Everyday Systems

Woohoo good job on the no sweets! I know what a big deal that is for you and you should definitely be proud. Have a great weekend.

Btw, when is the surgery scheduled ?

Thank you, Eschano and Linda! The past few days haven't been too bad. I've decided my S days will be Thursday and Friday, since Thursday is my band night, and I'm more active on Fridays, so eating a little more on Friday shouldn't affect my weight loss efforts too much. Anyway, neither S day was too bad. I was a little wild yesterday night, but not overly excessive. It was a little difficult to get back on track today, but I did it! I did allow 1 T of DF chocolate chips on my waffles this morning, along with a little bit of whipped cream, but that was it, as far as sweets go, so I'm calling it a success!

Breakfast: Coffee with homemade creamer (sweetened with dates, vanilla, and cinnamon); 2 GF waffles with 1 T chocolate chips and a little whipped cream and some strawberries, 2 turkey sausage patties, 1 clementine

Dinner (Saturday is my one day to sleep in, so I usually just skip lunch): Salad topped with leftover fajita chicken and rice, and some chips with mango peach salsa

Evening mini meal (I've decided I'm going to keep my nighttime meal, but make it a mini meal on N days): A Kit's organic bar (a different kind of Lara bar), and some cashews. A cup of vanilla mint tea.

Heather

Linda, The surgery is this Friday. I'm not looking forward to it, but I think it's good I'm getting it done, and I'm really hoping it will help with my weight, and some of my other issues.

The past couple of days have been big fat fails. Yesterday, I ate a bunch of snacks after dinner (both sugary and salty). I did post about this on the No S Facebook group, and I received some good suggestions about how to stop eating at night, so I think I will give them a try. I need to conquer this, once and for all. My only exceptions will be on S Days (Thursday is my band night, and I want to eat later on Fridays, because I get to sleep in on Saturdays).
Today, I got a compliant drink at Starbucks (at least I think it was. It was a latte macchiato, made with espresso and whole milk). However, I also got a chocolate chip cookie, and a cake pop. They were pretty good, but not 'that' good. I do need to get my sugar consumption under control -- especially if this thyroid nodule does turn out to be cancer.
On a slightly different, but still related note, I think I'm going to scale way back on green smoothies. I've discovered that they have a lot of sugar (from the fruit), and they're not really satisfying, even when I add protein powder and fat to it. I may just save the smoothies for when I'm pressed for time.
Even though today is red, I will mark it, and move on.

Breakfast: Mighty Tasty hot cereal with butter and sea salt, a Kit's Organic bar, coffee with homemade creamer, applesauce

Lunch: Green smoothie with protein powder and hemp hearts added for fat and protein

Snack: Starbucks latte macchiato, chocolate chip cookie, cake pop

Dinner: Chicken and veggie soup, baked potato with a little butter, chives, and a small amount of cheese. I may also have a chicken flauta, for some extra protein.

I haven't read your thread in a while. Surgery this Friday? I will be praying for ya! I, too, have a thyroid nodule that we are keeping our eye on. It's always something, huh?! Do you start on some meds after the surgery? No-S Will hopefully be the sane moderation to help you through this 😀

Thank you, Tobiasmom! Yes, the surgery is this Friday. If the nodule does turn out to be cancerous, the doctor will remove the entire thyroid and put me on meds. If not, I'll be monitored regularly, and if my lab work shows I'm hypothyroid, then he'll start me on meds. Yes, No S seems like the sanest way to keep my weight in check (I hope!). I really hope your nodule is benign.

Well, yesterday was a success! I was actually able to just eat 3 meals! My lunch ended up being too big, and I wasn't hungry for dinner until after my kids went to bed. I also made it without eating any sweets!
Today was an NWS day. My DH and I celebrated our 17th anniversary a few days early, since I'll be in the hospital for at least part of our actual anniversary date (the 16th).
Tomorrow is my normal S day, and the next few days will be S for sick days. I doubt I'll be eating too much, though, because my doctor said it will probably hurt to swallow.
Anyway, I am determined to stay on the No S path! I'm reading a great book called Lean Habits, which is very compatible with No S. I'm not too far into it yet, but the first habit is eating 3-4 meals a day, with no snacking. She also talks about tracking whether you stay on track with your habit, instead of just relying on the scale.

Just a quick update on my surgery. It went okay. The doctor ended up removing just the right half of my thyroid, because he wasn't able to determine whether the nodule was cancerous. I will find out for sure this coming Thursday. I ended up staying overnight in the hospital, and I'm staying at my parents' house for a few days, to recuperate. My neck is still very sore, and I get hoarse if I talk too much, but other than that, I'm not doing too badly.
Consequently, the next several days will be S for sick days. I'm trying not to be too excessive, though.

Thinking about ya!! Get well soon!

Glad the surgery is over and you are on the road to recovery. Hoping you get good pathology results.

Be good to yourself and if somebody wants to "baby" you,
by all means - let them.

Thank you, Tobiasmom and Strawberry! I'm staying at my parents' house over the next few days, and they are doing a great job of babying me.

CG- Here's wishing the best for you- keep us posted on what progresses from here. Hope the surgeries are over...

Big hugs heather! So glad it's over. Hoping a speedy recovery for you.

Linda

Hi Heather, just wanted to say I'm thinking of you today! Glad the surgery went well

Hi! Sorry to go so long without posting! I've just been busy with recovering from surgery, and with life. I've missed this place! Anyway, for the great news, the nodule that my doctor thought was cancerous was benign. That was such a relief! Other than some lingering throat issues from the surgery, I'm doing pretty well.
As for eating, I did take S for sick days for about a week, and I've been working on getting back on track. I'm still struggling with eating at night. Part of the problem is my DH really likes me to eat dinner between 5-5:30, so that I can be free to start the kids' baths earlier (we like them in bed by 8:30). I usually stay up until midnight or so, because DH works late, and my only quality time with him is after the kids go to bed. As a result, I usually end up getting hungry before bed, which is why I've been struggling with eating at night.
I think this will lead me to an idea I've been toying with for awhile, which is eating my 3 main meals on 8 inch plates, and a mini meal at night on a saucer. I think I will also make sure to brush my teeth right after that mini meal, to make sure I don't keep eating.
For the time being, I think I will go back to focusing on this habit (3 smaller main meals plus 1 mini meal) and once that habit is fully established, then tweak what is on my plates.
I have to take care of my kids now, but I will try to catch up on other people's check ins later today.

Good to see you and SO happy with your surgery results !

Thank you, Berry.

Yay!!!! Such wonderful news about your surgery results! That must be just a huge relief.

I think you're plan of 3 main meals and a smaller meal is a good one. So important we do what's realistic.

Thanks for the update and for stopping by my thread.

Thanks, Linda! Yes, it was a huge relief!

My eating has been mostly going okay, lately. I've been alternating between 3 or 4 meals, depending on the day. I'm doing great on the no snacks and seconds, and I've at least cut way back on the sweets (and I've tried to keep any sweets with a meal). I'm going to try cutting back on carbs a little bit and adding more protein to my meals, just to see if that might help with weight loss. At this point, I haven't gained anything (which is good, considering I'm minus half of my thyroid), but I haven't lost any weight, either. However, I'm at the point where I think focusing on habits is more important, so I will keep focusing on the habits for now, and try not to worry too much about weight loss.

So happy to hear the results are favorable! Yay! Now time to heal up and take some time for you!

Wow you are making great progress with you habits. The weight will follow, just give it some time!

Congratulations on the beautiful word "benign"!

I like your plan on the smaller plates. Is a saucer big enough to be satisfying?

Well, you'll figure out what works for you.

Thank you, Tobiasmom, Linda, and Queenie! Queenie, I 'think' a saucer is big enough for that 4th meal, but I'm not positive. I will certainly play around with it.

I feel like I've done a better job with focusing on habits, which is good. I've been consistently sticking with 3-4 meals a day with no extra snacking, so it's a good start.
Yesterday was a minor fail. I was still hungry after my 4th meal (which the plan is to have it on a saucer), so I had some nuts, and a handful of chocolate covered raisins. I may try having some sort of protein at night, to see if that will help (maybe a handful of nuts, or a bar, since I'm not a huge lover of meat or eggs, and I can't do too much dairy).
Here's is what I had for today. I'm still treating Thursdays as sort of an S day, since that is my band night, and several members get together at Shari's after rehearsals.

Breakfast: Waffles with blueberries, SO Delicious coco whip, and 1 T chocolate chips; chicken sausages; coffee

Lunch: Panera You Pick 2. 1/2 turkey and carmelized kale Panini, broccoli cheddar soup, baguette, coffee

Snack (didn't have time for dinner before band): A Lara bar

Dinner (at Shari's): Lunch trio with 1/2 chicken sandwich, spinach salad, piece of pie, coffee with creamer

So all in all, really not a bad day.

Just a quick check in. I'm recovering pretty well from my surgery (I'll be 4 weeks past, this Friday), and I can exercise and start playing my clarinet again. Woo hoo!
Eating is still a struggle. I think I'm either going to have to give up eating at night, unless I have a late day and have to push my dinner until after 9 PM. I just can't seem to stop after a reasonable amount of food at night, so I think it will have to go. I may still do the smaller meals and add a 4th mini meal in the afternoon; I'm not 100 percent sure, yet. Also, I'll still allow myself a treat at Shari's on Thursday night after band. That is the one night I don't struggle, because I'm full after my treat, and I don't eat anything else after I come home.
I'll keep playing around with this, because I'm determined to master it. 👍🏻

I like your attitude of playing around with this. You'll find your groove with it.

Thanks, Queenie!

Well, today is an S day for me, because it's my birthday. I'm trying not to eat too piggishly, but I have allowed a few extra treats. For example, 'lunch' was coffee and a free cinnamon roll at Panera. For dinner, DH and I will be trying out a Mediterranean restaurant. I'll have some sort of dessert tonight.
I had a nice talk with my Mom about eating and nutrition yesterday. She pretty much follows No S eating principles, and she and I both love to eat a lot of fruits and veggies.
Her main suggestion, which I am going to try, is having a cup of tea or hot chocolate at night, and if I get really hungry, to try having just a small bowl of popcorn.
Anyway, I will get back on track with my eating tomorrow.

Happy Happy Birthday!! Enjoy!!

Thank you, Tobiasmom!

Happy birthday Heather!! Hope you had a lovely day!!🎂🎉🎂🎉🎂🎉

Thank you, Linda! It was very nice!

At this point, I'm trying to finish off the leftover birthday and Valentine's Day treats in moderation, with the goal of really getting back on track, starting Feb. 15. I'm usually a lot more successful at losing weight from Feb. 15 until around the end of the school year, because most of my big events have passed (like Christmas, my anniversary, my birthday, and Valentine's Day). The plan is to keep working my way back to more No S type eating, and I would like to cut way back on my sweets consumption.
That's all, for now.

Happy Birthday, late I believe...

Thank you, Over43!

Okay, I think it's time to nip the night evening in the bud, once and for all. I'm having too hard of a time controlling it, so I think it's time to just end it. My stomach seems to be even more sensitive as of late (an after effect of the thyroid surgery?), and my stomach has not liked me eating late at night. I'm still not sure about whether to eat 3 or 4 meals, because my reflux is acting up again, so I guess I'll play that by ear. I will allow my treat after band on Thursdays. I might eat something Friday night, since Saturday is my only day to sleep in, and if I didn't eat, that would mean about a 16-17 hour fast. Maybe I could have a small savory meal on Fridays? Anyway, I think that will mean my S days are on Thursdays and either Friday or Saturday.
As for today, I will do 3 slightly larger plates.

Breakfast: Homemade banana muffin, chicken sausages, peaches with SO Delicious Coco Whip and cinnamon, small carton of Yami lactose free yogurt, coffee with almond milk creamer

L: Panera You Pick 2. 1/2 Carmelized turkey kale panini, cup of garden vegetable pesto soup, baguette with butter, coffee.

I've actually done pretty well the past couple of days! I did NOT eat after dinner yesterday. Woo hoo! Today (Thursday) was my S day, because of band. My eating was not the healthiest, but it wasn't too excessive, and I don't feel overly stuffed. I think that for tomorrow, I will try having a small, savory meal after my boys go to bed (since I go an extra long time between Friday night and Saturday at around noon or so, when I eat my first meal).
I've started using the Habit cal on this site! I'm finding it pretty motivating, so far. In addition to No S, I'm tracking 3 other habits.

Breakfast: Green smoothie, coffee with creamer, 2 homemade monster cookies (I was extra tired, and craving sugar)

Lunch: A grande Americano with coconut milk, and a chocolate chip cookie

Dinner: A chicken and soba noodle salad from Panera, and about 1/3 of the baguette that comes with the meals.

Late night treat: A piece of apple pie with ice cream, and coffee with creamer from Shari's restaurant.

Yay! It's nice to have everything contained on those S days isn't it? Seems like your in a better place now that surgery is behind you and I bet you'll get into a good groove.

Happy weekend!

Linda

Thanks, Linda! I hope you had a good weekend, too!

I had an okay eating day on Monday, and an absolutely disastrous eating day yesterday. I've been really struggling with eating sweets lately, because I've been SO tired. I'm pretty sure it's my thyroid. I have my bloodwork to check my levels tomorrow, so I should know soon whether that is indeed the case. In the meantime, my eating was better today. I'm still trying to figure out the question of 3 vs. 4 meals, because my reflux is acting up again. I may try eating smaller meals tomorrow. I'm also trying to reduce my carb intake. I have no intention of going low carb, because I feel like crud, when my carb intake is too low, but I know from past experience that I feel better with slightly fewer carbs. Also, I did not eat after dinner tonight. Woo hoo!

Breakfast: Homemade pumpkin smoothie with protein powder and hemp hearts for extra protein and fat. Coffee with creamer.

Lunch: Big salad with tuna and almonds for protein, some chips, 3 medjool dates.

Dinner: Waffles topped with blueberries, lite coco whip (dairy free whipped cream), and cinnamon; 2 turkey sausage patties; some cashews

I'm still hanging in there. My doctor's office called, and apparently my TSH is normal, so the extra fatigue I've been having may not be my thyroid after all (although I'm waiting for a copy of my lab work). In the meantime, I'm going to keep trying with No S. My main focus will be to not eat at night, except for on Thursday and Friday (my S days). I'll try to drink more tea at nights (so I can have 'something'), and I'll also go back to coloring. I haven't done it in awhile, and it is a good stress reliever. I'm also going to work on tweaking what is on my plates, so I can start losing some weight, but I am no longer going to restrict anything, although I will keep things like gluten, dairy, garlic, and onions limited, because I do feel better. However, there will be no more Paleo, low carb high fat, etc...

Breakfast: Oatmeal with raisins, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and hemp hearts, 2 chicken sausage patties. Coffee with creamer

Been out of your loop a long time. Glad your thyroid issues sound handled. Sorry it's been frustrating trying to find your rhythm. It's been so long since I felt any real hunger after dinner, even when I eat rather early, though I push for having it after 6, and when I stay up late. Sounds like other issues keep you from having a hefty enough meal then.

Just do your best to aim for the highest quality foods at your meals whenever it sounds worth it. I've changed so much over time, but it's been an evolution. I doubt it's done.

Thanks, Oolala! You're right that figuring out a way of healthy eating that works best is a process.
My biggest issue with dinner, for now, is that I have two very active little boys (ages 4 and . Sometimes, when DH is home, I can have a quiet, relaxed dinner, but most of the time, my dinner gets interrupted several times, to deal with messes, misbehavior, etc... I think that is why I'm drawn to eating at night, because I have that uninterrupted block of time to eat. What I might do is eat lunch on a smaller plate, maybe eat a mini meal on a saucer, and have my dinner after they go to bed.

Just stopping by to say hi.
I just wrote about regressing into "diet" mode. The good news is that even though I dipped my toe back into it, diets aren't appealing to me anymore.

I'm with you, no more restrictive eating!

I hear ya on wanting to eat during a calmer time. It's so much more enjoyable. I wake up at 6, empty the dishwasher, make lunches and breakfast for everyone, take the kids to school, and then come home to walk the dogs. It's about 8:30 by that time but that's when I choose to have breakfast. When the dogs are settled, and the house is quiet. I turn on a little tv and boy do I enjoy that meal!

So I'm all for re-arranging things a bit to give yourself that quiet time to eat. Let me know how it goes!

Linda

Thanks, walkerlori, and Linda! Today was one of my S days, and it was remarkably tame. I just had one dessert, and it was after my band rehearsal.

Breakfast: Green smoothie
Lunch: Panera You Pick 2. Turkey chili, salad, baguette, coffee with creamer.
Dinner: Pizza casserole (yum!!), and carrots with butter and basil
Treat: Piece of key lime pie and coffee at Shari's Restaurant

Okay, I think I'm going to focus on one habit right now, and that is not eating after dinner. It has become too much of a problem, because it pretty much always leads to bingeing. I will still somewhat focus on the No S habits, but my priority will be not eating after dinner, except for on Thursday nights, and other special occasions.

Quick update: So far, so good, as far as not eating after dinner goes. I had one cup of dirty chai tea so far, and I will have one more cup of milky tea before bed.

How is not eating after dinner going? It's a great feeling when several days or weeks have gone by and it starts to feel normal to have those lovely hours without eating before bed.

Hi Clarinetgal!

I was thinking about your son the other day--hope that you are finding therapies that work well with him.

Hi! Sorry to be so late in responding. The last two weeks have been insane, with a week of half days for conference week, followed by Spring break. My eating has been mixed. I actually have had a few days of not eating at night, so it's a start.
I fell back into a cycle of strict calorie counting again, and I also did a gluten free and dairy free diet for several days. I eat mostly gluten free and dairy free anyway (although I periodically allowed cheats), but I tried completely eliminating gluten and dairy for several days. I didn't think my gut was feeling better, but apparently, it must have been helping me some, because I tried having a turkey burger on a regular sandwich thin bun and a side of fruit, and I ended up feeling sick to my stomach afterwards (it wasn't horrible, but it was definitely noticeable). It makes me think I may have to stay on the low FODMAPS diet at least 90 percent of the time. Oh well. I would rather feel good, than miserable.
As for eating itself, I want to commit to what I've proposed off and on for a long time, and it may end up working the best for me. That is: 3 meals on an 8 inch plate, and 1 meal on a saucer. The meals are just large enough to satisfy me, and just small enough so that I have an easier time digesting them. I tried it today, and aside from slips at lunch, it went pretty well.
Also, I'm going to allow myself the mod of a sweet with one meal per day. I've tried this in the past, and it has worked at various times. I just need to not let it get out of control. I may be willing to adjust at some point, but for now, I'm being completely honest, I'm not ready to give up having something sweet every day, and I am okay with not having S days.

Breakfast: Coffee with almond milk creamer, one packet of GF oatmeal, chicken sausages, small bowl of Trader Joes organic tropical fruit blend with a small amount of So Delicious Coco Whip.

Lunch: Tuna sandwich on Udi's bread, chips, 3 Enjoy Life cookies, carrot sticks (note to self: I need to just have chips or the cookies, and not both. If I do choose both, have a very small handful of chips and maybe 1 cookie. My 8 inch plate was very crammed full).

Snack before band: A Lara Bar, and a hard boiled egg

Dinner: Sharis. Coffee with creamer, turkey burger, fruit.

Oolala, Not eating at night is going better. I'm still slipping up periodically, but I'm starting to have several days in a row where I don't eat at night.

Auto, My son is doing okay. His ABA therapist is wonderful, and he's making good progress with things like eye contact, waving, etc... Thanks!

One more addendum to my previous post. I have been very, very discouraged about my weight and size. I am 5'1, and I weigh 169-170 right now, depending on the day. My clothing sizes range from large-cut size 10s to 12-14 (depending on the cut of the clothes), but I think it's because I have a lot of muscle. Recently, I let diet head prevail, and I signed up for a Diet Bet game to lose weight more quickly. However, I realized I don't want to be super obsessed with cutting calories to lose weight, and I'd rather lose it more slowly and steadily with good habits, which is why I'm back again. Even if I don't lose another pound, or lose very slowly (which is likely, I think, because of my thyroid), I'd rather have peace from following good habits than be tied to counting calories the rest of my life.

Ugh I feel your pain Heather! I'm having bad relax issues and it's so confusing to try to figure out what to eat. I tried cutting out gluten too but only lasted a few days. I wasn't t eating dairy at all when this issue started so that's not it.
I've ended up turning to meds for now but hoping to find a better solution in the future.

I also share your frustration with weight. Sanity needs to come first though I agree. Also when I do stick to nos very strictly, I do tend to lose weight so focusing on the habits is key for many reasons.

Have a great weekend!

Linda

Yes, I'm with Linda. Great comments.

Life is about relationships. Our body is just the vehicle for those, ya know? Food can often enhance those interactions--like doubling up the pleasure, hehe.

Glad to know you feel the night eating is getting conquered. I can imagine being frustrated with feeling like the modest eating you're doing, probably so much better than previous habits, isn't making a dent in your weight. It can be shocking just how few calories, whether you count them or not, a person may need to eat to create a deficit, and being short makes it even more delicate. You probably don't want to know what most women in the Blue Zones live on. But I can say that years on habit make reductions that used to seem outlandish more comfortable and sometimes even preferable. Though I'm honestly not feeling that today.

Hey, Girl! I might need some advice from you soon. My thyroid nodule is growing and causing discomfort so I am having another ultrasound and biopsy this coming month. They will take out half if biopsy is benign or the whole thing if it is cancer. I had Hurthle cells last year so we shall see.... How has it been with meds? Tough to regulate? I hope to have No-S habits firmly established in the next few months before surgery 😝

Thanks, Linda, Auto, and Oolala! Tobiasmom, My doctor actually hasn't put me on meds yet, and to be honest, I haven't felt super great since the surgery. My thyroid levels are supposedly fine (according to my lab work), but I'm feeling an almost crushing fatigue. I'm glad I had my nodules removed, though. I literally could only sleep on my right side, and I was having difficulty with swallowing certain foods, like bread. Plus, my breath control on my clarinet really declined. Good luck to you!

I had to take care of my kids, before I could finish my check in. My eating has not been super great, and a lot of it has to do with being so tired. I've been too tired to put the time and effort into planning meals, so I think I'm just going to keep it really simple, for now, and work with what I already have at home, which means things like oatmeal, soups, salads, smoothies, and stir fries -- which is fine. On the positive side, I have been doing much better at not eating after dinner.

A meal is whatever you put on your plate. I've fallen victim at times to letting myself graze a bit at dinner rather than putting all the grazey things on a plate at once. I've also actually followed through and plated them, and dang if it isn't more satisfying, even if it isn't a normal meal! But it doesn't mean I always act on my wisdom, such as it may be.

Not eating as much after dinner is HUGE, I think. It's a problem time for most.

Great job on the night eating. I think sticking with simple meals sounds like a great plan. I hope your energy improves soon.

I'm always very impressed with the meals some people post here, but these days I'm just as likely to have an egg and tomato on toast or a PB sandwich and a piece of fruit, especially if mr chef is out. I like "a meal is what you put on your plate"

Well done on combatting the evening eating. I totally understand that huge relief moment when the kids are finally down and you can take a breath! Phew! I am practicing having a different kind of treat for that moment, like a nice tasting herbal tea, a short meditation, or 15 minutes of my favourite trash TV, or a good audiobook while I clean the kitchen. Something that makes me feel rewarded for my looong work day without putting something in my mouth.

One of the things I like the most about NoS is the freedom of choice. You can adhere to the rules even if your don't have time or energy to cook super healthy and fancy meals. Great to hear you're doing better at avoiding after-dinner munchies. Small victories go a long way!

After all this time, I STILL often get an urge to eat in the afternoon, even now that my time with students at school ends just before lunch. But I realized the other day that I have broken the habit of driving from our school parking lot into the lot of the Ralphs supermarket across the street to shop their "day old" bread items.

You are DOING it!

Hello! I temporarily fell off of the wagon, but I am slowly, but surely making my way back to No S. For awhile, I tried a certain fitness program that involves using containers for the diet (to help with portion control), and the containers were making me crazy (you had to get a certain number of red containers, certain number of greens, etc...). Plus, the protein shakes that this program touts were aggravating my gut, and they're way too expensive. I'm being a little vague, because the workouts aren't bad, and I love that the workouts are short, so I don't want to speak too badly about this fitness program, but the diet part is definitely not for me.
I am back to sticking to eating 3-4 plates a day, depending on the day. I'm not perfect about sweets, but I'm at least not eating as many of them. I have also continued to improve at not mindlessly snacking at night. It's a start! I'll try to check in a little more often. I've missed this site!

Those sound like good improvements already! I'm very much for thinking we can ease our way in to the three S's. I didn't, officially, but I guess I believe that if a person is suffering a lot to do it, either her motivation isn't really clear yet or she's just trying to go too fast. Yes, there are advantages to drawing clear lines, but those lines can allow for more leeway. I say get tougher as time goes on and it actually sounds easier. I have limits these days that would have been torture a couple of years ago, but now they fit.

I think I might know the plan, and honestly, it actually sounds like a decent "training" program, if someone used the containers to measure out the foods and then put it all on a plate to see what it looks like. I feel I did something similar by using a 40*30*30 plan for a few years- with lots of failures outside of meal times-, plus some Volumetrics principles. I don't know for sure if I would have lost as much if I had tried to just eat what my mom used to cook. I could fill a plate with some pretty hefty portions of dense foods very easily.

Just know it's likely you will NEVER be sorry for NOT giving in, even if it "hurts" at the time.

Glad to see you're back! I think it's normal to try other ways of eating now & then. Sometimes it takes trying something else to realize how much better NoS works.

To be honest I still fantasize about making intuitive eating work for me. It sounds ideal but I've gone down that road to many times not to realize what a dead end that is.

Anyway so glad to see you back here!

Linda

Hello! So I got a little crazy over the past few days, and I tried to detox from gluten, dairy, sugar, and caffeine. Big mistake, I felt absolutely horrible. I have never felt completely back to normal since my partial thyroidectomy in January, and I'm sure that's at least part of the reason I felt so crummy. I ended up bingeing last night, and it seemed to reset my gut, so maybe I do need more carbs than I was allowing myself (???). Anyway, I am back on track with a set 3-4 meals, and not eating at night. I think I will allow myself 1 treat with a meal, at least for now. I felt really bad with going completely off of sugar, so I'll try limiting it.

Oolala, I will say that the containers in that system do keep me from going too crazy with the amount of food on my plates, so I do plan on using them at least sometimes. Thanks!

Linda, I have had the same fantasies about intuitive eating, and I don't think it's going to happen. Thanks!

Heather

How'd the month go?

Oolala, I would say the month was mixed. I am down a couple of pounds, which is good, but I also joined a Facebook group for those doing Beachbody workouts, and I think it was a big mistake. On the plus side, I am eating 3-4 meals a day fairly consistently, and I'm bingeing much less than I used to. On the negative side, my diet head has returned big time. Plus, this group tends to do 3 meals and 2-3 snacks, and everybody drinks Shakeology, and I'm sick to death of Shakeology. This group ends next week, and I think I'll quietly leave, and go back to working on habits. The plan I outlined last month was pretty solid, I think, and I'd like to try to get better at following it.
Thanks for asking! 😀

Glad things are going okay Heather. That kind of group would be very triggering for me. Glad you're going to bow out gracefully!

Hi clarinetgal!

I'm fairly new here, but I know exactly which diet/exercise program you're talking about. And I don't blame you for wanting out of the group.

I've been on various programs by them, and the groups tend to be rather "intense" in their promotion of the recommended diets and exercise. I noticed there seems to be a certain theme over on their forums where people complain about lack of promised results, and the overeager supporters of the individual programs are very quick to jump on the person about not sticking to the "diet" exactly as prescribed--no deviations!!!!! It's almost like a religion to some of them, and I was quickly turned off by the attitude of unacceptance of modifications or changes.

I think your plan of working on habits is best--you know yourself better than anyone, and can make changes based on your own life circumstances without having something forced on you. Good luck!

Thank you, Linda and Lifeisablessing!

Today isn't an S day per se for me (for now, I'm allowing myself a small amount of sweets with a meal each day), but I like to relax my eating a little on Saturdays. Breakfast was coconut chocolate chip overnight oats (yum!) with coffee topped with some So Delicious Coco Whip. Lunch was homemade blueberry waffles topped with blueberries and more Coco Whip, and some chicken sausages. I'm going to a fair today, and I 'might' get a treat there, but I'm not sure. I already know dinner will be a salad, because I like having one veggie-heavy meal each day.

Ah, you attended the unholy church of Beachbody. Not the first and won't be the last. Nice thing is when you get on your own foundation, almost anything can be used for YOUR purposes, rather than theirs. I"m speaking of the workouts, if you have any. When you get more familiar with the routines, I think there's a way to mute all the rah rah burn fat propaganda and use your own tunes, if that would be useful. Not all of us were meant to live by Shovelglove alone.

Oolala, Haha! Yes, 'unholy church of Beachbody' was kind of fitting, at times. The workouts are decent enough, though, and I'll keep them in my rotation, sometimes. Also, I'll still use Shakeology from time to time, when I don't have time for a full meal (I just can't justify paying that much for it each month). And, yes, it is possible to mute the workouts, if I want to. All in all, my Beachbody experiment was very instructive. I'm going to use the 21 Day Fix containers to loosely guide what I'm eating (I do think it's good to get more veggies and protein with meals), and I still use the containers to help with portion control so that my plates aren't too big, but I am no longer trying to track my food with the containers.

Now for today. My family and I are back from a wonderful stay at a camp for children with special needs and serious illnesses (older DS has autism), and I am ready to get back on track with my eating. I am committed to 3-4 meals per day (it may vary, because I sometimes deal with reflux), with no snacks or seconds. I am also now very committed to not eating at night. I actually don't really like doing it, anymore. I'll probably still get something on Thursday nights when my band friends and I go out to Shari's restaurant, but that will mostly be it (unless something comes up, and I have to eat dinner later). I also want to work towards being more Vanilla No S with my eating, but keep S days on Thursday nights (as I have mentioned before), and maybe Friday (or Saturday?). My only problem with doing S days on weekends is the weekends are my least active days (I exercise Monday-Friday). Finally, I am waiting at least 3 days past my camping trip, before I step on the scale. I really want to break my obsession with the scale.
That's all for now! I will try to catch up on some of the other check ins later on today.

Heather

Today ended up being pretty good! My meals were pretty moderate in size, and I did not eat at night (woo hoo! This has been a big struggle for me, until recently). I did have 4 Seattle's Best truffles before dinner (I'm not quite ready to give up sweets yet), and sort of regretted it, so I may cut back on sweets even more, so that I have 2 chocolates with dinner, or 1-2 cookies (at most), or a very small dish of dairy free ice cream. I may be able to transition to Vanilla after all, before long. Anyway, here is what I had for today:

Breakfast: Bob's Red Mill Mighty Tasty hot cereal with a small amount of butter and a dash of salt, 3 Applegate Natural chicken sausages, small bowl of Trader Joes organic tropical fruit blend

Lunch: Green smoothie

Snack: Coffee with creamer, and a small amount of SO Delicious Coco Whip Lite. 4 Seattles Best chocolate truffles.

Dinner: Salad with tuna, brown rice crackers.

Very moderate. Reduction is a time-honored way of easing into new habits. But there's nothing to say you can't find your own place to "rest."

Just a quick check in, because I have to get my son ready for school, but I'm back. I had a crazy Summer, overall. There were a lot of good moments: band concerts, a family camping trip, a great overnight get away to the ocean, a few local family trips, but I'm still working on finding balance with my boys, and on getting things done around the house, etc... I tried being more of a perfectionist with my eating, and I have figured out that it just isn't going to work for me. I don't have time to spend several hours meal prepping for the week. I do want to eat healthy, but I have no desire anymore to spend the extra effort to make sure every meal is perfectly healthy. I think my eating is going to have to be 'just healthy enough.' I'm happy with smoothies and salads, and I'll continue to make dinners I enjoy, such as soup, or pizza with some extra veggies.
For now, I'm also going to get back to the plan I keep mentioning in my check in. I got away from it over the Summer, and I ate way too much sugar. For now, I'm going back to eating 3 moderate-sized meals, and one smaller meal (so 3 meals on 8 inch plates, and one meal on a saucer). I will keep sweets in my diet for now (I don't do well with eliminating sugar all at once), but I will have sweets with a meal.

Hi Heather!

So nice to see you back here. Sometimes I feel a little lost amongst all the new faces.

Glad you had some high points in your summer and I like your plan! I think it definitely good to relax your nutrition standards a bit. Being overly strict just takes the joy out of eating or backfires, at least for me.

Best of luck!

Linda

Thanks, Linda!

No S is so supportive of not having to have perfect plates.

On Spark, there used to be a few people who would say they didn't have time to prep meals and such. I kept saying they were making it too hard on themselves! It's also amazing what can happen after several months of putting what works that day or that meal on a plate and savoring it.

I'm still here, and I'm still somewhat following No S, in my own way. I find eating 3 meals (or sometimes 4 smaller meals) to be almost automatic for me now. Eating seconds has never been much of an issue, and I rarely snack. Eating sweets at night is still my biggest issue, at this point. For now, overcoming that needs to be my top priority. As I've said before, I'm not ready to give up sweets, but I do want to keep working on eating any sweets with a meal.
Today's eating wasn't too bad. Thursday is what I most consider to be my S Day, since that is the day I go out with fellow band members after rehearsal.

Breakfast: Green smoothie and some peanuts
Lunch: A grilled chicken burger and some bacon on a salad (it was one of my better salads!)
Small snack before band: Coffee and 2 Newman's Own mint Oreos
Dinner: At Shari's. 1/2 of a chicken salad sandwich, spinach salad, piece of pie. Coffee

Sounds like you're getting into a pretty good groove! I have to admit, I've been allowing a See's lollipop as a reward after this rough week of my elimination diet. It was nice to have that to look forward to but not big enough to really throw my progress off!

Best of luck & fun "seeing" you on fb!

Linda

Hello! I've been doing okay on some fronts (eating 3 main meals and not snacking during the day), but I am really struggling with eating at night. I think it's a habit that has become ingrained in me. I really want to break myself of this. There are times when I don't end up eating lunch until late, and I eat dinner after my boys go to bed (so at around 9). I think that is fine, but I need to end the nightly snacking on sweets and other carbs.
My reflux is flaring up, so I'm renewing my commitment to this plan. No S still makes the most sense for eating. As I've said numerous times, I'll never be 100 percent vanilla (Thursday is a good S Day for me, because I always go out to eat after band), but I can definitely stick with 3-4 meals, cutting back on sweets, and keeping sweets with a meal.
That's all for now! I'll try to update this check in after my dinner tonight.

Linda, Thanks! It's nice to see you on FB, too! I really don't have a problem with having a small daily sweet, as long as I can keep it in check.

Hi Heather!

So sorry to hear your reflux is acting up. It's such a pain! I think you're wise to try to curtail that late night eating. From what Ive learned cutting out late night eating and raising your head at night are two of the most helpful changes you can make to control your reflux (but you probably already knew this. ).

I try not to eat less than 3 hrs before bed time and I sleep with a wedge pillow. It helps and so did quitting caffeine but I still feel like it's always on the verge of a flare up. I'm hoping getting the rest of this weight off will do the trick.

Best of luck with everything!

Linda

Hello! I'm back! I had an absolutely crazy eating period over the holidays, and I'm ready to regain some sanity in my eating. I sort of got back on track with my eating last week, but there was still too much overeating. I think the main change I want to make is I want to finally give up eating at night. There are a couple of days where I'll have to eat something at night, because on my two band rehearsal nights, it works better for me to eat a late lunch (like at around 3), and just eat my dinner at around 9. Otherwise, I think I am finally ready to give up night time eating!
I also want to start getting closer to at least somewhat Vanilla No S, but I want to take it 1 day at a time. I've eaten two meals so far, and I did have 1 T of dairy free chocolate chips and a little bit of Coco Whip on the fruit wirh lunch. I'm going to try to have just some fruit and no other sweets with dinner, and no sweets after dinner.
I will try to post tonight, and I will try to check in a little more often.

You will not be sorry to give up eating after dinner time, I don't think. You'll wonder why it was ever so important.

I almost succeeded yesterday. I did have a bowl of Smart Pop lite popcorn after dinner, but that was it. Today is a new day. 😀

Oolala, I'm sure you're right, and I think I am finally at the point where I'm willing to break myself of this habit.

Great to see you back here. I think a lot of us are ready to get back on track after the holidays.

Yesterday was an S day so I'd say that's pretty good!

Linda

Close is good, too. You can phase it out. Different food, smaller amount, delayed time.

Or white knuckle a few nights. I don't promise it will be cake after that, but it's amazing what 3 consecutive days can feel like.

My eating hasn't been perfect the past few days, but with the exception of yesterday, which I would definitely call a fail (lots of snacking at night), I have done much better about either eating just a little at night, or not eating anything after dinner. I did try going without sweets for a few days, but I had a horrible headache on the second day, so I think I'm going to have to be much gentler with myself. Today, I tried having a few small sandwich cookies with lunch, and today went a lot better. I felt much more satisfied, and I didn't have the horrible headache. I will keep experimenting.

Linda, Thank you!

Oolala, Good points. Thanks! I suspect that in my case, I will end up phasing out the bad behaviors.

That's how it typically works, but the fireworks examples get a lot of attention in publication.

Just a quick check in. As a whole, my eating is going better. I'm actually starting to do a little meal prepping on Sundays, which makes it easier to 'grab and go,' when life gets really busy. The night time eating is still a big challenge, so i'll have to cut it out, except for on band nights, because rehearsals do make me a little hungry afterwards. I may play around with eating a smaller dinner, and having something small after rehearsals.
I will try to catch up on other check ins later on today. 😀

Thank you, oolala!

It must be tricky when you are working late (if that's what rehearsals are - evenings?) I have found it tricky if I have to start work very early - it's like I need two breakfasts that day. I did wonder about having four smaller meals some days - much like you are thinking of splitting your third meal into two smaller meals maybe? People did suggest trying to get by with a drink - some nut milk or something. Anyway - good luck, I hope you can figure out something that works for you that doesn't tip you over into 'snacking'.

Thank you, Rawcookie! Yes, rehearsals are in the evening, and they are generally pretty challenging (in a good way!), so I always work up an appetite. I will definitely stick with my plan of eating 4 meals on my Band days.
My eating is going better. I'm at least eating a lot less at night, so it's a start, and the scale is down a little bit.

Hope the trend of less at night has continued. Though there are slim cultures that eat late, there's a lot to be said for a longish nightly "fast."

Good to see you here Heather and glad things are improving !

Hello! I am back, and back on the wagon! My naturopath put me on a strict elimination diet 1.5 weeks ago, so I can't have coffee, gluten, dairy, sugar, soy, corn, flour, or alcohol. The diet is HARD, but in some ways, it has been easier to stick with 3 meals, and to not eat after dinner. I have 5.5 weeks left on this diet, and once I'm done, I think I'm ready to commit to Vanilla No S -- or at least pretty close! Once I can have sugar again, I think that if I can have it twice a week, I can probably still somewhat stick with this diet.
That's it for now! I will try to catch up on people's threads tonight.

Heather

Real diets were made for healing. Weight loss might or might not be an effect, though it often is because of water loss. Always better to aim at health and let losses follow. Let your body take as long as it needs. (Know that restricting foods CAN make it easier in the short run to limit intake. For certain conditions, it's entirely appropriate to let them drop or take a very small role in someone's eating life for much longer. No S doesn't preclude that.)

How did your naturopath determine your foods to cut? Did you do an elimination stage?

Oolala, I think she was trying to eliminate most of the common triggers -- like Gluten, dairy, soy, sugar, etc... It's interesting that she didn't tell me to eliminate eggs or potatoes, but I'm not going to press it.😀 I have lost weight since starting this diet a couple of weeks ago, because I've been forced to reduce my portions. I still have 5 weeks to go, and once the diet is done, I want to eat enough healthy foods to feel good, but I also want to allow occasional treats back into my diet, like chips, and sweets on the weekends. That's why I think No S is the perfect plan to transition back to once this diet is done.

Limiting food types pretty much often leads to loss. You've got awhile before you face adding stuff back in. Cross that bridge and all that.

Onwards!

I'm just doing a quick check in. I'm actually doing okay with my eating! I have pretty much stopped overeating at night, which is HUGE for me. Lately, I've been trying to pay more attention to the portions on my plate, and to eating a little more intuitively, and it seems to be helping! I've also been toying around with 3 vs 4 meals, and I'm finding I prefer 3 meals a day (although on super busy days, eating 4 meals does work better). I've lost 16 pounds since January, and my weight loss has slowed, so I may have to tweak the foods I'm eating. However, at least I know I'm finally heading in the right direction with my eating. I'm still not eating perfectly Vanilla No S, but I can go at least a few days without eating sweets, and be okay with it.
That's it for now!

16 lbs wow that's awesome and even better, the nighttime eating has improved! Glad things are going well for you!

Linda

These are fantastic changes! I'm a big fan of whittling away at the extras. If you plunge to the least amount you can stand to eat, there's no place to adjust.

Great progress, congratulations!

Hello! Just a quick check in. I got off track during the rest of the Summer, because I was so busy with my kids' swimming lessons, and I played in a bunch of band concerts, but now that the kids are back in school, and concert season has slowed down, I'm ready to recommit to better eating.
Over the past couple of months, I had allowed myself to eat at night, plus I had allowed myself to eat a bunch of the foods I had been avoiding (gluten, dairy, and sugar). As a result, I saw a huge increase in my reflux (and my reflux had practically disappeared when I was avoiding those foods. Plus, eating at night didn't help). I'm going to try eating at least 80-90 percent gluten and dairy free (it's too difficult to avoid gluten and dairy 100 percent of the time), and as of yesterday, I put a stop to eating after dinner. I am also going to try going almost Vanilla No S, except that Thursday (my night I go out with my Band friends) will be my absolute S day, I'm not sure whether to have any more S days (or maybe just a floating day each week?). Having my S days on Saturday and Sunday normally does not work for me, because I don't do much on the weekends (usually), and I'm the least active on the weekends.
So far, today has been a good eating day. I will try to check in more often.

Heather

A floating day is not recommended, though you can always have two extra S days a month. Since S's are supposed to be sometimes anyway, meaning not necessarily every S day every week, why not just go with your band night and two extra ad hoc days for a month to see how it goes? In one of Reinhard's podcasts, I know he said a month was a good trial time for many habits before seeing if they need a mod.

(You know as soon as you decide this, odds are a bunch of weekend things will come up. )