Everyday Systems

I have tried No-S on and off for several years, and always have liked it, liked the old-fashioned, common sense discipline. For several months a few summers ago, I was on track and doing fine. I ate three meals a day, walked around the neighborhood, and didn't think much about food. Wonderful. During that time I lost .2 lb./month. That's right, two-tenths of a pound--which for me is fabulous. I am a woman in my early 60s, and I'm short.

But then I saw my doc, who thought my gray-area cholesterol numbers meant that I should exercise more intensely and eat less fat. (This is pretty standard advice, apparently.) I tried, but the exercise made me hungry, and, well, I seem to like fat. Summertime means tomato sandwiches with real mayo. I stopped losing. Then I injured my knee--trying to get more exercise--and couldn't exercise at all for 6 months. And I've been gaining since. Only about 5 or 6 pounds total, but enough to be annoying, and I wasn't light to begin with.

So I'm trying again--I started a food diary in January and when I looked back, saw that there was plenty of room for improvement: not binging on sweets and nuts between meals when I'm stressed, for starters. If I lose .2 lb./month until this year's check-up, I will have lost a pound. That would be so much better than gaining!

Welcome!!! I'm back to No-S again myself after "convincing" myself that I needed to count points again.........

Here's to a wonderful weekend and week ahead!

Thanks, tobiasmom. Good luck to both of us!

Below is what I posted on my checkin a couple days ago. It seems appropriate to what you were talking about. Sometimes we just have to do what we can and no more.......

Posted: Tue Feb 08, 2011 11:54 pm Post subject: My new mantra

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"Maintenance is progress; the status quo was gaining weight."

I picked up the No S Diet Book yesterday and just read a few sections that I had only skimmed through before. I came across this sentence, and it is so appropriate for what I am trying to tell myself right now that I had to repeat it and repeat it and repeat it........

Yes! I'd like to read a comfortable, reasonable balance, where I don't gain any more (maybe even lose a little, slowly), yet I feel happy and content--neither overstuffed nor deprived. For me, that's No S.

Had a good weekend, although I ate too many fries on Saturday. Sunday I didn't really have an S day, nor did I want one. Today and all this week are questionable--we're having family visitors, and the schedule will be different. We'll have pie and cookies and all that good stuff around the house, too. I plan to do my best and not beat myself up.

Good luck to you. It is an on again, off again journey for most of us.

Company left--a good visit with them. Ate out too much for me; I always have trouble out because--this sounds weird, maybe--I don't like a lot of the food, except desserts. So I eat them. Anyway, back to sort-of normal, thank goodness.

Exercise day off.
Breakfast: little shredded wheats and a banana.
Lunch: Ham sandwich and latte.
Dinner: Peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a hot chocolate.

Don't feel especially guilty about skipping veg!

Yesterday must have been the first day of 21, so this is day 20:

Exercise: 2 miles treadmill.

Breakfast: banana, oats, yogurt, raisins, walnuts, a little sugar

Lunch: avocado and pepper jack sandwich on whole wheat

Dinner: lots of salad on corn tortillas (salad and tortillas is one of my go-to menus), snack container of peanut butter (these things are perfect), 2 snack packs of graham cracker dippers, hot chocolate.

Weather's turned cold and snowy again, but only for about a week (please, please, please!).

Red day.

Exercise: 3 miles treadmill (walked).

Breakfast: pbj and apple.

Lunch: Big bowl of cereal and banana, then 2 sample Luna bars that I got at the dentist's office (!!!).

Dinner: Don't know, but broccoli will be involved.