Zoid Check in / Blog

Zoid · Post by **Zoid** » Tue Apr 30, 2013 1:29 pm

So, I'm not really into posting what I've eaten every day or even posting every day, but I'm feeling the need to have somewhere to express myself on occasion.

Here we go:

Yesterday was a red day. It was my first red day. If I made it through this week, I would have been at 21 days. Why did I give in? I was good all day and then the drive home hit. I want McDonalds. No you don't. Yes I do. The inner toddler was throwing a tantrum. I successfully drove past McDonalds and made it home. I made and ate dinner. Then the Reese's cups craving hit. I have them in the house for my weekend treats. But I didn't have any this weekend. So I caved and ate some. If it had stopped there, it wouldn't have been so bad. But, that sparked the grazing that occurred for the rest of the evening. Big fail.

I need to learn how to let go and move on to the rest of my day today (only eaten breakfast so far). I'm just feeling guilty and need to get that mentality behind me. I know that yesterday doesn't affect how I should act today.

Sigh. It wasn't even that satisfying at the time...

Zoid · Post by **Zoid** » Mon Aug 26, 2013 8:07 pm

So starting over again today. I'm feeling pretty motivated today. DH is away for the week, so I'll be focusing on myself. He was gone for the last few weeks and I've been on the what the hell eating plan. Since he's not home, I don't have to worry about dinner. So ice cream is a suitable dinner substitute.

That mentality needs to go away. Right now. I'm focusing on myself this week.

Also going to start couch to 5k tonight. I did it for a while last year and got to the half way point. It actually felt good to run. So I'm going to do it again, because I know that it feels good later.

Kittykat150 · Post by **Kittykat150** » Tue Aug 27, 2013 11:25 am

Hi Zoid,
Stay strong!
Kat

Zoid · Post by **Zoid** » Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:35 pm

Thanks Kat!

8/26:
NoS: Success!!!!
-probably didn't eat enough at lunch, but made it to dinner anyway. The rest of the day was easy. From past experience my worst time is actually on my way home until dinner. Need to keep that in check.

C25K: W1D1 completed
-This was much easier than last time around. I rocked it!

Over43 · Post by **Over43** » Wed Aug 28, 2013 1:20 am

Good job!

Zoid · Post by **Zoid** » Fri Aug 30, 2013 2:48 pm

8/27 to 8/29

All green (1 yelllow nws day)!! Woohoo!

I didn't do any C25K these days. I wasn't home on Wednesday night and it threw my whole schedule off. Planning on catching up tonight and tomorrow so that i can start week 2 next week.

Super success this week so far:
1. Mom's bday party wednesday night, I had a piece of cake and didn't disintegrate into binging. Huge success for me.

2. Had a bunch of trainings for work this week (I teach the trainings) with yummy snacks a la donuts and brownies. I didn't eat any. And it wasn't really that hard to resist for me. I almost gave in and then realized that I didn't really want it.

Checked my scale this morning and I gained weight. I know that this can be typical when (re)starting No S, but its still hard to swallow. I feel like I ate a lot less food this week than normal and gained anyway. Gah!!

Remember its about forming the habit right now. <---- Need to drill into my head!

Zoid · Post by **Zoid** » Mon Sep 09, 2013 7:20 pm

Made it through another weekend. I'm at 14 days going strong!!

The dress I wore two weeks ago feels a little looser today. I am still up in weight though.

I need to recommit to the C25K. I always feel good afterward, but psyching myself up to do the workout is always hard. I don't really know why...

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Mon Sep 23, 2013 9:05 pm

Keep going, zoid, and keep being honest about how much you really need at any meal. It doesn't mean you have to live by it, meaning it's okay for awhile to eat more than you need. I think it's better when you recognize it, though. Eventually thoughts and actions will coincide.

Zoid · Post by **Zoid** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 12:23 pm

Ok

So I've been doing really great lately!! WooHoo!!

I have been green for almost four weeks now. I have been doing C25K three times a week and started shugging regularly. I still need to go buy a sledgehammer. I've been using a golf club in the meantime, but its a little awkward since it has so little weight.

My weight is still up from where I started, so I was getting worried.

I looked back over my past data and realized that the weeks that I was green but didn't exercise or I had some red days are the weeks that I gained. The weeks that I was green (and maybe one red day), but I exercised, I lost weight. I was so confused before seeing it laid out like that. I think I was in a little denial about what I was actually doing. Now that I know, I can move forward. I heart data!

I also have a much better grasp on how much to eat at each meal to feel hungry for the next one.

So all in all, a lot of progress, mentally at least.

Zoid · Post by **Zoid** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 12:28 pm

Another check in for the day. I feel like this deserves its own post anyway.

I don't feel the urge to snack at night anymore. It doesn't even cross my mind!!!!!

Afternoons are a different story, but I'm at work and its much harder to access food. I would have to buy something and so I have time to rethink it before I do.

jw · Post by jw » Fri Oct 18, 2013 9:41 pm

Zoid, you're making such great progress! The understanding and the habit go hand in hand -- time to relax with an S day now!

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Sat Oct 19, 2013 12:50 am

Ni-i-ice.

After nearly 4 years, I still get the urge to snack at work most days of the week. I'm a teacher and it's after the students leave that the thought drifts through my mind to go blotto. My job is not the best match for me, but there aren't a lot of openings for my best match, which is princess.

I don't expect the urges to go away. I've said before I regard them as fond memories of swinging on a swing when a child. It was fun but I'm not going to go to a park and swing just because the fond memory crosses my mind.

I think your best reward will come from eating so that you get hungry for the next meal. I have a theory that doing that adjusts your need for food downward over time. It's amazing what happens over time when you feed yourself regularly in reasonable quantities. I think reasonable quantities can be individual.

ZippaDee · Post by **ZippaDee** » Sun Oct 20, 2013 11:12 am

Hey Zoid, Just checking in to say that I am rootin' for ya! You are doing great! Yay!!!

Zoid · Post by **Zoid** » Mon Oct 21, 2013 12:38 pm

Thanks everyone! Its great to have such amazing encouragers. My family mostly thinks I'm nuts.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Mon Oct 21, 2013 12:55 pm

I humbly suggest that you avoid talking about it with your family much. Because our culture is so used to either adolescent freedom or prison-like restriction, NO S scares them or puzzles them even more than a truly scary or puzzling diet. Most people have not witnessed a lot of examples of pleasurable moderate eating, especially not for extended periods of time, though I realized later in my life that I witnessed it plenty growing up in the 50's and 60's.. I started my adolescent eating early. I reached my late adolescence in the early '70's, and by that time, everyone was talking about dieting and then later, snacking, and the world went cattywompers, and families are constantly talking about eating too much, yada yada yada.

You are basically just managing your eating so that you get hungry and get maximum pleasure out of the food you do eat. Just keep saying, "I like saving my appetite for later," if you need to say anything. And try very hard not to give in if people tempt you, because you will then have reinforced their behavior of tempting you, and yours in succumbing.

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Thu Oct 24, 2013 6:16 pm

I love this post, Oolala, I think you should save this entry for your yearly entry. It expressed very nicely my developing view of NoS. And although I grew up in the 70's/80's, my Dad epitomizes NoS. And he has no idea of how lucky he is to have been taught to eat that way as a child!

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Mon Dec 23, 2013 10:26 pm

Happy holidays!

Zoid · Post by **Zoid** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 2:09 pm

Thanks for the advice! I always appreciate how wise you are, Oolala.

I made it through the holidays without gaining more than 1-2 pounds, which is great considering I had quite a few red days in there.

I got a fitbit for Christmas, which has been a huge motivator for me to move more. I'm now doing 10K steps most days and it feels good.

My focus in the new year is more toward exercise. I'm doing my steps combined with a renewed effort on C25K 3x a week (on week 6 right now and lovng it) and shovelglove on weekdays. The steps is the easy one. The C25K days always hit my steps with little effort after all the walking I do at work. The "off" days, I walk for about an hour and can get the steps in. I either do this on the treadmill and read a book (another benefit! I love to read and can never "find the time") or I walk in place in the livingroom and watch tv with my honey.

Shovelglove is the one I have to find the motivation to do. Its getting easier, but I still have to psych myself up for it.

The No S is going pretty smoothly now that the holidays are over. My clothes are fitting better and my weight is trending downward.

I need to remember to focus on habit and not give it up.

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Sat Jan 25, 2014 2:32 pm

Sounds like you're off to a great 2014, Zoid.

Zoid · Post by **Zoid** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 6:36 pm

Had someone comment to me (out of the blue) that it looks like I'm losing weight!

Win!!

ZippaDee · Post by **ZippaDee** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 9:21 pm

YAY!!

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 11:06 pm

What a super feeling! I bet you felt like you had a special secret (just eat three meals a day, nothin' to it!)

Zoid · Post by **Zoid** » Thu Jan 30, 2014 1:53 pm

Yes, they asked me what I was doing. I just said that I don't snack during the week (snacking is really the big one for me, since snacking is also where the sweets come in). I also mentioned doing my steps and C25K.

They tried to convince me to join WW. "With all the exercise, the weight would just fall right off". I said that I've done WW before, but can't ever keep the weight off. I'm trying to find something that will work for the long run.

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Thu Jan 30, 2014 2:25 pm

I have had similar experiences! At work meetings I turn down chocolates and other finger foods by saying that I don't like to snack during the week. People always ask further questions, then recommend their favorite diet (since NoS doesn't sound like a diet to them!). They can't wrap their minds around long-term moderate eating-habits that are sustainable, self-rewarding, and simple!

I haven't yet had your experience of anyone noticing I've lost weight, though!

Zoid · Post by **Zoid** » Fri Feb 14, 2014 3:05 pm

So, I'm at a point of frustration today.

I'm not losing weight. Every time I step on the scale for the past two weeks it says 209.0. Not even 1 ounce of difference.

My clothes feel better and I look thinner (I think??), so I'm trying to focus on that. Its just really frustrating to not see any change in the weight category.

Keep on habit, keep on habit...

NoSnacker · Post by **NoSnacker** » Sat Feb 15, 2014 9:28 am

Hi sometimes I think our bodies adjust to the new weight before it moves on to the next round..setting the new point. Don't get discouraged, keep your eyes on the prize. I broke my goal down to small increments. Say right now I weight 170, by my birthday in May I want to weigh 165, not a lot of weight to lose but small steps to get to my ultimate goal of 150. Maybe weigh once a month, this way if you lose a couple pounds you'll feel like you are moving in the right direction. I also tell myself when my scale stays the same..that it is so much better not to gain.

I'm feeling sane around food which is a relief in itself, the weight will follow.

4islandgirls · Post by **4islandgirls** » Sat Feb 15, 2014 1:56 pm

Hang in there Zoid, you are doing great! I go through bouts of impatience too. It helps me to think really long term. By Christmas this year, I will be thinner than last and I have no fear of gaining weight on this program, so hopefully this is the last time I will ever see this weight on the scale.

I used to be a daily weigher, but now I'm weighing myself every 21 days. The daily ups & downs were driving me nuts!

You can do this, 209 will be a distant memory, just push through it and focus on the habit.

~Jo

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Sat Feb 15, 2014 6:09 pm

Good advice from NoSnacker and 4islandgirls! I would second the concept that our bodies "rest up" awhile at a slightly lower plateau before beginning to let go of fat again. I think of it as our bodies taking note of how the different organs are feeling and making sure starvation isn't happening.

I have had this experience, and eschano has specifically had that happen too.

chani8 · Post by **chani8** » Sun Feb 16, 2014 7:52 am

It also took a while for the weight to start coming off for me, while for my husband, it just dropped off dramatically. No fair. I think that Auto is right on that the body is kind of wondering what's happening, and then it finally 'gets it'.

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Mon Feb 17, 2014 10:33 am

Hi, yes, I had really long plateaus and suddendly my weight changed down until the next plateau. Plateaus are my new normal but I focus more on the habit than anything else. So don't get discouraged. Just notice how good your new habits are for your body and for your mental health and stick to it. As Reinhard says, there is no "ideal weight" except for the weight you will naturally reach with good habits - and I want to add: in your body's own time. It will happen!

Zoid · Post by **Zoid** » Wed Feb 19, 2014 7:50 pm

Thanks everyone. I'm so glad that I post here, because you all are so supportive.

Some good news: I've hit two milestones this week!

1. I registered for my first 5k! (on June 21st)
2. I finished the couch to 5k program!

Is it a coincidence that they happened in the same week?? I didn't plan it that way!

Finishing the C25K program is huge for me. I've been trying for two years to do this 8 week program and have always quit. I have never been a runner. I could jog for maybe two minutes when I started, but now can go for 32 minutes! I'm not actually hitting the 5k distance, but the program goes by time.

I'm going to keep jogging the distance I'm doing now for a week or so, then starting a new program that I found online to up my distance so I can actually run my 5K.

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Thu Feb 20, 2014 9:02 am

I'm very impressed. I'm not a jogger at all but this might be the thing that I needed to hear to finally start committing to my exercise. Well done!

Zoid · Post by **Zoid** » Fri Feb 21, 2014 1:44 pm

So I'm FINALLY back under my starting weight! Starting weight was 208.0 lbs, but I gained initially. I went up to 212.8 lbs and stayed up there for a while. I couldn't figure out why I wasn't losing.

After Christmas I started exercising more and in the past week or two, I've been reassessing my definition of "sweets". I had been eating some questionable things with meals, like sugary cereal, muffins, donuts. None of these were often, but have been often enough.

Today I weighed and got 207.6 lbs!! This is especially exciting after the plateau I've been on the last few weeks.

Thanks everyone for all your support!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Fri Feb 21, 2014 6:28 pm

That's fantastic news Zoid!

I would definitely consider all of those sweets but not everyone does. Looking forward to reading about how low you'll go with those borderliners eliminated.

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 12:10 pm

Hi Zoid! Congrats on coming off that plateau and below your starting weight!

Donuts are clearly sweets

Muffins are debatable (there's a whole thread on the general board about that!)
Sugary cereal is also a clear sweet according to the book. I remember I was disappointed because I like sugary cereals. Then he said, just eat them on the weekends! So sometimes I do.

Maybe keep the muffins, since they are debatable. Then that's not so much change all at once, and you'll still have something to eat that you like.

Zoid · Post by **Zoid** » Mon Mar 03, 2014 9:39 pm

As far as the sweets go, the donuts and muffins were only ~1x a month (combined, not each). The only time I get them is when there is a hosted breakfast meeting.

The sugary cereal is the bigger one. But that was still less than once a week. My usual breakfast is oatmeal and fruit, fruit and cheese, or breakfast sandwich.

I'm working on cutting back, like I said, but not really sure if they were the egregious offenders of my diet per se.

This weekend, I noticed that sweets were giving me a sugar headache. I ate ~ 1/2 my regular amount of "S" on Sunday night and felt much better than I did on Saturday.