Butterfly's 2013 occasional check-in

Counting carbs/calories is a drag. Obsessive scale stepping is a recipe for despair. If you want to count something, "days on habit" is a much better metric. Checking off days on a calendar would do just fine, but if you do it here you get accountability and support. Here's how. Start a new topic in this forum called (say) "Your Name Daily Check In." Then every N day post a "reply" to that topic as to whether you stayed on habit. A simple "<font color="green">SUCCESS</font>" or "<font color="red">FAILURE</font>" (or your preferred euphemism if that's too harsh) is sufficient, but obviously you're welcome to write more if you want. On S-days just register that you're taking an S-day. You don't have to do this forever, just until you're confident you've built the habit. Feel free to check in weekly or monthly or sporadically instead of daily. Feel free also to track other habits besides No-s (I'm keeping this forum under No-s because that's what the vast majority are using it for). See also my <a href="/habitcal/">HabitCal</a> tool for another more formal (and perhaps complementary) way to track habits.

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butterfly1000
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Butterfly's 2013 occasional check-in

Post by butterfly1000 » Thu Jan 24, 2013 6:59 pm

I've decided to start an occasional check-in. I've tried daily check-ins in the past but I get discouraged when I have to report too many REDs, and then I just stop writing.

After x-mas I signed up with weight watchers online, but that didn't last very long -- somehow I knew that would happen when I signed up but I was in such a panic mode with regards to my weight that I couldn't help myself. One thing that remains constant, even when I'm off trying some other diet, are my visits to this site.

My main objectives for the time being are:

No sweets (and be reasonable on week-ends)
Incorporate walking (outside or on treadmill) on a regular basis -- it's a vague objective, I know, but the best I can do right now.

There! I wrote it down. I'm hoping for many GREENS in 2013...

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Post by butterfly1000 » Wed Jan 30, 2013 1:06 pm

Week of Jan 28:

So far I have no happy faces to report. It's funny how we can sometimes feel so motivated -- determined that "this time it will work", and yet when it comes to making it work it doesn't happen.

I'm not giving up though ...

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Post by Amy3010 » Wed Jan 30, 2013 6:10 pm

Hang in there Butterfly! Even if you're not getting perfect Green days, maybe you are still making improvements and moving slowly in the right direction?

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Post by butterfly1000 » Sun Mar 03, 2013 3:14 pm

I was waiting to have at least 2 consecutive good days (i.e. no sweets and some form of exercise), but I think if I wait for that I'll never post anything here. This week was especially horrible -- total out of control eating :oops: :oops: :oops: . I had 1 day where I did 15 minutes treadmill :mrgreen:. I had 1 day where I didn't eat sweets but I ate everything else in sight :oops: .

I'm having trouble not counting calories, even though I hate doing it (years of dieting habit). It makes no difference if I count or not because it doesn't change what I eat, it just confirms what I already know -- that I'm eating TOO MANY CALORIES. I don't need to add them up to know it. I know that when I'm eating out of compulsion or habit I go totally overboard.

So here we are, Sunday. Tomorrow the beginning of another week. As I do every week-end I always hope that the next week will go better ... I hope it does because I'm so, so tired of feeling crappy all the time.

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Post by Amy3010 » Sun Mar 03, 2013 5:34 pm

Just try for one green day this coming week. You can do it!

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Post by butterfly1000 » Mon Mar 04, 2013 11:36 am

Yes, I'll try for at least 1 green day ... and maybe then more will follow.

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Post by butterfly1000 » Tue Mar 05, 2013 11:54 am

MONDAY March 4
Did 20 minutes of treadmill :mrgreen:
No sweets :mrgreen:
Snacks reasonable :)

It was so so hard to get through the afternoon without going to the cafeteria to pick up some kind of high calorie (and sweet, of course) snack. The debate in my head was constant (don't do it ... or ... yes, go get something and start again tomorrow ... over and over in my head). I managed to get through the afternoon without buying anything (had an apple at my desk).

The drive home was another discussion in my head (I really feel like stopping to buy something sweet ... no, don't, just think of the good supper you'll have at home). I managed to get home without stopping anywhere.

Evening, I had a low calorie snack and stopped at that.

Glad that I got through 1 day of meeting my current 2 main objectives which are: move more and no sweets. Worried that I won't be able to do more than 1 day in a row. I have to stay positive ... I can do it.

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Post by Amy3010 » Tue Mar 05, 2013 7:16 pm

Way to go! :D

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Post by No BS » Wed Mar 06, 2013 1:10 am

Good job, Butterfly! And good job delaying sweets another day closer to the weekend! :wink:

Even though sometimes we're only hanging on by a fingernail, it still means we're hanging on!! :lol:

Good treadmill work, too! :D I always admire people who can work physical activity into their day. It is something I am learning to do. And I've had a lot of help with that by people on this BB!

Have a super week, Butterfly!
If you are not living life on the edge you are taking up too much room!!

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Post by butterfly1000 » Wed Mar 06, 2013 12:47 pm

March (at least 15 min. exercise AND No Sweets):

M4: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
T5: :oops: :oops:
W6:
T7:
F8:
S9:
S10:

Thanks for the encouragement! I know deep in my heart that the NoS system is about the only one that I would be able to stick to in the long term and not feel that I'm on a diet where I have to measure and count everything.

Tuesday:
Meals were o.k. except for supper where I had chips with my chicken burger. I have to be more careful with my choices of food and quantity for meals but for now, my biggest challenge is the snacking (in particular, high calorie sweets) and incorporating exercise into my routine.

I wanted to do treadmill in the evening but got busy with other stuff and I was exhausted after the day's work. I know if I got up earlier in the morning and did it then, there would be a higher probability that it would get done. It's just so hard to get up from bed and go straight to the treadmill.

SWEETS: I had a small piece of chocolate (offered to me by someone at work) in the afternoon -- I could have said no, but I didn't. Then there was the debate in my head -- well I've already had some sweet so the day is ruined. However, I fought the temptation to pick up something else in the afternoon, so that part felt good. I messed up in the evening though with a big bowl of ice cream. I should have had a nice cup of tea instead.

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Post by butterfly1000 » Thu Mar 07, 2013 12:36 pm

March (at least 15 min. exercise AND No Sweets):

M4: :mrgreen::mrgreen:
T5: :oops: :oops:
W6: :oops: :oops:
T7:
F8:
S9:
S10:

Wednesday
Was doing really well until supper time, bkfst and lunch were reasonable, afternoon snack was a fruit. Then supper came along: I ate way to much and felt stuffed -- you'd think that it would stop me from eating anything else, but no, had a big bowl of ice cream and 2 cookies -- and never got around to the treadmill -- not good. :oops:

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Post by butterfly1000 » Fri Mar 08, 2013 12:30 am

Thursday

:oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:
Horrible food day. I seem to be going from bad to worse.

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Post by MJ7910 » Fri Mar 08, 2013 2:02 am

my week this week has been pretty bad too. i can relate to your struggles. it's ok, we can get back in the game. make tomorrow a fresh start. that is what i plan on doing.
Current BMI: 22.9. Height: 5'4.5"
Highest BMI: 25.5 in August 2011.
Lowest adult BMI: 20.8 in February 2012.

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Post by butterfly1000 » Fri Mar 08, 2013 11:09 am

Yes MJ, Friday will be a new day. Have to keep trying.

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Post by No BS » Sat Mar 09, 2013 4:07 am

Butterfly, I hope you have a terrific weekend & recognize that next week is a fresh start!

Be kind to yourself. :wink:
If you are not living life on the edge you are taking up too much room!!

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Post by butterfly1000 » Sat Mar 09, 2013 12:54 pm

Friday

The only positive thing about today is that I managed to get a 15 minute walk done before work. :mrgreen: Food (sweets included) is still out of control. :oops:

I'm really disappointed with my week. I keep hoping that "this time it will work and I'll have more greens and I'll start seeing the weight come off".

As you say No BS, next week is a fresh start. Have a nice week-end as well.

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Post by butterfly1000 » Tue Apr 02, 2013 12:40 pm

Over the last 2-3 weeks I've been counting calories, as well as trying to reduce the snacking and sweets to hopefully reach a point where they're completely eliminated (except on S days). I've also continued to visit the No-S site to read the posts. My ultimate goal is to not have to count anymore and just be able to do vanilla No-S, because I know that counting is not something I can maintain forever.

I wasn't doing too badly on most days in terms of total calories, but I was starting to get tired of the daily trying to remember what I ate and counting.

Yesterday I totally blew it -- my eating was out of control, and I felt so discouraged. Not sure what my next step will be -- I don't stick to anything diligently enough to see results so I lose a couple of pounds and then gain them back -- I never lose enough to be encouraged by any system.

We'll see how it goes -- I just felt like writing down my thoughts today.

:oops:

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Post by Jonas Jonasson » Wed Apr 03, 2013 7:19 am

Hi there, Butterfly, how are you doing?
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Post by butterfly1000 » Wed Apr 03, 2013 12:39 pm

Tuesday was another total disaster. :oops:

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Post by Jonas Jonasson » Wed Apr 03, 2013 4:21 pm

((((Butterfly))))

it will get better

it probably is already better because you're conscious of what you're eating.
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