Everyday Systems

Hi, all. I stumbled across this just this morning and am very excited to start trying this. I used to be a naturally thin person, but getting married and 2 babies later that is no longer the case. I'm female, 30 years old, 5'10" and am overweight. I would like to get down to the 150-160 range which is where I was pre-kids and it's going to take around 40 lbs to get there. I have, like most people, tried everything and given up. I just can't continue to count calories or points forever. It gets stale quickly! My main problem is my sweet tooth. When I snack, it's usually on something sweet for a double whammy.

Recently I read the book "I Can Make You Thin" by Paul McKenna, and thought that would be IT, the one thing that would work for me. He just says to eat when you're hungry and stop before you get full, and gives all kinds of little mental exercises you can do to control cravings and whatnot. While this book made perfect sense, I found I couldn't quite do that either because I stayed obsessed with trying to figure out if I was hungry all the time or not. Figuring out if you're actually, truly hungry, is kind of hard and I got tired of guessing, although I do recommend his book and have a friend who lost 20 lbs. It was a little vague though for me and I do need a little structure, whereas "I Can Make You Thin" provided none, although it gave great advice. That's why I think this will be perfect. It's structured but not too much. I like rules, but only when they are simple, and this fits that bill.

I have managed to start cutting out my liquid calories, no more Coke for me at meals, and I have been able to keep that up. I've also found that drinking flavored teas (minus added milk or sugar) are a great substitute for sugary drinks, plus they have a million health benefits to go along with them, and no calories. So those are great, and it's been helping to control my cravings between meals, too. So I plan to keep that up.

Sorry this ran so long! Just wanted to intro myself, and say I'm really excited to do this. My husband (of course) rolled his eyes when I told him about it, thinking this will just be something else I try and fail at, but I plan to prove him wrong this time.

Khristal, your husband sounds like mine! (Can't really blame him---I have tried many, many diets).

I hear you about the intuitive eating thing. To me, that was almost as bad (sometimes worse) than some of the other diets I've been on. When I tried it, sometimes my hunger signals did not coincide with normal meal times. So, I'd find myself not hungry at dinnertime, but what am I supposed to do---sip water while my husband eats dinner? No---to me intuitive eating is just too difficult to figure out and use in everyday life.

I've just started back on No-S after trying it about a year ago and "being an idiot" on S -days. This time, I'm behaving with a lot more sense, and it's been relatively painless since I started two weeks ago.

I'm sure many others will pop in to welcome you. This is a very friendly forum. Welcome!

Welcome and good luck ! It's good to see you seem so motivated about this. Takes a lot of hard work, patience, exercising and dieting of course ...

Regarding soft drinks, Coke, Pepsi, 7up ... the regular kinds. They are the worst thing you can have really, full of sugar and hardly any nutrients. I never have those and I've cut down on the diet kind as well even if they have few calories ...

I had a small glass of diet Sprite yesterday and that hadn't happened in weeks probably. I've had a couple of 2L bottles in the cupboard for months now. I used to buy a 2L Diet Sprite bottle once a week, now it's once every 3 months ...

My stats : Male, 37 years old 5'10" 222 pounds
(I lost around 58 pounds in the past 6 months, changing my diet, controlling my portions and working out ....
a lot.) I'm near Montreal, Canada.

Crazy, but I was just reading about different cardio exercises too, jumping rope and using a hula hoop (with added weight, sold in sporting goods stores), can you believe those are great cardio exercises ?? Maybe I'll go to TOYS 'R US later, lol ! Skipping rope like a lil' girl ... oops, no I mean like a great boxer of course ...
hah !

Cheers !

Marc

Thanks for the replies! Regarding exercise, I *try* to walk for 30 minutes per day, but usually only manage it a few times a week, so I need to start making it a priority to do every day.

I have 2 little boys, aged 3 and 6 months, so they keep me on my toes plenty as it is, but I do get a good bit of time sitting on my rear, too, which doesn't help, since I work from home at the computer. So yeah, I need to add in more exercise.

I am motivated now, and hope I can stay that way with this. I know it will be hard, but I'm crossing my fingers that in 21 days it will just be habit. I have lost my motivation with so many other things in the past, but the fact remains that I hate the way I look and REALLY want to go back to being the slimmer person I used to be and not feel like crying when I bump into someone who hasn't seen me in 8 years. I want so much to like what I see in the mirror again, instead of just trying to avoid them.

khristal23 wrote:I have 2 little boys, aged 3 and 6 months, so they keep me on my toes plenty as it is, but I do get a good bit of time sitting on my rear, too, which doesn't help, since I work from home at the computer. So yeah, I need to add in more exercise.

My kids, now adults, are a little closer in age than yours, but I used to stick them in a stroller or one in the stroller and the other walking alongside me and take them for a walk daily. Good for them and me, too!

A few of us here have purposely not told others, including husbands, about this "diet". We just eat and don't say a word!

Welcome, khristal!

He just says to eat when you're hungry and stop before you get full

Yeah... that sounds so nice, but it just doesn't work, and the reason why isn't too mysterious:

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... 7738#57738

That's why I think this will be perfect. It's structured but not too much. I like rules, but only when they are simple

That's no-s all right!

I *try* to walk for 30 minutes per day, but usually only manage it a few times a week, so I need to start making it a priority to do every day.

Another thing to consider is making it less than 30 minutes. 20 minutes (or 14!) might not be as good as 30, but if 30 means 0 most of the time, it beats the pants off that. A lower, more attainable goal makes it much easier to take those critical first few steps and build the habit of really accomplishing what you set out to do. Then if you hit your goal for a solid month, you can consider "rewarding" yourself with a more impressive goal (or not). Low (but consistently met) expectations can be enormously powerful.

Reinhard