Counting carbs/calories is a drag. Obsessive scale stepping is a recipe for despair. If you want to count something, "days on habit" is a much better metric. Checking off days on a calendar would do just fine, but if you do it here you get accountability and support. Here's how. Start a new topic in this forum called (say) "Your Name Daily Check In." Then every N day post a "reply" to that topic as to whether you stayed on habit. A simple "<font color="green">SUCCESS</font>" or "<font color="red">FAILURE</font>" (or your preferred euphemism if that's too harsh) is sufficient, but obviously you're welcome to write more if you want. On S-days just register that you're taking an S-day. You don't have to do this forever, just until you're confident you've built the habit. Feel free to check in weekly or monthly or sporadically instead of daily. Feel free also to track other habits besides No-s (I'm keeping this forum under No-s because that's what the vast majority are using it for). See also my <a href="/habitcal/">HabitCal</a> tool for another more formal (and perhaps complementary) way to track habits.
Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating
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Sinnie
- Posts: 1373
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by Sinnie » Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:06 pm
Hey, well yesterday I failed miserably because around 4:30-5 I became ravenously hungry. I tried having some milk, but the taste of it made me almost unconsciously go downstairs and devour the peanut butter bars I made. It only went downhill from there.
I ate a piece of peanut butter on toast for breakfast; Lunch was a tuna sandwich and granola bar. Not the most substantial day but I couldn't handle the hunger that overwhelmed me an hour or so before dinner.
Is this normal? Are you supposed to ignore the intense hunger until dinner?
Thank you
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cvmom
- Posts: 639
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- Location: California
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by cvmom » Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:13 pm
Sinnie,
I have found that I need four meals per day. That is only because I get up really early (5:30 to 6:00) and that I go all day. So, I eat every three to four hours, which translated into 4x's per day. My meals are slightly smaller than what I used to eat, but I've spread them out so that I sustain my energy.
R never said that you have to eat three meals only. Its just easier to do that.
Dru
PS. It sounds like you didn't eat enough for breakfast yesterday.
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gingercake
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by gingercake » Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:38 pm
When I feel that kind of a shaky, blood sugar crash coming on, I have a small but dense snack like trail mix or cheese and apple or something or almonds. My "modification" of the no snacking rule is "except when medically necessary." I'm not talking about hunger or even extreme stomach-growling hunger - I mean that crashing, shaky blood sugar that will result in headache, crankiness, and face-stuffing. A small snack to head that off is not a failure in my book.
It doesn't happen to me very often. Usually it's if my breakfast doesn't have enough fat or protein or density, or there's too much white flour or other refined stuff in either lunch or breakfast.
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Sinnie
- Posts: 1373
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by Sinnie » Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:39 pm
Thanks for reminding me of that. You may be right. If I decide to eat dinner later than 5:30, it may be best to fit in another meal. I guess my problem is in my mind it's snacking, which means I've failed, and then I feel terrible and eat even more.
P.S. Sorry for posting this the daily check in section, my mistake, didn't mean to do that! Sorry Reinhard!
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Sinnie
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by Sinnie » Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:41 pm
Gingercake, that is a very interesting idea. I like it. This does happen to me on occasion, so rather than throw in the towel, I may just take up your strategy. That is brilliant actually. Except when medically necessary...I like. Thank you a lot.
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blueskighs
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by blueskighs » Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:14 pm
Sinnie,
it would be interesting to see if you threw in some veggies with your lunch if that would help not get some extreme shakes? I have no scientifice evidence for this but eating veggies does seem to keep my blood sugar more balanced in long haul.
Just a thought.
Blueskighs
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Sinnie
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by Sinnie » Tue Jun 17, 2008 5:11 pm
Blueskighs, you are probably right about that. I think it has to do with fiber and slowing down digestion or something.....I'm usually much better at including veggies but need to make more of an effort.
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gingercake
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- Location: western U.S.
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by gingercake » Tue Jun 17, 2008 7:10 pm
Sinnie wrote:Blueskighs, you are probably right about that. I think it has to do with fiber and slowing down digestion or something.....I'm usually much better at including veggies but need to make more of an effort.
Yes, definitely. The bulk and fiber of veggies slows the blood sugar impact, and for those of us who have issues with that it makes a big difference.
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kccc
- Posts: 3957
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by kccc » Wed Jun 18, 2008 1:26 am
Two observations...
1) Your meals look a bit skimpy - may help to take them up a notch, with particular attention to protein and complex carbs. (I found when I started No S that I needed more protein than I used to eat.)
2) You might try the "limited snack" idea... that is, you make a short list of "approved" snacks and if you really, really, really need it, you can have ONE item from the list without counting it as a failure. I did that when I was trying to cut out my afternoon snack, which I thought I couldn't survive without!
You'll have to experiment with what works for you. One of the things this diet highlights is how different we all are!
Good luck.