TexArk's Musings

[oolala53]

Hang in there! You do have insight into the process. Getting to 30 minutes consistently is going to have an effect on your sense of discipline and vibrancy, I bet.

[TUK]

Might be good in terms of discipline. But don't lose sight of the long-term sustainability of the exercice routine. 30 minutes is alot in addition to our daily duties.

Systematic Moderation is not about weight losss, it's about establishing good, sustainable habits.

[oolala53]

I think 14 minutes of resistance and 16 minutes of brisk walking on N days is pretty doable for the long term. And if your daily duties are analogous to either of those, I say count 'em!

[TexArk]

Not proud of my weekend..overindulgence of cheese and nut butter..my nemesis. But as Scarlett O'Hara says....

Off to a good start for the week. Sauteed Kale and Baked Salmon ready for supper. And I have been successful with about 30 minutes of daily exercise for several days in a row. I am actually glad I have the gym membership in our triple digit heat this summer. Miserable outside most of the time.

[TexArk]

For weeks now I have lightened up a little on S Days...mashed potatoes with butter, a slice of French bread, a dessert. Not much really...not a binge anyway. BUT a considerable increase in calories. The result: a gain of 2 lbs. every weekend which takes all week of N Days to get off.

So, this weekend I just took one S Day and had one dessert, a piece of bread and butter, and a sizeable steak and potato and a few mandarin oranges as snacks. Result: one pound gain. I know this should be impossible, but I cannot argue with the facts. Except for the one dessert, everything else I have done on S Days would actually be within the guidelines of N Days...one plate, no snacks, no seconds. Hopefully it will not take all week to get off the one pound.

And, by the way, I still have 10 lbs. to lose. It is just a fact that I cannot lose unless I stay consistently under 1300 calories a day....so I have to pay attention to what goes on my 3 plates.

I did get at least 30 minutes of exercise in each day last week. And I did get the 2 lb. S Days gain off. But after several years of doing this plan I have to face the reality that I use in my signature. Every Bite Counts.

[BrightAngel]

Hopefully it will not take all week to get off the one pound.

Every Bite Counts.

I totally agree that every bite counts,
and the amount of calories we eat is important no matter WHEN we eat them.
However... with regard to the issue of immediate weight gain
after eating just a bit more on an S day,
and with that increased weight staying around for 4 or 5 days.
This is the way an absolutely normal - non-fat gain works inside our body.

... I'm certain you know that the scale weighs everything in our body...
blood, bones, food stored as gulcogen, water, fecal material, as well as fat. ..
and the amount of minerals-including salt-in our bodies, as well as the
actions of specific hormones etc., affects our liquid balance.
i.e. our "water weight".

When we eat more food, we ingest more minerals, and activate hormones
which affects our retention of water and also food weight
... with increased glucose in our muscles and fecal material in our bowels.

If this is weight that gets lost within a week's time, after resuming
the way one normally eats on weekdays,
no more than a tiny fraction of that weight could be fat gain.

[TexArk]

I understand that the extra food is not fat gain, however, what I cannot do is eat each day in the S Day manner and expect it not to turn into a fat gain! If I do not go right back to the controlled portion diet the pounds will creep up each week. I am actually up about 5 lbs. since May just because of this.

[BrightAngel]

what I cannot do is eat each day in the S Day manner
and expect it not to turn into a fat gain!

Very true.
If your careful records show that you are maintaining your current weight
by eating an average of 1300 calories per day...
that is a total of 9,100 calories per week.

So, if you were to eat 2000 on Sat, and 2000 on Sun,
you've only got 5100 left to divide between the remaining 5 days.
which is an average of 1020 per day.

The No S Diet is intended to be a way to limit food intake
in a way that restricts calories without needing to count them.
but whether or not we choose to "count" calories
our bodies still "count" them all.

Smaller, older, less active females can certainly not reasonably expect
to eat the SAME (or even close to the same) types and amounts,
of food contained in Reinhard's 1 plate, 3 meals a day;
plus include between-meal milk, or juice, and alcoholic beverages ,
plus also "sometimes" include weekend and special occasion treats "
... the way that at a young, active, tall, muscled male like Reinhard can,...
and ever manage to reach or maintain a "normal" weight.

It is totally impossible.

[TexArk]

Bright Angel,
Thanks for doing the math. That is exactly the reminder I was trying to make to myself. I can choose to enjoy an S Day and probably should. However, it is not a free ride. The difference will have to be made up somewhere.

If anyone else is reading this, you should go to Bright Angel's blog, diethobby.com and read her incredible 8 years worth of data. Amazing!

I love NoS and the idea of habit formation. I think there is real science in the no snacks admonition. I like the 3 meals, 3 plates a day plan and the abstaining from sweets. However, I have a real problem with those who think of S days as free days and who do not pay attention to calorie dense foods they put on those 3 plates on N Days. I think that is why I am not seeing as much weight loss on this board. Maybe that it is OK. The bingeing behavior has to be stopped first and good habits formed.

As for me, I have to be vigilant and stay within a calorie budget.

[Amy3010]

Thanks very much to you and Bright Angel for this sobering reminder - you are right, an S-day is not a free pass - the calories eaten still have to be accounted for in the body!

[TexArk]

A hard boiled egg has 75 calories. A dozen eggs has 900 calories. A can of Pringles has 900 calories. Which is easier to eat? (J Stanton)

If I have had a meal and it is several hours to the next meal, I am not really stomach hungry (unless my meal had no protein or fat). I may think I am hungry. and I could put away a whole can of Pringles (one at a time)! But Stanton is correct. There is no way I could eat a dozen boiled eggs!

Highly palatable foods whether they are engineered foods or simply nuts and cheese are easy to eat any time. And they go down fast and easy...900 calories in a blink of the eye. Have I ever overindulged on hard boiled eggs? Don't think so.

Conclusion (for me): If I am not willing to eat a boiled egg, I am not hungry! Starving people are not picky...vegetables and boiled eggs would be welcome.

[TexArk]

I have been struggling for months with creeping weight gain. I am not eating sweets and no snacking is in place. I have been eating 3 plates a day on an 8 inch plate no less.

The only thing I can see that might be different is that I have upped my exercise and that has increased my appetite. My calorie count needs to stay at 1200 to lose and it has been averaging 1500. So for now the only thing I know to try is cutting back to 2 meals a day. This may be an every other day thing...we'll see.

At any rate I am now 12 lbs. over the top BMI for normal weight range and have gained 8 lbs. over the summer. This can't go on. I think just getting out of the kitchen for one meal will help also. So I started today with meal #1 at about 11:00 with scrambled eggs, sauteed mushrooms, and roasted okra. I think that will hold me until an early supper at 5:00.

[Kathleen]

A suggestion for you: look up posts by Blueskighs.
Kathleen

[r.jean]

If you are exercising more, you are gaining muscle which accounts for a small part of the gain. I also struggle with eating too much the day after long runs, but doing weights does not seem to affect my appetite. I try to increase protein a little during my hungry days. Works for me.

[TexArk]

thanks r.jean for the encouragement I wish I had put on several pounds of muscle from exercising, but that is just not the case.

I am staying with my 2 meals a day plan for awhile and still exercising. The correct weight will eventually happen.

[BrightAngel]

My calorie count needs to stay at 1200 to lose and it has been averaging 1500. So for now the only thing I know to try is cutting back to 2 meals a day. This may be an every other day thing...we'll see.

At any rate I am now 12 lbs. over the top BMI for normal weight range and have gained 8 lbs. over the summer. This can't go on.

What you describe is a common occurrence for those of us with older bodies
who have lost and are working to maintain weight-loss.
People who track their food... even during "bad" times ... can actually SEE this happening.
Actually SEEING it is rather unusual, because most people in this position
"give-up" and don't track, begin eating more, and regain all of their lost weight.

I am working on this same issue right now.
It is very difficult to continually eat a calorie average low enough
to maintain weight-loss.
I find that ..for me.. doing EXTRA exercise burns very little calories.
and makes me very hungry so I wind up eating more than I've burned.

For the past 4 weeks, I've been running another experiment
with an Alternate Day Eating type of plan.
My plan is more of a zig-zag, calorie cycling plan
rather than one of Intermittent Fasting
because I'm still eating all throughout every day... only
I'm having smaller portion, lower-calorie meals
totalling about half the calories on alternate days.

Success for me would be to average losing 1/4 to 1/2 lb weekly,
and get back into the blue area of my Weight Maintenance Range,
(and this year I raised my maintenance range to make it run 5 lbs higher).
Due to water-weight-swings etc. it is impossible to judge weight-loss success
in such a plan except over quite a lengthy time period.
My stabilzed weight is running about 3 lbs less than it was 4 weeks ago,
but most of that drop came in the first week,
and it is too soon to see whether this plan will cause weight-loss.
It is also too soon to tell whether or not such a plan will be sustainable for me.

[TexArk]

Thanks for commenting, BrightAngel.

Exercise for me is not a component of weight loss. I have learned that I need to move and stay flexible and if possible, work up a sweat nearly every day just for good mental health. But I never have enjoyed it and I do think it stimulates my appetite. So I have lowered my exercise goals.

I have also raised my goal weight to accept reality. It is really at the top of the BMI scale. As you have expressed many times the calories count whether we are counting or not. The experiment is always how to make that work for us. What can I live with? What is sustainable? It doesn't have to be the same answer all the time.

I am following your experiment and I have tried something similar in the past. For now my plan is:

1. If I wake up hungry, I eat a nice breakfast.
2. Unless I am really hungry at lunch, I just wait it out. Maybe I have a cup of broth.
3. My husband likes to eat early, so I start supper about 4:00. That means supper is finished a little after 5:00.
4. If I go to bed early, that works.

I will see how this goes and will continue to follow you.

[BrightAngel]

It sounds like you have a good plan.
I've seen that plan work well for others,
and have tried it myself for long-periods several times.

I am a morning person, and find it very difficult to go without breakfast and lunch.
I find myself miserable for the entire day--unable to enjoy the moment,
just trying to make the day disappear, wanting time to pass quickly so I can eat dinner.
Doing this consistently for a lengthy time period didn't make it easier for me...
in fact, my problem seemed to grow worse with time, during the months that I did it.

If I had to choose just one favorite meal, lunch would be it...
but then...it is a Looooong time between lunch and bedtime...
even if I go to bed around 8 pm.
Also, my personal preference is mini meals over\ big meals.
I'd rather have one or two bites of something over time,
than a lot of something all at once.

I can do difficult things... even things I absolutely hate,
but behavior that I find unpleasant isn't sustainable for me long-term.

[TexArk]

Bumping my thread up.

I have been following the discussion but have not had either time or access to post. My NoS 4 yr. anniversary is coming up at the end of the month. I will do an update before then.

I began calorie counting on Oct 15, 2010 at a weight of 204.5 I had been steadily gaining weight (30 lbs) strictly following vanilla NoS for nearly 2 years. I learned that I cannot have 3 plates of food a day without knowing the calories eaten because I gain if I eat over 1200 calories a day. I used DietPower for quite awhile, but now I am using MyFitnessPal because I need an online program.

Dec. 11 (169.2)
Doing well with my 2 meals a day which is what I have learned is necessary for me to lose and maintain. Exercise is not going so well..am having a very difficult time getting myself moving. Some of this is an irregular schedule but mostly I just don't want to! I am 10 lbs. above healthy weight and intend on not letting the holidays add to this.
I put 33 min. in on the elliptical and am working hard to establish a daily exercise habit.

[snapdragon]

Wow you sure are focused and determined! Very interesting to read your struggles, and acceptance of what you need to do. I am not sure I am there yet.....counting calories and such. I am hoping this new year coming up is the year you will get to your goal.

[TexArk]

Thanks for the encouragement, Snapdragon. I am resigned to the focus that it takes to keep from gaining.

Two week summary:
Beginning weight: 171.6
Ending weight: 170.6
Average calories per day: 1078
Exercise 6 out of 14 days

Goals for this week:
Continue keeping calorie count under 1200
Exercise 12 out of 14 days a minimum of 30 minutes.

Exercise needs to gradually get to 1 hour a day, but I tend to overreach on my goals. The habit is most important for now.

[TexArk]

I am approaching my 4 year NoS anniversary. At present I am trying to remove the pounds I picked up over the summer when I wasn't counting calories consistently. I follow NoS with calorie counting and I don't eat sugar even on S Days (except really Special Days)

Three week summary:

Dec 1 Beginning weight 171.6
3 weeks later: 168.6
Average daily calories: 1000
Exercise: aiming for a minimum of 30 min. not there yet, but closer

Thoughts: I am accepting that I must eat very low calorie. I eat very healthy foods and I am meeting nutrition needs. Some days I am hungrier and need more calories, but the weekly average per day must be 1000. On days where I have to drop down to 600 calories or so, I eat homemade broth, boiled eggs, lots of vegetables, and a tablespoon or so of coconut oil. That only happens when I have a 1500 calorie day and need to even out my average. I am hoping to get to my normal BMI by following this method. Maybe I can maintain at 1200 average calories. I know very few people believe this, but it is true for me.

[oolala53]

Wow. I know that would be hard for me to face. But I also know that some things I've done that are now not such a stretch sound like an impossible sacrifice to others. I affirm the strength you need.

[TexArk]

Thanks for your affirmation oolala!

I don't want anyone else to think they have to do what I am doing to lose and maintain because I think younger, active folks probably do not have to be so limited.

I have accepted this way of eating for me, and it is really not that difficult. It is much easier than constant tweaking and trying to figure out what to do!

I think part of the explanation is that I am nearly 66 years old and over the past 3 years I have had 2 injuries which have slowed me way down. I broke my wrist slipping on the ice and that was a long recovery. Then I had a ladder accident and broke my heel and really messed up my ankle. I think my body has just slowed down so much that it doesn't need as many calories. I can exercise on an elliptical trainer and stationary bike and I can lift weights. But before the injuries I was getting a good hour walk in every morning and going to yoga classes several times a week. I also walked up 3 flights of stairs regularly and across campus. Now I am having trouble putting in enough time on the boring stuff! I do enjoy my Kindle and that has helped me last at least the 30 minutes!

[TexArk]

I cannot believe I have been checking in here on this site for 4 years! I feel like I have come to know some of the regulars over the years. You all have so many good insights and I enjoy the discussions and support given to all.

I am looking forward to the new year and the opportunities it brings to learn even more. I will probably post a first of the year update and state some specific goals. As for now, I am back on track after the Christmas detour. We have been snowed in, but my husband made it down the hill to the grocery store this afternoon.

Even though my Christmas feasting was over the top, it was nothing like days of old. As a matter of fact, it was pretty much like my original S Days. I would say that is a major change.

[oolala53]

Congrats on 4 years. Yesterday was my third anniversary. I had an off day yesterday after a really great Monday and Tuesday, but it was fine because I see now how it fits into the mix. Every fail is not proof that it will never work or an indictment of the previous success.

[TexArk]

2012 Assessment

Slowly gained 10 lbs. over the year:
Jan 162.4
Feb 162.1
March 159.6
April 159.8
May 159
June 163.5
July 163.5
August 168
September 169
October 168.5
November 170
December 171.5
January 172


I have spent most of my adult life (and I am past 65) dieting and exercising and reading and studying about health and nutrition. I have lost weight following different advice and regimens multiple times. First loss was 145 down to 132 several times. Then it was 150 down to 140; then up to 166, then up to 192 and down to 172, then up again. My highest weight was 205 lbs. I can see that if I let down my defenses my body does want to return to its highest weight. That used to be 150 (in my 30s), 170 (in my 40s),190 (in my 50s) and now the set point seems to be over 200 lb. I didn’t see any difference in my hunger and appetite at any weight.

About 7 yrs. ago I lost down to what I thought was an ideal weight for me (about 142 lbs. at 5’7â€) by counting WW points and exercising regularly about an hour a day. I kept off that 60 lb. loss for several years by continuing to count points and exercise. After about 4 or 5 years I started experimenting with Inductive Eating. I thought surely I could learn to eat moderately without being obsessed with all that counting. WRONG! I tried and tried and gradually gained 30 lbs.

Then I found NoS at the end of 2008 This sounded like a sensible way to eat while still having boundaries. For 5 months I followed vanilla NoS. I had many perfect 21 day stretches, but my S Days never calmed down. I managed to maintain but not lose very much at all. Then I started gaining! Eventually, after 9 months I had gained all my weight back up to 204.5! That was when I decided I would combine NoS with calorie counting. I did that for 3 months and began steadily losing. I then dropped all sugar and gluten even on S Days.

After adding calorie counting and staying with it for about 2 yrs, I got back to a normal BMI…down to 159. But, now again, I have gradually put on weight…about 1 lb. a month. I have kept diligent food journals and the only thing I know is that I just can’t eat as many calories as I used to.

I looked back over my records before I started gaining this year and discovered that I was away from home much of the time my weight was stable. My daily food prep consisted of using a hot plate, microwave, and electric skillet. I had a dorm style refrigerator and no food storage. I was basically eating 2 meals a day and was not preparing food for anyone but me. I don’t have accurate calorie counts for all those days, but I know from what I was eating that it had to be under 1000 calories a day.

I also lost and maintained without getting much exercise since I was recovering from a broken foot. I know that exercise helps my range of motion, strength, muscle tone, and emotional well being. I don’t think it makes much difference in my weight loss.

I also have found that I do much better completely giving up sugar and wheat. I have tried over the years to moderate these foods, and I am not a happy camper when trying to do so. I am not happy eating one small bowl of ice cream, or 2 cookies, 1 slice of cornbread or a slice of pizza, or 1 piece of candy. All that does for me is to light up the switchboard in my brain that screams for MORE. The calories are not worth it for the pleasure I get out of moderation. It is embarrassing to say so, but I get pleasure out of over eating those things. I am miserable later, but at the moment I get a real high. I would rather sit down and eat an entire sleeve of Ritz crackers than have just two. I would rather eat a box of Wheat Thins than have 3 or 4 on my plate. Heck, I would rather eat an entire can of nuts than count out a few for my salad. I am not even sure how many brownies= satisfaction. So my answer is just to abstain. I have no cravings for those things if I just don’t have the first taste. I have learned that I can even have some of these foods in the house as long as I never eat them. And amazingly these treats just don’t appeal to me as long as I leave them alone.

My conclusions:
1. I need to be happy to get to the top of my BMI range which is about 10-12 lbs. higher than has always been my goal weight.
2. I need to accept that I have to eat fewer calories than when I was younger. I am assuming an average of 1000 calories a day is something I can do.
3. I need to be realistic about exercise goals and work to establish a daily exercise habit. For now, a minimum of 15 minutes a day is OK. More is better.
4. I know that I can avoid cravings if I stay away from sugar and gluten. This is easy for me so I will only have these foods on very special days.
5. I think I have picked up extra pounds because I am back home and cooking every day. So, I will try to cook every other day and prepare enough for leftovers. Less kitchen time.
6. I will experiment with ways to average 1000 calories a day. I am thinking I can alternate Up Days/ Down Days (1000 and 500) for my N Days and then go up as high as 1500 calories on S Days. At any rate, the average is the goal.
7. I will consciously eat more vegetables and more salmon within my calorie range. I remember the old Weight Watchers of the 1970s had us eat 5 fish meals a week, and it worked!

[oolala53]

All we can to is observe and do our best to implement what we learn. Good job!

[TexArk]

Week 1 Assessment:

779 average calorie intake for 7 day period 1-2 thru 1-8

Lost 2 lbs. after two days and have stayed the same for 5 days.

Exercised a minimum of 30 minutes daily.

I weigh every morning. I cannot tell my ups and downs from using clothing. I can have a 10 lb. variation and still wear my clothes....too much ease?

No feelings of deprivation or extreme hunger or headaches, etc. I am following an up day/down day pattern, but mostly the goal is to stay on a 1000 calorie average.

I am surprised that on my up days I do not particularly want to eat more. I like the feeling of "lightness." I am eating very healthy foods, and even on down days I tend to have homemade broth and fresh garden greens and boiled eggs.

It has also helped to only cook every other day. My husband is happy with leftovers and this keeps me out of the kitchen at least 3 days a week.

I know that this very low calorie count disturbs others, and I even hesitate to mention it here. I am doing so for my own records. This experiment just verifies what I have hypothesized: I do not need as many calories to sustain my lifestyle at this point in time. If I eat high quality food such as fruits and vegetables, good protein, natural fats and continue to avoid sugar and gluten I am satiated, with no cravings, and maybe can even lose and maintain weight when I find the right amount of energy for my body at this time.

This plan would also probably not have worked until this point in time. I have been doing NoS for several years so I am used to no snacking and 3 meals a day. I have given up most grains and sugar for 2 years and I have experimented with 2 meals a day and IF for about 18 months. I have also tracked calories for over 2 years so I know what my amounts are and what foods will last me from meal to meal.

So "my personal rules" or boundaries have evolved over years. What I do know is that I will always need to be aware of changes as I grow older and can never rest on the idea that "I have found the answer."

I plan to stay with this protocol until such time as it is not sustainable....one week at a time.

[BrightAngel]

Congratulations Tex-Ark. Your plan looks good to me.

I've followed you for a very long time and
I'm aware that you KNOW what you are doing.

As you know, a "low" calorie count simply isn't an issue.
People who make this type of Judgment call for others are following a conventional wisdom Myth...
which is just like the Myth of "Spot Reducing",
or the false belief the average person can gain lots of muscle
without engaging in any type of cardo or strength training exercise.
Although all of these beliefs have been proven false,
there mare many uniformed nutritionists, trainers, doctors,
and other "experts" working hard to keep those Myths alive.

Calorie counted -- no matter how carefully done -- is ALWAYS just an estimate.
It's good to do our best to track calories because it gives us good information about our own body,
but the trick is to measure one's OWN food intake
and compare that intake with the Results of one's OWN body,
rather than with the bodies of others.

The numbers on the BMR and RMR charts are MERELY estimates of what the mythical "average" person burns.
There are a great many smaller, older women who burn far less than 1200 calories a day.
The only really important thing is to always get in one's daily protein requirement,
and an average height woman requires no more than about 50 grams of protein daily...
which at 4 calories per gram totals only 200 calories.
There are many articles on my website talking about these simple concepts.

Your detailed records have taught ... and are teaching ... you
how much food your body needs to be healthy at a normal weight.
I think you are doing Great!!!

[snapdragon]

Thank you for your encouragement Tex ark! Yes, I can do this! My dad lives in another country and his wife is 15 years younger than him, I know he is looked after. I talked to my husband about any regrets I may have and perhaps I could stay in better contact with him. My mom has a cognitive imapairment which could turn I to Alzheimer's. I have noticed a decline and have had family members die from it. The good news is she is starting to accept something is wrong, and she needs to move out of her house. The bad news is wanting to do something and actually doing it are different things. Her house could almost be on " Hoarders" not quite as dramatic. She has never established healthy habits so now it is almost impossible for her to start. I have been able to get her to walk with me once a week but she won't do it on her own. There is a place that offers free fitness classes for seinors including tai chi and it's endless excuses as to why she can't go. Wow did I ramble! Sorry!

My point here is be proud of yourself for doing what your doing to be healthy! Keep up the exercising! You are an excellent role model!

[TexArk]

January went well. I am working on exercise habits and think I have found what will work for me. Just moving some every day but not overdoing it. Consistency.

I think I have found the right amount of food to eat at mealtime so that I am just getting hungry about an hour before the next meal. The calorie count is low. I averaged under 900 daily last month, but I think that is all I needed.

I had a good weight loss for January but that was removing holiday extras. I know it will slow considerably from here on out. I am cooking every other day and that gets me out of the kitchen half the time. And I have found that 2 meals a day works well for me. I can have enough satisfaction from 2 meals rather than 3 small plates. I am also using a small plate for each meal.

I am tracking my weight daily on the Hackers Diet spreadsheet and that helps to see the downward trend. I am logging food into myfitnesspal and will continue to do that unless my "internal meter" is better.

[BrightAngel]

TexArk, Congratuations on your current success.

[oolala53]

If you feel it's all doable, mazel tov!

[TexArk]

First week in February and all is well. I enjoyed my 44th wedding anniversary and a Super Bowl semi party. I have lost 2 lbs. according to my trendline and have averaged 30 minutes a day of light exercise and my calorie count has been kept at a low average without any problem.

So I will just keep it up. This is a stressful month for personal reasons, but I no longer turn to food for comfort or as an emotional substitute. It has taken a long time to get to this point. Actually this week I was very anxious about a situation and realized that I acted more like people I had known who just weren't hungry when going through a crisis. In the past unless death was involved I never lost my appetite.

For this week: keep on with daily exercise, calorie averaging, every other day cooking, and of course the NoS boundaries and we'll see where this puts me next week.

[SpiritSong]

Happy Anniversary, and congrats on your continued success!

[oolala53]

It is great blessing to have the experience of having life feel better when you don't stress eat. It's like Dorothy finding out that she always had the power to go home, but she wouldn't have believed it. Who knows what it takes for us to be ready?

[TexArk]

Second week in February also went well.

I am settling in to my 2 meal a day routine when it fits my schedule and appetite. And the up day/down day is working almost automatically. My calorie average is around 850 daily (I calculate the weekly average) and I am hungry for my meals. I am also satisfied with much less food at meal times. I am back to my weight as of a year ago and just a few pounds over my top BMI number. I have been getting light exercise in each day and my foot injury is healed to the point that I can walk at a slow pace and stay on my feet for hours (as in shopping). I can't walk up a sweat, but at least I am not sedentary any more.

I keep expecting the rate of loss to slow back down to half a pound a week, and I am sure that will come as I get to my top BMI.

[BrightAngel]

Second week in February also went well.

Glad to hear it.

[TexArk]

Here are the stats for the end of the third week in February:

Weekly loss: # per week .46 calorie deficit per day: 229
2 week loss: # per week .90 calorie deficit per day: 452
Month loss: # per week 1.36 calorie deficit per day: 678
168.7 down to 163.6 trendline for month
Average daily calories previous week: 983

I follow NoS with usually 2 meals a day instead of 3 and track calories. I usually follow an alternate day or up day/down day pattern. This last week I averaged 983 calories a day and lost .46 lb. with a calorie deficit of 229. I am using the Hackers Diet to keep the trendline graph and see what the actual calorie deficit is per day. My ticker reflects the lowest actual weight. I think this confirms that I need to stay under 1000 calorie daily average to lose less than .5 lb. a week. I wasn't able to exercise this week and that could also affect the calorie deficit.

[TexArk]

Last week's loss: .27 Lb. calorie deficit per day: 133
2 week loss: lb. per week .41 calorie deficit per day: 203
Month loss: lb. per week 1.2 calorie deficit per day: 599

168.4 down to 163.6 trendline for month

Average daily calories previous week: 821

Lowest weight for month: 161.6

Trendline loss for month: 5 lb.
Trendline loss since January 1: 8 lb.

I am still eating 2 or 3 plates daily..with NoS boundaries.
The calorie count is averaging under 900 calories a day.

[TexArk]

It has been March Madness and I don't mean NCAA basketball.

Birthday, out of town company, out of state trip, moving out a household, more birthdays, and several day trips. Also, trips to doctor to get cataract surgery on the schedule. How did I take care of life before I retired??

No formal exercise and no weight loss, but the good news is no big gain either. I am about where I was when I started the month. I have stayed with the 2 meal a day routine, but when you add in cheesecake, pizza, birthday cake, quiches, etc. I am glad to have maintained. Mind you, this was no more than one small serving on any given day and they were all really just little S events on S days. I could never lose eating like this, but I am glad I didn't gain. And eating a treat did not set off an eating frenzy. Of course none of this food was in my house!

After one more trip tomorrow I will return to my up day/ down day cycling. Maybe I can get down to my healthy BMI by the end of May. That would be less than a half pound a week. We will see what my body decides.

[TexArk]

I am back after cataract surgery and then a reaction to the preservative in the eyedrops, etc.

April 2013
Where am I now?

Weight: Well, I am about 3 lbs. above my highest suggested BMI which puts me at about 160.8. (66 yr. old at 5'7") I always thought that I needed to weigh much lower than this...at least as low as 150. Now I am just accepting what my body does. I am not in control of what the weight number on the scale reports. I have lost a little over 10 lbs. since January and I am about where I was a year ago. I have lost down from 204 in October 2010. I still weigh in every day. I never have let the number dictate my behavior. But I have found over many years of experimenting that if I don't weigh and weigh daily I gradually gain weight. I cannot use my clothes or how I feel as a guide. I have learned to use the Hackers Diet spreadsheet so that I can see the trendline and that probably helps me not to worry about the ups and downs that are normal depending on how much solid and liquid are in my body.

Eating Plan:
This is very personal for me. I have found what works I think. I have tracked calories and carbs enough to know that I do not need very many calories to maintain. I no longer count every day since I eat pretty much the same each day. If I have shown a trendline gain for a week, then I will count for awhile just to keep myself honest.
I feel better if I leave off wheat most of the time. I think I have a slight intolerance and it causes bloating and discomfort. I limit sugar to an occasional 1/4 cup of rich ice cream. I bring home a small pint of gourmet gelato and repackage it into 1/4 cup containers for the freezer or I might enjoy a special event dessert. I may have this little bit (the gelato) daily instead of waiting for S Days when I would probably give myself permission to eat the whole thing.

I do make all my meals at home except for Sunday dinner (most of the time). I do not snack except for maybe an orange in the middle of the morning if I have had a very light early breakfast and I no longer worry about a little nibbling or tasting as I am cooking. My biggest struggle is stopping the meal. I use the NoS one plate plan and then I have to tell myself at the end that the hunger I feel is not real.....that I have had enough to get to the next scheduled meal. Using some of Gillian Riley's ideas about choice and addressing addictive desire, I talk to myself about the fact that yes, I do have the choice to have a second helping, but I am also choosing the consequences that go with that. I know that I am not really hungry; it is just my addictive desire tempting me. Each time I can walk away from that I get stronger patterns set and feel better about myself. I already have an easy time now choosing not to eat junk because I do think I am making a good choice for my well being and I have practiced that choice for a couple of years. Where I have difficulty is in overeating the healthy, good stuff!

I buy a half a beef each year from a local farmer and I shop weekly at the farmer's market. I am trying to consciously eat more veggies. I used to do that back as a filler upper in weight watcher days. I think I rebelled against that, but now I am enjoying having at least half of my plate (usually 2/3) as vegetables again. I use butter, olive oil, rendered lard, coconut oil, but I do not use other industrial seed oils. I buy farm eggs and eat several each day. I also try to get in several salmon and/or sardine meals each week.

NoS modified?
I would not tell someone I am following NoS. I don't tell anyone that I am following a diet of any sort. But I do eat 2 or 3 meals a day. I don't snack or plan to eat seconds. I don't really observe S Days except that is when I will eat out and maybe eat a little bit more. Every so often, maybe 2 times a week, I will have a very light eating day...maybe 500 calories or so. I just go by how I feel and don't make any rigid rules about it. I think I probably need to do that to keep my weekly calorie average in check. I really do not get much exercise right now. That might change or not, but I am learning to eat less food. I think Gillian Riley's book, Eating Less, Say Goodbye to Overeating, works well with the NoS philosophy. She refers to Times (which would be setting the time you are going to eat next) and Plans (at each meal plan before you start eating how much you are going to eat). This sounds a lot like NoS.

I have had some challenging life events over the past few years, but don't we all. What I like about my way of eating and "dieting" now is that it is something I can do all the time...even if I am away from home, recovering from injury, moving, job changes, etc.

[BrightAngel]

TexArk, Thanks for sharing.
It seems to me that you are doing quite well,
and I very much enjoy reading about your process.

[TexArk]

Still pluggin' along. Weight just seems to be leveled off at around 160. I probably would not look one bit different, but I would like to be under 160 again. That still puts me nearly 20 pounds over what was my normal adult weight for years

I notice some have mentioned that they have shifted to 2 meals a day. That is what works best for me, too. I have been doing this for quite some time. As an older woman, I don't burn that many calories and I would rather have 2 full plate meals than 3 smaller meals.

I am attempting yoga practice again after taking 3 years off to rehab broken wrist and then broken heel and ankle (ladder accident). So far so good, but I am in a restorative yoga class and it is really easy.

I pretty much ignore S Days and choose to have a sweet if the occasion is special. And I found that I love Gillian Riley's approach...see eatingless.com

[TexArk]

Need to check in again and bump back up to the first page!

Still plugging along and have actually dropped a couple of pounds. Maybe my body will let me get into a normal BMI range after all.

I am able to walk about 2 miles a day for the first time in several years after an injury and I have pretty much settled into 2 meals a day.

I have not been posting but I enjoy reading the board every few days and keeping up with what others are doing.

[BrightAngel]

It's good to hear from you, and to know that you're doing well.