Everyday Systems

So the last month or so, I completely fell apart. I was doing great with noS and regular exercise (5 times a week, 30 minutes). And then, my sweet, sweet, bichon Darby started to decline. And get very sick. And need lots of meds and care. And then. We let her go. She was 14. She was the very best girl anyone could share their life with.

My heart broke even before we made that call. Needless to say, NoS was easily forgotten and I fell back to my usual food crutch. It's not like I go running to sweets, either. Anything will do if it's easy and fast and has a flavor.

Yesterday I think I made it through the fog. I had a good noS day. This morning looks like it will begin as a good noS day, and I hope to end it that way. I removed all the cereal (a strange binge item!), and chips especially.

I can tell myself that yes, I may be hungry, but the next meal isn't far away, and I certainly won't die.

I can know that my reflux/hiatal hernia will be 100% better with smaller meals, 3 times a day (such a relief, it was giving me heck last year!)

I can understand that snacking will only temporarily relieve emotional distress, but then add to it!

I can see food/eating can be an addiction, a crutch. It's a heavy burden to carry, and I'd like to be free of that.

It's simply not TIME to eat. And I don't need an S every day. PLUS, DD and I can make a really, really yummy S on the weekend to enjoy!

Phew.
Ok. Re-affirming to myself that noS really is the most sane way to eat.

Watching my friend loose a bunch of weight very rapidly on low-carb 1200 calorie diet (Yikes!) She is pretty miserable.
The key here for me is to STICK TO IT!!! Make it habit! I've been doing noS on and off since December 2006, and I always return to it.

That's it. You all can do it too, if you fall off, dust yourself off and get back on.

Thank you so much for sharing, farmer Hal! I am so sorry for your loss. Pets become members of our family and it is always hard to say goodbye. I don't think cereal is a strange binge item! I used to go through quite a lot of it every night. Good luck getting back to noS. Sounds like you're already on the right track!

Wb Farmerhal and thank you for stopping by my thread. It's so nice to feel like someone gets you.

My dogs are so special to me and such a huge part of our family life so I understand how truly painful losing a dog is. You really do need to go through a mourning process which can take awhile so definitely cut yourself some serious slack for falling off the NoS train.

So glad you're ready to jump back on though. It took me a few times of trying and failing on NoS to realize that there's really no point to doing anything else. Traditional diets are too rigid to stick to very long and free range plans like intuitive eating take way too much mental energy which is just maddening. Left to my own devices was not much better either and led to an chaotic, confusing and wholly unsatisfying way of eating. NoS really became the only sane option for me and I knew even if I didn't lose a single pound, I needed to do this for me. It was the only way out of all that craziness.

Anyway, I don't mean to go on so long about me but sometimes if you really think about all your options, it becomes very clear which path is best for you. And if this is the right path for you, what's the point of leaving when you know you'll just come back again anyway, right?

So you can do this! Work on getting that habit strong again and the rest will follow! Pile those plates for awhile if needed, drink milky drinks between meals if necessary. Whatever it takes to get your habits solid again.

Glad you're back--You got this!

Linda

Feeling a little guilty as I had an afternoon snack... coming off of a month or so of binge eating- lots of sugar, and today back on noS, I was totally crashing by 2:30.

Had some banana bread (TERRIBLE FOR ME! ACK!) and a cheese stick. Now no more eating till supper time. Phew.

Need to lay off the banana bread. Not to latch on to any one specific way of eating, but I really do feel better on a lower carb diet, and I don't get these crashes and then make terrible choices.

Oof.

Welcome back!

So sorry to hear about your bichon. So sad.

Hey, it's tough not to revert to old eating patterns when disasters hit us. You're doing well. I had a really miserable day recently, and it was the first time when I was conscious that eating something was not going to help - and I stayed with the feeling. This No S system is a quietly powerful system - I love it!

I'm so sorry, FarmerHal. I know it's so very tough to go through.
When my beloved dog died over two years ago, I completely fell apart.
I hope you are starting to feel better but it will take time. Allow yourself
to go through the stages of grief--it's no different from mourning a human,
in some ways even worse since pets are such vulnerable beings.

Hang in there FarmerHal... I've hardly ever bawled openly, except when losing my well loved pets. Each holds a dear space in my heart.

Remember the good things!

Red

(hUG). Sorry about your pup 😢😢😢

I'm so sorry for your loss. That's good that you're getting back on track with No S.

Thanks you guys

She was the best girl!

Thankfully I have 3 others to keep me busy and 2 great kids, so that has been a huge help.

I'm so sorry for your loss.
We've had to make that difficult decision several times. Knowing when to let go is part of being a loving caregiver.
((((HUGS))))

I'm very sorry for your loss. Pets are definitely people, too. I've been there several times. Just remember all the love you've given and received over the years. I could never be petless even though it is hard at the end. A day without a pet is like a day without sunshine.

Big hugs.

And have faith that some day, it will not be inevitable that No S goes by the wayside in times of trouble. In fact, it may become the port in the storm.

But you have to live it to get there. Rack up all the practice you can!