Everyday Systems

Imogen Morley

Maybe you could try differentiating between "stumbles" (one fail) and "fails" (true WTH fender-benders) in your HabitCal? Like marking the former yellow, and the latter red?

Imogen Morley

Even though I love reading, sometimes it's not enough to completely occupy my mind. I find that listening to music and/or singing does the trick. And rewatching British sketch comedy shows like Mitchell&Webb or Fry&Laurie never fails to make me smile when I need it most. When I want to get out of th...

Imogen Morley

Thanks for your kind words, eschano! Are you updating your thread? I'd love to know what's up with you and yours.
Wednesday was

I was actually amazed how easy and natural it was for me yesterday... But I know it's the honeymoon phase still.

Imogen Morley

Congratulations on your dry days! Also, regarding your weekend challenges, I know that if I taste something sweet before lunch, the whole day is a goner. Perhaps delaying consumption would bring you some peace of mind?

Imogen Morley

Hi auto! It is great to be here again, although I always imagine people must laugh at me for failing and restarting so many times. Or perhaps it's my inner critic talking... Anyway, hugs! Monday was :mrgreen: I did have a rather large dinner (fit on one plate with some edges showing, sure, but still...

Imogen Morley

Well then, hello. I'm currently maintaining at 56.5 kg while counting calories, which is great, BUT I eat *mostly* sweets, and usually in the form of snacks. I'm already afraid of my dentist appointment this Thursday... So even though I'm pretty happy about the number on the scale, I'm definitely wo...

Imogen Morley

Quick update: I got back to work, so there's not much free time for me unless I somehow organise the chaos of everyday life (with mixed success so far). On the upside, I've already lost 2 kilos thanks to my mod! Woohoo! I've been binge free for a month. Wishing everyone happy Eeaster!

Imogen Morley

I've had great success with this mod so far - no binging for two weeks, and a little bit of vanity weight coming off. Several times I was very, very hungry in the evening, to the point I was unable to sleep, so I resorted to a snack - without any WTH effect kicking in. I wish I had more time to post...

Imogen Morley

Wednesday

I had a savoury snack in the evening after my dessert. The things light and carby breakfasts do to me...
Thursday

Although I must say that my evening treat was completely disappointing, but I kept eating, sorta mindlessly.

Imogen Morley

Octavia, I doubt you could call that a binge, but I certainly considered going full ballistic for a moment. What I love about my mod is that I feel it helps me learn true moderation, not just delayed binging. Tuesday :) I skipped my evening dessert, because DD's sickness turned our everyday routine ...

Imogen Morley

Monday was :oops: I ate very little protein during the day, which made me ravenous in the evening. I gave in and had an egg salad sandwich and two pancakes with maple syrup and milk on the side right after my dessert at 8 PM. Had trouble sleeping afterwards! Of course, WTH thoughts started resurfaci...

Imogen Morley

In my opinion, the fact that you start noticing excess on S-days and are bothered by it is the first step towards "normalisation" - in the sense that, perhaps soon, perhaps later, you'll want to make conscious effort to avoid going overboard. Regarding Reinhard's metaphor... I don't think his messag...

Imogen Morley

Auto, thanks for your previous advice. Seems like the mod is working way better than vanilla ever did. Sunday :) I was tempted to eat for emotional reasons for a few moments but persisted, reminding myself how many successful days I already had under my belt. I am positively baffled how easy it is t...

Imogen Morley

Saturday

I am loving this mod!

Imogen Morley

Friday was :) The funny thing is, the treat I'd prepared for the evening was totally disappointing. I took a small bite and immediately felt regretful, as if I HAD to eat it and be miserable. Then I reminded myself that there's no obligation to eat anything I didn't like just because I had planned i...

Imogen Morley

I'm a big fan of Leslie Sansone's walking workouts. They take 5, 10, 15, 30, 45 minutes, whatever you need at the moment. I'm partial to 1 Mile Happy Walk. Fun music that isn't obnoxious, and the movements are easy to follow. Even my husband joins in from time to time!

Imogen Morley

reminding myself that I can have fun without overeating. More fun in fact as I wonâ€™t feel uncomfortable. That's a great reminder for us all, actually. Congratulations on your successful week! All the more impressive when you realise that so many of us abandon all structure when something unexpect...

Imogen Morley

Auto, your willpower must be amazing then! For me, when it's gone it's gone... until the next day, when I replenish my supply. Thursday :) I had a couple of rough moments, but I reminded myself that giving in after so many successful days would make me feel really terrible afterwards. Plus, cravings...

Imogen Morley

You're certainly not alone. I use coffee like bitter medicine - drink it only when I'm literally falling asleep mid-day, with some sugar and milk to make it easier on my tastebuds. Happens maybe twice a week. I don't think we're missing out on much, and know plenty of people that drink coffee only r...

Imogen Morley

Octavia, it's entirely possible that NoS will work for you without any mods. Don't rush anything, just calmly observe and adjust when necessary. I'm pretty sure that I'd stick to vanilla if I needed to lose weight, just as I did in the past. But given my history with disordered eating, I'd rather tr...

Imogen Morley

I'm very happy to see you're in this for the long term. Slow and steady wins the race! And of course, there's so much more to NoS than just weight loss. Freedom from any kind of food fixation is enough in itself for everybody who's ever tried substance-accounting diets.

Imogen Morley

Life, I remember your mod and I'm very happy it has worked for you so wonderfully. I tried it at some point, but sweets at meals were just feeding my cravings too much, so I stopped. Different strokes for different folks, right? But with just a little bit of tweaking, I might finally find the right ...

Imogen Morley

I can't do vanilla anymore. I'm tired of the constant deprivation/binge cycle. I restarted NoS in order to regularise my eating and stop noshing on sweets every day and guess what? Every weekend has been a sugar rollercoaster, and my food journal clearly shows that I ate less treats BEFORE the reboo...

Imogen Morley

Awww, thank you for such kind words. The support on this forum has always been incredible... one of few such places across the entire Internet. I binged on late Saturday evening (boredom + "because I can"). In hindisght, I shouldn't have brought home so much of my favourite chocolate. If it's in the...

Imogen Morley

I'm absolutely terrified of stroke-related paralysis and dementia, but somehow, my fear has contributed to emotional eating instead of curbing my sugar consumption. Kudos to you for taking your health so seriously.

Imogen Morley

Care to share the recipe for the salted caramel crepe? Sounds divine!

EDIT: Aw schucks, didn't realise you were still on vacation

But you've given me an idea for an S-day treat for sure. Enjoy your time off!

Imogen Morley

Octavia, you too! Auto, thanks for reminding me to be gentle with myself. I stepped onto the scale this Saturday morning, as it was a real bummer to see I was up by roughly a pound - currently 58.8 kilos. 19 days under my belt, including only 6 truly green days, 4 idiotic and 1 relatively calm S-day...

Imogen Morley

You're right, Octavia. I need to re-establish solid habits before tampering with the system. From time to time I get impatient... fortunately, then I read my old journal entries or comments such as yours, and all falls into place again. Thanks. Thursday was green, so has been Friday so far. I overfi...

Imogen Morley

I don't know exactly why we choose eating to stimulate ourselves, but the dopamine theory seems plausible. I've read that when boredom strikes and thoughts about food resurface, finding some dopamine-stimulating activity helps. What surprised me was that cleaning was considered one of the best solut...

Imogen Morley

Auto, I don't think you could ever get close to 6000 extra calories. On my wildest, wildest weekends I came to 3000 at most (I diligently counted for some time, even when I was going crazy with food), and you should really see how I binged then.

Imogen Morley

Octavia, seems like I'm practising my urge-resisting muscle too much. I had a fail on late Wednesday evening, combination of boredom eating and passing thoughts on getting back to the mod that allowed me to get to my lowest adult weight while having planned sweets on some weekdays. Still, no binge! ...

Imogen Morley

Yeah, I know it's technically not a fail... but it feels so to me. Sadly, even virtual plating didn't help, and I was ravenous around 8 PM. Hot liquids didn't cut it, neither did milk, so I ate a smallish meal. Tuesday was red, in the end, but at least I didn't give in to the binging thoughts that a...

Imogen Morley

Thanks for your insights! I always eat like a madwoman at parties where I feel uncomfortable, because I don't have to talk to people I don't like when I'm having my mouth full :lol: When it comes to my family, I love them to pieces, and we've mostly had very close, very supportive relationship. Some...

Imogen Morley

I don't know your thoughts on weighing, but I do my weekly weigh-in on Saturday morning before breakfast. That usually eliminates Friday night fails, because I'm curious about how much weight I've lost during the week and I don't want to miss the weigh-in or falsify it with Friday binges. I track my...

Imogen Morley

My weekend weight was usually gone by Wednesday, with strict plating on Monday and Tuesday.
How did you come up with 6000 extra calories? Do you count/eyeball them?

Imogen Morley

I agree that permasnacking is almost never enjoyable. Wondering why we do it then? Because we're tired with exercising constant control over our eating? I've read some study claiming that we snack when we're bored, as a way to stimulate dopamine production and to break up the feeling of monotony, so...

Imogen Morley

I hear you. Last week was difficult for me, too. Keeping my fingers crossed for our respective green weeks!

Imogen Morley

Bit of a confession here... Yeah, I am terribly close with my family (parents and two brothers + SIL/kids), we all love to cook, eat, and celebrate with food... very European I guess :lol: With such a big family there are always birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays spent together, and each of thos...

Imogen Morley

Octavia, I've read your thread with great interest. I can totally relate to so many of your insights! One thing I wanted to mention regarding wild S-days: at my longest vanilla streak, I binged pretty much every weekend, and still lost 10 percent of my body weight without any modifications to the or...

Imogen Morley

Turns out my mum made her own, so this time I don't have any left, sorry! :) Tuesday was OK, but things went downhill on Wednesday and Friday. One planned piece of cake at my daughter's b-day party somehow multiplied, I grabbed some of the snacks I was preparing, and in general permasnacked all even...

Imogen Morley

Frankly, I've yet to meet a vegan who isn't a neurotic personality. They tend to have that unnerving, perfectionist streak that just irks me. I'm not against vegans by definition, but I work with several and they're downright annoying, not only when it comes to eating habits. Just sayin'. You cracke...

Imogen Morley

I think a kinder approach to excessive S-days is in the end more productive than wallowing in remorse. At least one doesn't have to binge to fix the hard feelings!

Imogen Morley

:) Monday. Plates were biggish, though. It's wonderful to have the structure again! Funny how every weekend I tell myself that free eating is the ultimate happiness, and then can't wait for Monday to begin. But free eating isn't compulsion... I'm going to take (probably) two S-events this week - my ...

Imogen Morley

Absolutely! Hard to find any time for myself this weekend, but at least I can have a nice long shower. I don't know why, but it always puts me in a "fresh start" mode.
Tons of yummy food all around me, I'm eating A LOT, but over the top S-days are to be expected whenever I restart.

Imogen Morley

Yesterday was good(ish). Today I failed hard :oops: I was stressed and overwhelmed with juggling in-laws, baby, cooking, work, and social obligations, and there was so much delicious food lying around the house and waiting for the guests. I had originally planned having some cake when THEY dig in, s...

Imogen Morley

Hi, automated! Nice to see you back :) I'm desperately hoping for some free time this weekend to catch up on everyone's threads, but with in-laws visiting, baby teething, and my usual work-at-home routine it's gonna be difficult. Wednesday :) Thursday :oops: I took Nina to my parents, and I succumbe...

Imogen Morley

Tuesday

Tuesdays are always super hard for me - no motivation carried over from Monday, and the weekend is so far down the road. But I managed! I did have an oversized lunch plate, though.

Imogen Morley

I'm back. Currently at 130 pounds, with my food habits all over the place. While my weight is stable and I'm pretty happy with it, I worry about my dependence on sugar. I eat waaaaay too much of it, and occassionally binge. In my case, dessert today means dessert tomorrow, too... and two the day aft...

Imogen Morley

After 5 or so years of vanilla NoS (with some short-lived mods) I felt like I needed more freedom and less structure. It turned out that when eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted I only gained about 5 pounds, so at least I knew that NoS truly rewired my brain to crave less food (I had used to...

Imogen Morley

Small and/or carby breakfasts give me the munchies, so I was super surprised when almost everyone in the poll on the general forum voted for small morning meals! I sometimes make my breakfasts two-course (oatmeal + sandwiches, for example) and they really keep me full and satisfied for pretty much t...

Imogen Morley

ZippaDee, I second what you said about not having to count points! Every SAD is mentally taxing. I'm always amazed at how much free space I have in my head once I stick to straight vanilla. Even mods seem to drain my energy too much. They work for a time, yes... but are not sustainable in the long r...

Imogen Morley

Hi and welcome! I'm restarting NoS after a 2-year break, and I've been thinking about the "plated sweets" method, too. I tried it several years ago, and I remember it to be a really slippery slope. Sugar begets sugar, in my opinion, so no matter how much I whine about my excessive S-days and general...

Imogen Morley

Wow, am I really in the minority here? My breakfast is always the biggest meal of the day, and always protein-based. Give me oatmeal and I'm starving two hours later. Take away one piece of bread or one egg from my breakfast and I'm gobbling up sweets and fried food throughout the day, never really ...

Imogen Morley

Actually, not a newbie here, but that's exactly what I needed to read tonight.

Imogen Morley

Over43 wrote:When I eat snacks, I eat more snacks.

What a great catchphrase, Reinhard!

Imogen Morley

Sinnie, it's wonderful to see you here again, and I DO apologise for such a late reply. Ironically, it's not the baby that keeps me up at night but work. I've started working at home to make some extra money and it seems like everyone needs my services now, which I'm generally very proud of... just ...

Imogen Morley

In my opinion it all boils down to movement, if you put eating habits aside for a while. We simply walk more, and our cities and towns were made for walking and spending time outdoors, not on purpose perhaps, but urban areas in Europe, especially in the older parts of towns, are quite compact and en...

Imogen Morley

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170720094844.htm I'd say that three meals is ideal, but my observations during 7 years of NoS habits seem to be confirming the rest of the findings. Now, with the 5-month-old at home, we've already discussed that no snacking and sweets on special days is...

Imogen Morley

Absolutely! Different strokes for different folks! Anoulie, for example, came to the same conclusion: that vanilla No S doesn't work for her and exacerbates the binging problem. Perhaps for us struggling with emotional eating or deprivation issues it's better to start with the basics and then build ...

Imogen Morley

Yeah, I've tried that too. And counted a whole box of pralines in one sitting as my after-dinner dessert. Or just binged right after meals.

Imogen Morley

I feel terrible for abandoning the forum for so long. Nina is such a happy, no-fuss baby that I really have no excuse. Or wait, perhaps I do have one. I'm no longer doing NoS. I've lost all the weight I wanted to by calorie counting, which means I have desserts pretty much every day. And it's not he...

Imogen Morley

I'm waiting to see Visnjic in the biopic about Gotovina, though I'm not sure if he's the best pick to play the general.

Imogen Morley

You too! Monday :mrgreen: I did some cardio moves while watching Hidden Figures when Nina was asleep, 40 minutes overall, plus 1 mile workout. No walk today, the weather has been too unstable and windy lately. Meals were both tasty and moderate, though I resorted to weighing my food - I'm terrible a...

Imogen Morley

S-unday

Another moderate S-day! I had seconds of pizza at dinner, 2 truffles, mini chocolate (about four small squares), ice cream bar, 1/3 bag of peanut puffs. No sweets after breakfast, 1 mile Leslie Sansone workout, 45 minute walk. Yay!

Imogen Morley

Friday :mrgreen: S-aturday :wink: Morning weigh in: 61.5 kg/135.5 lbs. Fantastic, sane S-day. I kept repeating: if you don't really want it but eat it anyway, you're soon going to start rummaging the cupboards to find something else. Because you didn't want that particular thing in the first place, ...

Imogen Morley

Trying to pull myself together again. Thursday was :mrgreen: Some leftovers looked particularly tempting when my stomach was grumbling in the evening, but I had half a glass of milk and took an early shower to keep myself busy. I'm getting reacquainted with slight hunger before meals. Drilling mysel...

Imogen Morley

Just checked out Bienne on Google pics... The old town is stunning!
I'm so envious about your BMI/bf stats - I better turn it into inspiration, ha. But seriously, you're doing great. I bet walking as much as you do helps a lot. Have you ever checked how many steps/kilometres you pack in a day?

Imogen Morley

Thanks for posting this. Your perspective is a much-needed encouragement.

Imogen Morley

Yes, I did notice that too! Whenever I'm skimping on food at mealtimes, sugar cravings tend to resurface. But of course, the temptation to eat "diety" portions in order to speed up weight loss is very strong. "Enough", however, require lots of experimentation. I think your stomach should be grumblin...

Imogen Morley

Whew, thanks for letting me get this off my chest. I tried on all my clothes when N slept, separated them into three piles (toss, keep, keep for later perhaps), and promised to take myself shopping at the end of the month. I did manage to put on some of my pre-pregnancy clothes, and it was a great r...

Imogen Morley

Thanks for stopping by! Actually, I'm not doing very well at the moment. Sleep deprivation and hunger it causes are extremely difficult to cope with. I'm desperate for my sugar fix, and, well, I've been eating a lot of sugar recently. I have to admit I was completely unprepared for postpartum body c...

Imogen Morley

Wednesday was :mrgreen: but on Thursday I gave up :oops: I ate half of the chocolate we had at home (it was heavenly, though - peanut butter and caramel filling!), then helped myself to some cake I'd baked for Friday guests. Things to consider: - my coffee and milky teas got more indulgent in the re...

Imogen Morley

This is my plan: I'm going to have three meals a day, no snacking in between, seven days a week. If I want a sweet, I can have a cookie, or a piece of candy, etc. on non-s days, but it must fit on my plate and cannot be eaten between meals. I think I'll enjoy the structure of eating only three plat...

Imogen Morley

We bottle feed. Sometimes we fight over who's gonna take the next turn! P just loves cuddling and feeding her. Tuesday was :mrgreen: but it was TOUGH. Wednesday hasn't been much better either. Sleep deprivation makes me ravenously hungry, especially for sugar/caffeine mix. I have to keep reminding m...

Imogen Morley

During my most successful period of NoS I introduced a similar mod: no seconds of dessert. It forced me to eat slowly and mindfully. That's a great way to introduce some "speed bumps" on S-days!

Imogen Morley

Oh yes, I was so fortunate to marry my best friend! Lots of regrets about last weekend, jeans uncomfortably tight. But I managed to get over an hour of walking in nature, and white-knuckled it through Monday, so :mrgreen: Tuesdays are always super difficult, so I'm giving myself permission to pile m...

Imogen Morley

Thanks for your input, Jen. I'm definitely going to get some nice clothes in my current size as soon as I can! Also, focusing on my other physical assets - rather than the size of my hips - helps a lot. Not to mention my wonderfully supportive and accepting husband!

Imogen Morley

Thanks for reminding me that fuller plates are a legit option on hungry days! I often throw in the towel and reach for a snack instead of just adding something satisfying to my next meal plate. Very good strategy to keep our days green.

Imogen Morley

I can relate to your struggles. I've always, always wanted to weigh less, even when I got under 50 kg/110 lbs and my body went totally crazy, even when I knew and saw how unhealthy that was for me. Now, after my pregnancy, I found myself with some extra pounds to lose, and under tremendous internal ...

Imogen Morley

:mrgreen: Friday We're having guests over this weekend, so I expect lots of yummy food at social events we'll be attending with them. Current weigh-in: 62.2 kg/137 lbs (gulp!). I think half of my pregnancy weight gain (totalling 12 kg/25 lbs) was actually fat... My baby was tiny, and in the past two...

Imogen Morley

Thanks a lot, kaalii! :wink: S-day today ("Fat Thursday") I got sick from all the doughnuts and other sweets. Funny enough, I don't even like doughnuts! It's hard to skip them, though, when everyone around you is either eating one after the other or bringing you some. Cultural pressure to participat...

Imogen Morley

TADAAAM! My baby girl is already 2 weeks old. Of course she's the cutest little thing, with adorable double chin and head full of hair. I've been flirting with vanilla NoS for these past two weeks, with mixed results. I'm all about schedules and routines, so naturally, adjusting to the new situation...

Imogen Morley

Awww, thank you all for your good wishes and support!

Imogen Morley

Thanks a lot! I'd love to become more active here in the upcoming months.

Imogen Morley

My c-section has been scheduled for Tuesday. Morning weigh-in showed 68,4 kg, which means I have gained 12,4 kg during my whole pregnancy. Not so bad, given that I was either on bedrest or confined to our small apartment most of the time. I have quite a lot of little failures under my belt, though I...

Imogen Morley

Popping in to say hello! I'm following your thread with great interest. A few years ago, when I was at my lowest adult weight, I was using a pretty similar mod, and it really worked... for some time. I'm thinking of getting back to that - putting ANYTHING on my meal plates after my little girl is bo...

Imogen Morley

I had to spend some time in hospital (just to check if everything was truly OK with the baby), and finish all preparations, including a minor flat makeover, earlier than I'd thought. I really, really, soulfully regret not having more time to post or read your ever-inspiring check in threads. Funny e...

Imogen Morley

I found that lots of hot drinks (variety of teas and chai with a splash of milk and some sugar, if necessary) and keeping busy is a very effective remedy for evening snacking. I also have troubles sticking to NoS principles post dinner.

Imogen Morley

Thanks for sharing. I think my post-birth experience will be quite similar to yours - I get terrible sugar cravings when I'm sleep deprived, so it's entirely possible that my weight will go up in the postpartum period. So far, 7 months in, I've gained about half of the recommended 25 pounds, and eve...

Imogen Morley

3 WEEKS since my last post? Where has the time gone? I'm busy with baby preparations and part-time job I can do at home. I've had many fails over the last weeks (this time, snacking), but my weight gain is still slow, steady, and under control. I'm staying at the lower range of GWG guidelines, and h...

Imogen Morley

Terrific to see you here again, and congratulations on your little one! I'm due in February, and so very much looking forward to reading your updates. I know that's not the best moment to ask you for a lengthy piece of advice, but I'd be grateful if you could spare some of your invaluable free time ...

Imogen Morley

Hi, Anoulie! I remember reading your old thread with great interest - I could relate to many of your posts, especially those in which you pondered whether NoS could be reinforcing binge eating mentality for some people. Still asking myself the same question... Congratulations on your marriage! I als...

Imogen Morley

I sure do have some extra motivation for this week, Linda! Monday was uneventful and :mrgreen: Tuesdays are always super hard for me, so we'll see how that goes today. I've decided to get back to my old mod - having three desserts a week, after Fri, Sat, Sun dinner, in order to put the brakes on my ...

Imogen Morley

I would say that all you are going to eat at a meal should fit on one physical plate. My experience shows that strictness in this regard brings faster results, and is especially important in the habit-forming phase. Virtual plating which Bluebell mentions is an option, but in my opinion a risky one....

Imogen Morley

bunsofaluminum wrote: just like N days with chocolate added.

Love that phrase! Sounds like an ideal S-day, something to aspire to.
I don't know why Fridays can be so hard... Maybe because most people consider Friday afternoon as part of the weekend?

Imogen Morley

I admire your honesty. It takes a lot of courage to admit to our feelings, especially to family members! I had my fair share of dread when relatives started catching news about our wedding, and discovering no one besides our parents and siblings was invited... such a difficult time! Double kudos for...

Imogen Morley

*hugs* I've had a rough week too, so I understand where you're coming from. Keep fighting! Perhaps make a list of reasons to stick to NoS (I have one on my phone so it's easily accessible - nowadays we have our phones with us literally EVERYWHERE) or type down some ideas for quick fixes when you're ...

Imogen Morley

Whew. It's been such a long week, also food-wise. I fell off the wagon BIG TIME, and was too ashamed to post my daily fails here. I finally gave in, shouted "what the hell, I'm pregnant after all!" and started shoving my mouth with all kinds of treats. I was horrified when I stepped on my scale on F...

Imogen Morley

S-day!

B: cottage cheese with chives, 2 slices wwb/butter, banana, 1/4 pudding with cherry syrup
2 small pieces of homemade cake
L: beans in tomato sauce, 1 slice wwb

tbc

Imogen Morley

:D S-day! B: 2 frankfurters, half large tomato, 2 slices ww bread, large pear, marzipan bar (planned and much craved treat) L: 200 g beans in tomato sauce, small apple, 2 slices ww bread 2 Bajadera pralines (just wanted sth sweet) Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts ( I just wanted to pass some time...

Everyday Systems

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