trying again

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

Post Reply
whatpartofno
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2008 7:47 pm
Location: USA

trying again

Post by whatpartofno » Thu Feb 10, 2011 8:02 pm

I have tried No-S on and off for several years, and always have liked it, liked the old-fashioned, common sense discipline. For several months a few summers ago, I was on track and doing fine. I ate three meals a day, walked around the neighborhood, and didn't think much about food. Wonderful. During that time I lost .2 lb./month. That's right, two-tenths of a pound--which for me is fabulous. I am a woman in my early 60s, and I'm short.

But then I saw my doc, who thought my gray-area cholesterol numbers meant that I should exercise more intensely and eat less fat. (This is pretty standard advice, apparently.) I tried, but the exercise made me hungry, and, well, I seem to like fat. Summertime means tomato sandwiches with real mayo. I stopped losing. Then I injured my knee--trying to get more exercise--and couldn't exercise at all for 6 months. And I've been gaining since. Only about 5 or 6 pounds total, but enough to be annoying, and I wasn't light to begin with.

So I'm trying again--I started a food diary in January and when I looked back, saw that there was plenty of room for improvement: not binging on sweets and nuts between meals when I'm stressed, for starters. If I lose .2 lb./month until this year's check-up, I will have lost a pound. :D That would be so much better than gaining!

tobiasmom
Posts: 1391
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:08 pm
Location: Texas

hey

Post by tobiasmom » Fri Feb 11, 2011 1:56 pm

Welcome!!! I'm back to No-S again myself after "convincing" myself that I needed to count points again.........

Here's to a wonderful weekend and week ahead!

whatpartofno
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2008 7:47 pm
Location: USA

Post by whatpartofno » Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:11 pm

Thanks, tobiasmom. Good luck to both of us!

r.jean
Posts: 1653
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 7:47 pm
Location: Midwest

Thinking along the same lines

Post by r.jean » Fri Feb 11, 2011 11:14 pm

Below is what I posted on my checkin a couple days ago. It seems appropriate to what you were talking about. Sometimes we just have to do what we can and no more.......

Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 11:54 pm Post subject: My new mantra

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Maintenance is progress; the status quo was gaining weight."

I picked up the No S Diet Book yesterday and just read a few sections that I had only skimmed through before. I came across this sentence, and it is so appropriate for what I am trying to tell myself right now that I had to repeat it and repeat it and repeat it........

whatpartofno
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2008 7:47 pm
Location: USA

Post by whatpartofno » Mon Feb 14, 2011 5:28 pm

Yes! I'd like to read a comfortable, reasonable balance, where I don't gain any more (maybe even lose a little, slowly), yet I feel happy and content--neither overstuffed nor deprived. For me, that's No S.

Had a good weekend, although I ate too many fries on Saturday. Sunday I didn't really have an S day, nor did I want one. Today and all this week are questionable--we're having family visitors, and the schedule will be different. We'll have pie and cookies and all that good stuff around the house, too. I plan to do my best and not beat myself up.

User avatar
Over43
Posts: 1850
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:15 pm
Location: The Mountains

Post by Over43 » Mon Feb 14, 2011 7:23 pm

Good luck to you. It is an on again, off again journey for most of us. :)
Bacon is the gateway meat. - Anthony Bourdain
You pale in comparison to Fox Mulder. - The Smoking Man

I made myself be hungry, then I would get hungrier. - Frank Zane Mr. Olympia '77, '78, '79

whatpartofno
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2008 7:47 pm
Location: USA

Post by whatpartofno » Thu Feb 24, 2011 2:12 am

Company left--a good visit with them. Ate out too much for me; I always have trouble out because--this sounds weird, maybe--I don't like a lot of the food, except desserts. So I eat them. Anyway, back to sort-of normal, thank goodness.

Exercise day off.
Breakfast: little shredded wheats and a banana.
Lunch: Ham sandwich and latte.
Dinner: Peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a hot chocolate.

Don't feel especially guilty about skipping veg!

whatpartofno
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2008 7:47 pm
Location: USA

Post by whatpartofno » Fri Feb 25, 2011 1:42 am

Yesterday must have been the first day of 21, so this is day 20:

Exercise: 2 miles treadmill.

Breakfast: banana, oats, yogurt, raisins, walnuts, a little sugar

Lunch: avocado and pepper jack sandwich on whole wheat

Dinner: lots of salad on corn tortillas (salad and tortillas is one of my go-to menus), snack container of peanut butter (these things are perfect), 2 snack packs of graham cracker dippers, hot chocolate.

Weather's turned cold and snowy again, but only for about a week (please, please, please!).

whatpartofno
Posts: 16
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2008 7:47 pm
Location: USA

Post by whatpartofno » Sat Feb 26, 2011 12:33 am

Red day.

Exercise: 3 miles treadmill (walked).

Breakfast: pbj and apple.

Lunch: Big bowl of cereal and banana, then 2 sample Luna bars that I got at the dentist's office (!!!).

Dinner: Don't know, but broccoli will be involved.

Post Reply