Hi ... I'm Betsy ... this is my first posting. Starting No-S today, and I will be modifying it to fit some of my personal quirks and also to mesh with an eating plan I adopted about a year ago. That was one I created myself and it was not about weight loss, but rather optimizing nutrition.
So now that I'm good and used to the optimal nutritional habits, I'm ready to add in a weight loss component ... in the form of No-S. Wish me luck!
Betsy
PS If I have time & energy later I may post more about the modifications I'm making to No-S ...
Betsy's Check-In
Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating
-
ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Betsy's Check-In
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
-
Jammin' Jan
- Posts: 2002
- Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 2:55 pm
- Location: The Village
-
ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Modifications to No-S Plan
Here are some things I'm doing to the No-S Plan:
1. Limiting the amount of sugars in my diet generally.
What this means:
- Being careful about fruit juice (drinking it in small juice glasses - 4 oz, sticking with high nutritional value juices such as orange, drinking it only with a meal so as not to get a "sugar spike").
- Substituting half Splenda for the usual sugar in my coffee or tea (I can't go whole-Splenda, cause there's something about the "body" that sugar adds to the taste).
- When I have a sweet, savoring it, and making the experience more sensual (enjoying smaller but more luxurious chocolates; putting a sweet on a plate; limiting such treats mostly to special occasions or get-togethers)
2. Adding ceremony and savor to foodways.
What this means:
- Putting the "feast" back into special foods. Reserving rich foods for special occasions, Sundays, going out to eat, or whatever. Not purchasing rich foods in a ready-made form that can be consumed fast and furiously. This applies to sweets, snacks, and rich meals.
3. Only home-prepared sweet baked goods.
What this means:
- The only cookies and cake I will eat are those prepared from scratch by me, or by someone known to me. This assures that I can't just wolf down mass quantities of Oreos, corn chips, or other rich snacks. It also assures that I know which fats are going in the baked goods I eat - VERY important, as trans-fats are in almost every form of commercially prepared cake, cookie, biscuit, etc. and they are very, very bad.
This approach lets me have a slice of birthday cake. It lets me accept a friendly gift from a neighbor. I won't feel deprived entirely of sweet bakery stuff, but I also won't be able to overeat. (When you are busy like I am and spend two hours making your own almond biscotti and then cleaning up, your put them carefully away in a biscuit jar, and you darn sure don't want to wolf them all down the first two days you have them "in stock".)
4. Limit TV watching. Find something to do with hands when in front of TV.
What this means:
- TV is full of ads for horribly unhealthy foods, and horribly unhealthy food practices as well (eating on the run; making rich foods a part of routine everyday eating and snacking). If you don't watch TV for a while, and eat only homemade meals or meals in sit-down restaurants, it is amazing how noticeable this becomes.
- On the couch in front of the TV is one of my "snacking environments" and it's also a way to waste time and be sedentary for long periods. So it's better if I spend less time there. It's better if I can substitute a hobby like needlework for eating in front of the TV. I have to get a needlework project going but haven't organized myself to do that yet.
5. Limit starchy foods with no fiber to speak of.
What this means:
- What I'm trying to do here is limit the high-glycemic starches (refined carbohydrates, potatoes, etc.) that hit your bloodstream and cause spikes in insulin and blood sugar (and leave you hungry sooner). This rule is really kind of just a restatement of Rule #1.
- So for example, if I'm going to eat pita bread, it needs to be whole wheat pita bread. If I'm going to have potatoes, they need to be part of a larger meal so they have some protein and fiber for company. It's easy to eat too much plain white bread; hard to eat too much whole grain products.
- Beans (navy, chickpeas, black, kidney) are really, really, really good for filling you up, and they are also really, really, really good for you. They can be made into all kinds of delicious salads, pastes, soups, side dishes - from hummus to black bean soup to ... oh, don't get me started! And just as Reinhard said about beets ... nobody is too fat because of eating legumes.
6. Fit the vegetables and fruits in first.
What this means:
- For the last year I've been diligently trying to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables I eat. As a side effect, I noticed that if you have a good high goal of like 8 or 9 in a day, you will use up all your eating time just trying to pack in that requirement. If you do this FIRST, and record your tally every day, you will find you hardly have enough room left in you for junk foods, rich foods, etc.
- I mean, look at a typical day of 9 vegs/fruits: You have a banana and a glass of orange juice at breakfast. You eat grapes for a snack. Then at lunch you have a small salad and a tomato on your sandwich. For dinner, you've still got to find a way to put four more servings of vegs on your plate! So maybe you have a double helping of broccoli and a potato at dinner. That means dessert MUST be a bowl of fruit, and when you get done with that you will feel positively like you have been eating all day. And you have. But not with the stuff that will make you fat.
7. Keep it burning.
What this means:
- Try to move for 30 minutes every day so your metabolism doesn't go into hibernation. This can be anything you feel like.
- Here is my list: Walking is easy. Playing Frisbee is fun. In the summer, when it's so hot and humid that "to move at all, is seldom, if ever, done" where I live (North Carolina), I will be going to the outdoor pool to cool off and swim some laps.
8. Don't fret.
What this means: - If I screw up I don't throw in the towel altogether. I'll just keep going the next hour, or the next day if necessary. The goal is to slowly get into better habits. Just as Reinhard said.
- Part of "not fretting" is getting enough physical activity which helps keep a positive mental outlook.
- Part of "not fretting" is also managing those situations that stress me out and make me want to eat for comfort/stress relief. Ditching my old job was one constructive step. Giving myself the OK to handle obnoxious people was another. You get the picture ...
Those are my little plans. They seem to be working for me and I have been doing some of them for a while now, on and off. I don't always keep up with them. But I'm making incremental progress.
* PS * ... One other thing I do, not really related to weight loss, but part of healthy eating for me, is I no longer buy meat and eggs at the supermarket, 'cause it's industrially produced at feedlot/factory farms and that is not something I want to support. I only get my meat, eggs, and milk from local producers that raise their animals humanely, outdoors, on pasture. I know the people that produce my animal foods and they are great people with high standards. Plus the products are a lot more nutritious, since the cows & chickens are on pasture all day, instead of being fed things like bubble gum and ground-up feathers (that's what cows and chickens eat in factory "farms"). For more info, see www.eatwild.com
1. Limiting the amount of sugars in my diet generally.
What this means:
- Being careful about fruit juice (drinking it in small juice glasses - 4 oz, sticking with high nutritional value juices such as orange, drinking it only with a meal so as not to get a "sugar spike").
- Substituting half Splenda for the usual sugar in my coffee or tea (I can't go whole-Splenda, cause there's something about the "body" that sugar adds to the taste).
- When I have a sweet, savoring it, and making the experience more sensual (enjoying smaller but more luxurious chocolates; putting a sweet on a plate; limiting such treats mostly to special occasions or get-togethers)
2. Adding ceremony and savor to foodways.
What this means:
- Putting the "feast" back into special foods. Reserving rich foods for special occasions, Sundays, going out to eat, or whatever. Not purchasing rich foods in a ready-made form that can be consumed fast and furiously. This applies to sweets, snacks, and rich meals.
3. Only home-prepared sweet baked goods.
What this means:
- The only cookies and cake I will eat are those prepared from scratch by me, or by someone known to me. This assures that I can't just wolf down mass quantities of Oreos, corn chips, or other rich snacks. It also assures that I know which fats are going in the baked goods I eat - VERY important, as trans-fats are in almost every form of commercially prepared cake, cookie, biscuit, etc. and they are very, very bad.
This approach lets me have a slice of birthday cake. It lets me accept a friendly gift from a neighbor. I won't feel deprived entirely of sweet bakery stuff, but I also won't be able to overeat. (When you are busy like I am and spend two hours making your own almond biscotti and then cleaning up, your put them carefully away in a biscuit jar, and you darn sure don't want to wolf them all down the first two days you have them "in stock".)
4. Limit TV watching. Find something to do with hands when in front of TV.
What this means:
- TV is full of ads for horribly unhealthy foods, and horribly unhealthy food practices as well (eating on the run; making rich foods a part of routine everyday eating and snacking). If you don't watch TV for a while, and eat only homemade meals or meals in sit-down restaurants, it is amazing how noticeable this becomes.
- On the couch in front of the TV is one of my "snacking environments" and it's also a way to waste time and be sedentary for long periods. So it's better if I spend less time there. It's better if I can substitute a hobby like needlework for eating in front of the TV. I have to get a needlework project going but haven't organized myself to do that yet.
5. Limit starchy foods with no fiber to speak of.
What this means:
- What I'm trying to do here is limit the high-glycemic starches (refined carbohydrates, potatoes, etc.) that hit your bloodstream and cause spikes in insulin and blood sugar (and leave you hungry sooner). This rule is really kind of just a restatement of Rule #1.
- So for example, if I'm going to eat pita bread, it needs to be whole wheat pita bread. If I'm going to have potatoes, they need to be part of a larger meal so they have some protein and fiber for company. It's easy to eat too much plain white bread; hard to eat too much whole grain products.
- Beans (navy, chickpeas, black, kidney) are really, really, really good for filling you up, and they are also really, really, really good for you. They can be made into all kinds of delicious salads, pastes, soups, side dishes - from hummus to black bean soup to ... oh, don't get me started! And just as Reinhard said about beets ... nobody is too fat because of eating legumes.
6. Fit the vegetables and fruits in first.
What this means:
- For the last year I've been diligently trying to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables I eat. As a side effect, I noticed that if you have a good high goal of like 8 or 9 in a day, you will use up all your eating time just trying to pack in that requirement. If you do this FIRST, and record your tally every day, you will find you hardly have enough room left in you for junk foods, rich foods, etc.
- I mean, look at a typical day of 9 vegs/fruits: You have a banana and a glass of orange juice at breakfast. You eat grapes for a snack. Then at lunch you have a small salad and a tomato on your sandwich. For dinner, you've still got to find a way to put four more servings of vegs on your plate! So maybe you have a double helping of broccoli and a potato at dinner. That means dessert MUST be a bowl of fruit, and when you get done with that you will feel positively like you have been eating all day. And you have. But not with the stuff that will make you fat.
7. Keep it burning.
What this means:
- Try to move for 30 minutes every day so your metabolism doesn't go into hibernation. This can be anything you feel like.
- Here is my list: Walking is easy. Playing Frisbee is fun. In the summer, when it's so hot and humid that "to move at all, is seldom, if ever, done" where I live (North Carolina), I will be going to the outdoor pool to cool off and swim some laps.
8. Don't fret.
What this means: - If I screw up I don't throw in the towel altogether. I'll just keep going the next hour, or the next day if necessary. The goal is to slowly get into better habits. Just as Reinhard said.
- Part of "not fretting" is getting enough physical activity which helps keep a positive mental outlook.
- Part of "not fretting" is also managing those situations that stress me out and make me want to eat for comfort/stress relief. Ditching my old job was one constructive step. Giving myself the OK to handle obnoxious people was another. You get the picture ...
Those are my little plans. They seem to be working for me and I have been doing some of them for a while now, on and off. I don't always keep up with them. But I'm making incremental progress.
* PS * ... One other thing I do, not really related to weight loss, but part of healthy eating for me, is I no longer buy meat and eggs at the supermarket, 'cause it's industrially produced at feedlot/factory farms and that is not something I want to support. I only get my meat, eggs, and milk from local producers that raise their animals humanely, outdoors, on pasture. I know the people that produce my animal foods and they are great people with high standards. Plus the products are a lot more nutritious, since the cows & chickens are on pasture all day, instead of being fed things like bubble gum and ground-up feathers (that's what cows and chickens eat in factory "farms"). For more info, see www.eatwild.com
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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Jammin' Jan
- Posts: 2002
- Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 2:55 pm
- Location: The Village
I really enjoyed reading your post, Betsy. Thanks for taking the time to type all that. I, too, am concerned about maximizing nutrition. I very much emphasize fruits and vegetables with each meal, as I feel these are the key to good health. At least half (in volume) of each meal is from this group, and the other half is balanced between animal protein and starchy foods. I cook most things from scratch to avoid additives, as well as the excess fats, sugar, and salt that find their way into processed foods.
I came to the No-S Diet after 5 years on the McDougall Program, which was very low fat vegan. I enjoyed that, lost all my excess weight, and became very healthy. Now I am looking for a wider variety of foods but still want to maintain my health and weight, and the No-S program is ideal for that goal.
I really like your ideas about adding ceremony and savor to meals. If you only eat three meals a day, then you want to make the most of them! Cooking from scratch, family togetherness at mealtime, and only-occasional treat foods are what I do to in this regard.
My basic principles of healthy living are:
1) be a person of faith, thankfulness, and generosity, and hope
2) eat a wide variety of well-prepared foods in moderate quantities
3) exercise moderately most days of the week
4) get some sleep
5) get some fresh air and sunshine every day
6) drink enough water, but don't obsess
7) avoid exposure to harmful substances
live in a clean environment, but don't obsess
This has worked well for me and No-S is helping me with #2
Take care. Glad you're here!
Jan
I came to the No-S Diet after 5 years on the McDougall Program, which was very low fat vegan. I enjoyed that, lost all my excess weight, and became very healthy. Now I am looking for a wider variety of foods but still want to maintain my health and weight, and the No-S program is ideal for that goal.
I really like your ideas about adding ceremony and savor to meals. If you only eat three meals a day, then you want to make the most of them! Cooking from scratch, family togetherness at mealtime, and only-occasional treat foods are what I do to in this regard.
My basic principles of healthy living are:
1) be a person of faith, thankfulness, and generosity, and hope
2) eat a wide variety of well-prepared foods in moderate quantities
3) exercise moderately most days of the week
4) get some sleep
5) get some fresh air and sunshine every day
6) drink enough water, but don't obsess
7) avoid exposure to harmful substances
live in a clean environment, but don't obsessThis has worked well for me and No-S is helping me with #2
Take care. Glad you're here!
Jan
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
End of Day 1 ... I did good! (and ate good too)
Breakfast: 1 c milk, 2 c tea, 1 whole wheat English muffin, 2 tsp butter and homemade strawberry jam (... thanks Mom)
Lunch: 1 large whole wheat pita stuffed with 2 oz halloumi cheese and 1 sliced tomato, all toasted; 4 oz orange juice, 1 c milk
Non-snack: 1 banana (I told you I was modifying the rules somewhat )
Supper: 1 c mixed lettuce, 14 almonds, 1 Tbsp parmesan cheese with 1 tsp walnut oil & 1 tsp vinegar; 3 oz breast of chicken, 1 c rice, 1/2 c sugarsnap peas; 3/4 c strawberries with 1 tsp honey
+ Did Urban Ranger 45 minutes
+ Obeyed my modifications of the rules: 7 of the food items I ate today were produced or grown locally; homemade sweets OK in small amounts; OK to eat fruit or veg for snack
+ Going to bed on time (big personal battle)
I am too stuffed to even think about junk food. I haven't even finished the chicken and rice. I think I will put the rest of it away in the fridge for lunch tomorrow!
Breakfast: 1 c milk, 2 c tea, 1 whole wheat English muffin, 2 tsp butter and homemade strawberry jam (... thanks Mom)
Lunch: 1 large whole wheat pita stuffed with 2 oz halloumi cheese and 1 sliced tomato, all toasted; 4 oz orange juice, 1 c milk
Non-snack: 1 banana (I told you I was modifying the rules somewhat
)Supper: 1 c mixed lettuce, 14 almonds, 1 Tbsp parmesan cheese with 1 tsp walnut oil & 1 tsp vinegar; 3 oz breast of chicken, 1 c rice, 1/2 c sugarsnap peas; 3/4 c strawberries with 1 tsp honey
+ Did Urban Ranger 45 minutes
+ Obeyed my modifications of the rules: 7 of the food items I ate today were produced or grown locally; homemade sweets OK in small amounts; OK to eat fruit or veg for snack
+ Going to bed on time (big personal battle)
I am too stuffed to even think about junk food. I haven't even finished the chicken and rice. I think I will put the rest of it away in the fridge for lunch tomorrow!
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Success
B: coffee w/limited cream & sugar; 1 lite yogurt drink
L: the chicken and rice I couldn't finish last night (like 2 oz chicken and 3/4 c rice) and sugar snap peas and 4 oz orange juice
non-snack: banana
S: 3/4 c rice, 5 oz wild salmon with hazelnut crust, 3/4 c strawberries
My lunch and dinner plates were so small that I will probably allow myself a small serving of protein before bed (like a glass of milk) so I don't wake up hungry.
Negatives:
- Couldn't do urban rangering 'cause of 90+degree weather with high humidity and then a violent thunderstorm that went on for 2 hours - Good grief!!
- Not enough vegetables & fruits today. Weather prevented a visit to the farmers' market. I have a STRONG hankering for some early peaches.
B: coffee w/limited cream & sugar; 1 lite yogurt drink
L: the chicken and rice I couldn't finish last night (like 2 oz chicken and 3/4 c rice) and sugar snap peas and 4 oz orange juice
non-snack: banana
S: 3/4 c rice, 5 oz wild salmon with hazelnut crust, 3/4 c strawberries
My lunch and dinner plates were so small that I will probably allow myself a small serving of protein before bed (like a glass of milk) so I don't wake up hungry.
Negatives:
- Couldn't do urban rangering 'cause of 90+degree weather with high humidity and then a violent thunderstorm that went on for 2 hours - Good grief!!
- Not enough vegetables & fruits today. Weather prevented a visit to the farmers' market. I have a STRONG hankering for some early peaches.
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Well ... 11:50 pm, and I am having my first bad hunger craving in three days of following the No-S plan. It's because I ate so little today.
Breakfast: coffee with small amount of cream & sugar, plain instant oatmeal with milk, sliced banana, and 2 tsp honey
Lunch: 1/2 whole wheat pita; 4 Tbsp hummus; 3 Tbsp tzatziki; 5 oz orange juice. (not enough, I know)
Dinner: 1 whole wheat pita with 2 oz halloumi cheese, 1 sliced tomato & 1/2 sliced cucumber; 2/3 c strawberries with a little honey
So that, for me, is really starving ... but I didn't feel hungry all day, I think because all this stuff was pretty high in fiber and also I took some medicine that kills my appetite.
What I would really like to do RIGHT NOW is wolf down a can of tuna, but instead I am going to have half the can on a slice of whole-wheat bread, and call this day a SUCCESS. I can't believe I have this much will power. Is this really me???
(At the same time, I am REALLY looking forward to the weekend ... !)
Breakfast: coffee with small amount of cream & sugar, plain instant oatmeal with milk, sliced banana, and 2 tsp honey
Lunch: 1/2 whole wheat pita; 4 Tbsp hummus; 3 Tbsp tzatziki; 5 oz orange juice. (not enough, I know)
Dinner: 1 whole wheat pita with 2 oz halloumi cheese, 1 sliced tomato & 1/2 sliced cucumber; 2/3 c strawberries with a little honey
So that, for me, is really starving ... but I didn't feel hungry all day, I think because all this stuff was pretty high in fiber and also I took some medicine that kills my appetite.
What I would really like to do RIGHT NOW is wolf down a can of tuna, but instead I am going to have half the can on a slice of whole-wheat bread, and call this day a SUCCESS. I can't believe I have this much will power. Is this really me???
(At the same time, I am REALLY looking forward to the weekend ... !)
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
Betsy, it sounds like you're doing fantastic with your enhanced version of No-s. Your extra 8 points are very sensible, and though I'm not systematic about them, they're pretty much all factors that go into my decision making process generally. I don't bake much myself, so point three doesn't apply, but I approve of the spirit of it. And I'm not much of a sugar substitute fan, but I think those are really the only two exceptions.
It's astonishing what a little bit of clarity can do for willpower. I felt the same way. When I started no-s, I was not the kind of person who pulled off successful feats of self discipline. Now everyone, because of all these systems, assumes it's in my nature. The truth is, without these systems, I'd be a total mess. The systems built my willpower, they made me systematic, not the other way around (though I guess it's a bit of a mutual feedback cycle at this point).[/quote]I can't believe I have this much will power. Is this really me???
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Yesterday I didn't post, but it was a SUCCESS
I went to an evening meeting where there were plenty of refreshments. I had some raw veggies with a little dressing and enjoyed watching other people eat cookies.
Have been rangering a couple of miles every other day -- it's been a busy week, so I couldn't always go.
Today so far so good. I had a chocolate almond after lunch. It doesn't count as a snack or a sweet. It was medication to keep me from going insane. I'm willing to predict I will make today a SUCCESS
Tomorrow is SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssaturday! Hooray!
I feel I have really earned it!
I know I won't go overboard tomorrow and Sunday, because I already have habituated to a different standard in food -- I noticed I already need less sugar in my coffee, and the idea of eating a cookie seems unbelievably luxurious.
Also I have a feeling I may have lost a pound or two , and I am not interested in gaining it back after all my hard work.
I went to an evening meeting where there were plenty of refreshments. I had some raw veggies with a little dressing and enjoyed watching other people eat cookies.
Have been rangering a couple of miles every other day -- it's been a busy week, so I couldn't always go.
Today so far so good. I had a chocolate almond after lunch. It doesn't count as a snack or a sweet. It was medication to keep me from going insane. I'm willing to predict I will make today a SUCCESS
Tomorrow is SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssaturday! Hooray!
I feel I have really earned it!
I know I won't go overboard tomorrow and Sunday, because I already have habituated to a different standard in food -- I noticed I already need less sugar in my coffee, and the idea of eating a cookie seems unbelievably luxurious.
Also I have a feeling I may have lost a pound or two , and I am not interested in gaining it back after all my hard work.
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
-
ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Saturday: SUCCESS
Breakfast 2 eggs over easy on toast with butter
Dinner: I treated myself to Chinese ... beef w/broccoli, wonton soup & a spring roll. A very small amount of the beef dish filled me right up. I would ordinarily have overdone it, but my very strict habits during the week appear to have carried over even on a "feast day."
Sunday: SUCCESS
At Sunday School I had homemade pumpkin bread with a little butter and a homemade raisin scone. Then the lesson was, we watched a movie about genetic engineering and its impact on farmers and the environment (they are having a stewardship class for the summer and last week was a rabbi who talked about keeping kosher as a system of creation stewardship). So far the class has been very relevant to my efforts to wrest control of my relationship to the earth away from corporate monoculture and the "fast food" approach to living in general.
Lunch was some of the beef w/broccoli. I had a treat of 4 dark chocolate almonds.
For supper I had a BIG treat - fried flounder and fried oysters. The rabbi may have given a very good talk but I'm still a Presbyterian!
Monday: SUCCESS
I skipped breakfast 'cause I had to take my friend to the train station.
Lunch: milk + leftover beef w/broccoli. I added lots of canned baby corn to fill it out some on the veggies and to avoid eating a lot of white rice which always seems to leave me hungry quickly.
Dinner: half a whole wheat pita with hummus and tzatziki + 4 oz orange juice.
I was really surprised at the weekend. After a week of going to the wall on calorie reduction, I appear to desire less food at any given time. My meals were much smaller than normal and I had no desire to snack.
No-S Unexpected side benefit #1: I spent no money on groceries, 'cause I didn't run to the store for snacks during the week, and I finally went to those healthy items in the back of the cupboard & the freezer that sit there for like months and months (canned beans, veggies, frozen pita bread, etc.) I actually used them up during the week. Usually they sit there on the shelf, I eat up the snacks in preference, and then mid-week I run to the store "because I'm out of food" meaning I'm out of snacks.
No-S Unexpected side benefit #2: On the weekend, I didn't eat any real snacks or desserts because I had none in the house, not having gone shopping all week.
This is so cool!
[/b]
Breakfast 2 eggs over easy on toast with butter
Dinner: I treated myself to Chinese ... beef w/broccoli, wonton soup & a spring roll. A very small amount of the beef dish filled me right up. I would ordinarily have overdone it, but my very strict habits during the week appear to have carried over even on a "feast day."
Sunday: SUCCESS
At Sunday School I had homemade pumpkin bread with a little butter and a homemade raisin scone. Then the lesson was, we watched a movie about genetic engineering and its impact on farmers and the environment (they are having a stewardship class for the summer and last week was a rabbi who talked about keeping kosher as a system of creation stewardship). So far the class has been very relevant to my efforts to wrest control of my relationship to the earth away from corporate monoculture and the "fast food" approach to living in general.
Lunch was some of the beef w/broccoli. I had a treat of 4 dark chocolate almonds.
For supper I had a BIG treat - fried flounder and fried oysters. The rabbi may have given a very good talk but I'm still a Presbyterian!
Monday: SUCCESS
I skipped breakfast 'cause I had to take my friend to the train station.
Lunch: milk + leftover beef w/broccoli. I added lots of canned baby corn to fill it out some on the veggies and to avoid eating a lot of white rice which always seems to leave me hungry quickly.
Dinner: half a whole wheat pita with hummus and tzatziki + 4 oz orange juice.
I was really surprised at the weekend. After a week of going to the wall on calorie reduction, I appear to desire less food at any given time. My meals were much smaller than normal and I had no desire to snack.
No-S Unexpected side benefit #1: I spent no money on groceries, 'cause I didn't run to the store for snacks during the week, and I finally went to those healthy items in the back of the cupboard & the freezer that sit there for like months and months (canned beans, veggies, frozen pita bread, etc.) I actually used them up during the week. Usually they sit there on the shelf, I eat up the snacks in preference, and then mid-week I run to the store "because I'm out of food" meaning I'm out of snacks.
No-S Unexpected side benefit #2: On the weekend, I didn't eat any real snacks or desserts because I had none in the house, not having gone shopping all week.
This is so cool!
[/b]
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
-
ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
-
ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Tuesday - SUCCESS
Was hungry and stressed out on deadlines all day, have been on bad deadlines for over a week now. So I was REALLY feeling the cravings yesterday and I ALMOST screwed up. I could not THINK for being hungry, and I was trying to finish writing a report, and my concentration was just not there at all.
So I was standing in the kitchen trying to figure out what my snack would be, -- well, there were no sweets or junk food in the house, so I was having to get creative. While considering that, I guess I just had too much opportunity to think about the the progress I've made and I said, "I am NOT messing this up!"
I decided to turn to a healthy pick-me-up - I ate half a whole wheat pita with some hummus.
Now, I know that was technically a snack. But it was ****NOT**** half a bag of cheese puffs. Which is what I would otherwise have eaten. So for me, with my teeny, tiny, puny willpower, that is a DECIDED success. Therefore, by the authority vested in me as the person supervising this diet, I hereby declare that the no-snack rule was maintained in the SPIRIT if not the letter of the law.
-----------------------------------------------
Also in the news from yesterday, I did my first week's weight check and I had lost THREE POUNDS. (Maybe four but the scale changes around depending where you stand!) I started at 185 last week.
Was hungry and stressed out on deadlines all day, have been on bad deadlines for over a week now. So I was REALLY feeling the cravings yesterday and I ALMOST screwed up. I could not THINK for being hungry, and I was trying to finish writing a report, and my concentration was just not there at all.
So I was standing in the kitchen trying to figure out what my snack would be, -- well, there were no sweets or junk food in the house, so I was having to get creative. While considering that, I guess I just had too much opportunity to think about the the progress I've made and I said, "I am NOT messing this up!"
I decided to turn to a healthy pick-me-up - I ate half a whole wheat pita with some hummus.
Now, I know that was technically a snack. But it was ****NOT**** half a bag of cheese puffs. Which is what I would otherwise have eaten. So for me, with my teeny, tiny, puny willpower, that is a DECIDED success. Therefore, by the authority vested in me as the person supervising this diet, I hereby declare that the no-snack rule was maintained in the SPIRIT if not the letter of the law.
-----------------------------------------------
Also in the news from yesterday, I did my first week's weight check and I had lost THREE POUNDS. (Maybe four but the scale changes around depending where you stand!) I started at 185 last week.
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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Jammin' Jan
- Posts: 2002
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gratefuldeb67
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
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- Location: North Carolina, USA
Thanks, Deb!
Yesterday was Wednesday and it was a SUCCESS
Went rangering 45 minutes
Today is Thursday ... SUCCESS
Rangering 30 minutes
Breakfast: Instant oatmeal made with milk and slices of banana
Lunch: Large whole wheat pita with 1 cup of chickpea/tomato/cuke salad + 4 oz orange juice
Dinner: 1/2 whole wheat pita with hummus and 1/3 c plain yogurt + low-sugar milk & cocoa
(To make sure I don't wake up hungry in the night, I've been putting myself to bed with a hot milk & cocoa treat made with a small amount of sugar (1 tsp). Helps keep the chocolate cravings in check. )
I feel great about getting this far thru this high-stress week. I finally got done with my big deadlines today. What a relief. If I can do No-S thru this kind of stress, it is definitely a winner, something I can keep doing on an average day for sure.
I believe this is day 11, so I am just past the halfway mark to 3 weeks!
Yesterday was Wednesday and it was a SUCCESS
Went rangering 45 minutes
Today is Thursday ... SUCCESS
Rangering 30 minutes
Breakfast: Instant oatmeal made with milk and slices of banana
Lunch: Large whole wheat pita with 1 cup of chickpea/tomato/cuke salad + 4 oz orange juice
Dinner: 1/2 whole wheat pita with hummus and 1/3 c plain yogurt + low-sugar milk & cocoa
(To make sure I don't wake up hungry in the night, I've been putting myself to bed with a hot milk & cocoa treat made with a small amount of sugar (1 tsp). Helps keep the chocolate cravings in check. )
I feel great about getting this far thru this high-stress week. I finally got done with my big deadlines today. What a relief. If I can do No-S thru this kind of stress, it is definitely a winner, something I can keep doing on an average day for sure.
I believe this is day 11, so I am just past the halfway mark to 3 weeks!
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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ClickBeetle
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- Location: North Carolina, USA
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
I am inclined to say Friday was a SUCCESS but I would be interested in your input ...
In the morning I gave blood. They always try to give you sugary things afterward, so I came prepared with a bottle of drinkable plain yogurt (no added sugar). I did agree to have a fourth of a multi-grain bagel with a little smear of cream cheese - there was an older volunteer looking after the donors, and I didn't want to make him feel like he was there for no reason.
I had two slices of pizza for dinner with my brother and his family. After a full week of 1500-calorie days, it felt like a huge meal. I had to wait several minutes between the slices.
Was a little tired all day because of dieting so hard and then the blood donation.
I went to a party at night and had a tiny slice of chocolate cake with a small amount of ice cream. It was superb; every bite was ecstasy. I know it was a sweet on a non-S day, but it did not feel like a transgression.
I was debating whether to call the day a success in light of the cake and a modest amount of hors-d'oeuvres that I had at another event before the party. I don't know ... I think if I can't go to a party on a Friday night and have a modest treat after a week of being very disciplined, then I'm on a system that I don't want to be on.
I have added a lot of other rules of my own to the basic No-S program, which I have obeyed rigorously, and so I'm inclined to give myself a break. What do you all think?
In the morning I gave blood. They always try to give you sugary things afterward, so I came prepared with a bottle of drinkable plain yogurt (no added sugar). I did agree to have a fourth of a multi-grain bagel with a little smear of cream cheese - there was an older volunteer looking after the donors, and I didn't want to make him feel like he was there for no reason.
I had two slices of pizza for dinner with my brother and his family. After a full week of 1500-calorie days, it felt like a huge meal. I had to wait several minutes between the slices.
Was a little tired all day because of dieting so hard and then the blood donation.
I went to a party at night and had a tiny slice of chocolate cake with a small amount of ice cream. It was superb; every bite was ecstasy. I know it was a sweet on a non-S day, but it did not feel like a transgression.
I was debating whether to call the day a success in light of the cake and a modest amount of hors-d'oeuvres that I had at another event before the party. I don't know ... I think if I can't go to a party on a Friday night and have a modest treat after a week of being very disciplined, then I'm on a system that I don't want to be on.
I have added a lot of other rules of my own to the basic No-S program, which I have obeyed rigorously, and so I'm inclined to give myself a break. What do you all think?
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
Friday was a success
My personal opinion is that your Friday was a complete success. If nothing else, giving blood makes you an "s" (for special) person on an "s" day. I wouldn't think twice about it. Maybe make Sunday a non-S day if you are so inclined.
Another way to think of it, if you are so inclined - I've been tempted to do this but haven't so far - is to use historical sundown-to-sundown sabbath day measures. Meaning Friday night after sundown until Sunday night after sundown are your S days. I'll bet Reinhard would approve it.
Another way to think of it, if you are so inclined - I've been tempted to do this but haven't so far - is to use historical sundown-to-sundown sabbath day measures. Meaning Friday night after sundown until Sunday night after sundown are your S days. I'll bet Reinhard would approve it.
Kevin
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."
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gratefuldeb67
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Yeah Betsy! Between S standing for "Stick that needle in my vein" and "Shabbat", I think you are in the clear. 
Some people have opted to take their S days on other days of the week..
The main thing with that, is that you should be consistent about it, and don't mix and match just when it serves an opportunistic purpose....
I personally start Ssing on Friday evenings, but then I only really have another S day on either Sat or Sun.... not both....
So, what's your RH type?
You are doing great!!!!
Love,
Deb
Some people have opted to take their S days on other days of the week..
The main thing with that, is that you should be consistent about it, and don't mix and match just when it serves an opportunistic purpose....
I personally start Ssing on Friday evenings, but then I only really have another S day on either Sat or Sun.... not both....
So, what's your RH type?
You are doing great!!!!
Love,
Deb
Betsy,
I think you're fine. Yeah as Deb and Kevin say, as long as you stick to it, starting your S-day Friday night and ending it Saturday or Sunday afternoon would be fine. Me, I abstain Friday nights becuase I like to have my post-hockey sweets on Sunday.
And as for giving blood, since you can only do that at most once every 8 weeks, I think that's fine. I sometimes donate on Wednesday (that's when the drives at work are) and I have no problems eating the snacks afterward. I try not to turn the whole day into an S-day, though... just the snacks after the donation.
I've always wondered if donating blood was a good way to lose weight.. how much does a pint of blood weigh anyway?
I think you're fine. Yeah as Deb and Kevin say, as long as you stick to it, starting your S-day Friday night and ending it Saturday or Sunday afternoon would be fine. Me, I abstain Friday nights becuase I like to have my post-hockey sweets on Sunday.
And as for giving blood, since you can only do that at most once every 8 weeks, I think that's fine. I sometimes donate on Wednesday (that's when the drives at work are) and I have no problems eating the snacks afterward. I try not to turn the whole day into an S-day, though... just the snacks after the donation.
I've always wondered if donating blood was a good way to lose weight.. how much does a pint of blood weigh anyway?
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gratefuldeb67
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ClickBeetle
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Thanks for your thoughts, everyone! Then S-day it is!
A pint of blood may weigh a pound but most of that is water ... however, I imagine it takes quite a few calories to manufacture all those cells. No doubt I could look around on the net and find out.
The feeling of doing something for others is a great reward regardless.
I like the idea of going by sundown for the start of the day. Tying in to religious/traditional practices is an interesting part of modifying one's diet.
A pint of blood may weigh a pound but most of that is water ... however, I imagine it takes quite a few calories to manufacture all those cells. No doubt I could look around on the net and find out.
The feeling of doing something for others is a great reward regardless.
I like the idea of going by sundown for the start of the day. Tying in to religious/traditional practices is an interesting part of modifying one's diet.
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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ClickBeetle
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- Location: North Carolina, USA
The internet is a glorious thing. A pint of blood represents about 280 calories if the protein, fat, and carbohydrate content is burned up in a calorimeter. In other words, it has about 280 calories if used as food. No vampire jokes please!
However, manufacturing that same pint of blood represents an expenditure of about 600 calories by the body. (The difference is because the body is not a 100% efficient machine - no machine is 100% efficient; that's why systems tend toward entropy and also why there's no such thing as a perpetual motion machine).
So you take in 600 calories of food, use part of it as raw material for the blood components, and burn the rest off as waste products -- heat, water, and carbon dioxide I suppose -- and you end up with a pint of blood. Enabling you and a few mosquitoes and ticks to keep on going. Oh, yeah, and all those people who receive blood products from the Red Cross.
All in all, at 3,500 calories per pound of body weight, you would have to give blood about six times to lose one pound -- not the quickest route to one's desired BMI, I would say.
Finally, the water component of blood, which makes it weigh so much, is quickly replaced when you next take a drink, so the weight of the blood doesn't really affect how much you weigh.
Is anyone feeling lightheaded yet?
However, manufacturing that same pint of blood represents an expenditure of about 600 calories by the body. (The difference is because the body is not a 100% efficient machine - no machine is 100% efficient; that's why systems tend toward entropy and also why there's no such thing as a perpetual motion machine).
So you take in 600 calories of food, use part of it as raw material for the blood components, and burn the rest off as waste products -- heat, water, and carbon dioxide I suppose -- and you end up with a pint of blood. Enabling you and a few mosquitoes and ticks to keep on going. Oh, yeah, and all those people who receive blood products from the Red Cross.
All in all, at 3,500 calories per pound of body weight, you would have to give blood about six times to lose one pound -- not the quickest route to one's desired BMI, I would say.
Finally, the water component of blood, which makes it weigh so much, is quickly replaced when you next take a drink, so the weight of the blood doesn't really affect how much you weigh.
Is anyone feeling lightheaded yet?
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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gratefuldeb67
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ClickBeetle
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Weekend: SUCCESS (but that's easy)
Monday: SUCCESS
Tuesday: SUCCESS. Checked my weight and it's around 1 pound less than prior week. (Not too sure because of scale has a bit of an error margin.)
The weekend was the second weekend, and I think I may have eaten more moderately than the first.
Monday: SUCCESS
Tuesday: SUCCESS. Checked my weight and it's around 1 pound less than prior week. (Not too sure because of scale has a bit of an error margin.)
The weekend was the second weekend, and I think I may have eaten more moderately than the first.
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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Jammin' Jan
- Posts: 2002
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ClickBeetle
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- Location: North Carolina, USA
Thanks, Jan! To be honest, I was hoping for a little bit more of a weight loss. I really thought I had cut my calories back to the WALL again last week, and I definitely didn't go wild on the weekend.
So I would have thought I definitely had lost a couple of pounds. Sigh.
Maybe it's a gain in muscle mass -- but I haven't been rangering all that much vs. what I usually do anyway.
Anyway ... it's gotta pay off over the long run, right?
So I would have thought I definitely had lost a couple of pounds. Sigh.
Maybe it's a gain in muscle mass -- but I haven't been rangering all that much vs. what I usually do anyway.
Anyway ... it's gotta pay off over the long run, right?
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
Clicky,
Yes, this pays off in the long run. There are some weeks I don't lose any, or even gain a lb., but over time, I've been losing about 1 lb. a month. I'm sure you'll probably do better than that, since I had already been exercising before No-S and I mess up a lot and do enjoy chocolate for breakfast on Saturdays...
The one thing I've found that does tend to sabotage my efforts, though, is liquid calories. If I drink a glass (well, for me that's about 14 oz or so) of juice or smoothie with breakfast each day, I hardly ever lose any weight that week. If I just drink water or have juice maybe once or twice, I do a lot better. It's weird... it's almost like "empty" calories... sure juice contains vitamins and stuff, but it doesn't seem to fill me up... I tend to eat the same amount of food I would have even it I just drank water.
Yes, this pays off in the long run.
There are some weeks I don't lose any, or even gain a lb., but over time, I've been losing about 1 lb. a month. I'm sure you'll probably do better than that, since I had already been exercising before No-S and I mess up a lot and do enjoy chocolate for breakfast on Saturdays...The one thing I've found that does tend to sabotage my efforts, though, is liquid calories. If I drink a glass (well, for me that's about 14 oz or so) of juice or smoothie with breakfast each day, I hardly ever lose any weight that week. If I just drink water or have juice maybe once or twice, I do a lot better. It's weird... it's almost like "empty" calories... sure juice contains vitamins and stuff, but it doesn't seem to fill me up... I tend to eat the same amount of food I would have even it I just drank water.
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Jammin' Jan
- Posts: 2002
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- Location: The Village
Wow, chocolate for breakfast...I'm in awe. That's the kind of cut-loose thing I only dream of.
I have been wondering about the juice, and I think there is something in what you are saying. It would probably be better to eat a piece of whole fruit than to drink the juice. All the vitamins and fiber, too.
I have been wondering about the juice, and I think there is something in what you are saying. It would probably be better to eat a piece of whole fruit than to drink the juice. All the vitamins and fiber, too.
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ClickBeetle
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- Location: North Carolina, USA
Thanks for those tips. I have definitely been trying to cut back on juice and other natural concentrated sources of sugar.
Here goes my check-in:
Well, I guess today will be "humility day" because I thought I was riding high on such a streak of success for over two weeks now. I am not going to attach any big dismal labels to the day because the way my psychology works it would just not do me any good to use the "F-word."
Let's just say that I did not follow through on my plans today. I had a mid-morning snack of a small pecan roll and half an apple pastry. I also had a mid-afternoon snack of three cookies and a few cubes of cheese. And I ate more lunch than I intended to.
I'm disappointed that today didn't work out as I had intended. But, I'm trying not to, like, develop an eating disorder over it. I really do not want to get all into the blame game and start bemoaning my lack of resolve and all of that.
And so I have already tried to take an analytical approach to today's "systems failure." Today's events happened in some very specific circumstances, so I took a moment this afternoon to jot down the reasons that appear to have contributed to my lack of success and hopefully that will become the basis for preventive measures in the days to come. I need to sleep soon so maybe I will be able to post that tomorrow. (Lack of sleep being one of the reasons that I was thrown off-kilter today ... )
Hopefully I will maintain a positive attitude and view today in an objective light ... as one day out of fifteen or so that have been very successful and without any indulgence that I considered a foul-up for over two weeks,
and also remembering that the way I ate today would probably represent an average day before I started the No-S thing.
Here goes my check-in:
Well, I guess today will be "humility day" because I thought I was riding high on such a streak of success for over two weeks now. I am not going to attach any big dismal labels to the day because the way my psychology works it would just not do me any good to use the "F-word."
Let's just say that I did not follow through on my plans today. I had a mid-morning snack of a small pecan roll and half an apple pastry. I also had a mid-afternoon snack of three cookies and a few cubes of cheese. And I ate more lunch than I intended to.
I'm disappointed that today didn't work out as I had intended. But, I'm trying not to, like, develop an eating disorder over it. I really do not want to get all into the blame game and start bemoaning my lack of resolve and all of that.
And so I have already tried to take an analytical approach to today's "systems failure." Today's events happened in some very specific circumstances, so I took a moment this afternoon to jot down the reasons that appear to have contributed to my lack of success and hopefully that will become the basis for preventive measures in the days to come. I need to sleep soon so maybe I will be able to post that tomorrow. (Lack of sleep being one of the reasons that I was thrown off-kilter today ... )
Hopefully I will maintain a positive attitude and view today in an objective light ... as one day out of fifteen or so that have been very successful and without any indulgence that I considered a foul-up for over two weeks,
and also remembering that the way I ate today would probably represent an average day before I started the No-S thing.
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
Hello Clickster!!!
Please don't beat yourself up over a little "slip". You have been doing really well.
You even know that you didn't get enough sleep and there were certain things that triggered the desire to eat.
Eating in response to stress is one of my typical behaviors. In the past, if I was annoyed with someone I'd go bake a batch of cookies instead of confronting my feelings. I don't know what set you off but whatever it was know that you are not alone.
Besides, if we didn't have these little hiccups then what would we post? LOL
Sincerely,
Dru - cvmom
Please don't beat yourself up over a little "slip". You have been doing really well.
You even know that you didn't get enough sleep and there were certain things that triggered the desire to eat.
Eating in response to stress is one of my typical behaviors. In the past, if I was annoyed with someone I'd go bake a batch of cookies instead of confronting my feelings. I don't know what set you off but whatever it was know that you are not alone.
Besides, if we didn't have these little hiccups then what would we post? LOL
Sincerely,
Dru - cvmom
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Jammin' Jan
- Posts: 2002
- Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 2:55 pm
- Location: The Village
Call it one of your S days for the week...
and move on. It's a healthy habit, not an obsession, right?
Kevin
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."
yes, let's not get obsessed...I'm hoping to lose my food/diet/scale obsessions this year. good analysis...I'm going to start trying that (if I ever overindulge again 
)Being tired is always a trigger for me. And i'm realizing I become more tired when I don't eat regular meals. Thereby a vicious cycle. You're still running at over a 90% success rate.
)Being tired is always a trigger for me. And i'm realizing I become more tired when I don't eat regular meals. Thereby a vicious cycle. You're still running at over a 90% success rate."E're she looked for the good, e're she found it.
Annie May Quigg 1891-1996
Annie May Quigg 1891-1996
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gratefuldeb67
- Posts: 6256
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:26 pm
- Location: Great Neck, NY
Hi Clickster! How's our little Beetle today?
Obsessed, not obsessed...
Just love yourself from the inside out.. Good things will come to you!
I love Reinhard big time, but I really have a gripe with the coldness of the Failure word too.. Sorry Reinhard, I think there's a little contigent here and everywhere, who don't really benefit from using judgements which are so "dismal" as Clicky puts it....We are not computer programs, though we can really get "programmed" to think and act a certain way... So I never loved that success/failure thing and I prefer Setback, because that points you toward your success so much more positively.... Okay, bumps in the road will occur.. Just keep driving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, I am very analytical too... overly so....
Go with your intuition and just do it. Thinking too much about why something happens or doesn't happen can really drain you...
NoS has that thinking built in, in the form of rules, so you don't have to do it too much... If you think juice is slowing down your progress, don't have it often! (That goes for you Mister Navin!!! LOL...)
You are doing great! This is for life, not just two weeks, months, or years..
Get ready to ride out some minor storms and let them pass. And when you're thinking too much and in doubt, put on Led Zeppelin I, get out your Shovelglove, and get primitive!!!!
Love,
Deb
Obsessed, not obsessed...
Just love yourself from the inside out.. Good things will come to you!
I love Reinhard big time, but I really have a gripe with the coldness of the Failure word too.. Sorry Reinhard, I think there's a little contigent here and everywhere, who don't really benefit from using judgements which are so "dismal" as Clicky puts it....We are not computer programs, though we can really get "programmed" to think and act a certain way... So I never loved that success/failure thing and I prefer Setback, because that points you toward your success so much more positively.... Okay, bumps in the road will occur.. Just keep driving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, I am very analytical too... overly so....
Go with your intuition and just do it. Thinking too much about why something happens or doesn't happen can really drain you...
NoS has that thinking built in, in the form of rules, so you don't have to do it too much... If you think juice is slowing down your progress, don't have it often! (That goes for you Mister Navin!!! LOL...)
You are doing great! This is for life, not just two weeks, months, or years..
Get ready to ride out some minor storms and let them pass. And when you're thinking too much and in doubt, put on Led Zeppelin I, get out your Shovelglove, and get primitive!!!!
Love,
Deb-
ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Thanks, everyone, for the encouragement. I don't think it's a big deal. Everything will work out OK soon!
I will keep this short 'cause I am exhausted from overwork and being stuffed into an overcrowded seminar room with 70 other people for two days ... so I'm going to sign off now ... will post next check-in in a day or two. Cheers!
I will keep this short 'cause I am exhausted from overwork and being stuffed into an overcrowded seminar room with 70 other people for two days ... so I'm going to sign off now ... will post next check-in in a day or two. Cheers!
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
I haven't had much time to post lately, but now I'm back.
Thursday and Friday went pretty well.
Thursday I was in the same circumstances that caused me to give in on Wednesday. So I decided to initiate Damage Control and do a modified version of No-S in recognition of the difficulties I was in. More on those difficulties in a moment.
Friday I was back up and running -- SUCCESS. I treated myself to a couple of chocolate almonds at night and went to bed very early .
Saturday and Sunday -- yesterday and today -- I'm treating as true S-days. One of my problems from last week was deprivation, I think. So I'm making sure I do manage the weekend as a weekend.
OK, here are the findings that I jotted down on Weds when I had my first real "departure" from the NoS plan.
-- I was antsy that day from not getting my usual walking exercise in the 3 or 4 days before.
-- I didn't get enough fiber and complex carbs and protein at lunch, and I got hungry in the afternoon as a result.
-- For two weeks I had virtually perfected the art of No-S while working at home, but the practice of No-S abroad presented a new challenge that I had not dealt with yet. (I was in a two-day training course)
-- There were free goodies in front of me, and not just cheap pastries and boxed doughnuts (which I generally am able to resist) but special catered food - leading to a combination of feelings: "This is a special occasion" (it wasn't really) and "I'm going to miss out!"
-- I was not prepared. I was not equipped with my own, healthier foods to choose from. (This principle worked very well last Fri when I donated blood and brought my own healthy snack for afterward.)
-- I hadn't slept much for a few nights. I was tired & not feeling perky or resilient. I overeat when deprived of sleep. (I've read that sleep deprivation screws with your leptin production or whatever other appetite hormones are involved --- that doesn't surprise me at all)
-- During the two days that I was "No-S Challenged," I was squished into a crowded seminar room with 70 other people. It was an inherently stressful and annoying situation. There were too many tables and chairs occupying the space, leading to a feeling of being trapped. The temperature varied; it was often stuffy. I was sitting near the open door to the hall. I was in the back of the room having a hard time hearing the speaker, feeling hungry, and overheated, and people were having distracting conversations out in the hall. It was incredibly irritating!!!!!! and I knew that there were delicious gourmet thingys spread on the table in the hall outside. The precise thought that made me break down was: If only I could escape from this stuffy hungry overcrowded cramped inaudible place that I am in -- and get out into the nice cool open big hall where can stretch my arms and have a lovely buttery apple tart !
Thus it was that I met my downfall. Doesn't it seem perfectly logical?? Darn it, I am not about to blame myself. How could I possibly have done otherwise!!? It would be like making your mind up to win an arm wrestling match with someone twice your size. You can make your mind up all you want to, but when you're outgunned, you're outgunned!
So, now I know how to prepare for the next arm wrestling match: -- Prepare carefully for No-S'ing when away from my usual environment. -- Bring my own healthy alternative snacks if there is a chance you will give in. -- Plan my meals carefully to avoid hunger pangs when in a vulnerable situation. -- Bring my own high-fiber foods to supplement meals away from home if necessary. -- Try to keep up with daily exercise for the psychological effects. -- Try to keep getting enough sleep. -- Avoid irritating and stressful environments if at all possible.
There it is. That's my way of reminding myself that this is not a test that I flunked; it is a learning situation that I mastered.
Thursday and Friday went pretty well.
Thursday I was in the same circumstances that caused me to give in on Wednesday. So I decided to initiate Damage Control and do a modified version of No-S in recognition of the difficulties I was in. More on those difficulties in a moment.
Friday I was back up and running -- SUCCESS. I treated myself to a couple of chocolate almonds at night and went to bed very early .
Saturday and Sunday -- yesterday and today -- I'm treating as true S-days. One of my problems from last week was deprivation, I think. So I'm making sure I do manage the weekend as a weekend.
OK, here are the findings that I jotted down on Weds when I had my first real "departure" from the NoS plan.
-- I was antsy that day from not getting my usual walking exercise in the 3 or 4 days before.
-- I didn't get enough fiber and complex carbs and protein at lunch, and I got hungry in the afternoon as a result.
-- For two weeks I had virtually perfected the art of No-S while working at home, but the practice of No-S abroad presented a new challenge that I had not dealt with yet. (I was in a two-day training course)
-- There were free goodies in front of me, and not just cheap pastries and boxed doughnuts (which I generally am able to resist) but special catered food - leading to a combination of feelings: "This is a special occasion" (it wasn't really) and "I'm going to miss out!"
-- I was not prepared. I was not equipped with my own, healthier foods to choose from. (This principle worked very well last Fri when I donated blood and brought my own healthy snack for afterward.)
-- I hadn't slept much for a few nights. I was tired & not feeling perky or resilient. I overeat when deprived of sleep. (I've read that sleep deprivation screws with your leptin production or whatever other appetite hormones are involved --- that doesn't surprise me at all)
-- During the two days that I was "No-S Challenged," I was squished into a crowded seminar room with 70 other people. It was an inherently stressful and annoying situation. There were too many tables and chairs occupying the space, leading to a feeling of being trapped. The temperature varied; it was often stuffy. I was sitting near the open door to the hall. I was in the back of the room having a hard time hearing the speaker, feeling hungry, and overheated, and people were having distracting conversations out in the hall. It was incredibly irritating!!!!!! and I knew that there were delicious gourmet thingys spread on the table in the hall outside. The precise thought that made me break down was: If only I could escape from this stuffy hungry overcrowded cramped inaudible place that I am in -- and get out into the nice cool open big hall where can stretch my arms and have a lovely buttery apple tart !
Thus it was that I met my downfall. Doesn't it seem perfectly logical?? Darn it, I am not about to blame myself. How could I possibly have done otherwise!!? It would be like making your mind up to win an arm wrestling match with someone twice your size. You can make your mind up all you want to, but when you're outgunned, you're outgunned!
So, now I know how to prepare for the next arm wrestling match: -- Prepare carefully for No-S'ing when away from my usual environment. -- Bring my own healthy alternative snacks if there is a chance you will give in. -- Plan my meals carefully to avoid hunger pangs when in a vulnerable situation. -- Bring my own high-fiber foods to supplement meals away from home if necessary. -- Try to keep up with daily exercise for the psychological effects. -- Try to keep getting enough sleep. -- Avoid irritating and stressful environments if at all possible.
There it is. That's my way of reminding myself that this is not a test that I flunked; it is a learning situation that I mastered.
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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gratefuldeb67
- Posts: 6256
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:26 pm
- Location: Great Neck, NY
"Shake it up Baby..." (Beatles for our Beetle!)
Betsy, you are a person, not an android!!!
Yeah that sounded like you were in a high stress/annoyance level situation...
The apple tart downfall could have been so much worse, don't you think?
I for one, could have combined that with loads of unnecessary beverarges and certainly if the food was nicely done, I could have had a bunch of that too... Finger foods/cocktail hours/buffets etc.. are all killers.
I suggest, in addition to your already sensible plan on improving your shot of success, that you take a huge water bottle with some flavored seltzer with you at all times... When you have an urge to splurge and go off plan, which isn't truly hunger saying "its meal time" see how many times you can catch yourself and say "it's time to guzzle some H2O"...
It's even possible that you may be semi-dehydrated anyway, since you said it was stuffy and hot... Thirst can be misconceived as hunger, so don't let yourself get into that semi thirsty state.. Actually, our brain senses thirst and hunger pretty late in the game, so once you actually feel thirsty, since the hypothalamus is a little slow in sensing it, you are already dehydrated... We have to drink, before we get thirsty to avoid that.
Get very Zen about NoS and just don't worry so much... Follow the rules, but when looking back, it's helpful to analyze but not necessarily jump to negative and bummed out conclusions...
Say "It happened", but try to accentuate the positive and think of the good things you did too... No matter how small... Those small victories are tweaks to your current everyday habits, which, over time, will grow exponentially, and before you know it, you will have a whole new relationship with food and all new habits!
Peace and Love,
Deb
Betsy, you are a person, not an android!!!
Yeah that sounded like you were in a high stress/annoyance level situation...
The apple tart downfall could have been so much worse, don't you think?
I for one, could have combined that with loads of unnecessary beverarges and certainly if the food was nicely done, I could have had a bunch of that too... Finger foods/cocktail hours/buffets etc.. are all killers.
I suggest, in addition to your already sensible plan on improving your shot of success, that you take a huge water bottle with some flavored seltzer with you at all times... When you have an urge to splurge and go off plan, which isn't truly hunger saying "its meal time" see how many times you can catch yourself and say "it's time to guzzle some H2O"...
It's even possible that you may be semi-dehydrated anyway, since you said it was stuffy and hot... Thirst can be misconceived as hunger, so don't let yourself get into that semi thirsty state.. Actually, our brain senses thirst and hunger pretty late in the game, so once you actually feel thirsty, since the hypothalamus is a little slow in sensing it, you are already dehydrated... We have to drink, before we get thirsty to avoid that.
Get very Zen about NoS and just don't worry so much... Follow the rules, but when looking back, it's helpful to analyze but not necessarily jump to negative and bummed out conclusions...
Say "It happened", but try to accentuate the positive and think of the good things you did too... No matter how small... Those small victories are tweaks to your current everyday habits, which, over time, will grow exponentially, and before you know it, you will have a whole new relationship with food and all new habits!
Peace and Love,
DebBetsy,
Yep, been there done that. I know exactly what you mean... it is very difficult to be around food - especially good food - and not resist!
What hs helped me - very surprisingly - is buffets. Pre-No-S, I'd get up for plate after plate, and of couse dessert too. And feel grotesquely stuffed afterwards. But now, I limit myself to one plate, as per No-S code. I've learned a couple things from this experience:
1. It IS possible to resist eating food even when it is right in front of you, even if it is good. If I get what I need the first plate, I have no need to go back.
2. Limiting myself actually feels better in the long run - nothing worse than that over-filled feeling of "uuuugh, I ate WAY too much" that used to plague me.
So for your situation, one thing you noted that will help you out is be sure your meals really are satisfying. Eat a good breakast. If you are presented with finger foods, just use them as a meal... instead of snacking all day, make them into your breakfast/lunch. A plate full of appetizers and finger foods actually makes for a pretty decent meal, I've found!
So hang in there, we're rooting for you, and you're still doing great.
Yep, been there done that. I know exactly what you mean... it is very difficult to be around food - especially good food - and not resist!
What hs helped me - very surprisingly - is buffets. Pre-No-S, I'd get up for plate after plate, and of couse dessert too. And feel grotesquely stuffed afterwards. But now, I limit myself to one plate, as per No-S code. I've learned a couple things from this experience:
1. It IS possible to resist eating food even when it is right in front of you, even if it is good. If I get what I need the first plate, I have no need to go back.
2. Limiting myself actually feels better in the long run - nothing worse than that over-filled feeling of "uuuugh, I ate WAY too much" that used to plague me.
So for your situation, one thing you noted that will help you out is be sure your meals really are satisfying. Eat a good breakast. If you are presented with finger foods, just use them as a meal... instead of snacking all day, make them into your breakfast/lunch. A plate full of appetizers and finger foods actually makes for a pretty decent meal, I've found!
So hang in there, we're rooting for you, and you're still doing great.
Those are very true words. I always feel like I'm somehow wasting food by not partaking - as if the success of the whole buffet/banquet rests on whether or not I have seconds or not. What a silly attitude!margaret wrote:harder to resist than good food, is good free food, or even worse, good food paid for in our workshop fees.
On Saturday I was able to resist going back for seconds at a buffet, because I really wasn't hungry for more and I told myself "there are over a hundred people here, and [my cousin] said that over fifty people didn't even show. If there's food left over, its can't be your fault!" I felt really good, and I was able to dance (I love dancing) because I wasn't over-full and logey because of it.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, so here's a bunny with a pancake on its head".
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Thanks, all, for your words of encouragement and the tips!! You are a great help!
I had a great weekend and enjoyed my S's. Had some snacks, had a couple of sweets -- nothing overboard but I did enjoy it. Didn't really find that I had strong cravings.
I don't feel like last week's setbacks were a big deal in the overall scheme. I made it three whole weeks without ice cream or Fritos, or a lot of other things! This is a huge improvement!
Today I had a dr's appointment and I weighed 180 on their scale, so that means I've lost about six pounds. Yay!!! That's about what I'm showing on my home scale as well, so it's good to know the home scale is accurate.
Today's not over yet but it goes down as a SUCCESS. I had coffeemilk and four peaches from the next county over (GOSH THEY WERE GOOD) for breakfast; whole wheat pita bread with tomatoes, cucumbers and halloumi cheese for lunch; haven't had dinner yet but it will probably be spaghetti.
I know it seems like I *live* on whole wheat pita bread and I do eat a lot of it. There is this fantastic middle eastern deli, bakery and grocery store down the road. The pita bread is fabulous, incredibly fresh, and cheap. So it's a serious dietary staple for me.
So's the fresh-made hummus and tzatziki and the different kinds of yogurt they sell.
In addition to the mid-east deli, the fresh local produce is just POURING in to the Farmer's Market right now and I am getting as much of that as I can bring home. Mouth-watering red peaches, juicy cantaloupes, blueberries, delicious ripe "field 'maters" with that sharp real tomato taste, cucumbers that taste as good as watermelons! ... I just about can't stand it, it's all so good! The first sweet corn started coming in about two weeks ago ...
Sure am glad I'm not on some weird fad diet that restricts normal fruits and vegetables in favor of gluttonous amounts of marbled steak. Eww!
I had a great weekend and enjoyed my S's. Had some snacks, had a couple of sweets -- nothing overboard but I did enjoy it. Didn't really find that I had strong cravings.
I don't feel like last week's setbacks were a big deal in the overall scheme. I made it three whole weeks without ice cream or Fritos, or a lot of other things! This is a huge improvement!
Today I had a dr's appointment and I weighed 180 on their scale, so that means I've lost about six pounds. Yay!!! That's about what I'm showing on my home scale as well, so it's good to know the home scale is accurate.
Today's not over yet but it goes down as a SUCCESS. I had coffeemilk and four peaches from the next county over (GOSH THEY WERE GOOD) for breakfast; whole wheat pita bread with tomatoes, cucumbers and halloumi cheese for lunch; haven't had dinner yet but it will probably be spaghetti.
I know it seems like I *live* on whole wheat pita bread and I do eat a lot of it. There is this fantastic middle eastern deli, bakery and grocery store down the road. The pita bread is fabulous, incredibly fresh, and cheap. So it's a serious dietary staple for me.
So's the fresh-made hummus and tzatziki and the different kinds of yogurt they sell.
In addition to the mid-east deli, the fresh local produce is just POURING in to the Farmer's Market right now and I am getting as much of that as I can bring home. Mouth-watering red peaches, juicy cantaloupes, blueberries, delicious ripe "field 'maters" with that sharp real tomato taste, cucumbers that taste as good as watermelons! ... I just about can't stand it, it's all so good! The first sweet corn started coming in about two weeks ago ...
Sure am glad I'm not on some weird fad diet that restricts normal fruits and vegetables in favor of gluttonous amounts of marbled steak. Eww!
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
Sounds like you are doing awesome! I so can't wait until our produce stand down the road opens! In just another week or two I will also be enjoying fresh veggies and fruits, much better than the stuff they have at the Wal-mart...shheeessshh!
I have to weigh in tonight. I don't think the scale budged for me, but i've had a rough day or two here; nothing I can't handle! I'm currently back on track with the very forgiving No-S lifestyle.
Keep up the good work!! I'm so happy for you!
I have to weigh in tonight. I don't think the scale budged for me, but i've had a rough day or two here; nothing I can't handle! I'm currently back on track with the very forgiving No-S lifestyle.
Keep up the good work!!
I'm so happy for you!***GRINS***
Tricia
"When you are in a jam, a good friend will bring a loaf of bread and peanut butter..."
Tricia
"When you are in a jam, a good friend will bring a loaf of bread and peanut butter..."
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gratefuldeb67
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
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- Location: North Carolina, USA
It was hard to post for the last several days 'cause I was out of town on business ... I got a cold and didn't feel well, plus I had to eat from restaurants & catered food at meetings, so it's been tough to stick with my preferred choices and healthy foods ... on the whole I decided to try eat sensibly but not to actively diet or do No-S (mealtimes got shuffled around and mixed in with snacks due to a busy schedule).
Anyway, I didn't depart entirely from a healthy eating pattern but it was not optimal. Hopefully now that I'm back home & over the cold I can return to No-S after this Fourth of July weekend.
Anyway, I didn't depart entirely from a healthy eating pattern but it was not optimal. Hopefully now that I'm back home & over the cold I can return to No-S after this Fourth of July weekend.
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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gratefuldeb67
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Had a decent Fourth of July weekend ... lots of picnic food and family breakfast ... I stuck to small servings ... some nice treats this holiday weekend were a bit of chocolate brownie ice cream, link sausage with maple syrup, and a small steak, as well as some homemade peach pie and homemade strawberry freeze (thanks Mom!).
Weight loss has stopped due to lack of exercise and lack of attention to diet while I was feeling unwell. Hope to get "back on the plan" this week! The main thing is to stick with it and start again!
Weight loss has stopped due to lack of exercise and lack of attention to diet while I was feeling unwell. Hope to get "back on the plan" this week! The main thing is to stick with it and start again!
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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gratefuldeb67
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
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- Location: North Carolina, USA
My mom had lots of very ripe strawberries when we went picking in early May. She mashed them a bit and mixed them with orange juice concentrate and a bit of crushed pineapple, and threw in some leftover raspberries. Then you just freeze in the little ziploc mini-containers with lids (1/2 cup size). You have to let them sit out for a half-hour or so before you want to eat them or you can nuke them for 15 seconds. Like italian ices.
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
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- Location: North Carolina, USA
Sybil, I stuck a tip for strawberries in your daily log. They are yummy, aren't they?
Tuesday went all right. I ate healthy and managed my portions. I had a sweet snack of a little chocolate before bed, though, so can't call it a true No-S day.
Today, Wednesday, I am feeling a little better from my lingering cold and as a result I truly feel it is the first day I am back on track with No-S and my other dietary goals.
For one thing, I got a really good night's sleep for the first time in more than a week. That generally seems to make everything, including good eating habits, lots easier!
Tuesday went all right. I ate healthy and managed my portions. I had a sweet snack of a little chocolate before bed, though, so can't call it a true No-S day.
Today, Wednesday, I am feeling a little better from my lingering cold and as a result I truly feel it is the first day I am back on track with No-S and my other dietary goals.
For one thing, I got a really good night's sleep for the first time in more than a week. That generally seems to make everything, including good eating habits, lots easier!
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
So okay, it's 10 PM on Wednesday and I finally hit the mark, first No-S day in a while ... SUCCESS!
Even while I was off of No-S for the last week or thereabouts, I have tried to be mostly reasonable about my eating habits and so, thank heavens, I am starting off the next round at the same weight as when I left off, about 180 pounds. That's about 6-7 pounds less than when I first started the plan.
Breakfast was coffee and a glass of soymilk and some carrot juice.
Lunch was spaghetti w/tomato sauce & ground beef, and a peach.
Supper was a whole wheat pita with halloumi cheese, cucumber and tomato, and a glass of orange juice.
So, that's Day 1. Here's looking at Day 2!
Even while I was off of No-S for the last week or thereabouts, I have tried to be mostly reasonable about my eating habits and so, thank heavens, I am starting off the next round at the same weight as when I left off, about 180 pounds. That's about 6-7 pounds less than when I first started the plan.
Breakfast was coffee and a glass of soymilk and some carrot juice.
Lunch was spaghetti w/tomato sauce & ground beef, and a peach.
Supper was a whole wheat pita with halloumi cheese, cucumber and tomato, and a glass of orange juice.
So, that's Day 1. Here's looking at Day 2!
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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gratefuldeb67
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carolejo
- Posts: 1026
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- Location: Hilversum, The Netherlands.
- Contact:
Hiya!
I look forward to when I can give blood again. Hopefully in about 6 months time I'll be back on the register. I had to stop doing it, cos it was making me ill with anaemia. After much messing around (iron tablets are horribly un-carole-friendly) my iron levels are now stable and much better. My problem was I was drinking nearly 25 cups of tea every day (milk but no sugar - well, I *AM* a brit, afterall!). The tanins from Tea and Red Wine (my other favourite drink) line the stomach and prevent effective adsorption of the iron that is in your diet. I cut out the tea and ate a lot of iron rich foods and now everything is better again. I now only have 1 or 2 cups of tea every week and I really savour and enjoy them even more than ever. That's partly why I realised that this No S diet might work for me.
I look forward to when I can give blood again. Hopefully in about 6 months time I'll be back on the register. I had to stop doing it, cos it was making me ill with anaemia. After much messing around (iron tablets are horribly un-carole-friendly) my iron levels are now stable and much better. My problem was I was drinking nearly 25 cups of tea every day (milk but no sugar - well, I *AM* a brit, afterall!). The tanins from Tea and Red Wine (my other favourite drink) line the stomach and prevent effective adsorption of the iron that is in your diet. I cut out the tea and ate a lot of iron rich foods and now everything is better again. I now only have 1 or 2 cups of tea every week and I really savour and enjoy them even more than ever. That's partly why I realised that this No S diet might work for me.
CaroleJo
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ClickBeetle
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25 cups a day, holy mackerel! I'm glad things are back to normal with you. I have been experimenting with tea as a substitute for my usual coffee, as it has less caffeine, and it seems sweeter with less sugar, especially when I drink it with milk. (Trying to cut down on sugar in particular and empty starchy calories in general.) Plus, tea evidently does have some health benefits.
On another note, to you Carole Jo and the other Brits here, I am thinking of the unfortunate events today and wishing you well.
I'm glad things are back to normal with you. I have been experimenting with tea as a substitute for my usual coffee, as it has less caffeine, and it seems sweeter with less sugar, especially when I drink it with milk. (Trying to cut down on sugar in particular and empty starchy calories in general.) Plus, tea evidently does have some health benefits. On another note, to you Carole Jo and the other Brits here, I am thinking of the unfortunate events today and wishing you well.
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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carolejo
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thanks. I live about 400 miles too far north to be caught up in it personally, but a lot of my family live nearby and I do know about half a dozen people who have been affected in some small way. Fortunately all of my family and friends are accounted for, although a few of them will spend an uncomfortable night sleeping in the office, as they are unable to return home.
CaroleJo
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gratefuldeb67
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- Location: Great Neck, NY
Hey Betsy! Just wanted to echo your "holy mackeral" thing!!!
25 cups????
Mamacita!!!
Wow Carole Jo, I would have spent the whole day just sitting in the loo!
LOL.....
Can the kidneys take such an assault? Good on you that you nipped that habit somewhat... Brit or not, that's a whole mess of tea!!!
That reminds me to buy some Twinnings this weekend!
Glad your tummy is not getting tan anymore!
You don't want your stomach to turn into a handbag!
Love,
Deb
25 cups????
Mamacita!!!
Wow Carole Jo, I would have spent the whole day just sitting in the loo!
LOL.....
Can the kidneys take such an assault? Good on you that you nipped that habit somewhat... Brit or not, that's a whole mess of tea!!!
That reminds me to buy some Twinnings this weekend!
Glad your tummy is not getting tan anymore!
You don't want your stomach to turn into a handbag!
Love,
Deb-
ClickBeetle
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- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
It's Thursday ... Day B2 (adopting Margaret's system of nomenclature) ... SUCCESS
B: Coffee, 1/2 cup milk, 2/3 of a bagel with cream cheese; carrot juice
L: Spaghetti w/tomato sauce & ground beef; carrot juice
S: Chinese leftovers (beef w/mixed vegetables) on 2 slices of whole wheat toast; orange juice; hot cocoa
Afternoon pick-me-up: tea w/milk. I don't count this as a snack. Too low in calories, and I need the dairy in my daily intake, anyway.
Similarly, I count the hot cocoa as "virtual plating" with supper. I used to drink milk with every meal, so (instead) having the milk as hot cocoa right before bed helps me get to sleep and not wake up hungry in the middle of the night. I only put a tsp of sugar in.
B: Coffee, 1/2 cup milk, 2/3 of a bagel with cream cheese; carrot juice
L: Spaghetti w/tomato sauce & ground beef; carrot juice
S: Chinese leftovers (beef w/mixed vegetables) on 2 slices of whole wheat toast; orange juice; hot cocoa
Afternoon pick-me-up: tea w/milk. I don't count this as a snack. Too low in calories, and I need the dairy in my daily intake, anyway.
Similarly, I count the hot cocoa as "virtual plating" with supper. I used to drink milk with every meal, so (instead) having the milk as hot cocoa right before bed helps me get to sleep and not wake up hungry in the middle of the night. I only put a tsp of sugar in.
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Day B3: SUCCESS
45 minutes urban rangering
B: 1 cup milk; coffee; small glass carrot juice
L: leftover Chinese (beef w/mixed veggies) on 2 slices whole wheat bread; small glass orange juice
afternoon pick-me-up: low-sugar soy milk
D: gazpacho, bruschetta with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella with tomatoes, turkey by Ellen, roasted sweet corn, chickpea & tomato salad, red wine, white wine, lemon pound cake with lemon icing encrusted in pistachios. whew
Glad to have taken the suggestions by several folks to start "Saturday" at dusk on Friday. Veddy civilized notion.
45 minutes urban rangering
B: 1 cup milk; coffee; small glass carrot juice
L: leftover Chinese (beef w/mixed veggies) on 2 slices whole wheat bread; small glass orange juice
afternoon pick-me-up: low-sugar soy milk
D: gazpacho, bruschetta with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella with tomatoes, turkey by Ellen, roasted sweet corn, chickpea & tomato salad, red wine, white wine, lemon pound cake with lemon icing encrusted in pistachios. whew
Glad to have taken the suggestions by several folks to start "Saturday" at dusk on Friday. Veddy civilized notion.
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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gratefuldeb67
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- Location: Great Neck, NY
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Day B4: SUCCESS (S-day but I must say it was very like a no-S day)
B: Iced double grande latte, orange juice
L: Spaghetti with tomato meat sauce
D: Small cheeseburger from the chargrill burger joint down the street
Hot cocoa for a nightcap
Strangely, I did not find myself going in for all the things I craved during the week and wrote down on my list for the weekend (Whopper Jr., peach pie, biscotti, chicken tikka masala, etc. etc.) I guess it shows that it is not too hard to get back in the habit even after my hiatus of more than a week.
B: Iced double grande latte, orange juice
L: Spaghetti with tomato meat sauce
D: Small cheeseburger from the chargrill burger joint down the street
Hot cocoa for a nightcap
Strangely, I did not find myself going in for all the things I craved during the week and wrote down on my list for the weekend (Whopper Jr., peach pie, biscotti, chicken tikka masala, etc. etc.) I guess it shows that it is not too hard to get back in the habit even after my hiatus of more than a week.
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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carolejo
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- Location: Hilversum, The Netherlands.
- Contact:
I know what you mean about not actually eating the things you wanted to eat during the week. Last week I really really wanted that twix bar. Come the weekend, I really didn't fancy it so much at all, so I didn't eat it and didn't feel hard done by at all!
I didn't get my jammy doughnut either, but that was mainly because I couldn't find a perfect one and there isn't any point in eating things that are *not* just right, when it comes to that kind of treat, I think.
C.
I didn't get my jammy doughnut either, but that was mainly because I couldn't find a perfect one and there isn't any point in eating things that are *not* just right, when it comes to that kind of treat, I think.
C.
CaroleJo
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Day B5 (Sunday, S-Day): SUCCESS
B: Double king caramel iced latte
L: Chicken taco and crispy taco and apple turnover from Taco Bell. Too much food, felt a little bit "ugh" afterward.
D: Small portion of spaghetti with tomato and meat sauce; orange juice.
Got hungry around bedtime, had carrot juice, a bit of pita with hummus, a piece of baklava, and some milk. The baklava tasted unbelievably sweet and rich. Where I would have eaten two or three pieces, I was quite sated with one.
When I weighed myself this morning, the scale showed 179. I believe this is the first time I have seen the underside of 180 since at least September of last year.
B: Double king caramel iced latte
L: Chicken taco and crispy taco and apple turnover from Taco Bell. Too much food, felt a little bit "ugh" afterward.
D: Small portion of spaghetti with tomato and meat sauce; orange juice.
Got hungry around bedtime, had carrot juice, a bit of pita with hummus, a piece of baklava, and some milk. The baklava tasted unbelievably sweet and rich. Where I would have eaten two or three pieces, I was quite sated with one.
When I weighed myself this morning, the scale showed 179. I believe this is the first time I have seen the underside of 180 since at least September of last year.
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Day B6 (Monday): SUCCESS
B: Coffee, soymilk, carrot juice
L: 3/4 of a whole wheat pita with 2 oz. cheese & a tomato; orange juice
D: Whole wheat pita, hummus, and tzatziki; 2 peaches
I ate one chocolate almond after dinner to stave off a serious sweets craving ... really savored it ... Maybe this is "fuzzy math," but I'm not counting as a "departure from plan" one chocolate nut that weighs the same as a nickel (I checked!)
Speaking of sweets, on balance, reviewing my eating habits over the past month, No-S has helped me cut my sugar consumption in half, at least. I would actually guess more like three-quarters or even more.
For example, I no longer routinely have tea biscuits every morning with my coffee. I have reduced the sugar in my coffee to 1 tsp vs. 2+ tsps. Also, I no longer have cookies and milk before bed, nor do I keep ice cream or cookies in the house.
I have switched to staple foods that don't have added sugar (such as eating whole wheat pita bread from the local bakery, instead of buying commercial brands of whole wheat bread that have high fructose corn syrup in the ingredient list). I also have eaten very little candy compared to pre-No-S. And now I examine the soymilk I buy to make sure it has minimal added sugar (surprising, most soymilk has a great deal of sugar added to make it palatable!)
I had a fruit yogurt cup the weekend before last when I was temporarily off No-S, and it seemed cloyingly sweet. When I looked at the label I was shocked to see how many grams of sugar were in this beloved "health food."
Well, gotta go do my Urban Rangering so this day will be a super-success!
B: Coffee, soymilk, carrot juice
L: 3/4 of a whole wheat pita with 2 oz. cheese & a tomato; orange juice
D: Whole wheat pita, hummus, and tzatziki; 2 peaches
I ate one chocolate almond after dinner to stave off a serious sweets craving ... really savored it ... Maybe this is "fuzzy math," but I'm not counting as a "departure from plan" one chocolate nut that weighs the same as a nickel (I checked!)
Speaking of sweets, on balance, reviewing my eating habits over the past month, No-S has helped me cut my sugar consumption in half, at least. I would actually guess more like three-quarters or even more.
For example, I no longer routinely have tea biscuits every morning with my coffee. I have reduced the sugar in my coffee to 1 tsp vs. 2+ tsps. Also, I no longer have cookies and milk before bed, nor do I keep ice cream or cookies in the house.
I have switched to staple foods that don't have added sugar (such as eating whole wheat pita bread from the local bakery, instead of buying commercial brands of whole wheat bread that have high fructose corn syrup in the ingredient list). I also have eaten very little candy compared to pre-No-S. And now I examine the soymilk I buy to make sure it has minimal added sugar (surprising, most soymilk has a great deal of sugar added to make it palatable!)
I had a fruit yogurt cup the weekend before last when I was temporarily off No-S, and it seemed cloyingly sweet. When I looked at the label I was shocked to see how many grams of sugar were in this beloved "health food."
Well, gotta go do my Urban Rangering so this day will be a super-success!
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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gratefuldeb67
- Posts: 6256
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:26 pm
- Location: Great Neck, NY
Most excellent news Betsy!!! It is really so amazing to consider how, even when we are only doing NoS, maybe at 80 percent, it still just eliminates so much excess sugar and other crap....
Congratulations on all that day to day stuff you are doing for the benefit of YOU!
More and more I am gaining serious respect for Reinhard's inspired creation, and I will always be grateful to him for it... Really the best thing available for long term success! All the annoying headaches of weird style diets are just not there... And it's actually fun, because one looks forwards to preparing and eating food, not freaking out over it! It's so streamlined and so livable and so healthy and helpful! Any idiot can do it!!! That's really why we all like it! LOL....
Duhhhhhhh!!!!
(Seriously, If I can do it for almost a whole year, it's foolproof! )
Betsy, if you just keep the changes that you instituted in your day to day life (the sugar the elimination of morning teabiscuits...etc..) that is a fantastic gain! Every small, yet maintainable change we make, is better than a grandiose gesture (I'm paraphrasing something Reinhard wrote...) that you won't stick with...
PS.... As I recall, Vitasoy brand makes a very nice tasting unsweetend soymilk variety... But, if I may be so bold (as usual! LOL) I am going to warn you, a little bit, to beware of trying to rid your life of sugar in every shape and way... Remember you still have to like what you're eating/drinking.. But if this is happening naturally, then great!!!
I say, as long as you have a handle on the really excessive sugar, you are in the green!!!
PPS... How the heck do you "weigh" a nickle??? Do you have a teeny tiny bathroom scale which can accomodate little teeny tiny chocolate nuts???? LOL.... I have to congratulate you on your abilty to only have a taste! That is really something to be proud of! You will be skinny in no time!!!
Peace and Love,
Deb
Congratulations on all that day to day stuff you are doing for the benefit of YOU!
More and more I am gaining serious respect for Reinhard's inspired creation, and I will always be grateful to him for it... Really the best thing available for long term success! All the annoying headaches of weird style diets are just not there... And it's actually fun, because one looks forwards to preparing and eating food, not freaking out over it! It's so streamlined and so livable and so healthy and helpful! Any idiot can do it!!! That's really why we all like it! LOL....
Duhhhhhhh!!!!
(Seriously, If I can do it for almost a whole year, it's foolproof!
)Betsy, if you just keep the changes that you instituted in your day to day life (the sugar the elimination of morning teabiscuits...etc..) that is a fantastic gain! Every small, yet maintainable change we make, is better than a grandiose gesture (I'm paraphrasing something Reinhard wrote...) that you won't stick with...
PS.... As I recall, Vitasoy brand makes a very nice tasting unsweetend soymilk variety... But, if I may be so bold (as usual! LOL) I am going to warn you, a little bit, to beware of trying to rid your life of sugar in every shape and way... Remember you still have to like what you're eating/drinking.. But if this is happening naturally, then great!!!
I say, as long as you have a handle on the really excessive sugar, you are in the green!!!
PPS... How the heck do you "weigh" a nickle??? Do you have a teeny tiny bathroom scale which can accomodate little teeny tiny chocolate nuts???? LOL.... I have to congratulate you on your abilty to only have a taste! That is really something to be proud of! You will be skinny in no time!!!
Peace and Love,
Deb-
ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Thanks for the encouragement, Deb! You are a terrific cheerleader ... you make me feel like a winner! : )
Don't worry, I am not about to go overboard and eliminate sugar altogether. Not possible with me! : ) I do love sweet things. You wouldn't believe this delicious lemon pound cake with icing that I had on Friday night ... whoaaaa ...
But as someone else (maybe it was Carole Jo?) pointed out today, if I am going to eat something with (insert here name of substance that should be consumed in limited quantities, such as sugar), it had better be something I really want and love, not something I am just putting in my mouth without the full sensory reward! Thus, I'd prefer to trade the hidden sugar in commercial bread and other prepared foods, for the ability to enjoy a couple of pieces of baklava on an S-day.
About the scale. I have a leetle bitty kitchen scale (you're so funny!!!) that weighs in grams (a nickel appears to weigh about three grams).
About the ability to have only a taste. I think if I weren't checking in here and keeping a record, I would not really have that ability ...
Don't worry, I am not about to go overboard and eliminate sugar altogether. Not possible with me! : ) I do love sweet things. You wouldn't believe this delicious lemon pound cake with icing that I had on Friday night ... whoaaaa ...
But as someone else (maybe it was Carole Jo?) pointed out today, if I am going to eat something with (insert here name of substance that should be consumed in limited quantities, such as sugar), it had better be something I really want and love, not something I am just putting in my mouth without the full sensory reward! Thus, I'd prefer to trade the hidden sugar in commercial bread and other prepared foods, for the ability to enjoy a couple of pieces of baklava on an S-day.
About the scale. I have a leetle bitty kitchen scale (you're so funny!!!) that weighs in grams (a nickel appears to weigh about three grams).
About the ability to have only a taste. I think if I weren't checking in here and keeping a record, I would not really have that ability ...
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Day B7: SUCCESS
B: coffee; 3/4 of a bagel with cream cheese;
L: 1/2 whole wheat pita & hummus & tzatziki; orange juice; lite yogurt drink
D: halloumi cheese on whole wheat pita + tomato; 2 peaches
Urban rangering: 45 minutes. I walked at a vigorous pace and added arm-swinging and pumping on about half the walk. (I definitely feel better than a week ago ... I was really dragging after that cold, and walking short distances wore me out.)
But also in general I think my fitness is at a notch higher level than when I started "rangering" about a month ago. For one thing, I am taking longer walks. My usual route down past the bridge over the railroad doesn't seem like nearly enough exercise. Now I am usually going to the store, which is about 25-50% longer depending on which store I go to.
B: coffee; 3/4 of a bagel with cream cheese;
L: 1/2 whole wheat pita & hummus & tzatziki; orange juice; lite yogurt drink
D: halloumi cheese on whole wheat pita + tomato; 2 peaches
Urban rangering: 45 minutes. I walked at a vigorous pace and added arm-swinging and pumping on about half the walk. (I definitely feel better than a week ago ... I was really dragging after that cold, and walking short distances wore me out.)
But also in general I think my fitness is at a notch higher level than when I started "rangering" about a month ago. For one thing, I am taking longer walks. My usual route down past the bridge over the railroad doesn't seem like nearly enough exercise. Now I am usually going to the store, which is about 25-50% longer depending on which store I go to.
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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gratefuldeb67
- Posts: 6256
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:26 pm
- Location: Great Neck, NY
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Day B8: SUCCESS
B: Coffee; lite yogurt drink; carrot juice
L: 2/3 whole wheat pita with halloumi cheese + tomato; small orange juice; 1 chocolate almond
D: Weird hors-d'oeuvre dinner eaten standing up at a political shindig: 2 jumbo shrimp, 1 tomato-olive bruschetta, 1 floret broccoli, 1 bite-sized crabcake, 2 strawberries, 1 oz salmon, 1 glass red wine! Nightcap: 1 c hot cocoa
I can't believe how little I ate today, but I really didn't feel hungry most of the day. I went to the party just knowing the catered food would be my downfall, but somehow I managed to mostly ignore the food. Not quite normal for me! As for sweets, there were cream puffs and petits fours and multi-layered soft chocolate thingys, yet I walked right on by. -- ??? "Go figure," as they say in New York (or wherever it is that they say that -- somewhere up North, anyway.)
And tomorrow night is Friday night, and I am home free for two days!
B: Coffee; lite yogurt drink; carrot juice
L: 2/3 whole wheat pita with halloumi cheese + tomato; small orange juice; 1 chocolate almond
D: Weird hors-d'oeuvre dinner eaten standing up at a political shindig: 2 jumbo shrimp, 1 tomato-olive bruschetta, 1 floret broccoli, 1 bite-sized crabcake, 2 strawberries, 1 oz salmon, 1 glass red wine! Nightcap: 1 c hot cocoa
I can't believe how little I ate today, but I really didn't feel hungry most of the day. I went to the party just knowing the catered food would be my downfall, but somehow I managed to mostly ignore the food. Not quite normal for me! As for sweets, there were cream puffs and petits fours and multi-layered soft chocolate thingys, yet I walked right on by. -- ??? "Go figure," as they say in New York (or wherever it is that they say that -- somewhere up North, anyway.)
And tomorrow night is Friday night, and I am home free for two days!
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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Ariel King
- Posts: 188
- Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2005 4:35 pm
- Location: Knoxville, TN
- Contact:
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Day B9: SUCCESS
B: coffee, low-sugar soymilk, carrot juice
L: whole wheat "english" muffin, small amount of butter and homemade strawberry jam
D: 1/2 whole wheat pita with hummus + tzatziki; orange juice. Then, at a political event, I had three small swedish meatballs, 1 dorito, and an eclair the size of a pecan. Virtual plating = voila, dinner.
I'm proud of myself for not eating the entire plate of eclairs (they were sitting RIGHT in front of me) or the bowl of swedish meatballs (they were within easy reach) or even indulging in the bags of fried pork rinds (yes, this IS North Carolina) or beer or wine. No ... I was very good today, although I admit my fruit/veggie intake was woefully low.
Unfortunately, no rangering for two days now, since Tuesday. Too many evening obligations for my usual walk after sundown.
But tomorrow I spend the day digging potatoes on an organic farm, so I have an idea I will be making up for the lack of exercise.
B: coffee, low-sugar soymilk, carrot juice
L: whole wheat "english" muffin, small amount of butter and homemade strawberry jam
D: 1/2 whole wheat pita with hummus + tzatziki; orange juice. Then, at a political event, I had three small swedish meatballs, 1 dorito,
and an eclair the size of a pecan. Virtual plating = voila, dinner. I'm proud of myself for not eating the entire plate of eclairs (they were sitting RIGHT in front of me) or the bowl of swedish meatballs (they were within easy reach) or even indulging in the bags of fried pork rinds (yes, this IS North Carolina) or beer or wine. No ... I was very good today, although I admit my fruit/veggie intake was woefully low.
Unfortunately, no rangering for two days now, since Tuesday. Too many evening obligations for my usual walk after sundown.
But tomorrow I spend the day digging potatoes on an organic farm, so I have an idea I will be making up for the lack of exercise.
Last edited by ClickBeetle on Tue Jul 26, 2005 2:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Day B10: SUCCESS
On the farm but I didn't end up doing a lot of physical work; mostly I sat under the shed sorting and cleaning potatoes. It was nice to be outside. It would have been very hot to do field work, but in the shade of the packing shed there was a pretty good breeze.
B: Double tall iced latte; Nabs
L: Half an ear of buttered salted sweet corn and a tall glass of raw milk, straight off the farm.
D: The party begins on Friday night! I had two farm-tomato sandwiches, a handful of goldfish crackers, a handful of lemon potato chips, two caramel wafers, four chocolate almonds and a piece of chocolate.
For those of you outside the American South, "Nabs" are packets of crackers that have cheese or peanut butter in them.
I had never had raw milk before. It certainly was good. I understand there are some health risks.
I am now at 178 pounds. That's two pounds less than when I started round "B". I can tell a difference with my midriff. Also, I am only 1.3 pounds away from my first big goal, which was to lose 5% of my body weight. This sure makes me not want to go crazy with eating this weekend.
Now it's SSSSSSSSSaturday --- Day B11 --- and I am halfway thru a successful shot at 21 days!
On the farm but I didn't end up doing a lot of physical work; mostly I sat under the shed sorting and cleaning potatoes. It was nice to be outside. It would have been very hot to do field work, but in the shade of the packing shed there was a pretty good breeze.
B: Double tall iced latte; Nabs
L: Half an ear of buttered salted sweet corn and a tall glass of raw milk, straight off the farm.
D: The party begins on Friday night! I had two farm-tomato sandwiches, a handful of goldfish crackers, a handful of lemon potato chips, two caramel wafers, four chocolate almonds and a piece of chocolate.
For those of you outside the American South, "Nabs" are packets of crackers that have cheese or peanut butter in them.
I had never had raw milk before. It certainly was good. I understand there are some health risks.
I am now at 178 pounds. That's two pounds less than when I started round "B". I can tell a difference with my midriff. Also, I am only 1.3 pounds away from my first big goal, which was to lose 5% of my body weight. This sure makes me not want to go crazy with eating this weekend.
Now it's SSSSSSSSSaturday --- Day B11 --- and I am halfway thru a successful shot at 21 days!
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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gratefuldeb67
- Posts: 6256
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:26 pm
- Location: Great Neck, NY
Double "Way to go" from me!!!
Okay, nothing guaranteed, but in my personal experience, even very indulgent S days have never hurt my downwards trend of dropping pounds.. However, I will warn you to stay the "bleep" off that damn thing for at least a week... What you are doing is great!
Instead of all of us getting caught up in a "vicious cycle", NoS, including the S days in all their "non-restricted" glory, creates a very healthy and "happy cycle" of behaviour...
It's only natural to want to maintain our gains... (I don't mean weight...)
Enjoy loosening up the reins on your S days... You won't wake up ten pounds heavier from one or two days... This is almost guaranteed!
Love and Peace,
Deb
I'm looking forward to having some cornbread and chicken wings tonight for dinner since I'm going out to hear my friend Joe Vicino play at the place I go to for that jam...
Oh if any of you like Blues, here's a link to a few of my friends websites.. They both have cds with soundclips all available on CD baby.....
Have a great "bleepin" weekend Yalls!!!
www.smokedaddys.com
www.bobbynathan.com
Okay, nothing guaranteed, but in my personal experience, even very indulgent S days have never hurt my downwards trend of dropping pounds.. However, I will warn you to stay the "bleep" off that damn thing for at least a week... What you are doing is great!
Instead of all of us getting caught up in a "vicious cycle", NoS, including the S days in all their "non-restricted" glory, creates a very healthy and "happy cycle" of behaviour...
It's only natural to want to maintain our gains... (I don't mean weight...)
Enjoy loosening up the reins on your S days... You won't wake up ten pounds heavier from one or two days... This is almost guaranteed!
Love and Peace,
DebI'm looking forward to having some cornbread and chicken wings tonight for dinner since I'm going out to hear my friend Joe Vicino play at the place I go to for that jam...
Oh if any of you like Blues, here's a link to a few of my friends websites.. They both have cds with soundclips all available on CD baby.....
Have a great "bleepin" weekend Yalls!!!
www.smokedaddys.com
www.bobbynathan.com
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Actually there are a lot of quite horrible things you can get from raw milk, regardless of whether the cow is sick.
In this particular case, the risk was acceptable to me. The milk was from one cow, not blended from a larger herd (which multiplies the risk by the number of cows involved). Also, other people had been drinking this cow's milk for a long time, so I was benefitting from the "you go first" factor. I figured it was worth a try.
My dad was a professor of food safety for over thirty years, so I am particularly conscious of things that can go wrong. Based on discussions with him and a review of the possible benefits of raw milk, my calculus would be that the benefits of raw milk (if any) do not outweigh the risks, therefore there is no incentive for me to "go natural" on this matter.
As far as taste (considering that separately from health), the milk I drank did taste sweeter and better than regular milk from the store. But that can also be the result of better pasture or a different breed of cow -- I can't draw the conclusion that it was because the milk was not pasteurized.
In this particular case, the risk was acceptable to me. The milk was from one cow, not blended from a larger herd (which multiplies the risk by the number of cows involved). Also, other people had been drinking this cow's milk for a long time, so I was benefitting from the "you go first" factor. I figured it was worth a try.
My dad was a professor of food safety for over thirty years, so I am particularly conscious of things that can go wrong. Based on discussions with him and a review of the possible benefits of raw milk, my calculus would be that the benefits of raw milk (if any) do not outweigh the risks, therefore there is no incentive for me to "go natural" on this matter.
As far as taste (considering that separately from health), the milk I drank did taste sweeter and better than regular milk from the store. But that can also be the result of better pasture or a different breed of cow -- I can't draw the conclusion that it was because the milk was not pasteurized.
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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gratefuldeb67
- Posts: 6256
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:26 pm
- Location: Great Neck, NY
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Thanks for the reminder about the scales, Deb!! Actually, I have never paid much attention to the scale til now ... I mean, that's one of my problems... I just took gradual weight gain in stride.
Til one day I woke up "obese" by the medical definition and with high triglycerides and low good cholesterol and generally unfit and at risk for Syndrome X and so on. So, the whole scale thing is just me trying to take a goal-oriented approach ... I don't obsess about my weight on a normal day, I swear.
The fact that the scales show improvement is a HUGE motivator ... keeps me wanting to go rangering, instead of hunkering down on the sofa in front of "King of the Hill" with a bag of Fritos. But, Deb, because you reminded me, I hereby promise I won't freak out if the number on the scales goes up a bit or stays the same. : )
OK, so today was B11 and it was a SUCCESS
B: coffee, 2 tomato sandwiches
L: cherries, soymilk, 2 peaches
D: A croissant and 3 ears of fabulously good boiled sweet corn. The three ears took me about 7 minutes total to butter, salt, and devour.
Rangering: Furiously hot today (91 F / 33 C degrees at 8:00 pm), but I haven't had much exercise this last half of the week, so I went briskly rangering about 50 minutes at dusk. I'm soaked.
Til one day I woke up "obese" by the medical definition and with high triglycerides and low good cholesterol and generally unfit and at risk for Syndrome X and so on. So, the whole scale thing is just me trying to take a goal-oriented approach ... I don't obsess about my weight on a normal day, I swear.
The fact that the scales show improvement is a HUGE motivator ... keeps me wanting to go rangering, instead of hunkering down on the sofa in front of "King of the Hill" with a bag of Fritos. But, Deb, because you reminded me, I hereby promise I won't freak out if the number on the scales goes up a bit or stays the same. : )
OK, so today was B11 and it was a SUCCESS
B: coffee, 2 tomato sandwiches
L: cherries, soymilk, 2 peaches
D: A croissant and 3 ears of fabulously good boiled sweet corn. The three ears took me about 7 minutes total to butter, salt, and devour.
Rangering: Furiously hot today (91 F / 33 C degrees at 8:00 pm), but I haven't had much exercise this last half of the week, so I went briskly rangering about 50 minutes at dusk. I'm soaked.
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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gratefuldeb67
- Posts: 6256
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:26 pm
- Location: Great Neck, NY
Way to go!!!
Getting sweat soaked rocks!!!
Oh by the way, those tomato sandwiches sound like a great breakfast.. Do you put anything on them? Mayo? Seasoning?
And fresh corn is so great! I like to make that by roasting it on a bbq...
You season it with garlic, salt, pepper, chili... whatever you like...
Take out the silk, but leave the husk on, and after the butter or oil and spices are on, re-wrap the husk and cover with aluminium foil... Turn every ten minutes or so, so it won't burn... Takes about 30 minutes, but is worth the wait...
Peace and Love,
Deb
Getting sweat soaked rocks!!!
Oh by the way, those tomato sandwiches sound like a great breakfast.. Do you put anything on them? Mayo? Seasoning?
And fresh corn is so great! I like to make that by roasting it on a bbq...
You season it with garlic, salt, pepper, chili... whatever you like...
Take out the silk, but leave the husk on, and after the butter or oil and spices are on, re-wrap the husk and cover with aluminium foil... Turn every ten minutes or so, so it won't burn... Takes about 30 minutes, but is worth the wait...
Peace and Love,
Deb-
ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Day B12: SUCCESS
It was an S-day.
Breakfast --- two tomato sandwiches, and coffee and milk.
Snack --- cherries.
Lunch --- a croissant from the new French bakery, milk, and a banana.
Dinner --- half a whole wheat pita, hummus, yogurt, orange juice, and two peaches.
Dessert --- a rather large slice of lemon pound cake with pistachios and lemon-cream-cheese glaze. It had been in the fridge ALL WEEK ... I feel so accomplished for waiting til the weekend!
Deb, I make my tomato sandwiches with mayonnaise and plain white bread (to let the tomato flavor shine through without competition). The secret is good mayonnaise (Duke's), good white bread (bakery bread), and of course, most critical of all, a good variety of field-ripe tomato such as German Johnson or Brandywine. The Brandywines I got from the farm on Friday are like to make a grown man weep, they are so good.
Unfortunately I think that raw milk I tried on Friday is coming back to haunt me
My lil city-gal system may not be accustomed to them Franklin County microbes.
Your roasted corn recipe sounds delicious! Most people around here like to roast it. I like it best boiled quickly (just to get it hot) and I try only to get corn picked that day, for optimal sweetness. As soon as it's picked the sugars begin to convert to starch, so with corn more than a day or two out of the field you might as well be eating livestock feed.
(My mom is from upstate NY & that's how I got my corn snobbery. )
It was an S-day.
Breakfast --- two tomato sandwiches, and coffee and milk.
Snack --- cherries.
Lunch --- a croissant from the new French bakery, milk, and a banana.
Dinner --- half a whole wheat pita, hummus, yogurt, orange juice, and two peaches.
Dessert --- a rather large slice of lemon pound cake with pistachios and lemon-cream-cheese glaze. It had been in the fridge ALL WEEK ... I feel so accomplished for waiting til the weekend!
Deb, I make my tomato sandwiches with mayonnaise and plain white bread (to let the tomato flavor shine through without competition). The secret is good mayonnaise (Duke's), good white bread (bakery bread), and of course, most critical of all, a good variety of field-ripe tomato such as German Johnson or Brandywine. The Brandywines I got from the farm on Friday are like to make a grown man weep, they are so good.
Unfortunately I think that raw milk I tried on Friday is coming back to haunt me
My lil city-gal system may not be accustomed to them Franklin County microbes.Your roasted corn recipe sounds delicious! Most people around here like to roast it. I like it best boiled quickly (just to get it hot) and I try only to get corn picked that day, for optimal sweetness. As soon as it's picked the sugars begin to convert to starch, so with corn more than a day or two out of the field you might as well be eating livestock feed.
(My mom is from upstate NY & that's how I got my corn snobbery. )
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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gratefuldeb67
- Posts: 6256
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:26 pm
- Location: Great Neck, NY
Corn snobbery is okay... As long as you don't start checking to see if it has "designer husks"....
(okay that was "corny")
Personally I always look down my nose at people when they foolishly take off the husks in the supermarket and then probably just put the corn in the fridge for a few days... That just kills the moisture and flavor!
Neanderthals!!!
That poundcake sounds really really good! I'm coming over to raid your fridge now Betsy!!!
Love,
Deb
(okay that was "corny")
Personally I always look down my nose at people when they foolishly take off the husks in the supermarket and then probably just put the corn in the fridge for a few days... That just kills the moisture and flavor!
Neanderthals!!!
That poundcake sounds really really good! I'm coming over to raid your fridge now Betsy!!!
Love,
Deb-
ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Day B13: SUCCESS
B: coffee, 3/4 bagel with cream cheese, milk
L: tomato sandwich, 1/2 whole wheat pita with hummus, yogurt sauce, orange juice
D: buttermilk mashed potatoes, tuna, milk, cherries
Physical activity: bicycling 10 minutes, rangering 15 minutes, swimming 30 minutes. I'm getting better at this exercise thing!
B: coffee, 3/4 bagel with cream cheese, milk
L: tomato sandwich, 1/2 whole wheat pita with hummus, yogurt sauce, orange juice
D: buttermilk mashed potatoes, tuna, milk, cherries
Physical activity: bicycling 10 minutes, rangering 15 minutes, swimming 30 minutes. I'm getting better at this exercise thing!
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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gratefuldeb67
- Posts: 6256
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:26 pm
- Location: Great Neck, NY
My favorite is, a la Law and Order et al, when lawyers jump up and yell "objection!" without giving the basis. A judge would be like, "and...?"ClickBeetle wrote:Don't worry, Corey -- I'm a lawyer, and we get more theme shows than anybody. And, yes, the business end of the show is unwatchable if you know the real legal rules.
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Deb -- Just boil some potatoes that have been cut small, til tender. Mash the potatoes gently with a big fork til the lumps are out, or put them thru a ricer. Then pour in some buttermilk or plain milk, and a few tablespoons of butter, and whip gently til fluffy. I used drinkable (thin) yogurt instead of buttermilk 'cause that's what I had on hand and it's almost the same, but I think buttermilk would be better.
Navin -- I believe that is the first time my name has ever been mentioned in connection with a triathlon or anything remotely like it. Wow, did you make me feel good!
Objection-ably yours, B
Navin -- I believe that is the first time my name has ever been mentioned in connection with a triathlon or anything remotely like it. Wow, did you make me feel good!
Objection-ably yours, B
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Day B14: SUCCESS
I am 2/3 of the way through a 21-day plan!
Weight right now is around 178. Regardless of weight lost or not, I notice that I feel trimmer in my clothes, and more perky and energetic in general.
B: coffee, milk, tomato sandwich
L: mashed potatoes w/sour cream, milk, cherries
D: mashed potatoes, banana, orange juice, soymilk
I know, today's menu was really lame. But, I read somewhere a long time ago that a person can live indefinitely on milk and potatoes ... so, how bad could it be?
No urban rangering tonight 'cause I have to be in an evening meeting.
Lastly, I looked at some info on how many calories are burned by various activities and it looks like swimming uses twice as many per hour as anything else I am doing ... hmmm, I think I will be swimming more in days to come, what do you think??
I am 2/3 of the way through a 21-day plan!
Weight right now is around 178. Regardless of weight lost or not, I notice that I feel trimmer in my clothes, and more perky and energetic in general.
B: coffee, milk, tomato sandwich
L: mashed potatoes w/sour cream, milk, cherries
D: mashed potatoes, banana, orange juice, soymilk
I know, today's menu was really lame. But, I read somewhere a long time ago that a person can live indefinitely on milk and potatoes ... so, how bad could it be?
No urban rangering tonight 'cause I have to be in an evening meeting.
Lastly, I looked at some info on how many calories are burned by various activities and it looks like swimming uses twice as many per hour as anything else I am doing ... hmmm, I think I will be swimming more in days to come, what do you think??
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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gratefuldeb67
- Posts: 6256
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:26 pm
- Location: Great Neck, NY
Hey Betsy! Swimming is great!!!! I always feel terrific when I get to swim... And it's so gentle too. I love to float around weightless!
As for the potatoes.. Thanks for the recipe...
Potatoes have a lot of vitamin B, I've heard... Well as long as you don't have them as part of a supersized happy meal, with all the grease and salt.... (wait a minute.. that sounds good too! LOL....)
With all the mention of potatoes, buttermilk, and sour cream, I'm wondering if you have ever tried chilled beet borscht? That tastes so good with boiled potatoes and sour cream!!!!
Unfortunately, the premade kinds probably count as S's.. but that's a really nice cool summer food, and a good way to use up your potatoes!
It's also an Eastern European custom to eat boiled potatoes with nice pieces of pickled herring!
Mmmmmm!!!!
Have a great night!
Peace, Love and Potatoes
Deb
As for the potatoes.. Thanks for the recipe...
Potatoes have a lot of vitamin B, I've heard... Well as long as you don't have them as part of a supersized happy meal, with all the grease and salt.... (wait a minute.. that sounds good too! LOL....)
With all the mention of potatoes, buttermilk, and sour cream, I'm wondering if you have ever tried chilled beet borscht? That tastes so good with boiled potatoes and sour cream!!!!
Unfortunately, the premade kinds probably count as S's.. but that's a really nice cool summer food, and a good way to use up your potatoes!
It's also an Eastern European custom to eat boiled potatoes with nice pieces of pickled herring!
Mmmmmm!!!!
Have a great night!
Peace, Love and Potatoes
Deb-
ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Day B15: SUCCESS woo-hoo!
B: coffee, milk, 1.5 tomato sandwiches, orange juice
L: mashed potatoes w/ sour cream, cherries, soymilk, 1 chocolate almond
D: sushi, peaches
Physical activity: swimming 40 minutes or about 1000 meters. Felt really good to be in the pool.
I feel very happy to have been so active today when just a few months ago my only exercise was short walks on a very irregular basis.
B: coffee, milk, 1.5 tomato sandwiches, orange juice
L: mashed potatoes w/ sour cream, cherries, soymilk, 1 chocolate almond
D: sushi, peaches
Physical activity: swimming 40 minutes or about 1000 meters. Felt really good to be in the pool.
I feel very happy to have been so active today when just a few months ago my only exercise was short walks on a very irregular basis.
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
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ClickBeetle
- Posts: 410
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 7:28 pm
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Days B17 (Friday), B18 and B19 (Sat/Sun), and B20 -- SUCCESS
I was traveling to/from a family reunion and managed to keep away from snacks while on the road during two N days ... fortunately the reunion took place on the weekend, so I didn't have to worry too much about no-S'ing while that was going on ... there was plenty of food and drink around. I ate heartily on the S days but not worse than I would have before No-S, in any case.
Today I resisted a VERY appealing coke float (vanilla ice cream in a glass of coca-cola) and I feel great about that!!!
Tomorrow will be 21 days ... Wish me luck ... with only one more day to this round, getting to 21 should be a piece of cake ... so to speak!
I was traveling to/from a family reunion and managed to keep away from snacks while on the road during two N days ... fortunately the reunion took place on the weekend, so I didn't have to worry too much about no-S'ing while that was going on ... there was plenty of food and drink around. I ate heartily on the S days but not worse than I would have before No-S, in any case.
Today I resisted a VERY appealing coke float (vanilla ice cream in a glass of coca-cola) and I feel great about that!!!
Tomorrow will be 21 days ... Wish me luck ... with only one more day to this round, getting to 21 should be a piece of cake ... so to speak!
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur
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gratefuldeb67
- Posts: 6256
- Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 9:26 pm
- Location: Great Neck, NY