Everyday Systems

Octavia

Just wanted to add, what Auto said about tracking - yes. Things must be tracked, or they just slip through the net into unconsciousness. Iâ€™m convinced that the success Iâ€™ve had on No S has been linked to tracking. And recently I have been able to make some new habits - again, though the power of...

Octavia

So much brilliant advice from you guys! Thanks so mugh Auto, Soprano, Oolala and Imogen! Iâ€™m finding useful pointers in everything youâ€™ve written, so huge thanks to you all. Soprano- the calming and focussing power of lists! I have forgotten this. Imogen, staying green is definitely my priority....

Octavia

Well done on your successful day, Bluebell! And hope your alone time goes OK. It is challenging dealing with things on your own - I certainly struggle to manage my DD if DH is away! Iâ€™m also doing lots of taxi-ing at the moment, too. Itâ€™s really time consuming!

Octavia

I was out all day yesterday and felt a bit tired and unwell. Iâ€™m fine though today. I spent quite a lot of time planning some new habits and goals, though knowing that you canâ€™t build too many new habits all at once. The brain canâ€™t forge all those new pathways through the brambles all in one ...

Octavia

You can do this, Bluebell - we are all supporting you. Enjoy some lovely meals, and it will be the weekend soon!

Octavia

Thanks, Soprano!

Octavia

Eventually you just don't even consider food as an option if it's not mealtime. That's such a freeing feeling.
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I love Autoâ€™s words here!
Welcome Laura, good luck with your No S journey.

Octavia

Hi Flying! I too have been experimenting with veggie recipes. Made a spaghetti thing from a Good Housekeeping supplement - it had grated courgette, garlic, chilli, and lemon. It tasted like spaghetti in washing up liquid. Thankfully I didnâ€™t batch cook....

Octavia

Get well soon, Imogen!

Octavia

I decided it was time to do a weigh-in this morning. Bah, I am up by 3lb! And I suspect itâ€™s not a blip, though time will tell. Thereâ€™s no point panicking. Thereâ€™s no point doing anything that isnâ€™t a habit. All I can do is stay committed to the No S lifestyle. Christmas was a bit mad this y...

Octavia

Well thatâ€™s definitely an honour, to be compared to Oolala! :) Not sure I deserve it, as Iâ€™m just an almost-beginner groping my way along....but thanks, Auto! Iâ€™ve had quite a good green day. Doing Habitcal again, and itâ€™s encouraging to see the green days building up. But I still havenâ€™t ...

Octavia

Yes, Gillianâ€™s thing about weight loss NOT being a good motivator is important. And that took me a long time to understand. I used to argue that vanity was as much a motivator as the more vague and abstract concept of self-esteem (which Gillian talks about a lot), but eventually I realised that I ...

Octavia

Gillianâ€™s concept of â€˜Times and Plansâ€™ is very No S-like, I think. I always thought that was one of her best contributions. But I reckon No S is more doable, as the three meals a day are pre-decided, as you said, Oolala. I found Times and Plans required more mindfulness (or maybe â€˜bandwidthâ...

Octavia

Iâ€™m also finding that Iâ€™m not so hungry at the moment. But for me, this is very novel, as the usual thing is for me to feel hungry very soon after a meal - not true hunger of course, though it is a physical feeling - maybe some kind of insulin spike when my body expects a snack to come. Itâ€™s s...

Octavia

...I donâ€™t think the â€˜addictive hungerâ€™ ever truly goes away. Not for those of us who have these big highways in our brains, linked to gaining that dopamine hit from food. But as you said Oolala, No S at least allows us to manage the situation better, and avoid those highways at least some of ...

Octavia

And now, it is Wednesday! Hurrah. Hope allâ€™s going well at school, Auto. Iâ€™m relieved to find that Iâ€™m really back in the swing of No S. Habitcal is helping me a lot. Letâ€™s hope it continues.

Octavia

All going OK so far this week! Oh - just realised, itâ€™s only Tuesday!!!

But itâ€™s great to be back in a normal week with no enforced socialising, eating or drinking.

Iâ€™m doing Habitcal, also tracking my drinking of water and a couple of other things. But No S is the most important.

Octavia

Same here. Itâ€™s like we are living parallel lives! The anger, the search for coping methods, the desperation for time to do self-care! If only I had answers! Iâ€™m always escaping to the bedroom to write my journal - somehow the novel never gets written - I can spend hours up there, pouring my hea...

Octavia

My chauffeur duties recommence today. Groan.

Your weight loss stats are incredible, Linda!

Octavia

Hi worth it, it really is lovely to share in your positivity. Happy new year to you too! X

Octavia

I like it!

Octavia

Hi Linda, just to add my sympathy for your frustrating year. I think I agree with Soprano that in the grand scheme of things, losing 3lb is a success, and considering your amazing weight loss in the past, itâ€™s perhaps bound to slow down...I know none of us really know whatâ€™s going on in there (i...

Octavia

Sorry to hear youâ€™ve not been well, Sharon. Hope you feel better soon.

Octavia

Thanks for these supportive words, Auto and Soprano. Good to know that maybe a year isnâ€™t really very long, in terms of rewiring my brain, and that things may yet improve. Iâ€™ve been grazing a lot since this afternoon. Auto, Iâ€™d love to know how long it took before your S days became tamer. Alt...

Octavia

Iâ€™m wondering what sort of an S weekend Iâ€™ll have. After doing No S for more than a year now, I canâ€™t really say that my S days have tamed themselves. And yet, Iâ€™m noticing a stronger and stronger dislike of not being hungry enough to enjoy a meal. That is indeed a step forward, and should l...

Octavia

Wow - to replace a craving for pastry with apple cider! That shows real strength, Sharon! Sounds like you are really in the No S zone.

Hope you have a great weekend.

Octavia

Good luck with your 5-day programme. Sounds like a good way to start the new year. I too am relieved that the eating season is over! ðŸ˜…

Octavia

Hi Sharon, Linda and Auto! Sounds like many of us are being faced with sweet temptation at the moment. Iâ€™ve managed to stay green these last three days. Iâ€™ve had to revert to my early crutch of calorific drinks a few times, though. I donâ€™t worry too much about these, as my home made cocoa has ...

Octavia

Sorry to hear you had a bad day. But itâ€™s fantastic that you still made it a green. Go, you!

Octavia

Wow - our washing machine conked out tonight, too! :o Strange coincidence! I donâ€™t think we can fix it ourselves, though. The error code is something to do with a â€˜pressure switchâ€™.... :cry: I canâ€™t believe youâ€™re not a native English speaker, Imogen! Your command of the language is amazin...

Octavia

PS. Iâ€™m also resolving to return to Habitcal this year, too. Iâ€™m now looking back at that phase I had in the summer (where I felt unnerved by my own compliance) and wondering if perhaps there was nothing to be afraid of. Doing something strictly IS a bit weird, certainly for a person like me, bu...

Octavia

Hi Imogen - fantastic that you managed all that exercise, and in the rain too! I really admire that.

Yes, those Quality Street sweets are vintage classics here in the UK! And you can get them all year round. You must ask your friend to get you some...though beware their addictive power! ðŸ˜‚

Octavia

Thanks Sharon and Imogen! Sadly my chaotic treat-focussed eating did continue for a while. There was another leg to our Christmas duties, which was to go to my mumâ€™s again and look after her for a while. It was very challenging. I got into a sweet-stuffing habit, picking bits and pieces all day lo...

Octavia

Hi Sharon, it feels amazing not to have a doomed diet resolution, doesnâ€™t it? After a year of No S, all I want to do is continue. Have just glanced at the testimonials page, and it was a wonderful reminder of how sustainable this is. Hurrah!

Octavia

I will do it! :) No S, I so need you. Today, I felt my 8-9 day period of Christmas feasting had finally burnt itself out. I threw away the mince pies and poured the remains of 3 bottles of wine down the sink. I also threw away half a bag of nuts, and put two unopened bags in the cupboard for the nex...

Octavia

Sounds like youâ€™ve had a good day, Soprano. I too have managed to be moderate today. Itâ€™s time, isnâ€™t it? The N days call. And yet, we approach the weekend. A little challenge for us all. Iâ€™m hoping to do without sweets and snacks - for once I donâ€™t need to release of the weekend. But we s...

Octavia

Thank you all, and I will start thinking about my testimonial!

Octavia

Welcome back!

Octavia

Iâ€™ve just glanced at the Testimonials page. After all, I have now done more than a year on No S so I suppose I am allowed to leave a testimonial. However, I have only lost 10lb, and the people on that page seem to have lost astonishing amounts of weight so quickly. I mustnâ€™t get depressed about ...

Octavia

Hi Soprano, Merry Christmas to you and thanks for the support. Hey, and youâ€™ve taken me to Page 5 of my thread! A new page for a new year. :) I spent a little time last night with my journal, cooking up fine ideas for the way ahead. I feel quite motivated (though itâ€™s easy to feel a pleasant, po...

Octavia

Hi Linda, Sorry to hear youâ€™re feeling so low. I was so appalled to read that your sister has not said anything about your amazing achievement - that would do anyoneâ€™s head in. Itâ€™s incredible, sad and confusing. You must feel so tired and angry. And of course the way that all your recent work...

Octavia

Merry Christmas to you too, Sharon! Iâ€™m afraid Iâ€™ve very much been an â€˜idiotâ€™ today, to use Reinhardâ€™s term. I find Iâ€™m either doing No S properly, or Iâ€™m releasing all self-control. Mindfulness would help - and eating more slowly. Both habits worth acquiring, that go nicely with the r...

Octavia

Totally stuffed. Have eaten and drunk all day. Going for an evening walk now, so will hopefully wear a bit off. I made too much food- there were only four of us, why did I bother making 3 puddings? Thereâ€™s so much left. Will I ever get back to good habits? This year I want to improve my habits, no...

Octavia

Merry Christmas Auto! I love Lindaâ€™s advice, be more lazy. I agree. Often the thing to do is the opposite of what the strict Agony Aunt in our minds would say. And I too think you are an amazing parent. Iâ€™m skiving right now, laying on the bed with the iPad instead of hoovering and tidying. FIL ...

Octavia

Sorry to hear that things are tough for you, Dandelion. I hope you feel better soon. Hugs.

Octavia

Glad to hear itâ€™s not just me thatâ€™s struggling, Soprano! Youâ€™re right, we can get back to our good habits when January gets under way. Oh dear, I have just released toxic fumes into the house by warming up the oven then opening the door to put mince pies in! Lord knows what was in there! Anci...

Octavia

...I ALMOST have the no snacking thing in my subconscious....and in fact I reckon my first Mod, allowing an apple and a banana as snacks, undermined the habit to a large degree. I think I need to go back to Vanilla, and just make sure I get my healthy fruit as part of meals. In fact youâ€™ve helped ...

Octavia

I adore your blog!

So lovely to see your photos and read more about Kayla...and your IF journey! You look so glamorous!

Octavia

Youâ€™re doing great, FP!

Octavia

Just wanted to add my congratulations on reaching this exciting point. Itâ€™s bound to feel a bit weird, I reckon. But 1st Jan will come and go, and youâ€™ll survive...and then, thrive!

Octavia

Hi Auto, Sorry youâ€™re feeling low. And Iâ€™m the last person in the world who can advise you on giving up a â€˜viceâ€™ or whatever these things are. I fail to give up overeating on a regular basis. And I certainly couldnâ€™t give up alcohol, even though for some reason itâ€™s not on my radar as a ...

Octavia

Youâ€™re right, Soprano. In fact thatâ€™s what I did yesterday and today: an extra egg and a little extra toast. But as you so rightly say, the season of excess is here. I am barely following No S at all! Iâ€™m hardly even aware of whether itâ€™s the weekend or not! I really have lost my determinati...

Octavia

Ladybird, that vision of the table spread with lovely salads has inspired me. Great food plus hunger is surely the greatest pleasure! Auto, Iâ€™m glad you enjoyed reading my Phases of No S! It was interesting to summarise it all. Iâ€™ve already moved into that slightly dodgy pre-Christmas period whe...

Octavia

You were certainly right to have the mince pie, I think. It was a pie of importance! Bonding with a new colleague. Iâ€™m sure Reinhardt would have had the pie. :) If they offer more pies....well you can cross that bridge when you come to it... Just donâ€™t do what Iâ€™ve been doing, with one very ki...

Octavia

Thatâ€™s fantastic Jen, getting a solid green week in! Great work. Itâ€™s been a while since I managed a full green â€˜un. Must try harder.

Octavia

Yep, my willpower muscles are fatigued already....but you are providing inspiration, Ladybird! Well done you.

Octavia

Wow, you are doing brilliantly, Flying! Coping with Ofsted and sticking to No S. Well done for getting through it!

Octavia

You met Kayla? Thatâ€™s amazing, Linda! Wow - you had coffee with her - you must tell us more! What did you learn from her? Great to hear that she was nice! I related to your story about sweet pea. My DD had a similar adventure - I never knew she had a boyfriend till she was upset one day and wailed...

Octavia

Wow, you have been busy! Go Auto!

Octavia

Hi Auto! Hope youâ€™re well, sorry I havenâ€™t checked in with you for a while. Well. I am the queen of the dirty house. I often have what Flylady calls â€˜stinkinâ€™ thinkinâ€™â€™ - ie I think â€˜theyâ€™ve messed it up, why should I clean it?â€™ But the top of my cooker is often gross, also the kit...

Octavia

Ha! Well, that old nip in the throat was not a false alarm, and I have just had my third cold of the season, as I feared. Quite a nasty one, and Iâ€™ve been feeling generally unwell, anxious about the looming demands of Christmas and keeping up my work commitments, and frustrated as usual about not ...

Octavia

Hi Oolala - havenâ€™t checked in with you for a while - have been off the boards for a while, not sure why - but I hope youâ€™re well, and the laryngitis thing is getting better. 5 days of eating sanity is brilliant - a fantastic reminder of the benefits of No S. And planning one delicious thing a d...

Octavia

Hi all! Itâ€™s been ages since I posted. Iâ€™ve been very busy, trying to get ahead with work before Christmas descends, with all its visiting and travelling. I wonder how many people get a genuine Christmas holiday. Iâ€™m determined to enjoy it as much as possible, though. In fact a quick google of...

Octavia

Thanks so much for popping by, Auto, Lady, Soprano, Linda! Great to hear from you and thanks for congratulating me! I will definitely re-post my Phases of No S! I'm supposed to be working right now, but had to drop in, as something really struck me just now. Almost every time I've struggled or faile...

Octavia

Hi Auto, Haven't checked in for ages, so just wanted to pop by and say hello. Wow - is it the time of year? I too started crying the other day. Was in a cafe with DH, and he started asking me if I'd sent all these work-related emails (eg. nagging people to pay me, and the like). I am feeling so over...

Octavia

Good luck with your sister's visit, Linda. And well done for being so proactive over your finances. I'm rather stressed financially at the moment, as the company I work for are in a tax meltdown, ie. a great mess has been made with people being taxed incorrectly. There's a nebulous crowd of invisibl...

Octavia

Finally back in the saddle after being too busy to post! :o Actually it's partly that my iPad keeps cutting out, so I keep starting a post then losing it. I'm on my laptop right now though, so this should work...fingers crossed! Not much to report really, weight has stayed the same for several weeks...

Octavia

Esther Perel! Have just looked her up! Author of that book I wanted to buy but was too embarrassed and worried DH would find it. You know the one, ends with the word â€˜captivityâ€™. Have you read it? Is it any good? Leave a coded reply....ðŸ˜‰

Octavia

Thanks Imogen, Auto and Eschano!

Oh dear, I think Iâ€™ve left a massive post on someone elseâ€™s thread. I wrote a huge thing about my phases of No S. But itâ€™s not here! Argh, where did I write it? Maybe it just failed to post.

Apologies to anyone if I left it on your thread....

Octavia

Just popping by to say hi. Hope allâ€™s well with you, Imogen. Good luck with your new commitment to Vanilla!

Octavia

Ooh, thatâ€™s always a great feeling, the scales being at their lowest! Hurrah, and hereâ€™s to more No S success!

Octavia

Full permission - itâ€™s a good concept, Soprano. Recently Iâ€™ve been half heartedly wishing my S days would tame themselves, rather than gleefully enjoying my treats as I did in the early days. Perhaps I should try to enjoy them more, and get that feeling back, of full permission. Auto, thanks for...

Octavia

...thinking a little more about the inner animal...I think whatâ€™s changed in my attitude is the feeling that my cravings are valid, and even good, as they are a sign of some evolutionary advantage. Respecting them more helps me to put them to one side, oddly!

Octavia

Thanks for your encouraging words, Soprano! I really appreciate it. Iâ€™ve managed to have a green day today. Even though Iâ€™m on holiday, I feel at a vulnerable point, and I want to consolidate my No S habits. Iâ€™m also not having a super-relaxed, festive time, unfortunately. DD is being a right ...

Octavia

Right, Iâ€™ve done something positive - have started Habitcal again. I need that protective framework. Habitcal is motivating, because it narrows all those hundreds of daily choices down to just two - shall I have a fail day or a success day? Only one of those is going to lead to weight loss.

Octavia

Busy family day out, so no time for contemplating my No S strategies. I did really well for most of the day - even had a modest, non-sweet lunch in a renowned tea and cake emporium! Then ironically, stuffed my face with chocolate when we got back to our holiday cottage (after dinner! It wasnâ€™t as ...

Octavia

Congratulations Linda, on your anniversary!

And so great to hear about your daughterâ€™ school report. Yay!

Octavia

OMG - so sorry to hear about the bills.

Good on you, moving to the spare room at the first snore. This is surely better than waiting till you are a ball of tense frustration. Our sleep is so precious! I know when my DD has left home, so thereâ€™s a spare room, I will be doing the same!

Octavia

Hi Worth! Thanks for dropping by to say hi on my thread. I really appreciate it!

Great to hear that youâ€™ve been enjoying your exercise and feeling positive in general! I too love Kaylaâ€™s videos. She is so down to earth. Might go and check in with her right now....!

Octavia

Oops I posted twice, sorry!

And now, three times!

Octavia

Wow - sounds like a super-productive weekend, Auto! Maybe healthy food choices are indeed fuelling you? Keep doing it! ðŸ˜Š

Octavia

Wow - sounds like a super-productive weekend! Maybe healthy food choices are indeed fuelling you? Keep doing it! ðŸ˜Š

Octavia

Right. Iâ€™m back. Yes, dreams of slimness...weight loss as motivation...do these things actually help us? Iâ€™ve been wondering if Ive forgotten the power of such dreams, and should remind myself; perhaps become more aspirational... stop plodding along with mundane, low-level ambitions. And yet, me...

Octavia

Helloooo my dears! Thanks so much for the sympathy, Auto, Linda, Worth, and Larkspur! You are angels. Iâ€™ve had such a busy week, havenâ€™t had time to check in. Well now, Iâ€™m on holiday! I am feeling better, though not entirely clear of the post-viral sinus thing, and what you said has made me r...

Octavia

Clothes shop mirrors are terrible! I reckon everyone looks bad in them, even models. Gosh Linda, you have been so busy - Iâ€™m not surprised you treated yourselves to a big sushi meal. You deserved it! I find intense workouts can backfire. One minute you feel great, the next, awful. Maybe if you do ...

Octavia

Iâ€™m feeling very tired and a bit low today. I had a cold virus throughout September, and it seems to have left me with some sort of sinus trouble. Iâ€™m not bunged up, but tender and aching behind the nose and eyes, and I feel sort of dried out. I think there is such a thing as Dry Sinuses. The ba...

Octavia

And Iâ€™m impressed with your No Screen system, Ladybird! Great idea. I go down so many silly rabbit holes and end up watching cute dog videos.... Long walks are great - now the weather is turning, Iâ€™m not doing so much, but I think my long summer walks helped with weight and overall fitness. I fo...

Octavia

Thatâ€™s brilliant, Soprano. Youâ€™ve done really well yourself! I still have mini-binges at the weekend. But like you, I donâ€™t want to exert willpower as such. instead, Iâ€™m going to focus on the idea of listening to that other inner voice - the one Auto was talking about on her thread - that su...

Octavia

Wow, I love that thing you said: â€˜itâ€™s like Iâ€™ve made a new friend, and sheâ€™s looking out for me, but would never want to impose her will.â€™ Thatâ€™s a great way of looking at the gentle voice of common sense that comes with No S. Iâ€™m going to think about that this week, and see if I can ...

Octavia

Quick hello before bed. Movie night sounded fun! And I think the idea of writing a book is great! A novel perhaps? Or collection of short stories? I could never keep a blog going. I tried once, but it felt like a millstone round my neck after a while. Anyway I must turn in now...hope you have a grea...

Octavia

So shocked and sorry to hear your news. Not surprised you feel strange in the circumstances. One thing Iâ€™ve learned about life is that I never seem to have the right feelings at the right time, and everything I do feel seems to come out weirdly. Maybe youâ€™re the same. It seems to me from your re...

Octavia

Good luck! ðŸ™‚ and welcome back.

Octavia

Thanks Auto and Soprano! My exercising lapsed later this week when things got too busy. Itâ€™s so frustrating. But I have some days when I am literally out all day and donâ€™t get home till almost midnight. Hopefully next week will be better! The low weight I reported a while ago turned out to be a ...

Octavia

Happy birthday from me! ðŸ’ðŸŽ‚ðŸ¾

Octavia

Auto, Iâ€™m sure you are a great teacher and your students are lucky to be taught by such a balanced person! I bet you do deserve more credit than you get. But young folk donâ€™t do that gratitude stuff very well.

Glad you enjoyed your burgers! They sound totally yummy! Mwah indeed!

Octavia

Glad to be on an N day. Have eaten moderately so far, but am in slight danger, as dinner has been delayed till 7.30 and itâ€™s 5 oâ€™clock now, and Iâ€™m hungry....even after my â€˜Fibre Supplementâ€™ systemic snack, the afternoon banana! Pleased that Iâ€™ve been for a run, as I had to delay it till...

Octavia

Hi Auto! Thanks for your kind words! Yes, clothes are definitely a vice for me! Not the only vice, I hasten to add. Today my chocolate addiction reared its ugly head, and I nearly had a repeat of the bathroom fainting incident. Someone had given me a pack of absolutely delicious, top quality chocola...

Octavia

Hi Oolala, itâ€™s great to hear from you. I didnâ€™t realise Iâ€™d been away from my check-in thread for so long. I need to get current. It is fascinating, the connection between our lifestyles and our eating. To disconnect the two is a big challenge. At least No S is compatible with certain outside...

Octavia

This idea is taking root: not trying to have an exercise routine. Thanks for your input, Linda! I was moaning to a colleague about how a â€˜tidal waveâ€™ of duty and distraction flattens my â€˜fragile sandcastleâ€™ of self-determination (dramatic, moi???ðŸ˜‚) ie. exercise plans. Then I realised, thi...

Octavia

This is a very interesting discussion about meetings! I have heard of Tim Ferris- must research this no-meeting philosophy. They are tremendous time wasters: even today when I was at a relatively nice meeting, I found myself slightly impatiently summing up what people had said, in order to get to so...

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