Sophiasapientia's Check-In

idontknow · Post by **idontknow** » Wed Oct 27, 2010 3:13 pm

He is beautiful - I'm sure you will enjoy him and he will be grateful to have you as his owners. Good luck with the training

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Wed Oct 27, 2010 5:19 pm

He is soooooo adorable!!!!

thtrchic · Post by **thtrchic** » Thu Oct 28, 2010 3:30 am

He is so, so cute! He'll have to learn to keep up with you!

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Thu Oct 28, 2010 4:42 pm

Thanks so much everyone! He is a lot of work but truly a joy.

And yesterday I had 19,000 steps on my pedometer.

I think I'm going to try to add some ab work and light strength training to my routine. The nordic walking really worked my core and toned my arms and mid-section and I'm worried about losing those benefits.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Fri Oct 29, 2010 3:48 pm

A couple of No S failures to report.

We went out for dinner last night. We wanted to try the French Onion soup and I shared a bowl with DH and DD. Since I ate less than half of my entree -- sent the rest in with DH for lunch today -- this could probably be considered "virtual plating" but I baked a batch of blondies earlier in the day and I had a small one with my family for dessert last night. And then another small one. And then another piece.

And I just had another blondie on my plate at lunch today.

This was stress eating. If I'm being completely honest with myself, I'm stressed out at the moment. There's a very sticky/uncomfortable extended family situation that I've avoided dealing with for the last year or so but am going to have to face head on in a few weeks and I really don't want to do it. And there's just a lot on my plate right now. And I'm feeling guilty about not making any progress with my driving resolution. I haven't done anything recently and my resolution has fallen by the wayside.

And, as I'm in the process of planning my sister's rapidly approaching baby shower, I'm feeling sad. Thrilled to pieces about a new niece or nephew/very happy for my Dsis and DBil and excited to meet my stepsister's twin babies for the first time at the shower but, selfishly, a little sad for myself because I know that, for a variety of reasons, another child isn't in the cards for us. I've mostly made my peace with that but my sweet DD is growing up so fast and we've been surrounded by little ones/pregnancies recently and it brings the reality of it all home. I'll be fine but I think I'm mourning a bit.

At any rate, No S failures and stress eating are not going to help anything. Enough. Back on track. The rest of today will be green.

Sinnie · Post by **Sinnie** » Fri Oct 29, 2010 10:58 pm

You know, even though I'm not in your situation, for some reaon I can relate so well to every word you wrote. Hang in there, you're not alone.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Mon Nov 01, 2010 4:02 pm

Hi Sinnie -- Thanks you for the encouragement! I hope that everything is going OK and that you are hanging in there as well.

I'll just say that Friday was bad. My worst day on No S ever. I ended up polishing off the blondies. I was stressed, sad and tired -- I'm on a much earlier schedule with the new pup, who wakes up before 5

-- and I turned to food for comfort.

The whole episode was a healthy reminder that there is a reason why I was once an obese person who weighed 193 pounds. However, I am not that person anymore. I have a commitment to treat myself kindly, to exercise, to eat well and to not binge. I considered only taking one S Day over the weekend but decided that punishing myself wasn't what I wanted to do. Instead, I had moderate S Days, with special treats, and took the dog for a long walk each day. Today, I've already gone for a long walk, gone to the grocery store with a list/my weekly meal plan in hand and am currently simmering a huge pot of homemade butternut squash soup for dinner.

This is my No S "During" journey. There are going to be days that are more difficult than others. There are going to be days when I'm not perfect. But that's OK. It is a journey that I love and am committed to living out, one day at a time. Today marks my 10 month anniversary of restarting No S. I've lost 27 pounds this year and have found a structure that brings me peace and allows me to enjoy food again. I'm eternally thankful to be here.

kccc · Post by **kccc** » Mon Nov 01, 2010 8:20 pm

sophiasapientia wrote:This is my No S "During" journey. There are going to be days that are more difficult than others. There are going to be days when I'm not perfect. But that's OK. It is a journey that I love and am committed to living out, one day at a time.

Beautiful! And deeply true (for others besides you...)

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Fri Nov 05, 2010 4:20 pm

Thanks KCCC! ... No S has truly been revolutionary for me and I am, indeed, very grateful to Reinhard, for the plan and for the wealth of knowledge and support on these Boards.

It has been a good week in terms of No S. My weight this morning was 117.8, with TOM, and the switch from nordic walking to dog walking doesn't seem to be a problem. My step count has been a little higher with the dog. I still haven't added in weights or ab work at this point. It is getting colder here and there have already been threats of snow so I'll have to see how things go once the winter hits.

I received my first packet from the National Weight Loss Registry -- a registry for individuals who have kept off at least 30 pounds for a year; I've kept off 48 lbs for several years -- which was

(It look me to get my initial registration packet filled out and sent back.)

I've stayed away from the leftover Halloween candy and I'm really looking forward to some nice treats this weekend. DH wants to get salted caramel hot chocolate from Starbucks and I think some good quality baked good, perhaps homemade, are in order as well.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Fri Nov 12, 2010 2:17 pm

My weight continues to slowly drop. It was at 117ish and slightly below all week. Normally, homemade veggie soup is my dietary default for lunch during cooler weather but I made other choices this week/ate out twice for lunch due to special plans. Last night I did share a small slice of lemon loaf with DD and DH after dinner but my N Days are largely green. No worries, no obssessing, no counting anything. I feel like I've joined the "secret" ranks of all of those previous generations who maintained a slender weight naturally through staying active and eating 3 meals a day with once-in-awhile special treats thrown in for good measure. It is a very pleasurable way to live.

Lots of exciting things coming up in the coming weeks -- my sister's baby shower, travel, Thanksgiving. My goal for the holiday season is to maintain my weight range and just continue with my current plan of No S, walking and wearing my pedometer.

I haven't made progress with some of my other non-dietary resolutions. However, I've been thinking about it, and I know that this current failure does not mean that I'm doomed to fail forever. I had two huge bellyflop attempts at No S prior to successfully restarting this year. I was just ready to commit this time and I did. There will come a point where I will be ready to commit to my other goals as well.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 4:33 pm

Two acquaintances who, at 28 and 34, were both younger than me, have died within the past couple weeks. One was killed by a drunk driver on her way home from work. The other went to bed two night ago and just didn't wake up. I didn't know either of these ladies well but they have been on my mind a lot, my heart going out to their families and loved ones who include members of my own family. It is a quiet reminder, as these sad occasions tend to be, of how finite life is, that each day is a gift, to not take things or people for granted. I don't want to fritter away the time that I have. I want to live passionately and with purpose and courage. I want to focus on what matters.

***

On a self-care note: I'm treating myself to a trip to a nice beauty salon this afternoon, something that I haven't done in quite some time.

I'm planning on having about 10 inches of hair cut off so it will be a significant change. I'm ready for it. I want an updated look to go with my updated figure.

kccc · Post by **kccc** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 7:05 pm

Sophiasapienta, I am sorry for both those losses. And you are right - it's a reminder to cherish every moment, and all the people you love, and to live purposefully.

You are wise to take care of yourself, and to learn from this sadness.

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Wed Nov 17, 2010 1:46 pm

You're right. We have to live each day with gusto and make it count! Sorry to hear about your aquaintances....

In lighter news, how's that adorable doggy of yours?

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Fri Nov 19, 2010 12:49 pm

Thank you KCCC and Tobiasmom. I appeciate your kind words.

Related to living a purposeful life, I found a cool site called "RescueTime" which helps you see you where you are wasting time online and helps you cut back. Given that and given that I have found my groove with No S and it is a well engrained habit at this point, I suspect that I won't be posting as much unless something significant happens or I need extra accountability for some reason. I will try to update from time to time, maybe on a monthly basis.

Pup is doing well. We are his 3rd family in a year so he has some "baggage" but we are making strides and he is a sweetie.

Weight this week has mostly been at 117.

Happy Thanksgiving to those who are celebrating next week!

dmarie710 · Post by **dmarie710** » Sat Nov 27, 2010 5:17 am

Hey Shannon. I haven't been receiving updates on your thread so have been missing alot. Sounds like you have so much going on. Your new dog is adorable. Sounds like your doing great weight wise. Hope you had an amazing thanksgiving. Have a great weekend.
Denise

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Sun Nov 28, 2010 4:05 pm

Shannon, I haven't been receiving updates, either. I hear ya regarding too much time spent online. I'm grateful for your having shared your journey here, though. It inspires me that you made anything work to get you down from 193 lbs., though I know No S was only part of the plan. I hope to hear your updates when you do decide to post.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Thu Dec 02, 2010 4:26 pm

Hi Denise & Oolala! Thanks so much for your kind words and Thanksgiving wishes! I hope that you are both doing well & had lovely holidays! I miss catching up with everybody's ongoings.

We spent last week in NJ to celebrate Thanksgiving with my DH's family & to throw a baby shower for my sister & her husband. Everything went very well. There was plenty of yummy food and tons of sweets, as there always tend to be at my MIL's and SIL's. I have to admit that I was pretty loose with No S for a few days while on vacation -- it is tough when family members go out of their way to make special treats just for us! -- but I tried not to be a complete idiot and exercised everyday except one. I was happy to get back to my normal routine on Monday, though, and my weight is still within range. This morning it was 117.6. I'll take it.

I'm still working on cutting back on internet time. My monthly resolution for December is to become a better manger of my time and wasting too much time online is an issue for me.

I found a tool called Leechblock, which you can set up to limit your access to distracting websites, and am just starting to use that. I can definitely go into a time warp on Everyday Systems

so I just haven't been checking the site much at all recently while I try to get a better handle on things. So, if I'm not checking-in or reading the forums as much, it probably means that I'm being productive ... which is a good thing.

But I won't disappear forever and I'll try to update/catch-up when I am able.

Happy Holidays to all!!!!

January 1 marks my 1 year anniversary of restarting No S so I'll make a point of updating my thread around then.

dmarie710 · Post by **dmarie710** » Fri Dec 03, 2010 1:01 am

good to touch base with you Shannon. It's unbelievable how low your weight has gotten. That really is so great. Are you still sticking with the same structure. Vanilla NOS for a short lady?
Denise

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Sat Dec 04, 2010 1:31 pm

dmarie710 wrote:good to touch base with you Shannon. It's unbelievable how low your weight has gotten. That really is so great. Are you still sticking with the same structure. Vanilla NOS for a short lady?
Denise

Yes, I'm sticking with the 'ol same "Vanilla No S for a short lady" structure. It seems to work for me and, even more importantly, I can live with it. Yay!

How are you doing? I miss your check-ins.

funfuture · Post by **funfuture** » Sat Dec 04, 2010 11:24 pm

Hi Sophiasapienta,
I'm just rejoining NoS after a bit of a break. Would you mind my asking what "Vanilla NoS for a short lady" is? As someone a bit vertically challenged myself, that sounds intriguing.
Thanks
Fun

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Sun Dec 05, 2010 1:42 am

Welcome back Fun!!!

I copied the following from the first page of my thread. With the exception of the food journaling, which I no longer do, it is still my basic plan.

****

Vanilla No S -- I do plain, good 'ol vanilla No S with unrestricted S Days. I also rarely drink anything with calories between meals on N Days.

S Days -- As I mentioned, I have unrestricted S Days. However, I generally follow the basic 3 meal structure with some added treats. I don't generally permasnack. I like to plan out at least one special treat for each S Day ... something I've really been wanting. We often eat out once or twice on the weekend. I look forward to S Days.

Exercise -- I've exercised consistently for years and it was a well-engrained habit long before I discovered No S. Mostly I walk or do nordic skiwalking. More recently, I wear a pedometer and try to get in over 12,000 steps on N Days and stay active on S Days as well. I think, for myself, if I'm following a moderate diet, exercise is especially essential.

Some of my Dietary Defaults:
9-inch plates: In 2009, I picked up a set of 9-inch plates. I use these for dinner and sometimes lunch at home. (Usually my breakfast plate is smaller and I often eat soup for lunch.) I don't worry about plate size when I'm out. I figure if the standard plate size was about 9" inches in the 1970s, prior to when our nation had an obesity epidemic, it is good enough for me.

Meal size: On N Days, I usually have a smallish breakfast with coffee in the morning. For lunch, I often have a big bowl of homemade veggie-based soup and hunk of good bread or a piece of fruit with some cheese. Something filling but not huge. For dinner, I have standard fare ... a plate of whatever I'm feeding my family. I refuse to count calories but I recognize that I'm short/don't have huge calorie needs and this is a painless way to keep things in check.

Friday night pizza: I usually make homemade pizza, served with salad or some cut-up veggies, for dinner on Friday night. This works great because my family loves pizza and I feel like I'm getting an end-of-the-week treat without violating the No S rules.

Tracking: I weigh in daily and graph my weight. I also keep a food journal here on the Boards. I know that Reinhard advises against weighing too much but I actually find it very helpful to see trends over time. If either the journaling or the weight graphing ever become burdensome, I'll stop but for now I find them useful/enjoyable.

dmarie710 · Post by **dmarie710** » Sun Dec 05, 2010 3:13 am

Well, things are going well, here, but busy. I don't know what my weight is but still wearing the same size. I pretty much stick to NoS.
We've been getting ready for christmas and there always seems to be a whole bunch of kids sporting activites mixed with church mixed with Bunko. You know the story.
It's good touching base with you. Hope all in the family is well and you have a great holiday season.
Denise

funfuture · Post by **funfuture** » Tue Dec 07, 2010 7:46 am

Thanks, Shannon. I really appreciate you copying it out for me. I love the pizza idea - that might work in our house too. Also the 9" plates (I have no idea how big ours are - I've never measured them...). And the pedometer - I recently bought one but haven't set it up yet.
All tweaks I think I can incorporate into my own Vanilla NoS.
cheers
Fun
x

Sophiasapientia's Check-In

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