Everyday Systems

I'll post my official check in tomorrow, but I wanted to get this up and running because that's the way I roll...

Day One
FAILURE: I went to a Christmas sing-a-long and had two cookies, 3 cashews. I'm pretty sure the cookies were vegan, but still. I think the party may count as a "S"pecial day, but since it was supposed to be day one, I'm just going to call it a failure and restart today.

Day One Restart (Thursday): Failure Another Christmas party and there were sweets and I partook. And, I felt really bloated afterwards and wished I hadn't So, that was new and exciting. (It was, and I totally wouldn't have finished the cake I took if the girl who brought it wasn't sitting next to me!)

I've been recording my food for a week now and really watching what I eat and avoiding snacking already. I saw this No S diet a week into it and thought that seems like something I can do since I'd almost already been doing it.

Now, I know that I will soon grow tired of journaling, even though I'm using Fat secret's calorie counter on my new droid, and the new toy makes it more fun and easy. But, I'm hoping by the time I grow tired of journaling that I'm in a good No S habit. I really think, and Reinhard made me realize this, that snacking may have been my problem all along. Also, seconds and sweets, but mostly snacking.

Anyhow, here I am in the middle of Friday. And, I should have lunch. I had to fast this morning for a blood test so I had a late breakfast. But, the thing is, I've had no sweets, seconds or snacks yet. So, today, I expect, will be a successful restart. Third time's a charm and all that.

Day One (Restart #3): Success

I went to Olive Garden last night and had a salad and breadstick in addition to my pasta entreee (I only ate about 1/2 of it). So, I did that virtual plating thing. BUT! I was really pleased with this. I didn't get more salad after my first plate. I ate what I took and didn't take more even though there was plenty left. I also didn't eat croutons off the boys' plates.

And, just in time for the weekend, too! I'm going to make cupcakes for my MIL's birthday. And, I'm sure to have one. What I will do is avoid licking the spoon and bowls and having a cupcake before they are iced and ready to go. I'll try to follow the "no seconds" rule for any sweets I indulge in. And try to keep that to a minimum.

Days 2 and 3: S Days, so successful? They were actually really horrible from any other perspective. But, I probably shouldn't beat myself up. I also shouldn't have set myself up. I used a pound of butter yesterday making cookies and toffee, and now I'm committing myself to not eating them for the next five days. I broke the head off of a gingerbread snowman this morning intent on eating it, and then remembered today is an N day. So, I didn't. But, that was hard.

Day 4: SUCCESS
I could beat myself up and call it a failure because I had two tiny tastes of toffee (the size of my fingertip!) and 1 forkful of noodles while I was making dinner. But, it was close enough, so I'm calling it a success.

I made sweet and sour meatballs last night, one of my favorites. I got my little plate ready and without thinking of No S'ing, I choose 6 meatballs and then put one back.

And, when I'd cleaned my plate, I wanted to finish up the leftovers, because GOSH it was good! And THEN I remembered about the No Seconds part of No S and just left it. I love that these simple rules are pretty good about reining in my bad habits! It's happened twice now!

I've been weighing in on Tuesdays, so I did that today. And, I'm down one more pound over last week.

I am really happy to have found the No S approach and for Reinhard laying it out in such a straightforward way!

It really is about making small steps toward a large goal ~ at least that is what I've found I think you are on your way, and I agree that no s is a wonderful lifestyle to live with and it works, good luck with your journey

Thanks, Emily! I'm pretty excited about it.

I formulated an attainable goal earlier today...lose 60 to 80 pounds by the time I turn 40.

It's only about 18 months away, and that just seems so wrong to me. How can I almost be 40? I still have pacman fever! I really don't. I'm not even sure that that means.

Day 5: SUCCESS

I'm using this like a confessional for food. I hope that's ok...

I did actually have two little tiny bites of sweets (toffee and gingerbread). And I recognized that I was going to call this a success and that I might be on a slippery slope by doing so. But, it was such a good day with no in between meal snacking that I feel like I would just be punishing myself unnecessarily by starting over now.

Anyway, we are probably going to a thing at church tonight, and I'm really hopeful that I can stay away from the sweets table and not have to be forced to start over anyway.

Day 6: FAILURE I am marking it and moving on. I did stay away from the sweets table. I'm not counting that lovely clementine. YAY! They are back in season! Is that right? My failure came as I made cupcakes. They are ugly, but good. And, I had messes to clean up before I could share. They overflowed their cups, and I ate the overflow bits. And, then I made a lovely buttercream and licked so many spoons. And, I committed the worst sin ever at the end of the evening. Since the day was already going down as a failure, I just went ahead and had a whole cupcake. Plus, I really wanted one.

That whole paragraph may sound like I'm down on myself. But, I'm not. It was officially a failure day, but it was still a GOOD DAY!

I didn't have seconds at the church buffet, I didn't eat extra food off the boys' plates, if you ignore the cupcake and icing making and the late night cupcake, I didn't even snack between meals. So, there were failures, but it could have been so much worse.

And, I've lost 4 pounds since December 1st. So, I'm just not down on myself at all. I can do this! I can do it because it's easy and smart. I'm going to do it.

Hi Tricia! Sounds like you are making progress. Awareness is the hardest part, I think. I also have had my hand on tasty morsels and then my brain kicked in and I put them back. After about four weeks that part got easier - I developed much more awareness just from constant practice.

This is a tough time of year, food-wise, and I'm focused on maintaining. If you have lost weight since December 1 you have done really well, even if you haven't done things perfectly.

Thanks! I really do feel very good about this. I've gained 25 pounds in the last 550 days (per my Wii Fit), and I could be down in the dumps over that. I only realized the scope of the gain about 2 weeks ago. But, I'm not, not at all! So, I think feeling good when I could be having a pity party is like double good or something!

Just had lunch, and it was good and no one really cares but me, so I'm sharing it. With me. Right here.

Rice with carrots, a little olive oil, a big squirt of ketchup, a little honey, an even littler bit of that chili sauce with a rooster on it. Nuke it for 2 or 3 minutes, stir, enjoy. Sound horrible, but it's just the right mix of sweet and hot and I love the texture. Also had a boiled egg. Another diet website suggested having boiled eggs on hand so if you get hungry, you have an easy protein source. But, I don't like boiled eggs, so I shouldn't have taken this suggestion. But, I needed to eat the egg before it went bad. We get local farm fresh eggs, and they are so pedestrian when eaten boiled. Sublime when fried or scrambled, though (or used in cupcake batter...)

I also had some homemade hummus on toasted pita bread. I just loved it. Loved it loved it loved it. But, I think it comes from my love of mashed beans and not because it was good hummus.

ok, feel sated with food and sharing my love of a lunch only I would love. I'm going to have a good day today, and it's been very good so far. Except for work where I'm responsible for bringing in raw materials and can't find a crucial, crucial ingredient for next month. Sad, bad, no good.

Day one restart: SUCCESS Went to chili's, and had a margarita, but it counts as a success because of the "glass ceiling." Also had two small bites of sugar cookies, but I made those with my own butter, so I'm including them as part of my plan.

Days 2 and 3: S days, and I took advantage of it. Maybe, I was even "stupid" about it. Back today, though! Feeling down, not sure why. Would rather not feel down.

Well, yesterday wasn't a disaster, but it wasn't a success either. Too much starving and picking while I cooked. Two pieces of Christmas candy. Just not very much mindful eating at all. I'll just start new again today. No, I'll just keep checking in and start shooting for the 21 day club beginning 1/4/10.

Another non SUCCESS non disaster yesterday. I ate more mindfully. Which means I really enjoyed the Christmas candy and the extra piece of bread with cinnamon butter.

Ah, well. The holidays are over, and the cookies are frozen and out of reach. There is still lots of tempting candy lying about. I hope to find time to find a new out of the way place for it today.

We went to Starbucks this weekend, and my boys asked me why I don't like to go there as much any more. I told him it's because I like the coffee at McDonald's better, but they decided it was because I wanted to lose weight. So, I tried to recruit them to be my little reminders, and I told them I would work on cutting out snacks. They're young enough they won't make me feel about it like a snarky teen might.

Yesterday was really horrible. I was in a bad mood. I was in a bad mood most of the break. It started when I cleaned the boys' rooms before the break began. And, it just never let up. So, yesterday, I just ate whatever I wanted with no mindfulness at all. I also sneezed a lot so I felt sorry for myself. And, my sister told me she had to take a gun away from my drunk brother. So, I felt even sorrier for me than ever before. It's so weird...we didn't feel dysfunctional growing up. But, we are so dysfunctional now. If my obesity is emotional, it's FAMILY. I guess it's that way with everyone.

Well, this took a turn, didn't it?

I joined Biggest Loser at work. My face is sore from sneezing and wiping, but I'm not sneezing now. I'm accepting there is little to nothing I can do to help my brother, and the holiday break (the one where I was angry and depressed-ish) is over. So, today is a good day to head towards the 21 day club.

I have to have a mod. I've thought about this between being angry and sad over the last two weeks. I have to add 1 sweet per day. Other than that, though, my plan is to stick to the No S for 21 days. I think I can do it now.

DAY ONE: SUCCESS
I can't call it a perfectly successful day, I'm not calling it a good day (bad "diet" connotations for me), and I can't call it a failure. So, it's a success in orange.

I had a small second at dinner. It was the meatballs. They get me everytime. I did forgo a glass of wine later because of the transgression, and I think that makes it better.

Day Two: SUCCESS

yesterday was pretty good. I snacked as I made dinner and lunch, but I was snacking on what I was making. Mostly carrots, but also a bite of mashed potatoes and flat iron steak. I also had a couple of pretzels so I could wash the bowl. I guess I should have just thrown them out. Seemed wasteful, though.

Oh, gosh, I didn't want to call the day GOOD or BAD. So I called it "pretty good". I guess once a weight watcher, always a weight watcher?? Gosh, I hope not.

So, let me rephrase. Yesterday was a success, but not an out and out green success. It was a cyan success.

Day Three: FAILURE Not a big failure, but I'm seeing my mod of one small sweet a day is a slippery slope, and I had two, and a small slice of freshly baked bread.

So, I'm going to start over today.

Hi Tricia,

I also have a mod of one small sweet per day. I've been able to stick with it, and I think it's because I only have it with my lunch. I think I would have a harder time if it could be at any meal because it would be too easy to forget I had one at lunch and have another one at dinner. I've also try to only have sweets that I really like. For example, I'm just not that enthusiastic about peppermint candy (or any candy except plain chocolate for that matter) so I'd avoid having that for my sweet because it just wouldn't be satisfying.

Hope today is going better for you.

Thanks. I think today will be better for me.

My mod included having the sweet after dinner, but I think if maybe put a time limit on it, that might help.

I think I just need to "put a fence around the law." My habit isn't established well enough yet. And, I really do need to lose weight, not just stop eating like an idiot.

Day One: Success

I did have that one sweet, but it was dark chocolate with a glass of red wine. that's like a vitamin or something. I decided to keep the sweet mod in, anyway. I had it right after dinner and then stayed in the fence. Today has been an easy day, too. So far. It's always evenings that are challenging.

Day Two: SUCCESS
But, I now know that I need to be careful when I go for sushi. Our food arrived at three different times, and I was starving. I didn't officially adhere to one plateful of food, but I feel like I didn't eat any more than I would have had I limited it all to one plate.

And, today is Saturday and an "S" day. And, I'm going to try very hard to not be "s"tupid. I'm going to treat it like an N day and have fruit or water when hungry and 1 sweet this evening, but maybe a big sweet instead of a small sweet. Maybe not, though.

Days 3 and 4: S Days. SUCCESS, and I wasn't stupid, so I feel pretty good about these two S days.

WANT CHOCOLATE.

Day 5: Success I wasn't perfect. I had a couple of carrots while making dinner. It was still a day I'm proud of. I did avoid that chocolate during the crisis time.

Day 6: Success Not perfect, but not out of control. I went out for lunch, and it was all you can eat "bowl" place. And, I got a large bowl of veggies with steak. Then, ate all my rice, and two pieces of steak from my husband's second bowl. I wanted seconds. The beef was tasty, and I love this type of food. But, I resisted. So, not perfect, but still SUCCESS. I did eat as I prepped for dinner. Probably too much. I should have had a full glass of water before I prepped. I'll do that next time.

Also, down 2 pounds this week. Last week, nothing came off and stayed off. So, big YAY!

Day 7: Success

Again, not perfect, but not horrible.

Day 7 of success. Woot!

Day 8: Success??

I went to dinner with ladies and had a few appetizers and a cupcake. Now, I made the cupcake and didn't fill up on batter and frosting, so I think I just have to count the day as a success.

Today, I'm really feeling for Haiti. It's hard to imagine life just going on around the world when people may still be alive, trapped beneath concrete and re-bar.

Like, seriously, how can I focus on things like my WEIGHT when other people are in such dire straits.

It's just so weird the way life just goes on. And, I wish I could do more to help.

Day 9: FAILURE
I think it was emotional eating.

I'm going to try and make today an S day to make up for it.

Day 1&2: S Days and SUCCESS because i wasn't an idiot.

Actually, Sunday was pretty much an N day. I think. I had Fajitas at Chilis. They were not as good as normal, and I shoudn't have eaten them, really. But, I sent back my margarita for tasting like kool-aid, twice. So, I couldn't bring myself to send back the fajitas, too. The margarita thing was a success, though. Normally, I would have just drank it as it was.

Day 3: my first N day since my last FAIL. And I was quite SUCCESSful

Day 4: SUCCESS

Despite a few days I've had to categorize as failures, the habit is growing. And, this is getting easier. I've been cutting out wine, not because I have to, but because I think I will lose weight faster if I do. It's not a hard choice to make...