~ Reviving Renee ~

[Kathleen]

Reneew,
I'm an advocate of allowing S Days to be over the top. It's hard to describe the difference for me in how I feel knowing that I can eat as much as I want every Sunday. The authors of Intuitive Eating describe success as "crossing over." It's so different -- none of the guilt or focus on willpower or feeling of constantly about to fall off the cliff. Not only would I rather be overweight and feel this way than thin and feel the way I did when I was thin, but I even would prefer that my children be overweight and feel this way. I wish I could describe it better. It's the absence of pain. I described in another thread that it's like living near a highway and then going winter camping. What is noticeable is the absence of noise. With this diet, there is an absence of something -- obsession?
Kathleen

PS. You're down 17 pounds. That is terrific. I have even thought that there might be a natural plateau after you reach 10% and the reason why so few people lose 10% of their body weight and keep it off is that they want to lose more than 10% right away.

[~reneew]

Thanks you guys for your words of wisdom, I'm really paying attention to all of you! I feel a bit less all-or-nothing this week due to my new thinking. I was trying too hard during the week, and thus exploding on the weekends. I agree that I need to relax on the weekends for just a release if nothing else, but I've been becoming more and more extreme. I am feeling the pain of food-obsession and binging lately on S days. I haven't done that in a long time. I go to bed on Saturdays feeling sick... and I'm not exagerating. I was getting a bit compulsive about it all. I hit panic mode, and realize that I need to instill a bit of restrictions on the weekend. I am sill allowed anything to eat, but it has to be on the plates so I'm aware of it. I also didn't mention how big the plates are . We'll see how it goes this weekend, it's my daughter's bithday, party, and no school for the kids on Monday, so this will be a true test! Say a prayer!

[~emilyr]

It's only the 13th, but since I'm gonna be gone, I wanna wish Renee an early HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I hope your day is wonderful like you and your family spoils you BIG!!

♪ ♫ Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to my dear friend Renee, happy birthday to you!!! ♪ ♫


ENJOY YOUR S DAY ~ eat cake and love it!!!

[~reneew]

this old lady says thanks!

I'm doing really well so far this week. I have a goal.

[~reneew]

Treat yourselves to three decent square meals a day and don't buy into the little meal lie.
"meals should be real meals so that snacks and seconds are seen for what they are: extra food: the obvious cause of extra weight."

One more thing, which I have found to be vital: I eat three good meals each "S" day too, to keep me from going back into "garbage-disposal mouth" mode. It works.

I really needed to hear this, thank you!

[~reneew]

I can feel myself loosing incentive and feeling un-confident that this or any diet will work. I need to know that something will work for me to put faith in it and therefore actually accomplish it.

[Kathleen]

reneew,

What is your sanity worth? What is a better use of your time than time spent evaluating different approaches to weight management? Yesterday was such a glorious day. It's spring.

And life is short. Yesterday, the brother in law of a friend of mine was diagnosed with liver cancer that had possibly already spread to the lung. He's 42 and has four children from ages 4 to 16.

My big regret in all of this is how much time I have wasted. That's why I'm willing to accept the weight that results from this diet.

If you set aside of the question of whether or not this diet will work and simply follow it, I think you'll be able to enjoy the spring and summer after that dreadful, gloomy, overcast winter. How about six months of setting aside "I need to know it works". You can tell yourself that you're willing to waste the winter but not this summer and spring!

Kathleen

[sophiasapientia]

I can feel myself loosing incentive and feeling un-confident that this or any diet will work. I need to know that something will work for me to put faith in it and therefore actually accomplish it.

I'm sorry you're struggling. For myself, I've decided that the only way that No S (or any other system) will work for me is to actually do it, consistently, on a day to day basis. One green day at a time. When I do this, I see progress -- albeit gradual at times -- and that gives me faith that this can work and is working.

I hope that you find renewed hope and find something that works for you,

[~reneew]

I've done some re-evaluating (yet again) and come to the conclusion that I need to get moving again. I go through streaks where I do my heart and soul exercises, but I'm slacking. I've been going through a very time-consuming Bible study, so along with church and midweek, I'm definitely doing the soul exercises, but I've been really lazy with the physical exercises. I'm starting my program going again. Besides, it's finally spring!!!!!!!!

I also think I need to eat more fruits and veggies. The only rules I have for myself are:

- heart and soul exercises at least 5 days a week recorded on my habitcal

- 1 or 2 dishes of food Mon-Fri and 3 on S days. Period. This last weekend was good, so I need to continue this weekend thinking. I actually had a respectable weekend!!!!! I don't like to eat breakfast so I usually have 2 meals (brunch and supper) during the week, then I feel like a splurge when I have 3 dishes on the S days.

[~reneew]

Alright, no sweets again. I had a cookie binge yesterday. At least I waited until an S day to make them. Back to vanilla. No sweets, no snacks, no seconds... and try on s days ...duh.

[Kathleen]

If you're back to vanilla No S, you can have that cookie binge and not feel guilty.
Kathleen

[~reneew]

I know but it was bad! I was allowing occasional sweets during the week, but I hardly ever do that because I save them for S days. I'm just thinking that the mods make me want to cheat and/or stretch the rules, thus stretch my waist.

[Kathleen]

Could it be that you are cheating with sweets on N Days because you aren't allowing yourself to eat what you want on S Days?
Kathleen

[~reneew]

March
1 I feel on track... I haven't for a while. Go green!
2 I'm doing SO well so far.
3 I'm still on a good track, let's hope it's not my old rollercoaster track that goes up every weekend. I have new plans for that.(See my daily check-in for more details)
4
5
6 s day
7 s day
8
9
10
11
12
13 s day
14 s day
15 very good day
16
17 B-day
18
19
20 s day
21 s day
22
23 barely
24
25
26
27 s day
28 s day
29 good grief girl, get a grip!
30 why is it that every single event anywhere has to have food?
31
I think I'm tryng for too much... My plan is that I'm going back to vanilla no S next month.

[~reneew]

Could it be that you are cheating with sweets on N Days because you aren't allowing yourself to eat what you want on S Days?
Kathleen

Thanks for always getting me to think and evaluate myself. That's when I learn. I had made a mod to let myself have a small sweet if it fit on my plate. But I think that the problem was that I allowed myself to have them around then on n days thinking that I could wait for dinner... ha! Out of sight out of mouth!

Besides, I read a post on here that was from someone that has been on here for quite a while, and she's having more success right now just doing strict vanilla no-s, so I'm going to try it again. What was it Reinhard said about that... there being strength in vanilla? I'm going to have to look that up. I'm thinking that the more mods I have, the more diluted the plan gets and I loose confidence in it. And if I try too hard, it's like acid-strength and I don't want it. I'm thinking plain old vanilla is the way to go right now, even if my 25th class reunion is this summer and I wanted to loose it all fast!
When I'm done with my current book, I'm going to re-read no S again.

[mrsj]

renew, I tried to make some tiny tiny mods and found myself confused and overwhelmed. I found myself starting to make mods for almost any reason. Thankfully, I caught myself in time. Vanilla No S is what works best for me.

Please don't give up. I must say that you have been a real inspiration to me.

Just think-if you lose a lot of weight real fast, you'll have several kilos of loose skin flapping around all over your body. I gaurentee it!

[Kathleen]

reneew,
I think you just need to settle on a program, whether it is vanilla No S or something else. It can be hard if you don't think you have your personalized plan down quite right. You also might be putting too much pressure on yourself to lose weight fast, and the result is "diet backlash."
Kathleen

[~reneew]

Thanks! Advice taken...


I hereby declare in the presence of my behavior adapting inforcing special officers (my kids) that I will begin Vanilla No S anew. In an effort to eat healthily and become more fit and healthy, I will follow the Vanilla No S rules... exactly!
No Sweets, no Snacks, no Seconds, except (sometimes) on days that start with S.

signed... Renee'

[mrsj]

Good going, Renew! Happy Easter!

[~reneew]

It's not happening for me. I am having a hard time just doing the basics of no S. I am giving my efforts my all until school gets out because summer is harder and this bod needs to at least fit into her shorts. If my plan works, I'll post it here.

[~reneew]

While I've been doing some re-evaluating, I realize that I am not only addicted to food, but I'm addicted to dieting. I know it sound stupid, but I am! I've heard people say that before and I thought... well that can't be me because nobody likes to diet! But after going over what I've been doing the last 10 years, I realize that I have spent way way too much of my time trying to loose weight. I know that if I need to loose (which I really do) that that may sound like I'm giving up, but I am not in the least. I just seem to have too many outside sources telling me that I should and shouldn't eat when God himself tells us ...

Collosians 2:16Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

20Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21"Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.


So... I guess I'm going to work on that now too. I'll be back with updates.

[dmarie710]

Hey there. I see where you are coming from with these verses. I think Weighdown Workshop does through these verses also. I to am addicted to dieting and am thinking about going back over my weigh down materials, but not losing focus on habit with No S. You know I've been thinking, maybe we are so focused on dieting because than we will lose our focus on the most important thing, God. What are your thoughts?

[Kathleen]

Hi Reneew,
There is something not spiritual about dieting -- the focus on food and myself and my weight as the highest priority. What I like about No S is that I don't think about food between meals because I'm pre-disapproved, as Reinhard says in his book.
Kathleen

[~reneew]

dmarie and Kathleen... I keep re-evaluating what I'm doing when things aren't working. I've recognised that I spend way too much time planning, thinking about, organizing, rewarding... and mentally punishing, tracking, weighing, requiring others for support, etc. ect. I learned through weighdown that my focus needs to be on God, and I have to say that dieting has taken first place again lately. I put God on the back burner (pun intended).

This week I've gone through my diet stuff and tossed out all of the books, tapes, tablets (and there were tons), calendars, charts, pamphlets, tracker sheets etc. that didn't put God first or lead me to think MORE about food. The only thing left was the No S book, the Diet Alternative and Weighdown. I'm embarrassed to say that I filled 2 grocery bags of diet junk and donated it. I thought about burning it in our bonfire, but I couldn't do it. I did however drive it immediately to donate before I could change my mind. I did this all because I need to internalize my problems. I need to rely on God. My addiction starts within and I will end it within. I wrote a long list of behaviors that are for my good, and I's similar to what I dah and very close to No S. With the way I get bored so quickly, I hope to start loosing fast soon or I may loose interest... again. Anyway, here's what I came up with... again:

I will:
* 2-3 dishes of food Mon.-Friday (which also covers no snacks and no seconds) Try for smaller (lunch size) plates. You're right Kathleen, I think less doing it this way! I plan on puting my dishes out on the counter in the morning so I am reminded.
* 3 dishes of food Sat.+Sunday (One of which will be a big bowl of popcorn if needed)
* heart and soul exercises daily (heart is physical and soul is spiritual)
* Weigh only Friday mornings (if I start to gain I'll quickly go back to daily mornings)
* I will read the Bible when I feel the need for information. It's our instruction manual after all.



That's it. Period. I've pretty much gained the habit of my heart and soul exercises most days and I won't stress out over it. Sweets are alright if I can fit it on my plate.


I will not:
* track weight daily or graph it (I know my top weight and I fluctuate greatly every weekend).
* come on here all of the time to track my habitcal. I will come on once in a while to update it.
* go on Facebook for more than 10 minutes a day. (Hear that Emily?)
* read read more and more information about dieting.
I will go on my sparkpeople team (that I started) once in a while. Same plan there, feel free to find it (it's called 3 dishes and I go by the same name).

I do still feel the need for support, so...

Does anyone want to be a close support pal and follow this with me? Please keep in mind that it's tough trying to relate to someone who has just 20 to loose when I have 55 or so left. If interested, please send me a message.

[bluebunny27]

Renee :
"3 dishes of food"

..............................



Mmmmmmmmmm ... foooooood !!

FOOD !! Hey, what's for dinner ??

...

Good luck with your new plan, Renee.

Hard work is always required no matter what the plan is of
course ... you have to work-work-work, really hard and for a long time too if you want to succeed. Diet + Exercise. Even when you are done with your diet, you still have to fight through adversity on a daily basis.

It has to be almost non stop, you can't be "ON" one week and then "OFF" the next ... rinse and repeat, it has to be almost continuous for a long time. It takes months and even years sometimes depending on the person's behavior.

Cheers !

Marc

37 Years Old, 5'10" Tall
Nov. 1st. 2008 : 280 Pounds
Nov. 1st. 2009 : 190 Pounds
(1 Year : - 90 Pounds)

[~reneew]

Hey Marc.. ya still skinny? You know weekends always throw me off. I'd love to go full charge, but can't quite figure out how to work in (or if I really need to) a release valve. I feel like I know what would work for me if I lived in a cave... but in real life, I wonder if I just need to follow some formal instructions, whether they are stupid or not. Did I just say that? I guess I'm over-tired today... not thinking straight? Anyway, thanks for your input! You always inspire me, even when you tell me I can't do it.

[~reneew]

well, back to vanilla for me. I need support and mrsj talked me into doing another challenge-type group, but this time I'm making it more of a group support thing so I don't feel like a terrible looser when I can't even make my own challenges. I need to be part of a group to succeed (as history shows) and I'm just giving vanilla my all. I'm not recording anything but that. Period.
No sweets, no snacks, no seconds, except sometimes on days that start with S. Period.

Can you all tell how indecisive I am???

[~reneew]

This means war!!!!!! My zipper just busted on one of my favorite jeans.

[mrsj]

You go, girl! Throw out all those mods, they're just confusion! It's the devil tempting you! Throw out all those other diets that you've combined with No S! Resist temptation-it's evil trying to get you to stray from the path of righteousness!

Onward Christian Soldiers, Marching as to WAR...

May you always walk with the angels.

[~reneew]

Your'e a great cheer leader mrsj!!! Thanks! You're marching too! And like I said, don't toss in the towel... twist it up and make it a whip!

[~reneew]

This is a post from page 2 here on my daily check in. I brought it back to remind myself what happens when I allow and/or ignore snitches. I had 2 handfuls of peanuts yesterday and was going to count it as a green day. I guess I've been slipping into cheat-myself-mode.

Monday I issued a challenge to be green for the whole month. So yesterday, my last day of the month, I thought I'd allow myself a couple innocent bites... Then last night when I stepped on the scale and saw that it actually went up a tad, I was mad! I thought that this diet isn't working even when I resist SO hard and have a 'good' day! Then after a while of slam-talking myself a voice inside said "well...you did snitch a bit!" So I decided to think hard and tally them up...then count the calories for my few bites. I was blown away!!! I thought I'd share. Keep in mind that I actually, honestly thought I had an N day!!!

280 cal. - 4 spoons of frosting while doing a cake for a potluck.
440 cal. - 3 distracted minutes of baked potato chips while packing lunch for my son.
560 cal. - 2 rhubarb oatmeal bars that weren't really that sweet - right?(I was on the run!)
125 cal. - snitched 1/2 C. chili to be sure the seasoning was right. (That would explain all of the spoons in the sink!)
180 cal. - snitched about a cup of coleslaw for the same reason(forks in the sink)
430 cal. - half seconds on supper (only halfs!!!!)
-----------
2015 total snitched calories yesterday! And I thougth it was an N day!!!



WOW! And I am not exagerating one bit! These are the best estimates that I could come up with because when I snitch I am only 1/4th aware that I'm doing it!!!

[bluebunny27]

Renee :
Hey Marc.. ya still skinny?



Marc : Huh, yeah, but I've gained 6 pounds now in april ... so I have to hang my head down in SHAME. I know exactly how it happened too, I was really stressed in late march as I had this important appointment ... and then this lead me to overeat for7-8 days straight, grrr ... It was definitely emotional eating. I think I gained 10 pounds in a week, my stress level was through the roof that week ... I was always hungry and eating a lot of cookies, ice cream, cereals with plenty of honey and nuts added ... and now 3 week later I've lost about 4 of the extra 10 pounds ... I am working on losing the weight now, 6 pounds left to go, it's a lot quicker to put on pounds than to lose 'em, that's for sure but I can only blame myself for this slip up - - It was the stress that hit me hard, for some reason I was having a really hard time ... All hope is not lost though, I just changed my plan today actually so I can lose it a bit more quickly, I'm cutting about 150 calories daily and exercising a lil' longer daily to burn 100 extra calories too - - the combination should lead to a nice weight loss hopefully, 250 calorie deficit every day. I'll see if I'm in the sweet spot at my next weekly weigh in saturday mornin' ... Anyway I am not too worried, it gives me something to do ... keeps me busy, you know. Tryin' to lose a pound here and there to get back to my fighting weight and if it takes me 2 months, it's not the end of the world either. I'm pretty comfortable in the 190-200 pound range, flexing my MUSCULAR arms.



Renee :
"Anyway, thanks for your input! You always inspire me, even when you tell me I can't do it. Rolling Eyes"



Marc : Well I'd prefer to tell you that you can do it of course but then the realistic side is kickin' in (When you set goals that are nearly impossible to achieve for example : losing 50 pounds within 6 months when you are struggling and changing your plan right away, starting over repeatedly, etc. !) I think you should set really smaller goal each month so it would be easier for you to achieve those and then work from there, one small step at a time. Better than to be disappointed and then starting over again. You shouldn't start more than once really, You pick the day, you start and then you are on the dead run all the way through until you've reached your goal, that's how I operated personally. Motivation is really the key there cos' it's hard but there are a lot of success stories too, just the other day I was reading in the paper about a 40-ish years old guy who weighed 380 and then he started walking and later jogging when his fitness improved and he lost 184 pounds within a year, unbelievable story. It was 100% diet and exercise all the way, no gastric bypass, no diet pills, Yeah. That was FAST but it doesn't work for everybody of course, most couldn't handle that pace anyway (and it might not be too healthy either as 2-3 pounds per week is usually the most a big guy should lose) Anyway I'll make sure to tell you if you are being unrealistic again.... lol ! (Laughing out loud) You have to be really careful if you want to lose. You can't afford to have big tablespoons of frosting left and right, that's killing your weight loss, each bite is loaded with sugar and calories ... especially if you don't exercise a lot your margin of 'error' is tiny. You have to limit the taste tests to a minimum - - no wonder a lot of chefs are overweight, all those taste tests and those spoonfuls add up in the long run ... You have to get used to struggling really, I'm struggling even now to get back to the low 190's too. It would be too easy to gain a lot of weight back, I just realized that in early april, so I have to follow my plan as closely as I can to make it long term. It would definitely easier to be a fat boy, eating greasy burgers and watching TV instead of following a diet and working out hard 5-6 days every week, hah. Ok, good luck on your journey in any case.

Cheers !

Marc

37 Years Old, 5'10" Tall
Nov. 1st. 2008 : 280 Pounds
Nov. 1st. 2009 : 190 Pounds
(1 Year : - 90 Pounds)

Current Weight : 196 Pounds

[mrsj]

Take it on the chin and to quote Scarlett O'Hara, "After all, tomorrow is another day." I think you're beating yourself up too much. Congratulate yourself that it could have been a lot worse.

I fully agree with Marc's post above. Take baby steps.

God Bless, and I pray for you.

[~reneew]

Starting tomorrow... May day, I'm shooting for all green through Mother's day on the 9th. I need to get back my habit of green green green.

[bluebunny27]

It's gotta be green, oh yeah, Baby !!

Ok - - update, I've lost almost 2 pounds this past week, yeah !
(My official weekly weigh in was this mornin')

I was surprised actually, it really shows you how minor changes
can make a big difference. You have to pay attention to the details, or else you can get in trouble quickly, I tell you.

The only 2 things I did differently this week compared to last week was I cut approx. 150-175 calories from my daily diet and I exercised about 5 minutes more than usual every day (Intensity : Through the roof, I'm not talkin' about a lil' jogging session, I'm doing interval training, sprinting and whatnot !) Remember, Interval training, if you can handle it, that's how you get more benefits with shorter work outs. It's HARD to do but at least it doesn't last for too long. 25-35 minutes and I am done for the day. (Except for the evening where I do front planks for 6 minutes almost daily)

http://tinyurl.com/nlehyh
http://www.acefitness.org/exerciselibrary/32/

The combination meant the difference between remaining stable and actually losing weight for me. If I keep this up I think I can be back around 191-192 within a month, maybe less, nice. 194.6 now.

To cut the calories it was no big deal, I just cut one slice of bread daily (Approx. 85 cals) , I didn't put any margarine on anything (I used to put half a teaspoon on my toast) and I cut down half the sugar in my coffee too, just a quarter of a teaspoon in each one ... (Approx. 50 cals), 325g. of oatmeal in the morning instead of 350g. ... 25 cals. Just saving a few calories left and right and exercising a lil' bit more than usual got me closer to my fighting weight.

That's why I was tellin' you to be careful with the spoonfuls of frosting. Just a few minor slip ups like that daily on high calorie items and it can mean the difference between losing and gaining weight, especially if you are not exercising a lot of course. If you combine the diet with the exercise you get double the bonus points, really. It's easier to create a calorie deficit when you combine the two things. You can even start by walking, easiest way to exercise, you get up and go, later you can add a bit of jogging and then .............. sprinting ! The harder it is, the more benefits you get in any case.

Good luck !

Cheers !

Marc

[~reneew]

I've been exercising, but it never seems ot help me loose weight. I seem to crave more food when I am exercising. I do it just to be strong.

I have realized the snacking is my problem again and I had thought that I had conquered that, but it's again my main enemy, so that where I'm concentrating.

I'm doing Vanilla vanilla vanilla.

[mrsj]

Renew, I HATE excersizing! However, I love Reinhard's movement with purpose. Now, I've never been able to eat while I vacuum or do dishes or dig in the garden. Once I start something it leads to something else, kind of a domino effect. The whole purpose of No S is NO SNACKING!
If I'm tired and take a break I'll have a cup of tea and do some knitting. I still have 22 pairs of socks to knit. Remember, idle hands are evil hands...

[~reneew]

Wow, you knit socks? I've knit washrags... I'm crocheting an afghan right now, but I never remember it... or I rarely get to sit down.

[mrsj]

Maybe this will motivate you to get that afghan done. I read in a Danish ladies' magazine that one hour of knitting or crocheting burns about 100 calories. While watching TV. Now 100 cals a day is 700 cals a week. Sometimes it's just that little extra calorie burn that's needed to get things going the right way.

I knit socks because I can take my knitting with me anywhere. If I'm visiting I can knit and talk at the same time. It's only 60 stitches, so they're quickly done.

[bluebunny27]

Yeaaaaaaaaaah, I don't really believe in the "No snacking" thing personally. It's great if it works for some people but I prefer to spread my calories as much as I can during the day. I usually have 3 meals, not huge ones and 3 snacks in between so I eat 6 times a day at least.

If you check online most experts say this is the best way to keep your blood sugar steady so you don't get insane cravings (which lead to eating more in the end and usually things you are not supposed to have as well) I think it's better to pay attention to the total number of calories per day. At least that works for me. When you eat more regularly your metabolism doesn't slow down as much either, your body isn't going in the starvation mode worrying about when the next meal is coming. Well, that's a theory. I think it's no good if you are trying really hard not to snack and it leads to binge eating later, shooting yourself in the foot. The snacks have to be good and nutritious of course, I'm not talkin' about chocolate cookies and whatnot.

I have been quite good recently, only one red nutrition day in the past 3 weeks, exercising at least 5-6 times a week, and that has reflected on the scale, I'm down almost 4 pounds now compared to mid april so persistence it the key, you have to be good long term, not just 3-4-5 days in a row, you see. It makes me laugh when I see commercials and they claim you can lose 10 pounds in a week having one of those pills, bla-bla...

Remember if you are having problems exercising you can break it up too, only doing 3 minutes at a time. I read about someone who lost a lot of weight while watching tv. She was only exercising during the commercials 3-4 minutes at a time then taking a break until the next commercial, rinse and repeat. If you watch a couple of hours of tv at night and you do that you can squeeze in your daily exercise easily. It can be anything, even walking up stairs or using one of those steps people use when they do aerobics. The plan is to get your heart pumpin' a lil' bit so you burn calories.

Anyway good luck to you.

Cheers !

Marc

38 Years Old, 5'10" Tall
Nov. 1st. 2008 : 280 Pounds
Nov. 1st. 2009 : 190 Pounds
(1 Year : - 90 Pounds)

Current Weight : 195 Pounds

[~reneew]

Ha! How different we are! If I had time to watch t.v. a couple of hours in the evenings... I frankly don't know what I'd do with it. I never watch t.v. I have soccer games, drive, concerts, drive, tennis, drive, more soccer, more drive, softball, cheering, not to mention all of the church stuff and other activities that the kids have. I also volunteer whenever I can and go to Bible study. On Mondays and Thursday evenings alone I have 6-7 things I need to go do, and that's not including making supper, their homework, and driving the kids to where they need to go.

Also, if I had 3 meals and 3 snacks a day I'd be humongous! Ever since I developed hypothyroidism, I can't eat like I used to. That's my problem. I usually have 2 smaller plates a day and that's too much. I try to eat at least half fruits and veggies, and I don't really like deserts. There is no way that I can eat 6 times a day. I did the fat and fiber plan through weight watchers and also their points plan and I lost weight but only gained it back because I learned to continually go hand to mouth and pile my plate high. I know that does NOT work for me.

[bluebunny27]

Renee : " I have soccer games, drive, concerts, drive, tennis, drive, more soccer, more drive, softball, cheering, not to mention all of the church stuff and other activities that the kids have."



******** Marc : Sounds like you **DRIVE** a lot !!

Too many activities, heh. This reminds me of my lil' nephew.
He has a nice park close to his home but he rarely goes there cos' he doesn't have any free time. I went with him the other day and he was sayin' he hadn't been there in months even though it's 5 minutes away on foot.

Too busy, even on the weekends, so many activities are planned that he can't go out on play as kids used to ? Maybe kids nowadays shouldn't have so many things lined up, my nephew is busy with karate, piano lessons, drawing classes and whatnot ... That's why I nicknamed him : "The Lil' King", sometimes I also call him : "The Athlete" (cos' he's always running left and right !)

Yeah, my diet/exercise plan is easier to follow when you are SINGLE of course, I should have thought of that, lol ! Finally something good about being SINGLE, it's about time.

Hey, it says : "Renee renewing" ... but what exactly is being renewed ???? That's what I would like to know.

Cheers !

Marc

38 Years Old, 5'10" Tall
Nov. 1st. 2008 : 280 Pounds
Nov. 1st. 2009 : 190 Pounds
(1 Year : - 90 Pounds)

Current Weight : 195 Pounds

[bluebunny27]

Here's part of a message I got from Diet Detective :
Exercise for beginners.

(...)

"Set goals, but be realistic and specific. Work toward attainable, short-term goals, such as adding five minutes to your treadmill time, running an extra half-mile, or losing three pounds. Make your goals as specific as possible and give yourself time to accomplish them. For example, while it might be realistic to decide that you're going to start running and set the goal of signing up for a marathon one day, the better approach is to vow to start running three days a week with the goal that by the end of the year you'll sign up for and complete a 5K race.

Find a time that's right for you. You wouldn't want to force yourself to go to the gym at 5 a.m. every morning and then feel miserable because you couldn't stick with that regimen. In the beginning, try working out at different times of the day — morning, lunchtime, after work, late at night — and see what works best for you. At what time was the workout most invigorating? What fits in well with your daily schedule? "


Good advice !

Cheers !

Marc

38 Years Old, 5'10" Tall
Nov. 1st. 2008 : 280 Pounds
Nov. 1st. 2009 : 190 Pounds
(1 Year : - 90 Pounds)

Current Weight : 195 Pounds

[~reneew]

Hey, it says : "Renee renewing" ... but what exactly is being renewed ???? That's what I would like to know.

My way of eating... my round sillouette... the way I see food...Hey, I'm trying!

[~reneew]

Someone wrote a post on our age and diet history. Mine was way too long to write, so I summarized:

I'm 43... normal until college. Gained the freshman 50. Lost the sophomore 50. Gained 70 pounds with each of my 4 children, loosing most in between by dieting. Developed hypothyroidism and went terribly undiagnosed for maybe 10 years. Slowly gaining the whole time.

I had around 70 to loose. I lost 20 on No S then Christmas came and I gained it back. Then I lost 26 and Christmas came again and I gained most of that back again. I'm starting to loose again but I still have 50 to go. Writing this right now really makes me see how I gain so so fast! I really am a compulsive food addict. No S seems to be the most sane diet I've ever seen. Thanks Reinhard! I just need to keep plugging away and it will become the way of my life. I need to build that ring of fire around the Ses.

[mrsj]

I've got kindling and matches for you...

[~reneew]

mrsj... I've seen the spark before, but then the wind came up.

I'm still feeling lousy. This really nasty cold I have had for a week may be/have been mumps. I had all the symptoms and I hear that this nw Iowa is having an outbreak. I guess I should have had a booster shot. Anyway, it has me still feeling rotten. Too bad I don't eat less when sick. I tend to eat more if anything. I am still not counting cough drops since I'd cough constantly if I didn't have them.

Besides my ring for a goal for half way, I've decided to get a new camera and I think I may wait and use that for incentive also. I will also need to go clothes shopping if I get there, so I guess I'm in for a great shopping spree if and when I get to half way.

[mrsj]

renew, protect that spark at all costs!

sorry to hear that you're still awful. Remember that Sick days are exempt-whatever it takes to make you feel better.

I know that you WILL reach your half-way mark and get your new camera. Please remember to give yourself small rewards for smaller goals. It's a great motivation booster and YOU DESERVE IT!

Hmm. New wardrobe. I WANT! Thanks for the idea. Makes me want to make a few tweeks to get things going.

God Bless, and get better soon.

[~reneew]

I had coughing and larengitis for 2 days. I was down to a light whisper. My family had a hay day with that, believe me..."sorry, I can't hear ya Mom!" (while walking away) I'm still coughing but my voice is part way back and I have more energy again. I resumed my exercise and I feel like doing more! Doing well so far today after a slight feel-yucky-pity-party-PMS-binge yesterday.

[Kathleen]

reneew,
I've had to eat humble pie in the last few days. I got my new scale, and I was up 10 pounds!!! Apparently, the scale had more problems than a 2 pound range, and I was relying on it to let me know how I was doing. I was really excited that I had finally solved the weight loss problem. This is a tough problem to solve, but humor helps with anything. Hope you feel better soon --
Kathleen

[~reneew]

Woe, tough blow Kathleen. I understand, believe me! I think I'm on the right track and I'm scared to blink!

[Kathleen]

That's great! You have to accept setbacks and just go on!

[~reneew]

my current goal is to just get the vanilla habit going again.

[~reneew]

I'm going on a little vacation, and that's really tough for me. I feel like tatooing the No S symbol on my hands and forhead to remind me and others to not snack. I think I should come up with a better plan. Green fingernail polish??? It would remind me... nah, just a bit over the top. I'll think of something. A big no S sign on my billfold in my purse?

I think I'll ask you guys in a post.

[~reneew]

KCCC wrote this and I think it's true, so I wanted to paste it here:


To over-simplify a bit...

Phase I: Establishing habit
Description/Goal: Getting the N-days down. S-days are often still over the top, but the focus is building N-day habits, and getting them SOLID.
Suggested strategies (IMHO!):
1. Do a 21-day challenge and try to go that long following the No-S rules exactly.
2. If it's too hard to do them all at once, phase them in individually until they're all in place.
3. Lather, rinse, repeat until habits are solid - with some reflection/assessment on what's changing for you. Don't even think about Phase II until your N-day habits are in place.
Issues:
1. Some people gain weight initially because of "diet deprivation rebound." Address by: Time - get 21 days of No-S behind you, and see if the initial over-eating has subsided. Re-evaluate
2. Some people can't let go of "diet mentality" and have trouble with hunger because they're simply not eating enough at meals. Address by: adding food until a balance is reached!
Results: More normal food habits. A better understanding of how much you need to eat at mealtimes. Psychological relief from over-attention on food.

Phase II: S-day worries
Description/Goal: Over-the-top S-days don't "feel" good. Mondays are almost a relief. People are perhaps frustrated with their lack of control on S-days. The contrast between N and S begins to stand out. Ideally, the "binges" unconsciously get a bit smaller because the person is starting to recognize that they DON'T GIVE PLEASURE... that happens naturally in some cases, but not in others. People may start to get pickier about what they consider "s-worthy" treats.
Issues: "S-days gone wild" may affect weight loss, leading to frustration. If they don't resolve themselves naturally (which they do for many, but not all), they may need attention.
Strategies: Review the "S-days Gone Wild" podcast and associated sticky threads, and select 1-2 strategies that will work for you WITHOUT tipping you back into "diet deprivation mindset." Slow and steady wins the race here - you want to make little changes that don't make you feel that you're on a "diet" (which will end at some point). Focusing on making S-days pleasant and satisfying seems to help the most - it just takes a while to figure out that those words do not mean "over-full" or "frantic."

Phase III: Got it!
Description/Goal: N-days are solid, and S-days have become more moderate overall, but WITHOUT a sense of deprivation. Sometimes that happens through a gradual shift during a long "Phase II", sometimes by some conscious maintenance of N-day habits on S-days. It's a pretty comfortable place to be.
Issues: Minor in terms of habit - an occasional excessive S-day. May be some frustration if the person is still focused primarily on weight loss and reaches a plateau. May choose to tweak "what's on the plate" in terms of health or continuing weight-loss goals.
Strategies: Keep on keeping on, but with awareness. What's working well for you, and what might need attention? Where are you "backsliding" a bit, and need to tighten up?

Notes and Observations:
The trick is to go slowly enough that Phase III does NOT feel like deprivation. This evolution happens over time, but it NEEDS time. Only repeated experience will reassure the non-cognitive part of your nature ("the lizard brain" - or, as one book called it, your "inner piggie") that there WILL be food again and you will NOT starve!

Also, during this transition there may be a bit of emotional fallout for those who have been accustomed to using food to stuff down emotions or avoid facing issues. As one of the quotes goes "if hunger is not the problem, food is not the answer!" The good news is that as we identify and deal with actual problems, emotionally-driven eating is less of an issue. (I found it easier to deal with the eating first, then the emotions, rather than trying to handle the emotions first.) Developing better life skills is a nice side benefit to No-S!

Phase IV: Maintenance and fine-tuning for individual needs
Description/Goal: The person has been doing No-S for a while, and really truly has it down. But... there are issues that need addressing.
Issues:
1) There's a place where No_s is just out-of-sync with the general lifestyle. You go out every Wednesday with your friends, and would rather have an S-day then.
2) You've done it all perfectly, but your weight loss has totally stalled out for months. You're starting to wonder "is basic No-S enough for me?" CAVEAT: If you haven't gone through Phases I-2, stop reading now! More damage is done by people jumping here too early than anything else!
Strategies:
For both issues, review the "Mods and Tweaks" podcast trilogy, and thoughtfully implement whatever mod you think would help you, WITH attention to "how it's working for you." The podcasts spell it out better than I ever could - just follow the ideas.
For the second, specifically.... [CAVEAT: Don't even read this if you haven't gone through Phases I-2. More damage is done by people jumping here too early than anything else!] You won't know until you've done No-S for a while if "just" No-S is enough for you. Everyone's metabolism is different, and those who are male/have-a-lot-to-lose/younger/larger/active/ will lose easier than those who are female/close-to-healthy-weight/older/smaller/less-active. Life is not fair. IF you fit the second category more than the first, what will probably happen is that eventually, you'll stall out or gain on No-S. (For example, if you were a very overweight female, you might lose at first, then stall out. If you fit ALL the "harder" categories, you may gain.)
Does that mean No-S has failed you? I don't think so, as someone who fits most of the "harder" categories. You've taken off the top layer of excess by cutting snacking/sweets/seconds (remember, that's ALL many lucky people need), and made those changes into habit. You've learned how powerful habit is. Those changes allow you to focus more clearly on "what else could make a difference" while keeping in mind that "I want to be able to live with this." Here is where I think calorie counting makes sense - use what you know of nutrition and activity to make TINY, PAINLESS changes in your current habits. Yes, you might have to go beyond No-S, but No-S has given you a foundation from which to work that will enable you to reach your goal with less difficulty and more chance of success than you would have otherwise had.

So that's my bird's-eye view of the process, as lived and observed. Last bit of advice (repeated): Don't push too fast. You can't jump to Phase III/IV right off, and shouldn't try. Start with the N-days, and move from there.

[bluebunny27]

Hum hum ... a snack !! Where's my 4pm SNACK ????
I want it *NOW* !

Ok. enough goofing around, here's a good article I just found, I thought it could be helpful :

http://www.everydayhealth.com/weight/me ... -loss.aspx

(...)

" Why Men Lose Weight Faster

"It is true — men do lose weight quicker," says Anne Wolf, RD, a registered dietitian and researcher at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. And the reasons can be attributed to differences in the physical makeup of men and women and in the very different ways that men and women think.

"There are two physical reasons: Women have different hormones, and I think that impacts our weight-loss rate," says Wolf. “Secondly, men have more lean body mass. That means their caloric needs are greater." They can continue to eat a significant number of calories and still lose weight.

Men and women also tackle problems differently. Men tend to be linear thinkers and more businesslike in their approach to weight loss, while women are multi-taskers who become more emotionally involved in weight loss. "Men stick to their goals. It's like a to-do list. In practice, I see women taken over by their emotions," says Wolf. "Women will get sidetracked, so they don't stick with their goals."
There's more content below this advertisement. Jump to the content.

Why Women Will Still Lose Weight

The way you mentally approach weight loss "really does make a difference," says Wolf.

She offers these suggestions to keep you from getting discouraged and giving up on your weight-loss plan when you feel your female makeup is working against you:

* Stay positive; it’s not a hopeless cause. "Women do lose weight and they do keep it off. Don't use the slower pace as an excuse to not try," stresses Wolf.
* Know that weight-loss strategies do work. Some women tend to throw up their hands, believing that nothing works, but that’s not true. "We have a lot of good therapies that actually do work to lose weight," says Wolf.
* Start believing that you can do it. "Believe in yourself," says Wolf. "Keep focused — it's about consistency." Even if you get bored or frustrated because you don't think your plan is working, stick with it. Set goals for yourself and stay focused on those goals.
* Understand your challenges and limitations. "Know yourself," says Wolf. "Each person is different." She suggests asking, "What trips me up every time I try to lose weight? Do I eat when I'm sad or frustrated, or stop working out when I don't have a workout buddy to encourage you?" Set yourself up for success by preparing for those roadblocks and figuring out in advance how you will overcome them.

Why Men Still Have to Work Hard to Lose Weight

Men do struggle with weight loss. Even if their bodies require more calories, they still have to work hard at it.

"I did lose weight quickly — at first," admits John from Fairfax, Va. He lost a total of 70 pounds in a year, but while he lost 30 pounds in the first three months, it took him twice as long to lose the next 30, and three more months for the last 10.

John also dealt with his own weight-loss failures twice before finally succeeding. With inspiration from an older brother, he figured out how to do it correctly — by restricting his calories and building calorie-burning muscle through regular strength training, a weight-loss booster for both sexes.

No one can lose weight without diet and exercise smarts, hard work, and sacrifice. Make the effort to learn about the healthiest and most efficient ways to lose weight, and then enjoy your own success. Weight loss isn't about winning a race; it's about crossing the finish line at your own pace. "

Cheers !

Marc

38 Years Old, 5'10" Tall
Nov. 1st. 2008 : 280 Pounds
Nov. 1st. 2009 : 190 Pounds
(1 Year : - 90 Pounds)

Current Weight : 194 Pounds

[~reneew]

Marc... you changed your picture! Thanks for the men/women advice. I know for a fact that my hormones and emotions are most of this process for me!

I once lost 50 pounds counting calories and exercising...
then I had 2 kids (gaining 70 each time) ... lost some...
I lost 50 again counting fat and fiber grams...
then had 2 more kids... big gains...
lost 20 on no S... Gained it all over Christmas...
lost 26 and gained most of it over Christmas...
I'm now only down 22.

What I've realized is that
-3 meals isn't good enough for me to loose.
-if I eat breakfast I feel yucky and end up eating more all day long.
-I don't do well with temptations like weekends and kids around.
-if I drink a lot during the day, I do much much better.
-When I decide not to eat at all until dinner, I am able to usually do that and by denying my temptations, I am not tempted as much in the long run.


So... I know I've "talked" about fasting until supper before, but the book called the diet alternative discusses this in detail. She talks about how in Biblical times, they ate in the morning and the evening, with occasional fasting. Even Jesus did. She also discusses how if you are tough or really need to loose a lot that one meal a day is good. Since I read that I've tried it off and on. That's seems to be the only time that I really loose weight... and it goes fast! I usually do the one meal a day on M-W-F because I take regular S days on Saturday and Sunday, so Mondays are a kind of get back into it, Wed. is a church day for me too, and Friday I think is good just because the weekend is almost here, and 3 days seems to be a good balance. If I do Mon. through Fri. I really loose fast and up to 10 a week, but sometimes rebound on the weekends. If I do M-W-F one meal only, I seem to do great! The trick for me is to get going. At times I go way off the deep end with absolutely no thought as to what I'm eating (like every Christmas season) and it takes a while to get back into the not snacking. I think the reason that I have a hard time getting started on the M-W-F one meal , T-TH N day, and Weekend S days is that most people think that it's not going to work. For me it helps me break the addiction toward food. It helps me gain the control. I've been thinking about doing that strictly in June, but did it some last week and want to try this week, but I started the vanilla team thing for May and feel like a traitor if I stray from vanilla. I think I might anyway...

[mrsj]

renew, if it works for you, then do it. I admire your self discipline if you can stick to it. I've done the same thing. The problem was that when I started eating normally again the weight came right back with interest.

I HATE breakfast. What works for me is a hearty, healthy brunch around 1030 and then dinner at about 1830. IF I get hungry later at about 2100, I still have one meal allowed. It's been a long time since that's happened.


God Bless, and Happy Shrinking.

[butterfly1000]

renew, if it works for you, then do it.

I agree, that you have to do what works for you. I started the May challenge really motivated, but when I wasn't able to stick to it I got very discouraged ... I haven't posted there recently because I got tired of writing FAILURE. I was thinking of trying the 21 day challenge of strictly vanilla No S, but I have trouble just doing a few days in a row. I think that at this time it's too strict for me because I get discouraged when I can't stick to it, and then end up eating more. I'm still trying to find my system or combination of systems ...

I think we need to try different things until we find a balanced system which gives us enough positive results so that we stay motivated...

... and Reneew, you are not a traitor by dropping off the May challenge, on the contrary, you're a motivator by starting it ...

[~reneew]

Thanks guys! I'm going to stay on the team no matter what til the end of the month and rename it for June. I have decided to do my plan with the option of doing 1 meal a day if I feel strong or are busy for more meals. I might call the 1 meal days double greens with 2 green smile faces. I am very determined now as I have a 25 year class reunion this summer and my clothes look aweful on me.


Here I go on double greens until I get to goal!!!!!!!!!

[~reneew]

I've started a challenge for the month of June called "June's challenge yourself team". My challenge is this:


I am challenging myself to absolutely no reds on my habitcal... one week at a time.

No more wishy-washy for this chick! I will reward myself with a huge green star at the top of this post for every all-green week I have. The last week of June is a half week, but I will be counting it as a full week. I want to see if I can get 5 stars, but my challenge is to see how many I can get! My 4 kids will be out of school and around with food temptations left and right, so I need to get tough with myself. I also have a 25 year class reunion to look forward to.

[mrsj]

Do you know how to make stuff with glass beads? I had a thought... A brooch made of green glass beads in the form of a star.

[~reneew]

hmmm... I'l think about it.

I'm experiencing technical difficulties, so if I'm gone for a while, assume that it's my "new" computer giving me issues again. I will be back.

Doing consecutive 1 meal days are too hard, so I'm going to go back to my M-W-F one meal attempts, T-Th 2 meals (my regular because I don't like breakfast) and 3 meals of whatever on the weekends. It's basically vanilla with trying for only 1 meal 3 days a week. Reinhard never tells us how many meals to have, so it's basically "express vanilla".

[~reneew]

I am going to do this in June:

-record what eat.
-do my heart and soul exercises.
-eat lower fat food with half fruits and veggies.
-try for an occasional day of one meal.
-vanilla.

And... I'm going to try to record my weight on Monday mornings instead of Friday mornings. I was recording once a week on Fridays to be kind to myself, but I'm thinking that I shut off my "good girl" mentality immediately following that. Then the weekends are bad. If I do it on Mondays, I might hold off and be a good girl on the weekends. It's worth a try.

[~reneew]

Since I began No S in Oct. '08, I've had serious issues with S days. I loose all control. We're talking having potato chips for breakfast type of control loss. I've been on a rollercoaster ride since day 1. I loose all week, then gain every darn weekend... up to usually 8-10 pounds. No exageration! I've also had scale issues. Weigh or not weigh... when...etc. If I gain, I feel bad and eat. If I loose, I celebrate and figure I earned the food, and I eat. I have done many tests with myself on that issue and I know that if I don't weigh, I gain gain gain. If I weigh once a month, I gain. If I weigh daily and record it, I stress out. I have been weighing daily because if I don't I tend to 'forget' I'm trying to loose, but I've only been officially recording though on Friday mornings when I weigh the least. I'm still loosing all control on the S days so I tried another approach. I started to weigh myself on Mondays thinking that I'd have to behave on the weekend. It seems to be working! My rollercoaster ride has been on the flat-to-downward trend for 2 weeks.

I'm also trying to move my brunch up a bit. I'm experementing with more of a breakfast, then wait until dinner... during the week anyway.

[~reneew]

I'm having computer issues still... and when I can't come on here to do my habitcal, I subconsiously think that whatever goes. Ho hum. The weighing in on Sunday helps a lot. I'm staying steady all week long with out the rollercoaster ride on the weekends. That is great for me. Now to get back my vanilla habit. I'm going to do a paper calendar since this machine isn't working.

[Grammy G]

Good ol' paper! I am making a paper record too because I will be gone for about a month and am not sure when i will have the computer available or the inclination to use it!
Hope your weigh-in issues are resolving themselves. Remember that weight can fluctuate so much that maybe averaging a few days (M-T-W) may be the way to go.. although i probably wouldn't stick with that You are so good about starting challenges for all of us! thank you!!
hope your computer "gets better" soon!

[~reneew]

Um, yea... I am returning from the land of whatever-goes-because-we-have-company-and-I'm-too-busy-to-care. Today will be very double good green!!!! Or yell at me!!! loud!!!!

I am still going to try the paper calendar. I'm going for 21 now that the month is slipping by.

[mrsj]

If I yell at you, you'll just close your ears! Everyone goes through that I don't care, I'll do what I want and be da...d to anyone who says differently. It's the inner child screaming. So, have your tantrum, and turn blue in the face. It's so pretty and must burn a few calories! LOL!

I know you'll get back on track. You're always so motivated.

"We shall overcome..."

[~reneew]

Well, I said that I was returning. Guess I wasn't yet.

On Saturday the 10th I went off the deep end. I occasionally have a real binge that I loose control over. This was one of them. I haven't done this in a while so I felt the need to post and be held accountable. One time when I "snitched" a ton and actually counted the calories afterward, I was so shocked that I had a real boost. I hope it will happen again because here goes the totals of my evening binge last night, and my mental struggle/justifications):

potato chips left in bowl from picnic (bag was gone, don't want it to get stale)
big dish of icecream (freezer is breaking so it was soft and went down fast) - 500 cal.
whole bag of microwave blast-o-butter popcorn - 450 cal.
freezie - 50 (see the sweet-salt-sweet trend going on here?)
more potato chips (almost gone, night as well) total chips 600 cal.
3 beers throughout the evening (maybe that spurred on the munchies...duh) 450 cal.


grand total - 2,050!!!!!!! Just for an evening of snacking!


I know the "don't snack" tricks, the "stop" tricks and the millions of things I should have done to not snack at all, I just needed to confess, feel bad, start anew and move on. Hopefully in a new direction.

[~reneew]

We were hit by a nasty tornado lat night. We are all alright, but I may be busy for a while. We had 8 acres of trees. Imagine almost half down and many on or through your house. Ug...

[frugaltexan]

Yikes! I'm glad you and your family are all right though.

[dmarie710]

wow, renee. I'm really glad your all OK. I can't imagine the aftermath.

[Strawberry Roan]

Oh no, how awful - having been through three really bad tornadoes in the last decade, I know how overwhelming it is to look around and see all the devastation, just glad everybody is okay.

Take a deep breath and don't try to do everything at once,

[sophiasapientia]

Oh no! I'm glad that your family is safe ...

[~reneew]

Hi guys. I've been working hard on hauling wood and branches. I've been bombarded by sloppy Joes (I guess that's what everyone brings to disaster areas in Iowa) and I have practically no time to munch. That is good. Right???

[kccc]

Just saw this!! Sending ALL the good wishes I can...

Usually, I deal well in the critical moment immediately following a crisis, but get worn and stressed during the long slow recovery after the initial "supercoping" wears off. So, I am especially sending good wishes NOW, when you're in the long haul. Take good care of yourself as you restore order in your world.

[idontknow]

Hope everything is ok, Reneew - thinking of you! (What's a sloppy joe? My mum used to use this term to describe an oversized jumper - I'm thinking it's not the same thing!?)

[~reneew]

a sloppy Joe is just a BBQ or a manwich type thing on a bun. Here in Iowa they call them "made-rite"s. I don't get that one.

I have been cleaning up after the tornado like crazy. Most evenings I finish my day completely sweaty and dirty and wiped out! I shower and go to bed. I'm raking sticks and hauling branches and wood like crazy. I spend hours out of breath. You'd think I'd be loosing weight fast, but my clothes still fit the same. I'm not sure how the numbers are because our scale shattered (4th in a year...see my ongoing scale saga story on another thread) My husband is visibly thinner... of course!!!! Ug. I'm going to go get yet another scale and start anew....

[mimi]

On Renee! I am so sorry to hear of all this! Prayers and best wishes are with you on this..take one day at a time try not to look too far ahead or you might get overwhelmed. Focus on what you can do right now and for heaven's sake...forget about that scale You don't need one, do you?!!
Take care and keep us posted
Love,
Mimi

[Strawberry Roan]

On Renee! I am so sorry to hear of all this! Prayers and best wishes are with you on this..take one day at a time try not to look too far ahead or you might get overwhelmed. Focus on what you can do right now and for heaven's sake...forget about that scale You don't need one, do you?!!
Take care and keep us posted
Love,
Mimi

Hi Mimi

Just want to echo everything you have said to reneew...

[Grammy G]

Reneew.. Oh my! I am so sorry to read of your misfortune. Keep up your wonderful spirit. Your children are learning how to face and conquer whatever life throws at them.. (even if they don't lose weight in the process.) My heart is with you...

[~reneew]

Well.... I'm still cleaning up after the tornado, but they have not even started on the house. I am sick of the work in the yard so, I refuse to go work at it for a while. I think I'll rip up some carpet instead. 2 rooms to do.

Oh and, I have not lost one %*#@ pound. I think I'm rewarding my great efforts with too much food. I tend to do that.

September is a great new start-time for me so I plan on coming back to NoS then to stat again fresh. See ya

[Strawberry Roan]

Looking forward to your return reneew. Don't overdo it.

[bluebunny27]

Oh man, the way I handle extra stress I would gain 20 pounds within a month after a tragedy like that. Big damages and all those trees down ...

Hopefully all goes well getting things back in order. It sounds like a lot of work dealing with that bad situation. You can go back to the diet&exercise later on. No worries.

Regarding your husband looking thinner : Men lose weight more easily, due to muscle mass. So it's always a good idea for everyone, including the ladies, to lift some weights, do push ups, things like that ... it helps you out in the long run burning more calories even when you aren't doing anything, just because your muscles are more toned. I can eat 2,600-2,700 calories per day and still lose weight due to the muscles and the training.

The best thing is to mix it up, 2/3, 1/3 ... you do the cardio a couple of days then you switch to weight training the next day, rinse and repeat. Some people also like to do both in the same session, but always start with the weight training first, then you do the cardio after that ...

Good luck !

Marc

38 Years Old, 5'10" Tall
Nov. 1st. 2008 : 280 Pounds
Nov. 1st. 2009 : 190 Pounds
(1 Year : - 90 Pounds)

Current Weight : 193 Pounds

[~reneew]

I'm back from the land of downed trees, ready to have a fresh start. I plan on posting here and on the sparkpeople website for added support. Join me there too if you'd like. I'm following a plan that I've made that combines the best parts of many diets that have worked for me. I feel that most plans just seem to have too many rules, that keep me thinking more and more about food and thus strengthening my food addiction, or it simply don't work. Listening to hunger and fullness is the natural way to eat, but we all live on a schedule. Also, I have trouble because I need strict rules and I cheat if I just use "satisfied" as a stopper. I've loved the guidelines of the No S diet because you have 1 plate at a time and no snitching or seconds. I do however think that it's o.k. to eat a cookie if it fits on my plate. My skinny great-grandparents ate this way.
So, this "3 dishes" plan combines the best of No S, Weighdown, the Diet Alternative and many other plans:

-wait until your tummy grumbles, then have 1 dish (or plate of food). 3 a day.

-Daily heart and soul exercises (heart is physical and soul is spiritual. Both optional, but highly advised. No minimum.)

That's it. Period.

What I usually do is eat a brunch (because I'm not hungry until then) then eat dinner. I save the 3rd dish for "emergencies" llike a couple of fresh cookies that my daughter makes or a bowl of popcorn during a movie. It really gets me through knowing that I have 1 emergency dish to enjoy if I need it.

[Kathleen]

Hi reneew,
What if your stomach doesn't growl before breakfast? Do you eat breakfast? Do you assume that it growled when you were sleeping? (Believe me: I considered these questions when I was trying the approach of only eating after a stomach growl.) What if your stomach doesn't growl all day? Do you fast all day? I hit a problem almost immediately trying this approach. It was my nephew's college graduation, and there was a buffet lunch afterwards, and my stomach hadn't yet growled. I ended up deciding to eat. I also had problems with wanting to eat when it wasn't quite convenient, like when we were on a long car trip. My son quipped once that a stomach can make a noise when it is groaning from trying to digest all the food in it.
Kathleen

[~reneew]

When I let it growl, I get used to the feeling and it definitely feels different than intestinal gurgles. I am never hungry before around 10:00/11:00am and I think it's probably because dinner the night before is my largest meal of the day. I've always figured that if you're not sure if you're hungry ~ You aren't! Why eat unless you're hungry? Besides, food tastes way way better when you're actually hungry. That was proven to me the first week I tried it years ago when I ate the most amazing soda cracker. Duh, I hadn't let myself get hungry for years. God made our bodies to trigger the thirsty feeling when we need water, the tired feeling when we need sleep, and our hunger feeling when we need food. I am positive of that. When we need a boost of energy, our adrenalin automatically kicks in. Our eyes dialate automatically. Our bodies are made to run automatically, we just need to follow the feelings, not our adictive heads.

[Kathleen]

As BrightAngel is quick to point out, we are all different. My experience of this approach -- similar to the Weigh Down Diet -- was nothing short of disasterous. I was constantly belly-gazing and was eating huge amounts of food whenever my stomach did make a noise. Maybe the difference between us is that I apparently distinguish between a hunger growl and a stomach noise. Anyway, I always enjoy following your story.
Kathleen

[~reneew]

Thanks for any and all input Kathleen, I always love your input.

I am trying really hard to stay on track on the weekends. Saturday was great, but today wasn't so good. Tomorrow is Labor day and I will try to treat it like an average weekday... hmmm... we'll see.

[~reneew]

starla's testimony was very inspiring to me so I will paste it here so I can find it again to re-read later...


oh, and by the way ~ I am going vanilla!


Here's her testimony:
Today is my one-year anniversary of starting No S. I hope this testimonial helps someone, especially someone who is where I was a year ago. This is going to be long; sorry!

Just the Facts, Ma’am

I started on September 7, 2009, weighing 241 pounds and wearing size 20/22. Today I weigh 175.8, and my pants are size 14 and baggy. I’ve been surprised at how much my weight loss has varied month-to-month:

Month 1 – 7.5 pounds
Month 2 – 9 pounds
Month 3 – 9 pounds
Month 4 – 6.5 pounds
Month 5 – 3.2 pounds
Month 6 – 7.2 pounds
Month 7 – 4.2 pounds
Month 8 – 0.2 pounds
Month 9 – 4.6 pounds
Month 10 – 2.2 pounds
Month 11 – 11.4 pounds
Month 12 – 0.2 pounds

TOTAL: 65.2 pounds!

Thank You’s

First of all to Reinhard for devising this system and telling the world about it. Reinhard, I think you have literally saved my life. I enjoy words, but I know no word that means the amount of gratitude I feel. I have struggled with eating since I was about 15 years old – almost 40 years. As much as I love the weight loss, the peace and calm I feel about eating is even better. You have my profound thanks - forever.

The No S posters have cheered me on, comforted me, inspired me, challenged me, and made me laugh. What an incredibly kind and wise group of people! I’d love to name names, but I’m sure I’d miss someone. Thank you all!

My mother lost a good deal of weight on No S and had the great good sense not to talk to me about it until I asked. Thanks, Mom!

My friends, family and co-workers have been uniformly supportive.

Thanks to James Morrison for singing the song “One Last Chance,†which I listened to over and over again at the beginning when this was hard.

I Like Vanilla, It’s the Finest of the Flavors

I have done only strict Vanilla No S from the beginning – no modifications. This means I had no extra indulgences, but it also means I had no added restrictions. If it fit on a plate and wasn’t a sweet, it was OK on an N day. I DO eat much healthier than I used to; I have fruit and/or vegetables at almost every meal on N days. But I also have a bagel with peanut butter every morning, and I enjoy every bite. The only foods I have eliminated are foods I don’t like.

In 12 months I have had 4 failures.

S Days

I trusted this system from the beginning, and when long-timers (and Reinhard) said not to worry about S days, that was enough for me. I have had some excessive S days, but over time they moderated themselves naturally. I now have a special treat every S day. I have chocolate-covered almonds every Saturday, and usually a bakery treat or ice cream on Sunday. I frequently eat my treats in place of a meal, just because I don’t want that “stuffed†feeling. Healthy? No. I don’t care; it’s what works for me.

Non-Weekend S Days

I’m pretty stingy with these. The following were my non-weekend S days this past year:

November 26 – Thanksgiving
December 24 – Christmas Eve
December 25 – Christmas
January 1 – New Year’s Day
February 12 – Sick Day
March 12, 15 and 16 – vacation days surrounding a weekend
April 15 – birthday

So, 9 days in 12 months.

Why Me?

I’ve wondered why I’ve been successful at this when I’ve failed at so many other diets, and I’ve come up with two reasons. One of the bulletin board posters asked what separated the successful from the unsuccessful No S’ers, and one of the answers was “Desperation.†I was truly desperate. I was turning down activities because I was not sure I could physically do them. I could not stand to look at myself. I knew the people who loved me were worried about my health, but I pretended everything was OK. I strongly believe that this was my last chance to not only change my life, but to SAVE my life.

The second reason relates to an article that KCCC, I believe, posted. It boiled down to this: the one essential requirement to form a new habit is – doing the activity you want to make a habit. You can do it poorly; you can do it wrong, but you have to do it. I was nothing if not consistent. I had times where I was eating big meals, unhealthy meals, synthetic meals, etc. I had to learn a lot about how to eat. But I kept to three meals per day, one plate per meal. I believe consistency was the foundation of success.

Exercise

Oh, exercise. How I love thee. Or hate thee, depending on how the rest of my life is going. This is where I struggle; when I’m stressed it’s the first thing out the door. The exercise routine that works best for me is this: exercise a minimum of 5 days/week. I take walks on weekend mornings, weather permitting (52 minutes). I walk on the treadmill a couple days per week. I do more intense walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes, and this is the most physically demanding exercise I do. I also try to do a weight-training routine with my embarrassing 3-pound hand weights. This has really made a difference in how I feel and look. However, I will never, ever, swing a sledgehammer around the house, no matter how many sweaters it’s wrapped in!

Markers

This section is devoted to people like me, who have a LOT of weight to lose. You may be reading this and think “Crap! I can do this for a year and still be fat!†First of all, YES! You can do this for a year! And the next year! And the year after that! I think I’m pretty well set for the rest of my life, and it’s a stress-free, painless, enjoyable way to eat. I love my food, especially since I can eat it without guilt or recrimination.

Now to the second part of that sentence. I imagine most fat people, like me, have markers – weights connected to specific achievements or memories. Here were mine:

241 – starting weight
239 – yay, I’m in the 230’s!
233 – what I weighed the last time I was weighed at a doctor’s office
231 – 10 pounds lost!
229 - I’m in the 220’s!
225 – my starting weight the last time I lost a lot of weight on Slim-Fast
221 – 20 pounds gone!
219 – I’m in the 210’s!
211 – I’ve lost 30 pounds!
209 – single digits!
201 – wow! 40 pounds!
199 – OMG! My weight begins with the number 1!
191 – 50 freaking pounds lost
189 – 180s. Yippee!
187 – the lowest weight I’ve been in at least 15 years
181 – 60 pounds
179 – I can’t believe I’m in the 170’s

My point is, there are rewards all along the way. I think I was as happy when I lost 10 pounds as I was when I hit 50 pounds. This slow, permanent weight loss is SO worth it.

My Life Now

I enjoy almost every meal. I love the way my body works. I take long walks and think about how lucky I am to be in this beautiful world. I’m starting to think of myself as a sexual being again. I’m happy. None of this was true a year ago.

If you’ve read this whole thing – thanks! I’ll post another update in a year.

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dmarie710



Joined: 12 Oct 2008
Posts: 215
Location: Temecula
Posted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 5:19 pm Post subject:

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wonderful and inspiring. Good for you and congrats on an amazing achievement.
Denise
_________________

[Starla]

Renee, thank you SO much for your kind comments; you almost brought tears to my eyes. I am absolutely thrilled that my experiences may be helpful to you!

[~reneew]

Starla, are you kidding? You'll inspire anyone who reads your post. We all need reminders that this really works! The more convicted, the more strength we have.

[~reneew]

I've updated my first post on my first page here where I keep track of my goals and successes and failures. So I guess now is the time to get my big butt in gear and start loosing again. When I look back, I get frustrated and want to quit because I see my struggles, then I get inspired when I look at how fast I did loose and even if it was just a couple, over time it looks great when it's steadily down. If I wouldn't have gotten frustrated this entire time and just kept going ~ I'd be at goal. So, here I go...

Vanilla! And since I had cookies yesterday, I'm on day number one and counting to 21.

[~reneew]

I just came here to say that I successfully made a pan of bars without even one tiny taste!!! I had to make them for a funeral at church and I was worried because it's Thursday and I'm doing well ~ and I never make cookies or bars without lots of tasting. Normally. But, I did it!!!

Just needed to post it for a little pat on the back. It was a major accomplishment for me.

[Eileen7316]

Renee,

Consider yourself patted.

Great job! And you can save a bar for yourself since it's less than 48 hours until S day!

[~reneew]

Thank you very much! See how posting here helps? I feel so much better.

My weight this morning is less. I'm down 24... almost back to the 26 I was at... almost half way when I reach 35... almost sane. ...and happy enough/less embarrased about my gain that I will change my signature back to say my weight lost again.

[~reneew]

Although this weekend was an eat-fest, I am doing great great over all and I'm going down down down. Woo hoo!

[~reneew]

Alright, I've had 2 Bad/snacky Tuesdays in a row. What's with that? I need to make up for it the rest of the week with perfect compliance.

[~reneew]

I have finally FINALLY gotten back to 26 pounds lost.
As you might recall I was here just before Christmas season started. Yep. 2 years in a row I derailed just before Christmas time. Well, it kinda carries over into March, but... I'm ahead of schedule and I plan on loosing more before then and maybe I'll hide out in a cave this year for the entire winter season. See page 1 here on my "reneew reneewing" daily check-in to see my history if interested.