Tiny Steps to no-snacking Habit

No Snacks, no sweets, no seconds. Except on Days that start with S. Too simple for you? Simple is why it works. Look here for questions, introductions, support, success stories.

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BrightAngel
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Tiny Steps to no-snacking Habit

Post by BrightAngel » Mon Jun 16, 2008 2:38 pm

I make no secret of the fact that I am a calorie-counter,
using a computer software food journal,
and that I consider the use of this Tool, a functional necessity for me.
My use has become Habitual, and I think that is why
I find it easy to follow the 3 meal, 1 plate, sweets and seconds limited to S days part of No S.

BUT I started about 70 days ago, and despite many efforts,
I have been unsuccessful at the No-snacking part of No S.
I've spent quite a bit of time analyzing this,
and reading and re-reading Reinhard's advice.

My present effort at establishing a No-snacking Habit involves

"Framing it in the Positive "
A negative goal really feels difficult.
It is easier for me to "DO" something, than to "NOT DO" something.

So while using my version of No S,
I've Framed my No-snacking task like this:
  • I will eat only my allowable calories
    • . . . . . . . . . individual amount depending on whether goal is weight-loss or maintenance;

    I will eat those calories divided into 3 meals;
    • Each of my 3 meals will be spaced an approximately 5 hours apart,
      . . . . . . . . . . i.e. around 7 a.m., 12 noon, 5 p.m....;
      . . . . . . . . . . therefore I will eat all of my food in 3 sessions within about a 10 hour range.

    I will avoid eating at other times.
In order to avoid the pitfalls of Perfectionism
. . . . . . . . .one small screw-up leading to perma-snacking for the rest of the day. . . . . . .
I've also established 3 HabitCals.
  • One for the time period between Breakfast and Lunch
    One for the time period between Lunch and Dinner
    One for the time period between Dinner and Bedtime
  • Green is Successful no-snacking;
    Yellow is a small snacking deviation;
    Red is snacking.
I'm hoping these little mental tricks will help me to achieve a bit of success in this area.
BrightAngel - (Dr. Collins)
See: DietHobby. com

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OrganicGal
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Post by OrganicGal » Mon Jun 16, 2008 2:55 pm

I know you've been struggling with the No Snacking habit BrightAngel, so I applaud your perseverance in trying to find a solution that works for you! You seem to like tracking and charts type of methods so those 3 extra Habitcals sound like a good idea for you. :)

Now , of course, for me, that would drive me crazy! ... :lol:

Keep us posted on how you're doing.
Creating and sustaining the No S habits are the only thing that will take me in the direction I want to go!

blueskighs
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Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:11 am
Location: California

Post by blueskighs » Tue Jun 17, 2008 2:57 am

I make no secret of the fact that I am a calorie-counter,
using a computer software food journal,
and that I consider the use of this Tool, a functional necessity for me.
My use has become Habitual, and I think that is why
I find it easy to follow the 3 meal, 1 plate, sweets and seconds limited to S days part of No S.
This may be obvious, but, what is it about No Snacking that is appealing specifically to you? Or what benefit do you hope to acheive?

Like for me, no snacking is appealing for me, because I trust that by limiting my food intake in other ways, i.e. with three one plate meals, and limiting snacks, sweets and seconds to S days that I won't HAVE to then rely on other methods to "monitor" my food intake. This a big part of my motivation in not snacking, so I won't have to do that other stuff.

If you are not receiving this "benefit" from not snacking, which you probably don't see as a benefit yourself, I was just wondering what would be your motivation?

It seems like having some REALLY strong motivation will be critical in your success.

Anyway, like OrganicGal I greatly admire your perserverance and hope that your new approach to using HabitCal is a great success,

Blueskighs
www.nosdiet.blogspot.com Where I blog daily about my No S journey

Jessies Daughter
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Re: Tiny Steps to no-snacking Habit

Post by Jessies Daughter » Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:55 am

BrightAngel wrote:
My present effort at establishing a No-snacking Habit involves

"Framing it in the Positive "
A negative goal really feels difficult.
It is easier for me to "DO" something, than to "NOT DO" something.
I agree BrightAngel but my "DO" with this snacking" thing is that I "DO" make a choice and I choose NOT to include snacking as an option.

I listen to my body before I eat ANYTHING. For me this has eliminated my snaking on No S days and I find on the weekend my snacks are confined to fruit, and more healthy choices. Last weekend was the first weekend I atually bought and ate a sweet.

I eat three plates of food a day. Sounds simple but it is very powerful habit for me. My three meals a day do not include SNACKS. I eat healthy meals and healthy portions but I don't count calories. I am finding that my body is adjusting its self to take in the calories it must need because unless I work late, I do not get hungry.

Even on weekends when I often get busy and don't eat lunch, I still don't snack/graze, I just may have an extra portion with dinner or a slice of watermelon as a "SNACK".

I encourage you to continue to look for thoses things that work for you

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!
I call this a No S “Thingyâ€. I have never been on a successful “Dietâ€. My brain thinks a "Thingy" is a new way of eating food, a LIFESTYLE CHANGE.

HabitCal: http://everydaysystems.com/habitcal/vie ... &t=NoSDiet

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BrightAngel
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Post by BrightAngel » Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:39 pm

blueskighs wrote: This may be obvious, but, what is it about No Snacking that is appealing specifically to you? Or what benefit do you hope to acheive?

Like for me, no snacking is appealing for me, because I trust that by limiting my food intake in other ways, i.e. with three one plate meals, and limiting snacks, sweets and seconds to S days that I won't HAVE to then rely on other methods to "monitor" my food intake. This a big part of my motivation in not snacking, so I won't have to do that other stuff.
If you are not receiving this "benefit" from not snacking, which you probably don't see as a benefit yourself, I was just wondering what would be your motivation?

It seems like having some REALLY strong motivation will be critical in your success.
Blueskighs, I agree that motivation is critical for success.

I am highly motivated to engage in eating and exercise behaviors
that will provide me with (either) weight-loss or maintenance results.

My problem is that due to my height, current weight, and age,
my total daily calorie burn is only about 1400 calories
including an hour of daily low-impact exercise,
and 1400 calories daily can be a rather small amount of food.
I have to make very careful choices in order to stay within my calorie limits.
Very often, I find it difficult to make appropriate low-calorie food choices.

I am fairly adept at eating lower-calorie foods, small portions, no seconds, and limited sweets.
If I only ate 3 meals every day, I think that I could quite easily stay within my calorie range most of the time.

This is my dilemma
I love food and I love eating. . . AND. . . I am committed to stay at my current weight or lower.
Perma-snacking is my downfall.
Snacking is a Habit of many years duration,
and I can easily rack up 2500 calories plus
even while I'm consciously hour by hour tracking the calories in every bite,
by logging it all into my food journal all throughout the day.

For several years, I have been working at limiting my snacking.
Although I have achieved some success with that, it is an extremely difficult ongoing task.
I am very attracted to the Habit concept proposed by Reinhard in No S.
I would love to be able to more easily deal with my food choices.
I believe that IF I am able to Develop a Habit of not-snacking, it would greatly simplify my life,
and make maintenance far easier for me.

At this point, I do not know if it is possible.
It may be that those mental pathways between the snacking action and my brain are so well developed,
that I don't have enough years of life left to develop the stronger, deeper mental pathways
that seem necessary in order to impliment a no-snacking habit.
But I DO know, that no goal in life can be achieved without concentrated effort,
and I am willing to put in some concentrated time and effort
in the hope that this goal is possible for me.

So right now I'm taking it one-day-at-a-time, one snacking period at a time,
looking for even some minor improvement in my current snacking habit.
It is part of my character to reject failure, and I am strongly motivated to succeed at any task I undertake.
I have a long track record of lifetime successes,
which I'm hoping will work in my favor,
and keep me going long enough to give the Habit Building Process a reasonable chance.
BrightAngel - (Dr. Collins)
See: DietHobby. com

blueskighs
Posts: 1787
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:11 am
Location: California

Post by blueskighs » Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:06 pm

I believe that IF I am able to Develop a Habit of not-snacking, it would greatly simplify my life,
and make maintenance far easier for me.
Bright Angel,
well that does sound motivating!
It is part of my character to reject failure, and I am strongly motivated to succeed at any task I undertake.
I have a long track record of lifetime successes,
which I'm hoping will work in my favor,
and keep me going long enough to give the Habit Building Process a reasonable chance.
I think that you will succeed at this. I think Reinhard says that sometimes it just takes many tries to get it. I think your idea for your habit cal is wonderful. Hopefully it will help break down your day into manageable increments and that will help. I am with you and I really beleive you can do this!

Blueskighs
www.nosdiet.blogspot.com Where I blog daily about my No S journey

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fkwan
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Location: middle of nowhere, Texas

Post by fkwan » Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:37 pm

I never had a problem with snacking, but I suspect that we have similar psyches. I think that snacking is your version of my bingeing: a subconscious or unconscious form of rebellion. Having to exist on 1000 calories a day and exercise until one drops is not fun.

Substituting another habit for the snacking seems to me to be the only way. Since you and I have almost nonexistent metabolisms, I suggest walking out of the room and a short distance every time you want to snack.

f
One must know his limitations. -- John Milius
Beginning weight: 115
Currently: Haven't a clue

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