JEAN'S 2012 Check In

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sat Dec 31, 2011 11:48 pm

I decided to put my monthly weigh ins on this first post of the year so I could find them.
Jan Stayed the same.
Feb + 2 lbs
Mar - 2 lbs
Apr - 2 lbs
May - 3.6 lbs
Jun -1.2 lbs

I do not do New Years Resolutions, but I establish small achievable goals on the first of every month. In preparation for new goals on Jan 1, I tracked my exercise closely in December so that I would have a basis to set January goals. Here is the December summary:
Number of miles: Â 85.5
Number of jogging miles and pace: Â 30. Â Pace: Â 11:38
Number of days using weights: Â 9
Elliptical minutes: Â 5 (got DH an elliptical for Xmas; starting slow!)

I met my Dec 1 goals of 10 runs (actually walk/jogs) at less than 12 minute miles (average) for at least 30 miles of running for the month.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sun Jan 01, 2012 6:39 pm

It is time for my monthly goals. I only post diet and exercise goals here, but I also make other personal goals. As usual, my goals are ridiculously small.
1) vanilla no s with no reds
2) Start two new habitcal calendars; weekends will be S days for these 2 calendars. On N days, the new diet soda calendar will be green for no soda and red for any amount. (I expect some reds this month!). On N days, the glass ceiling calendar will be green for 0-1 drinks and red for 2 or more. (I expect reds here too!)
3). Exercise goals are simple....improvement in all areas....no matter how small. (86 vs 85.5 overall miles; 31 vs 30 jogging miles at a pace of 11:35 or lower and weight resitance related exercise 10 times and over 5 minutes on the elliptical.)

I started out the year with a green day on an S day. I ate some yummy foods and used a big plate for the main meal but no snacks, sweets or seconds. I did not try to do this, but I think I will start marking this on my habit cal to see how often it happens. Green on exercise; yellows on diet soda and alcohol calendars.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 12:39 am

As long as I make it through the next couple hours, I will have all greens on my 4 calendars. I almost blew it for supper; filled my plate pretty full. I would love a diet 7UP right now but am settling for cold water.

I did 5 mins on the elliptical again today as part of my exercise. I am surprised how hard it is!

gk · Post by gk » Tue Jan 03, 2012 3:41 am

r.jean wrote: As usual, my goals are ridiculously small.......
1) vanilla no s with no red.

That is NOT a small goal. However, if you put as much dedication into your diet as your exercise, you'll fill up your diet calendar with all GREENS easily!

Good job passing on the 7up!

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 11:45 am

Hi gk! After I typed that first goal, I thought the same thing. A year ago, this was not a simple goal. However, there are no major holidays this month, and I will take at least one NWS day for DH's birthday. When my life is routine, I now find following Vanilla No S is pretty easy. I hope the same for you by the end of this year!

franxious1 · Post by **franxious1** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 6:03 pm

Hi Jean,

I had been thinking of giving myself a green day if I managed to have an S day that I was happy with. It would be a little more informative, looking back over the calendar, to see which S days were awful and which were OK. Or maybe not! Something to think about.

Lisa

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Wed Jan 04, 2012 12:09 pm

Hi franxious1!
I have toyed with the idea for awhile of marking green on my habitcal on S days that have really been green days. I start out every S day with routine eating and only stray if there is something I really want. I do not deprive myself nor do I eat junk to just do it. So..as you said...the rationale for tracking those S days that just happen to end up green is because it may be informative and may be helpful later. I may retire in a year, and my whole routine will change. I have wondered how it would work to have floating S days in retirement. If I start tracking now, it would be a year's worth of information.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 12:11 pm

I have been reading posts everyday, trying to get back in the groove after the week between Christmas and New Years which was a disaster. I have 4 calendars now and have been green for No S, exercise, and No diet soda. My alcohol calendar has a couple reds due to 2 mid week dinner celebrations for special occasions. The extra 2 calendars are a trial. We will see...

I hope that this influx of New Year's posts continues. It is good to see the dedicated few who have been here since I started and good to see a few new ones and restarts. Reading the posts of others helps keep me on track.

I stepped on the scale and it is still up a bit. Maintenance is definitely the goal this month. I am switching my weigh in date to the first of the month this year just to make it easy. I step on the scale occasionally between monthly weigh ins but don't write it down.

franxious1 · Post by **franxious1** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 3:05 pm

I weigh myself everyday, which I think is a bad habit that I just can't get rid of right now. Just like I'm eating fairly large N day meals to convince myself I can make it to the next meal, I'm weighing myself daily to make sure the big meals aren't making me gain (they aren't)!

I'm hoping that a few more weeks will help me with both issues!

gk · Post by gk » Fri Jan 06, 2012 9:48 pm

r.jean wrote:It is good to see the dedicated few who have been here since I started and good to see a few new ones and restarts. Reading the posts of others helps keep me on track.

I stepped on the scale and it is still up a bit. Maintenance is definitely the goal this month.

I agree - reading everyone's posts here is a HUGE help to me. Nice to talk to others who struggle with the same issues and know what it's like to try to change these bad habits.

As for maintenance.....I just told Milliem that I've actually reached the point that I'm excited when I step on the scale and I'm the same instead of gaining a pound or two each time!!

With my gradual progression to Vanilla No S, I don't expect any weight loss but maintenance can be just as rewarding!

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 11:30 pm

You are right gk, maintenance is exciting, especially when it happens during a challenging month. Early on I adopted the minimum goal of maintenance at monthly weigh ins with the understanding that I would sometimes lose weight and would have to maintain that loss too. I will take as much time as I need to reach my goal, but I do not want to go backwards.

And franxious1, like you I use weighing to keep me on track, but I do not see anything wrong with weighing frequently as long as it is not more than once a day. Also, I believe in picking a time frame for official weigh ins that help you track long term progress. For me that is monthly. When I started, I tried to only weigh in monthly and that seemed to work best for me at the beginning. Now, if I am doing well, I tend to not step on the scale much between those official weigh ins. If I am stacking up my plates and eating out a lot, I am more likely to get on the scale to prompt myself to stay on track. I do not write down those weights and I do not even remember what the scale said this morning. I do know I am up 2-3 lbs from my last monthly weigh in, and I am working on moderation to correct this so I at least maintain for my next official weigh in.

This method ha helped me to lose 45 lbs the first year. I think I will stick with it!

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Fri Jan 13, 2012 12:17 am

Since I started tracking my exercise on a desktop document, I do not log in as much to my daily check in. I do sign on pretty much every day and read posts and do my habit cal.

I have one red so far on my no s calendar and all green on my exercise calendar. My new calendars for no diet soda and one drink or no alcohol are showing some red. This month is mainly to track and get a baseline for how many days I use diet soda or alcohol. I will set up new goals next month after getting the baseline.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Mon Jan 16, 2012 7:11 pm

I am getting back on track after a 4 day mom/daughter getaway. I took two extra S days. I stepped on the scale today, and it was not pretty. I need to watch it because I do not want month 13 to be my first month to post a gain!

I am doing pretty well this month with only one red on my No S calendar, but I am piling my plates and eating too much junk. My exercise calendar is almost all green with only one yellow and no reds. My No diet soda calendar is better than I thought it would be with 9 greens. The alcohol calendar is pretty much useless. I have been using a glass ceiling of 1 because that is what they always recommend for women....one drink a day. I do not drink every day, but when I do, it is usually 2 drinks...occasionally 3 drinks. If I set a weekly goal of 14, I would always be well under it. In fact, I would generally be at or under a weekly goal of 7 per week. So I may end up pitching this calendar again in favor of just logging what I drink and setting weekly limits. The concern for me is about the extra calories more than anything.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 11:52 am

I do not know why I cannot seem to get back on track with my food choices. I had a green day yesterday and ate good, filling, healthy food for breakfast and lunch. However, supper was Mexican carry out and beers with friends. It is hard to make good choices at this particular restaurant, but I did not even try.

I have resolved to temporarily log my food intake on my desktop. It will not last, but it might get me back on track.

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 4:59 pm

Hi rjean! It can be difficult getting back on track after the holidays. I definitely have noticed that.... last two S Days (weekend) were a bit ott...nothing compared to what I used to eat but I found myself nibbling treats and having dessert "just because it was an S Day" and not because I felt hungry and/or wanted anything in particular. Again, nothing wrong since you can't fail on an S Day HOWEVER if I want to see a weight loss of any kind, I know I will have to be mindful of my S Days and I would have to make sure they were mindful EVERY single week! I have to ask myself which would I rather have: free for all S Days (with no guarantee of weight loss and likelihood of gain) or organized ones? It might sound obvious, but I have to admit I do enjoy my freedom to eat what and how much I like weekends! LOL

Anyway - just wanted to say, you're doing great and 45 lbs in a year is a marvellous achievement. Have a great day!

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 3:05 am

Thanks for the pep talk Roxy! I am still having green days but struggling with poor food choices at meals and wanting to just give in and snack. I am really hoping for maintenance this month. Times like these remind me how easy it would be to just slip into old patterns...even after a year.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 1:08 pm

It is getting a little easier. Habits are taking hold again. I have read various opinions on forming habits, but the most common is that it takes 21 days to form a habit.

There is another theory I read that said it takes 30 days to form an exercise addiction but only 3 days to lose it. This theory seems to also be true for me for eating habits. During extended special occasions that go over 3 days, I quickly revert to some bad habits and have a hard time getting back on track. Thanksgiving was a 4 day family food fest and so was Christmas. Each time it has been a struggle to reestablish good habits.

Another lesson learned as I start my second year of No S.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 5:26 pm

I am going to try a small mod which I think will actually improve overall compliance. I am going to flex my two weekend S days. Depending on what is going on, I will take either Friday/Saturday or Saturday/Sunday. In our family, we tend to plan a lot of special events for Friday nights. I always go into these events with the thought that I will keep it an N day if possible, but it sometimes becomes an NWS day.

On the other hand, I often find at the end of a Sunday that I have actually had a green day without even trying. So...i am still going to aim for keeping Sat/Sun as my S days, but if I take an NWS day on Friday, I will do Fri/Sat instead of having a 3 day S weekend.

I know that Reinhard has recommended against making up for red days or NWS days, but to me this is a little different.

franxious1 · Post by **franxious1** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 8:00 pm

If you plan in advance to take an S day on a Friday instead of Sunday, that seems fine. What would be problematic would be to decide, mid-day, to make a day an S day (especially if nothing unexpected happened).

I took an S day yesterday (Friday) because of two events, but I'm making today an N day. I just don't want to have three S days in a row. But I am not marking any failures, since I planned it in advance.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:36 am

I agree franxious1. I do not want to get in the habit of just randomly changing my S days. To start with, I will save the flexing for special occasions. I always go in to NWS events with the intent of staying green if possible. For example, Friday was a birthday gathering at our house. I was green all day and even skipped the birthday cake. Then I caved and went back for more food after dinner.

I approach my weekend S days in a similar way. I occasionally save a specific treat for the weekend, but usually not. I go about my weekends eating normally. I do not give into every temptation, but I generally have at least one or two S events on S days. Occasionally I get to the end of an S day and realize as I mark my habitcal that it was actually a green day. I have started to track those days even though I do not intentionally plan them.

So my trial mod is that if I give in to temptation on a Friday because of a special event, I will try to stay green on Sunday rather than have a 3 day S weekend.

gk · Post by gk » Wed Jan 25, 2012 8:44 pm

Good luck with the new mod.

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Wed Jan 25, 2012 11:36 pm

Jean, I lost track of you when you started a new thread, I see you are doing well. I like your way of thinking! Go for the green!

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:16 am

Thanks gk and Sweetness for stopping by. I have been posting less but reading every day. When I see people who have been on this board since 2005, I wonder. Will we still be here in 5 years? I think so...

Things are going pretty well this week. When I got to the one year point, I decided to move my monthly weigh-in to the 1st of the month. I am glad I ended up with an extra ten days. I struggled to get back on track this month.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 11:37 am

It is weigh-in day, and I weigh exactly the same! I changed my weigh-in to the first of the month so it has been 6 weeks since my last weigh-in. This 6 weeks started with holiday overeating. I then had a hard time getting back on track. So...maintenance is an excellent result!

With one slight mod of flexing S days to Fri/Sat or Sat/Sun means I had no red days. I had 2 NWS days during a 4 day getaway trip. I think that this mod will be good because we have a lot of special celebrations on Fridays. By flexing my days, I will take fewer NWS days. Other than this slight mod, Vanilla No S continues to be the goal.

Exercise goals were met and some were exceeded. There was only one yellow and no reds on my habitcal.

Goals this month: 90 overall miles with 35 of those jogging at an avg pace of 11:15 or lower. Weight or resistance work at least 10 times during the month.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 11:56 am

Way to go on maintaining over the holidays! That's awesome! ... I like your flex S D at mod. It makes a lot of sense if you can limit your S Days to those 2 days.

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 2:13 pm

CONGRATULATIONS, r jean!!

Eileen7316 · Post by **Eileen7316** » Wed Feb 01, 2012 3:25 pm

Congratulations!

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 1:08 am

Thanks everyone! It is amazing to feel so good about maintenance.

gk · Post by gk » Thu Feb 02, 2012 2:00 am

Great job!!

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 11:32 am

Thanks gk! I read your posts regularly and I am cheering for you! What strikes me is that you really do not have that much to lose. I think that is harder. My weight loss has definitely slowed down, but making maintenance the focus is doing the trick for me.

I am sitting here bummed out because I want to run. Unfortunately there is some sort of icy rain going on out there. Guess it is the DVD again today.

I am continuing to make some poor food choices even though I am technically being compliant. Hopefully this will change.

Frau Koch · Post by **Frau Koch** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 12:56 pm

Just had a quick look at your thread.
You're such a brave dedicated person!

gk · Post by gk » Sat Feb 04, 2012 4:15 pm

r.jean wrote:I am sitting here bummed out because I want to run. Unfortunately there is some sort of icy rain going on out there. Guess it is the DVD again today.

I am continuing to make some poor food choices even though I am technically being compliant. Hopefully this will change.

Now that is a true sign of a formed habit.

Thanks for following my thread. The support here is wonderful and so helpful. Means alot to me.

I'm sure your better food choices will come around soon. The important thing is that you're still being compliant and not just throwing in the towel, because you're not adhering to your rules by 100% (that's always my downfall). You're doing awesome and as always a constant source of inspiration for us here at No S. Keep up the great work.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sat Feb 04, 2012 8:50 pm

Thanks for the encouragement gk and Frau Koch!

I actually did get my run in yesterday and also today. It was raining both days but stopped long enough to get out there for a quick run. Tonight is supposed to bring snow, but now I am ready for a day with my exercise DVD tomorrow.

Yesterday was another day of bad food choices, but so far today is better. I think that is partly because today is an S day, and I plan to indulge this evening.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 11:36 am

Super weekend for getting exercise in. Not so good on food with a Super Bowl gathering capping off an over indulgent weekend. Oh well...back to moderation today.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sat Feb 18, 2012 8:21 pm

Back from an 8 day vacation trip and up 4 lbs on the scale. I am not too worried because I can go up or down by 3 lbs in a day. This weekend is full of activities, and I am sure there will be some continued indulgence. However, I am grocery shopping and meal planning for Monday!

This is truly the beauty of No S. I can relax and enjoy when appropriate without going hog wild, and I can get back on track when it is time. Before it was all bad or all good. When I fell off the wagon and ate something "bad," I just took that as a reason to blow the whole day and restart tomorrow or Monday or maybe on the first of the month. Now I can have an indulgent meal any time I want....as long as I fit it on a plate. Or I can declare a special day or occasion without blowing the whole day or week.

I love it!

No S has taught me that it is okay to enjoy food ... with moderation.

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:09 am

r.jean wrote: This is truly the beauty of No S. I can relax and enjoy when appropriate without going hog wild, and I can get back on track when it is time. Before it was all bad or all good. When I fell off the wagon and ate something "bad," I just took that as a reason to blow the whole day and restart tomorrow or Monday or maybe on the first of the month. Now I can have an indulgent meal any time I want....as long as I fit it on a plate. Or I can declare a special day or occasion without blowing the whole day or week.

I love it!

No S has taught me that it is okay to enjoy food ... with moderation.

Yes! No more "I really blew it, what's the use?" and then feeding the depression with more food! I usually get right back on track.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:43 am

I am going back to work today after a 2 week vacation. I have really overdone it this time, and I will need to have a really good week to even hope to meet my goal of maintenance for my weigh in on the first of the month.

Really good for me means increasing my daily exercise and putting healthier foods on my plates and no alcohol. I am not a fanatic about food choices, but I stay away from junk food and heavy or rich foods.

I think I can skip Fat Tuesday today. I think I have been doing that already for the last 2 weeks.

Thanks for stopping in Sweetness. It reinforces my effort to just get back on track and not dwell on how poorly I ate over the last 2 weeks.

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Wed Feb 22, 2012 1:53 am

Frau Koch · Post by **Frau Koch** » Wed Feb 22, 2012 7:23 am

How good that you are back. You will suceed, everything you wrote sounded very common-sense

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Thu Feb 23, 2012 12:53 am

Thanks Frau Koch!

Yesterday and today went well. I exercised more and made better food choices and avoided alcohol. I looked at the calendar and remembered that there is a Feb 29 this year. That gives me one extra day for my weight to settle to the maintenance point before the first of the month, my official monthly weigh in.

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Thu Feb 23, 2012 1:09 am

Hi rjean! Hope you had a happy holiday! Just popping to say you're doing great!!

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Thu Feb 23, 2012 11:35 am

Thanks Roxie! I feel a bit obsessed with the scale right now because I am concerned that I might post my first monthly weigh-in gain since starting No S 14 months ago. I have gotten away from my scale obsession and it has become more of a neutral gauge; however, I do not want to break my streak of maintenance (or loss) every month so far.

As I was thinking about this, I thought back to a discussion last year with you about weighing at the doctor's office. It was just too funny. This brought everything back in perspective. I still hope to achieve maintenance again this month, but an extra pound or 2 after a vacation month is normal and not worthy of being obsessed over.

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Thu Feb 23, 2012 9:02 pm

I disagree, a gain of a pound or two after two weeks vacation is not normal. Most people would gain a LOT more. I would actually count it a success.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Thu Feb 23, 2012 11:19 pm

Good point Patty! Looking back to pre No S vacations, I definitely gained more than a couple pounds! I will keep that in mind if my weigh-in next week is not what I would like.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 11:56 am

Exercise, Exercise, Exercise
That is going to be my mantra this weekend. I am on call which often pulls me away from exercise because I get interrupted a lot. This weekend I am going to find ways of fitting in small bits of exercise throughout the days. I am going to wear my watch with the chronograph and turn it on every time I fit in even a few minutes.

thtrchic · Post by **thtrchic** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 2:55 pm

Good plan!!

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sun Feb 26, 2012 5:07 pm

Success! I managed 57 mins of exercise yesterday..in pieces. Today I got moving early and fit in a 2.5 mile run and a half mile cool down walk. I got a call during my Cool down walk but that was no big deal.

I was up late last night working and went over the edge on snacking; microwave popcorn and girl scout cookies. Oops! It was my only S yesterday but it was over the top.

I have decided to do a half marathon in May. My family is signing up for a race in May that does not have a shorter race attached. If I want to do the race with them, I will have to do the half. So why not?! I can walk as much of it as I need to in order to finish.

thtrchic · Post by **thtrchic** » Sun Feb 26, 2012 5:13 pm

Great work on the exercise! That's exciting about the half marathon. I have no doubt you'll handle it well.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Mon Feb 27, 2012 1:31 am

Thanks Thtrchic for the confidence! I am a little apprehensive, but I had my husband sign me up today.

I hit those girl scout cookies again today and finished off the box. That was my only S for the day, and I am glad they are gone.

I ordered one box, and my husband ordered 10 which he is keeping in his closet. Thank goodness! He knows I do not want them around. I can resist a lot but girl scout cookies are a weakness.

thtrchic · Post by **thtrchic** » Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:08 pm

I really, really wanted to buy girl scout cookies, but resisted ordering any for just that reason. Once they're in the house I know I can't hold off. Luckily there aren't any girl scouts close to me so I didn't have that to factor in.

thtrchic · Post by **thtrchic** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 3:32 pm

I just did the WATP Walk and Jog. It's definitely a little harder of a cardio workout than the other one I usually do and has left my legs tired. It's 2.5 miles in 30 minutes. There's less room for added upper body. Some, for sure, but you're moving a lot more and generally faster so it's harder to add bits in. For me at least.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Wed Feb 29, 2012 2:47 pm

Thanks Thtrchic! I think I would like that, especially in the winter when I run less outside.

I managed to find the walk and jog on Amazon as part of the Power series after you told me the actual name. I may suggest that to my family as a good present for my birthday this spring. They always complain that I am hard to buy for.

I had a red yesterday after indulging in crackers and cheese and a few girl scout cookies from a box my husband left out. Arghh!

Frau Koch · Post by **Frau Koch** » Wed Feb 29, 2012 6:40 pm

My kudos to you, great attitude, the half marathon will be no problem for you.
My first one will be on All Fools' Day... I will tell you if I can recommend it.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 1:22 am

Please do let me know how your run goes Frau Koch! I have my training plan in hand, and about 11 weeks to train.

Rating my exercise goals for February:
I managed to eke out 90 total miles with 37 of those miles running at an average pace of 11:04. This meets my total miles goal and slightly exceeds my running goals. (My running goals are low in the winter.) I did weight work 9 days which is one day short of goal but not bad.

Rating my eating and weight goals:
I had 2 reds, 13 greens, and 14 yellows. This month included two weeks off and a vacation trip that included a 5 day cruise. I take a trip about 3 times a year and I have always taken all yellow days (exempt) and have done fine. My motivation slipped a little this time, and I know I have gained at least a pound or two.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Thu Mar 01, 2012 12:16 pm

I weighed this morning, and I did gain...exactly 2 lbs. Also, this is not a fluctuation. It is a solid gain. So now I can get over my first gain in 14 months and move on. This is a new month and Spring is coming.

New monthly goals:
Continue Vanilla No S and go for no reds.
Lose the 2 lbs I gained.
Follow my half marathon training calendar which involves 60 miles running if I follow it exactly.

I will track my other exercise and will track my times running, but I have no specific goals in those areas. The primary goal this month is to log some serious running miles!

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 11:29 am

I am going to post more often on this thread because I think it keeps me more honest about how I am doing. Yesterday was green, but two of my meals were large.
Exercise was green - 2 mile WATP
No alcohol

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 3:50 pm

r.jean! You are doing GREAT! Rooting for you - woot!! woot@@

Have a great weekend!

PS: My birthday is just around the corner too .... and my family says I'm hard to buy for as well!

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 5:48 pm

Thanks Roxy! I am determined to get back on track.

I decided to do my Fri/Sat flex this week due to a family event. On Friday, I exceeded the glass ceiling and had popcorn in the evening after dinner.
Exercise was green, 2 m run, 1 m walk

Today I am sick with flu symptoms, fever, etc. I have not left the couch and have not eaten.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sun Mar 04, 2012 3:38 pm

Saturday was green due to illness. I ate less the whole day than I usually eat for breakfast. I know Sat was an S day, but when I have an S day that just happens to end up green, I mark it green.
Took a sick day for exercise.
Feeling better today and will try to at least walk today.

Sunday PM: I managed to walk 2 miles (in pieces) and so far have had two meals/plates today. I will probably have another small meal shortly, and today is a green day. Today is an N day because of my Fri/Sat flex this week even though Sat ended up green too.

No alcohol Sat/Sun.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 4:36 am

Monday: Back on my feet but still tired. For some reason cannot sleep even though I am tired.
Green day all around
Ate well.
3 m. run; 1 m. walk
No alcohol

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Wed Mar 07, 2012 2:23 am

Green day but ate out for lunch, and it was a generous lunch.
Exercise was green too: 3 m. Run. 1 m. Walk.
No alcohol.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Thu Mar 08, 2012 12:52 am

Green day. Three very reasonable meals.
Exercise was good; 3 m. Run. 2 m. Walk.
No alcohol.

These daily posts are boring, but they serve a purpose. Daily posting means I must also post the slip ups. This may deter me from having those slip ups.

thtrchic · Post by **thtrchic** » Thu Mar 08, 2012 4:30 am

It's meant to be for you; not to entertain the world. Do what you need to be successful.

And, great job!

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 1:35 am

So true Thtrchic! It is about accountability...to myself.

I got on the scale today, and the two pound gain from my 3/1 weigh-in is gone. Good deal! My official weigh-in is still the first of the month, but I needed that check in.

I am marking today green, but I overpacked my plate at a potluck lunch. I stopped short of the desserts though. As I eyed the desserts and debated, I did not find anything worth making the day red.

There are shades of green and shades of red that need qualifying if I am going to fine tune my habits.

Exercise was green. Run 2 m. Walk 1 m.
No alcohol.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 3:12 am

Green day. Good breakfast and lunch, but supper was not great with an oversize serving of chips with my tuna sandwich.
Green for exercise too. WATP 2 m.; Walked half a mile.
No alcohol.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sat Mar 10, 2012 11:44 pm

Routine S day. Just finished my 3rd reasonable meal, but had chips for lunch and seconds on fruit for supper. This is early for me for supper so an evening snack may happen.
Good exercise day: run 4 m; walk 1.5 m.
No alcohol.

PS: Evening snack of toast with margarine.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 7:57 pm

Green day so far with usual breakfast and small lunch. Headed out of town and expecting big supper and alcohol. I am leaving my computer here but keeping track.

Good exercise day: Ran 3 m; Walked 2.5 m.

See you in a couple days.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 12:47 am

Sunday ended up green even though it was an S day. We went out for Thai, and it was all on one plate and no dessert.
Two drinks as well.

Monday was more of a challenge. NWS day declared. I had little or no choice in menu selection. Breakfast was fruit and muffins. At least I dodged the donuts. Lunch was hot beef/cheese sandwich, a small salad, and a nice little multilayer chocolate dessert cake. I left half my bread and skipped the chips. Supper was Italian with too much bread, a fantastic salad, half order of pasta and half tiramisu.
Three drinks as well.

Today was another NWS day. Breakfast was the same. Lunch was a wrap, soup, chips, and apple pie. I ate it all. Supper was back at home, and it was leftover Italian and 2 fruit bars.
No alcohol.

Exercise was green. I took my mini DVD player and did WATP 2 mile each morning in the hotel room.

All in all I could have done better, but I also could have done far worse!

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 2:39 am

Green day today but some poor food choices, waffle fries with lunch and chips with supper.
Green for exercise today, but I was initially very discouraged. I was on call last night and did not get much sleep which did not allow time for a morning run. It was 78 degrees after work, and I set off for 4 miles. I did awful. I followed a route my daughter suggested, and the time of day, lack of sleep, and unusual heat led to a time almost 9 minutes over my last 4 mile run. Then we discovered the route was 4.5 m not 4 m. What a relief! It was still a slow day but not terrible. I also did 1 mile walking.
No alcohol.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 11:34 pm

Green day but still some bad choices. Chips with lunch and fried chicken strips at dinner. The rest was reasonably healthy.
Exercise was mild at 2 miles of walking.
No alcohol.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 12:12 am

Another green day today but still could make better choices. Had chips with my supper and 2 beers before supper (and I do not drink the light stuff!)
Green for exercise: WATP 2 m.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sun Mar 18, 2012 3:44 am

Weird day but about right for an S day. We did a 5K this morning which pushed my breakfast back to almost lunch. I ate a few bites of cottage cheese before running but that was it. I had a piece of cake around 130 pm and later went out to dinner. The entree was of reasonable size but I had 2 (green) beers and shared some appetizers. It did not feel over the top. Oh and I forgot the 3 tootsie rolls I had at a hockey game after dinner.

Besides the 5K walked 1-2 miles.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Mon Mar 19, 2012 1:57 am

I think today was a green day but not on purpose. I ate out for breakfast but brought about half my food home. I ate that for lunch with a little added to it. I then grilled for supper. Nothing came up during the day to tempt me into an S event. I thought about a bedtime snack but was not really hungry and nothing looked good.

Exercise was good. Run 4 m. Walk 1 m.
No alcohol.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 12:57 am

Green day for food but had chips again with supper. Those 2 bags of chips I bought awhile ago are finally almost gone. Next time I will make sure I do not get something my husband does not like!
Exercise was crazy. I did WATP 2 m. with the plan that Tuesday is a running day. Then I realized that I have to work 11-12 hours tomorrow, and running will probably not happen. Not wanting to get behind on the training calendar, I ran 3 m. tonight and walked one. It was 78 degrees, and it was my third day in a row running. Needless to say I was slow and took more walk breaks than usual. I am marking both today and tomorrow green. I do not plan on running again until Thursday!
One beer

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 12:06 am

Green day. Finally ate the last few chips with my supper and told my husband that I do not want them in the house any more! I am the one who bought them this time, but he buys them sometimes too. I hope he hides them if he buys them again or buys the kind I do not like. I am pretty picky about my chips.
Green for exercise since I exercised twice yesterday and walked one mile today.
No alcohol.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 11:42 pm

Green day. Feeling kind of sore and tired and hoping this is not another virus coming on. My son brought over some fresh corn chips and salsa and of course I made them part of my supper. OoPs!
Exercise green too. WATP 2 m and half mile with dog.
No alcohol.

NoSnacker · Post by **NoSnacker** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 9:17 am

Hi Jean, thanks for the welcome back..it was nice to see some of the people that I used to engage with still here.

Yes I hope to make No S my way of life..so that eventually I'll be able to say it is so natural for me..and that my weekends are great.

I think my biggest part for leaving before is my weekends were terrible, absolutely terrible.

But this is a new journey, a new fresh start.

Glad to see you have found the sanity, I hope to join you in the quest.

Have a great day!

gk · Post by gk » Thu Mar 22, 2012 1:46 pm

Just popping in to say hello, and I'm back!!

I see you're still doing so well with the diet and exercise. Such a steady source of inspiration for us all.

Enjoy your day!

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Fri Mar 23, 2012 12:55 am

Thanks for stopping by Deb and gk. Hope you stick around. No S is not an easy thing! I recently learned that even after more than a year of pretty good compliance, it is still pretty easy to get off track. I am back on track now, and daily check in helps. It keeps me honest.

Green day today. Went out to lunch, but saved half my food and ate it for supper (only added a fruit).
Green for exercise: Run 4 m. Walk 1.5 m
No alcohol.

NoSnacker · Post by **NoSnacker** » Fri Mar 23, 2012 8:57 pm

Complying with any kind of limitation after an abundance is tough enough, long term is even tougher for me..

Love how we really don't talk about what we should eat, how much, when, or where..just 3 meals..

This time around I'm hoping my weekends aren't crazy...couldn't handle the s days gone wild...which then spilled over into my weekdays..

But one can only try again..

Have a great weekend!

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sat Mar 24, 2012 3:15 am

Green day, but supper was indulgent. Gyro and a few fries, fruit, and 2 beers.
Exercise was fine. WATP 2 m. Half mile walk.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 3:37 am

Today was almost a green day, but it was still pretty indulgent. Breakfast and lunch were normal although I had a few sun chips at lunch. Supper was grilling out for family. I filled my plate full of yummy food, but only ate about 1/2 or 2/3's of the plate. I also did not eat dessert.
The S part came when I was getting ready for bed, and my stomach was growling. So...I ate leftovers. Pretty normal S day.
I also exceeded the glass ceiling with 3 drinks.
Exercise was good; ran 5 m. Walked 1 m.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 2:06 am

Green day. My Sundays have been green all month without really trying. However, I ate chips again today (as part of meals) after buying a bag of sun chips as an extra for yesterday's cookout.
Green day for exercise: 4 m run; 2 m walking
No alcohol.

I was sick one Sunday and one weekend was a deliberate Fri/Sat flex. The other 2 just happened.

gk · Post by gk » Mon Mar 26, 2012 11:29 am

r.jean wrote:Green day. My Sundays have been green all month without really trying.

These are the words that alot of us are hoping someday to type in our threads. Great job!

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 1:05 am

Thanks gk! It is great to enjoy food without obsessed being obsessed with food. Now all I have to do is make better food choices at meals to continue to slowly lose.

I took a NWS day today (Monday) just because.... I had to work yesterday (Sunday), and I put in some long hours and got very little sleep. I had a green day when it was an S day. Today I let go after work and went out with my sister and ate and exceeded the glass ceiling by 1. I even had an evening snack later on.

I took a day off exercise too which does not happen often.

Sometimes you just have to let go! It was not totally wild, but it was just enough.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Wed Mar 28, 2012 1:15 am

Green day but I am not thrilled with my food choices. I ate out at lunch (Mexican) and ate red meat and more darn chips for supper. I do not know why I am craving chips so much lately.

Exercise was green too but no running. I need to take some time off to nurse a muscle I strained that is not getting better. Walking is not a problem so I walked the 3 miles that I planned to run today.

No alcohol.

My monthly weigh in is on the first, and I need to not blow it now. I feel like I am at least holding my own.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Wed Mar 28, 2012 4:25 am

If I may be so bold, I'm curious to know why you keep talking about some foods as being indulgent. Are you thinking that you are someday going to be living rarely eating those foods?

gk · Post by gk » Wed Mar 28, 2012 4:30 am

Maybe you're craving chips because your plates don't include enough "crunch"? If I'm craving extra crunch and feel like I want to go overboard on it, I always munch on white cheddar rice cakes. Then at least I don't feel like I'm going overboard on high-calorific foods. However, if you're one of those people who won't eat "that cardboard", then maybe something else would better satisfy your chip cravings.

Good for you for continuing exercise while you're healing. You know how it is....(at least it is for me)....once you stop for a few days, it is SO hard to start up again! Way to stay at it!

Have a great day.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Wed Mar 28, 2012 11:57 pm

LOL gk! I do happen to be one of those people who do not eat "that cardboard." I think it is both the crunch and the salt I like about chips. I like thick, salty, substantial chips like kettle cooked or corn chips or sometimes sun chips. I have tried many substitutes, but there is no comparison food for me. I just try to stay away from them, but it has been my downfall lately. I am not a big sweets person though. We all have our personal favorites I guess.

Green day with no chips today and nothing terrible.
Exercise was green but still walking rather than running. Walked about 5.5 miles.
No alcohol.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 11:40 pm

Green day. No eating out and no chips.
Green for exercise, 4.5 m walking
No alcohol

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 12:26 am

Awesome!

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 3:19 am

GREAT JOB, R.JEAN!!

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 12:40 am

Thanks all! I had a green day today. As part of supper, I ate some baked Special K cracker chips with my salsa, and it was not bad. They were lower in calories and fat and salt. The salsa I use is pretty healthy so maybe I have found a solution to my chips craving.
Exercise was green but I did the minimum. 1 mile walk; 14 min shovel glove. I am going to try to run tomorrow and will see how my strained hamstring does. I have not run all week.
3 beers.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 1:57 am

Today was technically a green day although supper was a full, large plate of pizza. However, no snacks, no seconds, no sweets and the other 2 meals were reasonable.
Green for exercise and started running again. 2 mile run; 4.5 miles of walking
No alcohol.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 11:19 am

It is the first of the month again and time to total up and review the past month. The good thing is that I lost the 2 lbs. that I gained the month before. I expected to lose a little more, but after that big supper last night I was happy with the scale. So I am 3 months into year 2, and I am EXACTLY the same. I have maintained a 45 lb. loss.

Exercise has increased. I did not make my running goal due to a sore hamstring, but my numbers were good. (109.3 total miles with 49.6 of those running. Did weight work 9 days.)

I would like to start losing again, and I know some areas to work on (like giving up chips!). However, I realize that I will be among the few if I just manage to maintain and not go backwards.

New goals are simple. Continue to maintain and continue to increase running mileage.

My mod. In year 2, I have started to float my S days. I started exchanging Fridays for Sundays first, but recently relaxed and flexed to accommodate a Monday/Tuesday trip. I find that my Sundays are almost always green without much effort, and I want the freedom to enjoy an S event when it comes up without worrying about whether the event is NWS worthy. With this method I had 7 S days in March and the rest were green. There were 9 weekend days this month so that was fine. No reds! I do not recommend trying this in the first year, but I am comfortable with it now.

ZippaDee · Post by **ZippaDee** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 11:39 am

Congratulations r.jean!!! Trying to keep everyone straight in my head....I heard that loud and clear r.jean has lost 45 pounds and is maintaining it!!! WHOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!!! That is just awesome!

And you are only 3 months into your 2nd year of NoS. You lost it fairly quickly! How long did it take you to lose it? Keep on keepin' on! You are an inspiration to me!

NoSnacker · Post by **NoSnacker** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 12:21 pm

Congrats on maintaining..that is truly an awesome accomplishment and wow, look at those miles logged..I'm impressed...exercise sure does make one feel good afterwards...love the feeling.....

My goal for April is green all month with exercise..even if not up to it I'll do something..

I'm going on a 17 miles bike trek in June which is in PA and hilly from what I hear..so looking forward to the next 2 months to train...

Here's to exercise!

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 1:42 am

Thanks for the encouragement everyone! I am amazed at the 45 lb loss the first year. I could be discouraged over the zero loss so far this year, but at least I am not gaining it back. I also have noticed muscles in my legs that I have not seen in a long time.

Today was an S Day. Sweets were the only actual S I had today. I am not much of a sweets eater, but I went overboard on them today for sure. I ate 6 midgee tootsie rolls which would have been fine. But then came the peeps. I had bought them to give my (adult) kids when they came by, but I ate a whole package of them. (330 calories of pure sugar)

Otherwise, I ate 3 compliant meals, but they were not the healthiest. I finished off the pizza from last night. I also had 3 beers.

Green for exercise. 4 miles.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 3:45 am

What about keeping a waist and/or thigh measurement record? Not necessarily for us here, but for yourself. For health's sake, the waist measurement is the most significant.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 12:58 pm

Measuring is a good idea. I have tried it, but like all other forms of tracking, it always falls by the wayside. The only tracking I have maintained is the habit cal and monthly weigh ins. However, I do know how my clothes feel, and the increased fitness shows in the comfort and look of my clothes even if it does not show on the scale. Onward!