Tobiasmom's Journey

ZippaDee · Post by **ZippaDee** » Tue Nov 09, 2010 1:34 am

YES!!! You WILL get through this rough patch and prevail on the other side! This is a marathon....and it can be grueling. Hang in there!!

AnneK · Post by **AnneK** » Tue Nov 09, 2010 10:08 am

Hi TM,

It's so great you are checking in and being accountable. This is totally temporary. What would be REALLY weird is if you never had a "failure."

I hope today you eat three really wonderful, delicious, satisfying meals with your favorite foods, and really enjoy it!

mkat · Post by **mkat** » Tue Nov 09, 2010 12:44 pm

It's so great that you are checking in every day, even the days when you aren't satisfied. We are here to support you! Hope you have a really good one today, but check back no matter what.

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Tue Nov 09, 2010 1:17 pm

Good morning and thanks for being there, guys!

I just wanted to say I'm committed to three meals today. Back to the basics. Gonna get my walk in. I know I'm going to a pizza place at lunch with some friends. I will be having one plate...either a sandwich or one slice of pizza. I know how to do this. No excuses. Just gotta do it.

Quitting is so much easier. I am choosing the harder road. I have to treat myself with the respect I deserve. I deserve to be healthy and happy!!!

nowornever83 · Post by **nowornever83** » Tue Nov 09, 2010 9:17 pm

Good luck! You sound very positive and firm. That mental committment is the toughest part. You can do it!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 12:14 am

Three meals, no snacks, no seconds, no sweets: SUCCESS!!!!

B: strawberry banana protein smoothie, black coffee

L: Chick Fil-A nuggets with honey mustard and waffle fries, water (Yay!)

D: spaghetti squash with spaghetti sauce and romano cheese, one slice bread with butter, water

Activity: none.....but one thing at a time!

I am so happy to report a successful eating day! After struggling for a few days, it feels nice to be back on track. It was a rough day. Tobias was horrible at Chick Fil-A. He totally lost it and had a major meltdown. So tough in public!! Then he cried in the car the whole way home. He fought his nap when he got home and never actually took one. I REALLY wanted to soothe my stress with food. But I held out...and I'm glad I did. It wouldn't have helped the situation at all!!

Now I just need to get in some exercise tomorrow!!!!

Sienna · Post by **Sienna** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 12:56 am

You can do it! Congrats on the successful day!

ZippaDee · Post by **ZippaDee** » Wed Nov 10, 2010 1:49 am

GREAT job!! Congrats!!!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 12:52 am

Three meals, no snacks, no seconds, no sweets: SUCCESS!!!

B: cinnamon raisin English muffin with butter, banana, black coffee

L: turkey and provolone sandwich, grapes, chips, water

D: nachos, salsa, water

No walk today. I'd like to do my workout video tonight, but last night I did 30 min. and am super super sore. I did so many squats. Cathe Friedrich is amazing.....and a killer!!!

Doing ok. I didn't have the healthiest dinner. I was so hungry, though, and couldn't think of what to have. I had a friend over for the day and didn't get a chance to get dinner prepared. So i just threw some chips on a plate with some cheese and PACE salsa and called it dinner. Oh, well. At least I stuck with three plates and NO suger today!

Got some really cute shirts at Target today for our family pics on Saturday. I got Tobias a red and gray sweater, hubby a red sweater, and me a gray sweater. Should be nice! Now let's hope the little boy smiles!

Let's keep going, everybody!

AnneK · Post by **AnneK** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 11:59 am

Your dinner is hilarious. I love that we can eat meals like this and still be sticking to the plan. Especially because there's no way to avoid the occasional goofball meal. Life keeps happening!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Fri Nov 12, 2010 2:16 pm

Three meals, no snacks, no seconds, no sweets: SUCCESS!!!

No exercise.

Just a run-by check-in.....

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 3:08 am

Days 39 and 40: S Days

I think they would be slightly considered S days gone wild. I ate out waaaaay too much this weekend.

Day 41: Three meals, no snacks, no seconds, no sweets: FAILURE!!

Ya...didn't make it today. I want to think S days on Friday and Saturday are a good idea, but it just hasn't worked out that way the last two weekends. Sundays still feel like S days to me. I maybe should go back to S days being actual S (Saturday and Sunday) days. We'll see.

I'm feeling quite discouraged right now. I know my weight's up. Hubby ran a half-marathon today and watching all those fit people run made me feel like I'm wasting my time right now. I know I'm learning a lot on this journey, but I've gotta make some changes NOW. My blood pressure is up. I've been walking, but it doesn't seem to be helping. I've been eating out too much. Eating junk. Gonna have to make some changes.

I love No-S. But I think I'm gonna have to make some tweaks. I dunno. I guess it's not exactly tweaking it. I just need to eat my three meals at home more and try to eat more natural healthy food. Changing plans won't change that. My body needs nutrition, period.

So I'm hanging in there....but by a string. It's not the program that's the problem. It's me. So instead of changing the program, I need to change ME.

Getting back in the saddle.

Vent done.

AnneK · Post by **AnneK** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:05 am

Hi TM,

I'm sorry you are feeling discouraged. I hope you are not too hard on yourself on your N days this week. It wasn't so long ago that you were really enthusiastic and enjoying yourself, eating what you pleased for your three meals and feeling good about it. I know for me that whenever I feel I've gotten what I feel is out of control, I overreact in the opposite direction and then the spiral continues. For me, No S, more than anything, is about the spiral. The spiral is the problem and No S is the solution.

Anyway good luck this week. I'll be thinking of you.

ZippaDee · Post by **ZippaDee** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 10:40 am

Oh, I'm sorry you are feeling discouraged! All we can do is one day at a time. So, just focus on today. The rest will take care of itself. Sending big hugs!

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Mon Nov 15, 2010 11:38 pm

I love No-S. But I think I'm gonna have to make some tweaks. I dunno. I guess it's not exactly tweaking it. I just need to eat my three meals at home more and try to eat more natural healthy food. Changing plans won't change that. My body needs nutrition, period.

Hi there,
Just wanted to stop in and cheer you on. I, too, found that to have success on this No S journey I needed to focus a little more on eating foods that nourish my body and limit the eating out. Don't get me wrong. I still eat out and enjoy doing so.

But restaurant foods are so ladden with sugar/fat/salt and calories that cutting back and eating at home more, where we control what goes into our meals, can make a significant difference. Babysteps. Take good care of yourself and hang in there.

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 3:42 am

Three meals, no snacks, no seconds, no sweets: SUCCESS!!

B: 2 slices toast with peanut butter, black coffee

L: two chile and cheese tamales

D: pesto and cheese calzone

Back to the basics. Feeling good. I ate at home all three meals. Feels much better. I am much more in control of plate sizes at home. I know the portions are more appropriate at home! No exercise today cuz the little boy is under the weather...and I'm not feeling so hot myself...AGAIN! Man, when you have a kid, you get sick ALL THE TIME! It might just be the darn allergies again...who knows!?

But I am so happy to be back in the saddle with No-S. This is definitely the plan for me. This is such a great victory for me...seriously! I am a quitter. Or I should say...I used to be a quitter. When things got rough, I quit. Not this time. I will be seeing this through. I said ONE YEAR and I meant it! This is a marathon. It's gonna take a while, and I'm learning soooo much along the way.

Things I've learned so far:
- Saturday and Sunday S days really do work best for me.
- Eating at home is better all around. Healthier. Better portions. Less temptation to blow it with unlimited soda.
- I need to increase my exercise. Intentional exercise.
- S days are not an excuse to go hog wild. SOMETIMES is an important word that I seem to forget on S days.
- You CAN eat real food and lose weight.
- There's more to life than dieting.
- I need to live for now. Be happy in this moment. I can't wait until I lose weight to start living! I have to live and achieve things now!!
- I can eat this way forever. It's truly not a diet.

That's all for now. The journey has only begun.

ZippaDee · Post by **ZippaDee** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 10:23 am

Good for you!!

-There's more to life than dieting.
- I need to live for now. Be happy in this moment. I can't wait until I lose weight to start living! I have to live and achieve things now!!

I think these two are HUGE!! With NoS you don't have to focus on the food. It can quickly become part of our normal routine and we can get on with life! Good stuff!

AnneK · Post by **AnneK** » Tue Nov 16, 2010 12:10 pm

Yay! You are very inspiring.

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Wed Nov 17, 2010 2:20 am

Three meals, no snacks, no seconds, no sweets: SUCCESS!!!

B: bagel with garden veggie cream cheese, black coffee

L: leftover calzone (threw away half cuz I was full!)

D: grilled cheese, chips, water

Not very many veggies and no exercise today. But I know my portions were controlled and I stuck it through....despite sitting in the house ALL day with a sick kid. I'm going stir crazy!!!!

I am ready to get back to an exercise routine. Gonna have to do some exercise videos for now since the boy is sick.

I'm making an actual meal tomorrow finally so I will definitely be getting some veggies in tomorrow!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Wed Nov 17, 2010 11:08 pm

Three meals, no snacks, no seconds, no sweets: SUCCESS!!!!

B: oatmeal made with milk, brown sugar, egg, and oats

L: chicken breast and provolone sandwich, chips

D: asian peanut butter pork tenderloin over rice, veggies

Walked the dog.

I plan to possibly do 30 Day Shred or another one of my videos this evening also.

Things are going well. I just got the No S Diet book in the mail today! So reading that is really encouraging! I know this is the plan that I can follow for life. I've just gotta moderate my S days a bit....I know that will come in time!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Thu Nov 18, 2010 7:02 pm

So I'm reading the No-S book. I think it would have been good for me to read this before I started 1.5 months ago....but that's ok. Anyway, I am learning a lot. I guess I hadn't read the whole site. I just kind of got the gist of it and tried to do the plan.

I'm realizing that I'm focusing on the S days too much. Instead of worrying about excess on the S days, I need to worry about getting my No-S days down. Change my focus. I also had planned to use Thanksgiving as one of my S days and only use one S day on the weekend. I realize now that that is almost a plan for failure on the weekend. We have friends in town for the whole weekend. It's my son's third bday. Why do I try to change and control everything?

Vanilla No-S, baby. I know it works. I just need to give it time. I just need to stop trying to change things and rearrange it to fit how I "think" it should go.

That's my little thoughts for this afternoon.....

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Fri Nov 19, 2010 1:21 am

Three meals, no snacks, no seconds, no sweets: SUCCESS!!!

I am finally ready to give up tracking my food. I will post success or not. Trying to make this the lifestyle it's meant to be. I can't and won't track everything I put in my mouth for the rest of my life. So I had better get used to just eating now. I gotta get out of the diet mentality. One step at a time. I tell you....this is big for me. I haven't eaten without tracking what I put in my mouth in years! Seriously.....

Feeling good. As I posted earlier today, reading the book is helping me to just truly realize this is the lifestyle for me. I am not dreading the holidays. I'm not dreading get-togethers with friends. It's awesome!!!

Got in a walk today. Would like to add more exercise. Just hasn't been feasible lately.

ZippaDee · Post by **ZippaDee** » Fri Nov 19, 2010 3:24 am

Good for you! I need to get my No S book back out and read it again. I read it a couple of years ago, but have not read it recently. I need to! You are inspiring me! GO GIRL!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Sat Nov 20, 2010 1:49 pm

Three meals, no snacks, no sweets, no seconds: SUCCESS!!

Good day yesterday. We did go to What-A-Burger for dinner on the way to church. I'm not a huge burger fan. I had a cheeseburger without the meat. I get funny looks when I order this. I've ordered a Big Mac without the meat too! ha. Something about ground beef patties freak me out. I dunno....

Anyway, I had water with my meal. That was a big success for me cuz I'm just so used to soda with my fast food meals. I also ate only 3/4 of the fries cuz I wanted to stick with one plate.

Good day planned today. Donuts this morning. Gotta go buy some more Dunkin Donuts coffee so we might as well get some yumminess while we're there! Then to Farmer's Market to get some more pesto. Then JC Penney's to pick up a roasting pan for the bird this week and our Xmas pictures and cards. Then dinner tonight at a neighbor's house!

Hubby wasn't able to come down this weekend. Makes it a loooooong week. But there will be a four-day weekend next week!!!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Mon Nov 22, 2010 3:54 am

S Days!

Had a good weekend. Definitely ate lots, and I'm glad tomorrow's a No-S day. I am just a creature of habit and structure. But that's what S days are for; right? Makes you want to get back on track and not feel deprived!

This is gonna be a busy week for everybody, I'm sure. We have guests from Colorado coming Wednesday til Saturday. Saturday is the little man's 3rd bday. I'm cooking a big meal Thursday. Wowzers!

Still hanging in there, though!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Tue Nov 23, 2010 4:44 pm

Three meals, no snacks, no seconds, no sweets: FAILURE!!

Went to Mexican food for lunch and had a soda. That kind of messed me up for the rest of the day. Onward....

Cleaning up the house today for our guests tomorrow night. Drying the bread for the stuffing. Turkey's defrosting in the fridge. I feel like it's pretty well under control for now......

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Wed Nov 24, 2010 12:34 pm

Three meals, no snacks, no sweets, no seconds: FAILURE!!!

Really struggling this week. Making all this Thanksgiving stuff is messing me up! It's the sugar. I'm hanging in there, though. I WILL DO THIS!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Sun Nov 28, 2010 2:52 pm

Thur: S event - Thanksgiving.

Fri: No snacks, no seconds, no sweets, no snacks: FAILURE!

Sat: S day!

Sun (today): S day!

So I kind of just blew it all week. I just threw up my hands and ate whatever I wanted all week. As a result, I know I'm up quite a bit in weight. But I am NOT quitting. I've considered it numerous times. If I can't stick with No-S, what can I stick with? Seriously!!! I just need to work it one day at a time. Period. I'm going to start over from the beginning, baby steps. Back to vanilla. Back to daily check-in. Back to day 1.

My first goal is gonna be 21 days without a failure!!!

So tomorrow's day 1 (since today is an S day).

I CAN and WILL do this!

ZippaDee · Post by **ZippaDee** » Sat Dec 04, 2010 1:03 am

Hey girl! I miss seeing you on here!! Please come back no matter what kind of week you've had! Tomorrow is a new day!!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Wed Jan 05, 2011 1:04 am

So...........I've obviously been MIA for a while now. The holidays got to me, and I just kind of went crazy and threw all caution to the wind. As a result I'm waaaaaaay up in weight and feeling cruddy.

I wasn't too excited about my weight loss results or lackthereof following No-S last time, but the ease of the plan and happiness I felt is what I miss. So I'm thinking if I just change my plates up a bit (real food and fruits and veggies instead of chips all the time and craziness I was eating) I should actually lose too!!

I currently am a Weight Watchers member. I was planning to go to a meeting tomorrow. But the idea of counting everything has me sick to my stomach. I didn't feel like that when I was on NO-S. I actually enjoyed myself! I just keep thinking about this plan for some reason. It makes so much sense. I have to just stick with it and let the magic happen.

So today was day 1 for me. I think I'll go back to tracking the food for now just til I get through the first 21 days. I'll also weigh myself tomorrow morning for a new starting point!

No sweets, no seconds, no snacks: SUCCESS!!!
B: yogurt, banana, one sausage in a blanket, black coffee (gotta love the hotel breakfasts!)

L: Wendy's Baja Salad with a couple crackers (on the road today)

D: salmon, mashed potatoes, grilled zucchini

No exercise yet.

sarah.grace · Post by **sarah.grace** » Wed Jan 05, 2011 11:55 am

welcome back- you were missed!

Sounds like you had a good day 1, especially traveling. I always want to snack on trips!

I'm kind of on the same track with trying to get more fruits/veggies on my plates and less junk food. One thing that's helping me: at the beginning of the week, I cut up a whole slew of cruditÃ©s to keep in a Tupperware in the fridge. When I'm rushing around in the mornings trying to get ready for work, I just grab a handful of whatever looks good, throw it in a baggie, and I've got veggies for lunch. It works great for dinner too- I'm a lot more likely to steam some broccoli to go with my meal if it's pre-cut and washed!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Wed Jan 05, 2011 10:20 pm

YOWZA!! I gained some serious weight this past few months. Weigh-in this morning was 217.8. Oh.My.Goodness. I can't remember weighing that much other than when I was pregnant! Wow. Can I blow it or what??

Well, I can't dwell on it now. Gotta just move forward one meal at a time. Going pretty strong today despite the fact that I'm super hungry. I was eating so much on vacation that my stomach is used to food constantly! It will be fine in a couple days.......

Day 2
No sweets, no seconds, no snacks: SUCCESS!!!
B: English muffin with natural peanut butter, black coffee

L: salmon, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables

D (I'm gonna go make it right now!): creamy tomato basil soup with half a grilled cheese sandwich and raw carrots with ranch

I walked the dog 2 miles. It was tough after not exercising for the past month. Gonna start some more serious exercise tomorrow...uh-oh! ha.

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Fri Jan 07, 2011 12:22 am

No sweets, no snacks, no seconds: SUCCESS!!

B: English muffin with peanut butter, black coffee

L: homemade creamy tomato soup, grilled cheese

D: pizza rolls, salad

Workout: TurboFire (30 min. fire, 10 min. stretch)

I was super hungry today, but after each meal I felt fine. Imagine that. You eat when you're hungry and wait til you're hungry for your next meal! We really want to get our debt paid off so we're not eating out right now. I know that's gonna really help things too. I'm off soda for now. It's just caustic to my journey. I'm out of control with soda. On S days I'll stick with tea for a treat for now. It has sugar, but it doesn't cause me to eat everything in sight like Pepsi does.....

I'm starting my workouts tonight. I'm doing the TurboFire workouts. Well, that's the plan at least. I think it's way above my fitness level. I'm gonna do my best. Of course The Biggest Loser has 400-lb people running on the treadmill. So I guess some kickboxing won't kill me! ha. I just have no energy today to want to do it. But I WILL. Once I start working out more, then I know I'll wanna do it more. That's what happens with me.

Well, I've blabbed on enough. Goodnight!

ZippaDee · Post by **ZippaDee** » Sun Jan 09, 2011 1:14 am

Hey! Glad to see ya back! Looks like you are doing great! Just keep on keepin' on girl!!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 2:32 pm

I let my mind and diet mentality get the best of me. I TRIED Weight Watchers last week and already got sick of counting everything. I don't know why I keep doing this. But No-S is the key for me. I know it. It's no special pill or diet food. Just normal food, behavior modification. It's a relief, actually.

Ready for my new life NOW! Gonna go eat my first meal of the day right now! I will not quit trying!!!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Tue Jan 11, 2011 10:49 pm

Those darn cookies got me this afternoon. I didn't eat enough for lunch, I think. Or I was just being greedy. So I'll finish out the night with my last meal and my very first Zumba class!

Tomorrow's a new day. I'm striving for 30 days without a failure. Day 1 tomorrow.....

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Thu Jan 13, 2011 1:23 pm

No sweets, no snacks, no seconds: SUCCESS!!!!! Yay!!!!!

B: cereal with milk and 1/2 banana, black coffee

L: turkey and swiss on bagel, orange

D: lemon feta chicken with green bean casserole

Delicious day. I got hungry in the evening cuz we ate dinner at 5pm....but I made it through. Just shrinking my stomach a bit right now. I was eating sooooo much food during the holidays! Feeling great right now to make it through one whole day. Gonna keep it going! 30 days here I come.....

I have Zumba again tonight. I took it for the first time Tue night, and I had a great time. Let's just say my hips and abs and thighs are tight right now! So cool. So I'm gonna be taking that Tue/Thur/Sat. And then probably walking the other days.

I feel the love again!!!! ha.

sarahkay · Post by **sarahkay** » Thu Jan 13, 2011 2:40 pm

good job!! you continue to inspire!

sarah.grace · Post by **sarah.grace** » Thu Jan 13, 2011 3:15 pm

Yay for day 1! I am hoping to make this my first green week in a while..

I'm so excited for your zumba class! Which is creepy, I know.

I act like I'm a zumba fanatic, when I've really only gone once... BUT I am in the process of joining a class! Hopefully I can start next week.

Good luck w/ day 2! you can do it!

ZippaDee · Post by **ZippaDee** » Thu Jan 13, 2011 6:29 pm

YAY!! GO GO GO!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Fri Jan 14, 2011 2:54 am

No sweets, no seconds, no snacks: SUCCESS!!!

B: cereal with milk, banana, black coffee

L: beef brisket sandwich, fries, water

D: turkey and swiss bagel sandwich, clementine

Exercise: Zumba!

Feeling great. Loving it. That's all I've gotta say!!!!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 10:42 pm

S Day Friday

Shared an apple turnover dessert with hubby, had one Dr. Pepper, and in the evening had 3 beers......
I'm happy overall with the day.

No-S Saturday

B: cereal with milk and black coffee

L: tuna melt on English muffin, 10 pringles or so, clementine

D: flank steak with molasses drizzle, baked potato with butter and sour cream, salad

Workout: Elliptical 45 minutes

Switched Friday and Saturday this week. Not planning to do that often...but it's just the way this week worked out! I'll take my other S day on Sunday. I feared that if I had another S day Saturday that Sunday would have turned into another S day and then Monday and then.....well, you know!!!!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 11:40 pm

S Day!

B: cereal with milk and banana, black coffee

S: 1 oatmeal chocolate chip cookie

L: three street tacos, chips, queso, sweet tea

S: hot chocolate

D: French bread with butter, 2 oz. flank steak

Workout: treadmill 50 minutes

Feeling great. I weighed myself this morning and was not down in weight (silly to weigh after only four days!!!!!), but my clothes were fitting looser. That makes me happy!!!

I'm just gonna hang in there no matter what the scale says cuz I know I'm really changing my habits slowly but surely. The exercise is what I've needed too. It helps in so many areas!!!!!

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Mon Jan 17, 2011 2:57 pm

This is your year! I very much recommend continuing to up the vegetables at meals. I'm pretty sure that made a big difference in my weight loss when I first got serious about No S and has kept me (relatively) down while I've wobbled on the habits--and the weight, though I've kept off 15 lbs.-- for several months. (I've got at least another 15 this year to go.) I agree that No S and more nutritious food choices (on weekends, for me) are the best bet. If I aimed at calories, that's about what I'd be doing anyway.

You are definitely doing more exercise than I am! Keep movin'!

sarahkay · Post by **sarahkay** » Mon Jan 17, 2011 6:02 pm

Alright. Week number two. Here I go!

I definitely didn't do too good last week but I got to feel what it was like to both succeed and fail, see how much food I need to be okay until the next one, and I have a better idea of how to space out my meals, even when things get a little crazy. I think this week may be better. So far so good today, and as of right now, I'm really not having any cravings.

Feeling positive, and ready for lunch!

I plan on posting SUCCESS for Day Eight later tonight!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:10 pm

No sweets, no seconds, no snacks: SUCCESS!!

B: English muffin with peanut butter, banana

L: broccoli cheese soup with fruit salad, water (this was at the zoo and a HUGE success for me with all the super unhealthy choices!!!!)

D: Italian sub, chips, water (not super healthy but oh so delicious!!!!)

Workout: Walked all over the zoo for a couple hours.......

This was an overly salty day for me. I have high blood pressure so I try to not eat deli meat AND soup on the same day....but we were out the entire day. This was a huge successful day for me. And I feel wonderful.

Oolala: Totally agree on the fruits and veggies. I know that's gonna be a huge key to staying satifisfied til the next meal AND losing weight!

SarahKay: Yay week 2!!! We can do this!

Sienna · Post by **Sienna** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 1:45 am

Yay for 2011! We *can* do this

Also, I'm jealous - I want to go to the zoo!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 1:14 pm

No sweets, no seconds, no snacks: SUCCESS!!!

B: cereal with milk and banana, black coffee

L: Italian sub, chips (AGAIN), water

D: peanut butter sandwich, chips

Not really any veggies or much fruit today. We were out for the day again, though. I'm working on the habit of N days right now. Will be able to clean up the nutrition as time goes on. I eat much more healthfully when I eat at home...that's for sure!

Workout: walked dog 2 miles, Zumba (love it!)

I'm making habits slowly but surely. I know this is the plan for me! No pressure. No counting. Have I told you lately I LOVE No-S????

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 12:05 am

I know what you mean about veggies when you're out. I don't call a small bowl of lettuce a real serving of vegetable. (Barry Sears said you had to eat 7 cups of greens to have them qualify as a good serving of vegetable carb.) And they're so much more expensive; I guess because they are actually alive and spoil more easily. I just think it's a shame that it's so hard to get a plate of food that includes about 1/3-1/2 of vegetable for a decent price. The best situation for me is when I go out with someone who has similar desires. Then we can split things. I find if I'm with most men, it works if they get 2/3 of the rich food and I get the rest. I take more salad or veggie. We're both happy.

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 2:41 am

No sweets, no seconds, no snacks: SUCCESS!!

B: cereal with milk and banana, black coffee

L: turkey and swiss on bagel, a few Pringles, clementine, water

D: southwest pita tostada, corn on the cob (This was a delicious home-cooked meal!!!)

Workout: Zumba

I am absolutely in LOVE with Zumba. So you are going to see that as my workout quite frequently. I have taken a couple classes on the base where we live, but tonight I took a class at an actual Zumba studio. Wow....what a difference! Amazing! It's just so.much.fun. And I sweat like crazy! Win-win.

I'm feeling much better about my food choices today. I got a little fruit and veggie in. Of course my veggie was a starchy one, but it's a start! The southwest tostada was with black beans and chicken and red onion and cheese and cilantro and salsa verde on a toasted pita. It was yumm-o!

Oolala: Thanks for the advice about eating out. It continues to be a huge struggle for me....eating out! Plus it's more expensive for us than eating at home. So I've just gotta keep up with the cooking here at home.

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 2:37 am

No sweets, no snacks, no seconds: SUCCESS!!!!

B: cereal with milk, black coffee

L: ham and swiss on bagel, a little bit of chips, 1/2 an apple, water

D: southwest pita tostada, corn on the cob, water

Exercise: Walk dog 1.25 miles (too windy out) No Zumba tonight.

All is well. Nothing new to report here. Two thumbs up!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 5:32 am

No sweets, no seconds, no snacks: SUCCESS!!!!

B: cereal with milk, black coffee

L: large baked potato with butter and sour cream, water

D: three soft tacos, a few tortilla chips with guac, one beer

Workout: None (again)

Feeling ok. Eating is going great....aside from the fact that I still need to get in more veggies and fruit. Working out hasn't happened the past couple days. It's my TIME of the month, and so I just feel bloated and icky right now. So I'm pretty stoked about the fact that I've been eating well still!!!

I feel like I'm actually making some changes. I have a new lifestyle!!! It's not a diet. It's a new way of eating for life! I can do this.

Tomorrow's an S day. I plan to make biscuits and gravy with sausage for breakfast for a treat. I'm gonna make some sweet tea for the weekend. And I'm making a chocolate bavarian creme pie. My plan for S days is to have one nice homemade dessert each day...just one serving.....and some sweet tea or soda with my meal. That's it. No crazy gorging on everything in sight! After all, it IS sweets, seconds, and snacks on S days SOMETIMES....right???

Have a good weekend, all!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 2:08 pm

S day!

B: two biscuits with sausage and gravy, coffee

L: two biscuits with butter and jelly, a few chips, homemade sweet tea

D: one plate of food at a girl's get-together, one slice chocolate bundt cake, small piece of yummy unnamed dessert

S: one slice chocolate bavarian cream pie with ice cream

Exercise: 2-mile walk (ran up a hill!)

Not healthy food....and I ate two desserts - one at a party and some of the dessert I made when I got home - but overall I am happy to report that I was not crazy out-of-control!

My clothes are still pretty tight so that's got me a little down. I just want to lose this weight right now! ha. But I know that this will be a slow process. I've been trying to lose weight for ages. I mean, I have seriously tried to lose weight for more than 20 years! So even if this takes me 3 years to lose all my weight, at least I will get there......unlike the stopping and starting I've done for 20 years!

Slow but sure wins the race. Speaking of race, I met a girl last night that runs triathlons and marathons. She got me inspired to start running again. Running is so hard for me, but it also gives me the BEST feeling afterwards. I might start the couch to 5K again. I might just stick with walking. We'll see......

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Mon Jan 24, 2011 1:58 pm

S Day

B: cereal with milk, black coffee

L: spinach and mushroom puff pastry with sour cream, sweet tea, one slice chocolate bavarian cream pie with ice cream

S: Pringles, sweet tea

D: BLT rotini pasta with romaine, pear, and walnut salad, sweet tea

S: one candy

No exercise

So I had like three cups of sweet tea and some candy AND pie! I don't feel like I was out of control or anything, but I can tell a huge difference between how my body feels on all that sugar and how it feels during the week. I had a really hard time waking up this morning. Sugar just makes me really lethargic!

Glad to be back to an N day today. I really feel like I'm making some wonderful habits. I enjoyed my weekend, but I didn't go overboard. Could I have eaten a little better? Of course. There's always room for improvement. But I'm in this for the long haul. I am learning sooooo much along the way.

An area I've struggled the past few days is exercise. I haven't done much exercise for the past three or four days. I'm headed to Zumba tonight, though!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Tue Jan 25, 2011 1:40 pm

No snacks, no seconds, no sweets: SUCCESS!!!

B: English muffin with peanut butter, black coffee

L: nachos (shared), chicken tortilla soup, water

D: leftover BLT pasta with parmesan, water

Walked a little at the park, but that's all. Really hoping I can get my exercise mindset back!

All is well. Just working it one day at at time....

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Wed Jan 26, 2011 1:59 pm

No sweets, no snacks, no seconds: SUCCESS!!!

B: cereal with milk, black coffee

L: grilled cheese, Cheez-Its, water

D: two slices pepperoni pizza, water

Exercise: walk/ran 1.5 miles

Wow...I barely squeaked out a success yesterday. I had a super un-filling lunch, and then we went to the mall in the afternoon. I passed the cookie place twice and even got my son a sample. It took everything in me to not buy one of those awesome cookies with the cream in the middle! Then we ordered pizza and I wanted soda sooooo bad. I had to think about my goals and what I'm really trying to accomplish here. So I just had the pizza. Then I had to stop at two slices! ha. What a day. It's amazing how mental this is!!

I got on the scale this morning and was actually up a little. That really frustrated me cuz I've been having successes every day. But I know in my heart that I've been eating pretty salty and unhealthy foods lately and not exercising much.....and the scale is so random that tomorrow I'll probably be down again. So I'm trying to just stick with this and wait to see the progress at the one-month mark!

Learning more and more EVERY day.....

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 1:19 pm

Glad you're sticking it out!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 1:29 pm

No sweets, no snacks, no seconds: FAILURE!!

Darn it....I let my head get to me. I went to McDonalds for lunch and just threw all caution to the wind and got a huge sweet tea. It wasn't even as good as I had imagined. Then because I had the sweet tea, I had a piece of chocolate bavarian cream pie leftover from the weekend. I didn't go completely overboard, but I knew what I was doing in my mind. I was quitting. I still have A LOT of work to do!

It's a new day. I know this is the plan for me. I went diet crazy and started thinking about going on a DIFFERENT diet. They all make me sick to my stomach to think about. I feel the deprivation just thinking about it. I'm sticking it out with No-S. I know it will work. I just have to give it time. I'm not a patient person. This is something I REALLY need to work on. I'm not gonna lose 75 pounds in two weeks! ha.

I'm not going to start over with day 1. I'm committing today to completing a year of No-S, and obviously there will be a few failures here and there. It's life. One year. So I have 350 more days til I re-evaluate and decide what to do next. I'm assuming by then No-S will be an ingrained habit and I'll keep going! I've NEVER stuck with anything for a year....ever. NEVER.

So here it goes...

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 1:52 pm

No sweets, no snacks, no seconds: FAILURE!!!

I know, I know....another failure? It's life. I ate three meals....no snacks or seconds....but we went to Texas Roadhouse. I wasn't planning on going there, but my hubby took me cuz he wanted to just take me out for "all I do". Isn't that sweet? So I ate way more than one plate (three rolls, salad, AND half my plate). And then we shared an apple pie a la mode dessert.....oh, AND I had a soda. I was tempted to call it an S-day, but I'll just go with the failure and move on.

I will do everything humanly possible to make today a success. It WILL be a success. We do have a military dinner to go to tonight, but no matter what they have there I will get through the night without eating dessert! I will do it.

I did go to the gym yesterday and start my walk/run program. 35 minutes. I'm a bit sore this morning.

The other thing I think I did wrong yesterday was I had a large smoothie for lunch and that's all. So by the time dinnertime came I was famished and ate everything in sight. I had better have a little something with my smoothie......or have my smoothie for breakfast maybe. I dunno.

So I'm here. I'm working it. Two failures in a row....but that's life!

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 2:36 pm

I already had a failure today, but I know I can still stick to two more meals today with no more sweets, snacks, or seconds. I know for me stopping the run when I fail is as important as not failing in the first place. I know I can experience just about the same amount of pleasure without breaking the rules.

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 2:20 pm

No sweets, no snacks, no seconds: FAILURE!!!

So.............ya, I didn't mean to lie, but I lied. I promised I would make it through last night without dessert....and it didn't happen. I had three meals and no snacks....but the desserts at the get-together called my name. Sweets has definitely been a problem the past three days! Yikes.....

And now today and tomorrow are S days. Oh, well. This is a journey. I committed to a year...and I'm in this for the long haul STILL. I will just keep plugging along and learning from my mistakes. I know this is the plan for me. I'm up a lot in weight....and I'm tempted to just go on some crazy weight loss regime to get some of it off.....but I know this is the plan that I can stick to for life. There's just gonna be a learning curve for me. I need to establish some habits!

So S day today and tomorrow (mild hopefully) and then on to a green No-S week! Gonna ramp up the exercise too.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:49 pm

I didn't make it yesterday, either. It was pretty much like a bad S day. Oh, well. What am I going to do, go on a diet? Ha! I know one thing that will help is just not have a free-for-all today just because I can. Hope I can remember that.

sarah.grace · Post by **sarah.grace** » Tue Feb 01, 2011 3:44 pm

How are the N days/exercise going so far this week?

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Sun Feb 06, 2011 3:27 am

Crashed and burned AGAIN. Tried another couple days of "dieting". When will I learn? I need to just stop this madness!!! I'm not gonna count the days anymore. I'm just gonna take it one day at a time. Follow the plan..period.

My weight is way up. I keep going back to dieting cuz I'm not patient enough to just see this thing through over the long-term. I committed to a year on No-S, and I've made it a whopping week or two!

Tomorrow is Feb. 6. My weight this morning was 214.2. I commit to a year on this plan. I know what to do. I've just gotta put it into practice! Start walking again. Get rid of the sweets and snacks on N days. Try to eat more healthful plates. This is such a wonderful plan. I probably also need to stay off the scale for a while. That's a real issue for me. My day is made or broken by the number on the scale. That's not the way to live......

I guess tomorrow is another S day, huh?! It IS Super Bowl Sunday! I plan to be reasonable, but I AM going to enjoy myself also.

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Sun Feb 06, 2011 5:52 am

Hi Tobiasmom! First of all, I've been lurking on this board for AGES and wanted to let you know I'm an avid reader of your posts - very much enjoy reading what you write about the No S plan including your food diary and I can also identify with a lot of the thoughts and emotions you have since I too have much the same feelings and experiences.

Anyway - I read one of your most recent posts where you talked about considering another diet plan (with emphasis on 'considering') and just wanted to add that I had actually been on No S for a year (started end of 2009) was doing fairly well on it when all of a sudden I hit a plateau, got impatient and tried a crash diet the long and the short of it being I didn't lose any more weight and once i started back eating normally again, I ended up putting on MORE weight and then some! This then lead to me looking around for another 'miracle diet' that would get the weight off.... and a whole lot of headaches! In the end, I decided in December of last year, I was going to seriously go back to No S since it was the only plan I could really stick to for any length of time. I haven't lost any weight (even though I have been trying to resist weighing myself) but I have certainly got back my peace of mind and stopped panicking over food and fretting over diet plans which was doing nothing for me but adding to my gray hair and wrinkles

So hon, imho I'd say if you can please stick with No S and forget those other plans. You have been doing great!!!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Tue Feb 08, 2011 2:10 pm

SUCCESS!!!!!

B: 1/2 everything bagel with cream cheese, clementine, black coffee

L: beans and rice on two small tortillas, 1/2 an enchilada, water

D: bowl of cauliflower cheese soup, 1 french roll

Exercise: walked 2.5 miles

Good day yesterday. Just taking it one meal at a time. Girl Scout cookies arrived last night. Looking forward to them Saturday. Hubby wanted to open them last night. I told him I wasn't having any.....so of course he didn't have any! ha. We are partners in crime for sure!

sarah.grace · Post by **sarah.grace** » Tue Feb 08, 2011 2:26 pm

Oh my goodness- good job on fending off the girl scout cookies! Those things can be sooo tempting. AND, it's pretty much impossible to eat just 1. (or 2..)

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 2:26 pm

SUCCESS!!

B: cereal with milk, black coffee

L: 1/2 salami and cheese sandwich, macaroni salad, chips, water

D: hot dog in a croissant, broccoli with herb butter

Exercise: TurboJam 20 min, 2-mile walk (dog)

Sugar is just so prevalent! It seems that everywhere I turn I see some sugar! The other night it was the Girl Scout cookies and last night it was brownies at the church group. But it's not reasonable for me to think I should be having sugar EVERY day. It will taste so much better on those few days a week that I DO have it.

I did a TurboJam video yesterday, and I actually feel it in my abs and thighs this morning. Gonna try the 40-minute one today possibly....especially since it's super windy today and predicted freezing rain (so the dog won't get a walk).

All is well. Just taking it one day at a time to get my three plates down as a habit. I plan in the future to stop tracking everything I eat, but for now while I'm trying to make this habit I'm gonna track the meals.

Sienna · Post by **Sienna** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 7:25 pm

It is so true that sugar is Everywhere with a capital E! It's like sweets are the new normal, but I do think that saving them for S days makes them tastier and I savor them more.

Keep it up!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 1:58 pm

SUCCESS!!!

B: English muffin with peanut butter, 1/2 banana, black coffee

L: 1/2 salami and swiss sandwich, some leftover soup, water

D: bean and cheese quesadilla with salsa and sour cream, salad with ranch, olives, water

Walked dog 2 miles

I tried to do an exercise video during Tobias's nap, BUT the Playstation remotes weren't working! Hubby fixed them when he got home. I don't know what the problem was. But needless to say, I didn't do the TurboJam workout. But I have been taking the dog for a walk every evening after dinner. Last night was super chilly (35 or so). I came home frozen! It's just really cold for Texas. We came here from North Dakota. Didn't expect these temps here!

Hubby had two bowls of ice cream last night while we watched "Prince of Persia". I was tempted, but I just watched the movie and didn't look at his huge bowl! ha.

No real plans today. I don't know if anybody reads this, but for anyone who does.....we bought a house! So we're trying to get all the loan stuff figured out. That's what I'll be doing today. Friday we get to go to the design center to pick out the brick color and all the carpet and tile and all that! Fun! Never had a NEW house before. But we're gonna be here in San Antonio for quite some time so we might as well buy a house. Hubby is military.

Have a good one!

Sienna · Post by **Sienna** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 2:24 pm

Congrats on the house!

Starla · Post by **Starla** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 12:47 am

Hi, tobiasmon -

I read your comment on my thread, and so I had to come get to "know" you. I want to congratulate you on your tenacity. You've been knocked down a few time in this process, but you always get back up. That's the hardest thing to do; as you said, it's so much easier to quit.

Congratulations on the house too! I bought a house back in September, but it was not new, so I'm a little jealous of you getting to pick out all your finishes. That sounds like so much fun!

Now to the important matter - chocolate-covered almonds. I buy them out of the bulk bin at the grocery store. I always bought chocolate-amaretto covered almonds (yes, that is almond-covered almonds. Hey - I LOVE almonds!) My grocery store just stopped carrying them, so I have been trying out other kinds. I find S days are best when I have an idea in my head of a treat I really want and then indulge, so enjoy those almonds!

Good luck on your journey. One thing you may want to do is re-read your own thread - what were you doing when things were going well for you? What worked for you? You can be your own best inspiration.

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 2:48 am

Congrats on the house, TM. Enjoy it! And way to go with the ice cream. It's hard to just sit while someone else is eating. Good work!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 1:49 pm

SUCCESS!!!!

B: two banana peanut butter rollups, black coffee

L: salami and provolone sandwich, apple, water

D: two chicken soft tacos, mixed veggies, one beer

Workout: TurboFire (Fire 30, Stretch 10)
walked dog 2 miles

This was an awesome day........and dare I say I finally feel like I'm back in the groove again?! Yesterday I got in fruits and veggies!! Yay! That workout I did at naptime was crazy. I decided to start my TurboFire videos.....and it was soooooo much fun but also soooooo tough! She does this HIIT training that's 1-minute intervals of like crazy all out jumping and kicking and up-downs, etc. Yikes! Today is yoga, though. So my sore muscles can get a good stretch!

I was super hungry before bedtime (I'm pretty sure I burned quite a lot of calories yesterday). But when I'm asleep I don't know I'm hungry! ha.

I'm ready for another awesome N-day. Bring it on!

Starla: I'm planning out my S days this weekend. Just planning what treats I'm gonna have instead of throwing all caution to the wind like usual. I'm scared to read my own posts cuz I know I've been so up and down, but I do think it's a good idea! Thanks for the encouragement!

Kevin: Thanks! We're excited about the house. AND I WILL be having a serving of ice cream this weekend! ha.

Sienna: Thanks!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 2:00 pm

SUCCESS!!!

B: oatmeal with peanut butter, banana, and pecans, black coffee

L: shredded chicken and beans and sour cream in tortilla, 1/2 apple

D: Chili's (chips and guacamole, cajun chicken pasta, water)

Exercise: 40 minute stretch (yoga)

Good day yesterday. We went out on a date last night with another couple. We were planning to go to BJ's Brewery, but the wait was ridiculous. So we ended up at Chili's. I was tempted to have all kinds of sugar-filled stuff (like alcoholic drinks and soda and dessert). I do think I ate a bit more than necessary (a LARGE plate full), but I consider it a huge success. I chose something I thought would be a bit healthier and I didn't eat it all....and I stopped before I was stuffed!

I got on the scale even though it hasn't been quite a week. The results were good! But I don't officially weigh-in til Monday.....and this is about sooooo much more than the number on the scale. I feel a change of habit coming on!!!! ha.

We went and picked out all the options and most of the colors for the house. We stayed in budget! Tough....but we cut here and there and made it! So.much.fun!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 1:16 pm

S Day

B: two breakfast tacos, tortilla, black coffee

L: seven Girl Scout cookies and chips (healthy!)

D: popcorn, nachos, candy, and a huge soda (yikes)

Exercise 30 min. tone (so tough!)

So it was pretty much an S day gone wild yesterday. It's gonna be much much MUCH milder today. My stomach feels horrible from that "dinner" I had last night. We went and saw Gnomeo and Juliet 3D with the little guy. It was super fun, and I really enjoyed it. BUT I kind of went crazy. We saw a 5 o'clock show so we got all kinds of stuff for supposed "dinner". All completely non-nutritional junk....but it was quite tasty if I do say so myself. My stomach doesn't like it this morning, though.

The workout was hardcore. Because it was only 30 minutes, they did two strength training moves at a time...such as squat while doing overhead press or lunge while doing bicep curl or plie while doing chest flys. Oh.my.goodness. Pretty sore this morning.

So..........here's to another day.............but much more mild!

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Sun Feb 13, 2011 3:51 pm

Congrats on your house. This is supposed to be a good time to buy. It's unusual to think you're going to be somewhere for ahwil when you're military. My parents bought a house in Florida for a 3-year stint and had a hard time selling it when we had to move. It scared my dad and they didn't buy again for years. Missed out on a lot of opportunities, but they did have enough to care for both of them until the end.

congrats, too, on your renewed vigor!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:51 pm

S DAY!

B: cereal with milk, black coffee

L: two hot dogs on buns, clementine

D: bowl of potato soup, bread with butter

S: bowl of ice cream

Exercise: 45 minute cardio kickboxing (yikes! sweat like crazy!)

Today was a much more controlled S day. The only S I had was the bowl of ice cream. Of course it was right before bed...so not so great. But it was delicious. I thoroughly enjoyed it....and now I'm ready for another week of No-S!

Weigh-in shows a 2 lb loss this week. I'm happy with that. But I'm really only gonna track my actual weight monthly. Just checking weekly to make sure it's going in the right direction!

Valentines Day today. No huge plans. Just taking the boy to Little Gym and then to play with a friend. We're going to a cupcakery to decorate cupcakes....but I'll freeze mine for next weekend! Tonight I'm making beef stroganoff with garlic bread. We're gonna watch "Princess Bride". I'll spare you the rest of the details....ha!

No workout planned today. It's my rest day. Mondays I'm not home for naptime so I don't get my workout time. Plus, I'm supposed to have a rest day each week. I will be walking the dog, though....

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 11:45 pm

Princess Bride rocks! "As you wish!" good line to use with a sweetheart.

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 2:09 pm

S Day

I decided to make it an S day. Just too many chocolates and cupcakes and sweets in general. I ate more than I had hoped to eat. But that was yesterday, and this is today. New day.

Yesterday was just crazy. We were running all over the place...to parties and such. Last night I just plopped on my butt and ate chocolate. We didn't even watch Princess Bride cuz we had some inheritance stuff to discuss with family in Cali. I don't know why they chose last night of all nights!!!! Did I mention that last night on Valentines Day THAT time showed up? Sorry, guys....

Anyway, I'm feeling swollen and overall ick this morning. Nothing a good N day and workout can't fix!

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 2:45 pm

I find it is helpful to read the stories of others and know that we are not doing this alone. For some the sweets are the hardest to give up and for others it is snacks or seconds. Regardless, we all are fighting the same battle so hang in there with the rest of us. It looks like you are gradually developing better habits.

no"s"jenngen · Post by **no"s"jenngen** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 6:52 pm

I started this no s diet on feb 1, 2011, and in the last few days, I have lost 5 pounds! I was 188lbs ("overweight" according to BMI charts-medium build-my goal weight is around 160), now 183lbs. I am a 5ft 11in tall 31 y/o woman with kids, and I was relieved when I considered trying this diet. My body had been kicking me back from over-eating in the evenings, with heartburn and trouble going to sleep. Now I don't have heartburn, except for last night when I ate late (Valentine's Day=S day for me), and I go to sleep better. My days seem more productive, being a stay-at-home housewife/mother, without so much time and energy lost because of eating snacks. I eat my 3 meals aroud 8:30am, 1pm, and 5:30pm. I've been hungry between meals, and enjoying my food so much more as a result. I feel this diet has helped me get in touch with the feeling of being hungry, eating, and then noticing when I am full. Several meals, I could not eat everything on my plate, already! Also, I am working out about 5 days/week on the elliptical or treadmill. I vary it with weight training and some stationary biking, sometimes, at the gym. I had already been working out and eating mostly healthy foods for several months, without losing weight. Success feels so good! Thanks, everyone, for the support and testimonials!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Wed Feb 16, 2011 3:18 pm

FAILURE!

BUT it wasn't a go-crazy failure. I had one oatmeal chocolate bar at church. BUT I could have resisted it. I just chose to eat it for some silly reason.

B: cereal with milk, black coffee

L: leftover enchiladas with chips and beans and rice

D: beef stroganoff, garlic bread

S: oatmeal chocolate bar (not even worth it either)

No exercise. It's girl time, and I'm just blah.

I'm struggling a bit. Sugar does this to me. It makes me want to get crazy and it makes it really hard to stick to normal portions, etc. It's a trigger for me. But today's a new day...just like every other day. I can do this. I WILL do this!!!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Thu Feb 17, 2011 1:35 pm

FAILURE!!!

I gave up before I even began yesterday. I could tell by my post yesterday that I wasn't planning to succeed...unfortunately.

So today I'm going to PLAN to succeed. I WILL do it! I'm hitting the commissary this morning and then gonna workout during T's nap. Tonight I'll make a good dinner at home.

I am headed to Los Angeles (home) for a family visit for almost three weeks. I wanted to have some real habits established before I left....but it's next week. This is obviously gonna take quite some time for me! I'm in it for the long-term, though.

Sienna · Post by **Sienna** » Thu Feb 17, 2011 2:28 pm

You can do it tobiasmom!

And good luck on your trip, I know traveling can be dicey, but I believe in you.

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Mon Feb 21, 2011 4:29 am

Sienna: You have NO idea how much your post lifted my spirits.

I'm currently sitting here 11 points over my WW daily total for the day wondering why the heck I went back to this cycle YET AGAIN! I keep coming back to No-S (I think this is my fourth attempt in just four months)! ha. It's really one big attempt honestly. Consistency has NEVER been my strong suit.

I am heading out on vacation Tuesday. I wanted to have my No-S habits firmly in place before I headed home to Cali.....but instead I'm gonna START again trying to make this habit. I see quite a few long-timers on here that have had great success so I know it's possible. I just need to keep my head on straight and be patient. Way easier said than done, but I cannot stop trying!!!

So another N day starts tomorrow.........

sarah.grace · Post by **sarah.grace** » Thu Feb 24, 2011 6:13 pm

You have inspiring determination- if I was in your situation, I don't know if I'd be able to keep trying. You keep coming back though! You can make it this time- if you have the willpower to START when you're on vacation.. jeez, normal days should be easy-peasy.

I get into the mindset that NoS is too easy, or not enough rules/restrictions to be effective. But look at the long-time NoS-ers on the board, who have completely developed these habits.. we can do it too! Good luck! Hope your travels are going well!

Strawberry Roan · Post by **Strawberry Roan** » Thu Feb 24, 2011 10:43 pm

Hi there, hope you don't mind me butting in but I've been reading your thread (trying to get to read as many as I can to get to "know" some of the posters here).

Just hang in there, you're going to be fine. Although I have never had a real extreme weight problem, I have battled the same twenty five pounds or so for years off and on. I first went to another site Calorie Count Plus (where I am still a member and log my weight and exercise there every day) on January 1, 2008 weighing 160 pounds. I lost weight and then gained it back. I came here first in July 2009 weighing 158, got down to 132 which was way too low as it really aged me in the face and neck. I really look and feel best at about 143-145.

SOO to compensate I started eating more and Yep, got back up to 152 I think is my latest high which is better than 160, of course. I am now back in the high 140s (147, 8, 9) because I am back on the plan. My key is to follow it EXACTLY. I don't even eat a mint on the N days. Not only does it help with the weight but I so enjoy the sense of control I have. I actually love to eat good, healthy food and exercise.

I am going to be 62 next Wednesday and I hope this healthier more sane way of eating will enable me to see at least forty more years.

Sorry to ramble on but I want to encourage you and tell you this plan does work. There will be plateaus, you will see no change in your weight or even a slight gain if you exercise a lot but

YOU CANNOT GO WRONG IF YOU DO RIGHT....

To your health,

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Wed Mar 02, 2011 4:05 am

Hey, all! Well, I haven't been around cuz I've been here in California on vacation. But I wanted to update that things are going really well out here. I am taking it one day at a time. I haven't completely tracked my fails and successes, but I am really making an effort to do this! I'm feeling pretty good too!

I will track more often and all that when I get back home...but I'm not sure when that's gonna be. My grandma's sister died today. So I might be out here for longer than I had originally planned...maybe til March 20 or so. We'll see.

It's been a little tough here on vacation being with my family that are all thin. I am the only one in the family with a weight problem. I always feel like their experiment they are trying to fix. They give me "suggestions" and "encouragements" - ha ha...ya, right!

I will tell you that today was a success! Three meals! No sweets. No snacks. No seconds.

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Thu Mar 03, 2011 5:17 pm

So it turns out that Grandma is not going to the funeral so I'm able to head home as planned next week! I really miss my hubby and so does Tobias. He has been exhausted and a big ol mess this past week with the time change and missing daddy. It's nice to visit family, but it's also very nice to get back to routine.

Yesterday I had breakfast and then a HUGE lunch. I way overate. I also had a soda. I ate so much that I wasn't hungry for dinner. There was no reason to eat if I wasn't hungry! Today I'm making a huge effort to get these N days down. One day at a time. I am committed. I'm just gonna completely focus on that right now. No worry about S days and exercise and nutrition, etc. I'm gonna focus on three meals without snacks or sweets or seconds. Period.

Here it goes.

I haven't had a chance to weigh myself at all. I'm planning to weigh myself on my 34th bday, March 11, and then just weigh on the 11th of each month. Hopefully by my 35th bday I will have made some awesome progress!!!! Of course I'm wonderful and planner and not so great on follow-through. But the intentions are there, and I'm gonna work REALLY hard on these N days this month. Maybe I'll work on a little step each month.

So until April 11 I am gonna work on these N days seriously. Making this a habit. It will take a lot longer than a month to get the habit down, but it's a start!

Hope you're all doing wonderful. Thanks for hanging in there with me, everybody. I know I'm Mrs. Inconsistent of the Century. But this is my life. I have to change my life. I have a three-year-old little boy that is depending on me. I have a wonderful husband that loves me no matter what but would probably love for me to live a looooong life with him. I want to be healthy and happy and alive and energetic and sexy!!! I'm gonna break down those diet walls slowly but surely.......

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 1:29 pm

So today is March 11. Today is my 34th birthday. Today is a brand new start for me.

March 11: 211.4

chickadee11 · Post by **chickadee11** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 11:16 am

Keep your chin up~Spring and thinner days are right around the corner!

Also,happy belated birthday

!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Wed Mar 16, 2011 2:44 pm

Thanks, Chickadee! Things ARE looking up. Been sticking with the program. I'm feeling good this week!!!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 12:56 pm

What a great week! Saturday and Sunday were S days...followed by five SUCCESSFUL N days! I walked the dog four miles four days this week! I'm just feeling awesome! I know this is a lifestyle for me....and I just LOVE it!

We committed to eating only at home til we close on our house in June to save money. That's also helped out tremendously this week! I'm cooking almost every day, but it's just so much better for me! It's amazing how much money we spent on eating out before! Yikes....

So I'm on to week 2. Of course I'm curious to see how much I lost this week (I can tell I lost something), but I'm not weighing for a month. I struggle really badly with letting the scale control me and my day. So once a month it is!! I don't want anything getting me off my path!

idontknow · Post by **idontknow** » Sat Mar 19, 2011 1:33 pm

Well done on 5 successful days

Keep up the good work!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 12:50 pm

So I've successfully completed two weeks on No-S. I'm feeling like I'm in the groove and just loving it! I was gonna wait til 30 days in to weigh, but I weighed today and am down 4.6 pounds in two weeks. Very happy with that. But I would have been happy with less....cuz it's so darn easy to stick to! I'm walking 3.5 miles a day and eating my three meals.

Of course tomorrow is an S day. I'm trying to be more mindful of what I'm doing on S days....but still just trying to focus on N days for now.

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 1:44 pm

Hey, all! Still going strong. I've kind of become this crazed No-S supporter now. I have TWO friends joining me on this journey. So.much.fun! This truly is what I've been searching for for YEARS. It sounds ridiculous that I couldn't have thought of eating normal food three times a day with sweets moderately on the weekends all on my own.....but I was so busy all these years counting and counting and counting and failing and binging. Yikes. Not gonna focus on the past, though. My future looks so bright. I am excited for yet another No-S day. I'm seriously enjoying myself right now. I cannot say that I've EVER enjoyed myself during the weight loss process.

And guess what? Yesterday my hubby hugged me and said, "You ARE losing weight. I can get my arms all the way around you now!" Such a great feeling. I know the walking is definitely helping. I've committed to 3.5 miles a day EVERY day. We'll see what happens when the real Texas heat shows up.....might have to take it inside! I'm originally from Cali. Not used to the humidity. It's been super awesome weather here the past few months, though.

Well, I'm kind of going on and on and on, huh?! I'm just feeling ALIVE.

Have a wonderful day, everybody!

ellgee · Post by **ellgee** » Tue Mar 29, 2011 5:09 pm

You are really inspiring me to start moving again. Before Christmas I was an exercise and dieting fanatic. It all went to heck and I binged for weeks and quit moving.....except to get to the fridge.

I was doing some run/walk intervals 3-4 times a week but probably need to ease in by just starting to walk and see what happens. You are right - as soon as the Texas heat starts - we are going to melt! But I guess I bought that treadmill for a reason, right?

Keep going!

Laura

Sienna · Post by **Sienna** » Thu Mar 31, 2011 1:08 am

I've kind of become this crazed No-S supporter now. I have TWO friends joining me on this journey. So.much.fun! This truly is what I've been searching for for YEARS.

Yay for being a NoS cheerleader! Keep up the great work

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Sun Apr 03, 2011 7:20 pm

So guess what? Friday was 21 days of No-S without a failure FINALLY. I know there will be failures. That's normal. But I'm trying to get some real habits established here. Gotta keep going each day without letting the scale or infomercials or other people sidetrack me from what I'm doing! One day at a time I am creating habits...healthy lifelong habits!

I've had a relatively sane S weekend so far. Had some cookies last night after dinner and seconds on salad.....but I'm learning to eat things that I REALLY want, period. No more shoveling it in just cuz it's there!

Have I told you lately how much fun I'm having? I just am. I love No-S. Every day is not a perfect picnic. But I am in control of what I put in my mouth and when. Nobody makes that decision for me. You can't say that about many things. Eating is one thing I have complete control....or lackthereof in my life! No more out of control lady. Gotta stop letting life take control of me.

Hope you're having an awesome weekend, all! Love.