a half today, even though I followed all the No S rules yesterday! I haven't been feeling well, so I had seconds of fried rice Friday night, but decided to swap my S/No S d...

sharon227

Work meeting today with pizza, salad, brownies ... I took a paper plate with 1 slice of pizza on one half and salad on the other half. I used to almost always have 2 slices. Stuck to one today. And based on my rule that if I filll up half my plate with healthy vegetables I can have more veggies, I h...

sharon227

Thanks so much for chiming in, Cedar!!! That's exactly it: No sweets and no snacks are really clear cut, but the "plate" just doesn't seem to be quite so binary. For example, I sometimes like having soup before my meal, and that's usually a healthy and good choice. So I "virtual plate." And then I d...

sharon227

Another couple:

https://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopi ... cc8#192868

https://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopi ... 823#192823

sharon227

Thanks Automatedeating! :-) So my daily check-ins are not so daily anymore. I seem to be doing better about making this a habit instead of something I obsess about constantly. There are still times when not having snacks is very challenging, but it's a lot less frequent. I'm used to not feeling full...

sharon227

I'm not a Dr. Oz fan, but an article in today's Parade Sunday magazine has some interesting thoughts from him that are definitely related to the NoS philosophy: "New studies suggest that when you eat matters for your health, longevity and even weight loss," Oz says. The average American eats pretty ...

sharon227

My problem is that I find myself turning to the scale for confirmation as to whether I was "good" or "bad." That is so unhelpful. On the other hand, if I don't weigh at all, ever, I often end up fooling myself into thinking "everything is fine" when it isn't. For now, I'm trying to stick to weighing...

sharon227

Wow, very inspiring. Thank you for sharing. I think it's close to impossible to be nutritionally perfect forever. I was for a number of years, but after my parents died within 14 months of each other, my eating went off the rails. This spring I was ready to start again, but not having to be perfect ...

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