Turtledove check in

[turtledove]

My husband and I had been looking for a sensible diet plan, and I spent hours over the weekend reading Amazon reviews and chasing people's suggestions. This one made sense. I read the entire LONG page of introduction, thinking I'd get to something complicated. Nope. I've always gotten depressed when dieting, since I am a bit of a boredom/emotional eater. I'm also bad at trying to manipulate myself, and I just can't manage set menus and recipes. Artificial sweeteners may have been the trigger for my fibromyalgia, which came on after long dieting on a liquid plan. The fatigue and frustration sent me to the refrigerator and led to about 50 pounds of weight gain (over 14 years). So I'll continue cooking without the guilt of thinking various natural foods--bananas, carrots, avocados, potatoes--are *bad* and find more ways to get out of this chair and move. For my health and sanity I really must lose 50 pounds. Hubby, not so much, but he's got a little extra around the middle now.

[gratefuldeb67]

Welcome Turtledove and good luck! NoS is a real blessing!
You will love it
Debs

[gratefuldeb67]

btw.. the foods you listed are probably some of the top ten healthiest foods there are! LOL.. glad you have decided they are not the enemy

[turtledove]

Thanks, Debs, for the encouraging words. Yesterday (#1) I complied with the rules, although it does get tough before dinner. I'm really hungry right now (almost 6 pm), but I'll wait for dinner at about 7. I think what will be harder for me is more activity. That's embarrassing because this is a very walkable area, sidewalks and trails everywhere and usually people on them. Plus I belong to a gym. Oh, well, that's next after I learn to follow the plan.

[turtledove]

SUCCESS so far. I think about S foods occasionally but have been able to remember that I'm trying to stay with this. I should be fine the rest of today, with attractive meals planned for lunch and dinner. Tomorrow thru Sunday I'll be away, traveling by plane, and I know there will be challenges; not that the piddling snack stuff the airline gives out is worth eating. Something I read once recommended daily weighing but counting only the weekly average of those weights. That's probably a good idea, but I don't like to write my weight anywhere. Anyway, the scale did have a smaller number today, and I'd like to think the difference is real.

[turtledove]

The trip was fun, and I almost managed to stay on track. Thursday was a success, no qualifications. Friday I had one cookie at a friend's, then ate a bit of dessert at a family-style group dinner. The whole meal was really no more than a plateful, though, since I didn't like the food very much. No seconds on anything. Saturday I had a cookie in the afternoon and an ice cream cone at night. Meals were moderate. Sunday french toast at the hotel, two cookies at home, and an ice cream bar for dessert. I am closer to realizing the feeling of too much fullness after dessert. If I do lose weight on this plan, I think I'll be able to stick with it.

[turtledove]

SUCCESS today on the diet. I am still putting off the exercise, though, except yoga 2x a week. Work is fairly heavy for now, and that's here at my home desk.

[turtledove]

We had a friend over to watch election results, so I made up a cheese platter as appetizer. I definitely ate enough of the cheese and crackers. Then we also had mini-cupcakes for dessert. But it was a special day for sure.

I'm hungry now, but I try to delay lunch until 1:00 because hubby gets home from work at about 7:00, so dinner is generally on the late side. The only real struggle I have with N days is about 4:30-7:00, when I would really, really love to eat something.

[sld]

Turtledove,

The only real struggle I have with N days is about 4:30-7:00, when I would really, really love to eat something.

Me too! I'm really new and just learning... but wow those are some difficult hours to get thru.

Sheri

[turtledove]

It was a pretty good day, foodwise. No S, though I may have eaten more than I needed at dinner on my one plate. It's funny, but I associate evening TV time with dessert, and I'm feeling like something's missing when I don't munch. But I'm actually not hungry after dinner, so it's really a matter of forming a different habit. I try to nurse a fizzy water through the evening, and tonight we turned on the gas fireplace for a change.
Basically until Thanksgiving I should have no weekday S's, so I think I'll work toward streamlining the meals a bit during the week. There's too much cheese in my lunches, for one thing. Even without counting calories, it's hard not to be aware that some foods are just too calorie-dense to eat often when you want to lose weight.

[turtledove]

Friday was fine, no need to start the weekend early, although I didn't put the salad on my pizza plate at the restaurant. I'm sure it would have fit... Sat and today we had some snacks, nothing big, and we'll eat a bit of ice cream tonight for a treat. We did finish the mini-cupcakes that had been staring at us since Tuesday.

It's going to be a hectic time until Christmas because we're taking 3 trips, including one to Southeast Asia, which I booked today. That will require visas (extra photos and trying to fill out the forms correctly) as well as immunizations. Exciting, a bit scary, and we'll see how the no S goes.

[howfunisthat]

Just wanted to pop in and say "hi"....looks as if you've got a great start...

I don't know if you've read the book, but if not, I recommend it. It's not expensive & not very long, but is packed with great info. I've read & underlined it a number of times and every time I go through it I pick up something new to encourage me.

Hope this continues to help you as much as it has helped me.

janie

[turtledove]

Thanks, Janie for the encouragement. I do plan to get the book, especially as I contemplate how to find a new activity level. Since I get quickly discouraged counting points and keeping food diaries, etc., there's only so far I'm going to get on the eating plan alone.

Officially I'd have to call this day 8 of successes. Most of the time I don't find it too hard to avoid the S's. The hard part will be keeping up my expectations that this is what I need to do and want to do. As long as I start getting good results, I don't think that will be a problem.

[turtledove]

Wednesday already. Still success this week, not too difficult. I made a cup of tea when I felt antsy at about 5 something. Last night we ate out at a steakhouse with a friend. I didn't eat all the prime rib and mashed potatoes, and I didn't order dessert. I did have my share of the wine and a cocktail. I'm not sure how to be strict about salad in a restaurant, but I don't count that as a cheat although it's impossible to put on the same plate as the entree. It's more important to eat the salad than the rest, it seems to me.

Now to take my newfound self-control into other arenas, like cleaning up my office or tackling other projects I avoid so readily. If I accomplish a few things in a morning, say, I resist doing anything else of value. too twisted...

[turtledove]

Now comes the first real challenge: I don't think I've lost weight yet. In times like these the impulse to chuck it comes out. I'm going to try to hold on though, because if I go back to S's I know I'll gain. It's going to have to be exercise and more care about exactly what I eat on N days. I really want this to work with a natural-food focused, balanced diet with carbs and fats and protein. I won't stop the plan today, though.

[blueskighs]

Turtledove,

hang in there, you can definitely make this work for you ... "natural food focused, balanced diet ..."

Blueskighs

[turtledove]

Thanks, Blue, for the encouragement. Friday was No S. I even waited until after 2 to eat lunch. I wasn't terribly hungry, but I lose concentration and get really vague and slow if I hold off on lunch. (Technically not hypoglycemic, however.) There was other stuff going on, and I just didn't get to it. Now it's 10:30 and I'm still pretty full from a pretty normal 7:30 dinner.

I'm going to try to stay moderate tomorrow and Sunday, especially since I'm struggling with the weight. We'll eat out tomorrow night, probably Indian. There may be an opportunity for a nice dessert after a show.

[turtledove]

Yesterday was lots of fun, and the only S thing I did was eat several helpings of the luscious aloo paratha bread at the Indian/Lebanese restaurant. The waitress brought us a free piece of baklava, but that's still in the fridge. No snacks (didn't want) today, but Sunday breakfast was a sweet roll. Tomorrow I'm cooking for 7, most likely, with 3 friends, 2 friends of friends I haven't met, and us 2. There will be dessert, and I'll probably eat it. Since it will technically be a red day, I'm not sure when I'll ever get to the 21 club. But in total input the three day group will be pretty moderate.

[blueskighs]

Turtledove,

if you're planning a special event with friends in advance, why not make an NWS day or S-event?

Blueskighs

[turtledove]

Yeah, Blueskighs, you're probably right that NWS would be the best way to handle it. I did have apple pie and ice cream for dessert with the guests. Hubby agreed and we actually threw out the last piece of pie. I'll probably throw away the remainder of the sweet rolls and that free piece of baklava, since nothing will last until Saturday.

I'm afraid to make too many special days during the week. I think the next will be Thanksgiving, which will be fancy takeout at my brother-in-law's place 900 miles away. Good thing hubby's birthday is Saturday. Nobody else will be around--we moved this year to a place where we have no prior friends or relatives--so I'll look for fancy cupcakes or a tiny cake at the supermarket.

I do feel a bit more disciplined in the eating department, and I'm consciously avoiding the afternoon treats home or away, except the occasional cup of tea with sugar. That feels good, and I find I'm holding on longer without feeling out of sorts.

[turtledove]

Several times today I would have liked to snack but didn't. I had a morning doctor's appt for travel immunization, then I headed to the mall for Macy's sale to buy a suitcase and hubby's b'day present. After a few more stops got home at nearly 2 for lunch. I actually didn't notice any ill effects, although I should have had something to drink during those hours.

Yesterday was a bust in most ways, but I did not cheat on my S's. I woke up with my version of severe headache, so I couldn't go to yoga class. After breakfast I went back to bed for a few hours to get rid of it. There were aftereffects that kept me off kilter, but I ate a normal lunch (well, drank a yogurt, fruit, and juice smoothie I made) and went out to dinner with hubby's work friends. Virtual plating of salad and sushi, but I drank only green tea (unsweetened) and water.

I felt good about sticking to the plan, and first thing this morning the scale showed some loss over previous weighings. That bit of elation was smashed at the doctor's, where after breakfast and wearing shoes/clothes the scale was 7 pounds heavier than mine. Ugh. But I didn't run out to the DQ for comfort, so I guess that's progress.

[blueskighs]

But I didn't run out to the DQ for comfort, so I guess that's progress.

Turtledove, yes, I would say that is PHENOMENAL progress!

Blueskighs

[turtledove]

Thanks again Blueskighs, for the cheer. I'm in a weird mood, things swirling in the brain. Fell into 1/2 an old habit today because hubby had to go to dinner with a colleague--he wasn't sure until I was at the supermarket buying food for our next dinner. So I ate leftover salad with goat cheese and pine nuts and drank a beer while catching up on TV shows my son recommended watching on hulu. That's half of what I'd normally do alone. I did not pursue the dessert half, which would have been the usual. So that's success, although now I'm pretty hungry. I dawdled until I had to eat, or I would have had more for dinner. Rambling...no brain...

I feel guilty because I had to tell my distant part-time freelance employer that I would not be able to stay with the current project to the end because we're going on the December trip. No response yet. I don't like to have to face someone's anger, but I wouldn't have foregone the trip for a few hours of work. The trip came up well after I'd started the project. So there's anxiety about making someone mad (and I like her a lot) as well as about the trip to Southeast Asia.

I actually don't mind too much being hungry, as long as I can focus. If this works without my having to give up all the foods I enjoy, it will definitely be worth it. I would very much like to wear regular size clothes and feel better about how I look.

[turtledove]

I've maintained success on the eating front, so I feel good about that. Saturday and Sunday we polished off the cupcakes, total 3 for me. But I didn't eat at the movies Friday night. Saturday we went to a different movie, and I ate a few of the Starbursts I've been carrying around in my purse forever.

Today I stretched the breakfast a bit. Normally I try to eat a banana on top of or right after my cereal. But today I was too full with just the cereal. I buzzed the banana with my usual orange juice and drank it about an hour after breakfast. I'm convinced bananas help my fibromyalgia, so I wanted to get it in. Besides, they're getting brown...

I may not be able to check in for a while. The plan is for Thanksgiving to be an S day. But we're visiting people both Thursday and Friday, and we're driving 900 miles each way, so I won't be too surprised if I get some challenging situations.

[blueskighs]

Turtledove,

driving 900 miles is a looooooooooong way! have a safe road trip and a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Blueskighs

[turtledove]

Thanks, Blueskighs. We did have a good trip, although I still feel the road vibrating... S's happened, but not a lot. There was a bit of road snacking and more soda than usual, along with less fruit/veggies. We had dessert both Thursday and Friday, and I had seconds on Friday's dressing. Yesterday's drive home took 15 1/4 hours, but we decided to just do it rather than sleep over somewhere along the way. Parking in San Francisco was $43 a day, and I think we wanted to save a bit on the way home. At least gas was reasonable. It was good to see (hubbie's) family, and we met some relatives of the relatives who were new to us.

Today is a bit of a letdown day. Going food shopping now...

[turtledove]

Well, it's been an eventful few weeks, and I've had to give myself permission not to worry too much. Still, I am down about 4 pounds. I consider myself back on the plan now. We went to Southeast Asia to see our son and tour. The trip was about 12 days, including all the travel time, and our son did not return with us as we had thought he would. When we got to Cambodia he decided to stay there, planning to get a job teaching English. Beyond the chaos of developing cities, we were a bit shocked by how long jet lag lasted on our return. It really was about 9 days for the 9 time zones. As for diet, I ate well enough on the trip. But Christmas and New Year's brought desserts that the two of us stretched over days. That's where the No-S failed (plus a donut breakfast hubbie bought one day).

Next to the gym we're paying for but not using! I know that exercise will speed weight loss. Plus almost daily the studies are showing that exercise is the key to holding on to your brainpower. I definitely want to keep my mind as long as possible.

The other son will come to town Tuesday. We saw him briefly in December but otherwise don't get much face time. He hasn't seen the house we live in now, so the visit will be pretty significant.

I'll try to check in more regularly. I have the book now, and I do believe this is a great system.

[turtledove]

I read Reinhard's book last week, and I did find that it clarified a number of things. I also was struck at how often he mentioned habits of thought that I share. I've decided to keep green/red/yellow on my regular wall calendar. Since the holidays I did not sustain honest success, although I didn't gain back more than a pound or so. Popcorn in Friday movie, desserts with my son, that sort of thing. I still have not resumed afternoon snacking, but ice cream is a weakness of mine.

Funny that Saturday my three meals and dessert were really too much. We went to a brew pub for late-ish lunch, and the burger/fries/beer left me uncomfortable. Spaghetti dinner and a little bit of ice cream left me sluggish for sure. Sunday I didn't have snacks or desserts, just waffles for breakfast. It's hard not to think of weekend days as backsliding, frankly.

Stress is fairly high, and the fibromyalgia is definitely active. This session I'm doing yoga only once a week, and I'm still not regular about exercise. I think trying to start a new business is difficult. I'm also feeling lonely and need to work on my social life. I know very few people in this region and am still coping with empty nest, since we are really far from our sons for the first time. I'm very fortunate in most ways, and the satisfaction of feeling self-control that no-S fosters is a big positive.

There's no clear point to all this except that the book was inspiring and I think that I'll be able to stick with the plan even in the face of stress. I have been working on this well enough to know that it does work, since I've lost 4 or 5 pounds even with plenty of failure days.

[turtledove]

I'm just popping in to report that I have a solid 2 weeks of green on my calendar (plus the yellow weekends). So I do feel good about that. What I eat bears little resemblance to what others post here. One of the reasons for pursuing the no-S approach was my need not to feel terribly restricted in my meals. Tonight, for example, we had cheese ravioli with pesto, zucchini with butter, and bread with butter. Plus one glass of red wine. So I can't expect to lose fast, but I am losing some weight. (Still about 5 pounds down since starting.) My mood gets really bad if I try to cut out some category of food entirely.

Fibro not so pesky, so maybe I'll finally try pushing myself a bit into exercise. I am proud of myself when I don't buy candy on sale in the supermarket. I've even had a box of Good & Plenty visible for months and months. Can't seem to come up with a good time to eat any of it.

[turtledove]

I've joined the 21-day club! Actually 30 now, with only one NWS. I do feel that my sweet tooth has faded somewhat. Now a teaspoon of sugar in my tea feels like too much--I really don't like it as much. I did start that box of Good & Plenty at the movies a few weeks ago, but it wasn't all that exciting. Hubby got me a package of good chocolates for Valentine's day, and I've eaten several pieces this weekend. I think I'll be able to save them for weekends. Also had a half piece of cake after dinner and a half cupcake after lunch yesterday. Tonight I won't finish that cake because it wasn't very good, but I may eat some ice cream. Fibro has been too active, disrupting my sleep, but we did take a walk today. I'll report on trials and continue with my wall calendar. Next week several dinners alone while hubby goes out for business, then a spa day courtesy of generous son's Christmas gift certificate.

[turtledove]

I did finish the chocolates on weekends only, and I haven't had any more NWS occasions. Also no failures since Jan. 15. Saturday hubbie and I went to the gym; the workout wasn't terribly strenuous, but it did make the fibro flare up. grrr. On Saturday I actually couldn't fit in any S's, so on Sunday I made sure to have candy at the movies and some ice cream for dessert. I'm afraid not to indulge a bit on the weekends. But the best thing is that I'm down about 7-8 pounds! I think the loss sped up a bit when I stopped drinking my favorite Snapple natural teas at lunch. The price went up and I took the opportunity to stop buying them. Unfortunately, I'm not drinking enough water in place of the teas, but that shouldn't be too hard to remedy.

[turtledove]

I've posted on the 10 page because I'm down 10 pounds! I had to take a few built up NWS days because I went to a conference and food was hard to keep track of. Lots of very light meals but also some quality desserts. One day Haagen Daz bars were brought into the halls for between sessions. What's a girl gonna do? So I did eat one of those. I guess besides the exercise problem, I'm going to need to figure out how to travel and keep the system going properly. In June, 5 or so days at my mother's house will be the next big test. The folks around there are grazers. Last visit she said something like "You don't eat very much, do you?" and I replied that I was eating enough to be obese.

Having some stress, but at this point it's not making me want to eat, and I'm very pleased about that.