Everyday Systems

ironchef

Crazy busy week and weekend. Overate on sweets on Saturday, bleurgh!

Cycled in today (Monday) and green so far. Soooo much better!!

ironchef

hi gingerpie, always nice to see you here. I definitely find I improve by checking in frequently to the supportive community here :) My husband has a chronic illness, which is managed in part by medication, in part by being careful with our lifestyles (low stress, good quality sleep, regular exercis...

ironchef

Hi Linda, glad youâ€™re on the mend! Just wanted to say my mother went back to college in her late 40s to retrain as a landscape architect. She was a very dedicated mom when we were little and in school, and then she wanted to do something for herself. We were Freshmen the same year, me at 18 and sh...

ironchef

Cycled Mon and Tuesday. Green both days.
Tonight (Tues) going to try to fit in a no-equipment NTC workout.
Day off work tomorrow, really need it to catch up on all the house and garden stuff after 5 days away!!

ironchef

Why not go back to them and say "hey, I've thought it over and it might be easier and more fun to do xyz". And then suggest a trip that is cheaper / shorter / closer to home to do as a couple's holiday? You never know, they might be relieved that they are not "disappointing" you if they don't make i...

ironchef

Sorry to hear you've been experiencing heartburn too! It is really miserable. I never had any until after I had my kids, and I don't know if it is changes to my body or just getting older. The good news is that I've brought it much more under control by avoiding a few triggers (coffee, fizzy alcohol...

ironchef

hey auto! Yes, kind of. My parents own 40 acres of bushland, but there is a small shed there, so we don't have to pitch a tent. Glamping I guess! We do build fires for cooking etc, so that part is still authentic. It was beautiful, and the bush in springtime is really amazing - so many orchids! Glad...

ironchef

Thanks Linda! It was wonderful, but kind of heartbreaking that we don't live in the same city.

Had a few nibbles of almonds and fennel salami on top of my actual dinner, but no sweets etc.

Off to the forest today, so probably check in next Monday/ Tuesday. Have a good weekend all!

ironchef

I have perfected the art of distracting people by holding a coffee/tea and making small talk. I don't think people realise I'm not eating. But my work has treats frequently so I needed a strategy.

If pressed, I usually say it looks lovely, but not hungry at present.

ironchef

Glad you swung up later in the day! Isn't it amazing how immersion in a creative task can lift you up

ironchef

Wow Bluebell, you're doing so well. Isn't the freedom to enjoy a party without guilt amazing?
And congrats to your parents, a lovely milestone!

ironchef

When I was working as a personal trainer we used to offer clients a review (weigh, measure, skin folds, vo2 max) after 12 weeks. Any less than that and it isn't really enough time for the body to respond to the program. Humans are very adaptable, but not that fast :-) I think the measuring and fit o...

ironchef

Hi auto, NTC is the Nike training club app that I've got free on my phone. I'm actually finding it very easy and motivating, because I always have my phone with me and can choose short or equipment free workouts. I have finally accepted that at this point, with 2 little kids and 3 days a week work I...

ironchef

Well, I've changed my belly shape relatively dramatically through two pregnancies with no "slow drop" afterwards and acquired only a small bit of extra skin. However the more delicate skin on my neck and upper arms is showing my age (and perhaps sun damage). So in my experience how much skin "snaps ...

ironchef

Monday was a public holiday here, but as it was Queen's birthday, and not associated with food / eating I just made it an N day. I was meant to do an NTC workout, but instead took the kids swimming in the morning and to the Zoo in the afternoon. Will try to fit in NTC today (Tuesday). Green for Mond...

ironchef

Agree Merry, it's so nice to fit into things comfortably, especially if they are old faves!

Really good to hear you are looking forward to N days, Linda - I think that's a real turning point when we realise that we actually prefer moderate eating.

ironchef

Saturday turned out really well, three squares plus a slice of birthday cake. Lots of walking with the kids and my folks. Sunday we had a 5th birthday for one of iron baby's friends. Managed again to make it just a normal day plus one slice of birthday cake. Really pleased, and sooo much more enjoya...

ironchef

Thanks Linda!

Friday green. Took the kids for a after school swim and did 7 min NTC stretch. Bedtime meditation.

Saturday is my Dad's birthday party. My aim is a green day with a nice piece of cake after lunch.

ironchef

No WTH! Finished the day green, did my 30 minutes NTC. Even resisted very temptations to share dessert with mr chef ðŸ˜€

ironchef

Oh, don't worry, I'll come up with something oolala! Linda, I'm the same with fizz, although of course I don't get that many chances to check with nice champagne, perhaps more experiments are needed :D. It's a real shame, because I love a gin and tonic on a warm summer afternoon, sigh. I gave up ord...

ironchef

Thank you everyone for chiming in with such thoughtful words! Can I say again how much I appreciate this board. Absolutely Linda, no point living in a someday. Eckhart Tolle said to live your life circumstances as if you had chosen it. I love this Lilybug, and when I look at it, as a person of privi...

ironchef

Great news on the insurance! When I struggle with heartburn I can almost always trace it to too many coffees during the day, or to alcohol. My dad also found as he aged he couldn't digest coffee. ðŸ˜¢At least tea seems to be ok. For some reason I cannot tolerate most beers anymore - used to be fine,...

ironchef

I still trip up sometimes on just basic No S, which addresses sweets, which, lets be honest, is the main issue with carbohydrates in our society. When people have outlined low carb or paleo type things to me, it's always sounded like a relatively expensive way of eating, which is a bigger considerat...

ironchef

I was thinking on my cycle home yesterday about how I'd love to meditate more and start my day with some stretching or yoga rather than chores or news. And I found myself daydreaming a little fantasy world where I'm retired and the kids have left home and each day I wake without an alarm, do some yo...

ironchef

Oh no! Glad everyone is ok, but what a downer.

Hope you are feeling better!

ironchef

Tuesday, cycled to work, green so far.

I'm also hoping to fit in an NTC workout tonight.

ironchef

Technically, No S as written doesn't state a number of meals. Most people assume 3, but I know there are posters who prefer 2, or 4. If you plan in advance that these are your meals and you won't eat outside of them, then give it a go. If you find after a few months that you are not getting the resu...

ironchef

Lol! It's like fat free cheese - can I just have 1/4 the amount of the ordinary cheese please?? Glad people understand that I want cake that is cake :) To be fair, my SIL makes amazing salads - really creative and delicious. It's just that when you bring the principles of great salad and try to appl...

ironchef

Sunday finished up great and exactly how I hope S days will be (and often aren't). I didn't end up eating any birthday cake, because it wasn't very nice. I had my normal breakfast, lunch and dinner. In the afternoon my son and I made a mini vanilla cake with chocolate glaze to share with some friend...

ironchef

Welcome back fellow Aussie!

ironchef

Hey auto, sorry your body is lagging behind - it will catch up eventually!

Really glad you're enjoying your doggy! I love our dog, but didn't enjoy puppy / adolescence. I remember crying tears of frustration at our local park a time or two - a world away from our relaxed middle aged dog today!

ironchef

Wow, a big exercise day, go you! I love yoga, would love to back to classes one day.

Really glad you're feeling better, have a lovely weekend!

ironchef

Spot on Linda. It's the all day snacking that is so unsatisfying. My pantry is not a social occasion! We had a lovely dinner out - enjoyed a plate of duck rendang with coconut rice, and then a creme caramel with green tea ice cream. I was full, but not sick, and apart from one glass of wine I drank ...

ironchef

Wow, I've typed par and then oar. But what I mean is OAT. Stupid phone

ironchef

Did 30 minutes of NTC exercise with my 5year old! Really fun :-) Saturday same as an N day so far. I will probably have an oar cookie with my mum later. We are out to dinner tonight for mr chef's sports wind up, so if there is a good dessert I'll have one. Other than that, just a savoury plate of di...

ironchef

Welcome back! I look forward to reading about your progress

ironchef

Stayed mostly green Friday except for one par cookie with me chef after dinner. I made it myself and really savoured it, so the best kind of red (if that is a thing?)

Big activity day today, but not based around eating, so hoping for a moderate S day

ironchef

Sorry you had a tough day, and really glad you still got your riding in. Sounds like giving yourself a day off was a good move. Absolutely helps to shift the focus away from deprivation, because if I focus on feelings of missing out I usually am only one step away from justifying a blow out (YOLO!)....

ironchef

Sorry to hear you had a bad night. I now and again have a bad night with heartburn, it really is so painful, on top of the lost sleep! Good on you for keeping up with the NTC, even though you were poorly slept. It's much harder to get motivated for exercise when you are tired. Keep putting one foot ...

ironchef

I generally go with one bowl being interchangeable with one plate. However, I recently realised that I was overeating pretty substantially when using our big bowls for dense foods like pasta with bolognese or stir fry with rice. So, I got out plates instead, and experimented a bit. It turns out that...

ironchef

Kept Wed green, although a heavier dinner of pizza and salad with my sister and her family before they leave for Italy. Thurs green so far, cycling to and from work today. For some reason feeling more motivated and on a bit of an upswing (perhaps the additional exercise?), so I'm going to enjoy thin...

ironchef

Wed green so far. Did 30 minutes strength workout with my Nike app, so pleased with myself for fitting that in while Squiggle was napping.

ironchef

I used this strawberry cake recipe from addapinch: https://addapinch.com/strawberry-cake-recipe/ But I halved the sugar, used oil because I had no shortening, and did not put any frosting on it. It made 2 cakes and I took one to my mum's and the other to work. She says the recipe serves 12, but it w...

ironchef

Monday was mostly green, but I tried a bite of chocolate amaretto biscuit that my work colleague brought in. Oops. But I did manage to avoid eating any of the fresh strawberry puree cake that I baked and served with cream and strawberries. So, kind of a half win? Green so far today. Cycled to work t...

ironchef

I can relate to this, and I think for me it as caused by years of going on harsh diets, which were preceded by "last supper" type eating. My thought patterns were kind of "better get this treat in before my diet starts tomorrow". If this is you, perhaps it will just take a while for your brain to tr...

ironchef

Forgot to say, yay that you are using the NTC app. I've been enjoying it so far, and it is so varied it really looks like something for everyone. Even if I can only squeeze in 7 minutes, there seems to be something worthwhile.

ironchef

Linda, much sympathy from me! My husband doesn't seem to notice my appearance, in fact when I lost weight on No S he only commented because his female family members mentioned it to him! But the upside is that when I was late in my second pregnancy, and felt huge and awful and my legs were like saus...

ironchef

There was the "No S catch phrase" sticky, which is now in the "sticky of stickies" thread?

ironchef

Thanks Linda and Merry. Court went really well! It was sloooow, waited almost 2 hours to go in, then spent the best part of an hour sitting there while the magistrate worked methodically through our ex-tenant's story. Finally the judge took his glasses off, put his pen down and looked out at us all ...

ironchef

You remind me of one of my favorite L M Montgomery quotes: "Don't let a three-o'clock-at-night feeling fog your soul". But unfortunately there is a 3am every night!
Good thoughts for a green week!

ironchef

Finished Tuesday green, cycled to and from work and also did a quick 7 min yoga thing from NTC. I've signed up to go along to a community weeding day this weekend at a local parkland that we really enjoy. It has some amazing native plants, but also some invasive weed species, and after a long time t...

ironchef

Excuses will always be there for you - they are always there for me. But you get to decide whether to fall back on those excuses or just march on through. Give yourself a simple internal statement like "I'm going to stick with vanilla" or something like that and be your own broken record. Then you c...

ironchef

Yup, NTC is the app. Despite my technical job (or perhaps because of it), I am not a phone savvy person

Finished Monday green. Today will cycle to work. Ouch, legs are a bit sore from yesterday's benchmark test.

ironchef

When I first started I weighed daily and calculated an average. My weight was lowest every Friday and then up every Monday. By a fair bit. However, the long term trend was pretty much always down. Long term I lost at about 1/2-1/4 kg per week, and this slow loss was completely obscured by the 1kg ju...

ironchef

Monday 4th: Green so far, did a benchmark fitness test for my Nike app. Phew, hard work. The idea is to do it, then follow the recommended work outs for 8 weeks, then take the benchmark test again. We'll see how we go...

ironchef

The Nike app is free on my iPhone, and you can select from a range of different exercises and plans, so everything from yoga stretching to doing weights in a fully equipped gym. I'm enjoying it so far, I've chosen a strength and flexibility plan that plans out 3 workouts a week that can be done with...

ironchef

It definitely gets much easier over time, and somehow life expands to fill up the time

ironchef

Nice

Glad you can share that happiness!

ironchef

I wouldn't be counting calories except that it comes second nature to me. I'm not weighing or measuring anything at this point. Just eyeballing it. I could probably have a doctorate in calorie counting given the amount of my life I dedicated to it. I would say I spent at least a decade, maybe more,...

ironchef

Nice work Linda! Lots of exercise this week

ironchef

Thanks Linda, it is really lovely, most days. Except today, when I was stuck in driving rain! Oh well, I'm not made of sugar :) Wed: exercised with my new phone Nike app and my at home free weights. Happy with myself for getting this done. Went out for special dinner with old friends, had 1 savory p...

ironchef

Tuesday 29th August - cycled to work. green so far. Yesterday was a very hardwon green. I ate lunch at work around 12:30, then due to a combination of chores and other factors, did not eat my dinner with mr. chef until 9:15pm. The temptation was strong to pick at the kids' dinners, or to tell myself...

ironchef

For us the weekends are the most unstructured time, the time when we see our friends and families, and the days when the vast majority of parties and special outings we are invited to are scheduled. So, having those be S days works for me. I am very rarely invited out to a birthday party, engagement...

ironchef

Thanks Linda - if I worked more than 3 days a week it would be even better, but it is definitely good to have automatic exercise on 3 out of 7 days. My cycle takes me about 25 - 30 minutes depending on whether I take the shortest route or follow the river. So that's about an hour total if you count ...

ironchef

Good on you for being aware and stopping when it wasn't pleasurable anymore! I often have the same weird thinking on a Sunday night "gotta get my treats", even after 5 years of having the weekend roll around every week :) I often have an odd headache in the evenings at the end of S days, which I thi...

ironchef

I spent a long time just building habit: putting 3 meals a day on a plate and sitting down to eat the plate in one sitting. After a while, I guess several months(?), I came to trust that I could put a bit less of the dense foods on my plates (especially at dinner time) and still not be over-hungry f...

ironchef

Back to work Monday after a 3 day weekend trip to Mandurah, on the beach just an hour south of here. Was lovely, but heavy going (drinks, eating out for breakfast, etc).
Cycled in today, green so far!

ironchef

Phew, still very busy, but going ok. It remains a bit of a challenge to get into a regular exercise routine. Other than cycling to work, I just seem to end up with fits and starts, but no ongoing pattern. I'm still unsure how to remedy this. The best laid plans get messed up by unexpected household ...

ironchef

oops, must have been posting at the same time

So good to hear!

ironchef

Linda, hope all went well.

oolala, first rule of internet articles (or Youtube videos for that matter) - don't read the comments

ironchef

Just catching up on your thread, love your well thought out ideas after re-reading the book. Could be time for me to re-read too! Pulling for you over here in Oz! As far as going to the protest on Monday, I feel like I can't stay home. Maybe it's a bit reckless of me but I can't help thinking about ...

ironchef

One thing I would add is that how sweet (or salt) we like things to be to taste "right" is partly a learned behavior. You don't "have to have" everything taste mega-sweet, but you are used to it. And you can change your tastes over time. A decade ago, if you had told me that I would drink tea and co...

ironchef

Tuesday green so far. Walked part way to work, then jumped on a bus to get out of the rain!

ironchef

I lived several months in Germany with a family during a school exchange when I was 16. My observations, living with a middle class family in Hannover, were as follows: 1. Both breakfast and dinner were relatively light, simple meals, usually with dark breads and cheeses and/or sliced meats. Breakfa...

ironchef

Have not checked in for a while - life has been a bit of a whirlwind, but in a good way.

Monday, green. Cycled to work along the river, beautiful. Saw the most amazing group of cormorants and pelicans feeding on a school of fish in the river. Incredible.

ironchef

Wow, Bluebell, that's amazing! Well done you! I look forward to following your future successes!

I struggle with the exercise part as well. Somehow it is much easier to remove something from my routine (snacking) than add something (exercise).

ironchef

Wed was green. Phew. Feeling less overwhelmed already. Scale has yet to realise things are back on track however! Yesterday was a strength day, but I had lots of other tasks while Squiggle was asleep. So I waited until later and involved the kids in my exercises. I uses Squiggle as my "weights". She...

ironchef

Thanks Larkspur! Was a good discussion, but not sure if it will go anywhere. But as you say, nice to be wanted :) Green so far today, feeling really good about that early morning run (in the dark). I think exercise for me is less about weight loss by itself, and more about the motivation and self es...

ironchef

The only way is up, baby! For you and me now...

Sorry, feeling a little silly this afternoon. I've been inspired by you, so I bit the bullet and weighed this morning as well so I know where I stand

Now on to a green week!

Ooh, good news on surprise bonus, awesome!

ironchef

Just got back from a Tuesday morning run, so still going well on exercise. Did stick with 2 plates yesterday, but somewhat dense ones. I have been invited to a coffee today in what I think is a bid to offer me a job and get me to leave my current job. I really love my current job, but haven't had a ...

ironchef

hey auto, just catching up after my own off the rails / somewhat depressing little episode. So sorry you are going through a rough time, and lots of tough family stuff too. Something in the water the past few days for sure. I was thinking of you the other day, because I want to start reading my olde...

ironchef

Thanks ladies!. I really don't feel like I'm doing to great, but perhaps that's just due to a big Friday night and overeating weekend. Three days can feel like a looong time when you are stuffed full! I did still do my planned run on Sunday, and cycled to work today. Eating on the other hand is all ...

ironchef

What is it in the last week? I've been totally off the rails, and have not weighed today (Monday here) to avoid facing up to things. I think I'll take oolala's advice and only weight after at least 3 successful green days.

Hope you have a better week this week and get on track again.

ironchef

ugh, spoke to soon. Had a nasty headache this afternoon and needed something in my stomach in order to take medication. Nothing with me, so had a cookie from the work jar. Bleugh.

ironchef

Wed - run, Thurs - cycled to work. Also green! Very pleased that I'm finally getting back to some exercise. I wrote out a planned schedule for the next few months and stuck it on our fridge. This is both to keep me accountable and so that mr. chef can see what I have planned and help me stay on trac...

ironchef

One of the most helpful things I read here (can't remember which poster) when I was first starting out was: "You don't have to fix everything about your eating at once". I felt like that gave me permission to just implement the basic rules of No S, without having to worry about the rest of my usual ...

ironchef

Keep on going, the scales will catch up in the end

What a shame about your iPad, that sucks!

ironchef

Hmm, bit of funny business yesterday evening - ate a bit of egg and noodle with the kids, then a small plate of kangaroo sausage and mash with my husband. I could try to hand wave it away as "virtual plating", but I'm going to call it a red, because it felt like one. Today, aiming for the letter of ...

ironchef

meal5 on this thread:
https://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=11442

ironchef

Phew, a bit of an overeating Sunday afternoon - a big group for afternoon tea, with ginger cake, chocolate truffles, muffins, oh my! Definitely overdid it.

Very pleased to be back to an N day today!

ironchef

Don't panic, you've got this! Thinking good thoughts for you for a relaxed, green week.

ironchef

No worries, I usually try to edit my posts for "international clarity", as I know most posters are in the northern hemisphere :) I wrote my post vacation update a bit too quickly! Green yesterday, but a heavy dinner plate as it was late and I was very hungry! Green so far today, and walked to work. ...

ironchef

I would gently suggest that being negative after the fact is unhelpful, and perhaps even feeding the cycle. For me, being angry with myself and castigating myself mentally afterwards is a key part. I would try putting determination / strictness on high beforehand, and if you do have a fail, put comp...

ironchef

Wow, Dave, that's an amazing record.

Really sorry you've had such a tough year, and well done for taking care of yourself while you've been going through a hard time.

ironchef

I was in the South West of Western Australia (about 3 hours drive south of my home here in Perth, WA), in a little area called Margaret River. It's winter here, but pretty mild, so apart from a bit of rain our time in the bush was lovely. I've read about the incredible heatwave you have been endurin...

ironchef

The basics: Female Age 38 5 years on habit Height 172cm (5'8") Frame Small (wrist < 9cm) During weight July 2017 60.5kg (133 pounds), BMI 20 Previous testimonials: Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 - oops, missed a year. What can I say, life moves pretty fast! The bit where I blather on: 5 years on I con...

ironchef

Wow, what a full month, Merry! So many great milestones :) begin hijack: I haven't read the Stop Arguing one, but I did read another book by the same author, called "The Lost Art of Listening". Mostly because I am aware that I am often talking and not listening enough, and then I feel guilty afterwa...

ironchef

My mother always says that one of the most relaxing things is time by yourself in your own home. I pretty much never get any, but I love it if I do get an hour here or there, as does my highly extroverted husband. Enjoy! I really admire the way you parent your kids so consciously and intentionally. ...

ironchef

Thanks all! I'm sure it will very soon be put to bed. Just back for 5 days in the beautiful south west with my family. Back to work (and N day!) today, Monday 10th. Now we're fully recovered from coughs and colds, time to get serious about exercise again. Cycling to work and weights at home seems to...

ironchef

I always liked the saying about parenting "They may not do what you say, but inevitably will do what you do". A big part of my motivation for taking up No S was becoming a mother. I want to be that role model for my kids - so they can see me each day eating satisfying, nourishing meals and having oc...

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Ironchef Testimonial - 5 years on No S