eschano 2013 check in

[eschano]

So back from the holidays with +1 kg which I consider a major success given the amount of food involved. My goal: a green January with 2 extra S days.

1- Extra S Day
2-
3- by the way: HAPPY NEW YEAR (belated but in case I haven't mentioned it anywhere else)
4-
5- S Day
6- S Day very tame - interestingly no TV at all. I know that to be a huge trigger for me. Was also one of the most productive weekend days in months.
7- back down that kilo which just shows that you can't ruin your figure with a few days of going wild if you get right back on the wagon.
8- - I ditched the crips at company drinks. Unfortunate side-effect: I was the first one drunk despite only drinking 2 glasses. Thankfully nothing embarrassing happened
9- - I forgot how easy this all is. I'm still so positively surprised that I have all this freedom with food and that now that I know what rules I unconsciously followed whenever I lost weight it's easy to replicate them!
10-
11-
12- S Day
13- S Day
14- extra S day - meeting friends for drinks and they can take a lot more alcohol so I'm eating an extra banana just before as I won't have dinner for ages and don't want to be the first one tipsy.
15-
16-
17-
18-
19- S Day
20- S Day
21-
22-
23-
24- - technically I had seconds at a dinner with friends. Small fail but still: mark it and move on.
25- - massive fail. Tired, felt run-down, that time of the month about to start. Mostly: I got cocky!
26- S Day - wild
27- S Day - wild
28- Thank god it's Monday!!!
29-
30-
31-

[ironchef]

So back from the holidays with +1 kg which I consider a major success given the amount of food involved.

Well done and Happy New Year!

I'm not sure how you weigh, but if that is from a one off weight I wouldn't set much store by it. After the four S days (weekend, Christmas Eve and Day) my scales said + 1kg, but it disappeared soon after. I believe (ahem) digestion, not than actual fat gain and loss, was the culprit. My trend line stayed flat.

I look forward to reading about your success in 2013

[eschano]

Thanks Ironchef! As I took the whole of my vacation off (1 week + 2 days) I think it's a proper kilo but I'm positive that it will soon disappear. Very happy to be back on track though.

[eschano]

I weigh daily but I realise that I only do this for a reality check. Whenever I don't think about weight but about habits and new, exciting foods I'll actually enjoy I lose weight effortlessly.

Some of the indirect benefits of NoS:
- My body seems to love the regularity and my sleep has improved
- My diet has become much more varied
- I enjoy my 1 plates a lot as I'm cooking and experiencing more
- I'm more mindful what goes into my body (Mon-Fri )
- I eat much more vegetables (trying out ones I never heard of and that weren't a staple in my mum's house)
- I'm becoming a better cook so I feel more confident to cook for people
- I'm becoming a more confident social eater and don't feel I need to hide to stuff down sweets anymore but as I now deserve them I can share my pleasure in them
- Sometimes I'm even baking which means I know what ingredients go in and I can ditch the preservatives and colourings that I'm convinced are bad for me

Just a thought

[ironchef]

Great post eschano - nice to be reminded of all the other reasons for No-Sing

[mulliganagain]

I loved reading all of your no-S benefits. Thank you for sharing!

[Jonas Jonasson]

Hi there,
Thanks for stopping by.
Am I supposed to write in German now?
Very impressive results in your signature, by the way

[gk]

All the GREEN at the start of your thread is VERY impressive!! Keep up the great work!

[eschano]

Thank you so much for your encouragement! It means a lot.

[eschano]

February Challenge:

I'm more or less of the boards but mostly because I'm doing very well (despite the odd fail I feel that my habits are fairly sticky)

1 -
2- S Day
3- S Day
4-
5-
6-
7- - crisps before a late dinner
8-
9- S Day
10- S Day
11-
12-
13-
14- S-Day as Valentines Day
15-
16- S Day
17- S Day
18-
19-
20-
21-
22-
23- S Day
24- S Day
25-
26-
27-
28-

[Amy3010]

Good for you! I aspire to sticky habits!

[eschano]

Thanks Amy! You'll surely get there soon

[eschano]

Hi all,

So I'm off the boards only because I'm doing really well! I'll try to check in more regularly again. Basically, the habits are sticky enough and I still have weeks where I want to eat everything I see but guess what: I just don't.

When I have the odd fail or extra S-day I don't get flustered by it and the overall success speaks for itself.

Hope you're all doing well too!!

[Amy3010]

Wow! Great to hear things are still going so well for you - very inspirational!

[No BS]

I enjoyed reading about your successes on your cheerful, positive thread!

Good for you!

[animated]

Good for you eschano!
Isn't it nice to have a default of no snacks?

Congrats!

[oolala53]

I'm so glad you recognize just how great you're doing.

[eschano]

Hi y'all!

14 days into a 21 days challenge. All good. Because my S days have been a bit on the heavy side and I had a two week vaction before I have only managed to hold my weight. I say only but that's like a major change to life pre-NoS. It's slowly, slowly melting again.

Very happy with the system although I found it extremely hard to get back into it post-vacation. Now, it's easy again. The longer you do it the better. On Saturday I had to remind myself that I can have more than one plate. Loved that.

Hope all of you are doing well!

Currently at 165.1 pounds - not bad for a Monday, eh?

[oolala53]

Sounds fantastic, and even better, sane.

[finallyfull]

Sounds like you are doing great! I think maintenance during vacation and "heavy" S days sounds like progress!

It is so nice to have a ready-made system to lock into after an S day or vacation isn't it?

[eschano]

I completely agree!

It's great to give up this little bit of "free will" (compulsive eating isn't really free will, is it?) and pass the control to NoS (which I freely choose as my food-rule-system mon-fri) in favour of tackling bigger things than:

"Can I have this cookie/can't I have this cookie/if I have this cookie then/i can make up for that cookie tomorrow/ because I had this cookie I should/ but really I want the second cookie/ can I have this second cookie/..."

It's not like this voice is gone but now I recognize it and it makes me laugh and I just remind myself of more profound things in life

[eschano]

Hmmm... my slight NoS arrogance above just made me think: it's time to tackle another part of my wellbeing - fitness!

So Mon-Fri 10 minutes per day starting today.

And that means I'm at the beginning again and I hope to stick through all the frustrations as much as I did with NoS, which has been a tough ride at first

[finallyfull]

I love your cookie conversation summary! When I try to deceive myself and think going "off" No S would be freedom, that will remind me that it's not actually freedom at all, it's the opposite. My weekend cookies, if I want them, are truly free.


I intentionally try to keep food and exercise separate in my mind, and don't tie eating well with exercise, because when I tie them, I find myself actually excusing myself FROM exercise when I'm either eating poorly (the WTH effect) or when I'm eating right (because it's more about food) or when my weight is up or down. Now I am walking regularly because I want to be able to walk regularly, and also to put regular deposits into my fitness bank. I'm trying to keep the whole issue of food or weight the heck out of it, or it might be subject to my stupidity.

[eschano]

You're right to keep them compartmentalized! I will try to do my best not to use one as excuse for the other. I just want to be able to move more without sounding like Darth Vader

Finallyfull: what's a fitness bank? Sounds intriguing.

As for my first day of fitness: Massive Fail. Dusting myself off and a new day today!

Cheers

[finallyfull]

I envision my overall health/fitness as something like a treasure trove or bank account, and in order to "retire" with enough to enjoy my retirement in my old age, I must make "deposits"

I'm 45, and I am realizing that focusing on size and weight is really not what I need to be doing, mentally. I want to feel reasonably good for as long as possible, and that means, at a minimum, holding on to (or building) as much ordinary level strength and endurance as possible. For instance, I want to be able to walk for a half hour or hour and have it be no big deal, or lifting and holding a baby or toddler. My dad did great up till about age 85, and I want to do the same.

For me, to consider walking or stairs or other "exercise" as part of a short-term thing takes my perspective off of the biggest prize: long term feeling good. So I make deposits whenever possible.

[eschano]

Thanks to finallyfull I am a lot more active in general life now. For example: I walk up the escalators now instead of standing on them.

Also, after an initially bad start last week I have managed to do my 15 minutes every morning since Monday. I hope it will continue. I aim for 5/week and will try to keep it only to 1 weekend one, so at least 4 on N days.

[finallyfull]

Awesome! Let me know when you're 85 how you feel. I plan to be here to hear about it.

[eschano]

I'm back

I've slacked a little. Thankfully, I maintained but I've become a lot less strict with NoS and I know that this is a slippery slope. I think not being on the boards is part of it.

I joined the September challenge and I look forward to a green month. I had a big one-plate dinner yesterday and a big one-plate lunch today so in a way I feel like a cheater, although I'm not. See what I'm doing? Diet-mentality rearing it's head. No thanks, I'm back on straight vanilla and enjoying it.

I saw this terrifying programme on BBC "The Men Who Made Us Thin" and there's no way I'll exchange NoS for any other way of eating ever again! Even if someone invents a miracle cure - I can't get over how good my body feels like when I do it right - my body just loves being treated properly!

I also discovered a great yoga workout. I downloaded it on my US itunes account when I lived there. It's from Nike workouts and is called "Tribal Yoga" with Misty Tripoli. Recommendable for complete beginners like me.

So this is to a green month!

[eschano]

Ok, so I would like to share something here. I got dumped big time two weeks ago. It sucks. And the reason I'm sharing this:

Usually I would go into non-eating mode for a couple of weeks followed by emotional overeating for another and there is something very good to say about NoS: It keeps me healthy.

I have thus far managed to properly look after myself after the person who I thought I would live the rest of my life with disappeared and NoS provided the structure to not use food as a weapon against him ("I'm not eating, see what you did to me? Come back") nor me ("It's because I'm not...." fill in the blank with your biggest minus).

I love NoS and I love life and food and I'm so thankful to not self-harm with food anymore as I consider constant emotional overeating as self-harm of sorts! Thank you so much!!!

[jw]

I am so sorry you have to deal with this, eschano -- it may feel that way now, but you are not the one who has lost something here. And what a testimonial to yourself and to No S you have written! Bravo!

[oolala53]

THAT is an incredible testimonial! I'm serious. I think you should, when you are ready, put that up on the testimonial page. I'm certainly going to share it with my teams on Sparkpeople, if that's okay.

I wish I could give you a big hug, though. That can't have been easy. But I, too, have found that No S saw me through some very stressful times (but I also had some regain after a split-up in the first year, I think).

Thanks for noticing my "during."

[eschano]

Thank you so much JW and Oolala!

It's nice to have a structure to lean on that I know keeps me healthy and makes my body feel really good. To follow NoS is a kind of self-love (even if that sounds tacky).

And also thank you too for all your NoS inspiration!

[oolala53]

No S is a kind of self-love. If that's tacky, then love is tacky!

[Graham]

Hi Eschano. I sent you a PM on Tuesday following your comments on my daily check in - maybe you didn't notice it? Wishing you a good day,
Graham

[eschano]

So, I'm doing ok. I'm healthier than I was in the last 10 years, I'm at a better weight and make more effort to move. I don't count my urban ranging as my 14 minutes but I'm doing a lot of urban ranging at the moment. My appetite has come back and I'm glad that I stuck to 3 meals even when I had none because I don't feel like I want to binge now at all.

Thank you NoS!!!!

[automatedeating]

Eschano, great to hear that NoS is helping you keep some regularity during this emotionally stressful time. And thanks for chiming in on my daily check in regarding plateaus.

[eschano]

Oh no! First red day this month. I was thinking of chocoalate a lot and then caved. And you wouldn't believe the crazy reasons my mind made up for it (bad day,...).
I caved -that's not great. Mark it and move on!

[eschano]

The weirdest thing happened to me last week. I weighted myself and saw a new low on the scale. A low, I never thought I would reach again after 10 years of being above it.

So now this is the weird thing: I totally panicked and the week after I stuffed my face with more chocolate than in a long time, red days all over.

I thought about this and realised that in the past I had put all the things that didn't work about my life down to my weight. Now that my weight is normal again and now that I look better than I did in ten years this doesn't fly anymore and it freaked me out massively.

I'm over it now and back on vanilla no-S but I guess it's time to tackle these other areas that haven't worked out and that I could be so complacent about as long as I had my weight to blame. What a stupid thinkg to do as well! But glad that myth is busted now. Because weight should never have held me back from going after all these other things!

[automatedeating]

Hi eschano, thanks for sharing about your experience. I think that's called, "self-sabotage". It's almost like you unconsciously punished yourself for all your hard work to establish such good habits.

I love that your attitude is, mark it and move on with vanilla NoS. I also love that you are maintaining "calm curiosity" about the causes behind your red days. Then you can plan ahead! Next time you see a fabulous number on the scale, what will eschano do?

And BTW, congrats on your newfound figure!

[eschano]

Thank you so much automatedeating! In fact, I ended up falling off the wagon completely over Halloween and lots of birthdays week, but guess what, I just jumped right on again today

I'll think of you when my lower weight finds me again and will think about self-sabotage. So true!

[eschano]

Yeah! My first green day again yesterday.

[eschano]

Another green day. I'm feeling so much better, not necessarily psychologically but for the first time in two weeks this overstuffed feeling is gone!
I figured out that if I eat between work and my french class aound 18pm instead of afterwards at 9.30pm I eat a lot less and feel much better that day and the next morning. Eating at 9.30pm sets me up for this overstuffed feeling for the whole of the next morning. And feeling overstuffed actually makes me want to eat more, not less, ridiculous as this is. I guess it's all because I go to bet around 10.30pm so don't have enough time to process the food.
Easy solution.

[jw]

You're back on track, eschano! A slip of a couple of days at a stressful time won't determine the long-term you!

[Liz46]

Congratulations on the green days! Here's to one more. One day at a time.

[eschano]

Thank you JW and Liz. I'm glad to report another green day Feeling even better in my body.

Before NoS overeating was my habit and I felt much worse mentally because of it - always lethargic and tired. While I still have a week or two off the wagon every couple of months the great thing is that I now know how good my body can feel after a week of Ndays - so when I struggle back to two green days I remember and NoS instantly becomes easier again.

[automatedeating]

Hi eschano,
As Vicki says, "light is right", and that she always reminds herself that she feels BETTER when she doesn't indulge. I'm too early in my NoS journey to have "body-learned" this concept, but my head sure loves it!

[eschano]

Thank you Automated Eating, that's so right.

And I'm happy to report that I'm doing well so far.

[eschano]

I've done really well on doing Yoga and Flamenco this last week and I have to say it makes me struggle with NoS. I realise that as I'm exercising more I'm certainly hungrier and I do not burn enough calories to make up for it. In the long term it will probably balance out but for now I'll have to be vanilla all the way.

[automatedeating]

I think exercise makes me hungrier, too, eschano. Good job on your yoga, I would like to do something like that but of course "want" is a far cry from "do"!

[eschano]

Hahahaha! Yes, you are so right Automatedeating. But to be fair: I go through phases with exercise. Let's see how long this one lasts

From my holiday challenge:
"A great idea! For me December is all about celebration and enjoyment so I won't be following NoS strictly.
My goals are:
1. To maintain (72.8kg)
2. To only eat S treats outside of S days if they are a true celebration for me, so no snacks in the office, and no mindless eating. "

[eschano]

And inspired by automatedeating and in line with my holiday challenge my inquiry for December will be:

What needs to be present for a treat to be a celebration treat, as opposed to a just-because-I-can treat? And instead of thinking about this and writing it down I'll just observe my body and feel. Findings will follow!

[automatedeating]

Or maybe "who" needs to be present?

[eschano]

hehehehe! Very true!!

[eschano]

N day habits are quite good it seems. I have a chocolate advent calendar and am allowed it too for December but I completely forgot about it today! So instead of making up for it tomorrow by eating two and instead of having it tonight I will save everyone I miss for S days.

It will be an interesting experiment for me.

[eschano]

Yep, and I immediately had a very massive fail yesterday. That's for boasting about N habits haha.
I marked it an move on...

[eschano]

All good so far. Spending my weekends with the new boy means I'm never really alone so an in-front-of-the-TV/bored spurge is currently not a problem which is mainly what made my S days so wild in the past.

But I'm still not healthy. After two sets of antibiotics I took some probiotics to get my stomach back on track. The result? An allergic rash all over my body - massively annoying. I'm not doing anything except for cooling it down at the moment - so over popping pills!

[lpearlmom]

Oh no don't you hate it when the cure is worse than the ailment?! Hope both things get better soon and glad things are going well on the food front.

New boyfriend?

[automatedeating]

Yeah, that caught my eye too: new "boy"?

I'm reading this as I'm getting ready to eat my breakfast (have to brag because I love it): full-fat plain Greek yogurt (18 grams fat/serving!!) mixed with blueberries. I put the blueberries in the night before so they thaw in time for breakfast.

You just can't go wrong with yogurt. I've even heard of some women using it to treat yeast infections (I am not kidding......)

And here's another laugh for the day. A new and growing treatment for major GI flora imbalances is fecal transplants. Yep, just get some poop from a healthy-gut.

[eschano]

Thanks so much for your replies guys! I accidentially wrote on my 2013 thread instead of 2014 - I quoted your replies there and will answer there too!

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... 412#143412