Everyday Systems

Hello! Today is a beautiful, breezy, sunny-and-seventy-five, Easter Sunday 2019. What a perfect day to declare a fresh start in my "Diary of New Beginnings".

I have much to say, but for today just an introduction and a positive outlook for the coming weeks and months ahead. I am hopeful that No S will be the final destination in my very, very long and winding path to finding a method of weight loss that keeps my sanity a priority.

Today, I am taking the first step.

Thanks for listening!

PS Thank you to Reinhard for helping me with my login issues on a major holiday!

Welcome April!

Welcome April, you've picked the perfect month to start your journey.

Welcome, April!

Hi April - welcome and enjoy no S. It’s a great choice for prioritising sanity around food.

Wow, well thank you all for the warm welcome!

I have tried No S vanilla a few times in the past with Epic Failure, but I still strongly believe in the basic principles. I have seen many members here tweak the system a bit with very good results. I am following in their shoes with my own tweaks, instead of falling off the wagon altogether.

So here is where I am starting:

No Snacks
No Seconds
No SUFFERING

No SUFFERING means several things to me:

1) In the past, overly restrictive rules have resulted in me losing my mind (sobbing in front of TV with jumbo size bag of Doritos, planning what I am going to dig into next after said bag of Doritos is empty, anyone relate??). So I am replacing "no sweets" with No SUFFERING. Although no sweets on weekdays really is NOT meant to be overly restrictive, it is triggering for me. So to remedy this, as a few other members have done, I am forgoing S days except for special occasions, and instead allowing anything on my plate at mealtimes. Sweets, for me, are not nearly as much of an issue as is generally eating too much. I only desire a small, high quality, dessert a couple times a week anyway, and will have it immediately following my meal. As the french would call it, and "ender". I don't want to add restrictions on just how many per week, or on what days. Past history with Vanilla indicates this is a recipe for me jumping ship. So I am re-modeling the ship.

2) I have many more "sick" days that your average person. I have a condition that flares up for several days at at time, sporadically, with no warning. Sometimes once or twice a month, other times, just a couple times a year. Eating smaller meals while my body is in recovery is easier on my system. This means No SUFFERING will make for the same volume of food for 3 normal meals in a day, but will be split up in smaller portions that my digestive system will tolerate.

3) Some days I am not hungry for breakfast. Some days I need a small taste of something in the morning, but don't think I want or need a full meal. I may need something mid morning to make it to lunch, or a bigger lunch. That will be allowed.

4) Too many hours between meals (sometimes my schedule looks like this) may require 4 smaller meals instead of 3 normal size meals.

5) Flexibility always trumps Perfection. FOR ME. This may not be best for everyone, but I have learned this is true for me in most areas of my life, as a recovering perfectionist. That statement has reduced my stress levels considerably for both my homelife and my worklife. Consistency 80% of the time, over time, is better than 100% compliance for a short time resulting in zero compliance and quitting altogether.... I wish I would have known that 20 years ago.

Now, off to preparing a nutritious and delicious breakfast.

Day 2 - I enjoyed 3 moderate meals and no snacks.

Breakfast: Oatmeal and Fresh Fruit

Lunch: Turkey Sub with extra veggies

Dinner: Leftover Easter Brunch - Egg Bake and Ham and two Easter York peppermint patties from the easter basket

You did it, and the food sounds delicious!

Day 3 - Success!

Breakfast - Veggie and cheese omelet, peanut butter toast, slice of watermelon

Lunch - Apple, Breaded Fish Fillet, Cheese and Tomato on whole grain toast

Dinner - Rotisserie Chicken Breast, green salad with lemon and oil dressing, roasted red potato, Oatmeal with cocoa mixed in for "dessert"

Notes to self: Today's lunch was not enough to keep me from being REALLY hungry before suppertime arrived.
AND: Start prepping your meals BEFORE you are starving!

I have the luxury on most days to eat meals at any time I chose (self employed), accept dinner with hubby is always 6 pm most days of the week. I am finding that a later morning breakfast is best, which lately has been between 9 and 10 and lunch between 1 and 2, but I need to be prepared more than 10 minutes before my tummy says feed me NOW - so I don't just grab whatever is convenient instead of taking the time to thoughtfully prepare a well balanced meal.

Day 4 - Success! However, I am noticing I am going pretty heavy on the butter/dressing/heavy sauces and cheese and am wondering if that may need to be dialed back a bit.


B - Fruit and Chicken noodle soup and 2 pieces overly buttered bread. Sometimes I like soup for breakfast

L - Salad exta dressing and Pizza - extra cheese

D - Gyros with extra sauce and extra tomatoes

soup for breakfast. That is pretty cool!

Day 5 - Success

B - Bowl of mixed berries, Oatmeal and two boiled eggs

L - Leftover Pizza with Salad

D - Chicken, roasted potatoes, Salad and 3 cookies

automatedeating wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 26, 2019 3:14 am

soup for breakfast. That is pretty cool!

I am glad you think so, Hubby think's its so weird....Sometimes I just have WHATEVER is leftover from supper the night before too, haven't done that in a while!

Day 6 - Success?

Meal sizes were rather large today, I think I am "panicky" about not making it to the next meal without being overly hungry.

B - Watermelon, two eggs, and large serving of hash browns (too much hashbrowns for normal plate)

L - Vegan Sushi rolls made with brown rice (did not care for this with the brown rice at all)
Chocolate Cupcake

D - Chicken salad "salad" with lots of mayo and cranberries on top of bed of arugula and tomato slices with balsamic dressing drizzle, two large, thick slices of italian bread with butter on the side. I think this meal counts as supersized....

I think I should pre-plan my meals to be less "dense", add more fruits and veggies and less heavier foods. But not so much as it ensues panic. I am wanting something calorically dense with every meal and think I feel I am "gaming the system" so to speak.

At the beginning everyone feels that panic about needing to load up the plate so they don't starve between meals (if they've been a big snacker, that is, which most of us were).
Load up your plates and don't worry about what's on the plate yet. That's a different habit, a different thing. You don't want to spread your willpower too thin, so just focus on eliminating snacking at first. That's the biggest challenge in the beginning. I also think it's the biggest key for many of us long-term to have success. Get that one down solid.

Also, don't forget you can have a glass of milk or coffee with milk in-between meals. It will tide you over, I promise.

Oh, and I was rereading your earlier posts and the "needing to prep before I'm starving". Yeah. That was a big problem for me. There were quite a lot of times I'd go through a fast-food drive-through because I was so hungry and I also don't enjoy cooking. Meal-planning and set dinner-times has helped with that over the years, but it was a journey for me.

Hi April, nice to meet you!
I like your very sensible mods. I think I was too perfectionistic at the start, and after a while it felt just as insane as permasnacking. No Suffering is brilliant, and I think I’ll borrow that from you if you don’t mind....!

automatedeating wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 27, 2019 1:56 pm

At the beginning everyone feels that panic about needing to load up the plate so they don't starve between meals (if they've been a big snacker, that is, which most of us were).
Load up your plates and don't worry about what's on the plate yet. That's a different habit, a different thing. You don't want to spread your willpower too thin, so just focus on eliminating snacking at first. That's the biggest challenge in the beginning. I also think it's the biggest key for many of us long-term to have success. Get that one down solid.

Also, don't forget you can have a glass of milk or coffee with milk in-between meals. It will tide you over, I promise.

Oh, and I was rereading your earlier posts and the "needing to prep before I'm starving". Yeah. That was a big problem for me. There were quite a lot of times I'd go through a fast-food drive-through because I was so hungry and I also don't enjoy cooking. Meal-planning and set dinner-times has helped with that over the years, but it was a journey for me.

Thank you for the reassurance on the bigger meals!

Octavia wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 27, 2019 2:08 pm

Hi April, nice to meet you!
I like your very sensible mods. I think I was too perfectionistic at the start, and after a while it felt just as insane as permasnacking. No Suffering is brilliant, and I think I’ll borrow that from you if you don’t mind....!

Hello Otavia! Of course you can borrow my no suffering "S"! Thanks for stopping by!

Day 7 and 8 Successes

Day 7

B - Eggs, fruit and oatmeal

L - Sub from JJ's with extra veggies

S - VERY HUNGRY for supper. Should have had a bit more for lunch. Chicken, Potatoes, Salad

Day 8

B - Peach Smoothie (frozen peaches, apple juice), Eggs, toast and hashbrowns. Very full.

L - Pizza, Salad, and a york peppermint pattie.

D - It's supper time. Not hungry at all (what?!) Saran-wrapped my entire plate of pot roast, carrots, and potatoes in the fridge for tomorrow. Had a big slice of homemade zucchini bread at bedtime in lieu of supper. Odd, but I went with it. Eating when I am not hungry is a recipe for major tummy troubles, so I did not want to trigger any symptoms.

Working on more stable mealtimes or meal windows. Sometimes I am up at 4 am and sometimes 6 am this can mess with my breakfast timing a bit.

Day 9 - Success

B - fruit, eggs and oatmeal

L - a little odd but it was what I wanted:
Fresh raw veggies with hummus dip
Peanut butter on rice cakes (3)

D - Pot roast, mushrooms, carrots, potatoes, slice of zucchini bread

That zucchini bread sounds divine. I could probably eat an entire loaf of that. I bet I could fit it on one plate.

Yes the zucchini bread is definitely an indulgence, but at least it has veggies in it!

Day 10 - Invoked the "no suffering" rule, and also your worst PMS day should also be an S Day - LOL

B - 5-6 spoonfuls of oat bran, just not hungry really at all.

Brunch - Too early for lunch, and too late for a "second" breakfast - after a 3 mile walk I was finally hungry. From a local deli I got a small container of curry chicken salad with currants and celery, YUM!!!

And a slice of their house made flourless chocolate cake...

O.
M.
G.

Best PMS remedy ever. Now my chocolate craving is gone for another month most likely.

Mid- afternoon - Banana, one gouda cheese stick and 5-6 kalamata olives.

Dinner - small ribeye steak with a pile of steamed Kale and a few steak fries. Very satisfied. Tasty and healthy. This dinner will be added frequently to future meal plans.

I am refraining from weighing myself for another week at least as I know this is a slow process, but I have been able to fit into a pair of jeans more comfortably that was previously too tight to zip up without sucking the belly in and cursing a bit.... So that is encouraging.

How the jeans fit is often a telling measure!

Sounds like you really super enjoyed your meals today. That's always awesome to develop meals that you can look forward to; makes such a difference in forming those good habits.

Thank you! So nice of you to keep popping in for encouragement!

How appropos your name is for your beginning month! Or maybe it's a chosen handle? Either way, welcome.

If you eventually want weight loss (I think wanting to change overeating is a better starting motivation), you would be very unusual if you were able to lose while filling plates with all dense foods. But all in due time. As you've said, too many rules up front lead to frustration and rebellion (suffering). Affirm for strength and wisdom and do your best!

All in all, it sounds like the beginning weeks have gone pretty well.

Have been outside more and on computer less - weather has been great for walking.

Still on track with my modified no S plan and.....down 3 pounds, it's not much but I'll take it over a gain!

automatedeating wrote: ↑

Sat May 04, 2019 1:10 pm

How the jeans fit is often a telling measure!

Sounds like you really super enjoyed your meals today. That's always awesome to develop meals that you can look forward to; makes such a difference in forming those good habits.

AMEN to meals I look forward to!

April wrote: ↑

Sat May 11, 2019 9:27 pm

Still on track with my modified no S plan and.....down 3 pounds, it's not much but I'll take it over a gain!

I disagree 3lbs is much, it's nearly a qtr of a stone. Well done!

Jx

Thank you, Soprano!

Yesterday's meals and comments:

Breakfast: Crustless Broccoli Quiche, Slice of Pineapple and an oat bran muffin

***BIG victory mid morning. Met a friend for coffee (black) and they had my favorite almond croissants from a local baker at the coffee shop. She bought one and almost insisted she get one for me. And to my surprise without any hesitation, I politely declined and said thank you so much but I just had breakfast and I am not hungry. (what??!) She then said, I know you LOVE these are you sure? I again politely declined. I know they are here and if I want one in the future to have another time, I can get one then. Huge. Win. Any other time I would have just said yes and at the whole thing! I could have brought one home for later but I didn't even feel the urge. Balanced meals are keeping my satisfied between meals these last several days, hope that is a continuing trend.

Lunch: Arugula Salad with beets, goat cheese and candied walnuts, french bread with butter. One of my favorite lunches.

Dinner: Fettuccini alfredo with lots of broccoli added in.

That's a powerful win re the croissant well done

Jx

Agreed. And it sounds like your friend respected your food boundaries. I just went on a tirade on my thread about people that don't accept our boundaries on OUR OWN bodies. Whoa. Gettin' steamed again.

And when you wrote your lunch, I was thinking yum.yum.yum. And then you said it was one of your favorites. Awesome meal.

automatedeating wrote: ↑

Sun May 12, 2019 5:02 pm

And when you wrote your lunch, I was thinking yum.yum.yum. And then you said it was one of your favorites. Awesome meal.

I thought the same thing!

Soprano wrote: ↑

Sun May 12, 2019 11:21 am

That's a powerful win re the croissant well done

Jx

Thank you for the encouragement, I love your signature quote!

Dandelion - and everything was purchased at Trader Joes! I love duplicating restaurant favorites at home. This one was from a "mom and pop" tiny coffee house/deli that I just love. I try to find those places that only the locals know about, they are sometimes the best restaurants. My job takes me to many different cities and love the option to try new places.

automatedeating wrote: ↑

Sun May 12, 2019 5:02 pm

Agreed. And it sounds like your friend respected your food boundaries. I just went on a tirade on my thread about people that don't accept our boundaries on OUR OWN bodies. Whoa. Gettin' steamed again.

And when you wrote your lunch, I was thinking yum.yum.yum. And then you said it was one of your favorites. Awesome meal.

Yes! And then there's the parent you see at the holidays when you DO take a dessert that says to you, "you should lay off those you know"....and my response is it's a holiday you know!!!

Yesterday's meals

Breakfast - Green smoothie (Pineapple juice, GInger, frozen Peaches and arugula)
Deviled eggs

Lunch - Raw red bell pepper strips with homemade yogurt cucumber dill dip, Microwave "healthy" asian chicken meal. Walmart impulse buy. What was I thinking....took about four bites and then it went in the trash.

Second Lunch - Cheese and crackers

D - BBQ chicken, potatoes, peas

Had a very active day (more than normal by far) errands, shopping and housework, plus a long walk.

VERY hungry at bedtime. Invoked my no suffering mod, had a few mini shortbread cookies and a cheese stick.

I like to have a nice glass of milk near bedtime some nights if I am hungry/wanting wine...

Checking in after several sick days in a row, one day better, then sick again, then a couple "success" days, then long 4 day weekend of extended family reunion, graduation parties.....so I am up two pounds from the 3 I lost...

Back on track the past 2 days. It feels good to be done with all the extra appetizers, party food, and graduation cakes actually.

Yesterdays meals:

B - fresh pineapple and bowl of oatmeal

L - Large veggie loaded salad with sliced chicken breast on top, crackers and cheese

D - Chicken and potatoes with steamed kale

Reading "French Women Don't Get Fat" right now, seems to be in line with NO S so far.

Hey, hope you continue to feel better and get back in your NoS groove this week.

Random Check In, changing up meal times has helped me eat less overall. Waiting til hungry instead of eating by the clock - think I am on to something good!

Suppers have been considerably smaller as I don't need that much now!

Hoping this may be the game-changer that moves the scale!

Yesterday:

B at 10ish Apple and oatmeal

L at 2 pm Turkey Sub with extra raw veggies, few pieces saltwater taffy.

D at 6 pm with family - 1/2 baked chicken breast (not half baked, half of a chicken breast LOL), buttered broccoli

Half-baked.

Been somewhat "off the wagon" for a while, but very thankful weight has been holding steady since my last entry. So I must not have been that FAR off the wagon...

This post is my declaration of re-starting my No S journey, effective today.

I just got done listening to a great audiobook by James Clear called Atomic Habits, it is what gently nudged me back here. Highly recommend.

I have heard this book recommended several times now! I need to get it.

Random check in, after trying 2 meals a day (epic fail, way too hungry between meals) going back to the standard 3 and adding more veg and using a smaller plate only when most of the meal is very calorie dense (pizza, casseroles, etc).

Holding steady on weight. I know from many posters here the "habit" of no s needs to be mastered for a while before losses start. I need to work on my patience with the process!

Yesterday's meals:

B One slice Toast with Peanut Butter

L Salad topped with grilled chicken and slice of bread

D Broiled Cod, fresh green beans, small sweet potato, 4 hershey kisses

Still mostly on plan, a few red days lately...not ready to jump ship but feeling discouraged that I am not losing.

I need to work on my meal sizes and lessen calorie dense foods. I am continuing (I think) to have too much at meals to prevent being hungry in between meals.

I have been reading lots of NoS diet book reviews online from so many who have had success, and those here as well. I need constant reminders that this DOES work for others, and it is the most SANE plan compared to anything else! The thought of going back to counting calories or clean eating makes my blood pressure skyrocket!!

Note to self: STAY THE COURSE and work on meal size and composition gently and don't get distracted by other plans that you KNOW are not sustainable.

Sept 23 = GREEN

Well done, it does work if you stick with it

Adding in a little bit of exercise will help too, nothing strenuous, a walk, yoga, whatever takes your fancy..

Jx

Thanks for the encouragement Soprano! I have been walking 3 times a week for years, so I need to step it up some either increase frequency or walk longer. Thanks again! Many old injuries make walking the only truly safe activity that I ENJOY, hoping when the weight comes down, less stress on the ankles will allow something little more intense. When I was younger you could not keep me away from group fitness, step, aerobics, zumba. I miss that SOOO much but I can't do any more damage to my already 3X severe sprained ankle and partial achilles tear.

Copy of my post from today on the General Discussion Board

April wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 29, 2019 2:00 pm

I have listened (again) to the Everyday Systems Podcast. Reinhard is a genius. Taking his one month, one mod advice and putting it into action.

I have tried Vanilla many times it was just not for me. I have made slight modifications here and there but never gave them long enough, and/or they have not been sustainable.

I am committing to the following Vanilla with Sprinkles experiment for the next 30 days, encouragement to stick it out for the full month greatly appreciated, even if some of you may think the sprinkles are not something that would work for everyone.

No Snacks with Sprinkles:
3 meals a day, no snacks, plus 1 very healthy mini-meal, only if needed.

No Sweets no Sprinkles

No Seconds no Sprinkles

Except on Days that Start with S Sprinkles:
Instead of weekend S Days, THREE S-MEALS per week, in which seconds and sweets can be included. I will still observe Special S days as vanilla.

Reasoning for this: I get paid to evaluate restaurant meals 1-2 times per week as part of my job. It would be easier and more enjoyable for me to use these meals as S-MEALS not being too concerned about the large portions and sometimes desserts are included. Also, once a week (weeknight) pizza or other (weeknight) larger meal out with family or friends will also be more enjoyable without wondering how much I can fit on one plate. This will be the 3rd S-MEAL. I will gladly trade weekend S days for this option as in my world weekends are just as busy as weekdays usually, and one weekday off is usually my laid back day for the week.

"No S with Sprinkles"

This is adorable.

automatedeating wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 30, 2019 2:19 am

"No S with Sprinkles"

This is adorable.

I wish I could take credit, but that is a Reinhard term used in one of his podcasts...Vanilla with Sprinkles!

Week one, day one of Vanilla with Sprinkles 30 day experiment:

Sept 29th - GREEN

Breakfast: Applesauce, one slice whole grain toast with cream cheese

Lunch: Cranberry Chicken Salad (no bread) with an Apple

Afternoon - Latte (tired and hungry)

Dinner: Small pork chop, few bites of rice, fresh raw veggies with salt and pepper, one slice buttered bread

Sept 30 GREEN

Wow, nothing motivates like progress. It has been 10 days and I am down a full 2 pounds. I have really been focusing on the "N" meals being more healthy in general, but the "S" meals have been very much NOT so healthy, rather large, and with dessert, and very much enjoyed! But since I am only allowing three "S" meals per week, it appears my compliance to the "N" meals is key. I am surprised the scale is down that much in 10 days, and very encouraged to continue my 30 day experiment now!

Yay, April! This sounds like a system that you might like long-term!

Random check-in, still on plan with Sprinkles experiment, but think my plates were a bit too full with dense foods these past two days. Scale holding steady.

Two RED DAYS in row....

My appetite is insatiable these past two days!

Sounds like the body exerting its desire for homeostasis. Oh, well. I personally think it's better to know this might happen and not see it as a sign of failure (maybe you've said the same yourself in previous posts), but as a rather natural part of the process for most of us. Yes, yes, I know there are those people who stumble on some eating pattern that somehow bypasses this, but I can't depend on the exceptions!

Thanks for letting me know what you meant by still Vanilla, i. e., using the two extra S days per month. Perfectly reasonable way to go.

Thank you oolala, I just watched a video by Jordan Syatt who makes a strong point about (and I am paraphrasing) it DOES NOT MATTER how many times you slip, as long as you always get right back on plan. He used other terminology but that was the point. I remember something similar that says it's not how many times you fall, it's how many times you get up. Thanks for the encouragement.

On another note, I think I am being a little too "sneaky" with sugar-but-not-sweets during my N meals. You can pack a LOT of jam on an english muffin, and french dressing is basically sugar syrup, and I pour it on thick. And don't get me started on how much ketchup I use LOL! I think these types of things overused on a regular basis may be increasing my appetite....I know Reinhard says not to worry about these things but if they are becoming an issue I should be wary!

I think I am going to up my fresh fruit intake and lower my "sneaky sugar sauces" and see if that reduced my appetite a bit. Raspberries may be expensive, but so is a bigger size pair of pants!!!

A couple days shy of my 30-day experiment, two pounds are back of the three I lost and I'm not able to have more than 2 green days in a row. Feeling discouraged, not quite sure where to go from here. Planning on a long break to re-evaluate.

When I started it often felt like 1 step fwd 2 back don't let one reading dishearten you so many things affect the weight on the scales. Give it 3 months minimum.

Jx

Thank you Soprano for the encouragement.

You know, I kind of disagree with Reinhard on the not worrying about the sugary foods (ketchup, for example). For many of us (maybe mostly women?), we are dealing with long-time food addictions. Plus Reinhard started this plan in his early 30's - can you say easy-peasy guy metabolism? I just don't think he was writing his book for people that might have food issues.

So - I don't know what the long-term solution is for you (that's what you get to experiment to find out!), but if you feel that it's not serving your health well to include certain foods or types of meals, then there's nothing wrong with having a boundary with those foods. It's about whatever makes you feel most cared for, nourished, and happy.

automatedeating wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 07, 2019 1:43 pm

You know, I kind of disagree with Reinhard on the not worrying about the sugary foods (ketchup, for example). For many of us (maybe mostly women?), we are dealing with long-time food addictions. Plus Reinhard started this plan in his early 30's - can you say easy-peasy guy metabolism? I just don't think he was writing his book for people that might have food issues.

So - I don't know what the long-term solution is for you (that's what you get to experiment to find out!), but if you feel that it's not serving your health well to include certain foods or types of meals, then there's nothing wrong with having a boundary with those foods. It's about whatever makes you feel most cared for, nourished, and happy.

Thank you!

I think you left a comment on Kathleen's thread recently. I think this statement of yours is key:

I need to pick/make a plan and be consistent and resist the temptation to change things up until I give it some solid time, maybe at least three months without changing anything.

Make sure it seems reasonable, able to supply some limitation but also some pleasure. After that, you might start adjusting some things but just one at a time. Concentrate on how it affects your satiety and ability to enjoy your food, rather than basing everything on the scale. And to enjoy a lighter feeling more of the time. You can't live all day on a scale, so even a "good" number's effect fades as the day goes on.