Everyday Systems

I am using my post on the main page to start my new Check In.

I am Back Again!

I am Back Again because this truely is the only plan that works. It has become my default and however those sneaky snacks & sweets have worked themselves back into my day.

I can't even remember when I last posted

Brief rundown of my No S history:

2005 to 2008
Messed around with No S and when I stuck to it, guess what it worked. However, I kept trying to better the system and that never works!! I lost whenever I stuck with it.

2009
I stuck to No S 85% of the time and I lost 4kg (8.8lb).
I lost every month except 2.

2010
I fell off the No S wagon & I gained back 3kg of the 4kg I had lost in 2009. The months where I followed No S, I lost!!

2011
I stuck to No S 75% of the time and I lost 3.1kg (6.8lb).
I lost every month except 3.

2012
I stuck to No S 66% of the time and I lost 2.3kg (5.1lb).
I lost every month except 4.

2013
I stuck to No S 58% of the time but managed to gain 1kg (2.2lb) as I spent the balance of the year doing my own thing which we all know does not work.

2014
I stuck to No S 50% of the time and even the months I did gain, it was small gains and I recon those months were about 70% compliant. I ended the year the same weight I started it so I am calling that a success. I know in my heart of hearts that I need to do consistent exercise to help my health and further the benefit I get from No S.

2015
I am starting a 6 Week Challenge from 14/01/2015 to 24/02/2015 to start myself firmly on the road to an established exercise habit.

This challenge will consist of No S and 3 days a week of Angry Birds Challenge (body weight exercises from Nerd Fitness). The other 2 days I will do some Yoga followed by Bible Study.

Here's to a healthy & happy 2015 for all!

Luv & Hugs
MerryKat

I have a number of prior Daily Check In pages:

Started September 2005
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=350

Started April 2007
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=1916

Started September 2009
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=5617

Started January 2011
http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=7139

27th May 2013
No S - SUCCESS
Exercise Plan - EXEMPT

28th May 2013
No S - SUCCESS
Exercise Plan - SUCCESS

I'm on your side.

Week 1 has been good.

It has been successful. One thing that I have learnt is that sometimes meals will not be what you planned or the most healthy, but as long as you make them a single meal and don't get hung up on it being wrong and as a result beat yourself up; this flows along quite nicely.

Life gets in the way and you have to go with it while sticking to your 3 meals and no snacks / sweets / second.

I have had some bizzare lunches during this week but they were just that lunch - they did not affect the rest of my day or guilt me into continuing to eat badly.

I love the sanity of No S!

I managed 2 days of exercise this week, but I decided not to beat myself up over not doing all three. 2 is way better than none and as long as it is happening it is Good.

Ok so yesterday was 10 days & today is my mid point of my 21 day challenge I set myself.

I am happy with how I am doing.

Eating wise on N days I find it fairly easy to stay on track. Some strange meals but it is only one meal and that is fine. Friday's I battle for some reason but not been too bad so far.

S Days have been fairly mild with a few sweets & chocolate in the evenings.

Exercise wise, I am managing 2 days a week - Not perfect but for me getting back to any exercise - I am happy. I still can't say I enjoy exercise, but I know it is good for me and benefits my body.

In 10 Days I am down 2 kg (4.4 lb) and I am definitely feeling more comfortable in my own skin.

You're really just getting going and it sounds good. Fridays are bumpy for a lot of people. I think we're conditioned to feel Fridays are a time to start letting go for the weekend. It's perfectly possible to have a fun celebratory meal and still stay within the bounds. Just remember that though some thin people break all the rules, others just naturally eat moderate meals when they're celebrating and no pressure can make them overeat. They just don't want to be too full! You're going through a process that brings you more to that point.

This last Friday was a success and I am feeling very pleased about that.

I made 21 days on Sunday and I am feeling great. Numbers are not everything but the bonus of this feeling good is I was down 1.7kg (3.75lb) in the 21 days.

Most N days were easy to stay on track with my 3 meals and the last 2 weekends have been very sane (first one was a little hectic).

Exercise is slowly getting into routine, but things like sick kids this week mess with the schedule. This is fine, the important thing is to keep going as and when I can and not give up - every little bit helps.

Started my second set of 21 days on Monday with a Public Holiday here in SA. I had a great N day and then 1 treat with the family after dinner - I am giving myself a Green day as my eating was controlled and not mindless.

The habit is becoming entrenched.

I was delighted when I saw my doctor with my son yesterday and he commented I was looking thinner than when he saw me 2 months prior.

Nice going!

Hi All

2 months since last post. Holiday and then too busy at work to post and not enough time at night.

end of June and early July was not too bad - on holiday with the family and while we definitely over indulged it was no where as bad as in the past. I gained 2kg on holiday and came back and lost half of that in the next week. Did no formal exercise on holiday but lots of walking.

Then I literally jumped off of the bandwagon and the eating became whatever I saw and the exercise stopped for about a month.

I finally reigned myself in last week and things slowed with the eating and monday was back to sanity.

I found the exercise plan very boring and as a result did not stick with it.

I am back to 8 Minutes in the Morning which I find much more enjoyable.

Again this is a plan I know works for me as it is how I exercised when I lost all my weight in 2002 & 2003.

Hopefully now with No S & 8MM which are both sane and I know work, I can get the final kilo's to shift.

Luv & Hugs to all

Welcome back, Merry!

So glad 'sanity' has returned. Hang in there we are all rooting for you
Tessy

Hope your autumn is off to a good start.

Not doing too badly. Basically maintaining which is good and as I have been a bit lax with the snacks and even worse with the exercise! I am happy to have not gained loads.

October I started tracking my exercise again and it helped a little, but I can always find an excuse not to exercise so it has been slowly deteriorating in regularity.

As I posted on the main page, I have just finished re-reading the No S book and what stood out for me is how important Habit is. Above all else maintaining the habit is what wins the race. So I am going to stop focusing on the scale (will still weigh weekly – I need to know or I give up) and any other measurements. I am going to focus on Vanilla No S and 14 min Exercise (any kind of exercise) on N days.

That's an incredible history, MerryKat -- I am so glad you condensed it for us so that the No S success pattern is obvious. Welcome back! Lots of people like me have joined in the meantime and can learn from your long experience!

Thanks for your kind words JW & Good Luck on your journey .

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that No S works - when I do it. If I am not doing it of course it cannot work! I have the proof in my spreadsheets and condensed above.

I really am doing my best to now just focus on the habit and being 100% compliant.

I have been looking around for some short work outs that cover the whole body to stop me being bored with the exercise & have found a number of good options for free on the internet.

I used one last night and was totally out of puff doing it, but I kept going till I was done. I obviously did it properly as my oh my my butt, thighs & hamstrings are extremely stiff & sore this morning

I have not really settled into any exercise routine beyond parking several blocks away from work and not taking the elevator . . . if you find something good, let us know, MerryKat!

JW not sure about good, but 2 days later and my legs are letting me know exactly how unfit I am!!!!

Hi MerryKat! Thanks so much for the condensed history. Like jw, I find it very cool to see it all laid out like that.

Glad it helps automatedeating. I always feel bad when I look at how long I have been doing this and how often I have 'failed'! I truely am an example of not getting it down pat the first time round. However, I know without a shadow of a doubt that this is the right way to go.

I have been a daily weigher for years, but I am trying to focus more on the compliance than the numbers so I am changing to a weekly weigh in.

According to the scale, I have maintained at 74.8kg (164.9 lb) for the last week which is great.

After this week I am feeling good, my clothes feel a bit comfier and the consistent exercise has really made me realise how unfit I am. I have done gentle work outs Tues & Wed after Monday's tough one as I have just plumb been unable to do more. That is cool and I will try a tougher one tonight.

One of my kids shared their snotty nose with me and I ended up with an Upper Respiratory Tract Infection from Saturday to today.

Started Saturday and went to the doctor on Monday and was booked off on Tuesday.

I am mending but the meds also make me feel yucky!!!

I am being strictly Vanilla No S with my eating but have made the exercise Yellow for this week.

Hope you feel better soon!

(And remember, Sick is an S. Not that you should go wild, but listen to what your body needs to heal.)

Thanks KCCC.

I took all of last week's exercise as exempt due to being sick but I was 100% Compliant with my eating!!!

Monday back to exercise as normal. We had a very stressful monday night - Huge storm with rain and hail and we had multiple leaks of huge volumes in the house! I was good after we were sorted, I did not snack even though I was HUGELY tempted!

The emotional upheaval continued the next day and I also resisted any snacking or sweets!!!

Thankfully all back to normal today.

Have an awesome week.

Hi All

Whew! Update time.

2013
I ended the year 1kg heavier than I started it - Lost 1kg of what I had gained during the year.

2014
I have stuck with No S first couple of months but the after dinner snacks an over large meals snuck into Jan & Feb.

End of Feb
I know No S is the plan for me but realised that I needed to pay a little attention to the actual what I am eating and back to Vanilla No S & tracking my food for a while on My Fitness Pal which lets me check the calories I am eating.

It definitely makes you think twice about the snacks when you need to track them. I won't do this forever (a pain) but it is giving me a good base to stabilise my quantities.

I have been battling with the exercise (again) and getting back to a little each day - currently a couple of yoga poses followed by Planks (whew! - those work the body)!

Settled back into Vanilla No S easily (as always) and enjoying the routine. I still do battle mid afternoon & it takes huge resolve to resist - but it is a good feeling to get to dinner and know I made another day without snacking. If I am really battling (shakes, sweats, etc.) then I find a glass of milk helps without breaking the rules.

Weekends have been real N days with lots of bits and pieces during the day as well as deserts. But that is the point of N days so I am just enjoying them.

Been doing a little exercise here and there but nothing really consistent. Really enjoyed the couple of post recently on muscle building and particularly with light weights.

So I have drawn myself up a basic plan for a few months and I look forward to seeing how it works.

I love the idea of shovelglove, but hesitate to do it in the house as I am such a klutz that I am likely to drop it or lose control of it and damage something! Will stick to something with no swinging involved!

Really trying to break the mindset of numbers and focus on healthy eating & exercise.

hey MK--good job--

I find that my 3pm drink mod is what gets me thru--it is either an EAS protein shake (100 cals) or a green smoothy (100). Both are incredibly satisfying--fit into the "glass of milk" category, and help me get to dinner with no stress. I can look forward to this without feeling like it is a "snack."

Thanks Marianna

Most days I am 100% fine without any milk but the odd day I need something between lunch & dinner. I have a lot of days where I want something between but that is just old habits rearing their heads and I know I don't need anything then.

I gave up coffee for Lent which is interesting as the coffee definitely subdues the hunger pangs. But now after 3 weeks without coffee I have overcome those as well and feel better without my caffeine habit! I think after Lent I will restrict my coffee to either 1 per day or just weekends - have not decided yet. Beginning to think the coffee is too addictive for me so may make it an S day treat.

Quick update

Yesterday was 1 month back to Vanilla No S and Tracking via My Fitness Pal (which has been very interesting to see how food adds up in a day).

So pleased that in the first month I have lost 1.3kg (equates to 2.9lb).

I started an exercise plan in week 3 and that is going well. Not managing every day but most.

I am still battling with Friday nights which traditionally for us is when the weekend starts. I am playing around with the idea of starting my weekend after dinner on Friday night and ending it at lunch on Sunday. Still need to think about this as I don't want to add mods - for me leads to further mods and problems!

((((((Hugs))))))))

Feeling so pleased with myself for no other reason than I am once again seeing the results of sticking to Vanilla No S with a little exercise!

I have lost 1.8kg (just under 4lb) in 5 weeks. While this may not be much for some people for me with insulin, thyroid & hormonal issues this is HUGE!!!

I am so excited I could bounce!!

I can feel the difference in my clothing and I feel so much better.

I am actually enjoying the Exercise Plan I have put together for myself - may not be perfect, but it is something for 14 min most N days.

Some days are harder than others - today I have finished lunch and the horrid little voice in my head is going - "That was not much, you must still be hungry! Just have a little packet of crisps - they won't hurt!!!" Usually it is quite easy to shut this voice up but today it is determined, but I am even more determined after my great weigh in!!!

Here's to another successful week ahead!!

Well done! Delighted you're feeling great!

Woo!!!! Hoo!!!

Just had to post again!!!!!!

I weighed today and I am down another 0.1kg (0.22lb) which takes me to my first goal of 2.5%.

I am over the moon.

This time the No S has just clicked into place and even the odd hungry days have been manageable. Seeing results makes it even easier.

I am even enjoying the exercise which is a foreign concept for me!!!!

Exercise basically set at:

3 x Salute to the Sun (Yoga sequence which stretches everything!)

2 Sets of the following:
2 x Planks (10s)
5 x Push Ups (on knees)
10 x Bridge
10 x Hindu Squats
10 x Tricep Dips
10 x Calf Raises

I will slowly increase the number of sets as I get stronger. Working on a schedule which increases by 1 a week.

Now just to disable the little voice saying - Don't get too excited, just the first month - it will not last!!!

Every goal reached slowly reduces this voice.

6 monthly doctors appointment yesterday & all doing well. Insulin resistance meds have been increased a little, thyroid meds reduced a little as figures reducing, cholesterol figures are down and my iron is down but stable.

Had a weekend which was straight out of the pre No S days but that happens and important thing is back to N days yesterday and moving along nicely.

This weekend really showed me how bad a weekend can be and how absolutely awful I feel when I eat like that (bloated, queasy, crampy, headaches & exhausted after the sugar wears off) - snacking, seconds & sweets from Friday night to Sunday night.

This has also cleared up my indecision regarding starting my S day on Friday afternoon - does not work for me!!!! The result is I eat badly from dinner on Friday to bed time on Sunday!!!! The Friday start to S days seems to trigger a binge and bad behaviour for the whole weekend!!!

So confirmed for myself that Vanilla No S is the way to go!

Just reading Grothkat's check-in and oolala & eschano's posts has made me decide to change another cycle I am in.

No more daily weighing - it is not helping any thing! I will go to weekly (Thursday) weigh in and get back to measuring more regularly.

Time to rather get back to the Habitcal and use that to track the habit which is what I want to focus on anyway.

Hey MerryKat! A lot of great insights in these last two posts.

Just for the record: I do weigh daily, I just learned slowly not to care but I do think not weighing is better if it influences you a lot.

Also, delighted about your bloodwork.

Thanks Eschano

I love how all the posts on this site lead to other people having insights from others endeavours and discoveries!!!

I have always weighed and I don't think that it affects my day to day behaviour however when I ask myself is it really something I want to do for ever the answer is no. I also want to try and change my focus from the weight to how I feel and look. I am also aware that with regular exercise you can end up smaller and heavier and I don't want that to become an issue. So when better than now to reduce to weekly weigh ins (I am too curious to survive month!!) If I find the weekly weigh ins are stressful then I will return to daily.

I used to track my measurements so I dug out that old file and have started again. In Feb when I got back on track I measured waist, hips and butt. I am delighted to be able to report the following reductions in 7 weeks:

Waist - 1.5cm (0.6 in)
Hips - 1cm (0.4 in)
Butt - 2cm (0.8 in)

So back to measuring everything from Neck to Ankles on a monthly (or so) basis.

I am using My Fitness Pal right now to keep an eye on my calories and track the weight & measurements. I have also found a way to track my habit so that gives me better focus on the habit. I will update habitcal when I am able.

Oh well done on the measurement reduction! That is what weight loss really is about after all

I have always weighed daily, my whole life. I guess it started in high school. Although I weighed 98 pounds when I got married , I was friends with two sisters who were worried about their weight and weighed every morning. So, I started weighing as well. Now it is just habit like brushing my teeth or something. My weight is pretty consistent and I know that I am eating right and exercising, so nothing the scale says really throws me for a loop. If I am up several pounds, I almost always can relate it to a sodium filled day before.

I agree that measurements or how clothing fits is a better indicator than the fluctuating numbers on a scale. I obviously do not weigh less than a hundred pounds now. I was very skinny back then - I much prefer my body today as I feel strong, even sturdy.

eschano wrote:Oh well done on the measurement reduction! That is what weight loss really is about after all

Exactly, as they say there are a lot of skinny-fat people.

MerryKat, as soon as i read your entry I thought--why have I been measuring in inches all this time! Of course centimeters will give me an easier time of seeing a change. Thanks for the lightbulb moment. That's like my third one today.

Thanks for your responses Auto, Berry & Eschano.

Auto - for me kg & cm make sense as everything in South Africa is metric. I convert to pounds & inches for my fellow posters as I know most people work in them.

cm make you feel better than inches as they are smaller and as such a complete unit is easier to achieve.

Aiming for standard N days for Friday & Monday of the long weekend ahead. No need to make them S days.

Especially as the following 2 weekends are also long weekends here in South Africa and we are going camping between them. Usual S days apply while camping but aiming for just 1 treat during N days as otherwise they end up full blown S days and 9 of those will not be good!!! Thankfully we also do a lot more exercise with walking and riding while camping so if I stick to my 1 treat on N days I should do myself some good with regards to health.

Merrykat,
maybe you could call those days S event days, rather than N days so there is no danger of muddying the waters of what an "N" day really is? I was a little confused when I saw you were planning treats for N Days. I think I get it now, they sound like S "events". But whatever the name for those days, sounds like you are going to be having fun!!

Thanks Auto, that is the right plan. I always worry about messing with N Days but if I have 1 S Event then it is a planned mod and not nearly as dangerous.

Friday & Monday ended up as fails & that is fine. I aimed for green N days and it did not happen. However I am happy that each fail was just something small after dinner and not a binge feast.

Weekend was good - Had a few sweet things on Sunday but way less than in the past. We had a double celebration with my FIL birthday on Sunday as well - I enjoyed lunch but did not have cake as it looked to icky and loaded with icing for me.

With Sunday being the end of Lent I had coffee Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - I have decided that the idea of coffee is now better than the actual coffee!! This is amazing as I used to drink 6 - 8 cups a day!!! I am definitely moving coffee to an S day treat for me as I did not feel great after having coffee for the last 4 days & I find I battle with 1 or 2 cups.

At the end of last week I changed my schedule where I track my days and removed the daily weigh in. I am focusing on my habits and feeling better for it.

Habits I am working on are:

Vanilla No S - Not negotiable!

Quiet Time - Time in the morning to read my bible / do a devotional / pray

Exercise - Aiming for 3 days a week but at this point I am not going to make it an issue otherwise I tend to rebel!

Tuesday
No S Eating -
Quiet Time -
Exercise -

Wednesday
No S Eating -
Quiet Time -
Exercise -

Thursday
No S -
Exercise - x
Quiet Time -

I have been using My Fitness Pal since end of Feb to track my eating and my exercise. I am now happy that I am on the right track. I knew starting there that I would not keen to keep doing this kind of tracking indefinitely.

I enjoyed seeing what the calorie counts were as I have never counted calories before. It worked well when I just dished and ate and then loaded it to see.

I caught myself yesterday juggling things to fill the plate more and loading and changing things to see how I could have more of one thing and how much less of another it meant and that is a sign for me that the tracking of calories is over.

My meals are all standard 1 plate and not heaped, so I know that even if one is a bit heavy it will all balance out.

Happily returning to plain No S and tracking the habit on the Habitcal (or on my phone when I don't have internet access).

Looking forward to the next 9 days - Off camping with my family and friends. As I said above aiming for normal N days with 1 S Event.

Exciting new phase!

Have fun on your trip!

Thanks for the encouragement and wishes.

We had a great break. Camping in the bush is special with the animals a few meters from us. Had a lovely time with friends for the first 4 days and then a further 5 lovely days just the 4 of us.

We did a fair amount of walking and cycling each day.

Was lovely early winter weather - sunny and dry, with it being hot by mid morning and chilly to cold at night.

Eating wise I am delighted with myself. I had 2 days which I declared red as I had more snacks than planned. But even those 2 days were delightfully moderate. My S Event daily worked well and most days it was either an ice-cream mid afternoon or chocolate after dinner.

Feeling really chuffed! My boss asked me this morning how much weight I have lost and said it is really noticeable & I am looking good. He is not someone to make personal comments!

Also commented that he has noticed I am not eating from our department sweetie cupboard. I explained how snacking is my problem and 1 just leads to lots so easier not to for me.

Had a good day yesterday - 100% on track even though I was at home with lots of temptations with the boys! Even did some cycling when we rode to the voting station in the morning.

Oh well done! And how nice that your boss notices. It's a bit of a boost when people start noticing.

Hey Eschano, that it is!!

A bit of a strange lunch at work today as we had a birthday. I took a plate with a mini-chicken pie, mini sausage roll, mini chicken roll, mini spring roll and a date ball. I kept this till lunch time and had it with an apple, a naartjie and a banana. Thoroughly enjoyed it and feel good as I still had just breakfast and lunch.

Nice that you made that work! Did anyone comment on your eating choices (not that they should, I'm just curious!)?

Hi Auto - not a soul!!! They were too busy diving in & enjoying themselves to worry about me!!

Missed most of last week as I was down with Sinotracheitus and Flu - Horrid combination!!! I am definitely mending but still coughing beautifully!!!

Thanks to being sick my exercising has stopped. Battling to walk up stairs never mind anything more.

Eating was good and well within the N days - no appetite most days; only starting to feel hungry today. I had a red day on Tuesday - ate cookies I had was putting in a box without even thinking about it!

Looking forward to feeling better and getting back to exercising.

Thankfully nearly mended - still coughing but not as much.

Had two red days last week - mostly due to frustration over the coughing. Stupid excuse, but there it is.

Today is 3 months since I got back on track and I have lost 2.3kg (5.1lb) and feel much better for it.

Here's to month 4 and more firmly entrenched habits!!

On amazing thing I have noticed recently is I have lost my taste for chocolate (standard milk) and sweets - just does not taste good and not worth the icky too much sugar feeling. I still enjoy a little dark chocolate - but that really is a little bit now!!! This weekend I had dried fruit as my treat as I did not fancy anything in the sweet aisle!!!

Sorry to hear you're not feeling well. Hope that cough goes away and you get back to 100% soon.

I like your workouts! My style, too. Right now I'm involved in two fitness challenges on myfitnesspal.com or else I'd check out the hundredpushups thing. Sounds fun. Hope you get feeling good soon and back on your fitness plan.

I've also lost my need for most sugary things. I even enjoy 85% dark chocolate. The only sugary treat that still does me in is dark chocolate chips.

Aw Thanks Chani8 (((((((((Hugs)))))))

Finally feeling better for the last 2 weeks but sadly the habits were very neglected! Snacking on Sweets took over!!

As of Friday last week, I am back on track and feeling so much better for it!!

Monday - 3 Meals & Exercise & One Cup of Coffee per Day (coffee is my crutch but it aggravates too many of my health issues so needs restricted).

I started my exercise yesterday again and that also helps a lot with the eating after dinner. Yesterday I did 2 x Salute to the Sun Yoga moves as warm up and then did Dr Oz's 5 Minute Plan To Reshape Your Body which I found on the internet. I do as many of each move as I can and then 2 more just to make the muscles work!

Looking forward to undoing the damage done over the last few weeks of habit failure!!

Just been reading through this years posts and need to make the following notes:

My weekly weigh-ins did not work. By Tues / Wed I am starting to feel concerned by what's happening and that defeats the point of giving up the daily weigh-in. I also find that the day before, I will skimp on food because tomorrow I am weighing and that is pointless!!! Just leads to binging.

My morning Quiet Time has slipped again, but as all my other routines fall back in place so will that one.

Coffee was slowly returning to pre-Lent levels, so I have made a 1 per day rule for S Days - currently choosing to have that after dinner to round off the day. If I have a cup of coffee in the morning it tends to become an all day thing.

Tuesday - 3 Meals & Exercise & One Cup of Coffee

Hahaha, MerryKat, the exact same happened to me with coffee - I'm on one a day on weekdays at the moment and hope to get them back down after 8th July when our events go into a summer break.

LOL Eschano!! Coffee is definitely a problem for me. But I find one at night is good and I don't go looking for another. It also is a good way to signal the end of eating for the day!!

I have proved to myself (AGAIN!!!!!) that No S works for me. Down 0.4kg (0.88lb) since Monday!!!!

Wednesday - 3 Meals & One Cup of Coffee (I did not get to exercise as I was too late home from work)

Things are a little easier at work than they used to be as there are a number of our staff involved in a weight loss plan controlled and monitored by our company Medical Aid. 1 Lady is in my department and 2 others are in the next office from ours & we share a kitchen. It is so nice to be on a journey with others even if their methods are different to mine.

I won a prize from the company travel agent of 2 Nights Bed & Breakfast for 2 at a local hotel. DH & I will check in late this afternoon and out on Sunday Morning! Will be nice to have a break from life . Our boys are going to their grandparents for the weekend and we know will be spoilt rotten as usual!!

Due to this I am starting my S day today when we check in and it will end on Sunday when we check out. This gives me defined start and end.

Thursday - 3 Meals & One Cup of Coffee

I did not exercise as we had parents evening for our youngest son. So proud of him and so please for him as his diligence has paid off. He went up in every subject even those we know he struggles with.

Exciting! I hope you had a great time.

Thanks Eschano

We had a lovely time. Eating was good, Big Breakfast both days, no lunch and a few afternoon snacks on Saturday and a lovely dinner both days. All the meals were heavier than if we were at home and being restaurant food with far more salt, etc.

Yesterday was a fail as I did not manage to stop my S day when we checked out - not a bad day but I did have after dinner chocolate so it was a fail. Marked & moving on!!

Predictably after no eating our usual foods, and drinking less water than usual, the scale was way up this morning but I am sure a few days of normal routine will rectify this.

All going well today. I am planning 15 min on my stationary bike this evening for exercise.

Friday -
Saturday -
Sunday - - I did not stop my S Day on check out of the hotel! Not a huge fail, but marked & moved on!!

have a great week mo!!

Thanks Deb!

Yesterday was 100% Vanilla No S - even though I could easily have kept on eating after dinner as I was still in the mood to eat.

I am doing well with the 1 x Coffee a Day - gives me a good end to my day.

This month I am also trying to cut out the sweetners - will probably still have them in my evening coffee but no more. I don't need them and more & more I feel they may be adding to the sugar craving in the afternoons.

30 - 3 Meals & One Cup of Coffee per Day - No Exercise (I had bad abdominal pain when I got home - not sure exactly why but think it might be my body complaining about the rich food from the weekend)

Oh Merrycat, I landed exactly where you are with the coffee- 1 cup per day.

Eschano much as I love my coffee, I never manage to just have one cup if I have it any time before dinner. Really enjoying my end of day cup!

All good yesterday even managed a tiny amount of exercise.

Tuesday 1 - Vanilla & One Coffee with sweetener & a tiny amount of exercise

Very stressful day at work yesterday & all I wanted to do was snack!! But I didn't!!!

I had a huge piled plate for dinner but I did not snack!!!!

Tuesday - Vanilla & One Coffee with sweetener

Friday the stressful situation continued at work but my eating was not affected.

This weekend I did well and it was a fairly controlled one - a few snacks here and there but nothing out of control. However I had a terrible headache from Saturday evening till this morning - it is easing now but still there.

I think that this may well be my body's reaction to sugar. I take meds for insulin resistance and have a diabetes on both sides of my family. I love sugary things but have a real problem controlling my intake - if I have one I really battle to stop at one! I have wondered for a while if I need to cut out the sweets completely for my health.

I am setting myself the goal of No Sweets on S or N Days for the next month. I will still have snacks on S days but just not sweet ones. I want to see how this affects me and how my body behaves.

HI MerryKat

I need to stop sugar for my health, but I also know that when I do manage to stop sugar ( have done it a few times in the past) then my whole body seems to relax and I do not feel so obsessed by food. Trouble is I always find it very hard to reach that sugar free state. I am allowing a little sugar on Sundays so I can enjoy a slice of cake or dessert with my family. I do wish you well. I think we know when our bodies are not really coping with a particular food, so I would say trust your instincts.

Hi Tessy - thanks for stopping by

I just want to do a month Sweet free to break the cycle and then if we are somewhere & have a sugar pancake or donut it won't be such an issue.

I also know that in the past when I have stopped sugar, I feel so much better within myself. I am not worrying about the borderline foods just the real Sweets.

Monday - Vanilla & One Coffee & No Sweets

I am dragging my hubby onto No S for a couple of weeks as he is also trying to lose a few kg! He loves some chocolate after dinner but if I don't buy it he doesn't eat it and that will help him. He really does not eat a lot but I think the after dinner snack is starting to catch up!

Tuesday - Vanilla & One Coffee with sweetener

I am very pleased with myself - We had dinner at my mum's house last night. She had some crystallised ginger & tiny caramel tarts left from a weekend function which she offered us. Now ginger is one of my favourite favourites & I resisted - Not the weekend therefore no snacks & no sweets!!

Wednesday - Vanilla & One Coffee with sweetener & Exercise

I was very interested to note while watching My 600lb Life last night that the doctor recommended for the gastric bypass patient to eat 3 meals a day with NO snacks!!!!

Thursday - Vanilla No S & 1 x Coffee

Very pleased with me - MIL had home made cheesecake for pudding and I resisted!!!

Friday - Vanilla No S & 1 x Coffee

I started my weekend after dinner on Friday as we had a social event. Saturday was no problem - had a birthday party and I resisted all the sweets and only ate some savoury snacks. Sunday resisted the sweets in the house which would have led to mindless munching without too much effort. Weekended ended after lunch due to it starting on Friday after dinner.

I am not really missing the sweet stuff and it is so much easier to just say No than to have a bit and then battle to not have too much more. Will definitely be sticking with my No Sweets Month and then possibly beyond with a few mods.

I still had snacks over the weekend and did not feel in any way deprived.

Monday has been easy and just slipped back into 3 meals.

Wow, this is great progress, you are really cracking it sweets wise. I am so impressed. Keep going with your sweet free month. It seems like your system is already settling into a routine that does not need sweets. Good stuff

Thanks Tessy

Very late getting home but did not give in to snacking and waited for dinner.

Enjoyed my coffee & sweetener after dinner

Monday - Vanilla No S & Coffee

Tuesday - Vanilla No S & One Coffee with sweetener
Wednesday - Vanilla No S

Funeral of the FIL of my bestie and it was a terribly emotional day. I had the eats after the service as my lunch and did not touch a single sweet item!!! I had 2 cups of coffee (with no sweetener) later in the day.

Just want to make myself a list of where I am headed:
- Vanilla No S
- One coffee per day (after dinner)
- No Sweets / Sugar for a month (07/07/2014 to 07/08/2014)
- Reducing my sweetener intake to ultimately be sweetener free
- Some kind of planned exercise 3 x a week - From Monday 21/07/2014[/list]

Big hug! And well done!

Thanks Eschano ((((((Hugs)))))

Thursday - Vanilla No S & One Coffee with sweetener

HUGE stress at work today with striking workers but I did not snack & thoroughly enjoying my lunch of Toast with Peanut Butter & Mashed Banana.

Hi Merrykat well done for getting through the funeral without falling into a sweetie hole. I am so impressive and feel for you so much. Last year I lost one of my best friends and it totally derailed me for months!! I have now just lost another, the funeral is on Wednesday. I am going to hold your example in my head and try to make it through without falling apart food wise - although I'm not very together food wise at the moment anyway but your example is a strong one for me. Thank you for sharing. You are staying green now too despite stress at work. Well done you. Enjoy your weekend you really deserve it !!!

Thanks Tessy for the encouragement! I hope the funeral was not too tough!!

I cant believe it has been over 3 months since I last posted. Where has the time gone.

Work has been hectic so battled to find time here and by the time I get home any computer time is finding stuff for school projects!!

The rest of July went well and I stuck to my No Sugar at all - Made me realise again how quickly sugar becomes a self fueling cycle. Definitely reducing my sugar intake since then but still have some. I lost about 1 kg (2.2lb) in July - being conscious of sugar helped but recon most of it was just sticking to No S.

August I gained a bit - not as good with my No S as I needed to be.

September I lost what I gained in August and a bit more. Was heading to the lowest I have been in years. We went on leave (camping to the Kruger National Park and spent most days in the car game viewing with snacks - healthy ones but still snacks!)

October so far has been a battle to get back on track after leave.

Last Monday I said no more and back to No S - Mon & Tues were good. Wednesday was a funeral of a very close friend's mother and I was derailed for the rest of the week.

The weekend was not bad over all and today is going well.

Home is chaos right now as we are busy in the middle of a huge building project. We left the ceilings in place but removed the roof and replaced it with a new roof which contains the framework for a loft room. We did this the 3 weeks before going on leave. Since coming back from leave we have been busy sorting the internal issues caused by the roof replacement. Replacing ceilings in the dining room, entrance hall and toy room as well as lifting and re-tiling the dining room, passage and entrance hall. As soon as that is all done we will replace the front door and have a staircase installed to the loft room!!

This is lots of satisfaction as we have been planning for over a year but also hugely stressful living in the dust and muddle!!

Does the body good as there is lots of manual labour which is a great source of exercise.

Hope to catch up with everyone soon.

So long story short I am back to vanilla No S (with 3 days of exercise where possible / manual labour with the building) !! - no extra restrictions or demands.

((((((Hugs)))))

Whew! Bad day today. It started out mixed up with having to fetch a car from the panel beaters so I ate a less than filling breakfast before leaving home.

We have family stress with a very ill member overseas and I allowed the emotion to take over and being hungry from a less than stellar breakfast I had a packet of crisps.

Add to the mess that I forgot to bring lunch and a packet of peanuts & another packet of chips were the healthiest things I could find to eat - otherwise it would have been sweets or cookies!

Deep Breath!!!

Marking it and moving on, I will continue with today and not beat myself up.

MerryKat, I know how you feel. I can do fine with NoS as long as my schedule is stable, but any change to that routine easily knocks my eating out of whack. Good luck getting right back on the NoS horse.

I'm sending good thoughts your way. Stress sucks.

Thanks Mitchelll & Walkerlori.

So Friday was a fail but not a catastrophic one as it would have become in the past - the rest of the day stayed sane.

Weekend was busy (renovations at home, kids activities and school function on Saturday night) and eating was no problem. Got some fantastic exercise helping my hubby move bricks and load rubble in the trailer to take to the dump.

I was delighted in the process of moving a bookcase (to do more knocking down of ceilings & finish tiling) I found my 8 Minutes in the Morning book. This is the only form of exercise I have ever stuck with consistently in the past. It is my No S of exercise & I have been hunting for the book for 4 months - I thought I had lent it to a friend, instead it had slipt in behind some books.

Today marks the start of my 8MM exercising again. I have to say I don't do the diet attached but for me the exercise is perfect - I enjoy it and it is quick enough to do so it fits in with the 14 minutes of No S. I start with some Yoga warm ups do my 8 minutes and then a few Yoga moves to cool down!

On track yesterday with No S & 8 MM Exercise which I do at night.

Hi MerryKat,

It's great to read your post...lovely and clear! You had such a good run over the summer and I know it's always hard getting back into a routine after holiday (Kruger! I went there a lot as a kid!) especially with building work going on.

Are you still doing your one coffee after dinner?

Hi Kookie

Thanks for the encouragement.

Where did you live that you went there lots? Where are you now?

Nope, I have found that the coffee helps me get through the day so as long as I have a water with the coffee, I will keep it up. Perhaps one day when I am at my goal and maintaining comfortably I may try again but till then I think the caffeine does less harm that snacking & sweets!

I had a good day yesterday even though my lunch was daft as I forgot half of the planned lunch at home. I was hungry by 3pm but had a milky drink (or 2) which helped me through.

I did my 8MM once I got home and feel better for it!

Have a blessed Wednesday!

hi mo, i just wanted to drop by and thank you for your encouragement! i read a few posts back here and i also want to say good job on getting back into the swing of things! and i am sorry to hear about your ill family member overseas... i hope all will be well! lots of hugs and love! xxx

Hi Deb, That is the beauty of this site, we all encourage each other Thank you. I have stuck mostly to No S. Sadly my aunt passed on but it is a relief to know she is no longer suffering.

Thanks Walkerlori - Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

To all my wonderful friends on this site; I hope you had a blessed New Year and that God's richest blessings will fill your year ahead!

Whew! Where have the last few months gone? I am definitely not able to manage the daily check in routine but I will try and check in weekly this year.

I ended 2014 at the same weight I started it! This is way better than a gain so I am happy to take 2014 as a maintain year.

I managed to gain in the first week of the new year but it came off the next week when I got 100% back to NoS.

I have set myself a 6 Week Challenge to get myself into an exercise routine! Exercise is the tough one for me but I know that that is what is needed to help me benefit fully from my NoS compliance.

Mo's 6 Week Challenge from 14/01/2014 to 24/02/2014 goes something like this:

Goals
* Establish Healthy Habits
* Lose Weight in 2015
* Increase Energy Levels
* Stablilise & reduce Chronic Medication Levels

Plan
1 - No S Diet
2 - 3 x Week (M/W/F) Angry Birds Work Out (from Nerd Fitness Site) - consists of Squats / Push Ups / Rows / Planks
3 - 2 x Yoga (primarily Salute to the Sun) (T/T) & Bible Study
4 - Warm Up & Cool Down using Stationary Bike for 5 min

This is an amendment to my morning routine so will take time to become a firm habit. I have never been a morning person but I know the only way to guarantee the exercise happening is to do it first thing in the morning.
Biggest hurdle for me is getting up as soon as my alarm goes off - I love nothing better than snuggling in bed for a few snooze buttons after my alarm has gone off.

I started this morning and have to admit I did enjoy it and I felt awake driving to work. By mid morning I was starting to feel I had done exercise and by now (mid afternoon) whew there are some sore muscles!!!

Sounds like a great plan!

Thanks Eschano!

Week 1 of my challenge completed.

I got up every week day and did my exercise and followed No S 100%. This weekend was a little crazy food wise but no harm done as on Monday I was back on track.

I have to admit that much as I dislike getting up so early, I do feel better for doing the exercise and it is definitely easier to stick to the No S when you have already done your day's exercise!

I have been a bit frustrated this week as the scale has been going up (only a little) which I am sure is due to the exercise and it will all stabilise in time. I have been 100% No S compliant so now we wait and see. In all honesty I don't care what I weigh as long as I look & feel good in my skin!

I have done measurements so that will give an honest answer in a few weeks when I reach the end of my 6 week challenge.

I also took pictures in my undies last night!! That was a shock to really see me as the camera sees me!!!!! I am looking forward to seeing what difference there is at the end of the 6 week challenge.

One unexpected benefit I found this morning is a definite reduction in water retention!! I have a pair of wedge sandals with ankle straps which I have not worn for about 2 weeks. I put them on this morning at the usual hole on the strap and all day they have been bugging me because the ankle strap is too loose!!!!!

Nearing the end of my second week of my 6 week challenge and I am enjoying the feeling of my body feeling stronger! I am enjoying challenging myself to an extra one of each exercise each morning I do the body weight exercises.

We did some major clearing out of rubble and the last bits from our renovations yesterday. In weeks past this morning I would have been really sore!! I could feel I had worked yesterday but not sore!!

Mmmmm, I definitely need to curtail my sweet snacking over the weekends - it really is just a bad habit. Every time I walk through the kitchen I have some grapes or a sweet from the kids box! All it does is make me feel lousy and gives me an upset tummy!

I will not restrict my snacking over the weekend but I am definitely going to restrict my sweets to one quality one per day! I should not really eat any sweets due to health issues and too much fruit is also not the best for me.

Well done Merrykat. You are inspiring me with your 6 week challenge. I know just what you meant about passing food and snacking. It's a really big issue for me. Especially at weekends. Like you I need to take care with sweets. So having something special but not casually consumed without noticing sounds like a great idea. Onwards 😃

Thanks for the encouragement Tessy!

I finished Week 3 of my challenge yesterday and started Week 4 today.

Oddly I am finding counting my weeks from Wednesday to Tuesday easier and more effective than M - F. The only reason I started on a Wednesday was that I did not want to wait till Monday I wanted to start now and it is working wonderfully.

My exercise has been 100% compliant but I had a couple of red eating days last week. I'm not sure what it was but ended up snacking on things - mostly savoury. Marked it and moved on and back in the swing again!

My youngest son is now joining me in the mornings, I am not sure if this is good or bad as he is a chatterbox and I am really not a morning person so I have enough to do pushing myself to do the exercise. But he will learn to be quiet and it is good to do things together. He wants to get fit as he says he does not do enough at school!!

My eldest son has asked me to draw him up a 6 week plan as well for exercise and he starts on Monday. He is looking to build muscle so I have given him basic body weight exercises to start with and then we will start looking at more complex plans.

So glad that both my boys are very healthy weights and not carrying any extra weight but want to improve their fitness and health.

I am so pleased with myself this week. I have managed to do 2 sets of 15 (knee) push ups M & W. For me this is HUGE as I have always battled to do push ups of any kind.

Every day I find a few new sore muscles which is good as they all start working harder. My clothing is already feeling looser.

My Tuesday & Thursday I now do a 20 min Yoga routine which is great at stretching everything out and releasing some of the soreness from the day before.

Great job! I so need to get the exercise bug!! I'm trying to get my 7-yr-old more active too 😃

Your post makes me happy as it all sounds brilliant.

Thanks for the encouragement Tobiasmom & Eschano.

Tobiasmom - just be an example to him and at that age it motivates them to join you. I am blessed with 2 very active kids who participate in every sport available to them at school and want to do more. Not sure where they came from as I hated sport at school and still do not really enjoy most sports.