Everyday Systems

10/08/2010 Success

10/09/2010 S-Day (like they're goin out of style)

10/10/2010 S-Day (with vigor)

I decided my 'days' are going to be calendar days... so my 10/09 S-Day started at midnight... I was waiting for that clock to change so I could gorge myself on chocolate! It was hard to wait. But I did.

But, dude I ate so much crap this weekend. I am actually looking forward to N days so I can stop eating sugar and junk all the time. I felt like because I COULD have esses, I HAD to. So I am relieved that Sunday is almost over! We'll see how this week goes.

Wow...you enjoyed your weekend to the fullest!! Here's to another great No-S week!!!

10/11/2010 Success

I really like being able to eat whatever I want for my meals- not restricting certain foods or counting calories. Just excited to have options again!
Eventually I need to work on portion sizes.. but for now, I'm just working on 21 days.

10/12/2010 Success

I wanted to snack after dinner last night. I definitely wasn't hungry though, so I didn't let myself eat.

It will be interesting to see how today goes- I'm planning on baking goodies to mail to my sister at college... it's hard to bake without sampling! But I can just save a treat for the weekend if I want to.

Evenings are the hardest for me too. I have to drink water and sometimes even go to bed...ha! But that's only when I don't eat enough at my dinner meal. Last night I had vegetable soup...and it didn't do the trick. Starving last night while watching Biggest Loser.

The good news about the baking is that you only have a couple more days til Saturday!!! But I'm sure the smell is gonna be VERY tempting!

Have a great day!

10/13/2010 Success

Yesterday when I started getting hungry for dinner, I told myself "you can have anything you want for dinner.. what do you want to make?" And normally I would've been craving something totally unhealthy and fatty, or junk, but I found myself thinking "well, I only get one plate, so I want something satisfying and nutritious."

Then after skyping with some old friends after dinner I got really emotional, so I wanted to snack.. but since I'd had such a healthy, filling dinner I wasn't even hungry for anything! so, double win I guess.

I postponed most of my baking for tonight.. so we'll see how good I am. Those white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies may be my downfall.

Baking is always tough for me too. As much as possible I try to save it for S-days. One thing I've found that can be helpful is to brush my teeth and use some mouth wash right before I start. For me it stops the mindless tasting (because it's just not worth it with that awful toothpaste taste).

Sounds like you have fantastic Saturday to look forward to - what with white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies!

Do you think maybe you could throw a white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookie my way? S day is in a couple days, and it sounds delish!!!! ha.

10/14/2010 Success

I'm kind of proud of this success, for a couple reasons. First off, I only had some honeydew melon for lunch. I was planning on grabbing a sandwich to eat with it, but ended up having a last-minute lunch meeting scheduled. So I was sure I was going to be starving all afternoon, and would end up snacking. But I didn't actually get too hungry, and I didn't eat dinner until 7 or so. I am getting more used to the 'no snacking' rule, I guess, in that my body isn't really getting insanely hungry between meals. I am still very much tempted with emotional snacking, or snacking out of boredom!

Then, in the evening I ended up baking the white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies, and some peanut butter bread. It smelled amazing! I almost convinced myself the bread wasn't a 'sweet' so I could eat some, then I remembered it would still be considered snacking. Lol! So I didn't have any. I figured it would be just as 'fresh-from-the-oven' delicious on Saturday if I stick it in the microwave for a few seconds.

@tobiasmom, I would totally share the cookies with you. on an S day of course.

Then this morning- I made it up to myself by putting some cranberries and white chocolate chips and pecans in my greek yogurt&oats for breakfast. Yum! I was conflicted over whether I was allowed to put in the chocolate chips since they're a 'sweet.' Obviously I decided it was okay: it wasn't a dessert, and overall the food wasn't a sweet.

Great job yesterday! Isn't it amazing how our bodies get used to this waaaaaay faster than our brains do? ha. I struggle with "thinking" I need to eat even though my body physically isn't hungry. Strange...

The peanut butter bread sounds divine. Yumm-o. I LOVE all things peanut butter. Enjoy those cookies tomorrow. And that breakfast actually sounds really yummy.

Have a great weekend!

10/15/210 Success
10/16/2010 S day
10/17/2010 S day

I tend to take things to extremes. I have to have very clear guidelines for my behaviors. Once there are rules in place, I don't struggle with following them- I just have to have rules. I think I will struggle with 'wild' S days until I put guidelines down for them. But I don't want to go against the idea of having a 'free' day.

I think I'm going to make it a definite rule for myself that every day I have to have 3 intentional meals. This will help with S days- so I don't graze all day long and not really eat meals. I think it will also help with N days-getting rid of the temptation to not eat.
Before I started with NoS, all I was eating each day was 1/2 bowl of vegetable soup and a yogurt- one for 'lunch' and the other for 'dinner.' Just because it was something I could control and follow. Obviously not healthy.

Oh, and the peanut butter bread was actually really gross. I must've done something wrong! Lol. I made a caramel-glazed apple bread and a cinnamon quick bread that turned out well though. Sending them off to my sister today... no temptation for me, and she's a runner so she can always use the calories.

10/08/2010 Success

Caramel-glazed apple bread? YUMMY. Sorry to hear the peanut bread didn't turn out. But that apple bread sounds awesome. You must have some wonderful S days with all that baking!!!

Keep up the good work!

10/19/2010 Success
10/20/2010 Failure

My first failure on NoS... Oh well. I had a smoothie for breakfast before work this morning at around 5am. Then at work I was spending the morning in another department to learn what they do, and the operators in the control room I was visiting (I work at a paper mill) were cooking breakfast and they made me some.. So I felt socially obligated to eat it, and honestly I didn't even remember it was breaking the rules until I'd already started eating. But I don't regret it, because I put a high priority on spending time with the operators and getting to know them.

I guess it's good to have that out of the way, so if I'm not just waiting for a failure, or trying to keep 100% record. But, I don't intend to let this affect my NoS-ing for the rest of the day (since I failed at like 7am. lol)- I will will have an N day- no more failures!

In other news- Last night I ended up at work until 9pm with nothing to eat after lunch.. I thought about grabbing some fast food on my way home, but surprisingly, nothing sounded good. It all sounded greasy and salty and gross. I also had a migraine so that probably factored in, but I am definitely noticing myself craving healthier, more 'substantial' food, and less junk food. Which is good. I think I need to pay more attention to getting lots of fruits and veggies in my meals.

10/21/2010 Success
10/22/2010 Success

10/23/2010 S Day
10/24/2010 S Day

10/25/2010 Success

Icky rainy afternoon yesterday, so I made a big pot of broccoli & cauliflower soup. New recipe, but it was yummy! Enough to freeze a couple servings for lunches later. Ate it with some olive cheese bites, also a new recipe. I don't usually cook (I bake) but on N days.. baking isn't in the plan.

Something I've been thinking about is taking a picture of each of my meals. I think it would be an interesting experiment in making my food 'look pretty' on the plate, and keep me accountable to the one plate. It would be a good way to keep track of my portion sizes.. which I'm pretty sure are still far larger than they need to be but I'm still working on my 21 days first!

10/26/2010 Success

I didn't feel like snacking in the evening after dinner, even though I was in the kitchen cooking. Good news.

And I remembered to bring my camera to work today so I can take a picture of my lunch.

About halfway through eating my lunch today, I realized I wasn't hungry anymore, and I didn't really feel like finishing my food. I just had a sandwich, and apple, and some veggies, so not a huge lunch by my previous standards. I had a long mental debate with myself over whether I should finish the food or not. I didn't want to eat if I wasn't truly hungry but I didn't want to waste food, and I didn't want to be ravenous all afternoon. So I compromised by finishing the sandwich and throwing out the rest of my veggies. I guess tomorrow I will pack a smaller lunch. I was worried about today's being too small, actually.

This is cool, because I always used to just keep eating until all the food was gone.. and then sometimes more, because I'd just load my plate up again.

Another thought. I have been really excited about food lately. I think this is a symptom of No S because usually it's just baking. But I've been looking at recipes (tastespotting and foodgawking all day long!) and getting excited to try new things. Granted, some of it still is baking- meringues and tortes? Fun! But also different ingredients to cook with- cauliflower lately, and a barbecue sauce for pulled chicken...

Anyway, I am enjoying the excitement over food, and I just wonder if it will last.

Sarah,

The fact that you threw away the veggies and ate the sandwich made me laugh out loud.

I've been having the same reactions at meals lately: that there is more there than I want to eat, but I eat it anyway, because I'm afraid of being hungry later. I hate being hungry!

People in these forums keep telling me it will all adjust itself naturally, that I don't have to force myself to do anything but establish the basic NoS habit (I'm only on day 12 and love it so far). I love that idea!

It's also a really interesting discovery: that I have NO IDEA how much I need to eat to tide myself over to the next meal. No idea! It's something I will have to learn through trial and error...

10/27/2010 Success

@AnneK 12 days is almost 2 weeks! Great start! Today is actually day 21 for me! so I haven't been at this too long, but it definitely feels like something I can keep up for.. EVER.

I'm realizing I don't actually know how much food my body needs! I thought I needed to eat WAY more than I really do.
I end up getting surprised at how full I feel at such a 'small' amount of food, or how quickly a hunger pang can pass and then I won't be 'hungry' again for hours.

I need to get some sort of exercise into my days. I was thinking to start adding more walking to my day. I already do things like park at the farthest end of the parking lot, to get a little more exercise. but I don't do anything intentional as far as working out... I think I am finally getting enough motivation to try something. Maybe running, maybe ... something else. Maybe when it's in the 70s instead of upper-80s I will go rollerblading more often. I don't mind exercise, but I can never stick with anything. I get absolutely bored, and quit! the only thing I really love is rollerblading. But walking's not bad. Running bores the heck out of me!

Sarah,

Its funny I just posted on my own check in a reply to you, and it was about exercise.

It's great to hear how much you love roller blading.

I have been able to stick to a good exercise routine for a couple years now by deciding to never push myself and just enjoy myself. My exercise of choice is running (I really love it!) but I never think of it as going running. I think of it as "looking around." I put on my sweats and head out most mornings to just look around the neighborhood at whatever pace I want. Some days I feel great and run really hard, or go for a really long run. Some mornings I feel sluggish so I just sort of shuffle around for 20 minutes and check out the hood.

I never dread going out running, cuz I know all I have to do is whatever I feel like, and it will be fun. But because there are some mornings I really enjoy pushing myself, I'm in pretty good shape--I ran my first half marathon this summer, and ran the whole way, and got a decent (for me) time. It felt like a miracle to me!

I guess its a little like NoS eating. A method I can stick with as you put it, for...EVER.

10/28/2010 Success

So I decided yesterday it would be a brilliant idea to bake brownies to bring my co-workers today. And not eat any myself. Why would I ever think this was smart? Oh well.. I'll save one till tomorrow.

Yesterday while I was baking (cookie dough brownies, and better-than-crack brownies), I did lick my fingers once.. and I tasted the ganache frosting to see if it was okay (it wasn't- I didn't use it). I don't think these really count as failure though. I would definitely say tasting the frosting is okay because I think it's necessary to taste as you bake to make sure everything is turning out. But licking some cookie dough off my fingers was unnecessary, but it wasn't like I ate a cookie...
Okay I'm going to stop worrying about it, and tomorrow I will enjoy a brownie. Or 2. I have to try both kinds!

10/29/2010 Success
10/30/2010 S Day
10/31/2010 S Day

I am glad it's N days again. I love sugar as much as the next person, but I had wayyyy too much this weekend and I just felt ICKY. I think it's a good thing though that I'm glad to get back to N days.

Today is the first day of my first-ever 30 Day Challenge! Off to a fabulous start, of course. For the next 30 days (the month of November), I will be sticking with vanilla NoS. I will be focusing on eating 3 meals every day (including S days!) and being mindful of portion sizes. I will also be doing 30 Day Shred every morning for exercise.

I am taking 3 trips at the end of this month/next month and I wanted to get these habits firmly established, and hopefully get in a little better shape(!) before I head out for those. So. HOPEFULLY I can fill in my calendar with green days until then! wish me luck.

11/1/2010 Success

I feel iffy about this success, because at dinner last night I ate some trail mix that had m&ms and chocolate pieces in it. But it was part of my meal, on my plate. I debated about it so long that I decided it was okay. I dunno. I will try not to do it again. I just won't keep it around any more.

I'm thinking about Wednesday- I might take a NWS (is that what it's called?) day. I have a work dinner which would be fine on its own, but my dad is coming into town that night also (to GA from MN), and I think he wants to get dinner together also.. so. I guess we'll see what happens. Ohhh the social pressure to eat.

11/2/2010 Success
11/3/2010 Success

I can't believe it's November. This is crazy!

Yesterday I had thought about taking a NWS day, but I decided not to. I didn't want to mess with the vanilla NoS, because I'm trying to be really strict still and get the habit down. At dinner I didn't have any bread beforehand, but I did eat a piece of shrimp as an appetizer, but I made sure to leave room on my plate at dinner for it. I'm glad I don't eat out that much- it would be a lot more difficult to get an appropriately-sized "one plate."

11/4/2010 Failure

I ate a bite of cupcake after lunch. It was on purpose though. So it's a failure, but not a terrible one. We took out one of my co-workers after lunch to the 'cupcake emporium' for his birthday, which ended up being a kind of awkward situation, because nobody was going to have a cupcake except we were making the birthday boy have one.. so I split one 3 ways with 2 coworkers.

Hey, at least you split it!

11/5/2010 Success
11/6/2010 S Day
11/7/2010 S Day

11/8/2010 Success
11/9/2010 Failure

I ate grits&sausage for our morning break with the hourly guys I was working with today. It was on purpose.

11/10/2010 Failure
11/11/2010 Failure
11/12/2010 Failure

11/13/2010 S Day
11/14/2010 S Day
11/15/2010 Failure
11/16/2010 Success
11/17/2010 Failure

11/18/2010 Success!!

11/19/2010 Success! had lunch at work, which I brought cookies to, but I didn't eat any.
11/20/2010 S Day work lunch & dinner- lunch was huge, but dinner was appropriately-sized
11/21/2010 S Day it was a good day, but got kind of 'wild' in the evening
11/22/2010 Success!

I am returning from absolutely falling off the face of the planet!

I got distracted from NoS, especially with the holidays. I think it's because I hadn't really gotten the 'habit' established yet, and I have terrible self-discipline to boot. So I'm getting back to Vanilla NoS, and none too soon! I'm not going to worry about anything else- no set exercise regimens, etc., until I've done at least a couple months vanilla.

My goal is to be healthier. And I know this is a long-term goal- so I'm taking the long-term, sustainable approach. This WILL work.

12/30/2010 Success!

Yesterday was a fantastic success. Well, I'm just glad to be getting back on track.

For some reason we have an enormous bag of oranges at work- 25lbs? 50? I ate one yesterday morning, but it was part of breakfast and not a snack.

Breakfast is the toughest meal for me on NoS because I like to just grab something to eat in the car/at my desk, rather than sit down to a plate of food at home. I shall have to work on this. Oatmeal is a good standby. My bagel-thin this morning was clearly NOT enough, and I was hoping for some protein too. Crazy that I'm still figuring out how much food/what kinds my body actually needs to function.

I will be volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House this weekend, so I shan't (that's a real word?!) have to worry about meals again until Monday. At which point I desperately need to go grocery shopping! I cleaned out my kitchen before Christmas travels.. and have yet to re-stock.

So, it's New Years Eve. I really thought tomorrow was the holiday, not today.. oops!

Anyway, I'm not taking an S day today. I'm not celebrating the holiday, as I'm working at the Ronald McDonald House for the next 50 hours.. I had thought about making some 'traditional' New Years foods (lil smokies! puppy chow!) but figured it wasn't worth it to celebrate alone.

I wanted to do a tradition I read about where a lot of cultures would eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight, to symbolize the 12 coming months. I think I will- it will technically be an S day then, if it's past midnight! And, there are grapes in the fridge. Perfect. I guess this means I'm staying up tonight!

12/31/2010 was a Success!
01/01/2011 S Day

Is anyone else a 'night eater'? I absolutely hate it! I frequently wake up in the middle of the night- 2,3,4 am- and before I'm fully conscious I make my way to the kitchen, and if there is any food lying around, I eat it. Then when I wake up fully and realize what I'm doing, I get so frustrated! I've gotten to the point of not keeping any kind of snack/sweet/quick-to-grab food around, because I know I'll 'unconsciously' eat it. And it happens multiple times a night. No wonder I'm not feeling rested in the mornings!

Anyway, I did this last night, but it ended up being around 12:30 so it was technically on my S day (today).

01/02/2011 S Day

Today is definitely grocery day.

01/03/2011 FAILURE

Failed today... not excessively, or terribly, but just broke the rules.

I was making almond milk this afternoon and ate 1 or 2 almonds- completely absentmindedly.

Also, for dinner I had a small bowl of cereal and a grilled sandwich. I poured the milk on my cereal before I started grilling the sandwich, which I know is not good timing. I finished the cereal before the sandwich was even done cooking. So I wasn't following the one-plate rule.

I just need to pay more attention to following the rules of NoS.

01/04/2011 SUCCESS!

I'm proud of this one. For lunch, I had brought a sandwich and some veggies to work, but I didn't force myself to finish it all when I was feeling full. And for dinner, I made a new recipe (General Tao's Tofu) which wasn't good. But I had plated it, so even though I ended up throwing most of it out (after I ate the rice.. ) I didn't get something else to eat afterward, like I normally would have. Yay for self-control.

01/05/2011 Success

Almost failed today... really wanted to! I couldn't remember why I wanted to deprive myself like this.

I made a 'cookie cake' for a coworker's birthday. Cookie dough, chocolate frosting, cookie, peanut butter m&ms. So much temptation! But I was good, and didn't eat any, and I won't eat any today. I definitely saved a baggie of m&ms in the cupboard for the weekend.

My dinner plate was pretty big.. It worked out well though because I was so much less tempted to snack on all the goodies I had around because I was full from dinner.

01/07/2011 Success
01/08/2011 S Day
01/09/2011 S Day

S Days = Uggggg. I'm still not very good at handling them. I know I should have a mindset of eating 'normally' but allowing a treat if I want one. But it usually turns into a day of pigging out on anything I set eyes on. lol!

So, I'm back to N days, and it's going to be fantastic again.

I'm starting to add in some more evening activities/classes so I'll be less tempted to snack then. I'm still trying to find a fun fitness class in the evenings that I can attend, but I've got a Spanish class and a counseling class lined up for the next couple months.

At work, we recently joined a health program where I can get 'points' for doing certain activities/programs, and if I earn enough points, I get $100 off my healthcare costs.

So I signed up for the 'healthy living' program, and they gave me a bunch of suggestions on eating more healthily.. the first one was "eat more frequently- every 3-4 hours.." citing the scientific proof that eating more frequently keeps your metabolism higher, etc. I just laughed and ignored it! That clearly doesn't work for me, or NoS.
They did make some good suggestions about slowing down when I eat, savoring every bite of food, and making sure I'm not eating for emotional reasons.

01/10/2011 Success

I am not worried about failing on N days. I don't mean that I'm cocky or even confident that the habits are built... I just am not worried that I'll fail. The worst case scenario I can think of happening on an N day is that I'll end up eating junk for my meals, or skipping meals.

I thought I would start tracking my meals- not as a rule, so I can't fail at it, but more as a way to make sure I'm eating all my meals, and hopefully by writing out what I eat it will provide some accountability to eat less junk.

01/11/2011 SUCCESS!

B: morning oats w/ a spoonful of dark chocolate peanut butter.
L: turkey on asiago sourdough, raw veggies, fage 2% w/ strawberry
D: bbq tofu nuggets, tuna pasta salad, bread

I really want to eat dessert.
How about a cup of tea instead? meh. NO emotional eating, Sarah!

01/12/2011 SUCCESS

B: morning oats w/ brown sugar, hot cocoa
L: turkey on asiago sourdough, raw veggies, pasta salad
D: garlic bread, almonds w/ peanut butter


Hit the 'page 2' mark today! woo-hoo!

I'm trying to drink more water. I have nothing against water- I actually like it.. I just forget to drink it. So at lunch I did the old trick of taking a sip of water between each bite of food. Added bonus- it got me to slow down and not just shovel my food in like I am apt to do!

Dinner was really weird tonight, but I was just craving sweets and snacks so much all afternoon, that I put on my plate whatever I thought would satisfy my cravings so I could make it through the evening. Was it a very healthy plate? No. Will I survive the cravings tonight? YES.

01/13/2011 SUCCESS

B: oats w/ cranberries & almonds, Russian tea
L: broccoli/cauliflower soup (cleaning out the freezer!), fage 2% w/ blueberry, chunk of asiago sourdough
D: 6" cold-cut sub

Dinner was lame tonight- I was running from work to an appointment to an evening class, so I just grabbed a sandwich from subway and ate it in the car so I wouldn't have to wait until 8 to eat. For me it's a bad idea to eat in the car/etc but I decided it was okay this time.

Hey! Garlic bread...yum. Almonds with peanut butter...yumm-o! So did you put the peanut butter on top of the almonds or did you put some almonds in a mound of peanut butter? That just sounds wonderful! ha.

Glad to see you're doing well! I'm back at it. In it for the long haul.

I put a spoonful of PB (well, 2 spoonfuls- one of regular PB and one of dark chocolate PB) on my plate, and stuck my almonds in it like spikes! LOL. It was actually pretty ridiculous, funny that you asked about it.

Glad you're back at it, too! Let's have a good 2011- long term, like you said.

I was reading elsewhere a discussion on the amount of financial responsibility a 20yo should have- whether parents should just give them whatever money they need, or if they should work to earn it, etc.

seemingly unrelated to NoS, but this quote jumped out at me:

The problem with these kids is that they think 'NO' is a punishment. If a person never hears no they never learn its just a part of life and then they can't handle disappointment of any kind on any level.

I think that this is how I am with food! I used to eat whatever I wanted- I honestly would never say "no" to myself. You want to get up at 2am and eat raw cookie dough in the kitchen? Go right ahead!
Anyway, I think it is hard-but important-to realize that 'self-deprivation' etc, is NOT punishment. It's just.. reality. Thoughts?

01/14/2011 SUCCESS

B: oats w/ almonds & cranberries
L: pimento cheese panini, turkey chili
D: bread & butter


I baked some pecan pie bars once I got home last night, to bring to work today. I was just really craving some! Which is weird because I think I've only ever had pecan pie once or twice in my life... But I took out 2 of the yummiest-looking bars and wrapped them up at home for the weekend, and brought the rest to work to (hopefully) be devoured!

Strange dinner again tonight- I slept off a migraine when I got home from work, then at 8ish when I got up I just grabbed a bit to eat, as I wasn't excessively hungry.

01/15/2011 S Day

In the interest of full disclosure... (don't judge me. it's an S day)

B: raw cookie dough
L: 6" sub, BBQ chips, pear slices
S: (after donating platelets) pecan pie bar
D: pecan pie bar, BBQ chips

So I ate a bunch of junk today, but I felt like I had a different mindset about this S day than ones prior. I didn't feel like snacking. I didn't eat just because I could, because it was an S day. I ate my two pecan pie bars that I'd been saving, and I enjoyed them.

And once I woke up enough to realize I was eating cookie dough for breakfast, I realized how dumb that was, and threw it out. I don't even LIKE cookie dough! Or cookies!

Off to sleep off another migraine. Hopefully 2 good nights of sleep will kill this streak! I wasn't expecting any migraines, especially since my diet has been better- no pizza or chocolate or even caffeine lately! (some of my usual triggers)

It's an S day. You're off the hook. For what it's worth, I bet you've had worse days. I know I have. So it was junk. It was still contained.

thanks Noel- you are absolutely right. As bad as my day sounds, it was probably my 'best' S day yet. So it's all good.

01/16/2011 S Day

B: oats w/ brown sugar, BBQ chips
L: English muffin w/ PB & almonds, fage 2% w/ peaches, finished off my breakfast oats because I wanted something hot, and I didn't want to throw out the couple bites I had left, BBQ chips
D: Mexican beans (pinto w/ taco seasoning, cheese), corn tortilla, chips
S: couple peppermint chocolates from Christmas

Working today, so not much chance for snacking. I don't really mind though, which is good.

So, I used to eat ONLY smooth/creamy peanut butter. I thought I hated crunchy PB, until the day I found myself chopping up almonds and sprinkling them on my PB sandwiches! I still usually buy creamy though, and add almonds. I prefer creamy for baking, etc. Just an example of how ridiculous I can be about foods I know I don't like.

01/17/2011 SUCCESS!

B: 5 grains hot cereal- I really should've put in some fruit or something.. it's kind of boring plain.
L: Brown Rice & Mexican pinto beans, fage 2% w/ strawberry
D: Porcupine Meatballs, mashed potatoes, broccoli

Back to N days! Kind of a relief- I just don't have to worry about anything now. I don't even have to ask myself if I want a snack or a sweet. Pre-disapproved!

I am thinking about making my own greek yogurt.. Perhaps a good adventure for the weekend?

I ate too much for dinner. I'm stuffed! I had made a huge batch of meatballs though, and I ate 3 because I felt like I needed to make a dent in the pot... Dumb. I'll just freeze more.

01/18/2011 SUCCESS!

B: 5 Grains w/ cranberries & brown sugar
L: Brown Rice & Mexican pinto beans, raw carrots, cheese stick
D: "chicken" nuggets, peas, celery, cauliflower, 1/2 english muffin w/ dark chocolate PB

I'm still figuring out the yummiest way to eat my 5 grains. Today was pretty good, but my cooking method isn't working out the greatest. I like to be able to just put the grains in a tupperware, pour boiling water over them, seal it up and eat it once I get to work. For rolled oats it works out fine, but these 5 grains are not cooking all the way. I had to stick it in the microwave to boil once I got to work today, and it boiled over and made a mess, and reminded me that I DON'T like to microwave grains!

In other news, tonight is Tofu Tuesday take 3, but I think I might substitute textured vegetable protein... I don't know if that's considered tofu or not, but I have some fake chicken nuggets in the freezer that need to be eaten, and I don't feel much like cooking tofu tonight.

My dinner plate was pretty big, but over half of it was vegetables. I was just craving veggies! I had a ton of peas, with a couple pieces of raw celery and cauliflower. I didn't finish the "chicken" nuggets.. couldn't get over their awkward after-taste.

01/19/2011 Success!

B: 5 Grains/Oats w/ cranberries
L: Leftover porcupine meatballs, mashed potatoes, raw celery/cauliflower, 1/2 stale english muffin
D: Meatball sub, carrot sticks, canned pears

This morning I am 6 pounds lighter than I was earlier this month. Which I'm sure is related to water retention, etc, but it is exciting to see the numbers going down. It will be a very exciting day when I hit the 130s again! I am hesitant in my excitement though, because although I am much more confident in my NoS habits, I have never really had success in losing weight.. EVER.

I am also starting the C25k running plan. I did the first day yesterday, and it seems like a very moderate plan, which makes me think I might actually succeed at it! I like the intervals of running and walking for now- I don't mind walking, but for some reason I get BORED out of my mind when I run! I found some podcasts to download that play indie Christian songs, and prompt me at the right times to run/walk. So I get to check out some new music as I (hopefully) become a runner! LOL

01/20/2011 FAILURE

B: Oat Bran/Oats w/ cranberries
L: Porcupine Meatballs, mashed taters, bread&butter, canned pears
D: Meatballs, bread&butter, mixed veggies, trail mix

I need to be more strict about following vanilla NoS. I haven't really been breaking the rules, but I want to "fence around the law."

I was fixing up dinner while baking a chocolate cake, and I really wanted to snack on the nuts/chocolate chips leftover from that. I didn't, which is good! But I decided I'd mix up a little trail mix to eat with dinner. Which is also legit- I don't consider that a "sweet." So I put about 1Tbsp each of walnuts, choc chips, and cranberries together in a little cup to save for dinner. When I plated my dinner, though, I forgot to put the trail mix on my plate.. I didn't remember until I'd finished my plate, then I went and got it, and ate it anyway. This, I consider a failure.

Also, I was toeing the line while I baked- I didn't need to taste the icing more than once (I was making a new recipe, otherwise I wouldn't need to at all!) or lick my fingers, etc. AND. well, I think it was yesterday, but I ate a bunch of tic-tacs, under the premise that they're breath mints and clearly not a "snack"... but if you eat a bunch of them, I think they become a snack, and probably a sweet too!

01/21/2011 SUCCESS!

B: Oats w/ peanut butter, walnuts, mini choc. chips
L: Meatballs, carrot sticks, bread&butter, greek yogurt w/ walnuts, cranberries, choc chips
D: Meatballs, mixed veggies, bread&butter, trail mix

I feel like I'm kind of getting in a routine where I 'indulge' for breakfast on Fridays. I wouldn't normally think chocolate chips for breakfast would be okay on an N day, but since it was oatmeal, and the choc chips were just an add-in I allow it. I think it works well for me, because I usually bake on Thursday nights to bring to work on Fridays, and I don't get to taste it Thursday while I bake, and I don't get to have any with my co-workers on Friday, so if I can indulge at breakfast on Friday mornings I am okay with not getting any of the yummy baked goods. (I definitely save some for the weekend though! I have a slice of chocolate cake just waiting for tomorrow!)

In other news, breakfast was SO filling this morning! I almost couldn't eat my little serving of oatmeal! I guess all the add-ins were very filling today. I should remember that, and reduce the amount of oatmeal a bit when I am planning to add lots of add-ins.

01/22/2011 S Day
01/23/2011 S Day
01/24/2011 Success!

I didn't check in this weekend.. I doubt I can remember now everything I ate. Summary: typical S days for me- ate probably too much sugar, didn't eat my 3 meals a day like I should. Glad to be back to N days today- it's so much easier.

So for today-
B: Oats/5 Grain w/ cranberries
L: Meatballs, brown rice, carrot sticks
D: Peanut butter sandwich, canned pears

FINALLY finished the meatballs! hooray!

Okay.. so that's what I get for finishing all my leftovers on a busy night- PB sandwich for supper!

01/25/2011 Success!

B: oats w/ brown sugar
L: sweet potato
D: Linguine w/ tomato cream sauce, mixed veggies

Got stuck in random traffic this morning- I think there was a train?- so I ate my oats in the car instead of at work. I am so resourceful.

Anyway< I was sure my sandwich last night wouldn't be enough to fill me up, but surprisingly I didn't get hungry- even this morning I was fine. yay! So this supports my theory that I really don't need to pile on the plate as much as I am prone to do.
Also supporting my theory (hope?) that a sweet potato for lunch will keep me full. Not sure about this one! Plus I haven't decided if I even like sweet potatoes. I ate about 3/4 of it for lunch, so I guess that's a good start.

01/26/2011 Success!

B: Oats with a bit of honey
L: Turkey club sandwich, fries, pickle slices
D: whole wheat linguine with tomato cream sauce, carrot sticks

I was a bit hungry last night trying to fall asleep. Probably partly because I wasn't tired, and partly because my plates were on the small side the whole day.

Very greasy lunch.. ick. Had a meeting over lunch and they provided the food. Oh well. I know it's not breaking NoS rules but eating that much grease just makes me feel icky!
I did (intentionally) eat a large lunch- I thought about stopping halfway through the sandwich and I probably would've been fine, but since I've been eating small meals and hungry the past couple days, I figured I would eat more. I was paying a lot of attention to how full/hungry I was, which is good- not just stuffing my face because I can.

01/27/2011 Success

B: Oats with cranberries, balance bar
L: barbeque pork sandwich, potato salad, baked beans, potato chips, pickle slices
D: WW Linguine with tomato cream sauce, carrot sticks, cheese quesadilla

Lunch was kind of big again- it's hard to eat what I want when I have to have work lunches. One more tomorrow maybe, then I'll be done for a while! I used to love free food the best.. now it's just a pain.

I was hoping the balance bar with breakfast would help me stay full longer- the oats I eat are only around 150 calories so not terribly filling. I guess I could just eat more of them! Anyway, adding the bar to breakfast didn't really change much, so I'll probably not buy any more. Plus, it's not "real" food.

01/28/2011 Success!

B: Oats/5 Grains with brown sugar, balance bar
L: 2 slices pizza, diet coke
D: Spaghetti-os

I've been trying to avoid soda for a while- actually doing pretty well. I don't want the calories from it, I don't want the artificial sweetenters from diet, and I don't want (well, need) the caffeine from it. Another work lunch today though- so I decided it was okay to drink the soda. I didn't make any rule about it or anything, just trying not to have it often. It's all good. I ate my 2 pieces of pizza that fit on my plate, and was satisfied. It's amazing- normally I would've eaten 3 or 4 and still wanted more! Times like this remind me why I like NoS.

I was so lazy for dinner.

01/29/2011 S Day

S: a few chocolate/white chocolate chips, reese's pieces

B: 5-grains with brown sugar & cream, tea
L: --
D: Minestrone soup


Ughhhh- c25k was HARD today! I just finished week 2.. which makes me sound lame now that I think about it. Anyway, I've got some awesome shin splints. I thought I was running slower today than yesterday because of the pain, but I made almost exactly the same distance- and I didn't get terribly out of breath either. Good sign, I guess.

01/30/2011 S Day

B: Oatmeal
S: oreo cookies
L: Minestrone, fresh baked cookies
D: bread & butter, homemade frappucino

Yesterday I made & froze 4 kinds of cookie dough to cook later- it was nice not to have to worry about licking my fingers, or tasting the dough. Good thing I saved it for an S day!

I feel like my S Days are so munchy, and on the verge of permasnacking still, but in reality they are so much better than they have been in the past, and honestly, they're probably better than my previous 'normal' days were.

01/31/2011 Success!

B: Oats with raisins, coffee
L: Minestrone, Italian bread
D: mixed veggies, bread

Feels good to get back to N days... I am still working on those bothersome S days! I think it will get to the point where they are not that different from an N day, so it won't be 'getting back' to N days so much. Hopefully soon!

In other news, can't believe January is over already! Where does the time go? Work is about to get crazy... I'm not even sure how crazy, but I guess we'll find out. 2 weeks straight (starting on valentine's day ) of 12+ hour days. Not like I have a life or anything...

I plated some linguine for dinner but it was really gross... I think it's been in the fridge a bit too long! Hopefully I stay full on the veggies and bread.

--I didn't get terribly hungry! I had to turn down sweet potato pancakes at small group.. I just wanted a green day!

02/01/2011 Success

B: Oats with cranberries, almonds, white chocolate
L: Minestrone, Italian bread
D: Minestrone, grilled cheese

I threw some white chocolate in my oats this morning- yum! I've been craving something and I'm pretty sure this satisfied whatever that craving was.

I guess lunch was pretty small today- I have a small (6"?) plate at work that I've started plating my lunches on. Anyway, I'm hungry this afternoon! I am drinking a cup of cocoa to stifle the pangs. I'm going running after work today so it will be a while until dinner.

I found a recipe for a "banana scramble" for breakfast- I'm excited to try it tomorrow. I haven't had a banana in a really long time... I read somewhere once (I never verified if it's true or not) that a banana has as many calories as a kit-kat bar.. and well, the diet mindset says no candy bars, therefore no bananas!

02/02/2011 Success

B: Banana scramble on english muffin with PB, coffee with soy milk
L: Minestrone, Italian bread
D: Salad, Teriyaki chicken

The banana scramble was actually pretty good. I'm not a big fan of 'cooked banana' flavor, but it was not too strong. I might try it with applesauce sometime, instead of the banana. It seemed like a big breakfast- maybe more than I need on a normal day? I guess we'll see how hungry I get until lunchtime.

Dinner was a dilemma tonight. Well, sort of. I had a "women's mentoring" event for work at 4pm, where they served dinner. Who wants to eat dinner at 4 in the afternoon??? And I was going to run after work when I got home. I didn't want to be weird though, and just sit around while everyone else ate dinner, so I plated some salad (lettuces & cucumber slices) and a couple teriyaki chicken fingers. It was good- I'm glad I ate it. And it didn't make me cramp during my run or anything! It all worked out.
I guess I'm not completely on track with my eating habits if this one thing caused me so much worry though!

02/03/2011 Success!!

B: Banana scramble, coffee with soy milk
L: Minestrone, Italian bread
D: Minestrone, garlic bread

I feel as though I've been eating this minestrone forever! For some reason I always go way overboard when I make soup, and it takes me ages to finish it. I have many soups stashed in the freezer from when I just couldn't take it any longer! I'm not sure I'll be able to finish the minestrone before this weekend when I'll be gone, so I'll have to freeze some of this too. Good grief!
((this is only my 8th meal of minestrone so far! lol))

My current thoughts on soda: I think I should avoid diet sodas, because I don't want the artificial sweeteners. They can trigger my migraines, and I'm sure there is some creepy health issue with them that will be in the news in 15 years. Because it's 'diet,' it makes me think I can just drink as much as I want, whenever I want. And, the artificial sweeteners make me crave sugar. I am not making a rule that says I can't have regular soda on an N day. BUT, I will try to keep it an S day treat. Because it's got so much sugar in it, I won't consume it in large quantities as readily as diet soda.
I could go totally without soda, but I don't want to deprive myself. I don't drink it often- I think I've had it once in 2011? So, just my thoughts.

02/04/2011 Success!

B: Banana scramble sandwich
L: Grilled cheese, yogurt, bread with PB and honey
D: spaghetti, salad, a little 7-up and coke (the only drink options)

Phew! Today was hard. I had the day off work so I was home during the afternoon- It is easy to avoid the munchies when I'm at work and have no food, but at home it's much more difficult!
Dinner was at the Ronald McDonald House, so of course there were desserts everywhere... I successfully avoided them! (Well, I have 3 hours left of the day, but I'm declaring now that I WILL avoid them.)

02/05/2011 S Day
02/06/2011 S Day

02/07/2011 Success!

B: Oats with cranberries
L: Arby's- Jr. ham and cheddar sandwich, side salad (just the lettuce.. I don't like onions/cheese/tomato on my salads)
D: Gravy fries

Ahhh another Monday, back to N days. I just like the idea of snacks/sweets/seconds being pre-disapproved. I woke up in the middle of the night last night- well, how awake I was is up for debate- and stumbled into the kitchen. I almost started eating some cookie dough, but I remembered it was probably past midnight- pre-disapproved. So I had a glass of water and went back to bed, not feeling deprived in the slightest.

I think I should learn that stupidity is pre-disapproved, also.

So, today wasn't a terribly 'healthy' day, as far as food choices go, but it was satisfying, and totally allowed on an N day. It's all good. I had pretty much NO food in the apartment after being gone all weekend, but I've remedied that tonight.
I got some Ezekiel bread to try for sandwiches this week- hope it's good! It was kind of expensive.

02/08/2011 Success!

B: Oats with peanut butter
L: turkey sandwich on Ezekiel bread, carrot sticks
D: Grilled tuna sandwich, quesadilla

I don't really get very hungry between meals. I will get initial hunger pangs anywhere from 1-3 hours before a meal, but I ignore them and they go away- usually when I actually sit down to eat a meal, I'm not 'hungry.'

02/09/2011 Success!

B: Oats with brown sugar
L: Turkey sandwich on Ezekiel bread, carrot sticks
D: Big ole plate of chili/gravy/cheese fries

Dinner was big... unhealthy.. but I had major sweets cravings ALL day- so I ate a large meal so I would make it through the evening without being so tempted.

02/10/2011 SUCCESS!!!

B: Oats/Oat bran with cranberries, almonds, brown sugar
L: Turkey sandwich, carrot sticks
D: Veggie burger, gravy fries

Oh my goodness. CRAVINGS. I really, really wanted sweets today. I will succeed though!

02/11/2011 Success

B: Oats with brown sugar
Morning: diet coke
L: work lunch buffet @ the hilton! fancy-schmancy. I had salad, some roasted veggies, bit of rice, potato, biscuit. The plate was pretty big, but I filled it mostly with veggies/salad and didn't force myself to finish it.
D: homemade pizza

A little bit of 'funny business' this morning- not calling it a failure. I made some scotcheroo bars last night to bring to work today, but I made them differently than normal due to a lack of karo syrup. So this morning when I was cutting them up, I cut a little piece (less than 1" square) to taste- I normally am fine with serving cookies or something I haven't tasted, but I didn't want to bring these to work if they didn't turn out right. So I just tasted it, and that was it. I would've been fine without tasting it- probably wouldn't have brought them to work though, then I would've eaten them all weekend long! This way I just have one at home, saved for the weekend, and the guys at work will eat the rest for me.

We had a department meeting mid-morning, where they served us sausage dogs (apparently a southern thing..?) and drinks- I just took a diet coke, since I'd already had breakfast. Jeez, seems like so many opportunities to fail today.

Lunch: The dessert table looked AMAZING. It wasn't really hard to resist though- I was pre-disapproved, so I knew I couldn't have any. A couple people asked about it- I just told them I save sweets for the weekends. I don't think they really understood.. I guess it's fine for them to eat sweets whenever they want, but I know myself, and my tendencies to go... slightly... overboard when I have free reign on sweets.

I wouldn't call that a fail. I'd call that concern for your co-workers, and your reputation.

Giving in to the delicious taste and eating a whole bar, well,

sarah.grace wrote:02/11/2011

B: Oats with brown sugar
L:
D:

A little bit of 'funny business' this morning- not calling it a failure. I made some scotcheroo bars last night to bring to work today, but I made them differently than normal due to a lack of karo syrup. So this morning when I was cutting them up, I cut a little piece (less than 1" square) to taste- I normally am fine with serving cookies or something I haven't tasted, but I didn't want to bring these to work if they didn't turn out right. So I just tasted it, and that was it. I would've been fine without tasting it- probably wouldn't have brought them to work though, then I would've eaten them all weekend long! This way I just have one at home, saved for the weekend, and the guys at work will eat the rest for me.

02/12/2011 S Day
02/13/2011 S Day

02/14/2011 Success!

B: Oats with brown sugar
L: Southwest Chicken Chili, corn bread
D: Roast beef sandwich, garlic bread, corn bread

Work lunches for the next 2 weeks. Today was a pretty good (healthy) option. We had 4 different chilies, so I was able to avoid the ground beef (ick). Had a diet coke- which I'm trying to avoid, but I wanted the caffeine. Might become a routine for the next couple weeks- working 12+ hours every day until March.
Anyway, I'm thinking about keeping a tupperware in the work fridge, full of sliced up carrots/celery/broccoli/etc, so I can add a side of veggies if a given day's lunch is sub-par (totally unhealthy, or icky).

02/15/2011 Success!

B: Oats with peanut butter
L: BBQ pork sandwich, baked beans, chips
D: Baked sweet potato, greek yogurt w/ honey, cranberries, rice krispies, almonds

02/16/2011 Success

B: Oats with honey
L: Lasagna, salad, garlic bread
D: Big ole plate of salad (lettuce + carrots w/ homemade dressing)- all I had in the fridge!

02/17/2011 Success

B: Oats with dark chocolate peanut butter
L: Roasted potatoes, white roll, some kind of pork
D: pizza quesadilla, 1/2 cheese quesadilla

Lunch was pretty 'meh' today. I ended up eating a lot of potatoes, because I don't like pork, and I probably won't get dinner for another 8 or 9 hours. I hope this afternoon goes okay, since I pretty much ate a whole meal of white carbs- not very sustaining.
I was craving veggies, but the green beans were served with mushrooms, which clearly makes them inedible. Maybe I'll eat the rest of my head of lettuce for dinner.

02/18/2011 Success

B: Oats with apples&cinnamon, oat bran
L: Red beans and rice, corn bread
D: pizza bagel

Very filling lunch- authentic Louisiana red beans and rice. One of my coworkers brought it in for us today. Should keep me going for a while! I think that beans and rice combined have complete proteins? Something like that.

One of the electricians I'm working with for these 2 weeks keeps trying to get me to eat snacks and sweets. After turning him down several times, I explained to him that I only eat 3 meals a day- and that's it. He is finally coming to understand that, but he keeps offering me food! Today- donuts and grits. Honestly, it gives me satisfaction to be able to turn him down every time, and now that he knows I am not 'supposed' to eat between meals, I can't change my mind and give in to a snack!

--update: Lunch kept me full until I got home 9+ hours later! Fantastic.

02/19/2011 S Day
02/20/2011 S Day

02/21/2011 Success

B: Kashi Crunch with greek yogurt
L: Chicken, mac and cheese (I think there was cinnamon in it... WEIRD.), roll
D: Cheeseburgers (2), fries [McDonalds]

It might be hard to get back in to the swing of N days today.. hopefully not, but we'll see. Since I worked all weekend, it didn't feel like a weekend, but I was still taking S Days. The habit is easier when weekends are very different from weekdays- it's very clear- even subconsciously- what days I get to have S's and what days I don't.

I'm glad to get back to N days, though, as usual. I haven't gotten S days 'under control' yet- I eat too much sugar, and I feel icky, but I keep doing it! Today will be good though.

I have been drinking soda today- needing the caffeine after all these 16 hour days at work. I thought it wouldn't be so bad working long hours- I mean, I just finished 4 years of college- sleeping ~4 hours a night! Lol. Guess my body has adapted to needing the 8-9 hours I normally get. One week from today, and everything should be back to normal. Can't wait!

02/22/2011 Success

B: Kashi crunch with greek yogurt
L: Turkey club sandwich, coleslaw, 1 onion ring (virtually plated...)
D: chicken wings, celery, doritos

02/23/2011 Success

B: McDonalds oatmeal (had a coupon to try it free), kashi with greek yogurt
L: Chicken fingers, salad, fries, onion rings (2)
D: ----- (nothing)

I ended up eating out again for lunch- work keeps messing up my meals! My food came on two plates, so I was going to put half of each on a plate, so it wasn't funny business, but I couldn't figure out where to put the rest of my salad if I took it off the plate... Didn't want to look ridiculous in front of the work guys, including a guy from corporate I'm trying to impress. So I just ate the chicken, about half the salad, and maybe half of the fries. I was paying close attention to when I was no longer hungry- trying to make sure I didn't eat too much. Didn't want to fall into a food coma this afternoon!

At the end of the meal, I still had about half a plate of food on each plate, and everyone else had eaten everything on their plates. Before NoS I would've allowed the guilt of not finishing my food to get to me, and I would've stuffed it all in, and felt gross all afternoon. I'm glad I don't have to do that any more.

I didn't eat dinner- I wasn't hungry when I got home, and I was so tired I ended up sitting down on my bed "for a minute" and ended up sleeping for the night!

02/24/2011 Success

B: Kashi with greek yogurt, 1/2 pepperjack quesadilla (very random)
L: Chicken sandwich, fries, coleslaw
D: oats with greek yogurt, almonds, agave

Too much funny business going on lately. I need to "fence around" the habits! Yesterday's lunch was semi-'virtual plated' but I was not as strict as I should have been. And skipping dinner last night is also funny business... My N days are required to have 3 plates/meals a day- otherwise it is too easy for me to slip into disordered eating habits- AKA not eating.
Breakfast today was also too 'funny' for my liking. I didn't need the quesadilla. I don't know that I even really wanted it. I definitely didn't put it on a plate with my cereal. (lol) Usually for breakfast I eat out of a 1 cup tupperware that I bring my food in to work, so it's "plated" that way- if I sneak in more food like this morning, I don't know what it amounts to on a plate, if I don't plate it.

So- I need to be more strict about my habits. I like the way my scale is moving, and I want to keep it that way. I can't fudge with the habits, or they will become un-habited!


Motivation: Looking through my habitcal for Jan/Feb- if I can make it through 3 more N days,I will have a completely green February! That is good motivation. I don't want to screw up a whole month's work with one stupid cookie. Or a lack of strictness.

02/25/2011 Success

B: Kashi with greek yogurt
L: 1/2 ham sandwich, potato chips, vegetable soup
D:--- (skipped it again)

Lunch was good today- I mean, the food wasn't all that fantastic, but it was really nice that none of it was deep-fried or covered in grease. I get so tired of eating greasy food.

I made some samoa bars (like the girl scout cookie) to bring to work today- saved 2 in my fridge for this weekend. I might only eat one and throw out the other- I was hoping they would be really good, but I don't think they are..
I'm also making a cake tonight to bring in to work tomorrow. I am excited for this one- it's going to be a vertical layer cake. I've only done horizontal layers before- vertical hardly makes sense, even now that I've got directions. Anyway, I have decided that cake is my favorite Sweet. I don't like cookies, or bars, or cupcakes, or brownies all that much- but I do enjoy making and eating a lovely layer cake.

02/26/2011 S Day
02/27/2011 S Day

02/28/2011 Success

B: Oats with agave
L: turkey sandwich, yogurt with kashi
D: Polenta with marinara sauce, mixed veggies

Aaaaannnd- back to N days.
Also, no more work lunches (hopefully for a long time!) so I can eat my own (not greasy, not deep-fried) food again. Who would've thought I'd be this excited for a sandwich? Well, I am.

So, I made polenta for the first time. Is polenta the same thing as grits? I have no idea. I ate it, though.

03/01/2011 Success

B: Oats with brown sugar
L: Turkey sandwich, Ants on a Log
D: --- skipped it

First off, HOW is it March already? This is ridiculous. I remember the moment I realized life started going by too fast- 6th grade during lunch recess. Up until then I guess life was fine and dandy- and slow.

Today, I am craving a margarita. I have no idea why... I've never had one!

So, lunch. I cut up 2 stalks of celery to make Ants-on-a-Log, a random craving I had. I have a teeny little plate I put my lunch on at work, so it was very overloaded with the 6 pieces of celery and 2 sandwich halves- the sandwich had to be stacked! Gasp. So I started eating, and about halfway through, I was feeling full. So I saved half the celeries to have another day- I figured they could last a day or two in the fridge.
I guess the point is- I'm still (ridiculously) surprised at my newfound moderation. But I'm loving it! Normally I totally would've finished it all off.

I see you've been doing awesome while I've been gone on vacation! Wonderful! All green the whole month of Feb? You are killin' it!

Thanks for the encouragement. I am hanging there no matter what. This works...period. I just have to give it time and stick to it.

I commit to a green March with you!

03/02/2011 Success

B: Oats with peanut butter
L: Chicken salad sandwich, fries
D:--- skipped it