Jesseco's Check In

Counting carbs/calories is a drag. Obsessive scale stepping is a recipe for despair. If you want to count something, "days on habit" is a much better metric. Checking off days on a calendar would do just fine, but if you do it here you get accountability and support. Here's how. Start a new topic in this forum called (say) "Your Name Daily Check In." Then every N day post a "reply" to that topic as to whether you stayed on habit. A simple "<font color="green">SUCCESS</font>" or "<font color="red">FAILURE</font>" (or your preferred euphemism if that's too harsh) is sufficient, but obviously you're welcome to write more if you want. On S-days just register that you're taking an S-day. You don't have to do this forever, just until you're confident you've built the habit. Feel free to check in weekly or monthly or sporadically instead of daily. Feel free also to track other habits besides No-s (I'm keeping this forum under No-s because that's what the vast majority are using it for). See also my <a href="/habitcal/">HabitCal</a> tool for another more formal (and perhaps complementary) way to track habits.

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Jesseco
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:49 pm
Location: East Coast

Jesseco's Check In

Post by Jesseco » Mon Mar 31, 2008 12:18 am

I've never done something like this before!

This is my ninth day on the No S diet. My first seven days (started Sat. March 22) were terrific!

Yesterday (Day Eight) was my third S day and not so good. I posted about that and received helpful support.

Today was Day 9 and not so bad as yesterday. I ate a large but normal breakfast, and a small lunch (in Washington, D.C. after walking around the beautiful cherry trees).

I was hungry when we got home, and had a snack (Ezekiel 4:9 bread with almond butter and apple butter) and later dinner, which included (usually forbidden) corn bread with butter and honey and then (for dessert) ice cream with peanut butter, chocolate, and whipped cream on it. I am stuffed.

This was not a bad S day I guess, but I am afraid I will gain weight on this diet. I usually weigh myself every morning, but was afraid to this morning, after yesterday. I have to weigh tomorrow, as I'm also part of an online mentored Bible study which seeks to help those of us with food issues, including binge eating and anorexia, both of which I've had struggles with. I have been weighing about 124 or 125 recently, and really wish to weigh 120. I am scared that I'm eating more on this diet and may gain weight. But I need a system of good habits, and this one seems great, as long as I do not overdue my S days. I do need to have some rules for them, as I am very prone to bingeing, and my triggers are sweets, "already having blown it", and paradoxically, being too full.

I am glad to see that there are other women on this board who share some of my struggles. I REALLY appreciate Reinhard's book (I found it 10 days ago and it also led me to this website), and his sensible, witty writing with a refreshing lack of ego. But it is also wonderful to get hints from others who share struggles with me that he may not have experienced.

Right now, my S day plans are to eat my 3 regular one-plate meals, but to include two snacks, one of which may be a sweet. I am afraid that I may gain some weight, but we will see!

Jesseco
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:49 pm
Location: East Coast

Tues.

Post by Jesseco » Wed Apr 02, 2008 12:47 am

Got my green! I feel like a kid receiving a sticker for being good. But that's why I actually did my housework today--to get my green box on the habitcal for doing so!

I am hungry and can't wait until my body is used to the 3 meals a day habit. Since I already have eaten very similarly to this, I'm not sure why it's not now. But I am remembering that a little hunger is not a bad thing. (And there's always the next meal to look forward to!)

Breakfast--buckwheat pancake, frozen berries (mostly thawed), ground flaxseed on top; 2 chicken sausages

Lunch--lettuce & salad veges w/guacomole; tempeh; 1/2 pc. Ez. 4:9 bread w/hummus; pear

Dinner--from Panda Express--mushroom chicken, veges; 2 spring rolls; added olive oil & soy sauce

Coffee & tea several times today (every other drink was water so I wouldn't have too much coffee or tea)--I do use stevia or saccharine to sweeten them, but I tried a tablespoon of sugar for one of the cups today. I also add soy milk. Since I am more concerned about using sugar, I will stick to the stevia or saccharine, even though I want to cut back on them.

Yesterday (Monday) was also a nice green day!

Jesseco
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:49 pm
Location: East Coast

Good weekend S days!

Post by Jesseco » Mon Apr 07, 2008 8:53 pm

I'm so pleased about having big and little S days. This weekend I tried it and had a (one!) treat both days and pretty big meals, but no snacking.

When I have a big S day (a feast day) I'll maybe also throw in a snack (sweet one) or two! Just to be social of course :lol:

Jesseco
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:49 pm
Location: East Coast

failures

Post by Jesseco » Fri May 16, 2008 3:15 am

May 8 failure: a piece of cookie bar at C's pre-graduation dinner. I do not feel bad about it. I only wish I didn't bother eating my healthy apple that I saved, since I REALLY wanted the cookie and not the apple.

May 15--How could I resist the Smith Island cake that C brought home from Smith Island? After all, it's our brand new, official MD state cake! And the 1/2 cake cost $20! It was good, and I didn't eat more than one piece!

What I do feel bad about is the 2 Kristols, one chicken sandwich AND banana milk shake that I had on the S day. One crystal and the shake would have been enough. And I feel bad about the brownie sundae I had the same day, JUST BECAUSE J, N, and D were having (small) ice cream treats. Why couldn't I have had none or a SMALL one? I had already eaten all that Kristol's stuff!

I may not use Sat./Sun.'s as S days. I may just use as S days those that it seems like a really good idea to have a treat, such as a social occasion, or when I really WANT one. And I'll limit it to 4-8 times per month. I MAY try this.

Jesseco
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:49 pm
Location: East Coast

Post by Jesseco » Sat May 31, 2008 6:25 pm

I am trying this and it's working well, so far. I think my weight is more stable and I really don't feel deprived. AND I don't have to count calories. I just need to not stuff myself.

On N's 21st B-day, I had two slices of pizza and an ice cream sandwich (and the lime pie earlier). That was good! And enough. On the 25th I feasted at the picnic, but didn't get overstuffed.

I didn't feel deprived on Sat. the 24th, and hopefully won't today (Sat. 31st) either. I will try to keep exempt days to maybe 4-6 per month, but not obsess over them. If I just feel like having one once in a while, so be it!

Somehow I like that (so far) better than having them on weekends just because it's a weekend. Sorry, Reinhard :lol:

Jesseco
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:49 pm
Location: East Coast

Post by Jesseco » Sun Jun 01, 2008 11:37 pm

And today became an S day. It could have been for sick, since I felt completely wiped out all day, and had much congestion still. I feel a little better right now.

After dinner (1/2 of a Subway chicken sub--yay; 1/2!), I had a large treat: an ice cream sandwich with vanilla & a little choc. ice cream on top! Also with 3 Hershey's kisses, some ground up peanuts and some whipped cream. And a small Snickers bar. Then another cup of (my diet) hot chocolate, but with whipped cream on top.

My weight was up two pounds today (this morning before eating) (126) :cry:

Jesseco
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:49 pm
Location: East Coast

Post by Jesseco » Tue Jun 03, 2008 12:57 am

Earned a green today (as usual), but I know I ate too much for dinner.

B - oat bran (1/2 c dry)
frozen cherries (1 cup)
1 TJ chick. chipotle sausage
1 T ground flax

L - 1/2 chicken breast Subway sub
apple

D- 1/2 pack. tofu in tamari (2/5 would've been enough)
1 small yam with crushed pineapple
brussel sprouts with EVOO & vinegar
1 piece rye bread w/apple butter (1/2 pc. would have been plenty)

Lots of coffee and tea w/art. sweeteners & soy milk & 2 cups hot cocoa (my diet kind)

Jesseco
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:49 pm
Location: East Coast

Post by Jesseco » Tue Jun 03, 2008 11:56 am

I need to lessen some of my portions! I had oatmeal today--cooked it in the crockpot all night last night. It should have made 4 portions but I divided it into 3! Added frozen berries; cherries; flax, and 3 pieces of turkey bacon (and a cup of coffee) and I am just a little too full!

I could have easily divided it into 4 portions, but that didn't look quite "enough". It would have been.

Jesseco
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:49 pm
Location: East Coast

Post by Jesseco » Tue Jun 03, 2008 11:16 pm

B-oatmeal (1/3 c dry)
1 cup frozen berries (should have had 1/2 cup since I had more oatmeal)
1 T ground flax
3 turkey bacon
coffee

L--lettuce, tomato salad w/EVOO/vinegar
brussel sprouts
roast chicken
small yam

D--from Boston Market--turkey
cranberry sauce
steamed veggies
green beans
added EVOO & vinegar
AND 1/2 piece rye bread with apple butter (shouldn't have had; I just seem to want this rye bread. At least it will be gone soon; not much left.)

and my hot cocoa, tea, and coffee

walked 2.4 miles and did strength stuff; will exer-bike 15 min.

Jesseco
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:49 pm
Location: East Coast

Post by Jesseco » Thu Jun 05, 2008 12:40 am

B--oatmeal (put some back since it was premeasured as 1/3 c dry!)
1/2 cup froz. cherries
1 T ground flax
1 egg & one egg white fried in PAM w/brussel sprouts & tomatoes
coffee

L--salad with lime-chipotle chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, EVOO, vinegar
1/2 mango

D--2 slices tofu in tamari (smaller than 1/4 block this time!)
brussel sprouts (yes I love them and I'm the only one who will finish them)
small yam with crushed pineapple & ground almonds
1/2 piece rye bread with apple butter (my downfall)

And tea, 2 cups of my diet cocoa, and coffee through the day (should go back to my glass ceiling of ONE cup of the cocoa cause I want more and more)

exerbiked 1 hour and did strength exer.
Now I need to do housework.

Jesseco
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:49 pm
Location: East Coast

Post by Jesseco » Fri Jun 27, 2008 12:57 am

Jessico's habitcal

Well, today I received my first red day in a long time. But it was worth it, as I don't often shop with my mom. I had an ice cream sundae, size SMALL!

I still am eating too much generally at meals, though. I should have had 1/2 the moussaka boxed before eating at the restaurant. If it's on my plate, I WILL eat it!

At least at dinner I cut my corn cob in half and that's all I ate of it.

B--1 piece pumpernickel; 1/2 mango; ground sunflower seeds; 1 thick slice roast; coffee with soy milk & stevia

L--moussaka, salad, 2 coffees w/cream & saccharine; water

RED DAY SNACK: small ice cream sundae

3:00 hot cocoa, Sanka, soy milk, stevia, splenda

D--chicken w/tomato sauce & parmesan; 1/2 corn on cob w/butter; kale; several cubes of watermelon; pumpernickel with apple butter & butter; coffee w/soy milk & stevia

Jesseco
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:49 pm
Location: East Coast

Post by Jesseco » Sun Jul 20, 2008 4:46 am

Red day today for one small failure which I don't regret: Chris told me to try his iced coffee drink. That was it. One sip. I did not compound my error. Yeah!

Jesseco
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:49 pm
Location: East Coast

Post by Jesseco » Fri Jul 25, 2008 3:06 am

July 22 red day. Again, not a big one. I was very anxious and could not sleep, so I kept doing housework late into the night. I thought I was hungry and so ate a pear. Could have done without it, but again did not compound the error! That's progress.

Jesseco
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:49 pm
Location: East Coast

Post by Jesseco » Sat Aug 09, 2008 3:40 am

Aug. 8 red day. I was so looking forward to dessert, and when mine was served to someone else, and I was the ONLY one without it (whine, whine, whine :cry: ) I took N's back to the hotel room to eat. After I had eaten bites of others' desserts offered to me. And then I became too full.

When I am overfull, I am going to count it as a red day, even if I didn't binge. I'm glad I still haven't binged since last Dec. But I don't want to overeat as a reaction to sadness and feelings of being left out or overlooked.

Jesseco
Posts: 91
Joined: Sat Mar 22, 2008 7:49 pm
Location: East Coast

Post by Jesseco » Sat Aug 23, 2008 5:53 am

Aug. 22 red day NoSDiet.

Ate an O'Henry bar because I made them for C today and I really wanted one today and did not want to wait until Sunday.

I was very afraid it would make me want to binge, but it didn't at all! I was full and satisfied and think I can wait until Sunday for my next treat!

But I am a little concerned that the pan will be waiting there tomorrow...smelling so tempting.

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