Everyday Systems

I'm planning to use this thread as a diary--I don't plan to update daily, just whenever I have something to say.

This week is going to be my first full week of No S without any non-weekend S days. I did No S last week, but Thursday was my birthday so I had some treats and an awesome seafood boil.

Feeling good about it, but a whole work week without sweets may be tough for me.

Welcome NaomiS. -"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Hope to see your progress at whatever check-in method you choose.

Welcome as well.Going the workweek without sweets was pivotal for me, one whose compulsive overeating was mostly sweets, daily for decades, with short bouts of exception. Still overdid them on S days for a long time-even now, sometimes- but still kept going, adjusting. That's what nearly all longterm maintainers do.

First green week accomplished. No real challenges. Somebody did bring a box of See's chocolates to work, but I avoided the kitchen for a couple hours and when I finally went over for a glass of water, the chocolates were all gone. I didn't even have to try to resist!

Anyway, today was a success as well but I noticed something interesting. Went to Tender Greens with three coworkers, none of whom are on diets (one is off keto, other two aren't the dieting type). Out of the group, I definitely went for the most calorie-dense, comfort foody options: fried chicken & mashed potatoes. Everybody else skipped the starch & got grilled proteins. Was a bit of a "this is why you're fat" moment.

Great job having a green week!

What do you mean about the "this is why you're fat" moment? Did they say that to you because of what you were eating?

NaomiShambles wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 13, 2019 4:36 am

First green week accomplished. No real challenges. Somebody did bring a box of See's chocolates to work, but I avoided the kitchen for a couple hours and when I finally went over for a glass of water, the chocolates were all gone. I didn't even have to try to resist!

Anyway, today was a success as well but I noticed something interesting. Went to Tender Greens with three coworkers, none of whom are on diets (one is off keto, other two aren't the dieting type). Out of the group, I definitely went for the most calorie-dense, comfort foody options: fried chicken & mashed potatoes. Everybody else skipped the starch & got grilled proteins. Was a bit of a "this is why you're fat" moment.

Hey, you avoided sweets all week. Take it a step at time. I never feel guilty about eating fried chicken, but it's not an everyday thing. So, if you would have had a green salad and fried chicken, would you still have said that to yourself? No need to beat yourself up. You're on track.

I had fried chicken last night.
But I get what you mean about the mashed potatoes. They make me gain weight, no doubt about it. I don't know if I'll ever know if it's because once I start eating them, I NEVER want to stop. Or if it really is because I have a massive glucose/insulin spike to them. Either way, they are my kyrptonite. Potatoes.

ChandaLikePanda wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 13, 2019 7:00 am

Great job having a green week!

What do you mean about the "this is why you're fat" moment? Did they say that to you because of what you were eating?

No, not at all! They didn't comment on my food at all. It was just something I thought to myself, since there was a clear difference between what I ordered and what the three thin people I was eating with ordered.

I'm not planning to modify No S for at least a month or two, but I am a short woman with a sedentary job, and I don't expect I'll lose as much weight as I want to doing vanilla No S. So, I have been thinking a bit about what kind of choices I'll have to make eventually to get to the weight I want to be, which is why that stood out to me.

Whosonfirst wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 13, 2019 11:46 am

Hey, you avoided sweets all week. Take it a step at time. I never feel guilty about eating fried chicken, but it's not an everyday thing. So, if you would have had a green salad and fried chicken, would you still have said that to yourself? No need to beat yourself up. You're on track.

I am not beating myself up. It was not an emotional reaction and I don't feel guilty at all. Just aware that I will need to be a little more restrained in my food choices to lose the weight I want to lose.

Sounds like you had a good week, well done.

Over time you will find yourself addressing what's on your plate to achieve your goals. It's much better to let it happen naturally rather than sets of rules that may make it feel like a diet.

Jx

NaomiShambles wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 13, 2019 11:15 pm

ChandaLikePanda wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 13, 2019 7:00 am

Great job having a green week!

What do you mean about the "this is why you're fat" moment? Did they say that to you because of what you were eating?

No, not at all! They didn't comment on my food at all. It was just something I thought to myself, since there was a clear difference between what I ordered and what the three thin people I was eating with ordered.

I'm not planning to modify No S for at least a month or two, but I am a short woman with a sedentary job, and I don't expect I'll lose as much weight as I want to doing vanilla No S. So, I have been thinking a bit about what kind of choices I'll have to make eventually to get to the weight I want to be, which is why that stood out to me.

Whosonfirst wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 13, 2019 11:46 am

Hey, you avoided sweets all week. Take it a step at time. I never feel guilty about eating fried chicken, but it's not an everyday thing. So, if you would have had a green salad and fried chicken, would you still have said that to yourself? No need to beat yourself up. You're on track.

I am not beating myself up. It was not an emotional reaction and I don't feel guilty at all. Just aware that I will need to be a little more restrained in my food choices to lose the weight I want to lose.

Sorry for my choice of words.It won't happen again.

I'm glad to hear that they didn't say that to you. I find myself questioning my food choices, especially if I am having carbs. I think we all do that, at some point. It's part of the experience of making this a habit (No S Diet). You said one of your thin friends just came from keto. I came off of keto, myself. I lost 11 pounds, then gained it all back in a couple of days, which indicated to me that I just lost mostly water weight. I remember when I was at my thinnest, I was eating potatoes every day. So I have to remind myself that carbs are not the debil, and I can eat them in moderation.

Biggest victory so far: I've had a pint of Ben and Jerry's untouched in the freezer for nearly three weeks! And I probably won't have it this weekend either, since we'll be out of town for Easter. Enjoying other sweets.

I've got a half eaten container of toffee on the coffee table right in front of me, too. Before No S I always would have hidden that kind of thing out of sight so I wouldn't be tempted.

Woohoo!

Wow. Yesterday was a 5 course home cooked food extravaganza and it really reinforced how well No S works for me. The food was amazing but I was kind of miserable. The courses were spaced out a lot, but not enough for me to get truly hungry, just enough to make me feel like I was eating all day and I was dying for a break! The day drinking didn't help either.

3 years later, I'm back. Don't remember why I fell off the wagon. In the meantime I've done a bit of "intuitive eating", a bit of calorie counting, a bit of RP Simple Diet Templates, and a bit of noting in particular... and I'm about 20 pounds heavier than the last time I posted here

The RP template was an interesting one. It's a diet plan made for non-bodybuilders by a company that mostly makes diet and training plans for bodybuilders. So the protein is pretty high. What I learned was that in order to eat an "optimal" amount of protein I really need meat or a protein shake with every meal; nothing else is really protein dense enough. And also that to lose a pound a week I need to eat a pretty miserably small amount of food. I was able to stick to it for about 10 weeks, went into my planned maintenance phase, and just didn't feel like I could stomach another diet phase anytime soon.

So anyway just doing vanilla no S again now, and I know I'm not going to lose a pound a week, or get the optimal amount of protein, but I am excited to have freedom but not too much freedom again.

Anyway, here's a story about cheesecake: I had a Goldbelly gift certificate to use up, and I wanted to get mini cheesecakes. Unfortunately, they only deliver on weekdays. So I was all worried about the fact that I was going to receive cheesecakes on Friday and have to try not to eat any until Saturday. Turns out they arrived frozen with instructions to thaw overnight; no self control needed!

Welcome back Naomi

Thanks ladybird!

Took a modest NWS day today to do something I've been wanting to do for a while. Since I had a weekday off work I went to the area where I used to work (I now WFH in a neighboring city) to go to one of my old favorite lunch spots and a special coffee shop that are both only open on weekdays. The lunch was N-day compliant but the drink I got at the coffee shop was definitely an S. And I thoroughly enjoyed it

...and then I had an unplanned ice cream and cookie dough snack after dinner

June check in so far:

1-2: Green
3: Red - shared a rice pudding for dessert with my BF because they had it at the restaurant we were at, and he loves rice pudding, and him eating dessert without me is unheard of. Also we ate dinner so early I will probably need a snack later so that I'm not too hungry to sleep.

Looking forward the weekend! We recently found good fish and chips near us after having a lot of disappointing ones, so will likely be going back for that tomorrow.

I have seen so many people come back having left for a few months but often years, trying other things, and heavier than before. (Of course, since the ones who are successful rarely come back to gloat but I have seen that, too.) In fact, there is a thread for it! Why did you leave? Why are you back?

As you probably know, the stats show that most people who eventually lose and maintain have tried multiple times. They either stumble on something new that fits them so well that it is rather easy-- the vast MINORITY- OR they realize that they just have to stick with the most doable thing and not keep quitting, instead adjusting along the way.

I hope this time around- with mods as necessary but not prematurely- is it for you!