kaalii's 21 day challenge

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Thu May 12, 2016 7:19 pm

i have moved this topic to its proper place...
the link to the first 6 days of my challenge is here:
https://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopi ... highlight=

and this is how it started:

im almost 3 weeks into the nos to retrieve some sanity into my eating habits...

i have never dieted in my life except for the past year (calorie counting and intermittent fasting 16/8 ) and i arrived at my goal weight slowly but surely and succesfully maintining for 4 months...
but i feel i have picked up on some dieting mentality that i am weary of and that i observed in others with horror all my life... i guess part of me is horrified of myself now...

so, while ultimately id love to maintain what i have achieved, id wish to develop a more sane approach to eating even if it means gaining some of the 8-9kg lost back, initially or permanently...

i have always been in the super healthy bmi range so i dont think health is much of an issue here... just the bloody looks... (deep down i think i have to deal with accepting aging... and any advice, links, ideas on that are welcome, too from those who can relate to me, im 38yo)...

so, i am almost 3 weeks into the nos, with all in all 4 failure days behind me...
im starting today anew with encouragement from listening to the "strictness" podcast and not losing the enthusiasm...

i really feel that 21 day challenge in vanilla noS is the way to go from where i am now...

wish me luck!

thank you soooooo much for all the encouragement so far!

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Thu May 12, 2016 7:43 pm

day 7 and the first week of the challenge - success!!!

it seems that for now 2 generous and 1 light meal suit me the best...

it also seems that i have lost 1kg and 1 cm off my waist size... but this could be just within my normal variations, bloating, water retention etc... i actually dont want to lose any more weight... id even like to gain, if it means more muscle... so i plan to have my body fat % as real reference point...

what is nice and more important - i feel light and energized, physically and mentally... so much mental power liberated into other stuff that interest me.. and even tiresome chores, duties, bureaucratic s**t - im not postponing stuff at all!!!

today i had an active day but i took a day off exercise - my back muscles are pleasanlty sore from swimming yesterday and i took a rainy day off... i already have the exercise habit half-developed and having some days of rest in a week is how i do it... i have been doing it all my life, it varies and i trust that process and my neeeeed for exercise if i dont do it for a significant amount of time...

Sillymonkey29 · Post by **Sillymonkey29** » Sat May 14, 2016 3:44 am

Swimming is great exercise! I do it 3 times a week for an hour, usually. (When I'm at home) Otherwise I walk with my baby.
I find it really good for taking my mind off things. It is great to think of exercise as more than just a way to lose weight. If I'm doing it because I like it, I'm more likely to do it.

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Sat May 14, 2016 9:13 am

so great you get to jump in the pool 3 times a week!! awesome!!
oh yes, if it's not fun - it's not my exercise...
going swimming even once a week would add up to be too expensive for me... but in the summer season i can do it in the lake 10min drive from our house or during summer holidays when i go back to my home country croatia (beautiful adriatic coast)... i love it so much... it is so good for my back and so therapeutic... i love water, especially sea water...

friday was - success!!
i made such a great vegetarian carbonara... i replaced the 3rd of the spaghetti with zoodles ( spiralized zucchini noodles) and dried tomatoes instead of bacon... delicious! i had it for both lunch and dinner...
it was soo great to stop at one plate and not feel overfull - carbonara can be quite heavy - and just say to myself " you can have more for dinner, but for now - stop!"

calorie counting could never stop me there... not with this delicious carbonara!

nos rules!!!

jackn · Post by **jackn** » Sat May 14, 2016 1:44 pm

Sounds good, Kaali.

Keep it up.

Good luck to us all.

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Mon May 16, 2016 7:54 am

thank you, jackn!

the weekend was nice and sunny... went to a concert on saturday, by bycicle... danced there quite a bit... had some drinks (they are a kind of S for me, just because their consumption for me coincides with S days, not clear about it yet, this is something i will let myself become more clear as the habit forms)...
had some chips while watching a movie with my son...
had a jam sandwich (jam is an S for me but honey isnt, because i use it therapeuticaly, too)...
and not so much structure over meals and mealtimes...
but didnt pig out at all...

today is pentecost... here in switzerland (or at least in this canton im living in) it is a holiday... but i am an atheist so i will take it as an N-day... and enjoy our day off... the weather is beautifull here... i sooo love springtime...
happy pentecost to all that celebrate it...

jackn · Post by **jackn** » Mon May 16, 2016 9:49 am

Hey, Kaali, a calorie-counter would not allow carbonara to begin with, I think - calorie-counting means low-fat, so no rich foods.

From your posts, I gather that a if a NoS glutton wants to save their S-Days, they had better become a believer.

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Mon May 16, 2016 10:08 am

jackn wrote:Hey, Kaali, a calorie-counter would not allow carbonara to begin with, I think - calorie-counting means low-fat, so no rich foods.

nope... calorie counting is what it says - calorie counting... calorie counting is not low-fat diet... nor low carb... calorie counting is whatever diet you wish it to be - but you count the calories in your meals, snacks, desserts and in that way control your weight loss, maintenance, gain...so carbonara is allowed - i would just back in the days not allow it so easily because then it would be harder to meet my caloric goal for the day... because yes, carbonara does have quite some calories... but then again - at least it is more nutritious than french fries or any dessert... on nos - these calorie variations seem to even out through longer periods of time because i know already that on some days on noS diet i have significant caloric deficit... and on some surplus...

From your posts, I gather that a if a NoS glutton wants to save their S-Days, they had better become a believer.

im sorry, i didnt understand what you mean by this... "noS glutton"? "save Sdays"?

jackn · Post by **jackn** » Mon May 16, 2016 10:30 am

kaalii wrote:i would just back in the days not allow it so easily because then it would be harder to meet my caloric goal for the day...

We agree, that's what I meant.

kaalii wrote: im sorry, i didnt understand what you mean by this... "noS glutton"? "save Sdays"?

Sorry.
Just that it never occurred to me until I read your post that atheists might have fewer S-Days.
Thus, a NoSer that wanted to have their cake and eat it, too, would return to God, in order to enjoy all the religious holidays as S-Days.
Hope I'm being clear, now.

Just a quip.

Good luck to us all.

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Mon May 16, 2016 11:12 am

jackn wrote:Sorry.
Just that it never occurred to me until I read your post that atheists might have fewer S-Days.
Thus, a NoSer that wanted to have their cake and eat it, too, would return to God, in order to enjoy all the religious holidays as S-Days.
Hope I'm being clear, now.

haha, yes... reinhard does actually mention it:

What days start with "s"?

Saturday, Sunday and "Special" days. Special days include (your) national and (your) religious and (your) close family's and friend's birthdays. My apologies to atheists and non-native English speakers. A lean and hungry look becomes you.

and when you think that i dont do national holidays either - im "doomed" to "only" 3 square meals... less than luckier noS gluttons...

and much more than many starving people on this planet...

on a more serious note - my reasons for stopping being catholic are actually deeply spiritual and philosophical...
holidays and the food that believers and traditionalists eat then are not the reason i stopped taking part in organized religion/belief systems and it would not be a reason to get back to it... i participate and even make a christmass dinner if i have to or really want to... respect is one of the main mottos of my life... but true, im not the one gaining weight over the holidays...
there is so many special days in a year i already get to have with the weekends, and family and close friends's bdays, new year's... i also love to celebrate the 4 seasons - but that also i dont necessarily do with food and drink - walks in the nature make those days pretty special... putting up some special decorations in the house... it is just something i appreciate but im not hung up on it... it amplifies my gratitude for life in all its phases and forms...
and ultimately - i know that if i want my cake and have it... i just will! and mark it a red day and move on...

noS is beyond belief systems, as i see it...

jackn · Post by **jackn** » Mon May 16, 2016 2:57 pm

Interesting and, if I may, beautiful.

Thanx for sharing.

Finally, it occurs to me that God must have inspired Reinhard to come up with NoS.
What better comeuppance for atheists?!

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Mon May 16, 2016 4:46 pm

haha, yes, what a horrid punishment for not believing...

(a one-liner from seinfeld comes to mind immediately: "no soup for you!" )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOpfsGrNvnk

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Mon May 16, 2016 8:53 pm

11th day of the challengs, half way there, success!!

i feel good and look good...
peacefull and simple day, if somewhat less active!

jackn · Post by **jackn** » Tue May 17, 2016 10:52 am

Good news.

Keep it up.

osoniye · Post by **osoniye** » Tue May 17, 2016 1:46 pm

Hi kaalii- I like what you wrote over on the no seconds thread! What a great testimonial to stopping after 1 plate!!

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Tue May 17, 2016 7:40 pm

thank you jackn and osoniye!

tuesday, 12th day of the challenge - success!!
i did have a period of hunger today that was challenging... but made it to the mealtime...

i felt a bit anxious today, whole day waves of sudden bad thoughts and feelings, feeling vulnerable, lonely, irritated, angry, betrayed... and hour of speedwalking in our forest helped... exercise can be quite therapeutic... and seeing 2 does there grazing peacefully as i passed by them!! what a gift...

cedar · Post by **cedar** » Wed May 18, 2016 10:07 am

Was there anything that triggered your anxious feelings Kaalii? Or just one of those days..we all have them.

It's lovely you got some joy from your forest walk..making me jealous again!! Haha..hope you feel less anxious tomorrow.

jackn · Post by **jackn** » Wed May 18, 2016 11:36 am

kaalii wrote:hour of speedwalking in our forest helped... exercise can be quite therapeutic... and seeing 2 does there grazing peacefully as i passed by them!! what a gift...

Lovely.
Thanx for sharing.

kaalii wrote:anxious, vulnerable, lonely, irritated, angry, betrayed...

I think it's all there, all the time, isn't it?! The horror and the blessing.
And we're a bit heroic, aren't we, to plow through it all, always aspiring and striving towards the beautiful and the good.

Your storry, Kaali, helps.

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Wed May 18, 2016 9:16 pm

cedar, it was just one of those days but there were triggers, too... quite minor but untill i dealt with them they kept bugging me pretty hard... and yes, im a bit stressed but much, much better today... thank you! appreciated!

jackn wrote:
kaalii wrote:anxious, vulnerable, lonely, irritated, angry, betrayed...
I think it's all there, all the time, isn't it?! The horror and the blessing.
And we're a bit heroic, aren't we, to plow through it all, always aspiring and striving towards the beautiful and the good.

Your storry, Kaali, helps.

yes, it's all there all the time... but i have to say the scale is really tipping on the good side for me for the biggest part of it all... and im not just lucky i know also how to tip the scale to the good side... i learned it the hard way but i learned it... however, it's an art form that i (and i suppose all of us) will keep perfecting and re-learning all our lives...
thank you for the insight and caring!

today was - success!
dont wanna jinx it but it seems like im on a roll!

and because of how light i felt this last week i was soo curious so i didnt skip my measurment day...
the same weight like last week but body fat percentage went down... springtime activities and noS brought it so well!
i have updated it all in my signature to see how it flows with time...

badminton and lots of stairs today at work... but no time for the forest...

i dont know if you have noticed but this is working really great for me so far, too: 14min tidy-up system

jackn · Post by **jackn** » Thu May 19, 2016 6:08 am

Thanx, Kaali.

Sounds wonderful, what with being on a roll, and the waist improving.

Could definitely learn to tip the scales to the right side, here.
Most of the time, I feel like a babe in the woods... tossed around by incidental winds.

Thanx for sharing.
Good luck to us all.

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Thu May 19, 2016 6:16 pm

jackn wrote: Could definitely learn to tip the scales to the right side, here.
Most of the time, I feel like a babe in the woods... tossed around by incidental winds.

if i was to pick single, most useful thing to tip the scales it would be - gratitude journaling!!
i have been journalling since i was 13... it had poetic, documentary, stream-of-consciousness, venting, cbt, dreamy etc. phases... and they were all lovely/funny... journaling has many values in itself... but when i took on registering and working on my gratitude systematically... wow!! the waters stay as turbulent as ever but you learn to swim like a fish in them... and even enjoy the ride...

today - success!!
¨
active day at work... and walked with my son to the drumming lesson... there is smthng wrong with my van, have to check that out, and it is not so far to walk there so we walked...

oh, and another nice thing! our company (i officially work for the city since i work in the school system) has put up a challenge/competition with many interesting prizes for the winners: "bike to work!" competition (it is done in teams so it is not trying to develop individualistic, backstabbing type of competition but rather teamwork, health, ecology, saving money and fun... but i won't go more into the rules and goals of this nice initiative)... the total worth of the prizes is 120 000chf...

they include expensive bikes, spa holidays, sherpa camping equipment, bike gear and other things like coffee machines, designer bags etc... im already walking to work every day since i live 10 min fast walking from it, by the time i unlock my bike im already half way there, hahaha... but from now on until the end of the school year im gonna go by bike, just to win some prizes, possibly... i feel silly and childish... in a good way...

jackn · Post by **jackn** » Fri May 20, 2016 3:42 am

Kaali, r we neighbours, then?
You mentioned Swiss francs, and I live in Lyon, France.

I'm very grateful... for the gratitude journaling tip.
It seems promising, as I'm aware I tend to dwell on the anxieties.

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Fri May 20, 2016 5:44 am

yes, i have been living in switzerland for over a decade... in biel/bienne, not far from bern...
i visited france on couple of ocasions... montpellier and carcassonne... nancy... reims... and just passed through paris (made sure to see the eiffel tower, hahahaha) once on our way to rennes...
what a beautiful country! and once i drove through the south in one go with my van on the way to barcelona... we have passed lyon but i have never been there...

jackn · Post by **jackn** » Fri May 20, 2016 5:11 pm

kaalii wrote:yes, i have been living in switzerland for over a decade... in biel/bienne, not far from bern...
i visited france on couple of ocasions... montpellier and carcassonne... nancy... reims...

Been living in France for 21 years.
You've been to way more French places than I have.

This van business sounds like it's a big part of your life.
I don't drive.
It sounds like it's a great thing for you.

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Fri May 20, 2016 9:36 pm

yep, i travel quite a bit (i used to also go on tours with my band and theatre/performance group)... but i especially love to revisit the places and friends (and i love to have them visit me) ... not just "consume" the world... so one lifetime will be not enough for all i want to see and know... and the clock is ticking... but i go with the flow...

yes, my van is my preferred way of travel... it is an old vw T4 van that i have built a bed in for camping possibilities... it is also small enough to be used as (not)everyday vehicle... and it also can be transformed into having 8 passenger seats so sometimes there is a lot of us friends and family sharing the road...

2 weeks of the challenge - successful!!

and an active day...

lots of housework done

walking to do the grocery shopping and carrying the load back home

hour and a half walking/jogging in our forest, beautifull sunny day but no does today... some lovely birds, though... and interesting noises from insects...

started with shovelgloving!!! with the broom, swept the floors with it afterwards

if/when i get the 21 days challenge of vanilla noS - im rewarding myself with a sledgehammer! untill then i will try to familiarize myself with the moves... it is more fun than expected... im thinking of taping a full plastic water bottle to it (or maybe i'll put sand into it) as it is a bit too light...

plans for the weekend: good friend is having her 40th bday... wood-oven do-it-yourself pizzas, coctails, fire and concert tomorrow... plus some friends from germany and france...
im giving her my second best diy hula-hoop (she asked me a month ago to borrow it to her over the summer...now she is getting it) plus a bottle of famous homemade local schnaps...

have great Sdays everyone!!
you are such an inspiration! oasis of common sense...
thanks for keeping this place alive'n'kicking!

jackn · Post by **jackn** » Sat May 21, 2016 5:03 am

Sounds like an upbeat mood and things happening.

If it's like here, a sunny Saturday, at least.
A beautiful weekend.

RAWCOOKIE · Post by **RAWCOOKIE** » Sat May 21, 2016 6:42 am

Brilliant work! Have a wonderful weekend! Thanks for the glimpse into your world.xxx

I love the word 'Sweekend'

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Sun May 22, 2016 8:02 pm

oh what a lovely sweekend!!

that 40th bday party of a good friend was awesome... diy pizzas from wood pizza oven, peanuts, capirinhas, beers...

outdoors, sunshine and later beautifull moonlight and the fire, good mood, concert indoors, laughter and some dancing...

i didnt feel like having a cake... i think sweets are almost completely out of my life with noS... i realised that most of the opportunities where i actually do want to eat something sweet were mostly on weekdays, not weekends...

and this sweekend there was lots of biking... and walking uphill (went to check out one house from the ads in the hilly part of the city, within a year we will have to move out so im urban rangering for new home already)... and went there by foot, fast speed, with a small backpack... i really pleasantly feel the leg muscles...

today i made pizza again... not sure why i bought the ingridients for it this week while already knowing that we will be making pizzas at the b-day party...
for the first time in a long time i stuffed myself uncomfortably... i think my stomack capacity has shrunk...that's all i had today... i think it would fit in 2-3 plates... technically i think i didnt eat more than on n-days at all... caloric bombs were caipirinhas and beers, though...

RAWCOOKIE · Post by **RAWCOOKIE** » Sun May 22, 2016 8:45 pm

whoopee! that sounds like a perfect Sweekend! What better 'reason' to be 'stuffed' than celebrating with friends - alcohol can certainly be the tipping point in terms of 'over-indulging' - it tends to encourage us to eat more. But sounds like the enjoyment was well worth the cost!

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Mon May 23, 2016 8:09 am

RAWCOOKIE wrote:alcohol can certainly be the tipping point in terms of 'over-indulging' - it tends to encourage us to eat more. But sounds like the enjoyment was well worth the cost!

yes¨!
im actually eating less when im drinking... and im drinking only on social occasions... they make me excited and maybe even a bit nervous... and when im a bit nervous i cant eat...
but the next day, because i get real hangover even if i drink only 2-3 beers, i tend to crave food...
however, this sunday it was not so bad at all...

and i really dont like to drink alcohol with my meals, nor straight after them... not even one glass... it spoils the food for me and/or makes me feel bloated even more...

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Mon May 23, 2016 3:51 pm

im having a hungry day!

we have just had an earlier dinner because i was hungry...

so far im still in the green...

but i'll check in tomorrow before i call this day a success...

i hope im not going to have too hard of an evening ahead...

jackn · Post by **jackn** » Mon May 23, 2016 4:21 pm

Good idea to check in here about this hunger and the floating uncertainty about the evening.

It would help me, I expect, to do so.

One more thing, Kaali.
I've started doing a gratitude balance sheet of sorts just before meals.
Wanted to set a time to do it, so that it's done, and not just left as a pious intention.
I go over things that went well, that made me feel good...
And it makes me feel good.
Sort of saying Grace.
Perhaps it even influences the course of the meal.

Thank you.

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Mon May 23, 2016 6:35 pm

jackn wrote: I've started doing a gratitude balance sheet of sorts just before meals.
Wanted to set a time to do it, so that it's done, and not just left as a pious intention.
I go over things that went well, that made me feel good...
And it makes me feel good.

oh excellent!!
im happy for you!!

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Tue May 24, 2016 6:48 am

yep, yesterday was a success !!
4 more days! then off to monthly challenges, i guess...

and it wasn't hard in the end as i fell asleep earlier than usually... crashed!
i had a long day, replacing a colleague at work in the morning...
so im guessing my hunger was related to eating earlier and being tired...

oh and i was doing 14 min. shoveglove with my improvised sledgehammer again...
cant wait to get myself a real one... my reward for the challenge completion...
i love to recycle and not waste, as much as possible, so before hitting the hardware store i will check what local salvation army has to offer tools wise... i already went to another second-hand shop to check (im so sure im gonna make this challenge, i hope i won't dissapoint myself) but they didnt have any...

cedar · Post by **cedar** » Tue May 24, 2016 8:43 am

Fantastic work Kaalii! You are doing so well. It's those hard hungry days you get through that are really rewarding.

I love that you love recycling and not wasting..We always go to the 'brockenhaus' when we visit Switzerland..the quality of things is so much better than here in Australia... We got all our snow gear and warm jackets..much more fun shopping that way than regular shops. Good luck finding your sledge hammer.

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Tue May 24, 2016 3:26 pm

haha, yes! i love to recycle/upcycle... for years i also i have been distributing leftover food from the school i work in to people and groups that use it... instead of it going to the garbage... and now some of it goes to the refugees, too... so much is wasted...

and "brockis" are the best!! it seems to me that here they are part of the culture like, say, yard sales are in the USA...
90% of my furniture is from there... my best quality clothes, too...
oh and yes, winter sports equipment - there is even one brocki, just accross the road from the salvation army, specialised exclusively in winter sports... great stuff to be always found there!
you get to have good quality things AND you get to save a lot... while participating less in the destruction of our planet...

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Tue May 24, 2016 5:32 pm

N tuesday, 18th day of the challenge - success!!

shovelgloving in the morning and maybe going for an evening walk because the rain stopped...
all is well!

Imogen Morley · Post by **Imogen Morley** » Tue May 24, 2016 5:43 pm

Srdacan pozdrav! Nisam Hrvatica, ali Hrvatska je moja druga domovina i cesto putujem tamo. Imam dobrih prijatelja u Osijeku i blizu Sibenika.
Good luck on the successful continuation of your NoS adventure! I'm also here for a bit of maintenance (started in 2010, then fell off the wagon in 2014), but my record has been sketchy so far.

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Tue May 24, 2016 6:12 pm

haha, super!! bas lijepo da si se javila! ja sam inace iz zagreba i svako ljeto sam tamo i u puli na moruuuu...

ali, evo vec vise od desetljeca zivim u svici...

znas li ti mozda postoji li prijevod noS dijete na hr/sr? bas bi to htjela mami kupiti...

thanks for the support and always nice to hear from those with longer time of noS experience...

Imogen Morley · Post by **Imogen Morley** » Tue May 24, 2016 7:08 pm

Mislim da knjiga je dostupna samo na engleskom. Osnova cijelog programa je zaista "No sweets, no snacks, no seconds, except for days that start with S" - lijepo je imati knjigu, ali to nije potrebno. To je samo dodatna motivacija i nacin na koji mozemo pokazati zahvalnost Reinhardu.

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Tue May 24, 2016 7:34 pm

pa da, za dodatnu motivaciju bi htjela da ju mama ima... ne moze ni na forum zbog jezicne barijere tako da... ali da, ako nema - nema... sve cu joj to ja skypom i na ljeto kad se vidimo objasniti...
no prvo da meni "sjedne" kako treba...
walk your talk, as they say...

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Wed May 25, 2016 5:24 pm

day 19 of the challenge - success!!

in 2 out of 3 meals i had a veggie hamburger each and one had french fries, too... boy does that junk food leave me hungry... or better to say empty... you cant eat that sh*t too often on noS diet coz there is not much opportunity to eat the stuff our bodies then need... especially in active jobs like mine...

today walked lots at work, even more than usually, because we took the kids to a nearby school soccer field to play...needed to go back and forth from there, too... then played badminton, did cartwheels, talked loud and laughed a lot... it was fun! i love my job so much!

plus shovelgloving this morning...

and measuring day:
one more kg down,
one more cm off my waist and
the lowest body fat percentage ever (that i know of ever having, of course, because i own the calipers for maybe a bit more than 6 months... i have been blissfully oblivious of what body fat percentage is all my life untill a year ago or so)...

2 more days and the first noS challenge completed... and hopefully a little noS dent in my subconscious eating habits, too...

jackn · Post by **jackn** » Wed May 25, 2016 8:20 pm

Sounds very upbeat.
Lots of success.

Keep it up.

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Thu May 26, 2016 8:33 pm

i have realized that today is the 21st day of the challenge!!
i have started it on friday 6.5. so... YUHUU!!

and yes, today was a success!!!

active day, walking, biking, shovelgloving...

im getting myself a sledgehammer tomorrow!! yay!!!

the challenge was easier than i thought...
but more profound than i thought, too...

i have lost 2kg, 2 cm off the waist and some body fat percentage, too...
even actually too much, im borderline skinny now... and my 3 meals are more than satisfying - when im not tired, not eating junk (pizzas and burgers) and don't eat too early in the day...

- sweets are almost gone from my life... i wish for some of them smtms on n-days... but then i forget about it on s-days (probably because i have my snacks then and im satisfied with that)... there is enough of hidden added sugar in our food anyway... and i can taste it now more than ever... scary...

-the little voice to snack is so rare now, almost gone... and when it is - it is for healthy stuff actually... dried fruits, almonds, peanuts... i dont mind failing for those.. but this challenge was about the habit so i stuck to it... and i will keep going vanilla noS... and enjoy my dried fruits and nuts on s-days... or parts of the meals (but i actually enjoy more taking a handfull or two and munch away - snack-style)...
the rest of the times, i know - if i want to snack it - find a way to make a meal out of it or incorporate it into a meal.. period...

-no seconds revealed that im not naturally bloating as i thought i was...

if i can stop after a plate i will not be bloated like i used to be - i used to a l w a y s take seconds... im attributing my waistline shrinkage to no seconds, too... my inner and outer abs are not helplessly stretching over my overfull stomack for hours a day anymore...
oh, and the sense of satisfied control when i stop!!! now that's a feeling i adore!! so much peace and serenity in it... i feel i can do anything if i can do that...

and no seconds are my natural calorie counter... besides making me turn inwards and feel how much nourished i am being at the moment, i know i cant go so much overboard with 3 decent meals a day... not with common sense... and i discovered i do have common sense... and that no matter how heavy a meal on a certan day was - it will balance itself out with all the others in the week(s)... and yes, junk food like pizzas, burgers, french fries make me crave seconds the most... so i know what to watch out for...

im so happy to have found noS...
thank you reinhard!!!
and thank you all who are recognizing and practicing it! i admire you all!!

i will do a monthly challenge now... and then the first big test is coming - 6 weeks holidays!
but one challenge at a time!!

cedar · Post by **cedar** » Fri May 27, 2016 11:21 am

That's so great you've achieved 21days Kaalii..congrats!
I like that you are now focusing on the monthly challenge..I may follow suit!

I hope that you take what I say in the right way because I only mean well but I was glad to see your comments on your weight loss perhaps being a little too much? We all carry our weight differently and come in different shapes and sizes so without seeing you it's hard to say..but with your height and weight it does seem very slender.. Just as long as you are happy and feeling good with yourself is the main thing. You certainly have a very active job and lifestyle which I find very inspiring. Hope I haven't overstepped the mark by commenting..ignore if so.

Hope you have a lovely weekend. My mother in law just sent photos of a walk she did with some girlfriends of hers..stunning scenery and some gorgeous happy cows with little purple flowers in the meadows..made me want to jump on a plane straight away!!

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Fri May 27, 2016 1:35 pm

thank you, cedar!!!
and yes, it is so nice here at this time of the year... the photos of you mother in law, how you describe them, is really how it is now in switzerland... idilic! whether it is lakes or hills or mountains... and yes, the happy cows, too!

cedar wrote: I hope that you take what I say in the right way because I only mean well but I was glad to see your comments on your weight loss perhaps being a little too much? We all carry our weight differently and come in different shapes and sizes so without seeing you it's hard to say..but with your height and weight it does seem very slender.. Just as long as you are happy and feeling good with yourself is the main thing. You certainly have a very active job and lifestyle which I find very inspiring. Hope I haven't overstepped the mark by commenting..ignore if so.

oh yes, thank you! i do appreciate the honesty and care so much!!
yes, i am on the slender and skinny side all my life... my brother, too... i am moderately tall with small frame, tiny wrists... my maximum ever was 67kg/147lbs (besides the pregnancy 11-12 years ago) and that only for some 4 months maybe when i realized i couldnt "carry myself" any more and had to do something about it...
however, you are right, i do have to be careful not to lose more, especially knowing that at 38, even with activity level i am in, we lose muscle... i am, however, still in the healthy bmi and body fat percentage range for my age... my red alert is 55kg...
and yes, i feel great, full of energy, strength... i feel in my "zone" in the upper 50s kilos... i have been pretty stable in that area all my adult life without ever dieting... even becoming lacto-ovo vegetarian 21-22 years ago was because of ethical/ecological reasons...
but thank you again for the concern... this is why i find this forum great! and i know i wont get caught (even more) in diet head habits that i picked up in the past year...
lots of love from biel/bienne!

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Fri May 27, 2016 7:30 pm

and today, friday - success!!

since my van was being repaired i have been walking so much today as well as doing errands on bike with my new 4kg sledgehammer in my backpack after i bought it... uphills were ouch!

cedar · Post by **cedar** » Fri May 27, 2016 11:00 pm

Oh so glad you understood my intention Kaalii. Yes we are all built differntly and feel good at different sizes..that's what makes life interesting ☺. Ive had some friends go too far so i am probably over sensitive.

Yay you got your shovel glove! Im using an old one of my husbands and i really enjoy it..another great idea from Reinhard!

Have fun with it. Also i just saw your 14mins of cleaning..great idea!!

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Sat May 28, 2016 9:32 pm

s-day treats:
apple pie and greek yogurt (always plain!) for breakfast
kefir (outside of the meal)
popcorn with butter

yum!

did shovelgloving even though it is an S day, coudnt resisnt not trying my new sledgehammer... so heavy! 4kg/8.8lbs... real work... im working with it less than half of the 14 min... the rest with my old lighter improvised one...
i will be working towards making the whole 14 min with it...
i love it also because it empowers me somehow... like im leaning a new skill... you never know, i just might have to be able to kill an orc one day...

hmmm, should i open a new thread for daily check-ins? since this challenge is over sooner than i expected when i started the thread...

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Sun May 29, 2016 6:53 pm

s-unday.. but it was in reality a n-unday...

just didnt feel like snacking, sweets, seconds...
it feels great to feel free to do it, though.. s-days are so important for the mind...

just plain, homemade, nice 3 meals...
yummy! and more than enough...

and shovelgloving (couldnt stop myself just becuase it is an S-day, i guess im in the honeymoon phase with my new sledgehammer, haha)
and a nice walk and a bit of jogging with my son in the forest...
otherwise, lazy and cozy day at home...

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Mon May 30, 2016 5:30 pm

green n-monday...

shovelgloving... feels awesome!
no extra walking than the usual... raining here...

pinkhippie · Post by **pinkhippie** » Tue May 31, 2016 1:16 am

Just wanted to pop over and say Hi and help you feel younger.

I just turned 40 last month and it is tough. I also am a little overweight right now and I really feel like it ages me even though people usually think I'm younger than I am.

Congratulations on on achieving your 21 day goal!

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Tue May 31, 2016 6:26 am

ohh, thank you, pinkhippie!

you did make me feel better, just nice to know someone about my age thinks about it, too, sometimes...
when i had some extra weight, i thought that aged me, too...
then i lost it and now i think the weight loss aged me...

even though more fit and full of energy - i think the wrinkles are a bit more visible and some pregnancy marks, too--- i used to truly love to see that on other people... in my 20s i had instances of looking at a beautiful woman older than me and seeing the lines/wrinkles on her face and how much character it gave her and beauty and thinking to myself: "cant wait to reach that age!"... and i still see beauty even more in women with "character" that age and aging brings than the younger ones... i even smtms think when seeing a young beautiful woman - oh she will be so pretty once her lines are a bit more "defined"...
what happened to my perception of age/beauty when i see it on myself now, i wonder??...
oh, yes, peole say i look much younger... but that doesnt help much... deep down i really cant take a compliment any more...

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Tue May 31, 2016 8:31 pm

green tuesday!

and im opening a permanent daily check-in topic for myself... the dating and then 21 days engagement time is over... time to get married to noS!

pinkhippie · Post by **pinkhippie** » Wed Jun 01, 2016 1:04 am

kaalii wrote:ohh, thank you, pinkhippie!

you did make me feel better, just nice to know someone about my age thinks about it, too, sometimes...
when i had some extra weight, i thought that aged me, too...
then i lost it and now i think the weight loss aged me...

even though more fit and full of energy - i think the wrinkles are a bit more visible and some pregnancy marks, too--- i used to truly love to see that on other people... in my 20s i had instances of looking at a beautiful woman older than me and seeing the lines/wrinkles on her face and how much character it gave her and beauty and thinking to myself: "cant wait to reach that age!"... and i still see beauty even more in women with "character" that age and aging brings than the younger ones... i even smtms think when seeing a young beautiful woman - oh she will be so pretty once her lines are a bit more "defined"...
what happened to my perception of age/beauty when i see it on myself now, i wonder??...
oh, yes, peole say i look much younger... but that doesnt help much... deep down i really cant take a compliment any more...

Oh dear, I guess there is no winning with the aging thing. I don't mind so much except I work with a bunch of 20 year olds so I feel old in several ways. I think I definitely looked better in my 30's than I did in my twenties though, my face was much more defined. That is why the extra weight bothers me. My face has lost some of that. We will see. I have a hard time taking compliments too. I have been working on it.

kaalii · Post by **kaalii** » Wed Jun 01, 2016 6:49 am

yes, no winning there!

i should start re-learning taking compliments, too...