Everyday Systems

vmsurbat

Had a ridiculous S Day yesterday! Guess I didn't break any rules, but for Heaven sakes...a little self control would have been a good idea! So today I'm paying the piper: bloated, irritable, lethargic....storing it all away in my memory for next weekend so I'm not as tempted to go off the deep end!...

vmsurbat

And good luck with your house guests - I know how that can trip things up. Glad to be of help, ladies! And I appreciate the sympathy expressed! I dearly love our guests, but the number of opportunities for all kinds of little treats and slip-ups has increased exponentially! However, I *am* learning...

vmsurbat

4/12: Virtual plated dinner--ugh! Even though it *seemed* like a smallish amount overall, I ended up eating too much and felt slightly sick later. I really must stick with one appropriately-filled plate regardless of "how it might look to others" at a buffet when people expect you to take multiple s...

vmsurbat

Did you change the kinds of foods you eat as well during the 3 years? No, I didn't at the beginning at all. I focused on eating the food I like/love while trying to stay strictly with the rules. That meant I ate burgers, tacos, nachos, chips, french fries on N days, plus things like pork chops, chi...

vmsurbat

4/4: Took a piece of the homemade candied orange peel I was offering a guest. Not a biggie, but not compliance either.

vmsurbat

ZippaDee wrote: vmsurbat, I appreciate you bringing to my attention the NoS Catch Phrase Glossary!! I love little snipets and quotes like that...things that can stick in my head easily!

Thanks again!

Glad to have helped!

vmsurbat

3/31: Had one chocolate chip cookie along with our guests. Next time I shouldn't put out more than one per guest. Too tempting.

vmsurbat

3/29: Sigh. Special dessert made for our family by a visiting guest. Understandable, but not NoS compliant. 3 days in a row is a bit frustrating. Having company definitely complicates things....

vmsurbat

But, is it not easy because I have had the habit of overeating for 40 plus years OR is it not easy because I have some deep seeded emotional issues with food. That is my question that I need to figure out for myself! I feel like it's just a bad habit for me, but maybe not? Well, everyone's history ...

vmsurbat

3/28: Ate one cookie at the home of a neighbor. Couldn't refuse without hurting feelings.

vmsurbat

Mimi,

Practice makes permanent!

You should put this in the NoS Catch Phrase Glossary thread. I'm adding it to my list of NoS comebacks!

vmsurbat

May I also suggest that you start a mental repository of NoS comebacks to fight diethead every time it shows up? I *HIGHLY* suggest that you read and reread the NoS Catch Phrase Glossary sticky at the top of this page: http://www.everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=3883 There are all sorts of phr...

vmsurbat

3/27: Several sandwich cookies for lunch when unexpected visitors stayed for lunch.
Life Note: Two weeks in and getting much better at estimating the right amount of food to prepare now that we've expanded the household by 100% for the next few months...

vmsurbat

3/20: Small second serving at dinner. Life note: We have long-term guests staying with us and there is a learning curve to figuring out the amount of food needed to serve us at each meal. Consequently, I've been taking smaller (for me) servings, wanting to make sure our guests have enough. But tempt...

vmsurbat

3/19: Enjoyed 3 dark-chocolate covered almonds mid-afternoon. Almost the last of a Christmas present. Not terrible, but not vanilla NoS.

vmsurbat

3/14: Pi Day! Had piece of pie in honor of the day (math class!) but in my heart, I don't really consider it a true S day.

vmsurbat

Wow! 3 years? I'm on week two. Has it done what it's supposed to do? YES! I'm down 50 pounds despite being an older (50+), short (5'2"), hypothroidal woman. I've had my best success following "vanilla" NoS with no real mods. I only differ in that my S days are Friday and Sunday because right from t...

vmsurbat

Inspired by Reinhard's newest podcast, this is not so much a daily check-in as a place to quantify/qualify a red day. I've been pretty successful with NoS since the very beginning (3+ years ago), but still have a red day every week--usually something quite small, rarely a "major" fail, but still.......

vmsurbat

For example, yesterday's lunch I weighed out to see if I could figure out the problem- 3 oz chicken breast WITH skin, 1 oz meunster cheese melted on top, 4 oz brussels sprouts, 5 1/2 oz baked sweet potato w/1/2T butter. I finished eating this full plate of food at 1:05 pm and still felt famished, l...

vmsurbat

Congratulations! What fun in store for you all!

(Said by a Mom of 5!)

vmsurbat

Many people can .... be legitimately hungry, eat a snack, and eat just as much food later. This is me. No matter how often I tell myself to count a snack as part of my upcoming meal, I don't actually do that in reality. So, I basically don't snack, not even on S days, because I overeat (always thin...

vmsurbat

But I won't go there unless I feel that I need some additional structure and support. No-S has worked for me for YEARS now, through other body-and-life-changes, and it still feels like a solid and trusted foundation. If shoring up the foundation is all I really need, why waste the $$ and time! Good...

vmsurbat

I'd also wait and see. I've been at NoS (successfully, like you) for 3+ years. Like you, I lost a reasonable amount of weight. BTW, I'm still losing slowly... :D I never restricted my S-days. I never binged like some and it sounds like you don't either. Just a little relaxing of the rules all S-day ...

vmsurbat

Congratulations! It is amazing what commitment+moderation can accomplish!

vmsurbat

SAHM=Stay At Home Mom

I am a stay-and-work-at-home Mom, successfully NoSing my weight down almost 50 pounds. Take courage! It can be done!

vmsurbat

Here is a recent posting by a nutritionist I respect on this very topic:

http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips. ... rkers.aspx

HTH,

vmsurbat

Congratulations! As one of the long-timers, I've seen your journey, the falling down and getting up again, and celebrate with you!

Freedom from fear (of food, or anything really) is SO exhilarating!

vmsurbat

I am all for increasing everyday activities. I usually walk to do my errands, take things upstairs instead of handing the job off to my children, chop by hand (no food processor), etc. I do use a pedometer and find it very motivating. I sporadically use a toning (light weight) DVD for an upper body ...

vmsurbat

Congratulations! What an inspiring post!

Enjoy the journey. I am!

vmsurbat

In our house, autumn and the holidays bring forth homemade sweet, spiced, and/or savory nuts: walnuts, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts. They are great added to cereal, salads, fruit salads, dried fruit trays, appetizers (try dried apricot, dab of blue cheese, chopped nuts), and more! All N day friendly!

vmsurbat

determined wrote:I agree too. I just wish we could all meet for coffee somewhere!

That would be fun!

vmsurbat

Welcome back? I don't know if people can maintain big weight losses on No S. I am on another board where maintainers seem to have to monitor like crazy to stay really thin, but I do think this is the way to freedom and moderate weight maintenance. And sanity. and joy in eating. I'm not sure what yo...

vmsurbat

Well, I am sitting here trying for the first time an alcoholic ginger beer (and very nice too!). I am not depressed in the slightest but feeling rather pessimistic on the diet front. I cannot stick to anything and I worry that I will never lose weight having been static for the last seven years. I ...

vmsurbat

Plus, I'm pretty sure I'm eating no more calories on No S -- maybe less even because with calorie counting, if I had a couple hundred calories leftover in the budget at the end of the day, I'd generally have a little more ice cream or whatever. I've lost all my weight (45lbs and still losing! :D ) ...

vmsurbat

I discovered the NoS site in July 2008 after looking at a myriad of weight-loss sites in a desperate attempt to lose the 50+ pounds I'd mysteriously gained over the years. I didn't have a weird dieting history but did attempt to eat healthily--thus, I was very perplexed by my heaviness. NoS was the ...

vmsurbat

Welcome back! I remember you from your previous time here on the boards.

Best wishes for continued success,

vmsurbat

My most successful s days were a mod I did without thinking about it. I did not start it on purpose and I think I will keep it. If I am eating at home I still eat three meals and eat desert after dinner instead of late at night. I was afraid of falling out of the habit. Late night eating is one of ...

vmsurbat

We've always eaten all our meals together (expats in a southeastern European country), but yes, my family's eating habits are changing. I've been following NoS for more than 3 years and the family can see how much of a difference it has made for me..... We used to have "elevensies" because the gap b...

vmsurbat

Congratulations! And I second your thrill with how well NoS can work. Three years into this and I am still amazed at how wonderfully well NoS fits into my life: good appetite, good food, good living!

vmsurbat

I'm a month or so into no-s and loving it. One of my problems though is that I start to get worried while I'm eating my meals. I'll start eating it and be really enjoying it. Then when I'm maybe over halfway through, I'll think 'oh no! I've only got those beans and this much rice (or whatever) left...

vmsurbat

I love what vmsurbat wrote - One phrase that I do use a lot when someone remarks in a belittling way (usually not diet-related but hot/cold related--I tend to feel the cold way more than most people) about something I'm doing (like wearing a turtleneck and flannel jeans when everyone else is in sho...

vmsurbat

I was just hoping for some insight from others as to the pros and cons of letting people know that you are really serious about the way you are eating (nice way of saying, "on a diet")... Two quick thoughts here: 1. You used the phrase "on a diet" and I (gently) suggest retraining your thought proc...

vmsurbat

Woohoo! This month I celebrate 3 Years of NoS sanity. For those who want the whole story, I list my two earlier anniversary posts: Year 1 Check-in: http://www.everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=5306 Year 2 Check-in: http://www.everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=6629 I reread them today, and...

vmsurbat

Some informative, well-balanced perspectives on breakfast, health, and metabolism myths: 1. http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/is-skipping-breakfast-bad-for-you.aspx 2. http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips.com/what-kind-of-breakfast-is-best-for-weight-loss.aspx 3. http://nutritiondiva.quic...

vmsurbat

1. if you could offer 1 tip for all us newbie's what might that be? I think that anyone trying NoS already thinks that the three habit-building rules make sense, and history has shown they work for most people in most cultures. NoS "eating" is a tried-and-tested "real life" way to eat. So the bigge...

vmsurbat

If I'm eating 3 squares that are healthy because of how I learned to eat are we saying that might be a downfall? Would this be considered dieting? I really do enjoy healthy eating. I do have high cholesterol that I need to manage with food as I can't take the medication to lower it. No, eating heal...

vmsurbat

Keep at No S. What it takes to feel full will decrease. And you will like it less. And the process continues even when you have N days and S days down. I'm 2.5+ years into my (successful--45lbs. down) NoS journey and after the first 2 months, I rarely had a problem with over the top S days. As I ne...

vmsurbat

What an excellent testimony on the great "long haul" aspect of NoS! And I especially appreciate these thoughts (emphasis mine): My ideal eating regimen on N days would be 3 fairly low carb plates of food, but I no longer stress , as long as it's 3 plates of any non-sweet food. This seems to work for...

vmsurbat

I really want to hear some weight loss success stories from NoSers in addition to the habit changes which I am not discounting. Dear TexArk, My story will be more like a novel! :D I've been NoSing for 2 3/4 years--it is the only "diet" plan I've ever followed. And I've pretty much stuck with vanill...

vmsurbat

I think no-sugar added drinks are perfectly acceptable on Vanilla NoS, so that is what I voted. However, in practice, I enjoy a small glass of fruit juice (3-4 oz) daily with breakfast and not at any other time. If I'm really, truly hungry and meal time is still a long time a-coming, I opt for a 1. ...

vmsurbat

oolala53 wrote:No, really.

Blueberries or grapes, perhaps?

vmsurbat

Well done!

It's always good to hear the wonderful results of sane living: NoS + moderate exercise = better health in mind and body!

vmsurbat

I am also looking at Vitamin K2 now because I think unless you are eating pastured eggs, butter, cheese, you probably need this. I am just now studying it out. I do not think we need to obsess about organic foods and supplementation, and supplements can never make up for a stinky diet. For me, I th...

vmsurbat

Although we eat a primarily whole-foods diet, our family takes the following: 1. Multi-vitamin Why? Cheap nutritional insurance. 2. Vit. D Why? I believe our modern lifestyle greatly limits the amount of Vit. D we naturally manufacture (ie. not outdoors enough) and we'd rather take a pill than cod-l...

vmsurbat

Another thought is to advertise those items that we need to cook the basics: pots, pans, measuring cups, baking dishes, etc. In the exercise category, I concur with the Sansone walking DVDs but there are others, including several with titles like "10 Minute Strength Training" or "10 Minute Cardio Wo...

vmsurbat

We live in a culture where drinkable yogurt (all kinds of yogurt, actually) are the norm, so your choice to drink it doesn't seem the least bit "snacky" to me. However, I think there are two possible issues to address in your post: 1. Is drinking "drinkable" yogurt between meals a good idea, and 2. ...

vmsurbat

It's always come down to over eating at meals and eating wayyyy tooo fast! Growing up, I was a naturally slow eater. :) Then I had my first baby. And I started eating faster and faster to be done before the baby woke up or cried or...... Multiply that scenario five times (five wonderful children) a...

vmsurbat

I've never taken acai as a supplement, but here is worthwhile website for general nutrition info (very balanced, imo) with a specific discussion regarding acai berries:

http://nutritiondiva.quickanddirtytips. ... ruits.aspx

HTH,

vmsurbat

Congratulations! Like you, I am getting to the point of being able to call myself a long-termer NoSer--I've been at it 2.5 years and am down 40 pounds and STILL losing with only about 5-10 pounds to go.

Slow and steady wins the race!

vmsurbat

Blithe Morning wrote:The oranges at dinner were a success. I wasn't sure DH or DS would eat them, but they did. Huzzah!

Great! I've found the trick is doing the prep work myself--making fruit a "ready to eat" item.

We had oranges tonight after dinner as well. Mmmmm.

vmsurbat

Just started this.....we'll see how they take it. Hopefully over time, my kids will finish their meal and not even ask about treats, being content with a treat every once in a while with no struggles. And hopefully, those good habits will carry on into their adult years. Wow-wouldn't that be great?...

vmsurbat

I'm with KCCC - 54; still in peri-menopause hell, but able to consistently lose weight with vanilla No S. This is something that obviously varies tremendously from person-to-person; I just don't want someone in the 45-55 age range to think they're doomed to gain weight without draconian measures. I...

vmsurbat

I'm celebrating a victory over "diethead"! My neighbor excitedly gave me 4 "American-style" treats (a big deal because we live overseas) and was eager for me to take them home to the family, try them, and report back to her. I brought them home, set them out on a plate, and then the "diet head" star...

vmsurbat

I just had to share how powerful sustainable habits can be. I've been NoSing for 2 1/2 years now--down forty pounds. We live and minister overseas. We just spent 3 months stateside on furlough (ie. working vacation), visiting with family (3 weeks), friends (2 months), celebrating holidays (3), birth...

vmsurbat

The more you talk back (and over and through) your diethead chatter, the sooner you will overcome. I strongly urge you to read through the sticky near the top of the page entitled something like "NoS phrases, mottos, mantras"--I'm mangling the title, but I think you will find the one I mean. I found...

vmsurbat

TexArk, I think that we older females are finding that vanilla No S doesn't work for us. I love that Reinhard welcomes us to figure out what does and write about it here. Kathleen I think this may be true for many older females, but I've successfully lost my weight enjoyably as a post-50, hypothyro...

vmsurbat

I started NoS in the summer of 2008. I only weighed myself every month. The first month I lost a little over 6 pounds (some of that was water weight). Over the next 6-7 months, I averaged 3 lbs a month. Next six months, I averaged 1.5-2 lbs per month. The first year I lost between 30-35 pounds (swit...

vmsurbat

I always find that situations like you found yourself in (food served on muliple dishes) highlights THE POWER OF ONE PLATE. In the early days of building NoS habits, I often repeated to myself the mantra (from the book): "one=done" in an attempt to convince myself of the fact. (If I had chosen to, I...

vmsurbat

I found this plan through another message board and can not tell you how excited I am to start. It makes perfect sense to me and knowing that an "S" day is on the horizon will make things easier. Here's to a new me! Hi Laurie! Glad to see you made it over here. The forums are a great help--for enco...

vmsurbat

Thanks for this recommendation, vmsurbat ! I've been using Mrs Dash Original and Table blends at the table in place of salt since October. When I had my physical in November, my blood pressure was down noticeably. I am so glad that you let me know, Nicest! I now have the opportunity to say thank yo...

vmsurbat

A few thoughts: 1. Yes, you probably have been changing some fat pounds for muscle pounds. I'm the same height as you and when in college (long, long ago) I had a roommate who was also my height and weighed 15-20 pounds more than I did but had a better figure--she was much more active and fit. Altho...

vmsurbat

Several thoughts that might help you sort YOUR thoughts: 1. In terms of FOOD , if you are willing to put it on the one plate, there is no reason not to consider it part of a Nday meal. Apple pie sans sugar is not much different than meat pie (strictly in terms of calorie load). 2. In terms of HABIT,...

vmsurbat

No special recipes but I've found that of all the saltless seasoning mixes I've tried (admittedly, not many), I actually like and use "Mrs. Dash Original Blend". It seems to perk up (like salt) a wide variety of savory dishes. I'm not pursuing a low-salt diet, but sometimes, when I'm serving somethi...

vmsurbat

I agree with wosnes that you ought not to "give" up S-days. They are the chance to do/eat/behave the way you want to/will find ENJOYABLE. Frankly, I don't WANT to pig out every weekend. I rarely snack on S days--that ruins my appetite for my meals. My weekend S days don't look a whole lot different ...

vmsurbat

Welcome back! Check out some of the latest posts in the testimonial forum; there is more than one person that made several attempts at NoS before it all kicked in for them....

vmsurbat

We are in a similar situation--missionaries-- and in the local culture mealtimes are nowhere near as "set" as they are in the States. Thus, breakfast can be anywhere from getting up til noon, lunch from 1-5, dinner from 7-10. Thus, because you never know if someone has eaten or not, the norm is to s...

vmsurbat

I just finished making out our week's dinner menu so I'll play: Chicken w/ white wine sauce and seedless grapes Steamed greens Sliced tomatoes drizzled with olive oil, salt, slivered fresh basil bread Mongolian Beef Stir-fry (beef, green onions, spicy sauce) Steamed white rice Cucumber salad Stir-fr...

vmsurbat

Congratulations! As another successful, right-from-the-start vanilla NoSer, I absolutely, 100% agree with this statement: I Like Vanilla, Itâ€™s the Finest of the Flavors I have done only strict Vanilla No S from the beginning â€“ no modifications. This means I had no extra indulgences, but it also ...

vmsurbat

But it *does* work, and the secret (for me) is that "anything you want" gradually changes into something less extreme. You really can't indulge in unbridled, nonstop eating for two days a week and expect to lose (or even maintain) weight This is so very true. And another factor in the "truly wantin...

vmsurbat

I wouldn't stop thinking about them. If you KNOW that something is incredibly high in calories and bad for you and your instinct is to get something else, do it. That's my opinion anyway. Well, I partially agree and partially disagree with Nichole here. You can't and don't need to get away from kno...

vmsurbat

I haven't actually voted yet because I can't decide which category best fits. Here's the scenario: I think a major source of my overeating was mindless tasting of food while cooking and then putting away. Not really seconds (as in a second helping while at the table), not really snacking (as in-betw...

vmsurbat

As for the exercise, yes I haven't been entirely successful. THe reason is that my schedule is a bit all over the place at the moment so it hasn't been the best time to organise things regarding exercise. I completely understand about schedules being all over the place. I have many "interruptions" ...

vmsurbat

My advice: what step(s) could you live with long term? One main reason NoS works so well is that once you have the habit down, you just keep doing it for life... FWIW, here are my thoughts on your proposals.... -some sort of fasting schedule alternating with normal NoS (was fascinated by the relevan...

vmsurbat

I've been away for the past 10 days and am just checking back in here. I'm 5'2" and follow Vanilla NoS. Now, as a family we have ALWAYS used different sized plates at different meals. I have lunch-sized plates and dinner-sized plates. We use the lunch-sized for 2 meals and the dinner-sized for our m...

vmsurbat

I am just past the two year mark of adopting NoS for life. You can see my first year check-in here: http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=5306 To summarize, the first year I followed NoS, I lost @30 lbs and 3 sizes. In this second year, I've lost @10 lbs and one size. :-) But as anyone who h...

vmsurbat

I actually have my pedometer on right now. I've been grouting our tile so I don't know how many steps I'm actually going to get in today. I just want our tile done darn it. When I found myself in a similar situation--engaged in a movement-oriented activity that will take long enough and be tiring e...

vmsurbat

Congratulations! It is always so good to read of fellow NoSers who have the lifetime commitment approach to sane eating habits. The unobtrusive structure of NoS plus the freedom to fill in the details gives it lifelong sustainability. Looking forward to your 2 year anniversary report!

vmsurbat

Here's my question for all you pedometer wearers. This has been something I've tried and failed to do on many occasions. How the heck do you remember to put the thing on? Not remembering is my big issue. I keep it on my nightstand and clip it to my PJ's the moment I get up. That staggering morning ...

vmsurbat

The www.about.com site has an extensive collection of webpages devoted to walking fitness and pedometer usage. There are reviews of pedometers, walking plans, exercises, and more all centered around walking. I signed up for a 28-day "Daily email" that gave tips and links related to walking as exerci...

vmsurbat

In the post titled "Maintenance" there was some discussion of walking/pedometer wearing as the primary means of exercise. After claiming that walking was my choice of exercise (since starting NoS two years ago), this past April I finally realized that because I had no measurable way to know if I was...

vmsurbat

There's something wrong with skim milk now? In the context of what RJLupin wrote: Sadly, I also see a lot of parents putting their children on diets (the kids are not overweight) and forcing them to drink non-fat "milk" and use artificial sweetener in their beverages. I understand that the problem ...

vmsurbat

I couldn't believe it! I had eaten like a sane person, actually enjoyed food, been able to go out to dinner with regular people and by the day of my wedding had lost nearly 60 lbs! I'm sorry I wrote so much but I am so excited and so thankful for what no-S has allowed me to do! Food is no longer an...

vmsurbat

I was feeling ill but still making myself eat them because I wouldn't have another chance to do that for 5 days! I've been (successfully) NoSing for almost 2 years now. At the beginning, I did have uncomfortable S days. Not really bingeing--that has never been a problem--but eating past the point o...

vmsurbat

I don't work but I would make this a permanent thing and not change the S days. I would definitely switch the days if that is what you want to do on a permament basis. From the very beginning I had Friday and Sunday as my S-days because that fit into our family's lifestyle much better than the Sat/...

vmsurbat

I've certainly found that after maybe six months or so, I mentally relabelled "being hungry" into "having an appetite", and I've come to really enjoy the sensation of looking forward to a good meal.

Me, too! Dave Mc said it so well....

vmsurbat

Along with all the other suggestions, (to eat food you love, focus on establishing habits, knowing it will take time), I suggest you build your "mental" arsenal. Because NoS makes so much sense and most of us are in reasonably good health, the basic structure of NoS is not a problem for us: we can h...

vmsurbat

While reading a number of different posts lately, I've found myself wanting to write the same bit of advice (as a reasonably successful NoSer) to a myriad of different situations. Namely, that along with building NoS habits, many of us need to retrain our minds about how we think/interact with food....

vmsurbat

All this talk about calories would have slid right past me 6 months ago. I lost a goodly amount of weight (35lbs) following NoS as stated, no mods, for the first year. However, I've not lost any weight the past 6 months or so, just maintained, even though I do have about 15lbs to lose to get to a he...

vmsurbat

I I used to drink OJ everymorning (approx 8 oz) but I decided it probably wasn't good when I started waking up craving it. On the weekend I have juice with breakfast in a wine glass to make it a "special" event. I think it is wonderful how *easy* it is to personalize the NoS diet. Ever since starti...

vmsurbat

YES! S days ALWAYS count as a success! You just can't flub them.

Everyday Systems

Search found 499 matches

Re: S Day Hangover....the morning after....

I stink at virtual plating my meals....

VM's "Oops" Negative Accountability

Re: KCCC's 2012 thread

Re: Looking for inspiration

Re: First week thoughts

A little analogy....

Re: Anxious (while eating!) about getting hungry

Re: Think they can tell? It was going to be a secret.

3 Year Anniversary of NoS! It only gets better.....

Re: Questions for the experienced/long timers?

Re: wonderful

Ok! You asked for it!!!

Re: Opened my eyes.....

The Power of Sustainable Habit

Re: New Here

Two Year NoS Check-in!

activities to steps conversions....

Great site for pedometer users

Re: 60 lbs lost ... & Overcame BED ... Thank You :)

Not mine but by Dave Mc

Playing (and winning) the Mind Game...