Page 1 of 1

new member, popping in to say hello

Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:56 pm
by Vigilant2010
Hi Everyone!

I've been lurking on the boards and the Everyday Systems site for a few days now, so I figured it is time to make myself known. This is Day 3 of No S for me and I have to admit that I am excited, hopeful, and nervous all at once. Yet I feel confident that I have found, in No S, the right approach to eating for me.

My obesity is definitely due to emotional overeating--binging on sweets for the most part--and permasnacking. (I've never heard that term before reading Reinhard's stuff, but it is perfect.) I love how No S gets right down to the heart of that. Other reasons I love the the No S approach: I can't stand the thought of counting calories or tracking macronutrients, can't stand the idea of not having ice cream with my husband on lazy Sunday afternoons in the summer or feeling bad for eating too many chocolate eggs at Easter, and most of all, I can't stand being consumed by food issues any longer.

The reason I said I am nervous is because I already know in advance that I will behave "like an idiot" on the weekends for months to come. :lol: I know myself all too well, and if I try to establish rules for S days at this point (e.g. only one dessert, or only one special snack), it will backfire. I will rebel, overdo it, then give up the whole program. Compared to that, being an idiot for awhile sounds ok.

My short-term goal is to successfully make it to Day 21. My mid-range goal is to be able to report on the testimonials page because I've lost 10+ pounds. My long-term goals include, among other things, joining the National Weight Control Registry, which requires maintenance of a 30 pound weight loss (at minimum) for at least a year.

So that's me, at a glance. I look forward to getting to know the rest of you better. :D

popping in to say hello

Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 7:43 pm
by Too solid flesh
Welcome, Vigilant2010!

That sounds like a sensible approach to S days. Being an idiot sometimes is part of the process. Good luck.

Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 10:35 pm
by gratefuldeb67
Welcome and congrats on your great start and weight loss!
Good for you! :D
The idiot on S days wears off in time naturally.
Definitely don't concern yourself with it too much.
8) Debs

Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 12:25 am
by Vigilant2010
Thanks for the welcome, Too Solid and Deb. :)

I think I confused you, though--I haven't lost any weight yet. I should have said "when I've lost..." instead of "because I've lost...". What I meant was that Reinhard suggested that a person add to the testimonials when they have been with the program for 10 months, or lost 10 pounds, or lost 10%...and I was hoping that I would meet the 10 pound criterion long before the 10 month mark! (As for the 10% route, a 10% reduction in weight is way more than 10 pounds in my case, so I will have to lose 10 pounds before I can possibly lose 10%, haha!).

Despite all the talk about weight, I don't think I will weigh myself frequently or expect significant or quick losses in the coming months. There's a pair of jeans that I would like to fit into comfortably this summer--just one size smaller than what I currently am--and I think that's a better gauge for me.

Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 12:32 am
by gratefuldeb67
Hahah oh sorry I misread your post, but congratulations for joining anyway!
You will love NoS!
Good luck :D
8) Debs

Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 12:44 am
by wren
Hi Vigilant2010,

Thanks for the welcome and best of luck to you! I have the same issues with making too many rules and then rebelling against them. I'm trying to learn to just be reasonable.

Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 12:44 am
by MysteryLover
Welcome Vigilant2010. I love your goals! It's nice to see so many of us coming here with similar stories. I was a big-time permasnacker too. This is week 4 for me.

Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 11:54 am
by wosnes
Welcome Vigilant2010! Great goals.

Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 4:12 pm
by Vigilant2010
Thanks you guys! I'm so impressed by the friendliness of this community.

Welcome to No S!

Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 4:18 pm
by la_loser
And welcome from me too--this group is friendly and positive--you'll always find someone who'll respond to you--and usually pretty quickly too!

Posted: Tue Mar 24, 2009 5:27 pm
by VintageGeek
I was equally surprised by how nice everyone was. I have a lot of internet experience and I've found that generally people are jerkwads.

But echoing everyone else, yeah you should find the supportive community you're looking for right here. It's a good place to be. So welcome aboard!

Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 1:55 pm
by Vigilant2010
Thanks, LA and VintageGeek. Love your avatars. :)

Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 2:20 pm
by reinhard
Welcome!
permasnacking. (I've never heard that term before reading Reinhard's stuff, but it is perfect.)
I think I may have actually coined the term "permasnacking."

The only other not obviously no-s inspired reference I can find to it is post-me (possibly/probably an independent coinage) in a comment on a new york times article:
Not only does ‘perma-snacking’ make one fat, its actually bad for you as much research has demonstrated-higher levels of insulin, with correspondingly higher probability of developing Type 2 diabetes (another American ‘elephant in the room’). Last, lifespan is increased-by NOT EATING between meals.
http://warner.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/06 ... ess-often/

The article itself is worth reading.

http://select.nytimes.com/2006/06/30/op ... arner.html
When I lived in France and had my children there, my pediatrician gave me exactly one admonition regarding their feeding: "Don't let them eat cookies all day." The emphasis wasn't on "cookies" but on "all day" — I guess he'd seen enough American expat moms toting around their sad little baggies of Cheerios to know that of which he spoke.

As the author Mireille Guiliano has preached so best-sellingly, French people don't get fat. (Or at least they don't when they follow their traditional dietary routines; in recent years, an increased use of convenience foods and decrease in family meals has been accompanied by a thickening of waistlines.) The French generally stay slim, they will tell you incessantly — I've had fingers waved in my face many times over this — because they don't eat between meals, and children snack just once, at 4 o'clock, when they eat a couple of little cookies and then are done with sweets for the day.
Now if I could only get Judith Warner to mention no-s explicitly...

As for your fear of your inevitable reaction to inevitably over the top s-days, I think the best thing you can do is brace yourself as you seem to be doing to just accept the excess short term and not pile on more doomed rules, AND to proactively identify especially nice esses to look forward to. Reward away resentment. Big picture, you'll wind up eating less, and enjoying it much more, without the danger of extra restrictions.

I'm sure you've seen this already, but the "S-days gone wild" podcast (and the associated discussion) has a bunch of useful tips on this issue.

http://everydaysystems.com/podcast/episode.php?id=34

(regarding podcasts -- Sorry it's been forever since the last episode... I'm going to make it my April monthly resolution to get back on the podcast wagon. I have three episodes pretty well thought out and should be able to bang them out quickly if I can just find a few hours solo time to refine and record them)

Reinhard

Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 3:08 pm
by Vigilant2010
Ehhh, we'll give you credit for "permasnacking." :D It's a great term.

I liked the NYT article too, and I bet Warner or someone at a major paper will be writing about No-S soon, due to the book release and increased awareness. I know several print and online mags have already written about it, so it's just a matter of time! I love the sane system you've put together and really appreciate you not only sharing it with others, but taking the time to moderate this board, post encouraging and helpful messages to members, and make podcasts. Thank you.

I did find your "S days gone wild" podcast shortly after introducing myself on here, and I feel calmer about the whole thing now. Already thinking about what I'll have this weekend...and I'm going to eat it off of our nice china for sure.

Posted: Wed Mar 25, 2009 3:24 pm
by Vigilant2010
Oh, and on the potential dangers of permasnacking, I liked this little article:

http://www.utmatters.com/archive_uhm.php?article=46

Excerpt:
Causes of liver disease
When people overeat or snack too frequently, the pancreas secretes insulin on a more continual basis,†explains Dr. Najjar. “Because the duration between insulin peaks is greatly shortened or even eliminated, CEACAM1 does not receive its signal to be activated. This leads to a build up of fat in the liver and of insulin in blood.â€

These events cause insulin resistance and increase fat output into the blood, which triggers the pancreas to increase its insulin production and secretion to compensate for insulin resistance. The extra insulin triggers fat cells to take up excess fat from the blood, causing people to gain weight. When fat tissue reaches its capacity, excess fat eventually goes back into the liver and again to the bloodstream. Some of the excess fat is also absorbed by muscle tissue. Increased fat uptake competes with sugar uptake, leaving sugar behind in the blood and leading to diabetes.

“The same vicious cycles that cause liver disease can also lead to Type 2 diabetes as well as cardiovascular disease, particularly high blood pressure,†says Dr. Najjar.
Think of my poor pancreas, never getting a moment's rest during my waking hours because I'm constantly packing something in and asking it to secrete insulin! And my poor cells, so overwhelmed by the constant barrage that they become resistant to insulin. And my poor liver. And everything else besides.

I'm sold on the idea that one's body needs a break between meals, and that a 2-3 hour break isn't always enough.