KL's Veggie * Tales Check In

KL · Post by KL » Sat Mar 03, 2012 7:59 pm

Hi - First time I've every posted on a forum - but feel the need for accountability. This system is brilliant

I was in 12_ step programs for over 20 years with lots of success - so I like the idea of reporting. I became a vegetarian in 2006 and soon after stopped going to meetings. Relied more on my faith to keep me "clean." Then became a -Raw_Vegan _for 3 years - which really messed with my head. Initially felt fabulous physically - but I was eating all day long - massive quantities. Became very hard in the winter - live in the_ Midwest. Started eating cooked _vegan food about 1.5 years ago and found that I couldn't maintain any kind of boundary. All those years of weighing and measuring were long forgotten. My disordered eating went wonky. I'm realizing more and more that I have a behavioral problem - that I can eat sugar, flour or wheat without problems if I'm in a good emotional state. Found this website last day of February (Wednesday), started the next day and have ordered the book. I feel so relieved. I once again have some boundaries but freedom as well. Thursday and Friday were Green days and today is an S day - I've decided for now to not snack on S days - since I have such issues with grazing all day long.

KL · Post by KL » Mon Mar 05, 2012 1:22 am

Saturday and Sunday where great days. I sat down for meals - which is a new thing for me. Included mini Luna Bars for my desserts at lunch and dinner and was totally satisfied - yay! Success

KL · Post by KL » Tue Mar 06, 2012 1:01 am

Boy, today was a tough one - but was a solid green. Stuff happened with my job that made me anxious and wanted to self-sooth after I ate lunch. Didn't want to plan dinner - just wanted to start snaking on fruit, which always leads to other foods. Decided to make dinner for family and didn't taste anything I was making. Yay - success for today.

B- Oatmeal w/almond milk and banana
L - Salad, refried beans, sprouted wrap
D - Veggie burger w/sauted onions/shrooms, brussel sprouts, carrots, butternut squash
E - some yoga

Had tea with almond milk and stevia between meals I don't believe this is considered a snack. Is stevia considered a sugar? Haven't received the book yet - ordered it on Friday.

Eileen7316 · Post by **Eileen7316** » Tue Mar 06, 2012 2:23 pm

Good job, KL!

Tea with almond milk and stevia are allowed. Even tea with a spoon or two of sugar would be allowed. It's SWEETS that are not allowed on N days. Sweets would be desserts, etc.

I love your verse! Isn't liberty and grace wonderful?

KL · Post by KL » Tue Mar 06, 2012 6:56 pm

Thanks for the encouragement Eileen.

I really thought that I had found "it" with Thin Within - a grace approach to weight management. Basically a hunger/fullness method. I had no problem figuring out when I was at a 0 (ready to eat anything) - but stopping at a 5 (satisfied not full) was a challenge for me - especially if I was in an emotional state.

I firmly believe that in the end the H.S. guides me to what is right. I really need some semblance of structure and as you said some liberty as well. Amen to No S

KL · Post by KL » Wed Mar 07, 2012 1:52 am

Good day today.

I'm getting more of the hang of how much and what to eat for me to make it meal to meal.

Yesterday, I felt light headed between meals and realized today that I forgot to add my pea and hemp protein to my cooked cereal in the a.m. and I didn't have enough beans in my salad at lunch. So today, I made sure to make the proper adjustments.

B - Combo oatmeal/oatbran, almond milk, banana, pea/hemp protein powder
L - Falafel sampler(an appetizer ) - falafels, hummus, salad, pita
D - Butternut squash, roasted brussel sprouts, green beans, carrots
E - walked

I was nervous eating out since my friend wanted to meet at 11:30 - I've been eating lunch around 1:30-2:00 so that I can eat a later dinner. In the past after putting my daughter to bed at 8PM - I would consume a lot

Snacking has been an issue for me (notice I say HAS!)

But I decided to get a more filling lunch instead of my usual greek salad (no feta) and a baked potato. It was a good move on my part - I wasn't hungry until around 6:45. Yay, Green light

KL · Post by KL » Thu Mar 08, 2012 1:15 am

Another successful day - several times I wanted to eat inbetween meals - but said a strong NO - not an option. I'm loving that boundary - used to have it years ago and then lost it and now found it again

What is really surprising me is the desire to overexercise has totally gone away - which tells me that the motivation before was to burn calories. Now I just want to feel good moving my body - such a different mind set.

B - Green smoothie - spinach, banana, strawberries, blueberries, pea/hemp protein powder
L - Whole Foods salad bar - all sorts of vegan delights! Sesame brocolli, curried cauliflower, a rice mixture, garbo beans, beets, carrots, greens, etc.
D - Homemade lentil/pea soup, salad w/baba ganoush, green beans
E - some yoga

I had an interesting moment fixing my dinner. Wanted the hearty soup plus a substantial salad - didn't know how to fit on one plate. How does one do that when they have soup and the bowl takes up all the space on the plate - soup alone is not enough and I want other veggies too. So I told myself no big deal I can have 2 bowls - one of each. That idea kept nagging at me "but that's not one plate is it???" So, I transferred the soup into a 2 cup ramkin dish and mixed up the salad in a bowl and spooned out all the fixings on the plate around the soup bowl - yes it was layered/tiered - but all on one plate.

KL · Post by KL » Fri Mar 09, 2012 12:40 am

Successful day - started No S one week ago today - I'm starting to get into a rhythm of not snacking. That by far is the hardest thing for me. That and wanting to have all sorts of bowls and plates at each meal. Figuring out how to put it all on one plate. Wanted to eat around 5 PM - too early for dinner - made some tea as I waited for the potato to bake - glad I waited - my dinner tasted so good since I was hungry for it.

B - Oatbran/oatmeal, almond milk, banana, pea protein powder
L - 2 Flatouts - 1 w/PB, banana, 1 w/baba ganoush, carrots, cucs
D - Homemade chili w/acorn squash, baked potato, asparagus, carrots w/baba ganoush
E - yoga

HabitMaker · Post by **HabitMaker** » Fri Mar 09, 2012 2:42 pm

Sounds like you're doing great! Way to go getting into the rhythm of not-snacking. Food does taste Amazing when one is appreciably hungry. (You know, "Hunger is the best sauce," and all.)

Emily

KL · Post by KL » Sat Mar 10, 2012 12:39 pm

Thanks for the kind words Emily - yes, I so appreciate hunger now

Yesterday was another success.

B - Oatbran/oatmeal, almond milk, banana, pea/hemp protein poweder
L - Salad, refried beans, sprouted wrap
D - Salad bar, baked potato, steamed broc/green beans

Very interesting at dinner time. Our family went out to dinner at a place with a salad bar. They had a combo on the menu - salad bar with pick 3 - so I got the potato and 2 steamed veggies. Went to the salad bar with a plate smaller than I use at home - piled on all the goodness and then put the other items that I ordered on that same plate - okay - it was a little on the layered side

- but, never, I repeat never, have I not gone back 2 or 3 times when I have been faced with an all-you-can-eat situation (ohhh double negative -sorry). But seriously, this was a huge step for me. And, I didn't even finish the potato because I had had enough. Are you kidding me??? I left food on my plate

The funny thing about this was that I was a little nervous before going - knowing that the plates were smaller and that I usually go back several times to fill up (read gorge up). So, I definitely put a prayer out there and trusted that I would be taken care of. And I was...

KL · Post by KL » Sun Mar 11, 2012 1:28 am

Saturday - exempt day. I had decided that I would not snack on S days since that it has been a big time problem for me in the past and I broke my own rule - not crazy by any stretch - but nonetheless broke it.

B - Oat/bran & meal/almond milk, banana, pea/hemp protein powder
L - Salad bar (one plate), oatmeal
Snack at movies - 2 mini Luna Bars
D - Blackbean burrito, acorn squash, brussel sprouts, raw veggies w/baba ganoosh - ohh, lots of leftovers

Felt very strange eating between meals even though it was an S day. Didn't want to have the Luna's at lunch because we were at a restaurant and needed to leave - I wanted to eat them slowly and savor them. I felt guilty, which I know goes against what an S day is supposed to be. Came home and wanted to eat to soothe the guilt but instead found in the mail The No S Diet Book

Yay! Started reading it and ate a one plate dinner - had planned on having more Luna's with dinner - but didn't want them - I even left food on my plate.

I'm liking the fact that it didn't feel comfortable to eat between lunch and dinner - I wasn't quite as hungry for dinner as I usually am.

KL · Post by KL » Sun Mar 11, 2012 12:01 pm

Saturday - exempt day. I had decided that I would not snack on S days because it has been a big time problem for me in the past and I broke my own rule - not crazy by any stretch - but nonetheless broke it.

B - Oatbran/oatmeal, almond milk, banana, pea/hemp protein powder
L - Salad bar (one plate), oatmeal
Snack at movies - 2 mini Luna Bars
D - Blackbean burrito, acorn squash, brussel sprouts, raw veggies w/baba ganoosh - ohh, lots of leftovers
E - yoga

Felt very strange eating between meals even though it was an S day. Didn't want to have the Luna's at lunch because we were at a restaurant and needed to leave to get to the movie - I wanted to eat them slowly and savor them. I felt guilty, which I know goes against what an S day is supposed to be. Came home and wanted to eat to soothe the guilt but instead found in the mail The No S Diet Book

Yay! Started reading it and ate a one plate dinner - had planned on having more Luna's with dinner - but didn't want them - I even left food on my plate.

I'm liking the fact that it didn't feel comfortable to eat between lunch and dinner - I wasn't quite as hungry for dinner as I usually am.

Another cool thing that happened was I got anxious about something before lunch and nornally it would have been a good "excuse" to comfort with food. But held off to eat until it was lunch. Wow - this is really working...

HabitMaker · Post by **HabitMaker** » Sun Mar 11, 2012 8:53 pm

Sounds like a nice S Day, a learning experience!

I normally try to tweak to meet my own needs, but in this case, I'm following the plan as described (not trying to limit anything on S Days, that is). It's very different from anything I've done before, so I was just going to trust in the program as stated, and see how it goes. For me, I think it will mean not actually losing weight until the N Day habits become a part of me, because I'm already at a pretty reasonable weight.

I hope you enjoy the book! It's what made me want to do the program as stated.

KL · Post by KL » Mon Mar 12, 2012 2:04 am

I know myself too well and permagrazing all weekend has been my down fall - so I liked Reinhard's recent podcast with his mod for S days - to sit down and eat with intention rather than letting food land in your mouth "how did that get there?" type of eating. Basically taking responsibility and acting like an adult.

My goal is to maintain - if I lose a few that's fine - I just want sanity and balance in my life and I don't want exercise to take over which is does when I over indulge. I'm at the low end of my BMI, I'm exercising moderately, and I'm eating sanely - not cutting out a bunch of food groups (well, except animals - won't be eating them) - so I'm in a good spot right now.

Sunday - S day today. Still hanging on to the guilt if I don't eat the way I do on an N day. I guess I like the way I feel when I only eat one plate - don't like the feeling of extra food - which is pretty miraculous since I've been known to put away a LOT of food within a short period of time. What I don't like is when food starts to control me - as if I had no say - which is what started to happen when I finished dinner. I was tired, physically and mentally, and wanted to zone out munching while reading a magazine.

B - Green Smoothie - Spinach, banana, strawberries, blueberries, carob powder, pea/hemp protein powder
L - 2 flat outs - 1 with PB/banana, 1 with baba ganoush & raw veggies, clementime, 1 mini Luna bar, 1 mini Lara bar
D - Sweet Potato, chili with acorn squash, brussel sprouts, raw veggies w/baba ganoush + (2 large crackers and mini Clif bar - not planned)
E - lots of yoga - I'm doing a training

The unplanned part is what I didn't like. I know I was extra hungry today - since I ate lunch at 11:30 and didn't eat dinner until 6:45 and in between there was a lot of physical activity. The impulsivity is what I feel guilty about - but it is an S day - so I'm letting it go. AMEN

milliem · Post by **milliem** » Mon Mar 12, 2012 6:18 pm

You've been really successful so far, well done!!

S days do feel weird after a successful NoS week (although I still look at them with glee so I can treat my sweet tooth

). You're doing great to let the S days go for now, there's plenty of time to look at them and tweak if needed when you have N days down

KL · Post by KL » Tue Mar 13, 2012 12:55 am

Thanks for commenting Milliem... the good thing is that I'm starting to really crave the structure of the 3 meals and enjoy being hungry again. Somewhere in the past 4 or so years I started eating outside meal time and then began to eat when I wasn't physically hungry - emotionally hungry yes, but not physically. I look forward to the sweets on S days as well - eating more and snacking didn't sit well with me this past weekend. One S day at a time...

Monday - success - felt really good getting back into my safety net.

B - Oatbran/oatmeal, almond milk, banana, pea/hemp protein
L - Salad w/refried bean, sprouted wrap
D - Baked potato, madras lentils, asparagus, salad w/baba ganoosh
E - yoga

Was nicely hungry for each meal - felt great.

KL · Post by KL » Tue Mar 13, 2012 11:41 pm

Successful day today. Loving the color green.

B - Oatbran/oatmeal combo
L - 1 flatout with pb/banana, 1 with baba g./raw veggies
D - Homemade veggie soup, spinach salad, rye crisps
E - walk

The most wonderful side effect of eating this way is that my sleep is so deep and restful. Nighttime after putting my daughter to bed was always so challenging. Now I have tea, and I'm good to go - Yay No S

KL · Post by KL » Thu Mar 15, 2012 3:20 am

Challenging but successful day today.

On Wednesday's a large group of us get together for yoga at 7 then have a potluck dinner after - which usually ends up being around 8:30 - pretty late for me.

For the past 6 months, I've been trying to navigate how to eat at this dinner. Many, many times I've wolfed down several helpings of this and that and then the dessert is brought out - oh boy. I've tried eating before and only snacking when it came to the dinner - didn't work. I've tried not eating all day and then justifying going crazy - ok - really didn't work. I've even skipped the dinner part and only did the yoga so I didn't have to deal with it at all - that did work - but missed the social aspect.

So tonight was the test to see how my habit has stuck after 14 days. I ate lunch at 1 PM had some tea around 6 and by 8:30 I was ready and waiting for dinner. I was trying to figure out before hand how not to look like a total pig with loading my one plate. I read in the book when confronted with different soup or salad bowls imagine what the size would be if the bowls and plates were combined together - and make it the size of one normal plate.

The spread was a vegetarian feast and the plates we were supposed to use were tiny bread plates. I kept looking arouond to see where the "real" plates were - not to be found. Everyone was "encouraged" to keep going back 2, 3 or 4 x's. Oh my. So I filled 2 plates which would not have equaled one of my plates at home and called it a day. There were even vegan cookies which I politly said I was full but would like to take some home for later.

So, all-in-all pretty darn tooting successful.

I even considered calling it a NWS day - but had a feeling it was too early in the game for me to do that.

B - Green smoothie - spinach, banana, berries, pea/hemp protein
L - 2 flatouts - 1 - pb/banana 1- baba g. with raw veggies
D - 2 small, small plates of goodness
E - lots of yoga

HabitMaker · Post by **HabitMaker** » Thu Mar 15, 2012 12:38 pm

Fantastic!

KL · Post by KL » Thu Mar 15, 2012 11:02 pm

Successful day today...day 15

B - Oatbran/oatmeal combo
L - salad w/beans, wrap
D - soup and salad
E - yoga

Treated myself to a massage today - awesome.

KL · Post by KL » Sat Mar 17, 2012 2:28 am

Success on Day 16 - headed toward the 21 Club

B - Oatbran/meal mix
L - 2 flatouts - pb/banana and veggie
D - soup n salad
E - some yoga

Stuff happened with my job which I most definitely would have (past tense) snacked, seconded, and sweeted over - but I'm changing my behavior by learning new habits - yay

HabitMaker · Post by **HabitMaker** » Sat Mar 17, 2012 5:54 am

Great job avoiding snacking, sweeting, and seconding over work stress!

And Day 16! That's impressive.

KL · Post by KL » Sun Mar 18, 2012 3:32 am

Thanks HabitMaker - nice to know I have your support.

Saturday, Day 17 - Exempt

Small cookie that I had saved from the other day - no guilt - yay
B - Oatbran/meal combo
L - Sprouted wrap, pb/banana, salad
D - Hummus, pita, small greek salad no feta (had more pita than I would have on an N day)
E - yoga

Started to feel guilty after leaving restaurant - did I eat too much? Didn't feel full at all - but in the past I really could have used this to go home and do a lot of damage. Instead went home and answered emails.

KL · Post by KL » Mon Mar 19, 2012 12:44 am

Day 18 - Sunday - Exempt

B - Oat mix
L - PB/bananer wrap, grapes, carrots, 2 mini clif bars
D - Baked potato, salad, apple, 2 mini luna bars - picked at daughter's leftovers
E - lots of yoga

Started to mindlessly eat what my daughter had left on her plate - began to get an out-of-control feeling and abruptly stopped and made tea and washed the dishes...whew! I've been thinking that's it's been about 2 yrs since I've had a stretch this long without some kind of overeating espisode (mini or large). I'm excited about this but also have the "when's this going to end" thoughts. But I realize that this way of eating/managing food is so comfortable and sustainable. So, I just continue on changing my behaviors and making habits.

KL · Post by KL » Tue Mar 20, 2012 12:21 am

Day 19 - Success

B - Oat mixture
L - Salad, wrap w/pb
D - Soup, cracker, veggies, orange
E - yoga, walked

Wanted more for dinner. Said no, made tea and washed dishes. This too shall pass

HabitMaker · Post by **HabitMaker** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 4:16 am

Wow, Day 19!

Sounds like a great day. Good for you for resisting that you wanted more. Tea can be quite nice.

Crystal · Post by **Crystal** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 4:37 am

Hi KL. Just want to say that I really enjoy reading your daily check-in. I am a long time vegetarian - 24 years, which just goes to show that vegetarians can be fat too, haha! I am talking about me, not you.

I enjoy your posts as they give me meal ideas! So thanks for that. And you are doing so well! Almost 21 days!

-Crystal

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 5:00 am

Great green day, KL!
I also love your food. I'm not vegetarian, but sure love all you eat!
You go girl. Way to say "no"!

KL · Post by KL » Wed Mar 21, 2012 1:09 am

Day 20 - Success

Thanks for all the support y'all, aww shucks I'm not alone

I considered not posting what I ate - but it's cathartic for me and very visual. This whole process is about accountability - so I will continue.

B - oatbran/meal, almond milk, banana, pea/hemp protein
L - 1 flatout with pb/banana, 1 sprouted wrap with pb/celery/romaine
D - Blackbean soup, salad, ww baguette (not the whole thing!), orange
E - yoga, walked

Went to Panera Bread with my 7 yr old daughter. She immediately wanted to "share" my soup by dipping her baguette into it. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck start to stiffen. I told her to eat everything on her plate, and THEN she may dip into my bowl. That worked - whew! Don't want to be a piggie and all...

She asked if it could be an S day and have a cookie because of a cool thing that happened to her at school. This method works for everyone!

I'm really getting into tea. Everytime I go to the store I search for a new decaff kind. Lately it's been a lot of African Red Leaf - Roobious (sp?) It's supposed to have the same benefits as green tea without the caffeine. So delicious - especially the vanilla kind.

I usually have tea after meals w/almond milk and stevia - it's become a ritual (or maybe a habit??). It signals the end of the meal for me - I like that.

I've gotten a little lazy with variety for my meals - my husband has been out-of-town for a week or so, and I've been gravitating toward quick and easy. Yet, every meal I'm satisfied/satiated

KL · Post by KL » Thu Mar 22, 2012 1:18 am

Yay

Day 21 Success

B - Oatbran/meal combo
L - Lentil soup, rye crisps, wrap w/pb/banana/celery, orange
D - Baked potato, ratatouille , salad, orange
E - yoga, walked

Tired today - been going to bed too late since hubby's gone.

Next goal: 50 days

In a couple of days, I'm going on vacation for 2 weeks - I'm glad that I'm building this habit day-by-day. I'll be able to check-in like usual so that will keep me accountable. Looking forward to it.

Crystal · Post by **Crystal** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 2:40 am

CONGRATULATIONS! 21 Days!

Thanks for stopping by my thread, by the way.

Thanks for the encouragement. Lentil soup sounds great. I make soups like that in my slow cooker a lot.

Interesting that you used to live in Bangkok. I have been there twice, loved it. I am originally from Texas, married to a Singaporean.

Have a lovely vacation.

KL · Post by KL » Thu Mar 22, 2012 11:12 pm

Thanks Crystal...

Never made it to Singapore when living in Bangkok, I was there in high school - we were all very jealous of the American girls who visited us in Bangkok from the American school in Singapore. They seemed so cool.

Day 22 Success

Starting to get ready to leave for 2 weeks - I'm excited to take these behavior/habits on the road.

B - Oat mixture
L - Wrap w/PB/celery/romaine, rye crisps w/banana, orange
D - Oats w/banana, spinach/red pep/cucs/apple/ratatouille
E - Walked

Cleaning out the fridge - lots of different mixtures today. I've really been enjoying all the flavors in my meals - I look forward to them and am hungry for them. Nothing like waking up in the morning hungry for breakfast. I had forgotten what that was like. I feel so blessed that I stumbled upon No S - what a Godsend.

HabitMaker · Post by **HabitMaker** » Fri Mar 23, 2012 12:34 am

Whoooo! I missed your 21 day marker, but it's awesome to see it!

22 is a cooler number anyway.

Congratuations on 22 days of successful habitualness.

It will be interesting to see you take this on the road...several weeks in is a good time for that, much better than if you were to have had the vacation, say, 1 week in on the No S Habit.

And 50 days is an exciting goal! (I've reached day 16 as of yesterday's success. You're always going to be 6 days ahead of me. I feel like the younger No S sibling.)

KL · Post by KL » Fri Mar 23, 2012 2:41 am

Yay! You can be my sib - I have 3 older ones so would like a younger one. We'll keep each other in check...

Yes, I'm glad the vaca is now not a few weeks ago. I'm feeling solid. We're staying in a condo and prepare most meals rather than eating out.

NoSnacker · Post by **NoSnacker** » Fri Mar 23, 2012 11:32 am

Hi, I was away from No S for a few months and decided to come back..I am a disordered eater at night..

I was interested in learning more about vegetarian eating. How did you come about it and what made you decide to change?

I found a book from spark people that is on kindle and was checking into it...seems overwhelming. How did you learn and do you feel you are getting enough protein.

I found a great recipe black beans and sweet potato chili, made it and it was awesome over some brown rice...so experimenting.

If you want to check it out: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/sweet ... chili.html

Oh ya, do you eat fish?

Congrats on the 21 days! I started the 21 day challenge so far so good. As long as I can get by the night time urge to continue eating when full.

KL · Post by KL » Sat Mar 24, 2012 2:16 am

Hi No Snacker - glad you've decided to come back to No S. It has totally changed my nighttime behavior - I so get where you're coming from.

I became a veggie in 2006 - more for ethical reasons, then in 2008 became a raw vegan - no animal products at all and no cooked food - because of respiratory issues. Kind of hard to maintain that - but ate that way 100% for 3 years. Just recently (1.5 yrs ago) started eating cooked vegan food - that's no eggs, or dairy, or other animal proteins.

I eat very simply. Lots of veggies (of course!), fruits, grains, legumes, nut butters, soups, hummus, baba ganoush (like hummus but made with eggplant). Don't really get into soy products.

My breakfast is usuallly an oat mixture with fruit or a green smoothie. In the cooler months, I like the heaviness of the oats. I add a pea and hemp protein powder to those. Lunches lately have been some kind of wrap, salad, fruit. I usually add beans or peanut butter. Dinner is when I usually get a little more creative. My husband has been gone the last week, so I haven't really cooked. But I make lots of soups. Bob's Red Mill has some great veggie/bean mixtures. A lot of times I just throw in any kind of veggie in the pot, add veggie broth, boil/simmer, and then puree in the blender. Then add beans, corn, chopped veggies, quinoa pasta. Yum! I roast a lot of veggies too. Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, squashes, eggplant, any kind of potato. Stir frys are always a good option as well.

Middle Eastern, Indian, Mexian foods have a lot of veggie options. So those are my favorites when eating out. Amy's organic frozen foods are great for something fast. My family really likes the black been burritos.

As far as cook books go, I have The Vegan Table, which I've made a few recipes from, and Veganomics (sp?), which I got for my birthday - haven't made anything from it yet.

The chili recipe looks great. I'll give it a try.

Since I've been doing No. S. I really want my meals. For so long, I had gotten into the trap of night eating, then restricting the next day because of guilt and also because I felt horrible. Then by the time I would eat again, I would be so hungry I would overeat and around we go on the wheel. Such an ugly cycle. Now I'm eating enough at meals that I'm able to wait to eat for 5 or so hours and am hungry, yay, for the next meal. Establishing the habit of no snacking has made all the difference in the world to me. I'm still very new into the game - but have gotten peace back into my life. I'm not being controlled by the food anymore. Which is a huge Godsend!!

Oh, my this was a rather long reply...hope it answered your questions.

KL · Post by KL » Sat Mar 24, 2012 2:22 am

Day 23 Success

B - Green smoothie - spinach, banana, straw and blueberries, pea/hemp protein powder
L - Sprouted wrap w/PB/lettuce, rye crisps w/banana, orange
D - Baked potato, ratatouille, salad
E - yoga

Crazy eating times today. Ate B at 8:30 and didn't have L until 3:30 because of a work situation. Don't recommend that. Started to think that I'll just have a little bit of lunch and then I'll "get" more for dinner. Ohhh, old mindset. Said no, and had a regular lunch and dinner. Yay for No. S!

Our flight leaves early in the a.m. so got to go. Bringing breakfast on the plane...

HabitMaker · Post by **HabitMaker** » Sat Mar 24, 2012 3:09 am

Staying in a condo is a good thing for having more of a say over one's food environment on vacation!

I am honored to be your younger No S sibling (no telling if I'm younger in calendar age, but that doesn't matter in this context, as you will always be "ahead" of me in time on No S!). Yay!

(Incidentally, I also eat a vegan diet, which is how I noticed your thread among the others. But I figured I'd stick to talking just the specifics of No S in terms of my own journey, because the food choice part of my life is pretty settled, and I'm only working on the No S part of it. Plus, when I end up discussing food specifics, I tend to get bogged down in details and exhaust myself. Posting with the level of detail you do, even though you do so in a simplified way, would overwhelm me.)

KL · Post by KL » Sun Mar 25, 2012 1:34 am

Yes, HM, it's easy to look at the trees instead of the forest.

I too would like to focus on habit building - although - obviously I like to talk about food.

Probably because I've just come out of a nightmarish 1.5 yrs where permagrazing and nighttime eating really took over - eating lots of processed foods that I hadn't eaten in over 20 years. So, it feels so wonderful to eat wholesome meals again. By posting the meals, it gives me the incentive to not slack off - so I'll continue for now.

Day 24 - Saturday, March 24 - Exempt

Very tired - been up since 4 AM...

B - Oatmeal/bran, almond milk, apple (on plane)
L - Whole Foods fixin's - lots of different Indian foods and raw veggies
D - Amy's Tamale Pie, salad, 2 mini luna bars

On vaca in the South. Went to Whole Foods from the airport for shopping and lunch - so delish. I'm on a no cooking holiday. Bought lots of prepared foods - yay!

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 5:00 am

KL I think it's great you're posting in detail. I think it helps when choosing our foods, too. And at the end of day to say, "wow I had lots of nutritious stuff today!".
I SOOOOOOOOOO get nightmarish night-time eating. Like, so. It just messes up how you eat the next day even when you LOVE wholesome foods. When you're eating crap, you can't squeeze in the nutritious stuff.
Okay get some rest. Your WF purchases sound TDF. If I didn't have to feed a family of 5, I'd shop solely at WF. Maybe post-residecy?
Take care.

NoSnacker · Post by **NoSnacker** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 10:25 am

Thanks for the info on vegan eating. I love hummus as well, maybe I'll try some of the things you mentioned above. We love Indian food and Mexican..I'll have to check out the meatless dishes...I'll be definitely pursuing the healthier style of eating...

And thanks so much for your comment on my check in..

The hardest part of any diet even No S is beating the nighttime eating/binging...but I believe the great feeling I have after breakfast can somehow make it to the evening...boy would I be in great shape then.

Have a great Sunday.

Blessings,
deb

KL · Post by KL » Sun Mar 25, 2012 1:19 pm

llb and NoSnacker - thanks for the encouraging words. To be removed from eating at night is no less a miracle. It was such an ugly cycle which I just wasn't able to snap out of with my own will. Definitely had to call on lots of prayer for that one.

I actually discovered No S because I saw Alec Baldwin on Kelly Live (is that what it's called now?) and he had lost lots of weight by cutting out sugar. I started googeling no sugar to see what he did and found Reinhards's website.

I had been reading a book the month of February about resisting temptation to overeat. The author was a huge proponent of 3 meals no snacks. She encouraged drinking between meals. So I had already began to get used to not snacking and it was working. But at meal time it was suggested to eat a moderate portion and then go back for a smaller second. What does that mean? And sugar was not off limits at all as long it was eaten with the meals. So, for me, one of the No S's was addressed but not the other 2. A big fist pump

to No S for being so brilliant in conquering all aspects.

llb - I don't excusivley shop at WF - wow that would surely break the bank

But I buy the things there that I can't get at other stores. WF has a great variety of all the Amy's frozen foods and good prices on bulk oatmeal and oatbran - I also get quiona pasta there. After WF, we went to Publix to buy all the other things. One can definitley eat healthfully buy purchashing foods in a typical grocery store.

KL · Post by KL » Mon Mar 26, 2012 12:01 am

Day 25 - March 25 - Exempt

First day of vacations are always nice - relaxed in the a.m. - then explored some - then went by the pool - ahhhh needed it badly. Best thing about this habit building is that I'm living life again between meals - Yay No S

B - Oats, almond milk, banana, apple
L - Wrap w/hummus/celery, wrap w/pb/banana, carrots, orange
D - Blackbean burrito, salad, mini luna, mini cliff
E - jumping jacks, lunges, pushups, core work

When I was eating my lunch today, I had to go out on to the porch because I was being sooo loud w/the crunching of the celery wrap. My husband kept looking at me with The Look.

Bob, the trainer of The Biggest Loser, gave some fitness tips when on vacation. 20 jumping jacks, 20 lunges, 20 pushups - 3 sets.

I did these last Thursday. I wasn't sure about the lunges - if a right side and left side counted as 1 or 2. So I counted it as 1 and ended up doing a total of 120 lunges. I couldn't walk the next day.

I still felt it today when I did them again - modified them a little - Ha

Speaking of The Biggest Loser - that method builds habits doesn't it - spend 8 hours a day working out.

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 2:13 am

KL, Looks like you're doing great! Thanks for the encouragement on my thread and congrats on 21 days!

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 3:07 pm

Oh I'm so jealous of your pool time! That sounds heavenly.
Love what you said about "living life between meals". Food just isn't that big of deal when you're eating 3 meals/day.
Your meals look fantastic as always. I actually think I could be a vegan, but sometimes feel the need for a little meat to hold me over.

Good for you on working out on va-cay! Impressive.

Enjoy and good luck this week!

NoSnacker · Post by **NoSnacker** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 5:20 pm

I saw the Biggest Loser and totally forgot about what Bob said..I'll have to right that down...and start tonight...I'm actually in the process of re-reading my No S book....can't wait to get to 6.

You are doing fantastic..

I keep an eye on your food log, want to try some of the things.

Thanks for stopping by my thread to cheer me on..

I hope you hear a rrrhhh rrrhhh here for you.
deb

HabitMaker · Post by **HabitMaker** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 6:15 pm

Sounds like you're doing great, KL! Keep it up!

KL · Post by KL » Tue Mar 27, 2012 1:56 am

Thanks everyone for the encouraging words - it really does keep me on track.

Day 26 - March 26 - Success

So glad that I was able to give No S a chance before going on vaca. Last year this time when we were on vacation I was doing Thin Within, which is a wonderful hunger/fullness plan infused with grace. I really wanted to suceed. Eating at a 0 (very hungry) and stopping at a 5 (satisfied). It was easy to determine when to start - but had such a difficult time stopping. In theory, one is supposed to eat only a fist-full of food at a time (the size of the stomach). Not a whole lot of food. I was always feeling guilty - eating more that a fist size. The longest I went without overeating was about a week - over doing it while on vacation is a recipe for disaster. Different mindset this time around.

B - oat combo
L - wrap w/hummus/romaine, wrap w/pb/banana, carrots, orange
D - baked potato, pasta sauce w/soy dogs, salad w/blackbeans/baba g.
E - yoga

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 2:01 am

KL: I'm so glad you are finding success with No S. It IS nice to have rules and not have such a grey area of "stop at a 5". I've tried that too, but it leaves me always wondering.
Plus, then I'm thinking about food LOTS more because I'm always like, "am I hungry enough yet?", "did I eat too much/too little?".
Great concept, but tough to follow.
Once again, lovely meals!
Take care

KL · Post by KL » Tue Mar 27, 2012 2:20 am

Thanks lbb...

This method is so SANE - it covers all the aspects. I'm feeling totally blessed. Not too long ago, I couldn't make it longer than a week without turning to the food to self-soothe. Sometimes it would be a lot - sometimes not so much. But the out-of-control feeling would drive me batty. I didn't want to be controlled by anything. I was always thinking and wondering when was it going to grab hold of me. Weekends were always the hardest. That's why on S days I've put the boundary of no snacking and it doesn't even feel like a boundary at this point - just natural, which for me is the ideal. Yes, I have sweets and eat more at meals - but it feels good.

NoSnacker · Post by **NoSnacker** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 9:23 pm

Yes I love that scripture...about Paul.

Glad to see you are finding some sanity with No S. I think no snacking on S days makes sense..seems like you are having sweets on S days so this way you are not depriving yourself.

I have changed things up a bit for the weekends as well...one snack, one sweet, no seconds but my 3 squares.

Have a great evening!

HabitMaker · Post by **HabitMaker** » Tue Mar 27, 2012 11:16 pm

I have done the hunger/fullness thing, too (not specifically "Thin Within," but a similar approach), and it was great for a while...but I had to constantly be on alert, and I would be hungrier than it was indicated I "should" be. Ultimately, I lost weight, but not enough to bring me to a healthy weight. This is MUCH better. I like not having to think of eating all the time. I can forget food until it's time to eat or I am very hungry, and there aren't so many eating events. Three times a day is also a lot more manageable than an undefined amount of times eating per day.

This is so much better on all levels!

Glad to see you're still doing well, KL, and while on vacation, too!

KL · Post by KL » Tue Mar 27, 2012 11:36 pm

NoSnacker - Yes, still having sweets on S days (usually at lunch and dinner) and my meals tend to be larger - but the snacking is the killer for me - so for now I don't snack on S days. Now that I'm used to being hungry for meals - I crave/want it all the time. If I snack, then my meal doesn't taste as good. Who knew! This is coming from someone who would dry fast (no water) for up to 42 hours at a time - never made it to 48. I know - I tend to be a little extreme.

Of course, the fasts followed periods of overdoing it. Overdo - underdo - ishshsh - enough already...

HabitMaker - Before Thin Within there was Intuitive Eating - same thing basically. I agree with you, my focus was always on when to eat. I was waiting all the time - waiting to eat, waiting to feel satisfied, waiting to feel hungry again...I love the simplicity of No S - 3 meals - 3 plates.

Day 27, March 27 - Success

B - Oat Combo
L - Wrap w/hummus/celery, wrap w/ pb/banana, carrots, orange
D - Tamale pie, salad w/blackbeans, apple, veggies, baba g.
E - yoga, jumping jacks, lunges, pushup, core

Breakfast and lunch are the same pretty much every day. Didn't buy a whole lot of variety. Kind of limiting while staying in a resort apartment - don't want to leave food behind - just buying basics.

HabitMaker · Post by **HabitMaker** » Wed Mar 28, 2012 2:00 am

Great job, KL! I'm glad to see you're still going strong on vacation. I hope your food is still tasty, even if you're consuming less variety.

KL · Post by KL » Thu Mar 29, 2012 1:04 am

Day 28 - March 29 - Success

Whew! Tough one today - hungry...

Went shopping and got more of a variety of foods - good move on my part.

B - Oat combo
L - 1 wrap w/hummus/celery/banana, 1 wrap w/pb/banana, carrots
D - Brown rice, garbonzo beans, cauliflower, carrots, cucs, apple
E - loonggg walk

Very filling dinner, which was a good thing. Went out to see sunset and family got ice cream. There were Luna Bars where the ice cream was sold. Almost caved and got one and called it an NSW day. But got tea instead and decided I could wait 2 days and eat the Luna then (I had bought some at the store in the afternoon). Yay!

One plate, two plate, three plate - GREEN

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 2:50 am

KL good for you! It's amazing if you get a few more resisting temptation occasions under your belt, it gets easier. You have to tell yourself things like you did "I can wait two more days!"

Very filling dinner, which was a good thing. Went out to see sunset and family got ice cream. There were Luna Bars where the ice cream was sold. Almost caved and got one and called it an NSW day. But got tea instead and decided I could wait 2 days and eat the Luna then (I had bought some at the store in the afternoon). Yay!

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 4:54 am

Good call on getting some variety of foods. I know when I get too stuck in a rut I crave different flavors/textures. But then again, I do know I can get those foods on S days..

Are Luna bars considered "dessert" for you? Do you eat "dessert"? Just curious. I LOVE the lemon Lunas!

KL · Post by KL » Thu Mar 29, 2012 1:22 pm

Thanks for the encouragement Sweetness and lbb.

Well....since I don't bake, I buy my sweets/desserts. And sometimes it can be challenging to find a vegan treat. So, I buy the chocolate Luna Bars or Cliff Bars or Lara Bars - which I can find anywhere. They really are a cookies wrapped up in a healthy package.

Also, some ice cream places have sorbet, which is dairy-free, so I'll get that. We bought a bunch of Girl Scout cookies (so my daughter could get a badge) - got the one's without dairy. But they don't really appeal to me - I would rather have the Luna's. Believe me, in the past when the URGE rose it's ugly head, I would nosh on anything. So, I'm certainly not above it.

But, now that I'm eating more whole foods again - I don't really want a lot of processed stuff - are those words really coming out of my mouth/fingers?? WOW - No S really is the answer to my prayers...

p.s. when I was doing intuitive eating - I would buy the 75-80% dark chocolate. Haven't had any since No S - but that definitely could be an option - oh my.

p.p.s - almost forgot - my friend who hosted my birthday party, had a vegan carrot cake - holy cow!!! I have the recipe, but I don't really want to make it. For now, I'm comfortable with how my S days are fairing.

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 3:05 pm

True, KL about sometimes it's nice to NOT have the temptation around.
I love dark chocolate as well....mmmm...
That's got to be tough to find Vegan all the time, but it seems like you have it down!
"Answer to prayers"...you bet!

Sinnie · Post by **Sinnie** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 4:27 pm

Hey KL! Just wanted to say I LOVE your check-in! Thanks for sharing all you do. I used to really enjoy vegetarian eating (never did vegan). I think I'll start making more veggie options, you have re-ignited a flame

KL · Post by KL » Fri Mar 30, 2012 1:18 am

llb, yes, I suppose I could make vegan sweets - but don't really want/need them around.

Thanks Sinnie - I eat pretty simply - one doesn't have to make it complicated. And these days there are so many non-dairy alternatives.

Day 29 - March 29 - Success

B - Oat thingy
L - Wrap w/pb/banana/romaine, wrap w/hummus/carrots/romaine, orange
D - Baked potato, steamed red cabbage/cauilf./onions/shrooms, apple, baba g.
E - yoga

When I was in the checkout - the clerk asked what the red cabbage was - I told her - she said she had worked for the grocery store for 9 years and no one had ever bought it. Wow - really - sad testimony, huh??

Okay, one know's their plate is loaded when with every forkful food falls off the plate onto the table - yeah - kinda layered it up tonight.

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 3:25 pm

HOoray!
Sounds SO yummy. I LOVE red cabbage and ALL the things you eat. YUM!
I sure know about LOADED plates! Sometimes I'm SO hungry and worried I'll be munching later, that I load up the plate too.
But at least all your stuff is UBER healthy!
Good job.

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 9:23 pm

Personally I think loading the plate is OK if its veggies.

You are doing well!

KL · Post by KL » Sat Mar 31, 2012 1:30 am

Thanks Sweetness and lbb - yup, had another loaded dinner plate - oh so good.

Day 30 - March 30 - Success

B - Oats combo
L - Sweet potato, garbonzo beans, carrots, orange, some apple
D - Veggie Pot Pie, salad w/caulif/carrots/shrooms/orange
E - 5 hours at water park!!

Missed my wraps for lunch - but they are kinda messy and I needed to pack lunches for water park.

Discovered 2 new Amy's entrees while on vaca - Tamale Pie and Veggie Pie - both are so delish. My family had pizza for dinner. Not really a fan of pizza. I certainly have eaten lots in the past - but never felt satisfied, just stuffed. Tonight after having my dinner, I was looking at my daughter's crusts with longing eyes and then quickly thought - my dinner was so yummy - there's no deprivation on this end.

The neat thing was I meant it and believed it.

NoSnacker · Post by **NoSnacker** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 9:49 am

hi there..congrats on your 30 days. i was reading your thread on the the main page from when you first joined.

i belonged to OA for a while and met some wonderful women there that truly in spirit followed No S. i guess the concept as in AA, is the healing within and the food would follow..obstaining from binging, etc...don't remember exactly but i'm very familiar with 12 step programs. i think i would have loved to combine the structure of No S and OA.

not sure why i stopped going it was so long ago...i can remember a tad, i could not or should i say chose to keep binging and gave up on the program.

you seem to be finding a comfortable place for yourself...awesome....

HabitMaker · Post by **HabitMaker** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 11:31 am

KL, sounds like you're still doing wonderfully. I admire your choice to wait two days to have the Lara Bars. In my life, I also interpret the healthier treat food choices as "sweets" and wait til the weekend, simply because I choose a diet of intact whole foods lower on the calorie density spectrum and want to continue that trend. It's not depriving to do it most of the time, but it's been freeing simply to include some more treat-like foods (that still are consistent with my chosen way of eating, but that are richer than my normal food) on the weekends. Before, I was just set on never including those things, which would go well for a while but then backfire. This new thing where I include them on weekends feels a lot more balanced.

Fun on the discovery of new Amy's meals! I used to really enjoy those. Very good food. And veggie pot pies are soooo good.

KL · Post by KL » Sat Mar 31, 2012 12:58 pm

Thanks NoSnacker - the 12-step programs were a life-saver for me. I was a big ole mess before I started working on myself in the mid-80's. The 12 steps also introduced me to God - what else can I say about that??

We used to say "focus on the weight and lose recovery - focus on recovery and lose the weight."

Same is true for No S. If I focus on establishing the habit - other things fall into place. Those of us with disordered eating may have to work a little harder to get to the root of our eating. But I think it really goes back to the mind set. Am I really ready to let go of the control? Am I willing and able to do what it takes - i.e. - am I willling to say no on N days when I want that extra bit? Am I willing to put a little bit of a boundary on my S day? May not work for everyone - but for me - the epitome of a permagrazer - I now prefer to eat meals. I'm sure there will come a time when I have something between a meal, and that's okay, but for now this is what is working and I'm experiencing such freedom from it.

HabitMaker - it appears we are very much in line with our food choices - doesn't surprise me, sis

In the past 1.5 yrs, I consumed my fair share of processed junk - so it feels soooo good to eat whole foods again. Yes, I'm enjoying the Amy's meals while on vaca. They are not my first choice at home when I can spend more time and I have all the essentials that I need to make meals, but for vacation time, they are a blessing!

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Sat Mar 31, 2012 2:55 pm

Good luck this weekend, KL!
Those Amy meals sound delish. I need a break-up to my N days and may check them out.
I agree about pizza. I DO like it, but it makes me feel stuffed and NOT satisfied. It's easy to eat so much of it, too. The crusts, etc. My boys gobble it up, though.
Take care.

KL · Post by KL » Sun Apr 01, 2012 1:38 am

Day 31 - March 31 - Exempt

B - Oats
L - Wrap w/hummus/cucs/carrots, wrap w/pb/bananas, 2 lunas
D - Baked potato, boca burger w/sauteed/onions/shrooms, red cabbage slaw w/hummus, cauli., mini soy ice cream bar, cliff bar
E - yoga, jumping jacks, lunges, push-ups, core

Started feeling a little guilty after dinner w/eating the cliff bar. It was kinda an add on eaten in the bedroom. Reminds me of how I used to hide what I was eating. Ickk - don't want any part of that anymore. At least I didn't hide the wraper. Also started to roughly count calories - then told myself to stop it - and I did.

Yay - no more guilt.

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Sun Apr 01, 2012 3:15 am

Great work on pushing away any negative thoughts.
I do that lots too on S days...kinda freak out and want to count calories. But that is just another way to control the day, and to seek self-punishment or even justification "oh it wasn't that bad"...
bla bla bla....
NO MORE GUILT!
(but I DO relate to sometimes sneaking away from others to eat a treat, but it's mainly to get a break from my kids...not great!).

KL · Post by KL » Mon Apr 02, 2012 12:47 am

llb - I hid my luna bars in my dresser drawer so my daughter wouldn't find them.

Day 32 - April 1 - Exempt

B - Oats - gotta love 'em
L - Wrap w/hummus/lettuce/cucs/carrots, wrap w/pb/banana, mini luna
D - Blackbean burrito, steamed cabbage/caulif/carrots/hummus, banana, mini soy ice cream sandwich, mini popsicle
E - yoga

Wanted to have more sweets after lunch and dinner. Had to do a lot of self-talk. Stuff going on w/my daughter that's making me anxious - guess I wanted to medicate. We all know how food can make it better - NOT - then I have 2 problems. I love the fact that S days give me more leeway but it's also scary to open that door for more. Yet, knowing that I have this freedom, get's me through cravings for sweets during the week. So, glad that I have the choice - but also glad that tomorrow is an N day.

One more week of vaca - even though it's great to relax - also looking forward to getting back into my routine.

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 2:55 am

Do you have a tendency to be hard on yourself? I just think maybe you need to let loose a little on S days. That's what S days are for. Those cliff and luna bars are really healthy aren't they? Anyway just disregard this if I'm off track.
You are doing great!!

HabitMaker · Post by **HabitMaker** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 9:51 pm

Glad your S Days are over and they seemed to stress you out this weekend. Welcome back to N Days.

KL · Post by KL » Tue Apr 03, 2012 12:47 am

Sweetness - being hard on myself is an understatement.

I just started feeling like I could go on and on and on and not stop. I'm very acquainted with the feeling of eating to stuff emotions. It's one thing being in a social situation and everyone is enjoying themselves with different foods and I'm telling myself no, I can't partake. But this was after I had finished my meals, I wasn't hungry anymore, no one else was eating, and I just wanted to eat so I didn't have to feel the anxiety that I was feeling from what was going on in the family. But thank you for pointing out to me about relaxing - can always use encouragement in that area.

HabitMaker - yes, very glad to be back in my comfort of N days

Day 33 - April 2 - Success

B - Oats
L - Wrap w/hummus/cuc/lettuce, wrap w/pb/banana, carrots, orange
D - Wrap w/ pb/banana/lettuce, crackers w/hummus/cucs/carrots
E - lots and lots of walking

Didn't feel well all day - very congested and quesy stomach - a family outing was planned for the whole day. Came home tired, hot and hungry and made something very quick while family had fast food.

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 4:27 am

Sorry you're not feeling well. I totally understand coming home tired and hungry with the family and barely able to conceive the thoughts of cooking yourself something nice. That's why I usually just have same old staples in tow!

It's good you recognize when you're eating out of anxiety instead of hunger. And to push past it.

Great work!!

Ann_48 · Post by **Ann_48** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 12:07 pm

I hope you're feeling better this morning and have a better day today! Thanks again for making me feel so welcome here!

BertinHouston · Post by **BertinHouston** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 12:22 pm

No more guilt sounds good! You seem to be doing pretty well with that. I think I will borrow your 'permasnacker' description for yours truly. It is so easy to turn into one because practically every other 'diet' program nowadays encourage a minimum of 5 small meals per day. Add a few snacks and a person on a diet is eating the entire day... Doesn't make sense and doesn't work.

HabitMaker · Post by **HabitMaker** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 1:37 pm

Hey KL, hope you aren't catching what I have!

(Not the same symptoms, but...)

I was looking back at your earlier posts, and while you are still struggling with a few things, you are doing so on a strong foundation. Early on, you seemed a lot more uncertain.

I noticed that you mentioned you grabbed something quick while other people had fast food, and that you were not in a great state of mind/body at the time - great job taking care of yourself despite challenging circumstances!

KL · Post by KL » Tue Apr 03, 2012 1:43 pm

Thanks lbb and Ann - feeling better this morning after a good night's sleep.

Bernie - Reinhard coined the phrase "permasnacker" - great visual, huh?? Yes, for me, 3 meals a day is the way to go. No questions or debate come up - am I hungry? Did I wait long enough from my last snack, etc, etc.?

Letting go of guilt is such a hard thing for me - it definitely has (past tense for today - which all I really have) taken up a lot of space in my head. Especially when I have any kind of sweet - since for over 20 years I didn't have a lick (pun intended

) of sugar - read labels and all that jazz...because I believed that I had no control and if I had a smidgen, I would be off and running.

This whole method of managing my food is about changing my behaviors around my relationship with food. So, even on S days, I don't want to turn to food to self-soothe. I'm all for relaxing and joining in if their is some kind of gathering - but I don't want to resort back to old habits of automatically putting something in my mouth because - I'm bored, overwhelmed, frustrated, anxious, fill in the blank.

With the habits that are starting to take root on N days, S days are not scary for me. But I still have the fence built around what is emotional eating and what is social eating. So far, it's working - so I'll keep doing what I'm doing.

KL · Post by KL » Tue Apr 03, 2012 1:54 pm

Thanks HabitMaker - I guess I was writing my last response at the same time you posted.

That's funny - I thought the same thing - am I getting sick like HabitMaker??

Yes, I do feel stronger and more solid. ODAT (one day at a time).

KL · Post by KL » Wed Apr 04, 2012 12:40 am

Day 34 - April 3 - Success

B - Oat thingamabob
L - Hummus wrap, Pb/banana wrap, lots of veggies, apple
D - Baked potato, garbonzos, steamed veggies, salad
E - Swam a little

At dinner hubby ate some of my potato, which was balancing on the heap of veggies. I looked at him in horror and actually contemplated getting something else to compensate for what he had eaten.

Oh my! Still am a little preoccupied with what's on my plate.

Will be glad when I return home to my kitchen. Miss making soups and such.

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:07 am

Too funny! I have always disliked people helping themselves to food on my plate, but it is especially annoying when you are practicing portion control. I have changed a lot in my relationship with food, but I do not think I will ever quite get over my dislike of people deciding to share my food... especially if it is finger food and they stick their hand in my bowl or plate.

NoSnacker · Post by **NoSnacker** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:25 am

Oh yes, it is like keep your hands off my food

. My DH likes to take some and give to our birds...I try to contain myself

. I try to get over it quick

Life is what is it..I know a lot of people don't want others touching or taking their food.

ESPECIALLY when we are limited to just one plate..hey, back off the food

Ann_48 · Post by **Ann_48** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 2:06 pm

Oh no KL. If any fingers come near my plate they are likely to be smacked away or bitten off.

Glad you're feeling better!

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 2:37 pm

I totally get it. My kids come in all the time and snitch off my plate. YIKES!
Usually, though it's "Mom food" and they don't care for it!
But it's tough. Food issues/hoarding/saving for me.
Keep up the great work!

KL · Post by KL » Thu Apr 05, 2012 1:14 am

Day 35 - April 4 - Success

B - Oats
L - Hummus wrap, PB wrap, veggies, orange
D - Beans&Rice, steamed veggies, salad
E - Ran 50 min, walked 20

When I was in OA, I weighed and measured all my food - very precise. This past year, (before NoS) one of my sisters said that she liked that I could share my food now. So, here I've come full circle, no sharing again - except on an S day.

My daughter started picking off the garbonzos off my plate tonight - seriously - leave my food alone

Obviously, ya'll can relate.

I've really been doing mostly moderate exercise since I started NoS. Haven't felt the need to really belt one out. Also, wanted to prove to myself that I could maintain without having to burn a lot of calories with exercise. I definitely have had issues in the past with overdoing it. Just a tad bit black and white.

So, it felt really good today to just run for the sake of running - because it felt good to move my body in hot weather and sweat. It was great. Moderation in everything, right??

NoSnacker · Post by **NoSnacker** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 9:40 am

Sounds like you are doing fantastic...I would love to run, but I usually walk and throw in 30 seconds of very slow jogging...bad back...I have new sneaks so that helps.

ZippaDee · Post by **ZippaDee** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 10:45 am

WAY TO GO KL!!! Happy Jiggin' for you this morning!

Ann_48 · Post by **Ann_48** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 11:20 am

WTG for getting outside and running! Fabulous!

KL · Post by KL » Thu Apr 05, 2012 1:15 pm

Thanks for the encouragment NoSnacker, Zippadee, and Ann.

This all about changing my behavior; and the way I have dealt with my food issues, of course, shows up in all areas of my life.

Zippadee - love your quote - YES, it's all about peace of mind! Whoo hoo!

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 2:21 pm

I love when I'm choosing exercise because I WANT to, not because I need to burn off last night's binge or something. I've been down that road of black/white exercise.
These days it just feels good to MOVE and I find my mental health so much better the rest of the day. But I need to keep in check not having to run "x amount", or burn "x amount" on the machines....

Keep at it. Listen to your body!

HabitMaker · Post by **HabitMaker** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 10:52 pm

Haha, I love the popularity of your post about your annoyance about people stealing food from your plate. It is important when you are limited to one plate, and not allowed to compensate with seconds!

I haven't considered this situation because I often eat alone, but I think it should be acceptable to replace the food taken from you (as long as you don't replace more than what was taken). You allotted yourself a certain amount of food to your plate. If it spilled, would you not be able to replace the spilled food without breaking the rules? I am a stickler about rules myself, but I am making a concerted effort here to err on the side of following the *spirit* of the law if the *letter* of the law hasn't addressed the specific matter. And I think you should be allowed your entire plate of food as allotted at the beginning of the meal. Just my two cents.

Wow, 50 minutes of just a "fun run"? That's impressive for someone who doesn't run on a regular basis. You must be very fit.

KL · Post by KL » Fri Apr 06, 2012 1:40 am

lbb - yes, it is such a different mind set to be doing some kind of activity because I want to move my body as opposed to a punitive form of exercise to make-up for an over indulgence of food.

I got a heartrate monitor a few years back and was so obsessed with knowing how many exact calories I had burned with each workout. Isn't workout a funny word? I want a work in.

Anyway, I stopped using it because it made me too nutty.

HabitMaker - I like your take on the food theft situation...I suppose if one took a lot of food - say half of the potato -I would add something else. But a bite of two, I felt kind of miserly.

I've been running off and on for a long time - XCountry in high school - I can pick it up pretty easily. But I hadn't run (actually it's a jog) since sometime in February. Sometimes I'll run a couple times a week. But I practice mainly yoga, but also like to swim laps, do the cardio machines, take spin classes and zumba at the club I belong to. Like to try different things...

Day 36 - April 5, Success

B - Oats
L - Wraps
D - Baked potato, soy dog, steamed veggies, salad
E - yoga

There has been a lot of comfort in the simplicity of the foods I've been eating while on vaca. Don't really have to think a whole lot when meal time comes around. Very routine and basic - which, in essence, is what NoS is about - to me anyway.

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Fri Apr 06, 2012 3:59 am

KL: I so understand getting obsessed with the heart rate monitor! I bought one ($100!!) about two years ago and used it obsessively. I tried so hard to know exactly what I burned and to then eat exactly that, or less. It took over my life!

Also, I also agree in the simplicity of the foods helping by way of "not thinking" when meal time come around. As long as I don't run out of a few samples, I'm good to go.

Great work!

KL · Post by KL » Sat Apr 07, 2012 2:12 am

Day 37 - April 6 - Success

B - Oats
L - Wraps
D - Baked potato, boca burger, sauteed/steamed veggies, salad
E - Walked

Well the food thieves were at it again at dinner. Long day out in the sun, came home to make dinner at 7 PM. Using up all the varies foods since we leave to go back home on Sunday - pasta and a sauce for family, salad for everyone, and my sauteed veggies in pan with baked potato roasting. Hubby starts eating what I'm going to put on my plate. I start swating his hands and telling him to keep his mitts off my food. He continues and says it's so good. Serve everything up and put the plates on the table. Daughter starts to reach over to my plate - I shoosh her away and say that I need to use the restroom and they better keep off my plate. Both say "no way, mom". I showed them by taking my plate into the bathroom with me. I will go to any lengths to eat what is on my plate.

SophiaLara · Post by **SophiaLara** » Sat Apr 07, 2012 3:19 am

Hi KL,

I just found your journal thread and read it. Wow! You are really doing well with NO S.

I used to belong to OA also. It was a special focus group called OA90Day. It is very strict: follow an exact food plan (very healthy, by the way. Similar to Dr. Fuhrman's advice--eating up to 2 pounds of vegetables every day, vegan), and a lot of other things. I lost 40 pounds, but gained 25 of it back after having a few slips. I left because I just kept binging and nothing seemed to be helping me. The strictness of the Food Plan and the Program were just making it worse because I just wanted to rebel.

I also tried Thin Within years ago. "French Women Don't Get Fat" also offered an interesting concept. Somehow, "intuitive" eating just doesn't work for me: as was stated earlier: I'm constantly thinking about food. "Am I hungry enough to eat now? Have I eaten too much?" Etc.

Another thing we have in common is that we're both vegan. Well, I'm vegan 99% of the time anyway. Every once in a while I have a little fish, chicken, or red meat.

Anyway, I've had some good No S days and some bad ones. I'm reading Reinhard's book and he talks about how we just need to learn from our fails and move on. Not reward ourselves by giving into a full-blown binge. (Or something like that, anyway!) It made perfect sense to me because that is exactly what I do: give in to my appetite.

I suppose you're still on vacation, which sounds wonderful. I live in CA on the Monterey Bay, and it's very beautiful here. People come from all over the world to take their vacations here. I feel very blessed.

Talk to you later.
Lara

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Sat Apr 07, 2012 4:17 am

SophiaLara: I like what you said about rewarding ourselves by going into a full-blown binge. I do that all that time! It's not beating myself, it's indulgence.
Thanks for the reminder.

Ann_48 · Post by **Ann_48** » Sat Apr 07, 2012 12:20 pm

KL, I think you need one of those little picnic plate "tents" to put over your plate at the dinner table and let the family know that only you have rights to lift that tent!

KL · Post by KL » Sat Apr 07, 2012 2:21 pm

SophiaLara - Welcome, welcome to this very sane method of managing food

The OAers would scoff at eating sweets on weekends - but personally I think it is brilliant! Yes, we do seem to have a lot in common. I read the French women book as well. As Reinhard points out, most cultures don't snack and eat sweets usually only on special occasions.

lbb - I too love the concept of not rewarding ourselves with overindulgence. Makes sense in the head - but long road from head to heart, huh??

Ann - Yes, I think I'll go online to see what I can get to keep the family off my plate.

KL · Post by KL » Sun Apr 08, 2012 1:02 am

Day 38 - April 7 - S Day
B - Oats
L - Wraps + Luna
D - S Potato, veggies, salad/hummus
E - Ran

Leaving for home bright an early - gotta get to bed. Happy Easter everyone

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