Hikermom's Check In

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 1:37 am

OK, here I am, starting my check in on a personal S day, my son's birthday.

Everything went very well today, and even though I had plenty of taco salad, plus cake and ice cream, I enjoyed myself and didn't have seconds or want to snack later in the day. So far, so good.

I guess I'll get a new battery for my scale on my shopping day next week.

I'm going to use my S days this weekend to start easing my self into full-blown NO S on Monday. I think that earlier in the week, when I got home from vacation, I tried to go from BIG vacation restaurant meals to very small meals too fast and ended up crashing in the late afternoons.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 2:38 am

Good luck and hope the birthday was special and fun!
Good planning to really enjoy your S days, and do full on NoS N days...
That is going to work, especially over the long haul..

Peace and Love,

Deb

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 2:40 am

Thank you, Deb.

His birthday was fun. It doesn't seem possible for him to be 8 already, though. I never can understand how children get older so quickly, but I've stayed 35 for years and years.

I have been enjoying my S day today. Leftover taco salad for lunch and homemade pizza for supper, with dark chocolate for dessert.

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 2:33 am

S day Success.

Breakfast: one bowl of Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted grain cereal with plain yogurt and mixed berries on top, cup of tea w/ sugar

Lunch: one plate of pot roast, carrots, potatoes, and steamed broccoli
small hershey's dark chocolate bar for dessert

Dinner: handful of mixed nuts, one slice of leftover pizza, popcorn (I don't know how much, DS and I shared a bag of microwave "trans-fat free" popcorn someone gave us.) Sunday night dinner is usually a rather hodge podge affair.

After dinner: another mini chocolate bar and one sweet tart "Shocker" given to me by DS, one cup of coffee with cream, no sugar

Throughout the day I drank ice water with lemon

Today I solved the "I'm starving before dinner" dilemma by simply having dinner about an hour earlier than usual.

Tomorrow - my first official N day! Can I do it? YES I CAN!!!

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 2:41 am

N day -Success
It's a little after 9 pm as I write this and I am thankful that I have made it through the day on plan. Only one wee bit of funny stuff: while I was preparing dinner this evening, I got very distracted thinking about a minor difficulty, before I knew it, I was standing in the middle of the kitchen with one large bite of the dinner in my mouth and another one on the way. I don't count that as snacking, exactly, I did stop after the one bite, but I could not believe that I could actually have food in my mouth without being aware of it. Talk about mindless eating!

Umm.. I am also attempting to make peace with feeling hungry. I have allowed myself to gain more weight than I need, and I have realized that it is going to take a certain amount of discomfort to get rid of it. Feeling hungry is part of that discomfort.

Anyway, here is the rundown of the day.

Breakfast: Bowl of cereal with yogurt and berries, cup of coffee with milk

Lunch: One plate with Mexican casserole and tossed salad with lettuce and cucumbers with one spoonful of Ranch dressing, cup of tea w/ sugar

Dinner: One plate of leftover roast beef/rice/Mexican casserole/green beans/ cup of tea with sugar. I guess it is obvious that Monday is always "leftover" night.

Water with lemon throughout the day, as I wanted it.

Exercise: I haven't done ANY exercise since we got home from our vacation, but we did take an after dinner walk which ended up being about one mile.

I'm 1 - 0 right now.

vivi_v · Post by **vivi_v** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 3:31 pm

awesome job so far!! i just started too and it's really hard to get used to the no snacking rule.... but you are doing great! keep it up.

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 12:48 am

Day 2 - FAILURE

Darn - I'm 1 - 1
Thanks for posting on my thread Vivi, I hope you have done better than I have today.

Here's what happened:

Breakfast: One plate with 1 boiled egg, a spoonful of grits, two pieces of Ez. bread toast with almond butter and half a banana, cup of coffee with half and half (for some reason I only drank half a cup of the coffee.)

Lunch: 1 small plate with 1 ham/cheese sandwich with tomato and lettuce and four small slices of Granny Smith apple, eaten with 4 small slices of Havarti cheese. Glass of homemade lemonade. The lemonade did have sugar, though not nearly as much as a commercial lemonade mix, and I drank it as part of my meal, so I didn't count that as funny stuff, although maybe I should have.

Here's where the mess-up came: Mid afternoon I had company and I baked a small coffee cake to serve them. I had a small piece of the coffee cake and a glass of sweet iced tea with my guest. I could have done much worse, of course, but I could also have done without any cake.

Dinner: Back on track. One plate of chicken and broccoli casserole. Cup of tea with sugar.

Water throughout the day, as I wanted it.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 2:49 am

Hikermom and Vivi V, let me commend your efforts and encourage you to keep up your great attitudes!
I personally only succeeded about 75% of the week the first year on NoS (and not much better than that now!) but I still lost about 25 lbs or maybe a bit more in the time I've been here..

Reinhard tells everyone to brace yourself for a bunch of false starts, but as far as I'm concerned, none of these attempts are, well, "false"...
I guess it's just semantics..
But his message is really good..
Brace yourself for the hard work at the beginning.. And the beginning, could mean several months of "deprogramming"..

You're both doing your best and just keep it up!
Peace and Love,

Debs

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 9:52 pm

Day 3 - Success

Deb, you are such an encouragement! Thank you so much for posting that message.

For some reason I could never get logged on here last night, but yesterday was a very big success for me. I won't go into my usual litany of food for the day, but it was 3 plates, no snacks, no sweets, no seconds. My big success came after dinner. It has been years since I've ever eaten anything at night after dinner, that's one area I didn't think I'd have a problem with on NO S, but last night I was hungry. I'm not sure if I was really hungry, or if it was just hunger in my head, but I almost caved in and ate something. I didn't. I didn't even go back into the kitchen to do the dishes. Ha!

I sipped on a big glass of ice water as I was reading last night, then went on to bed, telling myself that I'd be able to eat soon enough when breakfast rolled around. I didn't really need the food. I've got enough food already "stored" in my body to see me through the few hours between dinner and breakfast.

So, as of last night, I'm 2 - 1.

Today has been a success, but I'm not counting my day as a win until I get through dinner and the rest of the evening.

david · Post by **david** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 3:23 pm

hikermom,

Way to put a leash on night-time hunger! Overall, it will get easier (it did for me anyway).

--david

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 4:40 pm

You're welcome!
I get inspiration from Newbies too you know!
I couldn't go onto any site last night because we had a thunderstorm knock the ethernet card out on my comp...
So I switched the connection this morning..

Yeah, once in a while the EDS system goes down..
I believe Reinhard is fixing it as we speak..
New server or something..

Congrats on your big success!!!!

Have a lovely S weekend!!!
Peace and Love,

Debs

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 10:46 pm

Day 4 and 5 were both successful N days and I'm really enjoying the relaxation of my S day. We are busy around the house this weekend getting ready for company on Monday. My Mom and sister will be here for a couple of days, so I may not get to post after tomorrow until mid-week or so.

Thanks David and Deb for your comments. I'm hoping that in a few weeks when school starts up again I'll have more time to spend online than I have right now.

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Wed Aug 09, 2006 12:48 am

Oy! My no-S last week was very erratic. I had some sort of company the entire week; my side of the family at the beginning, friends from out of state in the middle, and DH's side of the family at the end. I spent most of the week preparing lots of food, and although I successfully kept from snacking, I had some seconds (not at every meal, though) and I had dessert when ever I served it to anybody else.

I was relieved for Monday to get here and start a strict N-week. Yesterday and today have been very successful. Life is getting back to a more stable routine, now that my company has all gone home and my son has started school again. My DH has still been around the house, he's a college prof, and he still has a week or two before his responsibilities start up again at his school.

I didn't have even 1 totally successful N day last week. So, my count is now 6 - 6.

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 10:33 pm

I had one unsuccessful N day since I last checked in. It was Wednesday and once again it was in the context of a big family dinner. One of my husband's grown sons and his family have moved back in to our town, right down the street from us, in fact. Wednesday was their moving day. I prepared dinner for them that evening and we all had a wonderful time visiting together. We ended up just sitting around the dinner table afterward and talking. I helped my self to several pieces of cheddar/chive bread after the meal and while we were visiting. ARGHH. And I had done so well up to that point.

I've got to figure out how to get out of the habit of mindlessly eating in the context of family/friend get-togethers. That's a real weakness that runs in my family. We love to visit and we love to eat and we love to eat while visiting.

Oh well, at least I'm aware of what is going on and next time I'll try to prepare myself better.

So far my record of success vs. failure is 8-7 (the past two days have been very successful.) Thank goodness I didn't let a few pieces of bread send me into a downward spiral of feeling like a failure, then totally giving up on my plan.

I'm looking forward to my S days.

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 3:15 am

I've made a mess of No-s since I last posted.

Last week I had only 2 successful N days.

My Success vs. Failure count is now 10 - 10.

I'm not happy with my lack of self-discipline. It's not so much my weight that is bothering me now, but my lack of inner fortitude to do what I know I need to do in order to get/stay healthy.

Tomorrow I'm starting to focus on staying on plan for 5 days straight. I'm hoping that if I can get one solid week down, I'll be on my way to the 21 Day Club.

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 3:17 am

OK. Day 1 of my "5 Day Streak" was a successful N day. Breakfast, lunch, dinner - all moderate one plate (or bowl) meals with no stacking, no snacking between times, and no sweets.

I'm hungry tonight, but I'm just breathing heavy so the fat will evaporate faster.

gettnbusy · Post by **gettnbusy** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 6:01 am

I'm hungry too but we gotta keep our goals goin... YAY Mom!

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Wed Aug 23, 2006 2:10 pm

Day 2 of my "5 Day Streak" went off without a hitch.

I'm on day 3 and so far so good.

I've got another family get-together coming up this week as well, but I scheduled it for Saturday evening. Even so, I'm determined to learn how to have a good time with people and not mindlessly munch out.

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:04 pm

Wednesday, Day 3 was a SUCCESS. I'm cooking with gas, now!

Day 4 is going well, so far.

I started walking again last week. I do about 2 miles as many mornings as I can and I'll eventually work up to 3 or 4. My husband has started talking about a trip to the Smokies during Thanksgiving, so I need to keep in shape for hiking. I'd love to go hiking without so much extra personal poundage. Maybe by November I'll have lost a few pounds.

My weigh in day is going to be Saturday morning. I've gotten my scale fixed, and I weighed last Friday morning.

It was not a good experience. I'm going to wait until after I complete my 5 Day Streak of N days to get on it again, then I can enjoy my S days before I start another 5 day streak on Monday.

carla70 · Post by **carla70** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 3:10 am

You are doing great!! I know I can do this and it's not the counting like WW or restrictions of Atkins.

Your journal is an inspiration and hope to follow suit with many success days also.

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 2:02 pm

Thursday, Day 4 was another SUCCESS! I'm on day 5 and I'm counting on making a clean sweep of N days this week. I have a social obligation coming up tonight. It's a dinner at the small college where my husband teaches. I don't think I'll have any difficulty not getting seconds or dessert, because the food is usually just not good. I don't think I'll be tempted to break my streak at the dinner. It's at home afterward that the battle will be fought. Since the food is usually not very good, in my experience once I have finished dinner, I just don't feel "satisfied." I'm aware that after I get home I'll really want to have something else to eat just to get that "sated" feeling.

(I just reminded myself of the joke about the two ladies at a resort: One lady says, "The food is so bad here!" and the other one replies, "Yes, and such small portions!"

)

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 3:19 am

Day 5: SUCCESS!!!!

I have successfully completed my 5 Day Streak of No S on plan!!!!

I breezed through the afternoon and my dinner without a problem.

I'm so proud of myself for finally having a consistent week of N days.

Tomorrow morning is my weigh-in and an enjoyable S day, with a family get-together tomorrow night.

I'm already looking forward to starting my next "5 Day Streak" on Monday.

gettnbusy · Post by **gettnbusy** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 12:49 am

I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!! YAY!! WOOHOO!!
It will feel great next week too! YAY!
I'm so happy for you.
Enjoy your weekend!

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 9:38 pm

Thanks Christi, I have mostly enjoyed my weekend.

I weighed Saturday morning and I was down 3 lbs. which was quite encouraging.

Saturday was my "big" S day and today has been a "moderate" S day.

The only thing that was discouraging was this morning as I was getting dressed for church, I realized that I only have 1 dress that fits anymore. I've gained almost 10 pounds since this time last year.

It was upsetting, but I think it's going to help keep me focused on my next "5 Day Streak" which starts tomorrow.

carla70 · Post by **carla70** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 4:33 pm

CONGRATULATIONS on the loss!!! WTG

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Tue Aug 29, 2006 2:07 pm

Thanks, Carla!

I started my 2nd "5 Day Streak" of N-days yesterday (Monday) and it was a SUCCESS. One day down, 4 more to go.

This means that I've had a total of 8 days straight on plan (counting my S days of the weekend.) I believe this is a record for me.

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 6:56 pm

Tuesday was a SUCCESS! 2 days down, 3 more to go for my "5 Day Streak II"

That makes a total of 9 days straight on plan.

So far, so good for today as well.

I walked 2.5 miles yesterday, 2 miles Monday, but didn't walk any this morning since I had grocery shopping and other errands I wanted to get out of the way early in the day. I did some extra walking while I ran my errands, though.

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:13 pm

Wednesday was a SUCCESS!! 3 down, 2 more to go...

10 days on plan.

Denying myself S-stuff on N days is almost fun to me now. Plus, even though I do get hungry before mealtimes, it's not a miserable feeling anymore.

The power of attitude is remarkable. I just changed my attitude toward hunger, from one in which I saw hunger as a miserable state that I absolutely hated, to one of necessary discomfort to be endured.
The thing is, when I decided that the feeling of hunger was just going to be part of my life, no matter how uncomfortable I felt, it has gotten to the point where I hardly notice it anymore. Weird.

david · Post by **david** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 9:12 pm

I've had very similar experiences when it comes to hunger. It's no more or less intense than thirst or fatigue and people don't usually freak out when they feel those sensations. You are right it's all about attitude and mindset. Keep it going!

--david

gettnbusy · Post by **gettnbusy** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 11:36 pm

David - so why is it that people like me do go "Crazy" when hunger strikes? It does seem weird that this happens to me. Any suggestions other than "just do it" since that doesn't seem to help me much?

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Fri Sep 01, 2006 1:57 am

It's now Thursday night and I'm writing to say this day has been a....

SUCCESS!!!

Whoo Hoo -- 4 days down and 1 more to go for another successful 5 Day Streak of N days.

I've got some special treats lined up for Saturday and Sunday to celebrate the completion of my "5 Day Streak II." Yippee Skippee.

Christi, could it be that you are really afraid of allowing yourself to feel hungry? I think that has been part of my problem for several years. Somehow I got a hold of the idea that if I'm feeling hungry, no matter what, I MUST EAT or something really, really bad will happen.

Here's my very unscientific theory about what is happening with me:

My body wants me to stay right where I am calorie-wise. Because of my past bad habits, I've trained it to want to keep up this weight I have. When I start cutting back on my calories, my body responds to this by sending me "hunger" signals - not because I'm in any danger of really starving to death, but because it wants me to keep my same level of calorie intake. So, I'm having to go through the uncomfortable process of re-training my body to get used to less food.

I may be completely off track about what is really happening, but that's what it seems like to me.

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 9:36 pm

Yay! I made it another 5 day streak of successful N days! Friday was no problem.

In fact, even today I haven't wanted to really get off plan. I went out for lunch today and had a big Reuben sandwich and fries that I counted as an S. Because I really could have been satisfied if I'd just eaten half the sandwich, I considered the other half a "Second." After I make it through my next 5 Day Streak I'm going to start reducing my portion sizes at dinner and at restaurant meals.

I'm making pizza for supper tonight and I'm going to limit my self to 2 pieces, since I had such a big lunch today plus I've got a special piece of chocolate candy I want to have for dessert tonight.

At my weigh in this morning I was down half a pound. Good enough.

5 Day Streak III commences Monday. Even though it is Labor Day and I guess it could be a permissible S-Day, I'm going to use it as an N day to keep my streak going. Besides, we have no big plans for the day, so I'll save this holiday S for another time.

This is the home stretch for the 21 Day Club. My next goal is going to be the "My Pants Fell Down Club."

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 5:51 am

Yay!!!!!
I hope your pants fall down!!!

Erm, wait that doesn't sound right!!! LOL...

Good job Mom!!!
Peace and Love,

Debs

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 2:03 am

Well, it's gonna be awhile before anything falls offa me. But, when things start falling, y'all will be the first to know!

My 3rd 5 Day Streak started very well. I even negotiated an impromptu extended-family picnic, complete with a homemade blackberry cobbler, without failure. I have a will of iron! I can defeat well-meaning relatives with a smile and a "No, thank you!" I can even watch as my husband eats cobbler and passes his plate back for seconds without envy! Well... almost without envy.

1 day down, 4 more to go.

This is day 15 on plan.

Last night my DH got my bicycle down from where it has been stored in our carport for at least 8 or 9 years! Yep. I haven't been on my bike since before my son was born. It was filthy with dust. This morning I started working on getting it all cleaned up and ready to ride, and now all I have to do is get the tires pumped up and it'll be ready to go.

The question is, will I be ready to ride? I haven't ridden a bike in so long. I know the hills around here are going to KILL me. Yikes. But, I've got to keep up with my husband and son, and they both ride all the time. I need to get back on my bike, too.

If we go to the Smokies during Thanksgiving, we could take our bikes to ride through Cades Cove. Cades Cove is closed to cars one or two mornings a week for bicycle riders only. We've often hiked up around Cades Cove (one of our favorite trails is the Rich Mountain Loop) and have driven through it many times as well, but we've never taken the bikes. I'd like to do that.

gettnbusy · Post by **gettnbusy** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 6:25 pm

Good luck with the biking! YAY!
I wish I could do that. Both my sons are little and I can't leave them alone to go ride and have no sitter or neighbors to watch them. I would love to start riding my bike again. For now, we just walk after dinner and that will have to work for now.

You are doing so wonderful. YAY!!

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Wed Sep 06, 2006 3:18 pm

Christi, thanks for the encouragement. I hope everything is going well for you. You have so much fun with your sons to look forward to. They'll be wanting you to ride bikes all over the neighborhood before you know it.

Tuesday was another SUCCESS!! 2 days down, 3 more to go....

That makes 16 days on plan.

Yesterday was difficult, though. My son's school had a day for teacher training, so he and his niece and nephew had an extra holiday. My son is 8 and he has an 8 year old nephew and an 11 year old niece (my husband's oldest son's kids.) Anyway, they spent the day at our house, and about 3 yesterday afternoon we were ALL hungry. I popped popcorn for the kids and the smell of the hot popcorn was VERY tempting, but I just couldn't ruin my Streak.

I'm going to have to figure out some sort of plan for regular exercise. I did walk yesterday, but I didn't this morning and I won't have any time the rest of the day.

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 2:51 pm

Wednesday was a SUCCESS. It was another difficult day. It was a busy day that turned into a busy, stressful day and by the time I was finished with it I honestly was tempted to indulge in some ice cream, which my husband was eating when I got home last night. I didn't because I just didn't want to ruin this "5 Day Streak."

3 days down, 2 more to go.

17 days on plan.

david · Post by **david** » Thu Sep 07, 2006 3:35 pm

I'll bet that after 21 days is up, this won't be such a struggle and you won't have to stress your willpower so much.

You are doing great!

--david

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Fri Sep 08, 2006 2:08 pm

Thanks, David. It's nobody's fault but my own that my will-power "muscle" has gotten so badly out of shape.

Thursday was a SUCCESS. It was also a much easier day for me.

I've always thought that I needed some sort of "pick-me-up" in the middle of the afternoon, around 3-4 pm. In the past that has been a snack or a cup of coffee or tea. Lately, I've discovered that a big glass of ice water is what has been more refreshing to me and a better pick me up than any coffee, tea or snack. I still drink coffee and tea during the day, but now I always make it a part of my meal.

4 days down, 1 more to go.

18 days on plan.

I'm just NOT going to mess this up. I've got today as my last N day for the week and days 20 -21 will be S days, so it ought to be a cinch for me to get in to that exclusive "21 Day Club."

pangelsue · Post by **pangelsue** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 12:56 pm

Congratulations. What a wonderful accomplishment! There were many oppurtunities to fail and you ran the course successfully. Awesome feat. Enjoy your S days and the 21 day club.

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Sat Sep 09, 2006 8:18 pm

Friday was a SUCCESS. Thus endeth my 3rd 5 Day Streak and I'm enjoying my S day today.

No weight loss this week. Bummer.

21 Days will be Sunday.

I'm getting my self ready to start a new 5 Day Streak of Smaller Portions on Monday.

Coffee Cake · Post by **Coffee Cake** » Sun Sep 10, 2006 11:40 am

Inspiring!

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Mon Sep 11, 2006 6:18 pm

I'm starting day 22 on plan and things are going well.

This week I'm going to work on eating smaller portions at dinner. I don't see how I can cut portions at breakfast and lunch right now.

My breakfast this morning was a bowl of grapenuts cereal with milk and a cup of coffee with half and half. I didn't have any fruit this morning for some reason.

Lunch was a turkey sandwich with romaine lettuce and a slice of cheddar on whole wheat, a fresh peach (we won't be able to get these much longer) and a cup of coffee afterward.

I've also got to get back on a consistent exercise routine. Walking has been sporadic and I haven't even gotten on my nicely cleaned up ready-to-ride-again bike.

nonskanse · Post by **nonskanse** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 3:39 am

Those sound like tiny meals to me! When I am feeling good enough in the morning to eat breakfast (sometimes I just feel worse for eating in the morning, and I know when those days are) I eat a lot!

Lunch is at a company cafeteria so is almost always too big.

Dinner... well I try to make half the weight veggies

To my point for you - mentally quarter your plate. Make 1/4 carbs (with or without fiber, its your no -S), 1/4 protein, and 1/2 veggies/fruit. This will have you feeling nice and full.
This is also good because it is 2 servings of fruit/veg automatically, filling from the protein, and of course we all love carbs.

Eg:
3 oz stuffed chicken breast (cheese? pine nuts? whatever!) with a baked potato(this is no-s! you can have sour cream!), green beans, and broccoli

Salmon on spinach based salad with 3" of (maybe whole wheat) baguette

2 tacos with meat+lettuce+tomatoes+salsa with black beans (beans are more carb than veggie but they have SO MUCH good stuff in them!)

Whole wheat spaghetti with meat sauce (watch the serving size!!) + big salad...

All of these are things I like to eat frequently

Dinner doesn't need to be smaller in size, you can add as much veggies as you want. Vegetables (sans butter) do not make us bigger!!

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Tue Sep 12, 2006 7:37 pm

Yesterday was a successful day. Right on plan. My dinner was nicely moderate.

Nonskanse, last night my plate was full of vegetables (green beans and steamed broccoli) and I only cut my portion of the casserole that was our main dish.

I'm always trying to figure out ways to work in extra vegetables in our family meals, since my son has suddenly gotten VERY picky about what he will or will not try. Luckily, he does like broccoli (he even prefers it just lightly steamed) and green beans, so we end up eating a lot of both those veggies.

As far as carbs go, I always stick with whole grains as much as I possibly can.

This is Day 23 for me. So far so good.

I'm about to be an Urban "RAINger" as I am about to walk over to the school to get my son and it's just slightly drizzling right now. I never mind walking in a bit of rain, as long as there is no thunder & lightning going on.

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 6:39 pm

I've made it through another week of N-Days with success. I'm so proud of myself for being able to stay on plan for so long. Today is Day 26!

gettnbusy · Post by **gettnbusy** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 10:29 pm

WOW! Im proud of you too! A member of the 21-day club even! YAY!!!!!
And here's to your continued success...
^5

Benjumanji · Post by **Benjumanji** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 10:37 pm

Woo-hoo! Great job.

I'm on day #25, so I'm right there with you. I had a great week, and I am SO looking forward to my chocolate maltball treat tomorrow or Sunday.

Sounds like a good plan to get ready for your Cades Cove trip by busting out the bike. I just dusted off my mountain bike this week--wish I had a trip coming up to work toward!

Benjumanji · Post by **Benjumanji** » Fri Sep 15, 2006 10:47 pm

hikermom wrote:Christi, could it be that you are really afraid of allowing yourself to feel hungry? I think that has been part of my problem for several years. Somehow I got a hold of the idea that if I'm feeling hungry, no matter what, I MUST EAT or something really, really bad will happen.

I've experienced that same "crazy" feeling when I get hungry for years. I would get sweaty, grouchy, distracted, and intensely hungry. Many times this was only 2-3 hours after a meal! I think I had my stomach trained to get ready for more food at 3 hour intervals.

Since cutting out the "S"s it has completely stopped. (I was a complete sugar hound.) My unscientific theory is that it has something to do with lots of sugar hitting the bloodstream, causing a big insulin release and subsequent blood sugar drop. Now that I'm eating more protein and veggies and no sugary snacks at all, frantic mode doesn't happen. Now I get a growly empty feeling stomach but not that insane "MUST EAT NOW" attack.

I don't know why it went away, but I do know I'm very glad. It's an awful feeling. I grew to plan around it and have food nearby at all times, because it was so uncomfortable to be so hungry.

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 11:35 pm

Hello again. I'm not keeping up with my checkin very well this week, but I am keeping up with NO S.

We had a church supper Wednesday night with absolutely loads of good food, including many, many, delicious desserts. I had a modest portion on my plate, and didn't even want to go back for seconds and I had no desire for anything sweet.

I'm doing so well with NoS, but I'm failing miserably with exercising consistently.

Part of my problem is insomnia. I've been having trouble getting to sleep for the past few weeks and it's driving me crazy. It takes forever to go to sleep and if I wake up at 3 in the morning I can't seem to get back to sleep, until, of course, it's practically time to get up. I wake up tired, then don't do anything much during the day, and then the cycle starts all over again at night.

This is taking the idea of NO S a bit too far. I can do without seconds, sweets, and snacks, but I definitely need sleep!

Any suggestions?

hlidskjalf · Post by **hlidskjalf** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 12:00 am

If you are up nights why not try exercising at night.

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Mon Sep 25, 2006 2:00 am

Actually, I did that Friday night. Instead of plopping down to watch a movie after dinner, we all took a 45 minute walk. I've heard for years that you shouldn't exercise at night because it would prevent you from falling asleep at bedtime, but I think our long walk that evening really helped me. I got a pretty good night's sleep Friday night. Even better on Saturday because I was able to be pretty active all day. In the morning my son and I went for a long walk, then in the afternoon I finally went for a ride on my bike. It was so much fun! I had forgotten how much fun riding a bike is.

I think I'm going to try to do a 5 Day Streak of Exercise this week. I'm going to shoot for at least half an hour dedicated to exercise for each of my N days this week.

This is Day 35 on plan.

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 3:17 am

Day 36 on plan. NoS - going well. I did have the urge to eat off plan today. I'm dealing with a bit of a stressful situation (aren't we all?) and I really wanted to drown my stress in a big chocolate shake. I didn't.

Day 1 of my first "Exercise 5 Day Streak" = SUCCESS
I walked 50 minutes today! Actually, I walked more than that, but that was my "dedicated to exercise" time this morning. I also walked to and from my son's school this afternoon, and we all took a walk together after supper tonight ( but that was a rather "stop and go" walk.)

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 6:53 pm

Tuesday, NoS day 37 -Success
Day 2 of 5DSX - Success! Did an exercise video for an hour in the AM, walked with the family 40 minutes in the PM.

Wednesday - NoS day 38 - Success (so far)
Day 3 of 5DSX - Success - early morning run/walk 40 minutes

Benjumanji · Post by **Benjumanji** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 11:11 pm

hikermom wrote:Day 36 on plan. NoS - going well. I did have the urge to eat off plan today. I'm dealing with a bit of a stressful situation (aren't we all?) and I really wanted to drown my stress in a big chocolate shake. I didn't.

Yay! Good for you!

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 7:12 pm

Thanks, Carol.

Thursday - NoS Day 38 - Success (so far)

Day 4 of my 5 Day Streak of Exercise - Success!!

I walked 40 minutes early in the AM, then did one of my exercise videos later in the morning.

I have finally killed my insomnia. Last night at bedtime I was so sleepy I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow. It was wonderful.

gettnbusy · Post by **gettnbusy** » Fri Sep 29, 2006 4:45 pm

I am so proud of you. You are doing GREAT!

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Fri Sep 29, 2006 8:55 pm

Thanks, Christi! Good to see you here.

Friday - NoS day 39 - Success (so far)

Day 5 of my 5 Day Streak of Exercise - Another success! I did a morning walk/run for 30 minutes. I may have a chance to get another walk in with the family this evening.

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 4:57 pm

Another week, another 5 Day Streak.

I'm attempting to exercise at least 30 minutes a day for another 5 days straight. This morning was a success, I went for an early morning jog for 30 minutes then did some Callanetics later in the morning. It was tougher this morning to get up early than it was last week.

NoS diet - (what's the plural of S? Esses? Ss? Ses?) Whatever it is, I really did have too many of them this weekend. By Sunday night I was feeling very yucky.

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 10:17 pm

Day 2 of my Excercise 5 Day Streak, Part 2 - Success. I got up early again today and went for a 30 minute walk, then later in the morning did one of my video workouts.

NoS - Still going strong on these N days.

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 7:18 pm

Well, I'm here to report that although I seem to have finally latched on to the NoS diet (that is going very well and I'm very pleased about it) I've flubbed my latest attempts at getting regular exercise. I completed my 2nd 5 Day Streak of Exercise last week, but this week has been a failure. I have only exercised Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

The thing is, I should be even more motivated to stay consistent, because I have started to see a little change in my body. Nothing drastic, of course, but I'm feeling stronger and firmer. This is a difficult time of year for me, when the days start to get shorter and darker. It is very difficult to get up and get out in the dark and cold. (Not that it has gotten very cold here yet, but it will. )

Oh well, maybe I can make it a 3 Day Streak this week and get back on board with my 5 Day Streak of Exercise Challenge next week.

gettnbusy · Post by **gettnbusy** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 7:03 am

The Excercise challenge, huh? Whoa.. It makes me so proud to read your progress each week.

And I know what you mean about seeing little changes in your body. it's only been 18 pounds for me and I already had to move all my rings around & my shoes dont fit and I noticed my belly doesnt "hang" heavy like before. (Ewwwwwwww I know!)

Hope you have the motivation to get up in the cold this coming week. Good luck!

hikermom · Post by **hikermom** » Mon Oct 23, 2006 1:42 am

Woe is me - I've been a flake about my exercise challenges. Seems like I can't get both areas together at the same time. I'm doing so well with NoS on the N days, and I'm not overdoing the Esses on the S days, but I haven't been able to keep up the consistent exercise. The only walking I have done consistently lately has been the walk I take in the afternoons to pick up my son at school. I've even been letting my husband's grandaughter walk our dog!

We had a community clean-up day on Saturday that I participated in and a local health organization offered health screenings. I had my BMI calculated, checked cholesterol levels, blood pressure, glucose level etc.
What I discovered didn't surprise me a bit. I'm healthy, but in the danger zone as far as BMI. I need to lose at least 15 pounds to get in the "normal" weight range for my height. Otherwise, all my other numbers looked good. In fact, when I told my friends my weight, they very graciously refused to believe it. I guess I have "compact" fat.

So, once again I'm starting over. This time I'm just going to shoot for at least 30 minutes of exercise tomorrow (Monday.) That's my goal. One day at a time.

Slow and steady wins the race.

gettnbusy · Post by **gettnbusy** » Sun Oct 29, 2006 3:45 pm

Hey! Was wondering how your week went.
I was so pleased to hear about your blood levels. Nice job!
I have compact fat too. No one believes my weight. It's my height (5'11"), and it hides ALOT, let me tell you.
The last time I told a guy I weighed 275 pounds (more than him, mind you) he said :Theres no way you are that fat: I could have died at that comment.
Anyway - again, good job on the blood levels.

gettnbusy · Post by **gettnbusy** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 1:47 am

Are you here?

NoSnacker · Post by **NoSnacker** » Wed May 30, 2012 8:56 am

Sorry to read about your loss on our May Challenge thread and that you were not feeling well.

We had a loss last week, my DH sister passed away. Seems the older I get we have been experiencing loss a lot more!

Take care!
deb

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