Jessica's check-in thread

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 8:05 pm

Hi! I found this site last night and it makes so much sense to me! I've tried calorie counting, paleo/primal and a few other methods over the last 5 or so years. I'll succeed for some period of time and then real life gets in the way or I start overthinking.

The simplicity of No S really appeals to me. I don't have to make different food for my kids or worry about being conspicuous at work. I need to lose about 50-60 pounds. I don't struggle much with sugar, but snacks and seconds are a big problem for me.

Today is day 1, so far so good. I've had a filling breakfast and lunch. It's mid afternoon and normally when I start wanting a snack. I think I'll bring some tea to work tomorrow for these mid-afternoon cravings.

I'm also interested in glass ceiling and weekend luddite but I'm thinking one set of habits at a time.

osoniye · Post by **osoniye** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 1:29 am

Welcome, Jessica,
It's good to have you here.
I trust you will find this to be a supportive environment as I have.

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 2:49 am

Welcome Jessa!

I love the way NoS lets you have a normal life. I really didn't want to my girls to see me eating weird diet food or skipping meals or anything. But with nos they don't even know I'm on a diet. They see me eating 3 healthy moderate meals a day and treats on the weekends and it all feels like healthy normal eating. Pretty cool!

Good luck!

Linda

RAWCOOKIE · Post by **RAWCOOKIE** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 7:51 am

Hi! Your first post sounds just like me! I found this system at the end of June - and am LOVING it so much. I'm 60yrs old, and, like you, have tried many, many different eating plans. I'm already feeling so LIBERATED around food - I hope it sticks for you too. It's brilliant!

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 10:24 am

Thanks for the warm welcome!

I did fine with dinner last night - maybe a little too much on my plate but it was still one plate.

So day 1 - success!

Off to day 2!

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Thu Aug 06, 2015 12:39 am

On my way to bed - so day 2 is a success!

It was actually pretty easy because I was so busy with work today and running around to client's offices. No chance to get the munchies mid afternoon and then dinner was timed pretty well.

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Thu Aug 06, 2015 11:46 pm

Day 3 - success!

Just for posterity - breakfast was 2 eggs on sourdough toast. Lunch was leftovers - hamburger patty, mashed potatoes and spinach. I was feeling lazy at dinner (my kids would like EVERY night to be lazy dinner) and had a bacon and egg sandwich. My exchange student arrives Saturday and school starts next week so I'll be back on track with normal meals and proper cooking after work. For now, I'll enjoy my lazy dinners.

I looked back on my MFP food journals for times in prior years when I lost weight. Guess what? Normal meals, no snacks. Go figure. My office tends to be really food-oriented so not every week will be as easy at this one has been. Plus I'm eating such yummy stuff at meals that I'm not really planning weekend snacks yet. I'll make homemade brownies for my new exchange student in case she's hungry when she gets here. And we have some back to school parties on Sunday. But it's all good so far.

Did I mention cooking is one of my hobbies? I love making awesome things from scratch. I guess that's what S days are for now!

RAWCOOKIE · Post by **RAWCOOKIE** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 8:45 am

I agree - I look forward to the S day opportunity to bake

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 11:20 am

Day 4 was success!

Now on to an S day - which will be SO busy I won't have time to mess around with food other than the previously mentioned brownies. Tomorrow I have 2 parties - yikes!!

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Tue Aug 11, 2015 1:46 pm

Yesterday was success!!
My kids kept trying to give me candy that the exchange student brought and I held strong!

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Tue Aug 11, 2015 11:59 pm

I'm going to mark today as a success! I sat and watched my kids eat chips for a snack and held on to my desire for a green day. I'm off to bed soon so I think I can call it good.

I've been a little heavier on the bread than I normally like to be but right now I'm focusing on the habit forming rather than worrying about specifics. Getting analysis paralysis about gluten free vs real food vs paleo vs primal vs calorie counting is what got me to where I am today and that's not a good place! Eating stuff I like is what makes me look forward to meals which makes it easier to ONLY have those 3 plates because I know it will be something epic.

Back to work after 2 days off, and the kids start school tomorrow. Work is easier to stick to S days for the most part, unless things are slow or I'm tired. I'll take spearmint tea with me just in case. (I drink it plain)

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Thu Aug 13, 2015 10:12 am

Yesterday was a success!

Today I'm going to one of htose luncheons where they put the dessert out at the beginning so I'll just have to give it to someone.

I've been pretty hungry for dinner by the time it comes around but I think it helps that I am eating a bit earlier because of that. Then I am sleeping a little better since I'm not full from a later dinner.

RAWCOOKIE · Post by **RAWCOOKIE** » Thu Aug 13, 2015 5:51 pm

I like the way you are thinking ahead and making a plan of how you are going to manage to stick to your No S intentions.

I am finding that I can enjoy some bread now that I'm doing No S - whereas before I was totally off it. I don't have it every day - but it feels like a proper part of my meal now - and it's very enjoyable!

Kit · Post by **Kit** » Thu Aug 13, 2015 9:12 pm

Hi Jess,

Just dropping in to say hi. I admire how you plan ahead when you see potential pitfalls.

I had an extra s day yesterday, my daughters 21st birthday, and it was great to mark it as a special day, and enjoy myself with everyone else

I just ate what we all ate and enjoyed myself with no guilt. I think this normalising of the food situation is what makes no s so great. No diets, no banned foods, no lists or counting, no 'is honey paleo' style debates, just real food, in sensible amounts, and party days on party days!

Kit

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Sat Aug 15, 2015 9:49 am

Rawcookie - I feel the same way about bread now! Last night I had some baguette with dinner and it was SO GOOD!

Kit - happy birthday to your daughter! I agree, normalizing food is what's going to make this work long term.

Soooo I wil confess I went ahead and had the dessert Thursday! I so rarely get to hang with my dad that I decided the occasion was worth it - he was really excited to have me at Rotary with him. So I'm marking Thursday as an S day just for my dad.

I follwed N rules for the rest of the day and to me, mindfully choosing to share a dessert with someone is way different from mindlessly grabbing donuts as I pass through the kitchen at work or something. That's another part of normalizing food, really.

Yesterday (Friday) was a success!

I'm down 1.4 pounds in about 10 days.

Now it's an S day and I'm not sure what to do wtih myself. I'm sure my kids will offer some ideas. LOL

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Sun Aug 16, 2015 1:21 pm

My S days last week weren't too frisky - I think I had a couple brownies and maybe something else but not too much.

Yesterday I had lunch at a restaurant with 2 rolls (you know those awesome yeast rolls?) followed by a few handfuls of cheezits and an oreo mid afternoon. Then I had seconds and a little extra bread with dinner. The seconds tasted good to my mouth but made me feel SO stuffed and gross. I was pretty miserable for the rest of the evening and slept poorly. None of that was out of control or binge-y and would have actually been close to a normal day previously. Interesting.

I think today will be a lot closer to an N-day except that I'm thinking about making some pumpkin bread. It's hot here but I'm ready for fall!

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Tue Aug 18, 2015 10:05 am

Yesterday was success.

It was raining all day so I ordered Jimmy John's instead of going out for lunch (I didn't have time to bring anything with me). Tasted good but I felt kinda over-full all afternoon. I need to plan better for lunches so they are more nutrient dense.

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Tue Aug 18, 2015 2:12 pm

You're doing awesome!! No-S really is so sane. I, like you, get so overwhelmed with gluten-free, paleo, calorie or point counting, carb counting, etc. yikes. Regular food is just so much better!!!!

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Tue Aug 18, 2015 4:10 pm

Thank you, tobiasmom! I'm still adjusting to the pure awesomeness of not having to go through a checklist before I eat or something.

I love your note in your signature about committing to a full year in advance - that is a great idea!

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Wed Aug 19, 2015 10:24 am

Yesterday was a success!

For some reason I kept thinking about french silk pie. I think I'll get on pinterest and find a recipe for this weekend. So funny, I rarely think about sweets but could not get that pie out of my head. LOL!

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Thu Aug 20, 2015 9:56 am

Wednesday was success.

I'm having a hard time determining if I've lost any weight becasue the weather is SO humid and I seem to be retaining several pounds of water. I hate that feeling. My rings are tight and my skin feels uncomfortable. I'm hoping this cold front helps with that.

Today they are having a random ice cream social at work. I"m going to face a lot of this when tax season starts in January so this will be good practice at refraining from the temptation.

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Fri Aug 21, 2015 10:17 am

Yesterday was red.

I particpated in the ice cream social at work - part of me leans toward thinking it's part of normal eating to particpate in treats like that. And part of me says, when you spent years making *everything* a treat it's time for some change.

Anyways, so I did that and then for some reason had terrible munchies and had some bacon and a cheese stick after dinner.

Today will be a better day! And I'm off to the gym this morning too!

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Sat Aug 22, 2015 10:59 am

Another red. I did great all day and then found myself sneaking bites off my kids plates. What??? I topped it off with a cheese stick. Not terrible but still....

I worked out hard Wednesday and yesterday and was insanely hungry which probably contributed to the munchies at night. I think I need to fill my plates with more protein on such days? I'm not sure, I guess I'll keep experimenting.

I still want that french silk pie, and it's an S day! So I'm off to pinterest to find a recipe for it.

RAWCOOKIE · Post by **RAWCOOKIE** » Sat Aug 22, 2015 11:12 am

I have found Thursdays and Fridays to be the days when I'm more likely to want to eat more - so I've made sure to eat more on those days, as part of my three meals. That might mean having 2 rolls instead of 1, or adding a bag of crisps to my sandwich lunch - not ideal, but it stops me snacking later and keeps my 'on habit'

Enjoy your French Silk Pie (I don't even know what that is!)

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Sun Aug 23, 2015 8:18 pm

I just had to pop in mid-S day and say... I love this WOE.

My favorite hobby (especially fall and winter) is cooking/baking. I've struggled with reconciling my love of baking in pariticular with the need to lose weight. Right now I have pumpkin bread in the oven and rosemary bread in the bread machine and I'm SO happy! I made the pumpkin bread with very little sugar so really it could be a breakfast bread OR I can freeze it for next week if I want to be really S-compliant.

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Tue Aug 25, 2015 12:20 pm

Yesterday was green.

Scale hasn't really moved much. I'm not gaining anymore but I'm not really losing yet. I do think that I have some water weight that is hanging around.

I think I'm eating bread at nearly every meal though.

Nothing wrong with bread, but I think I'm making up for lost time when I was trying so hard to avoid it completely. I think I'll work on just plain habit building another week or so and then consider dialing back the bread-y goodness to 1 or 2 meals a day. Probably just cutting it in half and filling the gap with fruit and veggies will make a huge difference.

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 4:04 pm

Yesterday was a auccess despite having a pretty bad day and being exhausted which usually leads to mindless carb munching. I didn't even walk past the candy drawer at work so YAY!

Today is shaping up to be a pretty rough one too but so far so good. I went to Whole Foods for a sandwich and made it through the baked goods without even looking.

RAWCOOKIE · Post by **RAWCOOKIE** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 5:15 pm

Yay for yesterday - and hope today smooths out for you!

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Wed Aug 26, 2015 9:31 pm

Thanks rawcookie! Turns out I'm sick - I have a fever, sore throat and body aches. So today has become an S day because I feel so miserable.

RAWCOOKIE · Post by **RAWCOOKIE** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 7:05 am

aw, hope you feel better soon xxx

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 11:30 pm

Thanks! Another sick day today.. This is a weird virus, so tired and achy.

Meanwhile, today is another S day, but a fairly tame one.

Tomorrow will be an N day, I hope! I'm ready to get back to work!

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 7:56 pm

After 2 S (sick) days today is red, red, redder than red.

I'm tired from being sick and fairly stressed about something going on right now so it was easy to fall prey to the siren call of a chocolate chip cookie and a few mini reese's cups.

Next week will be a better one! I'm going to be glad to see this week in the rearview mirror.

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 5:06 am

Hope you get some rest tomorrow and yeah just press the "reset" button Monday!

Linda

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Mon Aug 31, 2015 10:17 am

Happy Monday!

This is going to be a great 5 N days! I am seeing them become more and more appealing after a relaxed weekend. I see how I gained weight by eating like this 7 days a week - an extra roll here and handful of crackers there add up over the days and weeks.

I still have some stressful things happening but I'm not going to let them derail me. And I definitely will feel better if I make it to weightlifting a couple times this week, too.

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 7:17 pm

Yesterday turned into a wicked red day!

I'm on track for green so far today even though I'm still dealing with a stressful situation. I've taken steps to resolve it though.

However, the stress gave me insomnia which means I was too tired for weightlifting. I missed it all last week due to a virus. Maybe tomorrow will work out.

At any rate- hopefully the knowledge that my stress is being addressed will help me stay green for the rest of the evening!

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Wed Sep 02, 2015 12:19 am

On my way to bed shortly so let's call this a GREEN day. Whew!!

It was a tough one but I powered through!

Now, to get some weightlifting in tomorrow!!!

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Mon Sep 14, 2015 12:45 pm

Oh my, did I have an awful couple of weeks - I'm finally feeling more like myself. I totally let the stress derail me.

I'm getting back on track but I realize that I really do better with low(er) carbs. Every time I've ever lost weight it's been with low carb of some sort and the science makes sense to me. Bread, corn and sugar send me into some kind of tailspin and keep me bloated and sleepy which triggers cravings.

Basically I am going to do vanilla no-S but with minus those three things - S days will usually be lower carb but with room for treats. And this will allow me to enjoy Thanksgiving and Christmas with all the goodies I might normally have.

Hopefully this slight tweak will help me see some progress. I just realized after August that unlimited license to eat bread is not healthy for me personally.

osoniye · Post by **osoniye** » Mon Sep 14, 2015 1:39 pm

Hi Jess-
You're not alone in finding bread, corn and sugar to be problematic. The OA diet I was on for a while recommended avoiding them (among other things) as they can set off binges and contribute to the insulin surge that can leave a person feeling like more carbs are needed, and then it's an endless cycle. I personally find I do better on brown rice and whole grain pastas, but only avoiding sugar is a rule I try to keep most of the time.
Good luck to you as you navigate NoS with low-ish carbs.

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Tue Sep 15, 2015 4:21 pm

Thank you Sonya - I definitely agree about the binging that can result from the carb-y stuff.

Yesterday (1st day back) was success.

I was pretty hungry by dinner time but had the BEST dinner and it kept me full the rest of the evening.

So far so good today, too. I'm going to have the same dinner tonight.

jessand2boys · Post by **jessand2boys** » Wed Sep 16, 2015 1:47 pm

Yesterday was a success! Stuck to my 3 meals and it seems that reducing carbs really makes it easier to feel full from meal to meal.

This morning I went to weighlifting too, so I'm feeling pretty giddy about being back on track!

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Jessica's check-in thread

Jessica's check-in thread

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