Bjalda's Check-In #3

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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bjalda
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Bjalda's Check-In #3

Post by bjalda » Fri Apr 19, 2013 7:46 pm

Hello folks,

Some of you might know me, because this is not the first time I will be doing No S..
And since I have gotten to know myself over the years I am afraid it won't be the last time either.

The times I tried No S I found it both very ristricting and liberating at the same time. Restricting because I felt stupid being the only one of my friends having to refuse ice-cream on a monday evening while I was allowed to endlessly stuff myself on a lonely sunday afternoon. (Knowing now that this is a choice! But I unfortunately tend to make the wrong choices). And liberating, because it finally took my thoughts off this issue that has been haunting me since my fifteenth birthday (I am 21 now, in case you were wondering).
It's not even about (great amounts of) weight. I am not overweight, never have been. I was just never able to approach food in a sane way. There are times when everything seems to be effortless. I just eat and feel good. And times (like now) when all I do is abuse food for entertainment and really start hating myself because of it. And it's these up's and down's that are killing me!

Every time I did No S I at least ended up with some sort of 'normal eating pattern' (even if that implied regularly sunday night all-you-can-eat sessions).
That's why I want to put myself on this diet again - at least for a while - so I can regain some sort of routine.

To cut to the case: I will be doing Vanilla No S with negative qualification for all my red days.
I am embarrased to keep crawling back like this, but I somehow manage to loose focus every single time I think I finally got the hang of this!
Well.. have a nice evening& a good weekend too!

bjalda
Expectation exists when there is fear.
- Swami

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Anoulie
Posts: 422
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Post by Anoulie » Fri Apr 19, 2013 8:59 pm

Welcome back, bjalda! Seems like we're in very similar positions -- both rather young (I'm 20), both from Germany (I actually live near the Dutch border; are you from two countries?), both not overweight but struggling with sane behaviour around food. What's your height/weight right now? Mine's 5'2" (158 cm) at around 128 lb (58 kg), which is okay, I guess, but I felt far more comfortable at ~ 110 lb (50 kg). And speaking of being comfortable -- so is the No S lifestyle! I actually feel like this is something I could be doing for the rest of my life, because as you said, it's so liberating! I hope you'll also feel this freedom No S brings (it sounds like a sect this way O.o) and have lots of green days and -- most importantly -- allow yourself to fail on this plan once in a while. I read this neat quote from Amy3010 today:
I think the crucial thing about failures is not preventing them completely, but when they do happen (as they will) being able to keep them from expanding into the days that follow, and not allowing ourselves to start sliding down that slippery slope.
Have a great S weekend!
There's only us, there's only this
Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.
No other road, no other way,
No day but today.

bjalda
Posts: 123
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2011 10:17 pm

Post by bjalda » Tue Apr 23, 2013 10:56 pm

Monday: Success
Tuesday: Failure

B - egg, baguette
L - soup
D - fish and salad

later in the evening I had..
another baguette
some grapes
a banana
a bowl of chocolate muesli
Expectation exists when there is fear.
- Swami

bjalda
Posts: 123
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2011 10:17 pm

Post by bjalda » Fri Apr 26, 2013 10:31 pm

Wednesday: Success
Thursday: Success
Friday: Failure

B: Muesli and two slices of bread
L: Some Cookies, one muffin and some olives
D: Pasta with tomatosauce
3 more cookies, 1 slice of bread, some almonds
Expectation exists when there is fear.
- Swami

Eeyore
Posts: 75
Joined: Sat Mar 30, 2013 11:18 am

Post by Eeyore » Fri Apr 26, 2013 11:54 pm

Hello, I'm also a fellow returner to NoS. I've tried it multiple times over the last several years and always keep coming back.

It's really clicking with me this time for a couple reasons:

*I didn't tell anyone I was doing NoS. My co-workers don't even notice. For the occassional office party will become an S day.

*Keep it simple, I try to eat my meals at the same time everyday, and my body has adjusted to lunch being at 11:30am and dinner being after 5pm.

*With NoS I can pick myself up after a failure with no problem. But with other diets like weight watchers & calorie counting I would binge like crazy until the following week.

*Being patient with myself...

Keep on keeping on!!! Have a wonderful weekend!!!

bjalda
Posts: 123
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2011 10:17 pm

Post by bjalda » Mon Apr 29, 2013 8:03 pm

Monday: Failure

B: 2 slices of bread
L: Cereal
D: potatoe dish

Failure: I ate the cookie that came with my coffee.
Expectation exists when there is fear.
- Swami

bjalda
Posts: 123
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2011 10:17 pm

Post by bjalda » Thu May 02, 2013 12:37 am

Tuesday: Failure
Wednesday: Failure

I really really really wanted to quit on monday. On tuesday I decided to go "off the diet" and today I wanted to say goodbye to this forum, because that seemed like the polite thing to do.

And I opened this textfield and tried to put down the real reasons why I could not possibly stick to this diet for the rest of my life.
But there are none.
At least no very urgent reasons. The one I could think of was:
- I like to be spontaneous and with No S everything is already planned
But then I realized how sad it was that the only way I could think of being "spontaneous" involved eating. Are spontaneous people the people who eat in a certain way? I don't think so!

I haven't been giving this a real second/third/whatever.. chance. I just panicked because I felt my weight going up and I had to commit to something. So I "fake"commited to No S that had worked for me so well one time. But I wasn't ready to commit, and I wasn't motivated at all. It was just out of fear.

But I want to do this right. Most of all, I don't want to quit anymore. I have quit so many times and it always brought me back right where I am now, and I do not like this place so much.

So funny that just some negative thoughts and a bad mood can lead to me making such poor decisions...

So the No S journey continues. I can be such a dramaqueen!
Good night everyone.
Expectation exists when there is fear.
- Swami

bjalda
Posts: 123
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2011 10:17 pm

Post by bjalda » Wed May 08, 2013 8:55 pm

Well, monday was good, today was hard and I gave in. Still not feeling like I have the strength to go for it 100% again, too many doubts if this is the way I want to eat for the rest of my life. I guess I am just waiting for my motivation to find it's way back. And maybe I really should find another way.
Expectation exists when there is fear.
- Swami

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Anoulie
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Post by Anoulie » Wed May 08, 2013 9:30 pm

Bjalda, as you've seen yourself, doubt is not very beneficial to your diet and your habits. Why don't you commit to No S completely, 100 % for just 21 days or a month? Then you'll see if your mood and weight and life are the way you wanted them to, or at least moving in the right direction. If you only half-ass it for months on end, you'll never know whether Vanilla No S is the right thing for you.
There's only us, there's only this
Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.
No other road, no other way,
No day but today.

bjalda
Posts: 123
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2011 10:17 pm

Post by bjalda » Fri Feb 05, 2016 12:08 am

So I guess I am kind of doing this again...?! :roll:
I've been on/off No S... since 2011.
5 years!

I am now 'restarting' No S for the gazillion-st time (with very low expectations). I will keep track even when all of my days happen to be yellow or red.

I would love to change my weight, but my life is telling me (over and over again) that it's no goal worth pursuing. All that struggle... for what? I am young, healthy and at a reasonably attractive weight. Even though I am much heavier than I ever used to be (after years of trying to be the tiniest version possible, that yoyo-bastard hits you pretty hard).

I'd just like to feel at peace with my behavior around food and exercise. In the past months I've been overeating a lot, having sweets daily etc. And even though I don't enjoy this way of eating I keep doing it. I feel deprived so easily. At the same time I am also longing for moderation...

Basically, I don't get me!
I don't know why I can't just figure it out without a concrete 'plan' (such as No S).
So that's why I thought it might be good to give this a try again.
But I also have my doubts whether it's smart to adhere to ANY rules regarding food again. I mean, look where this has brought me.

However, here goes nothing!
Expectation exists when there is fear.
- Swami

Queenie
Posts: 283
Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2015 6:49 am
Location: Washington DC

Post by Queenie » Fri Feb 05, 2016 3:38 am

Welcome back, bjalda.

I'm fairly new to No-S (since Dec 18th) but in the past few years I've found something that works for me in creating long-term habits.

I do them a week at a time. Not for the rest of my life, just for the rest of this week. Then at the end of each week, I decide if I want to do it for just one more week.

The HabitCal is for a month, and that's too long a view for me. When I've tried to create a new habit by doing it for 30 days, I always fall off the wagon right around Day 22. That's why the 21-Day Club here doesn't appeal to me. I don't trust myself with Day 22.

However, I can do a week. I can do 50 weeks in a row but I can't do 30 days in a row.

I know it's psychological but I thought I'd mention it.

I do have 20 weeks mapped out (so that I don't take a week off and figure I'm done). But I'm only ever looking to finish this week.

bjalda
Posts: 123
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2011 10:17 pm

Post by bjalda » Fri Feb 05, 2016 9:17 am

Oh it's soo psychological, but true! Thank you Queenie, I think this is exactly what I needed to hear. It already feels much less daunting to look at it that way. Thank you!

So I guess my first 'evaluation-day' will be next friday, 12th of february (with NWS days in between).
Expectation exists when there is fear.
- Swami

bjalda
Posts: 123
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2011 10:17 pm

Post by bjalda » Mon Feb 08, 2016 10:53 pm

First X: No Sweets
Second X: No Snacks
Third X: No Seconds


Week 01: XXX XXX XXX XXX Fri
Last edited by bjalda on Fri Feb 12, 2016 10:09 am, edited 3 times in total.
Expectation exists when there is fear.
- Swami

Queenie
Posts: 283
Joined: Thu Dec 17, 2015 6:49 am
Location: Washington DC

Post by Queenie » Tue Feb 09, 2016 5:31 pm

Look at your chart!!! You're making me proud here. :D

And you have a Green X on there. Beautiful to see.

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