Gepetto's Journey - Daily Check In

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 2:12 am

Hello everyone. First time posting on a fitness / weight loss / lifestyle forum, here, though I've certainly lurked enough of them over the years of the Internet, and BBSs before that.

Yesterday was Veteran's day here in the United States, so I was off work. Somehow I found the link to the Shovelglove site (it might have been on the site right after the Malaysian Skyscrapers). The rest of the day (nearly 6 hours (?)) was spent poring over the No S Diet, Shovelglove, Urban Ranger, Weekend Luddite and Glass Ceiling sites.

It called to me - the simplicity called to me especially, in ways that so many other "diet plans" never did. So here goes - I started yesterday.

Day 1: SUCCESS (11/12/12)
Day 2: SUCCESS (11/13/12)

Funny stuff: I'm shooting for No S, Shovelglove, and Urban Ranger as habits. As a corporate drone commuting from the 'burbs (37 miles one way), I have already begun my conquest of Urban Mountaineering by giving up the elevator, and parking in the very farthest space in the lot.

For now I'm not worried about what goes on my 3 plates (wife's an awesome cook, so it's generally nutritional), and am focused on keeping it to those 3 plates, as snacking has been my great downfall.

Anyway, thanks for reading!

Beginning stats:
8# sledge
323 lb. man
199 lb. goal weight. (because it's a funny, arbitrary number - and what I exited the military from 20 years ago.)

~Gepetto

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Wed Nov 14, 2012 9:31 am

Welcome to the boards and the lifestyle! Looking forward to reading about your journey.

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 1:21 am

Day 3:SUCCESS (11/14/12)

eschano, thanks for the welcome - everyone seems so friendly that I figured it was time to jump in.

No S is going well (you know, for day 3...) - I have no qualms about burying my plate right now; I figure that will even itself out over time. Had a business dinner tonight that I was a little nervous about - it was at a favorite restaurant that sets out just amazing bread when you arrive. No bread for me, but a nice spaghetti and meatball plate, no side dishes, and just water to drink.

Shovelglove is actually fun - this morning I defended the village after two days of preparing the defenses. Yes, I did a lot of roleplaying during my formative years. I wonder if Tucking the Bale could be lancing the dragon...

Urban Rangering is also coming along - parking in the last spot away from the building, and taking stairs vs. elevators. My office is only on the second floor, so not too much of a hardship. Have a lot of meetings in other buildings on other floors, though, so that will be interesting.

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 10:13 am

Gepetto wrote:Day 3:SUCCESS (11/14/12)

Shovelglove is actually fun - this morning I defended the village after two days of preparing the defenses. Yes, I did a lot of roleplaying during my formative years. I wonder if Tucking the Bale could be lancing the dragon...

That is awesome. I love that shovelglove connects so many people to their inner child. It's highly creative. Also, well done in the restaurant - not an easy feat.

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Fri Nov 16, 2012 2:23 am

Day 4: SUCCESS (11/15/12)

Tougher day today. Had to give a talk at another location, huge parking lot let me get my urban ranger on for almost a half mile. Missed dinner time by two hours, but dodged the pulled pork restaurant and had a modest if late dinner at home. Whew!

Worked on building up the village defenses in Shovelglove this morning. Starting to imagine my own little village and what I can do to keep it safe and growing...

Eschano, I completely agree about said inner child!

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Fri Nov 16, 2012 3:39 am

Gepetto,
Welcome to No S, you are off to a great start! thanks for stopping by my thread. No S is the best!

Hmmmm you got me thinking about going to the hardware store for a sledgehammer! I tried the shovel glove routine once with a metal claw hammer, not big or heavy enough, but it was fun, and even so it got my heart rate going.

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Sat Nov 17, 2012 2:02 am

Day 5: SUCCESS (11/16/12)

Sweetness, thanks for stopping by! The claw hammer might be light, but it would make a formidable "Dagger" for some one-handed work, I imagine.

Slower start today, but got my Shovelglove mojo on, and "Defended the Village" again. Finished a little before 14 minutes, so tacked on some "burying the fallen" (shoveling movement).

You know, it just feels so liberating to not worry at all about how many pounds, or reps, or sets, or tracking at that level of granularity. I've been talking about this quite a bit with my wife (who's interested, even though she's a regular runner), and we agreed that the concept of the simple habit to regulate weight and exercise are what make No S and Shovelglove so powerful.

Even at only 5 days in, it's a comfortable feeling to know that this is something that is *doable* - not a lot of investment in mental energy, and it goes so fast. Especially for me (visual thinker here), having the idea of saving the village changes my perspective.

Gloverton - that's the name I've given the small imaginary village where I'm doing my hero-work in the mornings. So far this week I spent three days helping them shore up and repair the village defenses, and 2 days fending off fairly light attacks (really, the attack only lasts 14 minutes).

I fear there might be a siege in the future, and I'll have to start heaving things off the walls to keep the village safe - time to start creating my own scenario!

Today was 5 green days in a row, too - for all three habits - No S, Shovelglove, and Urban Ranger. Speaking of Urban Ranger, yesterday my boss and I were doing a walking status update while she went for coffee, and she was so surprised when I split off for the stairs and told her I'd meet her downstairs! Felt a bit awkward, but really glad I did it.

On to my first 2 S-Days!

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Sat Nov 17, 2012 3:12 am

Love the idea of defending your village! Fun!

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Mon Nov 19, 2012 10:00 am

The first weekend of S-Days!

Day 6: SUCCESS (11/17/12)
Day 7: SUCCESS (11/18/12)

What a strange feeling it was to experience the weekend knowing "anything" was on the menu! In practice, though, it turned out not much different than the preceding week - generally plated foods, and not a lot of snacking, which is a bit of a record for me. Of course, at almost a week in, the newness of No S hasn't worn off yet, and the habit isn't formed.

Saturday night was a treat - my wife and I attended an appreciation dinner for some volunteer work that we do each year, and the menu was AMAZING. Crowned pork roast (complete with the little paper hats on the roast), butternut squash that tasted like pumpkin pie, beets grown in our host's garden and cooked in a clove syrup, mashed potatoes, a cranberry salad, and then Tira Misu made by a professional baker/confectioner.

Add in a lovely tray of cheeses and a couple (2) glasses of Riesling, and I was in food heaven. I'm not sure if it's the No S effect, but it seemed like I was tasting flavors in the food that I haven't been able to detect - perhaps the grease and junk food depopulating the taste buds? Has anyone else had an experience like that?

On Sunday we had some family visit from about 5 hours away, and enjoyed some great deli-style sandwiches on artisan breads. Light fare, but very tasty! In some respects it was virtual plating (I think that's the right term), as those tiny dessert plates only held one sandwich, and I ate two. And a few kettle chips, and a small handful of M&Ms.

Gloverton Update:
(See what happens when you encourage me, Sweetness!)

The village was peaceful over the weekend, although the village leadership did identify some new projects that need to be tackled by the resident hero / shovelglover. First up is the construction of some additional village buildings. Fending off the recent attacks has drawn more people to the village, and they need places to live. (That will be Monday's shovelglove workout - if there's interest I can post it over on the routines forum).

The village also expects to need assistance with:
* Planting the fields
* Harvesting crops
* Clearing more forest
* The great hunt (lots of spears and archery on this one, plus clearing underbrush, and maybe digging a pit trap or two)

Clearly, I arrived just in time for Gloverton - no idea how they would have managed without a fledgling shovelglover!

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Mon Nov 19, 2012 9:42 pm

Soon you will have to build a house in Gloverton. Your village needs you!!

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Tue Nov 20, 2012 1:04 am

Day 8: SUCCESS (11/19/12)

Sweetness - ironically enough, that was this morning's labor!

The new routine 'building the village' worked pretty well, though I'm not quite satisfied with the 'hoeing' movement. Today was a successful No S day also - I got mighty hungry toward the end of the day, as lunch was light (leftover du jour). Phoning my wife helped, as this evenings dinner was a fresh green salad with cherry tomatoes and diced grilled chicken, with barbecue sauce as dressing. It was a full size plate, but only one, and I resisted the temptation to have a second helping of butter croissants. I say 'NO', Pillsbury Doughboy, you shall not pass (these lips).

milliem · Post by **milliem** » Tue Nov 20, 2012 6:21 pm

You are doing brilliantly so far, well done! Gloverton needs an in-shape leader clearly

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 10:36 am

Day 9: SUCCESS (11/20/12)

milliem - thanks! There is a lot of work to be done in the village, that's for sure. It may take the rest of my life, and who knows, by then it may be a small town or even a city!

This post is a little late - it's actually the morning of day 10 as I write this, but yesterday was a 20-hour work day, so the daily check had to wait until some sleep delivered a bit of coherence. Yesterday's work was from a different location, and was a hectic day, besides. Still, aside from a few cups of coffee (and water), there was "No S" except the S of Success. My coffee tastes run to just a bit of non-dairy creamer in regular ol' coffee, so it's not anything close to sweet or snacky. 9 days into No S, though, less of that caffeine-infused delicacy is finding its way into my cup. Perhaps I'm sleeping better!

Gloverton Update
There was another attack on the village yesterday. The raiders didn't seem as committed this time, and the archers firing from the newly-built palisades discouraged many from approaching the walls. There are still too many trees on the northern approach, though. Have to get the chopping axe out before the snows fall. The village gravekeeper may be a prosperous man should the raids continue; a healthy crop of grave markers grows in the potter's field. Father Poniard refuses to allow burning, insisting that even the souls of the damned deserve a decent burial. Who am I to stand in that King's way?

edit: found and fixed two typos. I should preview these things...

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 12:19 pm

Gepetto wrote:Day 9: SUCCESS (11/20/12)
there was "No S" except the S of Success.

Brilliant.

Also, I am thoroughly entertained by your Gloverton updates! Makes me want to copy you.

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Fri Nov 23, 2012 2:04 am

Day 10: SUCCESS (11/21/12)
Day 11: S-DAY (11/22/12) - Thanksgiving in the U.S.

Eschano - thanks for stopping by, and thanks for the kind words about the Gloverton updates - I'd love to read stories about your experiences if you decide to give it a go!

It's been a busy few days, but successful! Wednesday was one of the tougher days, following that brutal schedule on Tuesday. Other people have noted, and I am finding, that getting hungry an hour or so before the next meal is a) true and b) bearable, if slightly embarrassing in public settings. Having one's stomach growl like a dog with a fresh bone at the volume of a mid-air plan collision makes people stare for some reason.

Today (Thursday) was officially an S-Day, although an N-Day for Shovelglove. I had some time before we had to travel to family for the annual family theatre, football game, and nap. So, 14 minutes later I get to mark a green on the Habitcal! Breakfast consisted of 2 oatmeal chocolate chip cookies; we were getting ready to leave, and my wife threatened bodily harm to anyone who "made dishes". Being of sound mind and body, and desirous of maintaining that status, I assuaged the morning plate with those two cookies.

Three hours later we were pulling into family's driveway, and the festivities were officially under way. Actually, it wasn't at all bad considering past cirque du gorge events. A bit of light snacking (cheese & crackers, a couple of beers), followed by one hefty plate of traditional foods - ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, dinner rolls, cheesy potatoes and baked beans. I couldn't finish it, and never went back for seconds.

Three hours and a nap later (and a loss by the Lions, our home team), I finished the day with a modest slice of pumpkin pie and a small fruit cup.

Yeah, I'm calling it a total success.

Gloverton Update
Yesterday we focused on doing some repair work to the village, digging a bit more of the moat, gathering some more lumber from across the river, etc. It looks like we're going to be expanding a bit, given the number of new village inhabitants.

Today I started some of the expansion, doing the "Building the Village" routine (it's posted over on the shovelglove forum). Even though today was technically an S-Day (Thanksgiving - it's huge), it was easy to get into the routine, and the 14 minutes went by in a flash. At the end I tried "pumping some water", which is an interesting exercise that uses the leverage of the Shovelglove to do some pumping movements. Not sure I pumped the water the right way, but we'll see how that goes in the future. I suspect the next few days we'll be working on expanding the village, as the scouts report the bandits are quite demoralized after the last raid. It's certain not to be the last we hear of them, however.

snapdragon · Post by **snapdragon** » Sat Nov 24, 2012 1:48 pm

Is that you George? Haha reading about Gloverton reminded me of my brother. It is totally something he would do. Sounds like you picked up no s quite easily. Good for you!!!!

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Sat Nov 24, 2012 3:40 pm

Day 12: SUCCESS (11/23/12)

Haha, hi Snapdragon! No, sorry, not your brother! Thanks for the kind words about No S - it does seem to fit me so far. Then again, I'm just shy of two weeks into this change in lifestyle, so I know there are some hard days ahead as old habits begin gasping for air.

After this weekend (S-Days), No S will have been my eating pattern for a full 2 weeks, which is pretty exciting! One more week to go for a full 21 days of success.

Gloverton Update:
With the recent expansion some village homes (mostly small cottages) are outside the walls. The local leadership has requested that protection be expanded to protect not just these few new homes, but also to lay out expansion plans to wall off a small town. Our leadership certainly is ambitious! Planting next spring may require quite a bit of additional clearing for new fields to feed this growth.

This morning I worked on extending the defenses outward around the new cottages - mostly crafters and artisans, from the look of them. Perhaps there will be a smith to forge a new Shovelglove for yours truly at some point in the spring - I may have grown into a 10 or even 12 pound model by that time if all continues well. Following Reinhard's advice, though, I'm going to give this initial shovelglove several months of dedicated use to build support strength before upping the weight - certainly don't want to injure myself!

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Sun Nov 25, 2012 3:24 am

You are doing great!!!

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 2:06 am

Whoo, been a crazy few days!

Day 13: S-DAY (11/24/12)
Day 14: S-DAY (11/25/12)
Day 15: SUCCESS (11/26/12)
Day 16: SUCCESS (11/27/12)
Day 17: SUCCESS (11/28/12)

Sweetness - thanks for the support!

So the past few days has been crazy - first the 2 s-days that were pretty wild, although there was a personal revelation! Junk food (especially the drive through burger kind) has been a major weakness of mine for many, many years. On Saturday I ran some errands, and while out decided to stop at Halo Burger (for those of you outside the Halo, they make very good burgers). So - I'm standing in line, looking up at the menu.

Nice lady behind the counter: "Can I help you?"
Me: "Is that half-pound burger really made with 8 ounce of hamburger?"
Nice lady: "Sure is, and that big burger is a full pound!"
Me: "Oh my gosh, I'd explode."
Nice lady: chuckles.
Me: "Hm, well, I guess I'll go with the double cheeseburger."
Nice lady: "Actually, that burger is as big as the half-pound. It's the two patties."
Me: "OH! Hey, thanks! I think I'll go with just the regular cheeseburger."

This is *not* the conversation that would have taken place a few weeks ago:

Me: "Hi, I'll take a mongo-burger and large fry, large drink and a side of heart attack."
Sad Lady, thinking to herself "Poor bugger's kids will never know their dad..."

So hey - thanks No S for helping me out!

Gloverton Update
It's been a building spree this week in Gloverton! Building and building and building some more! If people keep flocking into the village at this rate, we're doing to need to spend a week solid working on defenses.

Guard Captain Bischoff mentioned that several bandit scouts have been seen, but not caught, on the edge of the forest. Pffft, Robin Hood delusionals, our bowyers and smiths are working overtime to put paid to those misplaced visions of easy plunder.

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:33 am

Gepetto wrote:
This is *not* the conversation that would have taken place a few weeks ago:

Me: "Hi, I'll take a mongo-burger and large fry, large drink and a side of heart attack."
Sad Lady, thinking to herself "Poor bugger's kids will never know their dad..."

Hilarious! Good for you and also: congrats on the green streak. Two more days to go

ZippaDee · Post by **ZippaDee** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 11:17 am

Thanks for stopping by my daily check in and encouraging me! You are doing awesome! Enjoy your sense of humor and your username!

Have a great day!

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Thu Nov 29, 2012 5:35 pm

Thanks for stopping by my thread, love the image of a campfire ! Love reading your thread too. You are doing great! Keep it up!

ironchef · Post by **ironchef** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 8:01 am

Go Gepetto, what a great start! Love the Gloverton updates.

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 1:07 pm

Day 18: SUCCESS (11/29/12)

Zippadee, ironchef and Sweetness - thanks for stopping by, and for the encouragement. As for sense of humor, my theory is that when facing life's challenges we can choose to laugh or cry, and laughing people are more fun to be around.

Funny stuff: work's been crazy (getting ready for a big product launch), and I only had time to grab a quick sandwich. Plating was a challenge with those little styrofoam to-go boxes. I made a guess that it's roughly equivalent to a plate (just the bottom half, I didn't clamshell the thing open to double the food space!)

Gloverton Update:

Ah hubris, thy name is Gepetto! After my bold statement yesterday, the bandits attacked in force this morning, burning several cottages and making off with 3 sheep and a shaggy cow. Sad times, though fortunately nobody was seriously injured. I fear it could be a feint, though I participated fully in defending the walls.

snapdragon · Post by **snapdragon** » Fri Nov 30, 2012 6:32 pm

Nice job with the burger. I am impressed with how well you have taken to this!

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Sat Dec 01, 2012 1:19 pm

Day 19: SUCCESS (11/30/12)

Snapdragon, thanks for stopping by, and for the words of support.

Wall of Introspective Text:
It's not these first few weeks, or even months, that worry me. A decade ago I followed Jorge Cruise's "8 Minutes in the Morning" and successfully dropped 40 pounds. It came back (more specifically, I ended the plan and returned to old habits.) 4 years ago, I followed a modified version of the 8 minutes plan, and dropped 47 pounds. It came back for the same reason.

What I now realize, having done the calorie counting, the measuring, the charting, the graphing, and using most all of the other apparati of the diet industry, is that lifelong weight and health is about habit. That's why Reinhard's approach to, well, life management, resonates so strongly with me. There's nominal thinking, a very simple set of rules, and the entire idea is to forge a habit that will last a lifetime.

Maybe a year ago I read an interview with a U.S. Special Forces member who was asked how he stayed in shape. His answer? Consistent moderate exercise, every day of his life. No big gym attacks, no series of grand "brand new starts" - just, moderate, consistent, slow-and-steady-wins-the-race practices.

So truth be told, now that I'm essentially through the first 21 days given that Saturday and Sunday are S-Days, I am focused on making No S a lifelong habit. As I stand on this small stage, enjoying the rush of the first night's performance and the applause of the audience, I see things standing in the dark wings of the stage. Uncertaintly, doubt, a large bag of Cheetos, a drive-through, and all the demons of the past. What happens when the lights go out, the stage goes dark, and I'm left with the shadows of the past arrayed against this simple habit?

Well, for one, I have a sledgehammer now to beat them back with. Perhaps if I continue to share this journal with you, my fellow travelers, the demons can be held at bay as I to build the defenses around these new lifelong habits.

Realization: Normally walking down the stairs in the morning is painful - sore feet, sort of waddle side to side, usually hang onto the handrail. Today, though? I just ... walked down the stairs. That was a great feeling! Clearly the squats (lifting the boards, lifting the thatching) during Shovelglove are starting to pay dividends.

Gloverton Update:
After the attack yesterday, the village council decided to continue to build the defenses. The defenses constructed over the past three weeks have helped to prevent loss of life - early attacks resulted in village deaths, but the attackers have been more readily turned away recently. Losing a cottage to fire is a much easier cost to bear than a friend.[/b]

snapdragon · Post by **snapdragon** » Sat Dec 01, 2012 3:02 pm

I would love to walk down the stairs in the morning without pain.
I think what attracts most of us here is that this can be lifelong. If I want cheetos I put some on my plate with lunch. Well right now I don't because I don't think I'll stop. But, when I'm a bit stronger I know I can. I can have a small bag with lunch at a sandwich shop. There is really no off limit foods. I never thought I would ever not be obsessed with sweets but you know I still
Ike them, just not like I used to.

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Sat Dec 01, 2012 8:45 pm

Hi Gepetto,

I love your theatre metaphor with dark things lurking in the shadow.

The great thing: we're all in it together. And judging by the great testimonials - it's doable.

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Sun Dec 02, 2012 12:00 am

Gepetto, I am in the audience applauding you! You now have a new habit and it works! Well done!

By the way, the once attractive Cheetos have lost their appeal for me, as does the drive through. I'm sure the same will happen to you!

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 9:42 am

Day 20: S-DAY (12/01/12)
Day 21: S-DAY (12/02/12)

Snapdragon - It was definitely a bit of a 'whoah' moment for me, getting to the bottom of the stairs and realizing what had just happened. Much like my 'stack the plate to the heavens' approach, it sounds like your Cheetos are helping to build the habits - incremental success *is* success!

eschano - Thanks! The metaphor just popped into my head, but it captures some of the experience. Those shadows of our former selves seem to have a long afterlife. It makes me want to look up the Ghostbusters - but I suppose we have to slay our own ghosts, don't we?

Sweetness - Thanks! After 21 days I think the newly-forged habit is no longer a single thread but a slender string, and will need much repetition to grow into a mighty cable worthy of sustaining a life.

Well, what do you know - the first run of 21 days of success for me! On to the next goal!

As some you may recall from my first entries, the initial goal was to simply build the habit of 3 plates a day, without regard to how high the mounds of food were. The intent of this approach was to extinct snacking by making it very unlikely I was going to be very hungry between meals. That was a successful tactic, as a string of green days indicates. Vanilla No S, no modifications, the plain habit of eating thrice daily. However, piling food onto one's plate is not the end goal - the real goal is moderate, healthy eating for the rest of my life. Before I get there, however, there are some additional steps.

With that first habit at least tenuously established, I set today a new goal. The goal for the next three weeks is to use smaller dinner plates - easy enough to remember, and it will encourage moderation. There may be some piling-on of food, but this again is an intermediate step - a layered nuance to a habit established.

Observations on the first habit cycle:
* It *does* get easier, if not a lot. As I've mentioned before, drive-through fast food is a downfall, and some days I can still feel the pull. Reminding myself that I'm a "No S'ing, Shovelgloving Urban Ranger" helps - and it has become a bit of a personal rallying cry (in my head, that is.)

* Feeling stronger after three weeks of Shovelglove is nice. On Saturday I carried our beastly vacuum cleaner downstairs with one arm held out in front of me, and marveled that it didn't feel nearly as heavy. Posture is improving slightly - the abdominal and core benefits of tossing around a sledge are real.

* S-days are needed! They are a safety valve that also makes the weekends special. One of my sons commented this past Saturday "Hey Dad, today is an S-Day! Can you make your famous pancakes?" (They have loads of fun stuff in them - chocolate chips, brown sugar, etc.)

* My wife and kids have begun following No S loosely - they've cut out between meal snacking (they're home schooled, so they're here all day) and dinner has become an event again - no more "Mom, I'm not hungry", which is a really nice familial benefit.

~reneew · Post by **~reneew** » Mon Dec 03, 2012 4:14 pm

Gepetto wrote: I'm not sure if it's the No S effect, but it seemed like I was tasting flavors in the food that I haven't been able to detect - perhaps the grease and junk food depopulating the taste buds? Has anyone else had an experience like that?:D

Welcome to NoS!
Yep! Food has so so much more satisfying flavor when I'm actually hungry! I went years without actually letting myself get to the point of hunger. I snacked a ton. I've found waitng for meals very rewarding. I think the first time I really noticed was when I was eating the most amazing soda cracker. Ha! Who knew.

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Wed Dec 05, 2012 12:22 am

Day 22 - SUCCESS (12/03/12)
Day 23 - SUCCESS (12/04/12)

Hi Reneew~ - thanks for stopping by, and I completely agree about food tasting better. Also, it's nice to not have to think about eating in between meals - so instead of wondering if it's snack time yet, I just keep working. I think I may be getting more productive!

The first two days of the 7-inch plate meals are behind me, and I have to say, I have been getting a bit hungrier between meals! Definitely a good idea to do this after three weeks of acclimating to No S, as the habit is at least tenuously established. Plus I get to try all sorts of stacking physics tricks with a smaller plate.

Gloverton Update:
So far this week it has been two days of building. The village is growing again; there are rumors that the Lord of the manor may appropriate some neighboring lands to increase the holdings of the monastery. If that happens, I'm sure there will be a great deal of tree clearing to do. Hopefully it will be in the spring, perhaps before planting.

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Sun Dec 09, 2012 5:03 am

Day 24 - SUCCESS (12/05/12)
Day 25 - SUCCESS (12/06/12)
Day 26 - SUCCESS (12/07/12)
Day 27 - S-DAY (12/08/12)

Oh, what a whirlwind this week has been! It's been a full S-Day today, too, as we visited some family friends and only just returned home after a long visit with wine, food, chips and Trivial Pursuit.

No Gloverton update today, but the village is doing well - several days of construction and extending the village defenses. Shovelglove is a wonderful blend of upper and lower body exercise - the movement "picking up the thatch" when done with a wide stance is a great squat move!

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Sun Dec 09, 2012 9:49 pm

Look at you! Kudos on all that green!

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 9:59 am

Day 28 - S-DAY (12/09/12)

Thanks Sweetness! Some of those green days were hard-fought, too, and I appreciate the kind words!

It has been a very relaxing weekend, especially after the chaos of the past few weeks (we were heading into a big product launch - 2.5 years in the offing.) Don't ask me what mad inspiration suggested I start No S, Shovelglove and a few other habits in the throes of the busiest time of my life. Having got through most of it, the personal consensus is that if No S and Shovelglove are possible during the most hectic times in our lives, then the periods of relative rest should be manageable. Tobiasmom's being on No S during her pregnancy was a great inspiration.

Looking forward to this next week, and continued growth. So far I'm not losing much (if any weight), but it seems my dimensions are shifting, if only slightly. Pants fit a bit better, and a couple of shirts seem to be getting tighter through the shoulders. I keep reminding myself - "Gepetto, it's a habit; don't think about 3 weeks (now 4) of progress - think of 3 months, or 3 years."

milliem · Post by **milliem** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 8:24 pm

Gepetto wrote: "Gepetto, it's a habit; don't think about 3 weeks (now 4) of progress - think of 3 months, or 3 years."

That's such a great way to look at it, the habits are the solid base for a new way of eating, you can tweak and change to get results later on down the line if needed

I definitely found that getting the structure without thinking of what was on my plate was key to getting the habits down at first. You're doing great!

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 1:25 am

Gepetto wrote:Day 28 - S-DAY (12/09/12)

Thanks Sweetness! Some of those green days were hard-fought, too,

Looking forward to this next week, and continued growth. So far I'm not losing much (if any weight), but it seems my dimensions are shifting, if only slightly. Pants fit a bit better, and a couple of shirts seem to be getting tighter through the shoulders. I keep reminding myself - "Gepetto, it's a habit; don't think about 3 weeks (now 4) of progress - think of 3 months, or 3 years."

Yes, and also consider it likely you would have gained weight during a stressful 4 weeks without your new habits. I learned that when I went off the No S wagon because I was "too busy". I gained 7 lbs! In 2 months!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 9:31 am

You're so right to think about it in terms of habit! When I only kind of did NoS I plateaued pretty quickly but the second I got back on habit the weight started to tumble again.

Also: muscle does weigh more than fat and as I'm following your Gloverton updates closely I'd say you must have put some muscle on

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 11:00 am

Day 29 - SUCCESS (12/10/12)

milliem - not worrying the details definitely helps - my biggest fear is what happens when the bloom is off the rose. Turning No S and Shovelglove and Urban Ranger into habits are the core of this new life. Things like losing weight are "lag measures" - it's the keeping of the habits themselves that are the "lead measures" (from a seminar on Execution by the Covey Institute - I think it's called 'The 4 Disciplines of Execution'.)

Sweetness - that's a great point, I hadn't considered that weight gain would have been the 'normal' thing to do, and these new habits put a wall up against the sea of fat. Ok, that's a gross image, but you take my meaning.

eschano - I was thinking of the muscle growth angle, but have no idea what would be reasonable to expect over a 4 week period - that's about 5 hours of Shovelglove all in, in 14 minute intervals. If anyone has a link to those calculations I'd love to take a look at them.

Mondays

They seem to be the hardest day to wake up, but I did. They seem to be the longest day (early meetings, study and my son's scout meeting in the evening), but I went. This one brought a whole basket of holiday caramel apples and assorted sweets from a vendor to my desk, but I stayed vanilla No S. Mondays...have been a success for the past 4 weeks!

Funny stuff: A vendor whose services we use regularly sent a holiday basket. It was packed with caramel apples, peppermint bark (a favorite), chocolate-covered pretzels, and a few other oddments of sweet. I shared it with the team and brought home an apple the size of a small cantaloupe for my appreciative (and appreciated!) wife. Success!

Gloverton Update:
Several new cottages were finished last week. They are slightly exposed, so the team built up the defenses around the edges. The morning was quite chilly,and the row across the river went quickly to get out of the wind.

It's interesting to see the subtle (and not so subtle) changes occurring in Gloverton. The clang of the smithy seems to go nonstop; Peter the smith has taken two apprentices, leaving him more time to catch up with the growing demand for his craft. There's some thought that I may join them occasionally to work on cruder items, although the 'job' hasn't been defined yet.

milliem · Post by **milliem** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 6:06 pm

Don't worry too much about the end of the 'exciting new' phase of NoS. Actually, the habits are so simple you'll probably find that it just becomes part of your life! It's not like a counting or tracking diet where you have to force yourself to get into the nitty gritty of what you eat every single day.

p.s. great work on managing the gift basket!

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 2:52 am

Excellent handling of all those treats!

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Fri Dec 14, 2012 1:29 am

Day 30 - SUCCESS (12/11/12)
Day 31 - SUCCESS (12/12/12)
Day 32 - SUCCESS (12/13/12)

Milliem - that's my hope - that it becomes so ingrained that on some mornings I wake up half way through my Shovelglove routine before it registers that I'm actually conscious. So far...not quite there. Thanks on the gift basket - that was a challenge!

Hi Sweetness, thanks! Tis the treat season, and so far I'm navigating the rapids. There's a lot of big rocks ahead, I think they're made of candy...

Wow, 32 days already. Hard to believe. Funny thing is, I haven't really lost any weight, but I am really starting to feel different. Feet don't hurt much, taking the stairs doesn't wind me as much, getting used to not eating between meals, sweaters and shirts are feeling tighter in the upper arms and shoulders, and posture is (I think) a bit better.

Gloverton Update:
A gang of two idiots from the next village over attempted to set fire to the mill on Monday. After beating them into submission (er, think Defending the Village), the next day was some repair work (building the defenses), and then today I had a chance to work in the blacksmith's shop! I should write that routine up - it was quite fun, involved pumping the bellows, stoking the fire, hammering stock, sweeping the floor, and other sundry tasks. Also learned a new salute from a visitor calling himself the "Urban Primalist". Sturdy fellow, nifty whiskers. He called it the "Hail Reinhard", and it mostly involved thrusting the Shovelglove into the air quite vigorously! Whoever this Reinhard fellow is, that primalist fellow is a big fan.

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Fri Dec 14, 2012 4:05 am

Has Reinhard seen your Gloverton saga? you seriously need to personally message him, because its genius, and I think he will love it!!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Fri Dec 14, 2012 9:39 am

I second Sweetness! I think there's an idea for a game in there or a book or whatever but your imagination is inspiring!

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Sun Dec 16, 2012 2:22 pm

Day 33 - SUCCESS (12/14/12)
Day 34 - S-DAY (12/15/12)

eschano, Sweetness - thanks, I'm so glad you're enjoying the saga of Gloverton! It is a fun way for me to have a story unfolding as part of the longer (lifelong!) journey that's begun.

Funny stuff! My wife and I did our modest bit of Christmas shopping, and at one point we stopped for gas. Because it's an S-Day, I bought a small bag of Spree candy (the first in 5 weeks!). Tossing a few into my mouth I started happily nomming away; and then the flavor hit me. More truthfully, it tasted like a combination of salt and tile grout! After so many weeks of not eating junk, this attempt to try my old habits provided insight into how far I've come! That candy just tasted NASTY! My wife laughed at my facial expressions for about 10 miles! Blecch.

Gloverton Update:
Friday evening was a comfortable routine of working around the edge of the village, strengthening the palisade around the north side a bit. The village let me borrow the skiff, so rowing across the river was different - instead of kneeling to paddle across, I stood, leaning forward and pulling backward. It was a nice change from the usually cramped canoe, especially with all those chopped logs!

Great News! The village noticed that my old shovelglove was looking a bit light, so they have gifted me with a new tool! This is a 16# beast of a shovelglove, with a lovely hickory handle and silver head. Can't wait until Monday to try it out!

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:23 am

Wow a classy heavy weight shovelglove! Take it easy at first with that beast!

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:22 am

Day 35 - S-DAY (12/16/12)
Day 36 - SUCCESS (12/17/12)

Sweetness - thanks, I will! She's a beast!

No funny stuff today; had a scouting event with a son, which involved a potluck buffet. Single small plate with a salad bowl perched on it, and a cup of water from the drinking fountain. Successful!

Gloverton Update
Heavy hammer in hand, I set out across the river to turn more trees into defense materials. The 16# shovelglove was much more challenging this morning - shifting my grip to reduce the leverage helped. This new tool has enabled me to tackle some larger trees, so the village walls will be a bit higher, a bit thicker!

Lord Carrick of the manor has requested a census and survey be done of his demesne, and I have offered to assist with the sketches. The first part of the project will be to map out the village and its environments, and will likely take some time. If there is interest, I may be able to acquire his lordship's permission to publish a scribe's copy of the map here.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 2:36 pm

Just commenting on your "no grandchildren soon." I teach high school sophomores and I'm always saying to them, "You're not thinking about kids until you're 25, right?" They laugh, but I'm hoping it will stave things off for a few of them.

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 2:48 pm

I once let a younger coworker watch two of my sons during "take your child to work day." After seeing my 9yo flip a small flashlight over the atrium where it fell 3 stories into a planter, she commented that was all the contraception she needed. He did it by accident, which was probably worse - because things like that happen all the time to parents!

ironchef · Post by **ironchef** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 10:56 am

Well done on the potluck - I find buffets and "bring a plate" events are some of the most challenging.

Very excited to read what will happen in Gloverton now that you've brought in the big guns!

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Fri Dec 28, 2012 12:50 am

Hope you had a wonderful family time for Christmas. Four S days in a row definitely does something to my habit! But I'm brushing off the crumbs and moving on. Today will be GREEN.

How's Gloverton holding up?

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Thu Jan 03, 2013 11:52 pm

Whew, it has been some crazy days here at the Gepetto household! Although I haven't been here, I have been keeping on keeping on!

But first, a confession!

So that 16 pound beast of a hammer? Well, turns out I can't read - it's only 10 pounds. Still a great workout, and in retrospect, I'm glad it's not 16 pounds, because the 10 pounder definitely worked the ol' gloving muscles!

Color-coding all these days would take FOREVER, so they'll just be plain-text today.

Day 37 - SUCCESS (12/18/12)
Day 38 - SUCCESS (12/19/12)
Day 39 - SUCCESS (12/20/12)
Day 40 - SUCCESS (12/21/12)
Day 41 - S-DAY (12/22/12) - and thus begins the Sssssssssssss-day holiday. Today we drove 800 miles to a family funeral.
Day 42 - S-DAY (12/23/12) - Sunday
Day 43 - S-DAY (12/24/12) - Christmas Eve
Day 44 - S-DAY (12/25/12) - Christmas
Day 45 - S-DAY (12/26/12) - Vacation - Shovelglove for real! Fixed stuff at mom's house with my sledge!
Day 46 - S-DAY (12/27/12) - Vacation - Shovelglove was done, huzzah!
Day 47 - S-DAY (12/28/12) - Today we drove 800 miles home
Day 48 - S-DAY (12/29/12) - Saturday
Day 49 - S-DAY (12/30/12) - Sunday
Day 50 - S-DAY (12/31/12) - New Years' EVE - Had friends over.
Day 51 - S-DAY (01/01/13) - New Years' Day - fit to burst, and the last S-Day in this string of insanity, thank heavens.
Day 52 - SUCCESS (01/02/13) - An N-Day never felt so good.
Day 53 - SUCCESS (01/03/13) - Ah, N-Days, how I've missed you!

Yes, that's 11 S-Days in a row. I'm not winning any medals in December, but I'm ok with that. Christmas, New Years, the death of a close family member, plus almost 2,000 miles of driving. Just glad I have my hair, my hammer, and most of my sanity. Some of those S-Days were almost N, and some were all-out Stuffing.

Gloverton Update
Gloverton had a peaceful Christmas, a lovely New Year, and the snows have fallen thick and beautiful over the land. Most days I have been working with the blacksmith or making minor repairs around the village. The (slightly, as it turns out) heavier hammer is working out very well - my forearms have been getting sore, a good sign.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Fri Jan 04, 2013 3:10 am

Happy New Year! Another blessed N day before the weekend.

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Fri Jan 04, 2013 9:53 am

Happy New Year! Also to everyone in Gloverton

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Sat Jan 05, 2013 6:30 pm

It is nice to get back to N days isn't it?

Gepetto · Post by **Gepetto** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 12:33 am

Another belated update! No, I've not gone away, I'm working hard every day to make Gloverton a thriving example of health and fitness. Although, I did experience my first RED DAY recently!

First, the numbers:
Day 54 - SUCCESS (01/04/13)
Day 55 - S-DAY (01/05/13) - Saturday
Day 56 - S-DAY (01/06/13) - Sunday
Day 57 - SUCCESS (01/07/13) - Can you feel the suspense? Where's that red day?!
Day 58 - SUCCESS (01/08/13) - In retrospect, this is when the dam cracked. It was a TOUGH day.
Day 59 - SUCCESS (01/09/13)
Day 60 - FAIL (01/10/13) - Ok, it was bound to happen eventually. Read on.
Day a01 - SUCCESS (01/11/13) - following Reinhard's example here. New cycle.
Day a02 - S-DAY (01/12/13)
Day a03 - S-DAY (01/13/13)
Day a04 - SUCCESS (01/14/13)
Day a05 - SUCCESS (01/15/13)

So. Failure. I can't tell you how grateful I am that everyone had posted all their trials and get-back-ups. It made it a whole lot easier to get back up last Friday. What happened? Well, I just...hit the wall. Got through most of the day, got home, and just...couldn't...go...on... It was maybe 7:30 that night and I just couldn't do everything that I set out to do that day. I had a beer and a snack of some sort and just threw in the towel on the day. Gloverton was without its hero that day, although from a dining perspective it was very mild.

I've begun using the chain of self-command (started back on December 3rd), and WOW WHAT A DIFFERENCE! Productivity here at the Gepetto household has SOARED. I don't mind telling you that my wife keeps telling me how much she loves my cards. Stuff's getting fixed, it's not forgotten, and it's really strange how much that little star means at the end of the day. Simple, yet effective. How cool.

Gloverton Update
There has been lots of building! It's been a couple of weeks of building and working with the blacksmith. No sign of bandits, though I suspect they're out there. Apparently deep snow (in Gloverton, not here in Michigan) discourages bandits. Something about their tracks giving them away, maybe. Anyway, the walls are a bit higher, we have several lovely new homes, and the smithy has almost caught up on back orders.

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Wed Jan 16, 2013 10:00 am

As far as fails go this seem to have been a very successful one! It's fantastic that you didn't give into the What The Hell (WTH) effect. And that Gloverton has its hero back.

Also, interesting what you say about the chain of self-command. I have my own version of it predating my exposure to NoS and I love the stars and other symbols I use as well.

Wishing you a successful day!

heatherhikes · Post by **heatherhikes** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 3:07 pm

Gepetto, how's it going? I have - and am sure as many others - missed your humorous posts...with or without Gloverton's story.

I wanted to thank you for answering my question (at another post) about starting check-ins or not at this board...really appreciated your thoughtful and detailed comments. Finally stopped my food diary and food log and am just checking off my meals at a sheet on the refr. door. What freedom! Maybe I'll start a regular check-in sometimes soon.
During the holidays I didn't do well but picked myself up in January and am doing okay now, one reason because of my streamlined approach.
Hope the new year has been good to you so far, in general and moderation-wise.

Have a great week.
_________
H

Sweetness · Post by **Sweetness** » Wed Feb 20, 2013 2:49 am

Gepetto wrote: I've begun using the chain of self-command (started back on December 3rd), and WOW WHAT A DIFFERENCE! Productivity here at the Gepetto household has SOARED. I don't mind telling you that my wife keeps telling me how much she loves my cards. Stuff's getting fixed, it's not forgotten, and it's really strange how much that little star means at the end of the day. Simple, yet effective. How cool.

I read your post the other day, and decided to check out the Chain of Self Command again.... I started Saturday, and it works so well for me. I love being able to draw my little star! It is odd how this motivates me, too. When I go to buy my index cards, I only had a few white ones here, I might just get some gold star stickers! Ha ha.

Strawberry Roan · Post by **Strawberry Roan** » Wed Feb 20, 2013 12:15 pm

Just back on the boards after a break and a I LOVED reading this thread. Please update us on Gloverton and your life in general. You have done so well, you should be very proud.