Everyday Systems

r.jean

Monday 11/23 8 hours of sewing with a break in the middle for a quick trip to the gym. At least part of the day was working together with my sister and some major gift projects were completed. Watched grandbaby for 3 hours after that. Green for food and exercise. Tuesday 11/24 Caught up on household...

r.jean

Yes I am so lucky Linda! I have two wonderful sisters and we are all close even though our younger sister lives far away. I hope this for your girls too!

r.jean

Sunday, 11/22, Day 7 of positive tracking only S day: My only S was a bowl of snickers ice cream after dinner. Cleaned out a closet. Worked on sewing projects for about 3 1/2 hours. Made breakfast at home. Ate lunch with my sister before we spent the afternoon playing cards with our father and his f...

r.jean

Saturday 11/21 Today was a green day even though it is Saturday. I felt the need to eat moderately after my massive red day yesterday. I was not even tempted to overindulge. Green for exercise also. 40 minutes at gym: weights/stretches. No alcohol. No diet soda. Made all three meals at home. Went to...

r.jean

Friday 11/20 Up at 4:30 to go with my dad for out of town medical appointments. Treated for lunch afterwards Took a nap and went to a hockey game with husband. RED for food and exercise. Took toast with me for my breakfast. No diet soda. Unfortunately I had to search for anything positive about the ...

r.jean

It sounds like everyone is different in how they handle hunger. Like you, I tend to eat too much at the next meal if I get too hungry. Like others I use a beverage to get through if I need to, mostly milk or tomato juice. However, I stay away from snacks that you chew. I think somewhere in his book ...

r.jean

Thursday 11/19 An hour of errands An hour of sewing. Went to volleyball for the first time in 3 weeks (since the hip bursitis flared up) Played one game and then watched. Did gentle stretching while watching. 3 more hours of sewing. Fixed all three meals at home and had a couple extras for dinner (f...

r.jean

It is amazing how much you do in a day when you acknowledge it!

PS: I hate rental property! We still have one but are working on getting rid of it.

r.jean

I know, right? Let's remember we do a lot! At the end of days that I think I have wasted, I find I did a lot. Plus on days I made some poor food choices, I often made good ones as well. Wednesday 11/18 Quick dash of necessary household chores for an hour before heading out for the day. Spent 9 hours...

r.jean

Thanks osoniye! It works for me if I stick with it. Tuesday 11/17 positives Early morning gym for weights/stretches (45 mins) Worked (sub at BD school) Ran a couple errands on way home in spite of rain. 1:45 sewing on quilts Fixed breakfast and supper at home; lunch provided at school; we eat with t...

r.jean

Monday New week. I decided to focus on positive tracking. I have done this before. I write down good choices and good accomplishments for the day. This helps remind me that I am doing some things right even if I am not perfect in other areas. Finished crocheting a baby hat Weights/stretches at gym (...

r.jean

Nov 12: hosted a birthday gathering and cooked some favorites. Red again.
Nov 13: barely green. I think this was only my third green day all month. There is a lot going on (celebrations) and I am still fighting hip pain which distracts me.
11/14 and 11/15 S days

r.jean

November 11: RED
I did fine until I hit the leftover Halloween candy after supper.
It is a new day. Onward!

r.jean

Milk is my go to beverage if I am trying to avoid a snack. I tolerate 1% or 2% because that is what my husband buys. However, when I cook holiday meals, I buy whole milk and real butter.

Maybe I should just keep a small container of whole milk just for me. Sounds good!

r.jean

November 5-10 Six days of Red and Yellow bliss. My youngest child got married Saturday. Out of town (and out of country) guests began arriving Thursday. The following days were full from beginning to end with decorating, other preparations, rehearsal, the celebration, and the aftermath. Unfortunatel...

r.jean

Thanks Gingerpie. I was told to take it easy today so it was another S Day for exercise, but tomorrow I plan to at least take a walk. The shot definitely helped. Red Day BF: English muffin, slice of cheese, sausage Lunch (out to eat): All but one piece of an individual size pizza and a few fried cor...

r.jean

November 3: Green Day
BF: English muffin, cheese slice, sausage patty, yogurt with a little frozen fruit and granola.
Lunch: Jimmy John sandwich and chips
Supper: Taco salad

Exercise: Still an S day. Went to Doctor. After a shot in my hip I hope to see pain relief and get back to exercise soon.

r.jean

I also like having a destination but have learned several comfortable safe routes of different lengths that I use repeatedly just for the exercise. I take my music and use the comfort of routine to settle into some thinking time.

r.jean

Nov 2: Green day BF: Boiled egg, small banana, two pieces of wheat toast. Lunch: Ate out. Chicken wrap, Asian side salad, five shrimp. The shrimp were part of a shared appetizer but everything fit easily on my plate so it was a compliant but very filling meal. Supper: 4 leftover meatballs, two slice...

r.jean

But that was an S day right? Not so bad. You would have declined if it was an n day but you said okay to be social. Nothing wrong with that..

r.jean

Thanks for the encouragement gingerpie! I try to tell myself that I can only do what I can for right now, but I want to be in the gym or out running or at least walking!

r.jean

November 1: S day: Medium size cinnamon roll early. Five leftover meatballs mid morning to tide me over until a planned family meal at 3 pm. Ate a full but small plate with a mini sandwich/grapes/raw veggies and also a bowl of chili at family birthday followed later by two Butterfingers (mini size) ...

r.jean

I totally failed the October challenge which was basically to just get back to tracking Reds and Greens. I will be trying again this month and report how it went at the end of the month (with random updates during the month). Nov 30. I succeeded in tracking this month. I did not post every day, but ...

r.jean

Glad you found No S. It has been a lifesaver for me!

r.jean

I actually followed Saturday with a more reasonable S day and then a Red day; however Tuesday and Wednesday were Green. Hopefully you are right osoniye that I have learned from that horribly over the top S day!

r.jean

I committed myself this month to adhere more closely to the No S rules and to record my compliance on the October challenge. So far so good on the rules, but I cannot believe the massive S Day I had yesterday. I started the day out like any other day, but then came a delicious potluck at 5 pm with a...

r.jean

I have followed No S for almost 5 years, and if what you are looking for is a more healthy relationship with food, this is it. Just follow the basic rules and do not add any extra restrictions and see what develops. I am 59 and had been overweight or obese for 20-25 years when I found NoS. I am stil...

r.jean

I love iced coffee too but it is often too sweet to be acceptable for a weekday. Yet, I had the most wonderful iced coffee the other day. It was just a black coffee with peppermint flavoring served over crushed ice. It was so refreshing and I did not feel guilty when I marked that day green. Unfortu...

r.jean

Very mild fail I would say.

r.jean

Wow. I have not checked in for two months. I always used to make fun of my retired friends who were always too busy to get anything done. Now I am them. I think it is similar for stay at home moms. When you do not work regularly, you become the go to person for family and friends. And you take on mo...

r.jean

I am in for the October challenge. Although I will always adhere to the NoS lifestyle, I get lazy and do not track and do not pay attention to my food choices. Posting helps me be honest about my behavior. For Oct I will track NoS compliance, Glass Ceiling and Exercise. (Exercise is a minimum of 45 ...

r.jean

You are doing really well and I bet your girls will have healthier and saner food habits because of the changes you have made as well!

It is so fun when you finally realize that you cannot wear those baggy clothes any more and start getting new sizes.

r.jean

It sounds like you are doing quite well. Keep it up!

As far as the scale goes, do what works for you. You may find that your attitude toward the scale changes in time. I have fluctuated between frequent weigh ins versus no weigh ins at all.

r.jean

My days remain mostly good to start with but end up red because of an evening sweet or snack. And yet I agree that is better than going into permasnack mode! I have been paying more attention to my routine lately even though I fail at logging food. I do log my exercise and that is still good.

r.jean

Hope you did better today RAWCOOKIE.

I had another red day. Once again I stuck to three meals but succumbed to a gourmet ice cream sandwich after dinner.

Grrrrrr

Exercise was 90 minutes of volleyball.

r.jean

Today started out ok but ended poorly. Red day. I did not sleep well at all last night and went through the day in a fog. When I am sleep deprived I often seek food to compensate. I ate 3 fairly reasonable meals, but I fell apart after dinner and snacked on some cinnamon bread sticks and an apple tu...

r.jean

I am going to try to post and rate every day for accountability. Today was an S day so keeping the treats in the moderate range was the only concern. It was a weird but fine day for an S day. We were out of town, and I was up at 430 am. We had an all day outside event followed by a 4 hour car ride h...

r.jean

Maintenance is progress has always been one of my mantras when I start getting the urge to worry about that last 15-20 lbs I would like to lose. I am also a size 14 much of the time although I am happy that I am also a size 12 in some things. This is a far cry from the size 18s I was squeezing into ...

r.jean

Your homemade sweets are so creative! I am a cookbook fan as well and I do have a number of those church and school cookbooks where recipes are collected from members and put together and sold as a fundraiser. There are many recipe ideas in them that I do not find on the Internet. The other day I pi...

r.jean

Thanks eschano! We did have a great time at the race and the fest afterwards and then a day at the campground with family. By 10 pm, I was nodding off in my lawn chair waiting for fireworks. I did better than I thought I would at the 10K coming in at 1:09:32/pace 11:12. The course was tougher than I...

r.jean

Summer is so busy that I have not been posting, but I am doing a bit better on my No S compliance. I am still avoiding the scale so I will not get discouraged. Exercise is still good with a hilly 4th of July 10K planned for tomorrow. At 59, my main goal is to finish, but I really want to have a time...

r.jean

I also read or at least scan many articles about health, eating, etc. I enjoy all the different perspectives and interpretations. I have never been much for diet books, but articles are fun. The only diet book I ever read all the way through is No S.

r.jean

Many of us have had years of unsuccessful attempts to improve our eating and/or to lose weight. For me it was about 25 years before I found some sanity with No S. Also, I am still far from perfect. Good luck!

r.jean

I continue to have regular red days, but I am hanging in there. I am still avoiding the scale, but I am sure my weight is still up 5-10 lbs for the year. End of the day snacking and sweets are my problem right now. I do fine all day but give in to evening snacking. This was my main problem before No...

r.jean

Good commentary bjalda. I agree completely. You are correct that it is not just genetics but also environment and learned behaviors that contribute to obesity and other unhealthy conditions. I would also agree that it is difficult to have empathy for people who are contributing to their own conditio...

r.jean

I had to smile at this post because it hit home for me even though I am a 59 year old female vs a 35 year old male. I like my running and I like my beer. I have had a few semi significant injuries to overcome and keep running. I have done No S through the injuries and various other life challenges o...

r.jean

There is a saying, "There but for the grace of God go I...."

I am blessed with a decent metabolism, yet I am still overweight (though not "morbidly obese").

Where would I be if I were less fortunate in my genetics?

r.jean

Welcome. I hope you find success here!

r.jean

That is so true eschano. I cannot imagine where I would be without No S! This week has started out poorly. I cannot seem to stay away from the sweets, and I am eating big meals. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday all followed the same pattern. I overfilled my plates, and I had a sweet snack every evening. T...

r.jean

Thanks Eschano! I appreciate the reinforcement. After being overweight for much of my adult life, I finally started to get a grip on the problem with No S. By the time I discovered No S I was a whopping 70 lbs overweight. I had slipped up gradually until 2010 when I gained 20 lbs in one year and hit...

r.jean

Last year I really struggled from mid January to mid May. I estimate that I gained 10-15 lbs over the weight I had been maintaining for two years. I am a great avoider of the scale when I am struggling which is more denial than anything else. Hence the exact gain was unknown, but it was enough that ...

r.jean

You are just so organized. I just keep moving my piles around. I get started and make some progress and then get distracted and just end up with piles. I try to at least deal with the current stuff first and then the backlog so eventually I will get there.

r.jean

I do not consider pancakes an S, but I do not use syrup. Muffins depend on the type. A plain bran muffin is ok but a cinnamon streusel muffin from the bakery, definitely not.

r.jean

Good luck getting back in the routine of No S and congratulations on the marriage. As far as I am concerned you did the right thing by focusing on enjoying this special time in your life and not worrying about food. Getting back to daily or almost daily visits to this forum has always helped me when...

r.jean

May 10: Mother's Day: I completely overdid it but oh well. It is an S day and a holiday. Activity: 3.5 mile run May 11: Green: So So food choices Activity: 3.5 mile run, 22 minutes weights May 12: Red: I am going to list my daily fruit and vegetable consumption. Maybe that will prompt me to include ...

r.jean

Thanks for the encouragement eschano. I think the daily posting is keeping me from slipping worse than I might be. For some reason late winter and spring have become a rough time for me the last couple years. Last year it was a major issue while this year I saw it happening and did a better job mode...

r.jean

May 3: S day: Ate three generous meals and two leftover dessert servings from yesterday. Activity: Ran 3.5 miles outside and later did 37 minutes of weights at the gym May 4: Red: Ate 3 meals but ate supper early and did not eat much. Therefore I lapsed into snacking later on. A few Cheetos, a few b...

r.jean

My mom is gone now but she always had a comment about my weight. She would say I looked like I had lost weight whether I had or not. She was trying to be kind, but my internal message was that I was fat. I was much taller and bigger than my mom and older sister, but other than a college gain and gai...

r.jean

This week I am putting activity level information as well. I am still avoiding the scale but I am sure I am up at least 5 lbs. 4/26: S day Reasonable breakfast and lunch, excessive dinner plate when I added some leftover wings to it. One S: gourmet ice cream sandwich (440 calories). Actvity: 4 mile ...

r.jean

April 21: Technically Green: Breakfast was ok. I ate out for lunch. It was huge and involved lots of cheese and red meat but I took half home to eat for supper. Beer was also involved. I did at least opt for the light and not the craft. April 22: Red: I took donuts for a coworkers birthday and ate 2...

r.jean

April 20: Green: 3 reasonable meals, but the meals were not the healthiest. I am not eating enough fruits and vegetables. My goal is to add more healthy foods to my meals and to tame the wild weekends. I am determined to keep posting daily comments to remind myself what is going on. It is definitely...

r.jean

April 19: S Day: Moderate breakfast and lunch, pizza and wings for supper fit on a plate but was too much S's: Reasonable amount of Girl Scout cookies after lunch, chips as a snack while waiting for others to come over to eat supper and then another excessive dose of Girl Scout cookies after supper....

r.jean

Thanks! I always thought the gym was not for me too, but the injuries forced me into it. Both of my injuries required long term gradual recovery so just waiting to heal was not an option. In your case I would probably handle it like you are. I sympathize with the frustration of waiting to heal. Good...

r.jean

I decided to start posting my daily No S compliance because I am getting pretty lazy about the rules. I am also avoiding the scale which is my habit when I am not doing well. 4/17: Green. Food choices were extremely poor. 4/18: S Day: Poor over all food choices and 3 S's: small piece of cake, some c...

r.jean

I do not do shovel glove any more, partially due to other habits I developed during injuries. Since starting in 2010, I had hand surgery due to a torn tendon and later a rotator cuff tear in my shoulder. Both set me back for months on doing any kind of weights and shovel glove was out of the questio...

r.jean

Thanks Gingerpie. I am not posting much lately, and I need to get back in the habit. Posting leads to accountability for me. Exercise continues to be good but my eating habits continue to be lax. I do well one day and poor the next.

r.jean

Thank goodness spring is here. I have become a whimp about cold weather since I retired and Jan to Mar have become dangerous months for me. We left for a month this year but the vacation feel to the month in Florida sabotaged my habits as much as the cold weather did while I was at home. I at least ...

r.jean

I have been very busy but I am still hanging around and at least reading some posts. I have slipped twice this weekend and had sweets. Sweets are generally allowed on weekends , but I gave them up for lent. I also ate too much yesterday. Ugh! Felt groggy today.

r.jean

It does sound like you have resolved some eating issues in recent years so that is progress. Also, you have stopped the gradual gain which is progress. I agree with your assessment that you should try exercise. Increasing exercise has been key to my weight loss.

r.jean

It would help to know how much weight you want to lose. If you only have a few pounds to lose then a 3 lb. loss and then maintenance is great. If you have a large amount to lose, then I would evaluate the following: Do you feel better on No S? Do you enjoy food more now than you did before?/Are you ...

r.jean

Hello! Sorry I did not answer your post on my check in until now. I have been very busy and have not checked in. In answer to your questions, I lost the first 45 lbs. on Vanilla No S without any other restrictions. It took me a year. However, I increased my exercise quite a bit as well. I also have ...

r.jean

Accountability! I am posting on my current goals to keep myself on track. I have been completely successful on giving up sweets during Lent (even on S days). No slips. HOWEVER, i cannot say the same for alcohol. My goal of no drinks at all 5 days a week was off by two days this week. I know one or t...

r.jean

I am close to your age (almost 59) and I have followed No S for over 4 years. I am 60 lbs lighter than I was when I started. I still love No S and hope you find success here too. I do not post as much as I used to, but posting helps me, especially when I feel I am getting off track.

Good luck!

r.jean

I am really struggling with all the paper. Between taxes and bills and warranty paperwork and receipts for big items and pictures/memories and so on, it is overwhelming. I have file folders but never sem to file. I have an in box that never gets emptied. I have the skills to keep this organized beca...

r.jean

I gave up all alcohol for Lent one year, but I failed a couple times at weddings. It was no contest this year on what to choose. I was slipping up so much on sweets this year that I needed to get that under control. I am less motivated to give up alcohol entirely.

r.jean

Stints have done wonders for my father. He is now in his 80s and has managed to avoid the heart attacks that plagued all his brothers by regular care and paying attention to the warning signs. He has had several stint procedures over a period of many years. (So be encouraged!) It sounds like you are...

r.jean

I cannot do floor cleaning on my knees any more, but I am trying to keep my house cleaner overall. I have also found vigorous cleaning to be great exercise! Another boost in activity comes from our new puppy. New puppies add not only more cleaning but also more walking and playing!

r.jean

I am still adjusting to the home routine and the cold weather. The nasty cold DH and I both caught also lasted a full week with some residual cough still remaining. DH had it even worse. I have managed to get back to regular exercise, but I am still behind on some chores. I decided to give up sweets...

r.jean

Small steps are so important! The big closet clean outs make me feel good but are useless without the small steps. Right now my focus is picking up every time I walk through a room. DH never hangs up his coat so I do. We both tend to drop things on the kitchen island as we enter the house rather tha...

r.jean

Thanks for the post! It is inspiring to hear the success stories! Gotta love the sanity of No S!

r.jean

We just returned from five weeks in an 8 x 23 foot camper. DH, new puppy, and I headed to Florida to escape the winter weather. It was a grand experience. I could not weigh myself because the minimal room we had did not include taking anything as nonessential as a scale. I feel I am pretty close to ...

r.jean

I have been gone for awhile and I am catching up on posts. It looks like you have had a rough couple months! Hope you are healing.

r.jean

I just spent 5 weeks living in an 8 x 23 foot camper with my husband and a new puppy. Clutter control was essential because of the small space and because the puppy chewed everything that was left within her reach. I definitely learned that I can exist with far fewer belongings around me. I am home ...

r.jean

Good to see the decluttering effort is still active! I have been working on it here and there, but it is a constant battle. After 27 years in the same home, it is too easy to just stuff things away. We have lots of closets and storage places and a house to ourselves that used to hold five if us. How...

r.jean

Thanks Gingerpie!

January is generally a little hard for me. The extreme cold seems to affect my energy level. When my energy level is down I am more likely to be on the couch eating. I have had some red days. This was a mild winter until January hit!

r.jean

I am still around but very busy these days and not posting much. I managed to finish out the year with a 16 lb net loss in 2014.

I am going for a goal of one pound a month in 2015!

r.jean

I am also a beer girl, and there was a time when one or two good craft beers were enough. After retirement, that slipped upwards with so much free time to socialize. Just like everything else, we all have our own level of moderation. Mine is one or two and trying to keep it at no more than one per h...

r.jean

It sounds like you are doing really well. Different mods work for different people. I try to stay pretty true, but In 4 years I doubt I have ever had a month without multiple red days. I probably average 2-4 reds a month and more during the holidays. I just try to keep my red days and S days moderat...

r.jean

I guess I do not really know how much I fluctuate either KCCC. I also generally weigh Wednesday-Friday, once a week. This weigh in was on a Wednesday but also after a 3 day trip. Thanks for that reminder. I have a tendency to avoid the scale when I am not doing well. I am trying to break this habit ...

r.jean

I just got back home from a 3 day trip and eating extravaganza. This is an annual Xmas trip for us. Yet, we walk everywhere so I logged an average of 20,000 steps on the two main days of the trip. This does not offset the crazy amount of calories consumed! Knowing all this, I was still astounded to ...

r.jean

I have been taking a bit of a break lately after 5-6 months of gradual weight loss. Starting with our vacation at the beginning of November I have focused on maintainig my losses for the year (about 17 lbs). I am so close to my goal, but I just cannot focus on weight loss during the holiday season. ...

r.jean

Early on with No S, I had no mods, but after I had been at it for awhile, I retired. I have since experimented taking my S days on different days. Currently I usually take either Friday/Saturday or Saturday/Sunday. However, I never split S days, such as taking part of Friday and part of Sunday. To m...

r.jean

Wow! I do not know how you keep up your marathon pace. Good for you and enjoy your race!

r.jean

Although I stick to Vanilla No S most of the time, I do agree that keeping sweets under control is hard once you start. It is hard to eat just one thing. I do a mod on vacations that is similar to what you are suggesting. I do not use S days, but I allow one S event a day, usually a dessert.

r.jean

So you are craving snacks but not hungry? For me this was best dealt with by keeping busy and distracting myself from thoughts of eating. I hate to say it, but it was also sheer will power at first. If real hunger is involved, I might drink a glass of milk or tomato juice. After a while, it becomes ...

r.jean

Good luck!

r.jean

I used the Fitness Pal app for 6 months to track certain nutritional items, and it taught me a lot about what I was eating. I am glad I did it, but I have weaned myself away from it recently. Tracking will never be a permanent part of my life. I am back to Vanilla No S, but I am more knowledgeable a...

r.jean

Vanilla No S means you follow the basic rules with no modifications.

This means you do not add things, like calorie counting or other restrictions. You also do not modify the No S structure. Read it and follow it strictly.

r.jean

Way to go! Eventually moderation becomes a habit!

However, I still have my gluttonous moments....like yesterday.

r.jean

I eat out a lot. It is my way of keeping in touch with friends. I usually gauge my meal and eat what seems to be in line with a dinner plate and take the rest home. If I want to stay green, I skip the chips at Mexican restaurants and just eat the main plate. Or I order no meal, just one side item (s...

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