Adbeau's Check-in

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

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adbeau
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:15 pm

Adbeau's Check-in

Post by adbeau » Wed Feb 25, 2009 8:47 pm

Hi! I'm new to No-S. I just started last Wednesday, so this is the end of my first full week. So far so good. Don't know that I've lost weight, but what I'm losing is guilt and the struggle. I need to lose about 15 pounds, so I'm not obese, and I did have a baby less than a year ago, but I've been on a "diet" my whole life. I can count WW points in my sleep! I've been borderline eating disordered and I've done terrible things to my body to lose weight in the past--especially when I was younger. No more. I want my daughter to have a healthy self-image and to enjoy a healthy relationship with food. So, if I lose willpower on my own, I will have her to think of! I also have OCD, so when I'm struggling through that particular issue, I know I don't want my daughter to pick up behaviors or bad thought patterns from me, so she is my inspiration there, too.

Back to No-S. Everyday has been green this week except last night, but I was sick, so I think it's OK. I only had plain pancakes for dinner because my tummy was upset, but I had some yogurt and 4 peppermint candies later that night when I felt better. That's my only "cheat," though, so I think I'm good, since it was technically an "S." (I had my gallbladder out in January, so my digestion is still a work in progress.) On Saturday, I enjoyed one piece of cake with my breakfast (had been saving it all week!), and on Sunday I had seconds on dinner and one snack. I know I don't HAVE to limit myself on weekend, but I like the "sometimes" S and also I'm adding the don't be "STUPID!" S for me. I can have icecream, just not a whole gallon!

I love this. I can cook like normal and eat with my family. The only problem is the year of diet nonsense ingrained in my brain. I'm slowly learning. I do know that, at the end of the day, it comes to caloric deficit, so I want my meals to count, so I think another positive end result is that my food eating will be much healthier. BUT, I don't have to COUNT! Yay!

I'm also trying to be active every day. I bought a stepper and yoga ball for my office, and I'm doing Wii Fit and My Fitness Trainer for the Wii at home. Wish me luck! :D
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TexArk
Posts: 804
Joined: Sat Dec 27, 2008 2:50 am
Location: Foothills of the Ozarks

Post by TexArk » Wed Feb 25, 2009 9:12 pm

WELCOME
Sounds like you are off to a great start.
It is our head that has to get straight first and it takes awhile when we have been counting and restricting and obsessing for a lifetime. I know...I will be 62 next week and this battle has been going on for a long time. This is the first time I have found real peace, hope, and confidence when it comes to my eating.
Caution: Don't worry about the scale and get the habit days stacked up. Don't put too many restrictions on yourself until you have the habit down--we tend to do that when we are afraid or in a hurry. It comes from all those old messages playing in our head.
Also, I have found that if I check in daily it keeps me accountable and there are some really nice, helpful people on this board. We are all in this together. I have been here since last Christmas. I won't repeat my story, but if you want to know, you can read my posts of course.
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adbeau
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2009 9:15 pm

Post by adbeau » Sat Feb 28, 2009 2:27 pm

I had good No-S days on Thursday and Friday. On Thursday I was SO hungry (only had toast for breakfast--bad move), and last night I wanted seconds of a biscuit, but I fought through. It's nice to feel lighter, and I think I've lost between .5 to 1 pounds (my bathroom scale is iffy, but shows a general trend!). I like the simplicity of knowing exactly what I've eaten and when not to eat. It's getting easier as I close in on two weeks.

Today is an S day, but I'm still wondering if I might try to keep it a No-S. The only thing different this morning is that I'm having sweetened yogurt with my muesli (yes, I know it's "OK," but it's so sweet that it seems like a sweet to me because I'd probably use it that way). Usually, I have unsweetened or "Sugar Free" yogurt. I'm also having coffee, fruit, and flax bread with butter. Mmmmmm. I think what works for me is to be as "No-S" as possible--keep to three meals, keep them as healthy as possible--but to SOMETIMES add a snack or sweet. I'm liking that the snack demon has largely shut up; I'd like to keep it that way!

Exercise has been sporadic, but that's something I'm working on this week. Also developing a cleaning system so I don't have to clean on the weekends (aka Flylady hybrid). Wish me luck! Shovelglove is next. Hubby has blessed the purchase of the sledgehammer.
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