Hopeful's Daily Check In - I'm finally going to do it.

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 4:34 pm

So as most of you can see from the picture of me that RedChina posted in his last entry, I am very over weight. I have shopped in plus size since i was 7 and I am tired of it and I am ready to be healthy. I'm a super picky eater so I never even tried the "other" diets because I knew I would not eat that crap. I am pretty hopeful that this will work and I am trying very hard to stay focused on the prize. So far it has been easy - it is tax season so I work all the time and I hardly ever get to eat any time other than normal meal times (sometimes not at all) so I really have not been faced with temptation yet. But my favorite candy in the entire world is Reese's easter eggs.....I will be eating them this weekend.....

Current Weight: 268 lbs
Goal Weight: 180 lbs[/b]

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 4:58 pm

Day 1: FAILURE

The first day was easy - like I said in the previous post it is a busy time of the year for me and I don't really have time to eat anyway. Snacking is an issue for me throughout the day though. When I am really busy I tend to replace meals with snacking. I had to resist diving in to my audit bag and pulling out one of those 100 calorie smore snacks (which are amazing lol) all day and I was successful - that made me feel good. I did mess up at breakfast though. Old habits die hard, I was on the road so I got a chicken biscuit from mcdonalds and a sprite.....yes I know the sprite is bad. Once it registered with me I stopped drinking it and went for a bottle of water. For lunch it was water again and a 6 inch grilled chicken sub with a small amount of low fat mayo and tomatoes from subway ( I will be eating the other 6 inches today for lunch). For dinner it was peanut butter and jelly (I promise the only one this week!) on wheat bread and the serving size portion of baked cheetos and some more water. So I think I did pretty good......if not let me know! Mood =

embee · Post by **embee** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 5:08 pm

Hi Hopeful! I'm new here too. I've been trying to follow No-S for a month but after so much failure, I'm hoping that this board gives me some accountability.

I do the same thing that you do - replace meals with snacking. Only lately, each "snack" has been like a mini-meal... a sandwich, a bowl of soup, a huge handful of candy, seven or eight slices of cheese...

Sounds like you did great on your first day. It's good to have your man along too, I bet. :)

RedChina · Post by **RedChina** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 5:47 pm

Hopeful wrote:I had to resist diving in to my audit bag and pulling out one of those 100 calorie smore snacks (which are amazing lol) all day and I was successful - that made me feel good.

Congrats baby, you didn't even tell me about that part!

Hopeful wrote:I did mess up at breakfast though. Old habits die hard, I was on the road so I got a chicken biscuit from mcdonalds and a sprite.....yes I know the sprite is bad. Once it registered with me I stopped drinking it and went for a bottle of water.

That's not a total FAILURE... maybe it can be FAILCESS.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Tue Feb 24, 2009 7:31 pm

Hopeful wrote: I'm a super picky eater so I never even tried the "other" diets because I knew I would not eat that crap.

Hahah!!! Excellent!!!
Welcome Hopeful!
If anything, NoS is really perfect for picky eaters and might even make you *more* picky! It helps you focus on eating well, but not *overeating*, and you will find yourself really considering what you choose to eat much more consciously when you know you have a set amount of meals and no endless snacking etc.. And you can have your beloved Reeses eggs* on the weekend.
You are both sweet looking and it's excellent you have each other as support! That will really work in your favour!

Good luck

Debs

*ps...Are they safe to eat now?? Last I heard peanut butter stuff was being said to carry botulism or something???

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 4:20 pm

Day 2: ??

Breakfast: 1 Biscuit w/ butter and a small amount of jelly (half of the little square things they have at restaurants) 2 pieces of bacon, 1 piece of sausage, 1 egg, Water
Lunch: Did not have time to eat.
Dinner:Medium Big N' Tasty cheeseburger meal w/ water.........

So I basically ate crap all day. I stuck to the rules - no sweets, no seconds, and no snacks - but the food was not good for me so I don't know if I failed or not.

magicman · Post by **magicman** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 4:47 pm

In my opinion, the only way you could be said to fail was that you didn't eat three meals. The maximum is also the minimum on this diet, because the most important thing starting off is building a habit.

So try not to skip any more meals.

Other than that, well done! I'm just starting out myself, and we really don't need to be worrying about the quality of the food we are eating... yet! Just reassure yourself that by cutting out snacks, sweets, and seconds you are going to be eating less calories in a day no matter what you are eating.

So at some point we'll need to worry about other aspects of our eating habit, but right now, let's get the fundamentals down.

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 2:50 pm

Day 3: SUCCESS

Breakfast: 2 thin pancakes and a small serving of syrup, 1 piece of bacon, ice water
Lunch: 2 bites of a bad sandwich, water....I know....I will be back in the office next week and the missing lunch will stop - promise
Dinner: Burger King - chicken sandwich -mayo, ketchup, tomato, and a small fry, dipped fries in ketchup as well, 4 sips of diet coke (yuck) and then water

RedChina · Post by **RedChina** » Thu Feb 26, 2009 3:39 pm

Congrats baby! Almost halfway through a week, or rather more than half way through our N-days!

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Fri Feb 27, 2009 3:02 pm

Day 4: SUCCESS

Breakfast: Half of an omelet - egg, cheese, bacon -ice water
Lunch: Half of a Stouffer's turkey club panini - water
Dinner: Sonic foot long chili cheese hotdog and a small tot with ketchup - water

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 4:40 pm

Day 5: SUCCESS

Breakfast: 3/4 of a Biscuit, half a restaurant style carton of strawberry jelly, 1 piece of bacon, water
Lunch: Mexican restaurant - 2 chicken enchiladas with sour creme sauce, some chips with salsa - but only a portion that will fit on the plate - replaced the beans and the salad portion of the plate, and a small amount of rice, water
Dinner:6 small bacon wrapped shrimp - BBQ sauce, 3/4 of mashed potatoes serving, a few fired green beans, water

I need to eat healthier.......

Thalia · Post by **Thalia** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 8:50 pm

You're doing great on compliance! I do kind of notice, though, that you don't eat any fruit or vegetables at all, most days. Do you just not like them?

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 4:29 pm

I do kind of notice, though, that you don't eat any fruit or vegetables at all, most days. Do you just not like them?

I only like a select few. I am very picky and I basically do not like anything healthy obviously. However, I did buy apples and grapes and I am going to substitute those for chips with my smoked turkey sandwiches that I bring for lunch now.

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 4:33 pm

Day 8:FAILURE

Breakfast: Popcorn with Hershey Kissables and 3 Reese eggs
Lunch: Turkey sandwich on wheat, 2% american cheese, lite mayo, 3 thin slices of smoked turkey breast, 2 tbl spoons of french onion dip and Lite Lay's with ridges
Dinner: Nothing

RedChina · Post by **RedChina** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 4:51 pm

It's all about building good habits. It'll get better, and easier!

Thalia · Post by **Thalia** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 5:20 pm

Yeah, most of us have a few good failures in there before it sticks.

embee · Post by **embee** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 1:11 pm

Good job posting. Don't stop!

I hate eating raw vegetables, but I can get them down with some kind of dip. If you like french onion dip, you could try dipping broccoli or baby carrots into it. I can eat a bowl of vegetables like that!

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:23 pm

Day 9: SUCCESS

Breakfast: Nothing
Lunch: 10 Chicken nuggets, medium fry - McDonald's Meal with BBQ sauce - Bottle Water
Dinner: Arby's Bacon Cheddar Roast Burger and fries, horseradish sauce, Arby's sauce, and a bottle of water

I promise today will be better....for breakfast I already had an apple! lol and I brought my lunch so no visits to McDonald's - I'm trying I swear.......

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Wed Mar 04, 2009 3:27 pm

I hate eating raw vegetables, but I can get them down with some kind of dip. If you like french onion dip, you could try dipping broccoli or baby carrots into it. I can eat a bowl of vegetables like that!

I am going to try that as a snack this weekend! I totally binged on crap this past weekend but I think my mind is finally getting over the psychological hump and realizing that I am not really depriving myself and that this really isn't a diet.

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 4:02 pm

Day 10: SUCCESS

Breakfast: Apple slices, water
Lunch: I tried to eat a ham and cheese panini, but the bread was super soggy and I have food texture issues, water
Dinner: 8 chick-fil-a chicken nuggets, medium waffle fry, honey mustard, 3 sips of a sprite (redchina did not even notice I ordered it) until I realized what I was drinking and threw it away - then water

I have lost 5.2 lbs since 02/22/09. I have a feeling that if I would start eating healthier foods then it would come off a lot quicker......but some is better than none.

embee · Post by **embee** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 4:53 pm

Great job on sticking to the rules.

You said that you think you'll lose weight faster if you eat healthier foods... this is true. But the most important thing is that you will probably FEEL better, too.

It seems like your schedule requires you to eat out a lot. This may do little to hinder your weight loss, but it can be really detrimental to your overall nutrition. I know you said you're a picky eater, but there's got to be SOMETHING that you like that will be good fuel for your body while you lose weight. Fruits and veggies are necessary, yes, but so are complex carbs, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

Just a thought... but keep up the good work. I am doing this too, and it's difficult changing a lifetime of habits. :)

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 2:35 pm

Day 11: SUCCESS

Breakfast: 2 pieces of wheat bread, peanut butter and jelly
Lunch: 1 serving size of cocoa pebbles and 2% milk
Dinner: Chicken and Pasta, 2 pieces of wheat bread with a garlic margarine spread - i cut the crust off of each piece

I did not go to work today or Monday- I had a very bad reaction to the antibiotics that were prescribed to me.

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 2:37 pm

embee wrote: Fruits and veggies are necessary, yes, but so are complex carbs, lean proteins, and healthy fats.

Can you suggest some foods?

embee · Post by **embee** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 3:29 pm

It's hard for me to suggest healthy food because you mentioned you're picky. What don't you like? What do you like?

I think instead of eating stuff you hate, it's a better approach to try to overhaul dishes that you do like by changing aspects about them so they're healthier. Take chili, for example. I used to make chili at home with hamburger and then make cornbread on the side cooked in bacon fat. Yeah, it's good but cornbread doesn't really count as a vegetable and hamburger has lots of saturated fat. Now I make it with leaner ground turkey and we have baked potatoes on the side. Still good, but healthier.

A few ideas...
- Dip apples or pears in yogurt
- Eat more fiber - granola, whole wheat bread/pasta, baked potato
- Make a huge salad with some meat (I use the same honey ham I eat on sandwiches), shredded cheese, a hardboiled egg if you like that, a lot of vegetables that you can stomach, and a dressing that you love
- I LOVE soup, and it can be so healthy (also can be a good way to eat veggies)

Thalia · Post by **Thalia** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:23 pm

Yeah, it really depends on what your pickiness rules out. My suggestions would be to eat more fruit (since I'm guessing you find it more palatable than vegetables), add lettuce and tomato to your sandwiches, baked potato instead of french fries, order with whole-wheat buns or bread instead of white, try cereals with more fiber and less sugar/artificial flavoring instead of Cocoa Pebbles. Try baked apples or broiled bananas if you don't like them raw. Is that going to be perfect nutrition or an avalanche of health food? Heck no, but it will be an improvement and probably enough of a one that you'll feel better physically.

This isn't a low-fat diet, so don't be afraid to try vegetables in cheese or creams sauces if that makes it easier for you to eat them. Creamed spinach, or broccoli gratin, that kind of thing. If you have an omelette, order it with some bell pepper or spinach or whatever veggie you can stomach. As you get more accustomed to them, they will stop seeming threatening or unpalatable and you might even develop a taste for them! I bet you might like winter squashes like butternut -- they're sweet and mild-flavored and really good with butter or olive oil.

I think for a lot of people, pickiness comes from an aversion to strange or unfamiliar foods, and if you can gradually get used to them they stop seeming threatening or distasteful. I know that I hardly liked any vegetables in my early 20s, and now I love them, so it is possible for some of us!

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 8:16 pm

Thank you all for your suggestions! I really appreciate it!! I will try some of those things, but I basically will not have time to eat anything that requires to much prep time until after April 15th.

Day 12: SUCCESS

Breakfast: Half of an apple
Lunch:Half of an apple
Dinner: Big N' Tasty w/ cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, ketchup - McDonald, fry, bottle of water, 1/2 BBQ sauce (dipped fries)[/b]

la_loser · Post by **la_loser** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 9:34 pm

Oh my goodness-If I tried to survive on half an apple for breakfast and half an apple for lunch, I'd end up eating my arm. And you're doing great with 10 days of success going for you.

Since you're really just trying to build habits right now, just concentrate on eating three real meals a day, no matter what they are, with no seconds or snacks in between or sweets during your N days. . .

You said that you've lost over five pounds since Feb. 22. That's way faster than most people lose on No S. With your hectic schedule during tax season, you'll feel lots better if you won't deprive yourself by depriving yourself or keeping that old diet mentality. I think that may be harder than sticking to the rules-those of us who have been on one diet or another for years can't help but think, oh, I should eat only half of that, or I should use the lite mayo or fake margarine, etc. But those who have done No S successfully, including Reinhard, are adamant that we need to eat "real foods." The weight may not come off as fast but you're more likely to stick to it.

Otherwise you're going to get so desperate you'll be tempted to chunk the whole thing.

So my advice would be to be sure to eat "meal" of some sort three times a day. . . without retreating to the old "diet" habits then by the time April 15 gets here, you'll at least have the three meal habit with no snacks or sweets established. . . then you can concentrate on making healthier choices. Baby steps. . . baby steps.

And do enjoy your S days--another temptation is to try to make all days N days when you begin--but that can send you right into a spin as well.

Good luck and hang in there.

la_loser · Post by **la_loser** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 9:48 pm

Another thought. . . since you don't really have time to "pack" lunches or really prepare things, do you have a fridge at work where you could store some items for several days? I often take a loaf of some bread that I really like, a small container of (real) mayo, and a bag of deli ham and some cheese and a bag of washed grapes and keep them in my fridge at work. That way when I have a crazy day (usually everyday!), I'm not forced into eating something I'd rather not--or worse, skipping a meal.

If you don't have a fridge, you could just keep a jar of peanut butter and keep some fresh fruit in a drawer or cabinet with your bread or crackers. Just shooting for some carbs and protein and something fresh may help. Also keeping some juice around would help.

That way you only have to organize once every few days instead of every day before work. But anything is going to be better for you than skipping (or practically skipping i.e. half an apple!) meals!

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:01 pm

Thanks for the advice! I know I need to eat more....I'm jus tone of those people that if I get involved in something......14 hour tax returns.........I stay focused until it is finished. I honestly forget to eat sometimes......I am making an effort and I like your idea about the small stuff at my desk.....but I thought that would qualify as snacking.........does it? Or is it better to have a snack for a meal then nothing at all?

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:07 pm

Day 15: SUCCESS

Breakfast: Strawberry and Cream Oatmeal
Lunch: 2 Chicken fingers, 4 or 5 fries
Dinner: Chicken Parmigiana (1 piece of breaded chicken, thick spaghetti noodles and red sauce), 2 pieces of wheat bread with a margarine garlic spread - pulled the crust completely off of one piece and half off the second piece

Thalia · Post by **Thalia** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:13 pm

You're doing great!

RedChina · Post by **RedChina** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:05 pm

Baby, you should post your weight loss results so far! Thalia's right. You're doing great!

blue · Post by **blue** » Tue Mar 10, 2009 10:48 pm

Your pictue of you to is Adorable!! Be glad you have such a great support . Its hard for me cause my husband wont do No s. Maybe some day

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 4:19 pm

Thanks everyone for all the support! You guys are great!
Day 16: FAILURE

Breakfast: Nothing
Lunch: I finally got to eat around 5pm when I left the client to go back to the office - McDonalds' 10 piece chicken nugget, medium fry, bottle of water, and BBQ sauce
Dinner: 2 pieces of honey wheat toast - a light spread of butter (broiled in the oven), apple jelly and peanut butter mixed together - so essentially a peanut butter and jelly sandwich

So....the reason I failed is because I was at the office until 9 last night...I was tired and stressed working on a particularly difficult tax return and one of the partners came around and threw a miniature reeses at me - I ate it without thinking.....

blue · Post by **blue** » Wed Mar 11, 2009 4:23 pm

Thats alot to be be thrown at you thie early.The cool thing is "no big deal a failure " jump right back on the horse

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Thu Mar 12, 2009 8:46 pm

Day 17: SUCCESS

Breakfast: 1/2 can of Diet Sprite
Lunch: (McDonalds) 10 piece chicken nugget, medium fry, bottle water, BBQ sauce
Dinner: (Burger King) Chicken Sandwich - Tomato, mayo, and ketchup - 3/4 of a small fry, 4 packets of ketchup

I worked and then went straight to class until 8:30 - I promise soon the eating out at mcdonalds will not be every day! I have been at a client for the past 4 weeks - going to the office at night. So basically I feel weird bringing food to the client's office. But I am back in the office next week so it will be oatmeal for bfast, something healthier than drive thru for lunch and hopefully home for dinner with Redchina. Errrrr I am so ready for tax season to be over!!!

embee · Post by **embee** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:14 am

You are doing great! I am so impressed that you have lost over 15 pounds! And that "failure" a couple of days ago was nothing... I know if I had a failure like that, I'd immediately chuck it all and eat the rest of the bag of candy. GOOD JOB!!!

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 5:02 pm

Day 18: FAILURE

So I am an emotional eater - something big went down the night before/yesterday and at about 2PM yesterday I ate a snickers. I know that I did it for the wrong reason (emotional eating is bad) but it calmed me down and to me that makes it worth it.

Breakfast: Nothing
Lunch: 3 stuffed shrimp, 5 cooked potatoe wedges not battered - just potatoes cut in to wedges and cooked in some type of soup, the snickers
Dinner: 1 wrap with fajita grilled chicken, pico de gallo, 1.5 table spoons of fat free sour creme, mexican cheese, 1.5 cups (cooked) rica roni chicken and brocolli flavored rice with grilled chicken mixed in, 3 pieces of brocolli with cheese - steamed

Bottom line - I am trying but this is a very stressful time of the year for me, if one thing in my personal life gets stressful then it gets really bad. So I ate the snickers and if I had it to do again I would. Sorry to disappoint.

embee · Post by **embee** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 5:41 pm

Hopeful, don't apologize for that. No one is disappointed if you aren't. Part of the point of no-s is learning that snacks and sweets are fine in moderation. It's not like you ate a whole cake - you had a candy bar.

I don't think that posting on this board is meant to provoke some kind of guilt trip when you have a "failure" day. It's just supposed to be a sort of notch on the wall, success or failure. Yesterday I had a handful of Chex Mix on a napkin about two hours before lunch. I was extremely hungry (and I mean headache, stomach constantly growling, etc.) and I knew it would be some time before I ate again. But you know what? I just ate what was on the napkin and considered it part of lunch. Did I follow the rules exactly? No... but I'm not really answering to anyone but myself. And neither are you!

Get through this stressful time of year and make RedChina buy you something pretty when it's over. Until then, just take care of yourself. No one on this board is disappointed in you or your results. 15 lbs. already is mighty impressive.

Post by **reinhard** » Fri Mar 13, 2009 6:57 pm

Hopeful,

You sound like you don't feel like you're doing well, but (if I'm understanding correctly) you've been very successful in terms of losing weight, and in terms of resiliently bouncing back when you hit compliance bumps. Congratulations and please give yourself some credit!

In terms of the picky eater issue: I'd try to come up with some "intelligent dietary defaults" that are reasonably healthy and things that you like. You've mentioned a few that qualify: like apples and grapes as chip replacements. It might actually be helpful to explicitly write them down, both as something practical to consult and for morale: seeing a list of them might make you realize that you do have some good options up your sleeve, despite your pickiness.

I am, alas, the opposite of a picky eater... if it's not rotten and is well prepared, I like it. In fact I have never met a person who categorically likes all kinds of foods the way I do. I once, when I was a teenager, didn't like olives, but I decided that I like the idea of olives (historical connotations, ancient Greece and all that) and made myself eat them to get over it. It worked -- I love olives now. So I think it is possible to expand your horizons a bit. Are there any healthier foods you don't absolutely despise that you might want to try getting used to? If not, don't sweat it too much. The main issue is excess and you don't want to let nutritional fine tuning distract you from that.

As LA_Loser and Deb point out, keeping the focus on the basic, simple structure of three meals is the most important part to get down. Once you make that a habit, fine tuning like the above gets much easier. And you might even find you don't need very much.

Reinhard

magicman · Post by **magicman** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 2:53 am

Hopeful wrote:Bottom line - I am trying but this is a very stressful time of the year for me, if one thing in my personal life gets stressful then it gets really bad.

When I was quitting smoking, one of the myths I had to debunk for myself was that smoking relieves stress. I realized that the only stress that it relieved was the very same stress that was caused by my habit. By quitting smoking, I actually cut out one of the causes of stress in my life.

In much the same way, for me, on the No S diet, I've had to confront my own attitudes about food. And the bottom line for me is that eating doesn't really make me feel better, it's really just a way I'd punish myself for feeling bad. My own out of control eating habits themselves, like smoking, was one of the stress causing agents in my life, and by addressing that root cause, I'm lowering the amount of stress in my life. Having a set structure that I've determined beforehand relieves me from the burden of making certain decisions in the moment.

I know it's hard. Know we're rooting for you.

But grouping this diet with the stressers in your life isn't the path to success.

Kathleen · Post by **Kathleen** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 2:45 pm

Hopeful,

You are starting this diet at what seems like your most stressful period, the month before April 15. I started this diet between the time my kids started school in early September and the time I started working part time in late October. Even then, it was hard.

This diet is first about normalizing eating and second about weight loss. You have disordered eating. Not eating until 5 PM and then eating 10 nuggets from McDonalds.

My recommendation is that you lower your expectations for this diet. Start with just following the no sweets rules for N Days. Part of the deal is defining sweets. Reinhard says some people decide no peanut butter. There's lots of discussion about types of cereals that qualify as sweets or not. Reinhard also says to rule out regular pop as a sweet. We all need to make clear definitions for ourselves. I saw somewhere that someone was trying to argue that a chocolate chip cookie wasn't a sweet! Anyway, it's something to really think through, and that seems like a good goal for you right now. Get the no sweets rule down to 100% success.

For me, personally, regular pop is outside my definition of sweets. I have ginger ale when I have an upset stomach and my over the top S Days have caused some stomach problems, plus I don't really like regular pop and rarely drink it, so I decided that regular pop is fine for N Days.

Kathleen

kccc · Post by **kccc** » Sat Mar 14, 2009 6:24 pm

Just wishing you luck!

You are starting during a stressful time, so my generic advice is "be gentle with yourself." Here's what I mean by that:

First, take one thing at a time. The first step is three regular meals - even if they're crap! After you get that habit down, you can work on what they are, or set exercise targets. Just don't set too many goals all at once.

Second, celebrate every success. If you take time to pack a healthy meal and pass up on McDonald's, that's a success. If you find a handful of easy breakfasts that you'll eat on a regular basis, that's a success. If you sub grapes for your chips, that's a success. Take credit for them, and pat yourself on the back. Tell us, and we'll cheer for you.

Third, fail small and fast. Failures will happen, especially if you're stressed. Get over it, and get back on plan as fast as possible. There's a big difference between one Snickers and five Snickers plus other assorted junk!!

Finally, find other ways to de-stress. What brings you pleasure besides food? Think in terms of ALL your senses, not just taste. What do you like to see, smell, hear, touch? Take scented bubble baths, or buy yourself flowers for your desk, or make fun weekend plans.... whatever makes you smile.

You are doing GREAT at continuing to try. That's a real strength that will pay off for you in the long run!

Very best wishes,

KCCC

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 2:57 pm

Thanks for all the support guys!

Day 19: SUCCESS

Breakfast: 1 apple slice - should have kept them in the refrigerator
Lunch: 1 peanut butter and apple jelly sandwich, serving size of cheetos
Dinner: Exempt - Special occasion, Redchina's mom cooked dinner for us

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Tue Mar 17, 2009 2:59 pm

Day 22: SUCCESS

Breakfast: Half of a chicken biscuit, diet coke
Lunch: 1 slice of pepperoni pizza, water
Dinner: McDonald's 10 piece chicken mcnugget, medium fries, ketchup, water (after class so around 9)

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Wed Mar 18, 2009 4:36 pm

Day 23: SUCCESS

Breakfast:Peach and Creme oatmeal, half a diet coke
Lunch:McDonald's burger and fries, bottle water
Dinner: Exempt - Dinner with my parents (they live 9 hours away) so truly it was a special occasion.......I get to see them at most 10 times a year now...

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:21 pm

Day 24: SUCCESS

Breakfast: 3/4 of a can of Diet Coke
Lunch: 1 piece of cold pizza
Dinner: Chicken sandwich (lettuce, tomato, ketchup, mayo) and value size fry from Burger King - diet coke

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 6:58 pm

Hi Hopeful

Looks like you are doing great!
Congratulations and keep it up!

Debs

RedChina · Post by **RedChina** » Thu Mar 19, 2009 8:16 pm

Hopeful hates Diet Coke too by the way! So be really proud of her for not drinking Sprite.

I love Diet Coke, and funny enough, I tried Big K Diet Cola a couple of week ago from Kroger because they had a 25 cent machine and I had a quarter. I actually liked it even better than Diet Coke, but you can't really ask for Big K Diet Cola when you go to TGI Friday's.

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Fri Mar 20, 2009 8:05 pm

Day 25: SUCCESS

Breakfast: Blueberry & Creme Oatmeal
Lunch: Ham and Cheese Hot Pocket - serving size of cheetos
Dinner: California Roll (Sushi - 6 pieces - small), 3/4 of the serving of Fried rice, 1/2 of the serving of teriyaki chicken with bell peppers and onions, shrimp sauce, water - this is my favorite meal of all time......oh yea and i drank the soup - very small amount

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 1:55 pm

Like RedChina, I simply do not have the time to keep up with daily updates any more....April 15th is getting closer so things are getting even more crazy. I would like to report that yesterday (Sunday) I was able to put on a pair of jeans that I had not been able to wear since last year. Even then I had to wear them with Spanx, so this is awesome! It is very encouraging to finally feel a difference. Thank you all for your support and don't forget....April 15th is right around the corner so file your taxes! Lol....you know I had to.

XOXO to you all!

la_loser · Post by **la_loser** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 3:03 pm

Wow--that's awesome. . .isn't that a great feeling!?

Hopefully your habits are beginning to be strong enough that you can have those to hang on to in the next couple of weeks till your crazy time is over!

Congratulations!

RedChina · Post by **RedChina** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 3:12 pm

Hopeful wrote:I would like to report that yesterday (Sunday) I was able to put on a pair of jeans that I had not been able to wear since last year. Even then I had to wear them with Spanx, so this is awesome! It is very encouraging to finally feel a difference.

Obviously I said this in real life already, but congrats baby! *kiss*

LA_Loser wrote:Hopefully your habits are beginning to be strong enough that you can have those to hang on to in the next couple of weeks till your crazy time is over!

I find that the habits are already strong enough for me. Occasionally, I want a snack or sweet, but the draw isn't as strong as it was at first. I didn't realize how addicted I was to them. Crazy!

VintageGeek · Post by **VintageGeek** » Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:41 pm

I agree with all of the above (except the kissing part, because that wouldn't be nice of me).

Hopeful, you rock. I've never wanted to be in accounting for the reason you're describing right now. That said, your progress has been quite admirable.

And I did my taxes waaaay back in February.

la_loser · Post by **la_loser** » Thu Apr 16, 2009 3:06 pm

HOPEFUL,

HOPEFULly (pun intended!), you're catching a deep breath today now that Tax Day has come and gone, although I'm sure you'll still be dealing with plenty of people who filed for an extension!

And HOPEFULly, you found a way to keep your habits going. Now if you didn't, you need to know that that's OK too! You've been doing No S for a relatively short period of time so please realize that whether you've kept on habit or if you have to mark those days and move on, it's all normal and OK!

Take care and relax a little now!

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 3:54 pm

So I stopped the diet shortly after I stopped posting on here and I have since gained back the weight I lost by eating sonic reeses blast almost everyday along with excessive amounts of cheesecake. This is unusual, but these items are comfort food and my life has been a series of unfortunate events as of late. Job stress, school stress and family stress are the key players in my binging but I am ready to try and take control again. Starting today I am back on the No S diet and I will begin posting everyday. I'm sorry to all those I have let down - RedChina especially though he would never tell me that

and I promise that I am going to do this. There will be some mistakes as I get back in to the grove but bare with me and I know I can get there!

Thanks!
Hopeful

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 4:00 pm

Day 1: SUCCESS

Breakfast: 1/2 serving of Quaker's Peaches and Cream Oatmeal - 65 calories, 1/3 diet coke
Lunch: Chicken salad from Kroger, 1 croissant, serving size of cheetos - 160 calories, I'm not sure about the chicken salad croissant....bottle of water
Dinner: bottle water, asian rice with chicken and vegetables - split a box meal with RedChina, 2 serving sizes of cheetos - I know I need to kick the cheetos but I am on a budget so there will be no kicking until they are gone....but I am eating the serving sizes

Thalia · Post by **Thalia** » Mon Jul 27, 2009 6:59 pm

Welcome back!

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 5:58 pm

Day 2: SUCCESS

Breakfast: 1 Serving size of cookie crisp, 2% milk
Lunch: 2 chicken strips in a salad with 3/4 of the packet of ranch dressing - Chick-fil-a - did not finish the meal, diet coke in a can
Dinner: Class on base so we had to eat at burger king and I had a free whopper coupon so.....5/8 of a whopper, $1 fry, and a diet coke

mimi · Post by **mimi** » Tue Jul 28, 2009 10:52 pm

Welcome back - this time will be the charm! Go for it!

Mimi

Bushranger · Post by **Bushranger** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 4:02 am

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:41 pm

Bushranger wrote:

Thanks!

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:42 pm

mimi wrote:Welcome back - this time will be the charm! Go for it!

Mimi

Thanks so much! I hope so!

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:48 pm

Day 3: Needs work

Breakfast: 1/3 of a Diet Coke
Lunch: 2 slices of wheat bread with 2 slices of melted 2% cheese, 4 chicken nuggets, small fry, 16.9 fl oz of water, 3 spoons of clam chowder......ok so here is how it happened - I went home for lunch cooked the cheese toast and then made a bowl of the clam chowder soup - bad idea! The stuff was so gross!!!!! I tried to eat it, I am on a tight budget trying to pay down my debt so if I buy it I try to eat it but this stuff was so very gross! So I ate the 2 pieces of cheese toast and then went to mcdonald's and got a 4pc chicken nugget kids meal - errrrr. So I know it is bad, but I am always in a hurry and I don't know what to do. On a positive note, I complained to one of our partners this morning that our work kitchen was a little bear and he sent our admin out to replenish it so I will have granola for breakfast! But sadly, they also brought back tons of candy....no wonder we have all gained so much weight during tax season.

So I got home around 7pm last night, and my stomach had been hurting since I ate that soup. Well I was sick all night last night so no dinner and I don't have to worry about any calories from anything else I ate earlier that day.

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Thu Jul 30, 2009 1:38 pm

Day 4: SICK

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 6:33 pm

So I don't have time to post everyday but I have been doing well. I got very sick for a few days and then after that I have stuck to the diet except for the M&M's and popcorn I ate last night - yes I know horrible. But its been 2 weeks and that was my first failure so I am not being too hard on myself. Don't get me wrong I wish I had been stronger but you live and you learn. Anyway, like I said up until last night I had been sticking to the diet but of course not eating healthy like I should. I am working on that. Until next time.......

Hopeful · Post by **Hopeful** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 3:57 pm

So I have been on the diet one day, off the diet the next....I cannot get the stress in my life to level off. My job is deadlines, my family is seriously stressing me out over relegious issues (dad's a preacher and I am agnostic), I bought a new puppy and he died a week later, I'm still in school and working full time, and every time my boyfriend reminds me about how I am suppose to be dieting it pisses me off and I eat more just to prove a point to him. I mean seriously......I have an eating problem....food calms me down. But I am determine to beat this, mostly because I am gaining weight, and I am back on the diet. Please if anyone can relate to any of the problems I listed give me some advice to overcome them! I am super stressed! I need some ways to de-stress! Help!

Everyday Systems

Hopeful's Daily Check In - I'm finally going to do it.

Hopeful's Daily Check In - I'm finally going to do it.

FAILURE

Re: FAILURE

Re: Hopeful's Daily Check In - I'm finally going to do it.

Oh my goodness!

another thought. . .

Wow!

Hello-it's April 16!!!

Old habits die hard

The good and the bad

What is my issue?!?!?