Everyday Systems

Now I'm ready to start back, and I think it's time for a new thread. I completely fell off the wagon last year, so I'm here again - and hopefully I've learned a few things from my past attempts!

I've bought myself a pedometer and have been wearing it for the last few days - it's been a wake-up call that I have to go for a walk every day to get the 10,000 steps in. I was surprised that on Sunday, despite cleaning the house and cooking for lunch guests, I had done comparatively few steps by the end of the day. I was tired, and thought the count would have been high, but I must have been mostly standing at the stove rather than moving around...

Yesterday I did 10,000 steps plus shugged. I hadn't started NoS'ing though.

Today, I've been for my walk already, so I should hit 10,000 by tonight. It's my first NoS day. Scrambled eggs and tea for breakfast. Am thinking about lunch now. I'll post properly at day's end.

It's nice to be back.

Just curious: what kinds of self-talk did you do that got you back into snacking or sweeting or whatever constituted falling off the wagon? I want to be on the lookout.

Good question, Oolala. I tend not to think about it as self-talk. I know that when I'm stressed and overwhelmed by work and family then I head straight to the sugary snacks. It's a calming thing - it feels almost biological, but it's largely about wanting to calm anxiety and also find comfort and reward for the tough time I might be going through. But you're right, there's self-talk in there. I did an online course (psychological) that was meant to help you identify that self-talk and then change your habits, but it had the opposite effect on me - I found I was thinking about food all the time and I lost my footing with NoS the first time around during that course.
It's a great question. Let me think about it - and observe myself over the next few days - and I'll get back to you. One thing I do know is that when NoS starts to work for me and other people begin to see the results - then I cave. It's almost like subconsciously I don't want to change...hmmm....will have a think.
cheers
f
x

One thing I am resisting is falling back into the pattern of controlled weekdays and bingy weekends. I so don't want to go back to that. And I'm also a bit resisting facing up to the feelings of hunger and deprivation at the start of NoS. They're my two stumbling blocks at the moment...am still working on getting to the bottom of the self-talk. There is a thread that runs along the line of: - I can't change, it's impossible, this is just the way I am, I have no control, it's all beyond me. I know that it's tosh, but it feels real in the moment. There may also be some self-talk about not wanting attention, not deserving to succeed and perhaps wanting to cushion myself from unwanted attention. I have a bad habit of eating rather than confronting people or emotional issue - I'm great at solving practical issues and moving on, but perhaps not so great at intimacy because of my fears of being smothered and of losing myself...hmmm....I'll keep thinking....

I think I'd like to put some thought into what I'd benefit from sticking to NoS - so I'll do that and come back in a while to note it down.

hi fun, nice to see you again
i am restarting again this year too..
good luck.. i'm sure you will get back on track and you *do* deserve to succeed!!
deb x

Thanks v much, Deb. Nice to see you here.

Ok, well I'm not quite on track yet...
Friday:
B: scrambled eggs with tomato, tea with milk
L: two salmon and avocado sushi rolls
D: Steamed fish and vegetables. Wine.
Late snack of leftover vegies....

Didn't make 10,000 steps - was pouring with rain. I'm clearly going to have to get some sort of exercise equipment for catching up indoors.

Am still thinking things through - I guess what I want is to settle down again into a sane pattern of eating and exercise that I can maintain for life...sound familiar?

The last few days have been reasonable as I settle back into the program. I had a few glasses of wine with a friend on Friday. Saturday was NoS and I had seconds on Sunday. Didn't get the 10,000 steps in on the weekend.

Monday: Success
Exercise - 10,000 steps
B: cheese on toast and tea
L: Green salad with tofu, seeds and nuts soaked in tamari and a fresh peach chopped through it.
D: stir fry beef with vegetables, rice.

Tuesday: Success
Exercise

B: tomato and mushroom omelette.
L: Large salad, similar to yesterday's. Bread roll.
D: Two sushi rolls.

Wednesday:

I was very tired today. So slept for 2.5 hours when the baby did and we didn't go for a walk. I'm about to shug (when I get the next one off to bed), but that's all I'll manage today.

B: egg, bacon, toast, handful of trail mix
L: leftover beef stir-fry and veg, two nectarines
D: chicken schnitzel, orange vegie mash (pumpkin, potato, carrot, sweet potato), steamed broccoli.

Didn't really manage NoS as I was still really hungry when I finished my meal so I had more mash and a handful of mixed seeds and nuts.

Thursday:

Steps.

B: scrambled eggs with mushroom, spinach and tomato. Toast with butter and vegemite.
L: two sandwiches with avocado, tomato, cheese and lettuce.
D: soy and honey chicken legs, salad, rice, corn, but I ate some crackers at the end of the meal because I was still hungry (I still am now!).

Friday: A DISASTER of a day.

I forgot to wear my pedometer. I'm not sure if I got to 10,000 steps, though I did go for a short walk, so possibly.

B: 2 eggs
L: bread roll with butter and vegemite. Trail mix with chocolate.
D: sausages, steamed root vegetables, cabbage and zucchinni. Masses of trail mix with chocolate (3 or 4 handfuls)...

Stress eating. I was overtired and upset. I have to get my sleep back in control (which, given that it's 12.42am, I'm obviously not managing too well)...

I'm thinking of trying out a mod to avoid weekend binging...I'd like to stick to no snacking as a permanent habit - ie just sticking with three meals even on weekends, but I can add dessert or seconds on S days. I'm hoping that might help me avoid the mindset of weekends being free-for-alls.

Saturday:
No breakfast - I was still full from yesterday
L: spinach and bacon quiche
D: BBQ chicken, potato, carrot and pumpkin, corn, cucumber, avocado, peach. (a huge dinner - way too much food, but I'm pleased I didn't snack today).

No exercise today, though I took the kids to the park.

Sunday - plenty of walking at a picnic.

B, L and D were fine (though I ate way too much again at dinner, but it's a NoS day, so no worries). No snacks, so I'm happy. Didn't feel like any sweets

Am sticking to the 3 meals but am still having huge dinners...
Because I didn't get the opportunity to go for a walk, I didn't reach 10,000 steps either day. Am about to shug now (Tues night)

Monday
B: scrambled eggs with tomato
L: bread roll and two different dips left over from the picnic.
D: home made pad thai (chicken), yoghurt

Tuesday
B: scrambled eggs with tomato
L: meat pie on the run (that's all that was available)
D: chicken sausages, steamed root vegies (carrot, sweet potato and potato) and broccoli. Green grapes.

Didn't end up shugging - I worked at the computer instead till v late...sigh...I should know better...I DO know better....

Tuesday:
10,000 steps

B: bacon, toast with butter and vegemite.
L: multigrain sandwich (tuna, sweet chilli sauce, lettuce and cucumber), green grapes, yoghurt
D: Chinese takeaway, noodles, chicken and vegetables.

Wednesday and Thursday both successful for steps.

I can't remember what I ate on Wednesday, but I know it was successful for NoS.

Thursday was another matter...I did fine till late at night when I had a glass of wine. That helped weaken my resolve and I snacked on bread and leftover green salad.

I'm still plodding along. I've decided not to post every day, but to just check in now and then to report on how things are going.

I'm sticking with the "nothing between meals" mod. I've decided to break up the NoS approach because I think if I break it into smaller habit changes it will work better for me - and I'm hoping I can avoid out-of-control weekends. I haven't had any urge to binge since I stopped eating between meals every day - not just during the week. That change in thinking about this way of eating has helped me hugely, so I'll stick with it. I'm trying to be quite strict with it.

I'm allowing myself to eat what I like at meals (nothing sweet though, except on weekends), so I'm not restricting the quantity of food at meals during the week - at least not yet. That means I'm not expecting any weight loss for the moment - I'm just working on habit change. If I can manage to embed as habits no snacking at all and no sweets during the week, then that would be terrific. From past experience, I'm guessing the amounts of food will reduce without much effort over time, if I stick to no snacking.

I'm also getting in the 10,000 steps every second day or so, but I'm working up to everyday.

Meanwhile, I'm experimenting with avoiding coffee (doesn't seem to agree with me any more) and alcohol (with a few lapses).

I want to get more sleep too, but just can't seem to get myself to bed early...sigh....

Still, am v happy with the no snacking mod so far...

I've taken the batteries out of the scales so I won;t weigh till June (the start of our winter).

Yesterday, Sunday, was the first day I've broken the No Snacking rule I've set myself. I was at a birthday afternoon tea and drank champagne that weakened my resolve. I ended up snacking on lots of sweet stuff - the first time in a fortnight. Oh well. Back to no snacking today. I've been getting a walk in most days.

I am eating too much - so I think it's time to re-introduce the one plate rule. Gulp.

Not checking in regularly isn't working for me - I need to check in to keep on track.
The last month has been a disaster. I fall in a heap when I'm stressed and the good habits go out the window. But I am very concerned about my weight and some related health symptoms. So back on 3 meals tomorrow without snacks. I'd like to go back to the general no-snacking mod. And back to incorporating exercise.