WTurtle's check in

pepper33 · Post by **pepper33** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 1:30 am

Recently found out about this diet and it seemed to common sense that I felt stupid for not thinking of it myself. I have been doing good about counting calories and exercising as of late so no time like the present to get started with No S. For health and lifestyle reasons, for the time being I am allowing myself 4 smaller meals a day, but this is a huge improvement over my all day grazing.
So, day 1 a success, but day 1's usually are. Check in tomorrow!

Who Me? · Post by **Who Me?** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 6:06 am

Nice to "meet" you!

Pangelsue2 · Post by **Pangelsue2** » Wed Jun 08, 2011 12:36 pm

Best of luck. I think you will like it here.

pepper33 · Post by **pepper33** » Thu Jun 09, 2011 11:22 am

Day 2 was a success. Surprising because I was home most of the day and that usually leads to snacking. I was tempted, but I kept snacking at bay by drinking tea and focusing on the meals. I enjoying cooking, but I don't always enjoy eating the results because I snack too much. I cooked a feast last night! I was the only one who ate it, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and there are leftovers today.
I noticed that when I put down an empty plate, I immediately think to put more food on it. It is an automatic response. I think this program will be good for me - I need a lot of freedom in terms of what I eat, but structure in terms of when I eat.

And also exercised. I didn't get my back ride in to today but did a workout DVD about 9pm at night. Better late than never!

pepper33 · Post by **pepper33** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 1:11 am

Another green day. Went to my office today. Instead of grabbing a granola bar, which is usually the first thing I do when I get in, I gathered up all my remaining bars and gave them to a colleague for his plane trip tomorrow. Next is to get some tea to keep on hand, because I have found a cup of tea keeps the snack monster away. Put in 15 miles on the bike - 10 1/2 to and from my office (+ 1 1/2 because I tried to find a new way back home and it turned into a dead end) and 3 miles round trip to the beach. Feeling good and tired so I am going to bed early!

Tomorrow will be difficult - I will be stuck at home all day and then in the evening we are going to a party, a potluck. Snacks, seconds, and sweets! It will be my first real challenge.

pepper33 · Post by **pepper33** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 12:11 pm

After some help from the community, I bulked up my intake during meals and was not so hungry between meals and at night. yesterday was an unmitigated success. I was home all day with a couple little ones (one being mine) and despite doling out snacks all day, I didn't snack. Then we went to a party at night. There was a lot of food, but I decided I was too hungry to make a meal out of party foods - and honestly I was a little embarrassed to load a tiny paper plate full with all the food I'd want to eat! Instead I drank a beer and waited until after we left to get some dinner.

Breakfast: green smoothie, 2 slices toast with almond butter
Lunch: sweet potato pie and lemon muffin*
Dinner: Subway 6" with chips

* These are both from the Enchanted Broccoli Forest cookbook and get their flavor from fruit, not sugar.

No exercise. Torrential downpour started about the time we were about to get out on the bikes. But we'll do a long ride today. Going to try to basically stick to the plan today, but allow myself a treat for S-Day today.

pepper33 · Post by **pepper33** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 1:27 pm

OK - S days were truly S days. I don't think I went too overboard but it was a lot of grazing. I would like to get to the point where my S Days look like N Days except for the occasional treat. If Sat and Sun were any indication, that is a ways off. Just hope I didn't sabotage myself and can get back to it today.

milliem · Post by **milliem** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 4:09 pm

wanderingturtle wrote:OK - S days were truly S days. I don't think I went too overboard but it was a lot of grazing. I would like to get to the point where my S Days look like N Days except for the occasional treat. If Sat and Sun were any indication, that is a ways off. Just hope I didn't sabotage myself and can get back to it today.

It's ok for S days to be a bit wild at the start, the N day habits are usually the ones that are more important to get practising! Remember you can't fail an S day

It is sometimes difficult to switch between S days and back to N days, although I've seen a fair few posters here mention that it's almost a 'relief' to get back to N days after the weekend. Anyway, good luck for this week, I'm sure you'll be able to build on your successes from last week

Strawberry Roan · Post by **Strawberry Roan** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 7:52 pm

Welcome and good luck on your journey to saner eating and better health.

I have gotten to that place where No S days are really no different than No N days, nothing wild or different about the weekend. I might have a dessert during the week should the occasion present itself or not, might have a little something on the weekend, or not. Usually not.

I don't look forward to going wild on two days then being sane on five, then start all over again. That seems counterproductive. I am certain that if that is your goal, you will get there as well.

Treat each meal as a separate event, regardless of the day of the week. Then repeat.

pepper33 · Post by **pepper33** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 2:13 am

Thanks, milliem and Berry! I do want to get to a place where S days may just mean an occasional treat and I did feel that relief today to be back on. I have felt so good this past week on No S, that there really is no reason to go wild. The funny thing is, I am a BIG sweet eater, and I didn't really go crazy on sweets - they didn't seem that appealing. Maybe my sweet tooth is diminishing?

Today was a success. We went to an amusement park in the morning so lunch didn't happen until 2pm (breakfast was a 8:30). I was very hungry, but telling myself that I would eat and I could eat good food worked. No exercise today except walking around the park carrying or chasing a two year old.

Today marks the official end of week 1. Usually I only last 2-3 days on a diet before I start to "cheat" and by the end of the week I am usually done. I know it has only been a week, but I can see myself doing this from here on out!

milliem · Post by **milliem** » Tue Jun 14, 2011 6:41 pm

Congratulations on your successful first week, and well done for sticking with it

Hopefully it's the first of many good weeks!

pepper33 · Post by **pepper33** » Wed Jun 15, 2011 1:55 am

Epic failure and monumental success

Today was a success - no sweets, no snacks, no seconds. But it was super difficult. I am happy I was able to persevere(success), but I am irritable, crabby, and unsatisfied (fail).
Snacks are quicker, easier, and cheaper than meals (ok - cheaper in the short run only, but let's face it, when your reaching for food, you are usually not thinking long term). Making meals has been a challenge. Today I went to the dentist and then to my office to get some work done. I left about 1 famished. Not too much food at home, so I thought about picking something up but didn't want to spend the money. Sooo...egg salad. 30 minutes to boil and cool the eggs only to find there is no mayo. Then learned the hard way that pureed tofu is not a good substitute for mayo. Edible, but just barely. Swung by the grocery store on my bike ride to pick up some walnuts to make pesto only to find all my basil plants have died - everything I thought was basil was mint. Made spinach faux pesto instead. It was inedible, so I rinsed off the pasta and tossed it in olive oil and cheese. Again, edible but just barely.

I know I need to get some easy to prepare meal items so I don't get into this situation. I love to cook, but cooking requires time that I don't have and planning that I'm not good at. Good news - hubby promised to cook tomorrow.

pepper33 · Post by **pepper33** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 4:25 am

Fail. At least I can blame hormones. Don't want this to be like all the other diets tomorrow. Need this to be a fluke not a derailment!

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 8:48 am

Hang in there WT! Don't let a bad day or two derail you. You can do this! ... One of the things that makes N days easier is to make sure that you are eating foods that you enjoy at your regular meals. If you are eating enough and are truly enjoying your N day meals, it will be that much easier to stick to the program.

pepper33 · Post by **pepper33** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 2:02 pm

Thanks for the words of encouragement!

Yesterday was a success - I think. I did drink some soda after a 30 mile bike ride but I didn't have any of my son's ice cream. I had to help him scoop some of it into his mouth and it was sooooo tempting to get a mouthful for myself. I ate a lot yesterday and still struggled not to snack. But I did go to the grocery store and now the kitchen is stocked with meal items would should make it easier to get through the next few days.

pepper33 · Post by **pepper33** » Sat Jun 18, 2011 1:41 am

Grrrrr.....Want to eat! Really fighting the desire to snack now. It helps that there aren't really any appealing snacks in the house, but I may go a bit crazy for S Day tomorrow!

snapdragon · Post by **snapdragon** » Sat Jun 18, 2011 1:06 pm

Fighting off the desire to snack is like working a muscle the more you do it the easier it gets.

pepper33 · Post by **pepper33** » Mon Jun 20, 2011 3:38 am

After obsessing about food all night, Friday ended up being a success. Even though I didn't ended up snacking, obsessing that much never feels good so it doesn't feel like a victory or a success. I like thinking about resisting snacking as a muscle - good metaphor, snapdragon!

As predicted, s-days were a bit crazy. Stressful week combined with 2 birthday parties, but having approved free days is such a relief. I don't feel like I've failed, and I'll get back on track Monday.

Spent the evening cooking - some for a friend that just had a baby and some for me. I should be ok with meals for 3 days. Also have a well-stocked fridge so shouldn't run into the same problem I had last week of worrying about meals. Biggest hurdle this week will be visiting in-laws. When they visit, they bring TONS of snacks with them, but at least this visit they will be at a hotel.

pepper33 · Post by **pepper33** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 12:31 pm

After a good day, Monday was a fail. My insomnia reared its ugly head and I raided the fridge at 2am. Tuesday was a success. I tried to just do three meals but that does not work for me, so four smaller meals is what I am going to stick with.

Who Me? · Post by **Who Me?** » Wed Jun 22, 2011 1:39 pm

Hang in there!

pepper33 · Post by **pepper33** » Fri Jun 24, 2011 1:24 am

Wednesday a success. Today will be if I don't listen to the food calling me from the kitchen!

pepper33 · Post by **pepper33** » Sun Jun 26, 2011 3:03 pm

Thursday and Friday both successes. I was actually surprised how easy it was to stay on track with my in-laws visiting. They are HUGE snackers but they stayed at a hotel this time so their sugary and salty snacks stayed there. But in addition to snacking, they NEVER miss a meal so I never had to worry about planning a meal for one. My husband usually eats one meal a day, so I am generally on my own for planning meals. That makes it easy to just skip them in favor of snacks!

Still grateful for S days. I like not having to think about what I should and should not do for 2 days a week. I don't think I go overboard, but I definitely get all the S's on S days!

pepper33 · Post by **pepper33** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 11:08 pm

Monday - fail
Tuesday - success
Wednesday - fail

21 days officially ended Monday, but i am waiting until Friday to weigh in and assess. Discouraged by 2 fails already this week. My problem is that one slip up and I just think since I've already failed I might as well eat whatever I want. On the other hand, unlike other diets I've been on, I don't feel like I have completely ruined everything. I can get back on track tomorrow.

Haven't had enough sleep lately. The joy of life with a toddler. Going to bed - hope tomorrow will be better.
Good night all!

Pangelsue2 · Post by **Pangelsue2** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 2:32 am

I think you are doing just great. Practice is all it takes. There are no fails, only setbacks. Breaking long time habits is hard work. But the good news is there is no counting, no forbidden foods, no constantly eating rabbit food or searching restaurant menus for items that are allowed. You can eat what you want as long as it fits on one plate. You eat a pre chosen number of meals and opt to save sugar for special days. Easy peasy, right? Then the snacking/sugar craving monsters attack. I think we all ultimately find out that this diet moves the battle field away from food to inside our heads. The food plan is so simple and freeing. There is plenty of food, so it should work and when it doesn't, there are reasons. Working through those reasons is what really leads to success here. Sooner or later, successful people here, find food mattering less and ideals and goals mattering more. Again, it takes practice. You can do it. It you can bike 30 miles and not eat your toddlers ice cream, you have what it takes. LOL. Hang in there for however long it takes. It is worth it.
Your best moment this last 21 days for me was when you went to the party and opted for the beer and the subway sandwich later. That is the kind of head work I was talking about above. We have lots and lots of choices on this plan.

pepper33 · Post by **pepper33** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 1:58 am

Thanks so much Pangelsue! It usually takes someone else to point out our successes.

21 days (plus a few) completed. During this time I have also been doing a lot of cycling. No S + cycling =

- 2.5 pounds lost. If anyone else lost 2.5 pounds I would be so happy for them, but I wish it was more. My issue is that when I look in the mirror or put on clothes, I don't see a weight loss. But...
- found a program I can stick with. First time I have really stuck with something longer than a week. No s really isn't a diet - it is a lifestyle and I feel confident that I can live this lifestyle.
- have gained confidence. I am more active and spend less time eating in front of the TV and so overall I feel better. physically and mentally.
- stopped the all day grazing that I used to do. I feel like food has less control over me.
- cooking healthy, fulfilling foods and eating real food. I went over board buying produce last week and actually used almost all of it. I wasted so much food with the hopes of preparing meals and now I am actually doing it. Loving cooking. Just wish my hubby and son appreciated my efforts more

For YEARS I have felt like my obsession food has kept me from being the person I want to be. I still have miles to go, but being able to turn down food and deal with hunger has been amazing.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 4:36 pm

Congratulations on getting through the first few weeks. After a few months, it will be second nature and the small losses will add up. I am working on my 7th month and weigh once a month. Some months are better than others, but I have gotten to the point that I do not care as long as I do not gain.

(Like you, I might feel a little disappointed at a small loss, but it passes.)

pepper33 · Post by **pepper33** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 1:49 am

I wasn't going to consider this a S day because I am not a real holiday person and we had no BBQs or picnics planned. However, this turned out to be such a special day that I had to call it an S day. We loaded the bikes on the car and headed out to a new area to explore and ended up biking almost 40 miles. The plan was to do 25, but our map was not too good and we got lost with nothing around but farmland. By the time we were done, we just wanted to get home and get showered so we didn't end up eating "lunch" until close to 5pm. My son napped so he could see the fireworks, but they got rained out. Instead, we all cuddled on the couch watching a movie and sharing a pint of ice cream. Wonderful day!

pepper33 · Post by **pepper33** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 3:53 am

So far July isn't going so well. One success, 3 S days, and a fail. My best friend comes tomorrow for a visit and the day she flies out we leave for a week vacation. I am determined to keep S days for the weekends. We'll see how it goes! I'll check in after the madness.

pepper33 · Post by **pepper33** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 1:48 am

Back from vacation. Visit from my best friend went ok but we did eat a lot. My vacation with my parents was wonderful! We rented a log cabin on the lake. I mostly stuck to the plan but deviated some. Also did some biking (in the mountains which is quite a change from the sea level from where I live), hiked, canoed, and relaxed. Weighed when I got back and I've lost 2 pounds. But I have been on vacation for too long and I need to get back into a routine so back to vanilla no S tomorrow!

pepper33 · Post by **pepper33** » Tue Jul 19, 2011 2:13 am

Today was a success!

B: french toast (with pureed banana added to batter), strawberries, almonds
L: Panera - iced latte, Thai chopped chicken salad
D: gallo pinto (Nicaraguan rice and bean dish) topped with carmelized onions; broiled banana with chopped almonds

Exercise: 12.5 miles cycling

When I began No S, I couldn't imagine only eating 3 meals day so I allowed myself a 4th half meal (small plate instead of a large). That 4th meal has been getting smaller and smaller and I no longer feel it is necessary, so I am trying to just do 3 meals a day except on days when I really need an extra snack - like if I put mega miles in on the bike.

pepper33 · Post by **pepper33** » Wed Jul 20, 2011 11:32 am

Yesterday a fail. Seeing the positive pregnancy test really threw me for a loop. Not expecting that at all...

So now I guess I will be doing pregnancy No S. I think I will out that 4th meal back in as an option

Everyday Systems

WTurtle's check in

WTurtle's check in

Day 2

Day 3

21 Day assesment