Everyday Systems

e-lyn

Feeling hungry...

B - egg, toast, bacon, raspberries
L - tri-tip sandwich, kale salad
D - enchilada, corn, banana

e-lyn

You win, kaalii!

e-lyn

I thought about the 'judgy' thing too, but journaling keeps me honest about my overall food intake. Someday I hope to have this down to where it's second nature and I'm eating like a normal person, no recording necessary. I'm not there yet.

e-lyn

Yum, I love banana bread! I think some of the mods or allowances we make for ourselves are fine. It really depends on our personal reasons for doing No S. They're okay as long as they ultimately support our goals...weight loss, bingeing, sugar-cravings, etc. Or even if they move us in that direction...

e-lyn

I have come to accept that some days are going to be easier than others. You're doing great so far!

e-lyn

Glad you had a successful holiday weekend! I did okay the first two days, but totally lost it at a picnic on the 4th. btw..I like your menus.

e-lyn

Hi Kwerp! Well, the raisin bread is almost gone and I'm giving it a rest for now. It was really too good and almost a 'sweet' for me. First day checking in since the 3-day holiday weekend. I was just going to take my usual two S days, but it turned into three anyway. I can only describe my food inta...

e-lyn

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e-lyn

Well, I caved in to temptation last night. I think part of the problem was that my dinner was so delicious and I really wanted to have seconds but I resisted. That evening the food fantasies would just not go away no matter how much I tried to distract myself. I asked myself what I would need to res...

e-lyn

Got it! Thanks Rawcookie.

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e-lyn

I spent two years on the McDougall diet and I enjoyed all those yummy starches! Potatoes, rice, and especially those purple yams. I lost plenty of weight too, but I had to count Weight Watcher points to do so. I don't believe it was the carbs that had me gaining the first couple of months. It was ju...

e-lyn

Congrats on 100 days!

I hope your sleep difficulties get sorted out in the near future. Sleep deprivation is so miserable! And If I don't get enough rest it makes it so much more difficult to stick to No S.

e-lyn

Count me in! I'm not sure how to set up the calendar and colorful emoticons. I'm sure it's explained somewhere so I'll search for that.

e-lyn

kaalii...enjoy your holiday adventures!

e-lyn

Hi Emmama! My meals have been quite heavy on the carbs too. Mostly bread, pasta, rice etc. with the occasional whole grain like oatmeal or quinoa. I feel a bit guilty about this because of all the low carb diet pressure out there. I'm curious to see how it will work out for me in the long run or if ...

e-lyn

Bunso, thanks for sharing the story of your sneaky popcorn binge....

I can definitely relate and it's very helpful to read about the process of working through all these food issues. Keep up the good work!

e-lyn

I thought about food a lot today. It's so hot here; I'm not able to get much accomplished at home and I don't want to exercise or run errands in this heat. My brain somehow thought that snacking would alleviate the stress and boredom of the day. I resisted and tried to fill the space between meals w...

e-lyn

Thanks, LifeisaBlessing! It's such a relief to be able to share meals with my family and not have to prepare special diet food for myself. I try to keep it simple and relatively healthy, with some splurges here and there. Low carb was so expensive with four hungry guys! I did enjoy the McDougall pla...

e-lyn

Hi Merry...just stopping by to congratulate you on your recent weight loss and ongoing dedication to No S eating. I always enjoy reading your thoughtful posts and they've helped me a lot. Good luck on the painting job! It sounds like you've been working really hard on the prep. It's good you have fr...

e-lyn

Even though my desire for snacks, sweets, and seconds has lessened I'm still quite hungry at meals. I'm pretty sure I'm eating more than my body needs but I don't feel anywhere near ready to cut down on quantity at those meals. I just don't want to experience those out of control food cravings again...

e-lyn

I had plenty of treats on my weekend S days, but there were times when I hesitated because I wasn't sure if I really wanted whatever it was. I really had to think about it which is unusual for me. Before No S there was hardly a sweet, snack, or second I would willingly turn down. And I sleep better ...

e-lyn

A successful No S week! I've been at this for a month now with only a couple of fails. I'm enjoying the food sanity despite my 'diet head' moments. Yet, there seems to be no reduction in my appetite at mealtimes. I've definitely had some sweets, snacks, and seconds on my S days. Indulgent, but not w...

e-lyn

Yay for you! You're handling the daily food challenges really well. Looks like it's becoming a habit!

e-lyn

Have fun, oolala! Look forward to your return....

e-lyn

It's also hard to face that life in between our meals may not be as compelling as we'd like. Brad Pilon says no one is hungry or wants to eat when she is jumping out of an airplane, meaning that a lot of our eating is just because we aren't involved in something else more absorbing. But that's part...

e-lyn

Jen and osoniye...thanks for the encouragement! I have to keep going with No S and trust that things will work out. The alternative is just too depressing. My recent menus allow me to eat the same foods as my family. I've experimented with so many different diets and plans, from McDougall plant-base...

e-lyn

I had a routine doctor visit today and I'm feeling somewhat discouraged. I've gained 8 pounds since March! Blood pressure, heart rate...no bueno. I've only been on No S for a few weeks and I didn't weigh myself at the beginning so I'm not sure where I am in the weight loss story...heading up or down...

e-lyn

Yes Bunso, the pesto was rich, but we got 8 servings out of that recipe and we ate it with just sliced tomatoes. Definitely not for everyday eating but not terrible. Before No S I would have denied myself the pleasure of this meal, but then I would maybe be unable to resist a brownie or some ice cre...

e-lyn

RawCookie, I do the same thing with fruit! I used to eat it between meals or not at all. Now I just use the virtual plate method and eat a small amount as a satisfying last course. I serve it in a small custard cup to keep the portion reasonable...and sometimes with a dollop of yogurt or cottage che...

e-lyn

Umm...I don't know how light it was, but it was so good! Here's a link to the recipe from a Diana Henry cookbook. I didn't use the anchovies and I don't think it really needed the butter.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/real-foo ... 0zdeh.aspx

e-lyn

Congrats on making it through the snack attack! And the weight loss!

I love V8 and it really helped me through the first week of No S. I do get the low sodium kind and it's fine once you get used to it.

You're doing great!

e-lyn

Well, the less said about my S weekend, the better. I'm still over-eating and over-sweeting. Not binge style, just more than I need. Tonight I made a kale pesto and this was a real breakthrough for me. Prior to No S, I would never have allowed myself to make or eat such a decadent dish. I love pesto...

e-lyn

My oldest son started to get 'love handles' around age 11 or so. I was really worried because my husband and I have battled our weight since we were kids. I always made healthy meals and all three of my boys had been very thin up to that point. But they definitely enjoyed snacking. I really debated ...

e-lyn

bunso, thanks for the words of encouragement! I wish I could eat salad the way you described but I just can't. I've tried it for various diets and I even enjoyed some of the McD fat free dressings for a while. I just can't bring myself to do it anymore. But I can easily eat tons of plain cooked vege...

e-lyn

Welcome, Emmama...jump right in!

e-lyn

Noni, that sounds exactly like my problem. The crispy bits, the ends, the pickings, and what ever is left over in the pan. I was slicing an avocado for dinner last night and found myself tempted to scrape out the shell for the last of it and pop it in my mouth. I stopped myself but just barely!

e-lyn

knitapeace, the tummy growls you described used to happen to me all the time, especially between b'fast and lunch. I have no idea why, but it was terribly embarrassing. Strangely enough, I haven't experienced that with No S. The first couple of weeks my stomach felt empty and I had a hollow feeling ...

e-lyn

Tonight was a bit of a challenge as we had unexpected company for dinner. We were planning to have turkey burgers and salad. My sister-in-law brought along a few bags of frozen fries to add to the meal. Everything tasted good and I stuck to my one plate but I really struggled not to have seconds. I ...

e-lyn

Thanks for sharing your story, RawCookie!

e-lyn

Thanks, Bunso! I have a big S weekend coming up with Father's Day so I really want to get some solid N days in.

e-lyn

Wow...very impressed by your solution to the croissant challenge! I would have really missed my lunch that day. Great job making No S work for you!

e-lyn

Mmm...I love that garbanzo spread! It was one of our staples when we were following the McDougall plan. Was it filling enough, Bunso? I might make some soon. Glad you enjoyed the Steely Dan concert. Sounds like it was worth taking an S day!

e-lyn

Rolling along with the occasional bump but today was a solid green.

B - egg, english muffin, apricots, cottage cheese
L - pastrami/cheese on a small roll, veggie soup, apple
D - lamb chops, rice, veggies, fruit

e-lyn

My husband does the same thing! He read the book but he doesn't care much about the nit-picky details just the overall basics. We went to Trader Joe's and he ate a tiny little mint sample. I told him that made it technically a red day. He looked at me like I was nuts! He would go crazy reading this ...

e-lyn

oolala and Merry...thanks for your comments! I have been using little pyrex custard cups to separate my food. I really like having a side of something like pineapple with a bit of cottage cheese and I'm pretty certain I'm staying within the framework of vanilla No S. Oolala, I like your idea of eati...

e-lyn

Yes....garlic, onion...I like it all. I've tasted fresh favas and you're absolutely right, they're nothing like the dried kind. I have a friend who gives me fresh ones every once in a while. I'll try your cooking method the next time.

e-lyn

That's too funny! Even the need for constant access to a water bottle is relatively new and didn't exist when I was growing up. We satisfied our thirst at a water fountain or a with a dixie cup of tap water.

e-lyn

Very interesting topic. Like the original poster, I virtually stopped cooking all my favorite comfort foods because I was unable to stop at one portion. I was also not able to stop myself from picking at the food as I put it away and I especially liked anything left sticking to the pan...meat bits, ...

e-lyn

I dabbled with IF but was never able to make it a habit. I've read about the benefits and can see it working due to the general caloric restriction of eating within a certain restricted time window. But I do better with a regular schedule of food. That's how I lost 60 pounds on Weight Watchers. It b...

e-lyn

I love fava beans. They're quite difficult to get around here and I was never really certain how to cook them. Sometimes I buy them canned and add olive oil, lemon juice, diced onion. Not the same as fresh but still good.

e-lyn

Glad to hear the thyroid nodules are most likely benign. I was diagnosed with them during my first pregnancy 25 years ago. I've had a couple of biopsies (benign) and I try to get in for regular ultrasounds. My levels have always been normal too. I found tracking my food very helpful in the first few...

e-lyn

My biggest challenge is when I'm watching TV with family at night. During the school year we watch mostly on Friday and Saturday nights. Which is why sticking to No S on Friday nights has been so difficult for me. In the summer, all bets are off and we watch TV randomly...any night we feel like it. ...

e-lyn

That's the reason I've been having my salad on a small side plate. I want to eat those nice veggies but not be left hungry and craving more food. It's hard to find the right balance.

Good luck on your S day!

e-lyn

Congratulations on having a green day! I'm new to this way of eating but I've had some successful days so I know how good it feels!

btw...I homeschooled my two youngest sons; they will be 21 this month. I miss those days!

e-lyn

Sorry to hear you had such a rough week, Maggie Mae. I hope things turn around for you soon!

e-lyn

Yay! This is the first week I've had 5 green days in a row. It really helps to have my husband on board with No S. It was difficult watching him take seconds and thirds at the dinner table. He's a slow eater and the boys and I would be long gone by the time he was finished. I just couldn't sit there...

e-lyn

I can definitely relate to munchies and cravings! The first couple of weeks my stomach felt so hollow and empty between meals. I found that a 6 oz glass of V8 or coffee with about a 1/4 cup of milk (I usually drink my coffee black) really did the trick during the worst of it. I've backed off a bit o...

e-lyn

Today was a successful green day! I really start thinking about dessert after 4 solid N days. I can make it through 3 days and not give it much thought but on Thursdays I find myself dwelling on cake, cookies, and pie. Not even chocolate....just baked goods. I think I'll have a bit of jam on my toas...

e-lyn

It's nice to know I'm not the only one having side salads! It's working for me so I'll continue for now. B - egg, bread, PB, apricots L - bagel w turkey/cheese, salad, pineapple D - salmon, potato salad, broccoli, more yummy pineapple I probably won't continue posting all my meals here. It was very ...

e-lyn

Oolala, that was a lot for me to take in all at once! I reread your post a few times trying to get the gist of what you were saying. I do have a tendency to obsess a bit, but I have to admit I'm surprised that my somewhat modest observations garnered such a big response. Still, I do appreciate the f...

e-lyn

Yes, oolala....I'm going to try again this week to keep Friday green. I might make some unsweetened iced tea to have in the evening. I'm thinking that may help take the edge off. It's been so hot here and the ice cream in my freezer has been calling my name, especially on the weekends.

e-lyn

I'm trying to follow the basic vanilla No S but not get too legalistic right now. For instance....salad. I want to eat my veggies, but I don't want my plain salad (less than 1T of vinaigrette) taking up space on my 9" plate. It won't fill me up 'til the next meal, that's for sure and it displaces th...

e-lyn

Maggie Mae, I noticed the "Monday, Monday" products too...'they' can see our every move! After so many years of dieting I'm very conscious of fat, calories, carbs, etc. I'm trying to find a balance between sadness diet meals and free-for-alls. I used 1T of mayo and 1T of yogurt for my chicken salad ...

e-lyn

Monday Monday, so good to me... I love getting back to N days! I still feel guilt and remorse on S days and especially on Fail days. Old habits are hard to break. B - ww toast with peanut butter, 1 sausage L - chicken salad on ww bread, raspberries D - shrimp fajitas, beans, tortillas, salsa, a few ...

e-lyn

I think I used the same name but I rarely posted. I did, however, read that forum daily for over 2 years mainly to convince myself that it was the right way to eat. Yes, I really do miss the easy clean up and it was easy on the budget too! I hear you on the weight gain. I'm in the same boat myself.....

e-lyn

Bunso...I thought I recognized your name from another board and perhaps it was McDougall's forum? I had followed that way of eating off and on throughout the years. The last time was about 5 years ago and I was solid for about 2 years. I lost some weight but I had to count WW points in order to do s...

e-lyn

It looks like we're close in age to you and your husband but with more weight to lose, unfortunately. The last couple of years have been a bit rough for us with the illness and death of husband's parents. We're both in decent health but not wanting to carry around this extra weight into our senior y...

e-lyn

I grew up eating all those lovely whole grains. My family will eat them too but I'm pretty sure they all still prefer the white stuff. Last week I made tabbouleh with quinoa which they tolerated quite well, haha. My husband read the No S book last night. I think he might be joining me in this way of...

e-lyn

Merry, I had actually been thinking about taking Friday and Sunday as S days. I had a number of challenges from Friday through Sunday this week so I just did the best I could. I won't go into too many details but I will say I had three S days. I can definitely see how unexpected 'special days' can r...

e-lyn

kaalii, those dates look so good! Are those herbs sprinkled on top? And buckwheat crepes with spinach and roquefort...sounds amazing!

Glad to hear you're having success with shovelgloving. You're inspiring me to give it a try!

e-lyn

Hi Maggie Mae...thanks for the encouragement! The routine of N days is getting a bit easier, but I seem to only manage 4 in a row before I cave in. I just finished reading the book and I see how important it is to just keep going.

e-lyn

Today was my hubby's last day of teaching and he's now home for the summer. Friday evenings are always difficult for me. It's the night we're all together and relaxing as a family after a busy week. Saturday is usually spent running errands and taking care of business. Not a day I really care about ...

e-lyn

Thanks for the good advice, oolala!

Here's the link to my daily check in. https://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=10962

e-lyn

Thanks for the reassurance, Merry! I actually do eat out a fair amount. Maybe 2 lunches and two dinners a week. Because I've been dieting forever I have a list of acceptable local restaurants and acceptable menu items all stored in my diet-y little head. I guess I need to 'virtual plate' my meal ahe...

e-lyn

So, an odd dinner tonight. We planned dinner out at our favorite Mexican restaurant but it was packed! We decided to eat at a Vietnamese noodle place. Usually I order the cabbage salad with chicken...a dieter's delight! But I'm not on a 'diet' so I ordered what I really wanted which was a noodle bow...

e-lyn

Thanks for the words of encouragement, Merry! I definitely enjoyed the pizza. But I especially liked how I felt after eating it....guilt-free! I really hope I can continue on this way. Today I switched out my usual breakfast of eggs, toast, fruit and had a bowl of oatmeal. I used to eat oatmeal virt...

e-lyn

I ate pizza for dinner tonight! I'm still in a state of shock as I rarely allow myself to indulge for fear of losing all control and polishing off half the pie. But hubby brought home an XL pepperoni left over from a work event and there it was. I gave a lot of thought as to what my dinner alternati...

e-lyn

I'm feeling less frantic before meals. I know that I can have a healthy portion of tasty food. I don't have to find exactly the right food for whatever diet I happen to be on. I'm fortunate to have delicious, quality food available to me. I just have to limit myself to one plate. B - toast w peanut ...

e-lyn

S day today. I stuck to my standard plate of food at meals but I may have gone a bit overboard with the treats...a huge slice of coffee cake that I split between breakfast and lunch. After dinner I shared a very rich chocolate macadamia nut cookie with my husband. And I bought a small piece of Manch...

e-lyn

I lost 60 pounds on WW many years ago. Since then, I've put 40 back on and tried every other diet known to man in order to avoid counting points again. Before finding this diet a couple of weeks ago I had failed at yet another attempt at WW during which I thought about food all day long and felt the...

e-lyn

I learn a lot reading about your No S journey, jackn. So much of my life has revolved around food; making lists, shopping, meal prep, reading food articles and cookbooks, clipping and organizing recipes, etc... My oldest son has moved away, my younger sons are done growing and don't need big meals a...

e-lyn

You're off to a great start, cocoabea!

e-lyn

So, I've decided to stick to vanilla No S and call yesterday a RED day. Today is technically an S day with no S's. I'm not trying to make up for yesterday but my meals have been satisfying and I honestly haven't felt like eating anything extra. Tomorrow is another S day so I'll most likely indulge a...

e-lyn

RAWCOOKIE....I really appreciate all your suggestions about sticking to my N day plan. And I loved your analogy about opening the Christmas presents early. I only wish I had read this before I polished off the ice cream, a couple of crackers with cheese, and a half bag of caramel popcorn! Ironically...

e-lyn

Today was the first day I faced a real S diet challenge. Friday evenings just have S written all over them. End of the week and family wants to relax and share an extra good meal with a little dessert. Whole Foods had swordfish 1/2 off....so delicious! I bought a small container of ice cream thinkin...

e-lyn

That's great!

I'm still mentally calculating points too but trying to focus on a balanced plate instead.

How did you handle your first S days? Mine are coming up....

e-lyn

I'm still thinking about my meals and worrying about portion sizes. Working on relaxing and trusting the process. I feel antsy and bored in between meals. Still trying to figure out what to do about eating fruit. I'm used to eating it as a snack but now that I have a small portion with my meals I'm ...

e-lyn

I really enjoyed your post, NoSDoc. For the past couple of months I've been paring down my somewhat large collection of books on diet and nutrition. Even got rid of some of my regular cookbooks that focus on a particular 'right' way of eating. At the library today I even ignored all the new magazine...

e-lyn

Cedar....thanks for the encouragement! You're so right, it's tough to find sanity when we're programmed for dieting at such a young age. I don't remember my mom actively dieting but she hated her body shape (thin on top, heavier thighs) and talked a lot about it. I went on my first diet at the age o...

e-lyn

I don't know if I can do this. Had lunch out with my best friend today. She's on a diet to lose 10-15 pounds for her son's wedding in June. She's always been quite slender but wants to be skinny for the event. We've been close for almost 20 years and she's watched my weight fluctuate by 60 pounds or...

e-lyn

We didn't have any food rules that I can remember. Only three hungry kids trying to get their fair share. Also, my mom really liked good food and was into snacking. I was her 'snack buddy'. And then when I was nine I began to put on some weight. We were at an all-you-can-eat buffet and I had loaded ...

e-lyn

I'm at the very beginning of this journey and I've been thinking about this a lot. I've noticed that without the ability to go back for seconds until I'm completely stuffed I feel a sense of sadness and minor anxiety as my meal comes to an end. I'm not sure if it's because I'm still hungry or if it'...

e-lyn

Hi goodcooker1, I'm new here too! I'm also a 'diet head' and have a long diet history. I'm to the point where I no longer know how to think about food in a healthy way. Wheat belly? Too much sugar in fruit? Not enough protein? Too much protein? And so on...until I just couldn't take it anymore. So h...

e-lyn

Hi cocoabea, My first S day was fairly indulgent. I ate a small b'fast and then went out for coffee with friends and had a piece of very rich coffeecake. Then hubby wanted to go out for lunch so we shared a ham and cheese on a baguette and also shared a small container of deli potato salad. Both had...

e-lyn

Thanks, cocoabea! It seems like we're both ready to leave the extreme diets behind. I've never had much success losing weight on low carb. The science behind it is quite convincing though, which leaves me feeling guilty for indulging even in whole grains. I keep reminding myself that I lost 60 pound...

e-lyn

Thank you for the warm welcome, JJJPK. I appreciate all the advice and support! I wish I had your wisdom when I was fifteen. Today was a pretty good N day. I enjoyed my meals a lot but I did have my side salad and veggie soup in separate dishes that wouldn't fit on my plate. I love veggies but they ...

e-lyn

Hi All, I stumbled across this site last Friday and read as much as I could until it made sense and I felt ready to begin. I tried an experimental N day on Saturday just to see if I could get through it. It felt weird and my stomach felt hollow but I made it. I then had an S day on Sunday. Now it's ...

Everyday Systems

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E-lyn's Check-In Journal

Hi...new and ready for a change!