SpiritSong is back for 2013!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Fri Feb 01, 2013 3:01 pm

S-Day*

I was supposed to be back before (see "This is Great - this is stupid - this is great" thread), but apparently wasn't ready yet.

I'll save my whole story for when I have a testimonial ready (I have my 10/10/10 goals written down for easy reference), but in short, I used No S successfully in 2010-2011 to lose about 16 pounds. Then I think I reached Phase III, and instead of making a small tweak to the program to keep the weight loss going, I dumped it all together. I have, of course, not only regained the 16 pounds, but also 7 pounds I lost on my own before starting No S.

So 2013 was going to be the year I got my act together, but January went by without me doing whatever it was I had to do to start whatever new plan I was going to follow. Finally, with February approaching, I decided to go back to the plan that needed no planning. There is no preparation for No S (other than reading the web site and/or book), you just do it!!

So here I go again. At least I know No S works!

*I use sFriday and Sunday as my S-Days.

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Fri Feb 01, 2013 3:56 pm

Welcome back! I felt the same way about starting again after being gone for a few months...at least we know for sure that this approach really does work!

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Fri Feb 01, 2013 9:10 pm

Welcome back!! At least you know the routine.

I always say: repetition for emphasis!

I always say: repetition for emphasis!

Reps also work when I'm lifting weights!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Fri Feb 01, 2013 9:27 pm

Thanks for checking in, Amy3010 (I'm an Amy too) and No BS!

(I don't really have anything to add, but since I can't log in from home over the weekend -- my computer does not like this forum for some reason -- I didn't want you two to be ignored for two days.)

I will say it is nice and easy to start with an S-Day. Tomorrow will be the challenge (home all day, but no snacking), but that's the trade off I make for moving my S-Day to sFriday.

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Sat Feb 02, 2013 9:56 am

I'll wish you good luck then, for Saturday - stay strong!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Mon Feb 04, 2013 3:37 pm

2/2 - Success! And it was quite the test because DH was going to pick up pizza for dinner after a meeting with a friend/client, and ended up not getting home until 8 pm!

But I did not have a snack!!

2/3 - S-Day

This morning I thought to myself, "Today is a weight loss day!" (because it is an N-Day). I suppose that means S-Days are "weight maintenance days," which is a good thought for me to keep in mind so I don't go too crazy. I counted up my S-Day treats yesterday and the total was four (cookies after lunch with my parents, nachos at the hockey game, chips and salsa after dinner during the Super Bowl, and two slices of an apple later on). Four seems a bit much, but taking the hockey game and Super Bowl into consideration, I don't see an S-Day problem that needs to be nipped in the bud or anything.

Three days in and feeling good. The No S Diet is much more fun when you already know it works for you. I am looking forward to seeing my results, and that helps keep me in line.

For example, my parents gave me some homemade cookies to take home, and they went right into the freezer when I arrived. The only problem is I'm not sure when I am going to eat them. I take my Friday S-Day in order to have treats at work, and on Sunday I'll see my parents again and eat from their supply of cookies.

Funny how the No S Diet makes cookies that would have lasted a few days suddenly last for weeks on end.

MJ7910 · Post by **MJ7910** » Mon Feb 04, 2013 5:20 pm

good for you for starting back and feeling good about it so soon! today is my first day back on NoS. I did it for a while but couldn't keep it up... I promised myself I'd make a real attempt for 21 days this time! We can do this! you have 3 days down!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Mon Feb 04, 2013 5:34 pm

Good luck to you, MJ7910! I remember finishing my first 21-day run and how proud I was to post on the 21-day challenge thread. Reading other people's threads can really help (just make sure to avoid the ones that don't). Recently on other people's threads, I learned about the genie that grants three dishes (and only three dishes) every day. And how Granny G's husband just followed the rules without question and found success.

I had my problems the first time around (and I'm sure I'll have some this time around too), but knowing it works is the best motivation. That plus the fact that I am just too lazy for any other diet.

If I want to lose weight (and I do), this appears to be my only path, so I darn well better take it!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Tue Feb 05, 2013 3:23 pm

2/4 - Success!

I wanted something after dinner, but too bad, so sad, I couldn't have anything.

It is actually nice to want something, because I feel like I am experiencing "negative" calories. I usually would be eating chips and salsa, but I'm not, so that's 200 calories (or whatever -- I was never a counter so I have no idea) that I just saved. Negative calories are where my future weight loss lives!

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Tue Feb 05, 2013 7:20 pm

Way to go, Amy!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Wed Feb 06, 2013 2:58 pm

2/5 - Success!

My exercise has fallen to the wayside for the last couple of weeks, but I figure as long as I am having No S success, it is okay to just jump back on the wagon when I am able. Saturday sounds like a great day to get back on track!

Nothing in particular to report other than the mornings are the hardest because I eat breakfast around 5 am and don't have lunch until 1 pm. Having less food in the evening (no snacks) has helped me be able to eat more in the morning, so I hope to find a good combination of foods that will get me through the morning without so much hunger (but also won't interfer with my workout afterwards). Otherwise, keeping busy helps, and I'm sure my employer would appreciate that too.

Jonas Jonasson · Post by **Jonas Jonasson** » Wed Feb 06, 2013 3:16 pm

Hi there, thanks for stopping by.

I usually have breakfast around 7am and on some days the first opportunity to have a lunch break is 3.30am or 2.45 am if I am lucky so I relate to your mini fasts. On these days I also try to have a big breakfast and sometimes I am even not hungry anymore after a certain zenith has been passed but luckily this is my schedule on two days per week only.

Good luck with being back on No S!

HoeHanna · Post by **HoeHanna** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 1:12 pm

Like that you said "Negative calories are where my future weight loss lives!" In fact I like a lot of things I see on EveryDay Systems. Think I'll have to write this one on my fridge.

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 2:47 pm

2/6 - Success!

About a half hour before lunch, I had low blood sugar yawning, but hey, as long as I don't feel faint, it's all good. When I had my lunch, it tasted better because I was hungry, I finished it all (so I wasn't wasting my money eating garbage and then throwing out real food), and I ended with a satisfied but not stuffed feeling.

I was somewhat hungry when I went to bed last night, but I let my body in on a little secret. "If you don't snitch me out to Reinhard, I'll let you know where you can find 50 pounds of fat to snack on." (Gross, I know, but sadly true.) I didn't have any trouble falling to sleep, so the hunger wasn't all that bad.

Last night was a victory for another reason. Much of the time when I have a church meeting, I'll come home and have a small drink to relax me (the meetings can be aggravating) and of course a little snack to go with my drink. But after dinner, I brushed my teeth since I was done for the night, went to my meeting, came home, and went to bed. More negative calories for me!

HoeHanna - People are always coming up with great stuff on this forum. Have you checked out the Catch Phrase sticky thread? You may find enough to cover your fridge!

Jonas - I made sure to have a couple of eggs this morning, so we'll see if that helps the morning hunger. If not, I'll just have to stick it out until my body realizes that I am not the pushover I used to be. What would a typical big breakfast look like for you?

Jonas Jonasson · Post by **Jonas Jonasson** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 5:46 pm

A big breakfast would be a banana, yoghurt with muesli (or is it granola in English? I would like to start a separate English food vocab thread but I suspect I would be the only one interested in it

, wholemeal bread with butter and cheese for example.

What you've said about eating garbage and throwing out real food is also very true. I think I've saved quite a bit of money since having started on NoS. And time. And nerves.

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 7:27 pm

According to Livestrong.com, here is the difference between muesli and granola (at least in the U.S.):

"Both granola and muesli contain a mixture of grains (such as oats), nuts, dried fruit and sometimes bran and wheat germ. Muesli may contain sugar and dried-milk solids, but it can be unsweetened. Granola is typically toasted with honey and oil, resulting in a crisp texture and sweet glaze not found in muesli."

Jonas Jonasson · Post by **Jonas Jonasson** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 8:03 pm

Thank you, so granola is what would probably be called crunchy muesli (KnuspermÃ¼sli) in German. In my book it would be a sweet for NoS purposes.

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 8:17 pm

Jonas Jonasson wrote:In my book it would be a sweet for NoS purposes.

Jonas Jonasson · Post by **Jonas Jonasson** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 8:27 pm

Oops, did I miss something in your thread? Have you proclaimed it to be your perfect NoS breakfast?

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 8:42 pm

No, I've just been having granola on my yogurt (and ignoring the sugar content). I figure it's okay since I don't put sugar in my coffee.

Jonas Jonasson · Post by **Jonas Jonasson** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 8:46 pm

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 2:15 pm

2/7 - Success!

And that is officially seven days back on the No S Diet!

Based on my negative calories this week (times I wanted to eat but didn't), snacks were definitely my main problem. I have not craved any sweets (but I also was not tempted with any at work this week, so we'll see how that goes in the future), and have not wanted seconds.

That was the good news. The bad news is the zipper on one of my pants broke this morning.

I bought them in 2008, so they served me well, but I was trying to avoid buying any new pants at my current size. Unfortunately, I am down to three pairs of pants, and one of those pairs is also from 2008, so that zipper could go at any time. As two pairs of pants for five days of work plus one day of church choir isn't going to be enough, I am going to have to bite the bullet and buy some "big" pants.

In better news, today is an S-day for me, so I could have waffles with syrup this morning. Turns out it wasn't as much of a treat as I thought it would be, and I would have preferred a mocha from the coffee shop or some of those cookies I have in the freezer with a big glass of milk. Hey, we live and learn!

tobiasmom · Post by **tobiasmom** » Sat Feb 09, 2013 1:17 pm

A week down, a lifetime to go! The sky is the limit! Time for shopping, huh?! Well, buy some nice pants you feel good in. It's just short-term! Have a great weekend!

MJ7910 · Post by **MJ7910** » Sun Feb 10, 2013 2:59 am

Nice job! My first week back to this plan and doing great!

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Sun Feb 10, 2013 8:43 am

Oh, I can relate to the pants buying thing - I guess the only thing to do is bite the bullet and get yourself a pair to pull you through.

Good job on your first week!

Jonas Jonasson · Post by **Jonas Jonasson** » Mon Feb 11, 2013 4:08 pm

Kudos to you!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 5:22 pm

2/8 - S-Day
2/9 - Success!
2/10 - S-Day
2/11 - Sick Day
2/12 - Sick Day

Yep, not a lot of green, but I have a good excuse. Starting feeling sick on Saturday, and ended up taking Monday and Tuesday off from work, so there are two extra S-Days (sick). Darn it. I wanted to use my two NWS-Days on Valentine's Day and Presidents Day!

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 6:37 pm

Sorry to hear you're sick - hope you get back to feeling better soon!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Wed Feb 13, 2013 9:35 pm

Thank you, Amy. The good thing is that my appetite is down. I skipped breakfast today (except for coffee with milk and a half small glass of orange juice) and couldn't finish my lunch.

It sure makes No S'ing easy!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 2:58 pm

2/13 - Success!

I'm still sick, but since I was well enough to go to work, then I suppose I was well enough for going without sweets, snacks, and seconds! LOL, as I mentioned in my last post, I didn't really have much of an appetite anyway.

I am re-reading "Eating Less" and have listened to the CD multiple times. I think it is a great companion to the No S Diet.

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Thu Feb 14, 2013 11:19 pm

SpiritSong wrote:Unfortunately, I am down to three pairs of pants

Absolutely loved loved loved this comment!!

I am down to TWO!! And I work full time & do a LOT OF LAUNDRY!!

In my house there seems to be some bizarre symbiotic link between my kitchen and my closet.

More kitchen activity + more weight = less pants

Less kitchen activity + less weight = more pants

My own laws of physics, mathematics & chemistry - WOW!!

Jonas Jonasson · Post by **Jonas Jonasson** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 10:49 am

I was laughing: You guys are soo funny. Then I was like: Wait a minute! I am also down to two (not that I don't have many trousers in my wardrobe...) I can wear. On one the knees have turned suspiciously light and on the other one the hems look really worn (Is this understandable? Threads are dangling from the lowest part of the legs)...
I hope that this does not call for immediate action. Have you already bitten the bullet? Or is it no longer necessary after your sick-days because you can buy a smaller size or fit in another pair of yours? Hope you are 100% by now.

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 11:40 am

Am also down to two over here!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Fri Feb 15, 2013 2:14 pm

2/14 - Success!

Wow, good to see I am not alone in the pants situation!

Another one of my motivations for getting back on the No S Diet was the fact that the two pairs of jeans I wear the most were wearing out in a very necessary area. I have smaller jeans, and darn it, I was not buying any new "big" ones!! Well, I lost one pair over the weekend when the worn out area finally became a hole.

I am not going to weigh myself until March 1st, but in the meantime, I don't seem to be much smaller (so no help in the pants department yet). I am in a bunch of the hard to lose categories, so I am hoping for a loss rate of a half pound a week, which now that I have completed two weeks is only a pound.

Ha, ha. I can take it. At least until March 1st, and I better see a lower number than February 1st!

I almost had a slip-up yesterday. The cafeteria gave out little cups with a 1x2 piece of brownie for Valentine's Day. I took mine and then remembered I couldn't eat it. I couldn't give it back because I have a cold and once anything has entered my germ circle, no one is going to want it. I thought about saving it for today, but I already had a sweet planned and a 1x2 brownie fragment really wasn't worth the trouble. So I threw it out.

Jonas Jonasson · Post by **Jonas Jonasson** » Sat Feb 16, 2013 7:26 am

Good that you threw it out. I think none of us likes throwing away food but what would be the alternative. Keepings one's ethical standards vs. common sense?

A very nice weekend to you!

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Sat Feb 16, 2013 8:52 am

Being able to throw out that brownie is HUGE! Good for you!
Sorry to hear one of your remaining pairs of pants finally kicked the bucket

- all the more incentive I hope to keep strong with No-S.
Have a good weekend!

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Sat Feb 16, 2013 10:41 pm

Congratulations on chucking the brownie!!

I have always disliked intensely acting as a garburator or vacuum - hoovering up unwanted food because it couldn't be "wasted".

Why should I "waist it", instead?

Strawberry Roan · Post by **Strawberry Roan** » Sun Feb 17, 2013 12:19 am

I hate to waste food as well but now I just throw it in the trash and feel that I am doing a good deed - feeding the rats at the trash dump.

Rats have to eat, too, you know

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Tue Feb 19, 2013 5:01 pm

2/15 - S-Day
2/16 - Success!
2/17 - S-Day
2/18 - S-Day (holiday)

Yes, I took Presidents Day as an S-Day. I wasn't going to, but snacking helped me be more productive at home than I would have been without. I ended for paying for it because DH and I went out to dinner after an appointment, and I wasn't hungry at all. I ate, but didn't enjoy it as much as I would have had I started off with a nice natural hunger.

And I cheated by checking the scale this weekend.

I am happy to report my number was down, but really I should keep off except for my monthly weigh ins. I promised myself to be happy with a slow loss, and it might take a month for a significant (more than a pound) loss to show up on the scale.

Thanks for the brownie support.

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Wed Feb 20, 2013 1:11 am

SpiritSong wrote:
Thanks for the brownie support.

It's a monumental shift in food therapy thinking when "brownie support" means chucking a brownie rather than eating a whole pan as was my usual practice!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Wed Feb 20, 2013 3:47 pm

2/19 - Success!

And boy did I have to fight for this one! Lunch was a "mindful" salad (the cafeteria is trying to offer healthier choices), which filled me up fine, but I was very hungry by dinnertime. When DH got home, I suggested we make these frozen lasagna rolls I had. So I got them all ready to put in the oven and saw they should bake for 45 minutes. Okay, I'm hungry but I can handle it. Then I saw "remove foil and cook another 15 minutes."

Then it wanted me to let it sit for another 15 minutes after the pan came out of the oven!

Needless to say, those babies went into the microwave. They didn't cook up very well, but I was beyond caring. Me need food!! Then because I was so hungry before dinner, once I ate I wanted something more, but one plate and I was done. After a while, the feeling went away.

The moral of the story is that meal planning should probably include more than "I hope DH brings home something for dinner." And plan to bake your frozen lasagna rolls on an S-Day so you can have a snack while you wait!

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Thu Feb 21, 2013 2:07 am

The triumphs of our hardest fought battles are the sweetest.

Congratulations for having the courage of your convictions.

Learning to plan, and actually planning, have been the hardest thing for me to do. It consumes a lot of my time but is the only thing that stands between me & binge eating.

That and an occasional & timely glass of wine!

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Thu Feb 21, 2013 8:25 am

That extra 15 minutes would have just about done me in! But you stayed strong - way to go!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Thu Feb 21, 2013 5:32 pm

2/20 - Success!

Okay, I kind of cheated at dinner, but I still consider it a success. DH and I went out for Thai food with a former colleague of his who was in town. I started with soup, and then used only a small part of my plate for my rice and curry (virtual plating). Well, I ended up not having enough curry for the rice, so I took a little more curry. Since I was virtual plating in the first place and did not feel at all like I had overeaten at the end of the meal, I did not count this as seconds. At no time did I take any more rice than my initial portion.

Thanks to everyone who stops by my thread. I apologize for not contributing to your threads lately, but for some reason this forum does not work on my home computer, so I can only check in at work when I have a free moment. Since I missed two days last week out sick, and missed some time this week to attend a wake/funeral, I am pretty busy catching up. I promise to check in on you when things slow down!

MJ7910 · Post by **MJ7910** » Thu Feb 21, 2013 10:54 pm

i understand, same thing at my work, can't use this board. which is probably good! more work accomplished that way. that would be frustrating to not be able to use it at home.

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Fri Feb 22, 2013 7:11 pm

2/21 - Success!
2/22 - S-Day

Thursday was a weird eating day, but went better than I thought it would. I had a small breakfast and then attended a funeral. We went out to breakfast afterwards, which I considered my lunch even though it was 10:00 am, and I usually have lunch at 1:00 pm. I couldn't eat a whole lot since it was so early, but I was fine during the afternoon. It wasn't until the drive home that I felt really hungry. Luckily, my plan for dinner was leftover Thai from the day before, so I was able to eat right away.

And with that, I am once again in the 21 Day Club! Woo hoo!!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Mon Feb 25, 2013 3:24 pm

2/23 - Fail
2/24 - S-Day
2/25 - S-Event

There you go. I'm not perfect after all.

I was doing well on Saturday. I was hungry after lunch, but after a while the feeling went away so I was okay. We went out to dinner, and I had some seafood stew that was pretty good and fish and chips that weren't. Then we went to a hockey game, and I was hungry. I resisted until 9:00 pm. If I had been home, I would have been okay because I could have just gone to bed. But no, with the hockey game I wouldn't be going to bed for another two hours and I didn't want to be hungry all that time. (Plus the game was NOT going well.) So I had a slice of pizza. Later, we arrived back home and played with the dog (since she had been sitting home alone all evening), so I needed to stay up a little while so she could calm back down. I had some wine and then I fell into the "well, the day is already a fail" trap and had some peanut butter and dark chocolate. Double fail!

And now today is the birthday of one of my four bosses, and if I have to bring in the (cookie) cake, it doesn't seem fair that I can't have any, so I made it an S-Event. Most of my immediate family lives out of town, so I think I can substitute in my four bosses without harming the No S Diet too bad.

Okay, my S-Event is over, and it is back to N-Day rules. I have a weigh in on Friday (1st of the month) so I can't blow it now!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Wed Feb 27, 2013 3:08 pm

2/26 - Success!

I had a big free lunch due to training (had a turkey/swiss sandwich and pasta salad) and thus made it to dinner no problem. Enjoyed some leftover takeout for dinner (after some Walk It Out on the Wii) and was fine all night. But it wasn't so much that I couldn't eat my breakfast this morning. And I have resolved the granola (is it a sweet?) controversy by purchasing a raw granola I've had before. There is no sugar added, except for the raisins and dates.

DH and I have starting drinking selzer water to get away from high calorie drinks. It is a nice change from plain water and doesn't contain any artificial sweeteners.

Getting excited for my March 1st weigh in. I know I shouldn't focus on it in case the news isn't good, but whatever. If the news is good, no harm, no foul. If the news isn't good, well then I guess I need to start drinking all that water the experts say I need.

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:28 am

Congrats on the SUCCESS!!! YES!

Mar 1 is your weigh-in day. Good luck. It is all good when we have the commitment just to keep plugging away on No "S".

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 7:49 am

Good luck with the weigh in tomorrow!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 2:35 pm

2/27 - Success!

Yesterday was a good day without a lot of hunger. I wanted something more after dinner, but I knew it was a false signal so I waited until it went away. One and done!

Today is the last day of my first month back on No S. No big insight to share since I've already admitted snacks were my big issue. I do appreciate how the "no seconds" helps keep the "I'm so hungry before dinner that I am going to eat until I burst" feeling in check. No matter how hungry I am before dinner, I get one plate of food to eat.

On to Month Two!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 4:14 pm

Oh, I forgot to report my first back on No S Diet dream. (I remember having these from the last time.) At one point in a dream last night, I had a tortilla chip and then remembered, "Oh, no! This is a snack!" But then in my dream it was Sunday so it was okay.

Sometimes I would have to wake up before I realized I didn't have a failure because I was dreaming and it didn't count.

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Thu Feb 28, 2013 8:28 pm

LOL! I don't think I've had one of these yet... Funny!

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 5:53 am

I expect your snacking dream would only be a nightmare if it wasn't the weekend!!

When I quit smoking I used to dream I was still puffing away on a cig.

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Fri Mar 01, 2013 3:40 pm

2/28 - Success!
3/1 - S-Day

Weigh In Day! In January, I was a pretty consistent 193. For my February 1st weigh in, the scale said 192.5. My goal for March 1st was 191. This morning's weigh in was 190.75. Success!

And that was a month with two Sick Days, one Special Day, one S-Event, and one Failure. Plus I didn't exercise very much due to the illness.

I know one measurement isn't very accurate, but I am more interested in seeing the numbers go down than in obtaining a completely accurate number. Onward to April's goal of 189, and my return to the 180's!

My goal for March is to cut down on the S-Days. Hopefully I will stay healthy, and since there are no holidays (St. Patrick's Day and Easter are on Sundays), there would be three less S-Days right there. I will have at least one S-Event because I have another boss birthday next week. We are also traveling for a long weekend for my brother's retirement party. Luckily the main party is on an S-Day, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

My other goal for March is to get back to a consistent exercise routine. I don't feel too bad about February because exercise can increase my appetite, and it is better that I worked on the No S Diet habit before I through in more hunger to deal with.

Best of luck to anyone reading this with your personal March goals! Remember, a new month is a new beginning. It all starts now!

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Sat Mar 02, 2013 10:15 am

I'm happy for you on your weigh-in!

Sounds like there are a lot of us with new goals for March - good luck with yours, they sound very reasonable. Keep up the great work!

milliem · Post by **milliem** » Sat Mar 02, 2013 12:07 pm

You seem in a really positive place right now, congratulations on your success last month! I'm also hoping to cut down on the S events in March, and get my exercise up... hopefully we'll both have a good March too

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Sat Mar 02, 2013 3:30 pm

Congratulations, SpiritSong! Good job.

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Mon Mar 04, 2013 3:46 pm

3/2 - Success!
3/3 - S-Day

My co-worker almost caught me this morning and offered me some chocolate chip cookie bars.

But I caught myself. I thanked her very kindly and told her I wasn't allowed any sweets during the week. She said, "Good for you!"

Pretty good S-Day yesterday. I had dessert after lunch at my parents' house (three cookies) and a snack before bed. The snack helped proved how much food I was eating before that I really didn't need. I didn't have the snack because I was hungry. I had it because I had come from from a singing event and wanted a glass of wine and a snack, and since it was an S-Day, I went ahead and indulged myself.

Thank you for the encourgement, No BS, Milliem, and Amy!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Tue Mar 05, 2013 3:28 pm

3/4 - Success!

Yesterday was a bad day, like Friday, but unlike Friday (an S-Day for me), I couldn't just eat whatever I wanted to make myself feel better. So I debated just having a failure, but my goal for March was to have fewer NWS-Days/Failures, so how was that going to go if I failed in the first week of March? So instead, I used a big plate, made myself some chicken fingers and baked beans, and had a lotta wine. It worked out well.

I'm hungry right now (due to an insufficient breakfast) and want a snack, which reminded me to come here and check in.

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Wed Mar 06, 2013 1:42 am

Way to go, SpiritSong.

Mindful choices can really lead to success. Along with a few timely glasses of wine!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Wed Mar 06, 2013 4:08 pm

3/5 - Success!
3/6 - S-Event

Today is another boss birthday, and I had a piece of the fruit tart I brought in for her. So a very nice S-Event and the rest of the day will be a regular N-Day.

Today finished my week of exercise because I'm taking the next two days as rest days. I've been a good girl so far in March, and maybe it will help my results.

Actually, due to a vacation and pre-planned rest days, I have only 20 workout days planned in March. Knowing that ahead of time is helping me stay on track. "No, you cannot skip today. You only have 20 days this month, so just do do it!"

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Wed Mar 06, 2013 5:48 pm

You're doing really well. I do something similar with my exercise days, I plan out when I can fit them in and write it down in my agenda, just like an appointment, so I don't accidentally schedule something else and end up unable to do it.

Jonas Jonasson · Post by **Jonas Jonasson** » Wed Mar 06, 2013 8:18 pm

You're doing just great.

Four bosses? Must be a complicated place of work.

MJ7910 · Post by **MJ7910** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 2:12 am

great idea planning out exercise days. i find that really helpful too! i can't imagine having more than one boss. must get tiring... right now i have kind of no bosses because we're waiting for our supervisor to be named!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Fri Mar 08, 2013 3:15 pm

3/7 - Success!
3/8 - S-Day

My fellow No S'ers will find this amusing. I went to a meeting Wednesday evening and sat right in front of a big plate of donuts someone brought it. It was okay, because I don't really like donuts that much and I wasn't hungry. But just to make sure, once the top layer was removed, on the plate were a couple of peanut donuts, which I do like.

But I was still okay. I think the Universe was just testing me.

Four bosses isn't too bad a lot of the time, but last Friday and this Monday were horribly busy. Of course when a couple of the bosses had projects, suddenly the other bosses who don't need me that much suddenly had stuff of their own to get done too. It was like a conspiracy, and I was not a happy camper. There is support available, but I don't like to have other people do my work because (1) of the time it takes to explain what needs to be done, and (2) I don't trust them to do it correctly.

The rest of the week has not been as busy, but I am ready to be done. Luckily I have a long weekend off next week. I need a break from this place!

My decision for the weekend is whether to have a hot fudge sundae today or on Sunday. There is a new Sonic commercial out where the guy is eating this delicious looking sundae, and I thought, hey, I am going to go to my favorite ice cream place and get one on one of my S-Days! We always get junior sundaes because the normal ones are huge, and it is just the right size to enjoy but not be stuffed. Sunday will probably a better day for that schedule-wise. I will inform DH thusly.

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Sat Mar 09, 2013 3:43 am

Four bosses = four birthday cakes.

A sundae on Sunday = good planning!!

Enjoy your "S" days, SpiritSong. It sounds like you are doing great!

milliem · Post by **milliem** » Sat Mar 09, 2013 9:12 am

Ooh fudge sundae sounds delicious! It's great when you can plan what delicious treat you will have for the weekend and can still be sensible about portions sizes

Nice work on the doughnut resisting though! I went to a training event during the week where normally we get nothing provided, of course this week there were huge plates of cookies and biscuits along with the tea and coffee, and everyone else was looking at me like I was insane when I didn't pick any up!! I just shrugged and say I didn't fancy one right now and the odd thing was, I didn't!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Mon Mar 11, 2013 3:01 pm

3/9 - Success!
3/10 - S-Day

I didn't get my sundae after all. DH brought me some snacks before dinner, and then after dinner I was too full to have any dessert. Oh, well. I know where the ice cream place is, so we can always go another S-Day.

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Tue Mar 12, 2013 2:02 pm

3/11 - Success!

Last night DH brought home dinner late, but I resisted having any of the chips and dip leftover from Sunday. But because I had been thinking about them all evening, I put some on my plate with dinner. It was rather silly because I didn't really need them, but once I could have them, I wanted them.

Just another example of why it is better to not have that stuff in the house.

One thing I have to work on is not thinking about food so much. Sometimes I'm not hungry first thing in the morning (maybe from eating too much for dinner the night before), don't eat enough breakfast, and end up feeling somewhat hungry all morning. So then I think about lunch and how good it is going to be to eat it, and I tend to eat too much. Same with dinner if it is late.

Portion control will be easier if I'm not anticipating my next meal for 2-4 hours beforehand. That's too much build-up to end up with a salad!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Wed Mar 13, 2013 1:56 pm

3/12 - Success!

I'll be traveling starting tomorrow, so I won't be checking in for a few days. It will be interesting to see how No S does on the road. I have to remember not to ask for a soda for my complimentary drink on the plane.

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 2:17 pm

3/13 - Success!
3/14 - S-Event
3/15 - S-Day
3/16 - Failure
3/17 - S-Day
3/18 - Success!

Well, there you go. I experienced every variation of the No S Diet in the last six days of travel. On 3/14, my brother hosted a dinner at an Irish restaurant, so I took it as an S-Event. I was very good and did not snack during the day, but then had appetizers, dinner, and dessert in the evening.

On 3/16, they had a cookout, but didn't make any chicken for me, so I was stuck with baked beans and potato salad for dinner. Since I didn't have an entree, I felt justified snacking the rest of the night. I suppose I could have counted it as another S-Event at that point, but then I went back to the hotel and had some chocolate. There was no rationalizing that away, so a Failure it is.

I think with all the partying we did (my brother retired from the military), I probably have undone my weight loss from February and the first half of March, but hey, at least I had some room to work with. Now I have to buckle back down and get back to the N-Day routine.

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 6:00 pm

3/19 - Failure

First day back from vacation, I was hungry and cranky in the morning, and after my lunch decided to go ahead and have a Snickers bar. At least it did make me feel a bit better, so the fail wasn't a total waste.

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 2:57 am

Totally can empathize - I have a soft spot for Snickers myself!!

Tomorrow is another day.

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 12:28 pm

3/20 - Success!

Yesterday was much better. I had enjoyed more sleep.

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 1:31 pm

3/21 - Success!
3/22 - S-Day

Almost ran into trouble last night at dinner. I made myself turkey tacos, which I looooooooooove. I figure a proper dinner would be four of them (yes, I know, at some point in my life a proper serving will be 1 or 2 with a half plate of veggies, but I'm not there yet), so I had five to make sure I'd be satisfied. When I was done, I wanted more. Really wanted more. So I had the talk with myself. You'll have to mark another red, and you already have two this month. "I don't care." But then you'll get to the end of the month, your weight will be unchanged, and those reds will be why you're not seeing results. "Whatever." You have a meeting tonight. Do you want to go there overstuffed and uncomfortable?

Eventually, having this discussion and my DH coming home (I had to eat early due to aforementioned meeting) killed enough time that I no longer wanted more tacos. So the key appears to be waiting a while for the digestive system to tell the brain, "That was great! But I'm done now."

I went to the meeting and because it was at someone's home, rather than at the church like usual, our hostess felt the need to serve snacks. Before No S, I would have had some chips and salsa even though I wasn't hungry. On No S, I sipped a little wine and did not have any snacks.

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 10:55 pm

Good for you, SpiritSong. I suspect 99.9% of our successes are determined in our minds, and our bodies just follow suit!!

Have a great weekend!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Mon Mar 25, 2013 3:25 pm

3/23 - S-Event
3/24 - S-Day

Yes, it will somewhat of a miracle if I lose any weight this month. Saturday was another S-Event (my anniversary) and I enjoyed pre-meal chips and salsa, and a junior hot fudge sundae after dinner. I was somewhat disappointed in the sundae as it was one of those where the fudge runs out before the ice cream and I had plain vanilla at the bottom. Oh, well. It will help me not crave another one.

So far this month, out of 24 days, only 11 are green days (the ones with no failures, S-Events, or S-Days). I have a week to be good until the end of March, and then April should be less of a problem. None of my bosses have a birthday, I'm not traveling to any family events, and I won't be celebrating my anniversary. Just my birthday to celebrate.

In sum, the most green days I can get this month is 16. Next month I hope to have 21, which equals an extra week of N-days. Plus my exercise won't be interrupted by vacation, so hopefully April will make up for whatever results I don't see in March.

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 2:36 am

At the risk of sounding like a permanent Pollyanna, the very fact that you learn lots about yourself on all days, and gain more experience about your habits, motivations, and triggers with food & exercise, means it is all good. Even the fails or S-days or S-events.

One thing I love about No "S" is that I can continually re-invent & refine myself and my needs on this lifestyle system, every day if I choose. It's an awesome tool to have in your personal toolbox for living.

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 2:12 pm

3/25 - Success!

This morning as I walked to my work building, I happened to think about the cupcakes I brought in last year for my boss's birthday. Then I thought, "Man, I want a cupcake!" Then I thought, "Geez, I hope no one brings in cupcakes today!" I don't know if I could resist.

Turns out someone had a breakfast meeting and brought us some muffin leftovers, but I have resisted so far. I tried to do better with breakfast and had a couple of eggs (that I didn't finish), but I am still feeling hungry. I'm sure part of it is addictive desire (as Gillian Riley calls it) and not real hunger. Sigh. No S would be so much easier if I could improve my mornings.

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Tue Mar 26, 2013 3:21 pm

3/26 - Fail

I'm having a snack right now.

Sorry, but I am tired of being hungry every morning. I just can't get enough down at 5 a.m. to last me until 1 p.m., so I am going to add a morning snack from now on. I'm thinking of bringing in nuts to have around 9 a.m., and I'll just have to determine what a proper serving is.

I'd give myself more time to adjust, but it is very distracting and I don't have a very exciting job to keep my mind off things. Perhaps this can be a temporary mod until I learn to eat less for dinner and set myself up to be hungrier first thing in the morning.

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 1:25 am

Your day is so long maybe you should have 4 meals a day rather than three.

If it is not night time, eight hours between meals seems a long time!! Sometimes munching on an apple or eating a piece of fruit (natural sugar) will easily tide you over.

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Thu Mar 28, 2013 12:31 pm

3/27 - Success!

Yes, life is so much better with second breakfast. When I started getting hungry yesterday morning, I had some almonds and was fine until lunch. Now I just need to make sure I keep myself supplied at work so I don't need crackers out of the vending machine.

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 12:43 am

Almonds are a brilliant (healthy & nourishing too) solution! And got crackers beat by a country mile!! Plus almonds are so portable & tidy.

Have a great Easter weekend, SpiritSong!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 1:39 pm

Thanks, No BS! Have a great Easter weekend yourself!

3/28 - Success!

Today I am so glad I take Friday as an S-Day, because instead of our regular breakfast day, we have Polish Easter breakfast day. Oh my goodness is there good stuff in our kitchen!!

I have my monthly weigh-in on Monday and it should be interesting after today's breakfast feast and Sunday's regular S-Day. I should eat just bread and water tomorrow.

Having the almond "second breakfast" yesterday worked out great again. I waited until I felt hungry, and then waited another 15 minutes just to be sure, and had my almonds. I ended up not really wanting a lot of them, and was fine until lunch. This mod is turning Crabby Hungry Amy into Crabby Not-So-Hungry Amy.

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Sat Mar 30, 2013 2:54 am

SpiritSong wrote:This mod is turning Crabby Hungry Amy into Crabby Not-So-Hungry Amy.

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Mon Apr 01, 2013 2:22 pm

3/29 - S-Day
3/30 - Fail
3/31 - S-Day

Another fail. Saturday involved a bit too much together time with DH, and I needed some wine and chocolate to get through the day. I somewhat made up for it yesterday by having an N-Day except for some Pepsi with dinner, which I only drank for the caffeine since I knew I would be up past 11 pm (and coffee didn't sound too good with pizza). The almost N-Day wasn't on purpose (i.e., I wasn't trying to "make up for being bad"); it just happened.

Today was weigh-in today, and not surprisingly after my March of multiple failures and lots of S-Events, I lost only 0.25 pound (which Reinhard would say was not significant enough to mention, but darn it, I'm taking it!!!). My pants seem to be a little looser, so maybe I gained some muscle, although that seems unlikely since I worked out only 13 times for the month.

So for April the plan is to get my workouts in and stick to the No S program. Also, as my first "mod," I am going to work on making drinking water more of a habit. The goal is to have a glass of water (with some lemon juice) first thing in the morning, and then keep water on my desk all day. In the past, I have gotten a bit perfectionist about it and wanted to measure what I was drinking, etc. This time I know it has to be able to be a mindless habit, so it will be just these two steps for now. I should also work on eating less, but we'll see how that goes.

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Tue Apr 02, 2013 1:17 am

Congratulations on losing weight this week,

, SpiritSong.

Your plans for April sound very sensible. I'm totally with you on the water habit. I always have a glass of water in the morning before I do anything else and drink water all day! Being hydrated is really important.

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Tue Apr 02, 2013 1:42 pm

4/1 - Fail

Ah, I had such plans for April. Getting on plan with No S and getting more exercise. So I started with a fail in No S and a rest day for exercise.

So far for April 2nd, I have a fail for exercise, but I'm on track with No S. And I have water at my desk!

No BS, thanks, but that weight loss was for the month!

Ha, ha, I am always there to congratulate someone on achieving maintenance, but when I don't lose weight, I feel like "F**k maintenance!"

But really, I know it is important. Gotta get a hold of the out of control eating before I can start eating less. And when I start eating (and drinking) less, I will lose weight. In the meantime, overall I have lost 2.5 pounds, and that's better than gaining 2.5 pounds.

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 2:36 am

SpiritSong wrote: No BS, thanks, but that weight loss was for the month!

OMG, SpiritSong, I'm sorry, but I cannot stop laughing. Considering I managed to gain three pounds in one week, I cannot help but congratulate you on your weight loss for the month!!

If you are losing, you are not gaining!! Keep up the good work, I know for a fact that you, at least, are definitely headed in the right direction.

Jonas Jonasson · Post by **Jonas Jonasson** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 7:38 am

SpiritSong wrote:

I lost only 0.25 pound...

No BS wrote:

Congratulations on losing weight this week, SpiritSong.

SpiritSong wrote:

No BS, thanks, but that weight loss was for the month!

No BS wrote:

OMG, SpiritSong, I'm sorry, but I cannot stop laughing. Considering I managed to gain three pounds in one week, I cannot help but congratulate you on your weight loss for the month!!

More please, this is great

SpiritSong, I think it was you who wrote on my check in that at least we can laugh at ourselves...

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Wed Apr 03, 2013 4:45 pm

4/2 - Fail

I was fine until I finished dinner, had some extra beer in my glass, and decided to have Easter chocolate with it.

Jonas - No BS and I will be here all week. Please tip your waitresses.

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 2:07 pm

4/3 - Fail

Let's just call these failures a break from No S. And now I am back. There are pastries in the kitchen at work and I had my regularly scheduled nut snack instead.

I said nut SNACK; stop giggling!

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Thu Apr 04, 2013 8:23 pm

Just went back and read my thread from 2011. It was very educational, especially the end of it. It is interesting how I go from "all in" to all fails. Even this time around, I started back up on Feb. 1st, and No S was the easiest thing in the world. I suspected it was a honeymoon period, but geez, how did I get from there to here?

I want to bottle up whatever it is that I'm feeling during those honeymoon periods so I can drink it when I'm hungry!

Okay, today is Day One of my next 21-day success.

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Fri Apr 05, 2013 1:10 pm

4/4 - Success!
4/5 - S-Day

Yea, so good to be back in the green. Especially since S-Days are no fun without having an N-Day under your belt.

If I remember, tomorrow I will add my exercise to my check in. I did that on my old thread and it was helpful to see them together.

KL · Post by KL » Fri Apr 05, 2013 11:55 pm

Yay! Good job on a Success day

No BS · Post by **No BS** » Sat Apr 06, 2013 3:10 pm

SpiritSong wrote:
I said nut SNACK; stop giggling!

Laughter sure helps, doesn't it!!

Sometimes I think that we need to understand all of our boundaries - for failures & successes - and prove to ourselves that we can survive it all before we entirely trust it.

When we used to raise buffalo, and would introduce them into a new (to them) fenced field or quarter section of land, the very first thing they would do would be to run the perimeter of the fence. Like they needed to check & recognize all the boundaries of where they were contained - before they could relax and graze and explore the pasture & bush & make it their home.

Sometimes I think people are like that too. And maybe with No "S" you have to cross that line in the sand to best understand exactly where it is - and to learn how to respect it.

Have a great weekend!

KL · Post by KL » Sat Apr 06, 2013 6:04 pm

No BS wrote:
When we used to raise buffalo, and would introduce them into a new (to them) fenced field or quarter section of land, the very first thing they would do would be to run the perimeter of the fence. Like they needed to check & recognize all the boundaries of where they were contained - before they could relax and graze and explore the pasture & bush & make it their home.

Love this

SpiritSong · Post by **SpiritSong** » Mon Apr 08, 2013 1:25 pm

4/6 - Success (No S) & Success (Exercise)
4/7 - S-Day (No S) & Success (Exercise)

Yea, a successful weekend!

What is nice about Saturdays is although I was very hungry in the morning, I can hold out until lunch because I can have it early.

And dinner can be early too, although it wasn't necessary this week.

No BS, thank you for the buffalo story. It must have been interesting to watch them run the perimeter!

KL, thanks for stopping by. It was good to finally get a Success under my belt and prove that it was still possible.

KL · Post by KL » Mon Apr 08, 2013 7:14 pm

SpiritSong wrote: It was good to finally get a Success under my belt and prove that it was still possible.

Isn't it amazing how one's mindset changes with

Good job, keep up the good work.