Everyday Systems

JWL

No offense whatsoever, Kevin or anyone else. You'll have to try much harder than that if you want to offend me. :twisted: I agree a day of football is fun, but for my money every minute spent watching it on TV should be spent actually playing it outdoors. Double the minutes if you are a Dallas fan.....

JWL

Hi Reinhard, I think we may be saying similar things, from a different perspective. Feast days are, by definition, exceptional or out of the ordinary. When, as you say, every day is a feast day, it indicates at the very least a society that is out of balance. To clarify my hastily-written point abov...

JWL

Hi Lane, congrats and well done! You're doing great! Isn't it amazing how No-S transforms one's relationship with food? In 17 days, you've gone from "I will focus my mental and physical energies into doing something other than think about food and diet 24/7" to "I'm so grateful to be living the abun...

JWL

Morning weigh in: 328.0 So far, only one day have I gone up in weight, the other 6 I have been steadily losing, an average of 1/2 pound per day (.47 lbs/day). I wonder how long this will keep up? Yesterday was a good day. I did a full shovelglove, my core routine, and 25 squats. I keep saying it, bu...

JWL

I'll do my weigh in tomorrow, but I just wanted to give myself props here for going out to a sportsbar to watch Monday Night Football, and not ordering any food (I have a thing for onion rings) or drinking any alcohol (mmm, Guiness....). I was a good purifying No-Ser and sipped water all night long!...

JWL

Hi Deb, One thought about the tightness from shovelgloving... what weight sledge do you use? I seem to remember you use a 12 pounder, which is kinda big.... and if it leaves you stiff and sore on a consistent basis, you may want to consider switching to a lower weight.... have you considered picking...

JWL

congrats, carolejo! You're doing great.

JWL

Morning weigh in: 328.6 So yeah, my weight loss has continued. That's a good thing. Yesterday was a No-S day, and I managed to stick to it with no funny stuff. This would seem to support the idea that when I don't pig out on food, my weight will likely be lower the next day. Go figure. :wink: I work...

JWL

Just wanted to update, I seem to have fully adapted to the 16 pounder by now. I don't get sore anymore at all, and I feel stronger. Whee!

JWL

Hi Deb, yep, I've oftened wondered what that monthly cycle thing must feel like.... kinda glad I don't have to go through that.... bleah. I want to stick with the daily weigh-ins, because I want to establish a detailed amount of data on how I do. I want to try to establish the relationship between m...

JWL

That's interesting, Kevin. I haven't generated nearly enough data points just yet to be able to notice trends. I think I still have more than enough fat on my body, though, to counteract any muscle mass building. Who knows. Once I have a few weeks of data generated I'll be able to take a closer look...

JWL

Hi Carolejo, I've always wanted to try Amsterdam Hash, esp in a culture much more enlightened in that area that the states.... heh heh heh

I like that Mind Trick, I may have to try that myself....

JWL

Morning weigh-in: 330.5. This is the first (inevitable) day that this number has increased rather than decreased. I've promised myself that I won't get too emotionally attached to these numbers, good or bad, elation or depression. I know there is quite a bit of fluctuation on a daily weigh-in, and t...

JWL

the 16 pounder is going very well. I've fully adapted to it, I don't get sore at all anymore, but I feel very challenged when I do it. I can definitely feel myself getting stronger from it. It's quite cool! I imagine this will last a while before I put on the ankle weight or upgrade to the 20-pounder.

JWL

Carolejo, indeed my wife's "southern biscuits" are to die for, a staple of American cuisine, esp in the south. They aren't quite as dense as scones, but you're in the ball park at least....

Sounds like you're doing very well, keep it up!

JWL

Morning weigh-in: 329.1 Yesterday was good. I did a shovelglove routine, trudging outside in the snow (!) to find a spot where I could see both Mars and Venus, both of which are glowing really brightly (though Mars is glowing less brightly than it was earlier in the year). I'd turn to face Venus, do...

JWL

Hello Lane, The 48 hour fast is something I've done on two occasions, both before I started No-Sing. I mostly did it to prove to myself that I could; it sounds strange, but it was really I think an important step in getting my food intake under control and back within the range of "healthy." I'm sur...

JWL

Morning weigh-in: 329.8

Yesterday was an S day of course, and I utterly gorged myself and did no exercise whatsoever.

JWL

As I wrote in my daily check-in, I participated in that quintessentially American holiday today, by utterly gorging myself! I can't believe I used to eat this way every day.... I'm horribly uncomfortable after having eaten so much .... bleah. So Thanks to Reinhard for devising such an elegantly simp...

JWL

Hi Lane, Congrats on your No-S-itude. It seems like you are doing very well, through by far the most difficult part, which is starting! I've been No-Sing now for about half a year. I've definitely lost weight, though I'm not sure how much because I don't know what I weighed when I started. My best g...

JWL

Oh. My. Goodness. Well, I overindulged in that time-honored thanksgiving tradition, and absolutely gorged myself. It amazes me that I still ate far less than I once did, and at the moment I'm so uncomfortably full.... this feeling is utterly unpleasant. Bleah. I can't believe this once seemed normal...

JWL

Morning weigh-in: 330.0 Exercise: I did a standard 14-minute shovelglove routine, as well as the core/yoga routine. I did not do anything squattish. No-S: morning was a bagel with some falafel and a sauce my wife made. It was yummy, but kind of light for me. Usually I would have 2 bagels. Dinner was...

JWL

I got my new scale, and I hope to use it to record my regular progress. This is not to obsess over my weight, but rather to just give me immediate, regular feedback on one aspect of how I'm doing. I've written before that I need to avoid psychological plateaus, I often get to the point of discernibl...

JWL

I'm thinking quite a bit about where I am now. I seem to be following the 80% rule lately. This is a termed coined by my favorite astrologer , who when asked if he believes in astrology, says that he believes in it about 80% : "I use the same 80-20 approach with every belief system that I love and b...

JWL

definitely very satisfying. It's almost, for me, like shugging is the reward for No-Sing.....

JWL

congrats, spiralstares! That's amazing news....

To any doubters: No-S definitely works. I've lost quite a bit of weight as well since I started, also in June.

JWL

For what it's worth, Inge, I have a difficult enough time with the notion of "failure", and even more of one with "starting over" after a "failure." I've had countless failures in the 5-6 months I've been no-Sing. But overall, there's been a tremendous amount of progress; what I call a failure these...

JWL

I did another 21-14-7 routine yesterday, which was good. But there was some funny stuff yesterday for No-S, I got a pack of peanut butter crackers out of the vending machine while I was at work. :-( Plus I probably ate too much for dinner when I got home. I'm still feeling overful now, the next morn...

JWL

hang in there, acs. Your body will get used to the 3 plates per day. It will take a week or two, though (some might say 21 days).... in the meantime, drink lots of water and remember that if you feel hungry, it's a sign that your body is looking for fuel, and the only place it can get fuel if you do...

JWL

1. Take it easy. Go slow. Leverage is your friend, put your hand closer to the heavy end of the hammer. 2. Take the time to stretch your arm muscles, esp the wrist, before you start. If you had any anti-tendonitis stretches from your physician, do those. 3. At the first sign of pain, switch gears an...

JWL

welcome, acs..... the no-s diet is superior to just about every diet out there, including the hacker's diet.

As with code, elegant simplicity wins every time....

Have fun shovelgloving, too.

JWL

Nothing major to update, things are still going well. I just wanted to report that I extended my shuggage routine tonight, doing the full 21-14-7 routine, even though it took me closer to 20 minutes than 14. I seem to have adapted to the 16 pounder with no ill effects at all, and I wanted to see how...

JWL

That's funny (certified SG instructor) because it just utterly violates everything that SG is all about....

I can see it now, "Lesson one, class, go read www.shovelglove.com and do what it says."

The next week: "Lesson two, class, go read www.shovelglove.com and do what it says."

Etc etc etc

JWL

I gave a shovelglove workshop last weekend. Don't get too excited, it was basically me demonstrating shovelglove for less than half-dozen people. But it was fun, they got to try it, at a variety of weights (I had my 4lb, 8lb, 10lb, and 16lb sledgehammers), to see what it was like. Everyone present w...

JWL

The workshop went well. Everyone involved is a close friend, and they obviously know that I've been doing/babbling about shovelglove for a long time. They seemed to enjoy it, and at least one of them is thinking of getting a sledgehammer. One woman there said that she's also thinking about it, given...

JWL

OK, just wanted to chime in here again. Last week was kinda sketchy in terms of exercise as I wasn't feeling well. I need to step that back up. So this week will be an official crackdown on exercise, with the 16 pound sledge (going VERY well), my morning core exercises, and evening walks or squats. ...

JWL

Things are still going well, although I've had some stomach issues this week. The past few days (3 days) I skipped shovelglove because my stomach was queasy. Been doing No-S Ok, though, and I haven't indulged in any of the verboten items. I was back to shovelglove today, with the 16-pounder. I'm goi...

JWL

Well, there were tic tacs, the wild boar I slew with my bare hands, roasted over an open fire fur-and-all, and messily devoured, the 46 gallons of Ben and Jerry's PeaceGlutton I consumed, chased by 4 liters of Jack Daniels and 22 hits from my crack pipe. Other than that, I'm doing great.... no funny...

JWL

My goodness. I think you're doing well, if this is the one and only bit of "funny stuff" you've had in your first 20 days! I wouldn't sweat it. I've been doing this for several months now, with many successful days and several not-so-successful days. But then I don't like to think in terms of "failu...

JWL

No funny stuff to report, things are going fine. I used the 16 pounder on Fri, and will use it again today. No soreness at all. I did overindulge quantity-wise a bit on my S days this weekend; nothing too extraordinarily horrid, still far less food than I once ate. The detox is going well too. Again...

JWL

Picked up the 16 pounder today. I'm going to do my routine with it later today, then rest over the weekend.

Next week will be the full 16 pound-shovelglove-full-force-of-strengthening-body-sculpting-doom!

JWL

Hi there, I'd consider bodyweight exercises, something like Hindu Squats and Hindu Pushups. These require no equipment whatsoever and are very challenging.

JWL

Hi Deb, too late, I just got home with my new 16 lb fiberglass sledge... w00t! Also, I stopped by my doc's office to weigh myself... 335! This means I'm down 6 pounds since the beginning of September, with all the usual caveats of weight fluctuation. I should take my own advice and go weight myself ...

JWL

Hi Deb, Yep, it's in the budget, so I'm heading out to the hardware store this afternoon.... w00t! I do wish someone sold a 16 pounder with a wood (as opposed to fiberglass) handle, but ah well. If I ever actually use it to smack something, the fiberglass will undoubtedly be stronger and absorb more...

JWL

Resumed shuggage today, with no ill effects. Still a bit of lingering soreness, but nothing even close to major, just standard muscle-tissue-rebuilding-itself-after-a-good-workout kind of stuff.

Ever onward....

JWL

Today was good, I shugged again with the 15 pounder, and while there is still a bit of lingering soreness, it's nothing major. I feel quite good, and strong....

JWL

OK, I just nixed the weekly juice fast from the list. That, I think, is probably unattainable for me at this juncture. If I was going to do it this week, today would have been the day. And it just didn't happen. I have enough on my plate through this, so I'll drop it. I may try a fast a time or two,...

JWL

Reinhard, you were exactly right. Yesterday I began to feel a bit of lingering soreness, nothing major, I've certainly felt worse since I began shugging, but I decided to take your advice and skip my shovelglove routine, partially because I had to work last night and didn't get to it before I left, ...

JWL

No funny stuff yet. Each day I've managed to stick to the routine, the one exception is that yesterday I skipped shovelglove because some lingering soreness from the weight upgrade finally caught up to me. Nothing major, I've certainly had worse since I started shugging, but I'm taking Reinhard's ad...

JWL

So today is Day One of my new purification program from Samhain until Yule (Dec 21 for any nonpagans in the house). Below is the essence of it, though there are other parts of it that I won't post here given that they are of a personal or sexual nature. No S The normal No-S rules will continue to be...

JWL

Reinhard, our music is definitely rock and roll, albeit played with acoustic instruments. We definitely follow the "simple is good" maxim in terms of songwriting. We're all about the energy flow of playing and interacting with an audience. But, glad you liked it.... :-) I get a good workout playing ...

JWL

Just to update people. Today is the 3rd consecutive day I've shovelgloved with the 15-pounder. Though the routines are a bit harder than they have been (duhhhh) there have been absolutely no residual effects. No soreness at all. And my muscles, esp in the biceps and forearms, feel like they're worki...

JWL

Congratulations Sandy!

I continue to be awed by No-S: it controls unhealthy aspects of dieting in terms of overeating, and allows healthy aspects of eating to thrive (no guilt, enjoying the food we eat, etc).

That's great news!

JWL

yeah, I clicked the 10-pounder, even though with the extra weights it's now 15 pounds (not including the handle).

JWL

Hey, it's another my-pants-fell-down day!

Time for another notch!

w00t!

JWL

This is more out of curiosity than anything. What are people using for their sledgehammers?

JWL

OK, I've officially decided to move up to a 16 pound sledgehammer ASAFF (As Soon As Financially Feasible), most likely this Friday (payday). Perhaps this thread can be for tips in doing so, I will probably document my experiences with doing so here as well. Background: I started in February with a 1...

JWL

Go into your profile, and you can tweak which time zone appears for you when you are logged in.

JWL

Executive decision: I'm no longer going to count days on these posts. I'm well over 100 days into this, and just don't see the point of it. Also, the frequency of my posts seems to be slowing down. I'm not making any commitments in terms of posting frequency, more like observing what's been going on...

JWL

Hi Deb, The purging will be from Samhain to Yule. 7 weeks, approximately. Enjoy the music. This is the best sounding recording we've yet done with Freakwitch. Amazing what a difference a real drummer makes, as opposed to a guitar player programming drums on a computer.... My daughter is dressing up ...

JWL

Hi SH, First off, your name makes me giggle.... I keep thinking of the one single solitary cover tune my band does, "Shameless" by Ani DiFranco.... But yes, I urge you to be vigilant in these early stages of your No-Situde. Allow as few slipups as possible while your body gets used to this new mode ...

JWL

I've thought a lot about this. And comments about "the real thing" aside (ice cream made without sugar is not ice cream, in my book.... heh), the whole point of this exercise is to develop spiritual discipline. So "cheating" within the letter of the rules almost undermines what I'm trying to accompl...

JWL

Hi Reinhard, don't forget I have a 3 pound ankle weight on my 10-pounder, so I'd actually be going from a 13 pounder to the 16 pounder. When I do get the 16 pounder, though, I'll remove the ankle weight from the 10 pounder.

JWL

Well, I haven't made any specific decisions, but something like that is what I've been ruminating.

Man, would I miss ice cream....

JWL

Here's a list of the things I'm considering for the Samhain-Yule purge: No alcohol or other recreationals No refined sugar Strict No-S regimen Finally do the regimen upon awakening, ie Breath of Joy, and the Core exercises Use a 16 pound sledge for my workouts, building up to it with the 10 pounder ...

JWL

That's awesome, Reinhard. I've decided myself to pick up a 16 pounder next payday. I wish someone made one with a wooden handle.... I'll probably also pick up a 12 pounder someday, that way I'd have 8, 10, 12, 16. Maybe even 20 eventually. But for now, I'll use the 16 and the 10 pounder for most rou...

JWL

Why not try the new demo from my band, Freakwitch? It's free. You can get oggs and mp3s at http://www.freakwitch.net/ . This demo is a 7:20 montage of a half-dozen songs we recorded in recent rehearsals. So, it's the perfect length, play it twice and you have your 14 minutes, minus a small startup a...

JWL

I have to agree with Kevin. The value of walking was very vividly illustrated to me recently. So, try to squeeze a daily walk in. But here's a question I haven't seen asked: how do you feel? Not about the number on the scale, but about yourself in-your-body? Do you have more or less energy? Do you g...

JWL

At the risk of shameless plugging, several people who read this have expressed interest in my music. We have a new demo up, it's a 7:20 montage of a half-dozen songs we recorded in recent rehearsals. It's pretty raw, us live as a quartet, no overdubs or anything. But, it sounds pretty good. Get it a...

JWL

Once again I haven't been as on top of posting here as I'd like. Overall, things have been successful. A reasonably small amount of funny stuff, a handful of peanuts a few nights ago is by far the biggest offense. No-S seems to have been, more or less, ingrained in me by now. I've also been walking ...

JWL

Hi, I'm wondering what you do for exercise. Speaking for myself, my exercise has a far more drastic effect on my energy levels throughout the day than my diet. Of course diet does have an effect, but not nearly the effect exercise does. Though for me, the largest dietary effect on my energy comes wh...

JWL

Hi Echo! I can totally relate; I'm a homeschooling dad! It's especially hard for me to do No-S because my daughter is a grazer. I do make meals and snacks for her during the day, but she's 8 now so she can get her own food much of the time. Typically what happens is that I cook the meals and eat the...

JWL

Hi Deb,

We actually have a gig at a Halloween party on Friday the 28th. I'm thinking of going as the Green Man, but I'll have to figure out the costume... someone my size dressed that way would look like the Jolly Green Giant, methinks...

JWL

So today was realization day, a couple of nice, a-ha moments. The first is that I realized what's wrong with my energy levels and exercise draggage. I haven't walked up the hill in weeks. I did so tonight (the end of a 90 minute, good paced walk with some resting in between), and it really kicked my...

JWL

This article is very interesting, and it gets to the core of why No-S is so powerful: Old habits don't die. They hibernate. Habitual activity--smoking, eating fatty foods, gambling--changes neural activity patterns in a specific region of the brain when habits are formed. These neural patterns crea...

JWL

Yes, I've been doing 2 platefuls of food per N-day for several months now. I don't necessarily recommend it or discourage it for anyone; it's simply what works for me. A few reasons why it works for me: a huge part of my weight gain came from binge eating at night. So I had to get that under control...

JWL

It depends on why you want to weigh yourself. As we know, there is for many of us lots of emotional baggage with the scale. I like Deb's suggestion of every 2 weeks, but I'd recommend weighing yourself 3 days in a row, every 2 weeks, so you can average them. Weight fluctuates greatly on a daily basi...

JWL

Yesterday was a success. 2 Egg sandwiches for lunch, and a 12" subway with all the veggies for dinner. No funny stuff. Did an exercise routine, but skipped shovelglove as my wrist was inexplicably sore when I gripped the sledge. I tried downward dog again, and that hurt too. So I did more reps of th...

JWL

Friday and Saturday were my S-days. I did some exercising on Friday, but skipped shovelglove because of the hand soreness/playing guitar issue I wrote about earlier. Sunday was a good day, no exercise, but stuck to No-S despite being at work. Today was a success. 30 squats, full shovelglove, torso e...

JWL

Good for you, SurfingBuddha, for finding something that works for you. That's the key. I do a set of 6 core exercises, hindu squats, a bit of yoga, and shovelglove.

JWL

Today was a success. No-S wise, I had veggie burgers with tomatoes and cheese for lunch. Dinner was one bowlful of the best chili I've ever made, and 2 of my wife's biscuits. Even now I'm very tempted to go mow on the chili in the fridge, but I shall resist. Tomorrow is an S day, so I can partake of...

JWL

Today wasn't really a full success. I skipped exercising altogether. But it was a fruitful day. I got a massage. I finished the typesetting project I've been working on. I gave a massage/reiki treatment. No-S went better today. I had 2 small tempeh salad/spinach/mayo wraps for lunch, and dinner was ...

JWL

Hi CarrieAnn,

That's awesome. Like so many forms of magic, Jedi mind tricks rule.

JWL

Also, it was much easier to do today. See how I feel tomorrow, but I think I'm going to try this with the 13-pounder tomorrow. I found I can do this move in the stairwell of our building, the ceilings are higher and it's indoors. Given the Maine winter that is approaching, I'm quite happy about this...

JWL

Today was a success. Did a full exercise routine, breath of joy, core bodyweight exercises, 25 squats, and shovelglove, discovering that I can do the new one-handed-hammering move out in the stairwell of our building; the ceilings are higher but I'm still indoors. Given that a Maine winter doth appr...

JWL

Hi Reinhard, I'll try to be a bit more specific on when to bend the arm. Start with the "flip lever," but keep moving the arm upward until your forearm is 90degrees from the floor, and the hammer is pointing straight up. From there, just keep the shovelglove perpendicular to the floor and lift it up...

JWL

Not sure, I never really looked at the Indian club stuff.... could well be.

I suppose the ancient greeks were right.... there truly is nothing new under the sun...

JWL

I should also note that the official movement with no name says that you stop when the shovelglove is parallel to the floor, ie, 90 degrees. For several months now, I've been building up to this one-handed move because I wouldn't stop at 90 degrees; I'd continue lifting the hammer at the elbow until...

JWL

I also discovered a new shovelglove move today, "one-handed-hammering" which is an extension of flip-lever, almost like a one-handed version of driving the spike or something.

I wrote about it in the shovelglove forum.

JWL

I found a new move tonight, although it is arguably an extension of flip-the-lever. But first, preliminary warnings: USE A LIGHT SLEDGEHAMMER. I USE THE 8-POUNDER. DO NOT DO THIS INDOORS. ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE 6'4". GO SLOW. BE CAREFUL. DO NOT OVERDO THIS. You start off with the movement-with-no-name...

JWL

OK, I haven't posted in several days. Friday I wasn't feeling well, so I skipped my exercise. It was an S-day dietwise, 'nuff said. Sat was also a non-exercise S day. Sunday I didn't exercise either, but there was no funny stuff with the diet. So overall, the poorest weekend I've had in a while. Tod...

JWL

I agree with the previous posts. I do often mention what I eat in my daily-check-in thread on this forum. I do it more for historical curiosity and to have data available for trend-spotting, but I don't get too obsessive about it. The beauty of No-S is 3 platefuls of food per day (actually I do 2 pl...

JWL

I want to make one point about "capitalism" in general: Businesses in our modern world find success or failure based on their ability to provide a certain population of people with a product that they enjoy. This, from where I stand, is the single biggest myth about capitalism. Providing people wit...

JWL

Hi Deb, I've experimented with increasing the energy intensity of the workout, but it comes at a price. To increase intensity, you can either increase the weight or increase the tempo. The problem with increased tempo with these exercises is that eventually you get to a point where momentum is provi...

JWL

Clickbeetle, I think you are on to a key point: you are right, there are many intelligent people on this board. And we're all fat (well, most of us). How many otherwise intelligent people are fat? Some of the smartest people I know are fat. And, it doesn't take rocket science to conclude that eating...

JWL

Yeah Deb, I'm trying to decide whether to increase the weight, and if so to what. I've been doing 13 pounds faithfully for several months. So I'm thinking I may try to go to 15 again, which I tried briefly several months back and it just wasn't sustainable. But I'm more in a groove with the 13. If i...

JWL

Yesterday was a success. I did a somewhat shortened exercise routine yesterday, because we had to drive to Boston for the Dead Can Dance show, which was wonderful . But I managed to stick to No-S, even going out for Indian before the show (2nd night in a row for Indian food! Whee!). Today is shaping...

JWL

Azathoth, I appreciate your points, but I must remind you that the point of my post isn't about blaming anyone or anything. As I tried to explain above, I don't really believe in simple causation. You do a good job of echoing US/capitalist propaganda that has been circulating for a century. Most peo...

JWL

Today was a success and a failure. No-S: success. Though I did have a big Indian dinner tonight. Exercise: abject failure. Skipped it utterly. And given the hour I'm not gonna do it now. In other areas, it was a success on several levels. Got lots of Good Stuff(tm) done today. The rest of this week ...

JWL

In my brief rant above I didn't mean that individuals aren't responsible for their own lives and choices. But I don't see it as a black and white causal relationship... as they say in any statistics class, "correlation does not imply causation...." I don't really believe in simple causation. To me, ...

Everyday Systems

Search found 634 matches

DAY W7

DAY W6

DAY W5

DAY W4

DAY W3

On Thanks Giving

DAY W2

DAY W1

Assessment

Shovelglove workshop

Day One of my seasonal purification ritual

What size sledgehammer are people using?

Moving up to a 16-pounder

DAYS 114-119

DAY 113

MIT explains why bad habits are hard to break

DAY 111, 112

DAYS 107-110

DAY 106

DAY 105

DAY 104

90 degrees

one-handed hammering: new move, or extension of flip-lever?

DAYS 100-103

DAY 98, 99

DAY 97