Tamara's Weekly Check In (2012)

[thatsnotfab]

Just started the No S Diet yesterday! Read all of the website info and picked up the book from the library last night. I'm not giving up on my weight-loss goals, but I am giving up on the restrictive methods I've used in the past. They've repeatedly exhausted me to my core, both mentally and physically. I just can't do it anymore, so here's to success with simplicity!

Yesterday:
-3 mile treadmill run

Breakfast: one serving fat-free cottage cheese, cinnamon, small sliced banana, 1 tbsp whipped peanut butter

Lunch: 2 slices leftover homemade veggie pizza on wheat crust

Dinner: Chinese takeout (mixed seafood, Mongolian beef, Kung Pao chicken and rice w/ soy sauce)

I ended up going with my husband to my in-laws for some Chinese takeout for dinner. Right away, I started to panic a bit (first day jitters, I guess), but I took some deep breaths and paid close visual attention to the space on my plate. Not so much that I began to over-analyze, but just enough to make sure I was satisfied with the variety and amount of foods I had chosen. I paced myself, took breaks for conversation and by the end of the meal, I was satisfied and not stuffed (I usually end up stuffed when we eat takeout).

Reaching for a post-dinner ice cream bar was tempting, but I stuck to my guns. It was much easier when I reminded myself that I already ate an adequate amount of good food over the course of the day and that the ice cream bar isn't going anywhere; it'll be there on Saturday when I'm ready for it. Or maybe I'll want something else by then. Who cares? I have the freedom and the choice will be all mine.

Today:
-Level 1 of Jillian Michaels' Ripped in 30 DVD

Breakfast: wheat tortilla, 1/4 cup black beans, 1/4 cup liquid egg whites, 1 whole egg, 2 tbsp salsa, 1/4 cup fat-free cheddar

Lunch: wheat tortilla, 2 tbsp whipped peanut butter, 2 tbsp peanut flour, small banana, cinnamon, 2 tsp honey, red bell pepper strips

Dinner: vegetable curry w/ chickpeas, cauliflower and rice; 2 oz. vodka & diet soda


So far, so good! Looking forward to tomorrow's check-in and hope I can add another green box to my calendar.

My background/weight-loss history is pretty long, so if you're curious, just see my blog link in my signature. Thanks!

[milliem]

Welcome to NoS! I read a bit of your blog out of interest, you've achieved a lot! NoS is pretty great for the maintenance phase as it pretty much IS maintenance

Seeing those green squares line up is pretty motivating! Good luck with the rest of your first week

[Strawberry Roan]

Hi, I clicked on and read your January 31st entry as well. Always shocked to see the F word used when Heck would have been just as descriptive but then I am old, and you are not, and it is your blog

I want to congratulate you on your successful weight loss and your love of exercise.

To your helath,

[thatsnotfab]

Day 2 was another good day. Wednesdays tend to be a struggle for me, so let's see if I can successfully cross the half-way mark.

Exercise: Rest Day

breakfast: 2 eggs, 1 serving oatmeal w/ blueberries, 1 tbsp unsweetened/reduced fat coconut, 1 tbsp ground flax

lunch: mushroom ravioli lean cuisine, 1 large apple, 12 almonds

dinner: chicken falarma plate at Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill; 1 wheat pita

[thatsnotfab]

Exercise: 3 mile treadmill run

breakfast:
protein pancake with mixed berries & 1 tbsp whipped peanut butter; sugar-free maple syrup (yeah, yeah- I've read the book's comments on artificial sweeteners, but I use them in moderation now and will use them less as I go along; no comments on this, please.)

lunch: leftover chickpea/cauliflower curry over rice

dinner: not sure yet...

Made it through Wednesday successfully! Though I noticed when we ate out last night, I was hesitant to stop eating, even though I was full and what I was eating was healthy (plate at Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill). I think knowing the "one plate rule" and knowing that I just paid for the meal, I felt obligated to eat it all. The reality is, I felt stuffed afterward, so next time, I need to just stop. Or, enjoy half and take the rest to-go. Even though I was eating mostly vegetables and protein, there's still such a thing as too much, regardless of nutrition.

The good thing is, I don't feel regretful and I'm learning good lessons as I go along. Oh, and I'm down 3 pounds so far this week Yes, it's probably mostly water weight, but just feeling lighter is always a good thing.

Today should be pretty easy, but my next hurdle is Friday. Friday nights after work typically see lots of extra nighttime snacking and extra cocktails (and that of course continues into Saturday and Sunday). Just need to remind myself that if I can make it through those few evening hours on Friday, two S days will be waiting for me with open arms.

[thatsnotfab]

Day 4 was another success! Now I just need to make it through Friday, a day (or evening, rather) where I tend to struggle a bit. Knowing I have two S days will make it easier though, I think.

Exercise: 30 min NTC (Nike Training Club) Get Strong workout- Perfect Score.

I'm going to stop listing what I eat for my three meals for the time being. If my progress becomes stalled down the road, I'll start doing it, but for now, I'm just going to continue to mark my calendar days and see how it goes.

[thatsnotfab]

Made it through Friday night successfully! As I anticipated, knowing that I could eat whatever I wanted the next morning really helped me stay in control throughout the evening.

Definitively ate a lot on my S days, but after finishing the book, I knew that there was no need to feel guilty and that it's perfectly normal to overdo it a bit those first few free weekends. One thing I learned is that I won't eat nearly as much as long as I really narrow down the truly delicious things I want to eat. I know the book covered this, but I still found myself eating certain things just because they were there, not necessarily because they were the best-tasting. This caused me to eat more because I wasn't 100% satisfied with my choices.

For example, I knew I really wanted some good ice cream, but instead of going to the store or the ice cream shop, I ended up eating a big bowl of cereal and other miscellaneous snacks. Had I just made the trip for the ice cream, I wouldn't have felt the need to eat the other stuff. Once again, another lesson learned. At the same time though, I don't want to be overly-impulsive with my choices, so it can be a tricky balance. I know there's no need to have any rules on S days, but at the same time, I don't want to put my hunger/fullness levels on a roller coaster every week.

Looking forward to making through the week successfully again.

This morning's workout: Jackie Warner Xtreme Timesaver Training DVD

[milliem]

Well done for a successful first week! It's great that you are already reflecting on and learning from your S days, they can be a bit 'wild' at first but once you have your N day habits down pat you will probably find that either they calm down naturally, or a tweak here and there will do the job

[thatsnotfab]

Yep, that's what I'm hoping for- thanks for the feedback!

[thatsnotfab]

The week is moving along steadily. My birthday is tomorrow and my family is taking me out to eat, so having an extra S day will be nice. I still plan to eat normally for breakfast and lunch, with no extra snacks or sweets in between. Even dinner will be pretty normal, the only exception being an extra dessert (or two). I know it's not required to have any "rules", but if I can keep things as balanced as possible on this non-weekend S day, that will keep me from making poor choices into Friday.

I certainly plan to enjoy myself, but I also don't see a reason to overdo it either. I think after dealing with the stuffed/heavy feelings from my first two S days (and subsequent digestive issues), I'd like to work on enjoying myself, but not to the point where it feels unpleasant.

I'm also prepared for *not* sticking to this plan I've laid out, so in case extra snacks and sweets outside of my birthday dinner make their way into my day, I know that it's still acceptable and nothing to beat myself up over.

I know I haven't finished week two quite yet, but I'm already loving how the freedom of the plan has me eliminating excess naturally, without having to go to uncomfortable extremes. It's very calming and reassuring.

Today's workout: 3 mile treadmill routine; 30 min. incline, 14 min. running.

[thatsnotfab]

So, I had to count yesterday as a fail. I ate normally for breakfast and lunch, but we ended up going for a pre-birthday dinner at Olive Garden. I had seconds on breadsticks and salad, shared an appetizer and ate half of my entree. Finished with 3 Andes chocolate mints. Certainly not the worst fail ever, but I didn't feel right counting it as an extra S day since I already had that planned for today (my actual birthday with another restaurant dinner).

Not feeling bad about it at all though, especially because even though it was technically a "fail," I'm proud of myself for stopping halfway through my entree and saving the other half for today's lunch. And even though I knew the day had to be colored as red, I didn't use that as an excuse to keep eating, like I normally would have in the past. I knew (and felt) that I had had enough food (maybe a few bites more than I should have), and there was no need to overdo it with more sugar or fat, so I left it at that.

That "well I've already screwed up, so I might as well keep going" mentality has fueled many a binge in the past, so it felt empowering to stop that senseless cycle in its tracks.

Today's workout: 4 mile treadmill run.

[Eileen7316]

That "well I've already screwed up, so I might as well keep going" mentality has fueled many a binge in the past, so it felt empowering to stop that senseless cycle in its tracks.

Boy, can I relate to this. Every mistake is an opportunity to eat a "last dinner". I don't know why my thinking has to be so black and white. It's either ON program or way, way, way OFF (royal screw up)!

Happy Birthday! And congratulations on "containing the fail". Good job!

[thatsnotfab]

I don't know why my thinking has to be so black and white.

It can be *incredibly* hard to find and settle in that gray area, I know! Last night was a rare instance and I can't guarantee I won't have a black/white day in the future, but just taking things one meal at a time is the best we can aim for.

[thatsnotfab]

Not feeling my best this morning. Paints are tight and I'm bloated. Just way too much food this past week, thanks to Thursday's birthday and the multiple celebrations that followed. I used an S day on my actual birthday, had a normal day on Friday, but then celebrated again on Saturday and Sunday. Friends threw a party for me on Saturday and my Dad took me out to eat on Sunday, which was followed by more than one cupcake and some other sweets.

I know none of that should matter on S days, but I think it's fair to say that so far, I've been eating too much on my S days to make any progress.

I'm still hopeful that my S days will be more balanced though; the first weekend was a typical first time all-out junk fest and this weekend just involved more birthday celebrating than normal. Luckily, there aren't any special events coming up for a while, so I'm sure the coming weekends will be less excessive.

Even though I'm not happy with how tight my pants are this morning, I'm not giving up because I know the feeling is temporary. I was tempted to skip breakfast this morning after eating so much over the weekend, but I knew I would regret that decision sooner rather than later, especially since I did an hour long workout before getting ready for work. So, I proceeded in making a healthy breakfast and am glad I did. It's hard to fight that desire to be restrictive after overeating, but I know it never leads to healthy results, so I worked through it.

The next few weeks will be interesting; we're closing on our first house today and will proceed in moving. My hope is that I'll be too distracted with that process to even consider stress or emotional eating and falling off track. And because this coming weekend will be busy with painting and cleaning, I'm hoping I'll be able to single out a few specific treats as opposed to laying around the house and eating out of boredom.

Today's workout: Bob Harper's Ultimate Cardio Body DVD

[thatsnotfab]

Had to mark yesterday as a fail :\ Not a major one, but I ate 2 small cookies between lunch and dinner while closing on our house. I know it's not the biggest fail ever, but I'm still irritated at my lack of self-control, especially after recognizing how excessively I ate over the weekend. Small slip-ups add up over time and I need to remind myself of that.

Not beating myself up of course, but also not going to be too lenient either. Anyway. Here's to hoping for another green day!

Today's workout: 4 mile treadmill run.

[thatsnotfab]

Yesterday was a success! Feels good to be back on track and much less bloated. Ended up getting extra exercise in after work yesterday when we went to do some cleaning at the "new" (but quite old and dirty) house. Felt better and more productive than just sitting on the couch watching TV like we usually do on weeknights. The house isn't a fixer-upper per se, but it does need quite a bit of cosmetic work, so it'll be nice to be occupied with different projects to keep busy and not thinking about food all the time.

Anywho, going to my mom's for dinner tonight, but thanks to the flexibility that is No S, I'm not worried about what to eat (which I would be normally on other diets), as long as I stick to one plate and pass on dessert.

No workout today. Resting up and hitting the weights tomorrow.

[thatsnotfab]

Marking yesterday as another fail. I guess I could have marked it as an extra S day since dinner at my mom's was to celebrate our new house purchase, but I wasn't really planning it that way. My plan was to just eat one plate of food since I had eaten normally earlier in the day.

I had one plate, one bowl and second servings on chips & dip. Still skipped dessert though, mostly because I was too full.

So again, not a terrible all-out fail, but I think it's best to mark the day as red because I don't want to get in the habit of having impromptu S days, nor do I want to make bogus exceptions just to mark the day as a success.

Yes, I'm a little frustrated with the lack of green on my March calendar so far, but I know there's still plenty of room (and time) for improvement. I remember reading in the book that I should expect to fail a dozen times. Not trying to do that on purpose of course, but knowing that multiple failures is part of the process just encourages me to not give up and continue to try my best.

Today's workout: Jari Love Extremely Ripped workout one, 2 tracks from workout two, plus upper/lower/oblique ab crunches.

[thatsnotfab]

Yesterday was a success! Phew. Yep, starting the moving process indeed makes it easier to stick to the plan.

So glad it's Friday and looking forward to the weekend. Meeting some friends for dinner tonight, but not too worried about sticking to the plan; so far, Fridays have been the easiest day for me because I know my S day is right around the corner!

[thatsnotfab]

Friday was another success! Just barely, though- I had to turn down free cake not once, but twice!

And thanks to a busy weekend, I was able to enjoy my S days without going overboard. I also tuned into my hunger/fullness cues more so than I usually do on S days and that also helped to prevent a weekend binge. Feels good to finally have a break from that cycle.

Missed my usual weekend workouts, but that's because Saturday was spent painting the interior of the new house and Sunday was carpet-pulling day. Taking a rest day today because of the extra soreness, but hopefully I'll pick up my routine tomorrow. Even if I don't though, I'm not going to sweat it (excuse the pun); we still have lots of packing and cleaning to do throughout the week and the final move is on Saturday. I'm already stressed as it is, so I'm not going to make things worse by worrying about making a 5 am workout.

[thatsnotfab]

Monday was a success! Still haven't done any proper exercise this week, aside from painting, hauling carpet and boxes, and taking the dog for a walk.

Thought I might do weights this morning, but I was still too sore and tired. I think tomorrow I'll be up for a short mixed routine, like Ripped in 30 by Jillian Michaels. I've just been a little exhausted and stressed the past few days and don't want to get myself sick or injured. Gotta listen to my body.

[thatsnotfab]

Tuesday was another success. Not much new to report... Just trying to make it through the days leading up to Saturday's move. It's been tricky managing my stress levels, but so far, so good.

Got back to working out this morning, even though it was tempting to stay in bed again; 30 minute mixed treadmill routine, 2.4 miles covered. I thought I could make it to 3 miles, but I had some abdominal cramping that just wouldn't subside even after a walking break, so I decided to call it a day. Still feel better than I would have if I hadn't worked out though; if I take too many days off, I just start to feel sluggish and depressed.

[thatsnotfab]

Wednesday was another success.

Didn't work out this morning; I went to bed with an upset stomach last night and decided to get some extra rest. Feeling better, but still not 100%. Depending on how I feel after work, I might try and squeeze in a short evening workout.

Getting closer to moving day! I'm ready for it to be over with so I can settle back into my routine.

[thatsnotfab]

Thursday was a another success; as long as I keep it together the rest of today, it will be my first all-green week since I first started the program on Feb. 27th!

And really, I've made an effort to stick to my N days as much as possible since I haven't been working out like I usually do. The process of moving has just made me appreciate sleep more. I am eager to get back to my routine though; I usually workout 5-6 days/week, but this week, I've only managed to get in one 30 minute treadmill workout.

Tomorrow will help make up for it though; I'm already getting sore just thinking of all the furniture we have to move. Ugh. Oh well. The nice thing is that tomorrow is also an S day, which means a delicious celebration meal will be in order once we're done.

[thatsnotfab]

Last week was all green, but Monday and Tuesday of this week are both red failures. With moving, unpacking, lots of driving back & forth and cleaning the old house, getting in 3 solid meals with no snacks or sweets just didn't happen for me. And I'm ok with that.

Still lot's of unpacking to be done at the new place, but I got my treadmill set up and most of the food has been unpacked. I'm also back to work today, so hopefully I can mark today as a success. Being at work does make keeping a normal eating schedule pretty easy, so we'll see how it goes.

Also did a longer workout this morning, after not having done a proper workout since last Wednesday. Yes, moving and cleaning have definitely helped me stay active, but I can tell that my overall fitness level has declined a bit since I haven't done my usual higher-intensity workouts.

Today's exercise: 50 min/3 mile treadmill routine; mostly incline walking with some jogging during the last 3/4 mile or so.

[thatsnotfab]

Yesterday was a success! Going back to work and getting a little more settled in the house definitely helps to get back on track.

Got another workout in this morning too: Jari Love Extremely Ripped DVD, workouts 1 & 2.

[thatsnotfab]

Thursday was a success. Here's to hoping for another successful Friday. Even though I know my S day is tomorrow, it's definitely been a challenge trying to stick to the plan these past couple of weeks with moving into/unpacking the new house. My stress levels have come down quite a bit in the past couple of days though, so the urge to snack or eat sweets should be lower than it has been.

No workout today. Definitely tomorrow though. Now that we're all moved in, I can organize my gym in the basement.

[thatsnotfab]

Had to mark today as a failure after all. Gave in to a free cupcake between lunch and dinner. I'm actually a pretty hardcore cake fan, but since starting No S, I somehow managed to turn it down twice in one week earlier this month. Not an easy thing to do. And today I gave in.

Ah well. On the upside, my S days have been less and less excessive, so hopefully my splurge today won't throw everything out of balance. Just need to avoid that all-or-nothing cycle.

[thatsnotfab]

Made it through my S days ok, but probably ate more sugar than I should have. I know there aren't any rules on those days, but I'm trying to work on having better judgement of what I put into my body, regardless of the day. I had my desired treats, but I feel like I overdid it at certain points.

I must admit, I'm feeling slightly discouraged. I'm on Day 36 and am just not sure about the kind of progress I've made. I've weighed myself a few times since starting the program and it just seems like I'm losing and gaining the same 3 or 4 pounds over and over.

I feel this really boils down to just plain eating too much on my S days, which I've mentioned before. But now that I've been the program for over a month now, I think it's time to really try and be more aware on S days.

It wouldn't hurt to re-evaluate my N days too; I think I may be using the one-plate rule to get away with eating larger portions of not-so healthy food sometimes. For the most part though, I don't think this has been a big issue; come Friday night/Saturday morning, I'm usually feeling pretty light and lean and my clothes are fitting better. In the days that follow my S days however, I'm back to feeling heavy, bloated and busting out of my clothes.

Another big part of this has been the moving process and eating out waaaaay more than usual. Now that we're unpacked and back to our regular work/school schedules, cooking at home should make a comeback this week.

That all said, I think I'll start keeping a food log on here. I mentioned in an earlier post that I wouldn't do it unless I wasn't seeing any progress, so now seems like a good time.
===========================

breakfast:
2 hard boiled eggs
1 leftover homemade Belgian waffle
mixed berries
sugar-free maple syrup
about 2 tsp light butter

lunch:
1 can (2 servings) light/Weight Watcher beef stew
1 wheat wrap
2 slices turkey coldcuts
1/4 cup fat-free shredded cheese
12 almonds

dinner:
homemade ground beef/barley/veggie soup
1 slice wheat bread
about 2 tsp. light butter

beverages:
1 cup coffee w/ unsweetened almond milk
2 diet cocktails w/ rum


exercise:
nothing.

[Selina]

Hey! I experience the exact same pattern (losing and gaining about 4 pounds..) and I've been doing this for more than 2 months now. And because I am not exactly famous for my patience I also started blaming my weekends (which in fact are very excessive). But when I started to observe my behaviours a little more I found certain situations in which I tend to overeat.. avoiding them has been a great help, so I hope that the eating-journal will help you to find out what your triggers are.

And maybe you should focus more on how you feel than what the scale tells you. I feel fitter and slimmer but the scale wouldn't confirm that, so I stopped weighing myself (at least for a month). It's just stupid to feel bad about a number when you felt good at first, based on how your body looks.

Good luck!

[r.jean]

Somebody wrote once that No S is the diet that starts with maintenance. You may not be losing weight yet, but you are learning about yourself and your habits. By sticking with the basic rules, you will eventually figure it out. It is true that you can stick to the No S rules and still gain weight if you go hog wild on weekends and fill every plate with high calorie food. However, the basic rules should help you to take notice of what you are eating and will help you to make some gradual changes on your own.

[thatsnotfab]

Yesterday was a success! Ended up not working out last night after all. I really do stay more consistent with early morning workouts. I'll never be a fan of the 5 am alarm, but I just don't seem to commit as well if I wait until after work.

breakfast:
1/2 cup oatmeal w/ 1/2 scoop protein powder, 1/4 cup liquid egg whites, 1 tbsp ground flax, cinnamon, splenda, 2 tbsp raisins, 2 tbsp 1% milk, about 2 tbsp walnuts

lunch:
leftover homemade ground beef/barley/veggie soup
12 almonds

dinner:
regular/7" Buffalo Chicken sandwich @ Which Wich (with veggies, ranch and feta); 1 side bag of Cheddar Sun chips

beverages:
1 cup coffee w/ unsweetened almond milk, about 1 tbsp f.f. white chocolate creamer (yeah, I need to work on eliminating this)

exercise:
Supreme 90 Day Tabata Inferno disc

[thatsnotfab]

Tuesday was another success! And busy. Jam packed schedule at work, immediately followed by dinner-to-go and our first major grocery shopping trip since February. New fridge got delivered yesterday as well, so we were finally ready to stock up on all of our staples. Hooray for being able to prepare all of our meals at home again! I have no doubt that this will help me make some progress. I was so out of my element eating out every day while moving. Ugh.

breakfast:
1 peach/0% Oikos yogurt
wheat wrap
1 tbsp almond butter/2 tsp. whipped peanut butter
1 fuji apple

lunch:
leftover ground beef/barley/veggie soup
1 small slice wheat bread
about 1 tbsp almond butter

dinner:
2 turkey hot dogs
2 80-cal wheat buns
ketchup/mustard
baked tater tots w/ turkey chili & fat-free cheese

beverages:
1 cup coffee w/ almond milk and 1 tbsp flavored creamer
3 diet cocktails w/ tequila (rough day at work)

exercise:
38:52/3 mile treadmill routine (2.5 miles jogging at 5.0, .5 mile incline walk)

[thatsnotfab]

Yesterday was a success, but today's already a fail. Gave into some cake at work between breakfast and lunch. As I've mentioned before, it's rare for me to turn down cake, ever, especially when it's free. The upside? It was really good quality from a Dutch bakery, so I feel it was worth it, for the most part.

I know if I want to experience success in the long-term though, it would be to my advantage to give these random indulgences more thought and to not be so impulsive, especially when it comes to my beloved cake.

I don't want to start listing excuses, but I can say that during the past 2 weeks, it's been a little more difficult than usual to simply wait until Saturday/Sunday to have something sweet and/or something eaten between normal meals. If anything, I think I've been over-thinking that particular aspect and it's been creating this ongoing, underlying food stress. And said stress has led me to give in easier than, say, week 1.

SO, I guess my plan of action is to, as best as I can, just not think about food or the rules of the plan so much. I know, easier said than done, but I know it's possible because I was able to do it before. I have a history of self-sabotage right as I start to make progress, so I need to recognize this before giving in. Instead of saying "I'm stressed/tired/upset/happy, screw it, I'm going to eat this!", I should probably ask myself, "Is this something I really want, or is this me just engaging in self-sabotage again?"

I've come close to bailing on this plan a lot, this past week in particular, but it just seems silly to do so, given the logic behind it. And I already know the options if I do bail: 1) have no plan at all and start eating poorly and gain weight or 2) go back to a previously tried "safe" plan (Weight Watchers, calorie-counting, diet book, etc.), only to get frustrated and binge.

I just need to have better judgement and not let that inner rebel mess with my head so much.

breakfast:
1/3 cup Coach's Oats
1/3 cup mixed berries
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 tbsp ground flax
1 tbsp almond butter
cinnamon/splenda

snack:
cake at work

lunch:
2 turkey hot dogs
2 slices bread
1 can (2 servings) Campbell's Light 50-cal veggie soup

dinner:
TBD

beverages:
1 cup coffee w/ almond milk & 1 tbsp fat-free flavored creamer

exercise: rest day

[thatsnotfab]

Well, it's probably easy to tell from the time lapse since my last post that I stopped following the program for a while. And what did I do during that time? Attempted to go back to calorie counting (based on the illusion that that's the "only" thing that will "work for me," and because it's familiar).

Of course, that method didn't do much because I started overeating again after the numbers and process of tracking made me anxious.

The reality is, I didn't give No S enough time to stick and be long-term solution. It started working great for me and felt natural in the beginning, but the minute the scale stopped going down, I panicked and went back to bouncing around tracking, snacking, and feeling frustrated all over again.

I didn't give the freedom of the plan enough credit; I think deep down, because of my history with food and dieting, I found comfort in excessive tracking of calories and restriction. It's all I've known for so long and even though No S was so alluring, I just didn't put enough trust in the process, despite how logical eating in that manner has proven to be.

I think I needed some more time to own up to my torrid affair with different dieting methods and had to face the fact that they're just not working anymore, before giving No S another shot. I'm tired of putting unnecessary stress on myself, especially with something as basic as food and No S seems like the best option to escape that trap.

Here's to sanity and satiety, and goodbye stressed and stuffed.

[thatsnotfab]

Good first week back. Stuck to the plan, but made an exception for 4th of July.

S-days were mostly fine. There was a bit of excessive eating on Saturday and I felt a bit off on Sunday. I think it's just adjusting to the free-ness of those days. Also, I noticed that I do better if I have the specific treat I want, instead of trying to get by with substitutions. I know, I know... I think that's why the weekend ended up going the way it did. Oh well. Technically, it was all still within the boundaries of the plan, so no need to over-think it and try to guilt trip myself.

After the first week back, I'm already noticing my natural desire to scale down my No-S meal portions, make them healthier and not drinking as much alcohol just because it's permitted. It doesn't take long to realize that the things I think would make me happy and feel good tend to have the opposite effect when ingested without abandon.

Looking forward to the outcome of the 2nd week, now that I've identified some changes from week 1.

Workouts are going well. I gifted myself with the Les Mills Pump DVD set and absolutely love it! Definitely the challenge I've been looking for, but also fun enough to keep me engaged as well.

This will be more of a weekly update thread for me versus daily, so I'll report back soon!

[thatsnotfab]

Phew- another week of green! This week felt like more of a challenge at times, since there were some moments of financial stress, but I didn’t give in and everything worked out okay anyway. I do feel like I overdid it on the weekend again though, but I’m trying not to focus on that too much because my goal for now is to just have as many green N days as I can. I stayed pretty active this weekend too, and although I know it probably wasn’t enough to offset the extra indulgences, it was an overall improvement compared to last weekend. Plus, keeping active in between extra treat meals just makes me feel better and not so sluggish.

Just trying to focus on the positives and stay in line on N days. Haven’t weighed myself lately and don’t intend to for probably another week or two. Clothes have felt the same, but not tighter, so that’s a good sign. When certain things feel loose, I’ll be more curious about the scale number.

[thatsnotfab]

Another green week! Very pleased. I also weighed myself Friday and noticed a loss of almost 3% body fat, so I was definitely happy about that. No S combined with my Les Mills Pump workouts have definitely been doing the trick.

This weekend was probably the least destructive yet. I stopped forcing myself beyond full and I noticed I just did not crave much junk at all. I didn't go out of my way to buy cookies, cake and ice cream, like I'm usually prone to doing on S days. Just wasn't feeling any of it. I think before, I was feeling a little more desperate about the junky food and telling myself I had to go all out because "OMG, you can't eat any of this for 5 whole days!!!" But this week, I just chose not to be preoccupied with such silly thoughts.

The only minor challenge this week will be my restricted exercise routine. I got a tattoo on the front of one of my shoulders and for optimal healing purposes, need to back off on exercise for a few days (need to avoid sweat and excess movement in that area). I'm still walking the dog twice a day though, so as long as I stay mindful of my meal choices on N days, I shouldn't have any issues maintaining my loss so far.

Finally reaching peace of mind this time around that I was too impatient to allow myself to experience the first time I tried No S. Not saying I haven't had my share of struggles and temptation, but each week, it seems easier and easier to manage.

[thatsnotfab]

Well, last week was the first week where I saw red; not just for one day, but two. Last Thursday saw me giving into the annual (free) ice cream social at work and Friday, I ate more than one piece of bread while dining out. Not the biggest fails though, so I'm not too worried about it. In fact, I'm proud that I didn't throw in the towel completely on each of those days. I didn't use them as excuses to derail and binge (which is usually the norm for me).

Another weekend of not stuffing myself past the point of full, so overall, I'm making progress. And my tattoo has healed considerably, to where I'm back into my normal exercise routine. Feeling good and just going with the flow.

[thatsnotfab]

Well, I recovered from the two fails of the week before last and made it through this past week all green! Sometimes it's tough for me to stay motivated past red days; I usually get discouraged and let the rule-breaking continue. But I worked through that and simply made the choice not to go off-plan. Simple as that.

On the downside though, this past weekend was just too much. I was doing well on S days for a bit; not stuffing myself and not wasting my time on foods I didn't really want... But I'm not sure what went wrong this weekend. Especially yesterday, where I essentially binged and ate until I was uncomfortably full. I haven't done that in a long time. I think it was a combination of a boring weekend and eating on whims instead of pausing to think of what I really wanted to enjoy eating. I don't want to re-live that feeling anytime soon, so next weekend will demand focus. Not strictness or deprivation, just simply being mindful. I know S days are for letting loose, but if I expect to make any progress weight-wise, I've got to remember to keep things reasonable.

I did manage to get some good workouts in though. I'm usually tempted to skip weekend workouts, but I find that's when I need them the most, to help offset the extra calorie consumption and to also aid with digestion.

That's about it for now. I'm feeling tired and bummed today, thanks to the combination of binge guilt, not sleeping well (due to said binge), it being Monday, and not having as productive of a weekend as I had hoped for. Oh well. Just need to look forward to more good workouts this week and plan a few meals for dinner. Contemplating a weigh-in this Friday or Saturday, though I'm not sure I've lost much.

[Amy3010]

Sorry to hear you've been struggling, but you are not alone - hang in there!