Amie's Daily 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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AmieW
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Amie's Daily Check In

Post by AmieW » Thu Apr 08, 2010 4:30 am

So I actually haven't read the No S book yet, but in fairness to me, I didn't know it was a book until tonight. I read a review of Michael Pollan's "Food Rules" that referenced the basic No S rule back in January, and I was totally struck by it! It just seemed like such a simple and sensible way to be healthy. So, I started on January 16th and I have lost 22 lbs. so far (From 228.5 lbs. to 206 lbs. this morning). I have been exercising regularly (3 to 5 times a week) during this time, and now that I've found out about it, I can't wait to try the shovelglove!

Four years ago I dropped out of college (it seemed like a good decision at the time) and I have spent the last year and a half trying to get my life back on track, which meant going to school full time while working a 50-60 hour week. During that time I paid no attention to what I ate and gained about 50 lbs. (not that I was exactly svelte beforehand). Now that I'm a college graduate and I just turned 25, I wanted to set some goals for this year. I haven't set a "goal weight" necessarily, I just want to be healthy. Two of my most important goals are as follows: Go an entire year without drinking a soda (regular or diet) and join a roller derby team (something I've wanted to do for years but always thought I was too fat for).

Between quitting sodas and the No S diet, I am feeling good and feeling good about myself. Neither one has been as hard as I thought it would be, and I am way more energized without all that caffeine! (I still drink coffee, but one cup a day is a far cry from the 4 to 5 cokes I used to drink!)

I was excited to see this thread on the forums, because I had been trying to blog everyday to keep myself accountable, but it was boring and no one cared (including me!), so this seems much simpler.

So...

DAY 1 (Day 82): SUCCESS! No funny stuff, except that I only had coffee for breakfast as I overslept. But, I was so busy at work that I barely had time to get hungry and before I knew it, it was lunchtime!

(P.S. I am totally glad I found this and started the check-ins today, because yesterday was a FAILURE of Italian Cream Cake proportions)
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." -Winston Churchill

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sophiasapientia
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Post by sophiasapientia » Thu Apr 08, 2010 12:01 pm

Welcome Amie! And congratulations on the great success you've had with No S so far! :D
Restarted No S (3rd times a charm!) January 2010 at 145 lbs

AmieW
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Post by AmieW » Fri Apr 09, 2010 6:11 am

Thanks for the welcome!

Day 2: SUCCESS! Lunch and dinner were not so healthy, but there were no sweets or seconds and I didn't have any snacks, even though I was pretty tempted by the bowl of easter candy sitting on the front counter at work.
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." -Winston Churchill

AmieW
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Post by AmieW » Sat Apr 10, 2010 7:07 am

DAY 3: FAILURE :(

Breakfast was healthy, greek yogurt with raisins and granola in it--yummy and filling!

The trouble was lunch. I had the afternoon off (between a short morning shift and an evening shift) and since I got paid today, we decided to go out to lunch. We picked a local tex-mex restaurant that we love, and I was faced with a quandary-- they put free chips and salsa on the table! I love salsa, and I just couldn't say no. I didn't overindulge, but I definitely ate a fair amount of chips, more than would fit on the plate that was already full when it was served to me. I didn't eat my rice and beans to make up for it, but I still felt like it was a violation of either the snacks or seconds rule.

Then, we went to catch Hot Tub Time Machine at the mall movie theater. The theater is directly across from a Mrs. Fields (or equivalent) and we got there about 30 minutes before the movie. I would have been okay, but my boyfriend insisted on getting a cookie and once we were standing at the counter and I was staring down a tray of snickerdoodles, I caved.


Dinner, though not against the rules per se, was a small macdonalds hamburger and fries with a bottled water. Just disappointed by my choice, even though it wasn't technically a cheat. Especially disappointed since when I got home my boyfriend had heated up some of the roast chicken I made last night. It smelled 10 times as delicious as my dinner, but I couldn't have any.


Normally I would make one of my S days an N day since I messed things up today, but I think I'm just going to let myself have them. Work has been stressful and I'm trying to quit smoking (while I'm ruling out S words) and it's had me a bit too on edge.
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." -Winston Churchill

AmieW
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Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2010 4:09 am

Post by AmieW » Tue Apr 20, 2010 6:12 am

oops! Let being busy get the better of me and forgot to update!

so, a quick run down of the inbetween:

DAY 4: S-Day
DAY 5: S-Day
DAY 6: FAILURE! brought down by leftover snickers candies from easter :(
DAY 7: SUCCESS!
DAY 8: SUCCESS!
DAY 9: SUCCESS!
DAY 10: SUCCESS!
DAY 11: S-DAY (Still a Success!)
DAY 12: S-DAY
DAY 13: SUCCESS!

Doing pretty good. Have lost another 3lbs and finally bit the bullet and joined a roller derby league last week. My first practice is tomorrow, and I am super nervous! I have been working out pretty regularly, but I haven't been involved in serious athletic activity since I played basketball in high school, and the friend who is joining with me is extremely fit already. But, I have resolved to do this, and I am not going to back down. I'm just going to have to deal with my nerves and do my best.
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." -Winston Churchill

AmieW
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Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2010 4:09 am

Post by AmieW » Thu Apr 22, 2010 11:11 am

DAY 14: SUCCESS!

1st roller derby practice today! It wasn't easy, but I did it-- and I wasn't too bad at it either!
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." -Winston Churchill

AmieW
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Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2010 4:09 am

Post by AmieW » Thu Apr 22, 2010 11:12 am

DAY 15: FAILURE :(

Waited too long between lunch and dinner and then I just couldn't resist a second helping of potatoes and cole slaw. Not the end of the world, but irritating.
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." -Winston Churchill

AmieW
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2010 4:09 am

Post by AmieW » Mon Apr 26, 2010 2:18 am

DAY 16: SUCCESS!
DAY 17: FAILURE
DAY 18: S-Day
DAY 18: S-Day
"It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." -Winston Churchill

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