Skipper's check-in

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.

Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating

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Skipper
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Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2014 8:16 am

Skipper's check-in

Post by Skipper » Fri Mar 28, 2014 9:05 am

Hello there! I am new to the boards and to no-s but thought a daily check-in would be helpful for me in building new habits. This is my third day of no-s. I have not had trouble sticking to the "no sweets" rule and to my version of the "no seconds rule"-- stopping a meal when I am satisfied-- but so far the snacking has been tough. I'm trying to drink tea in the afternoons to get me through. Hopefully, I can continue to improve on this habit in the coming weeks.

jw
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Location: PA

Post by jw » Fri Mar 28, 2014 12:19 pm

Welcome to the board, Skipper! Lots of support and ideas here -- good luck with No S!
"The second you overcomplicate it is the second it becomes the thing for which it is a corrective." -- El Fug

eschano
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Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:20 pm

Post by eschano » Fri Mar 28, 2014 1:51 pm

Hello Skipper! Looking forward to reading your thread. Remember to drinks lots of tea and water between meals when the going gets tough.
eschano - Vanilla rocks!

July 2012- January 2016
Started again January 2021

Skipper
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Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2014 8:16 am

Post by Skipper » Sat Mar 29, 2014 8:53 am

Thanks, Eschano and JW. I'll try to up my tea and water consumption for sure! Yesterday, I caved and ate a snack around 2-- a saucer of mushroom risotto-- but I didn't finish it once I took the edge off my hunger, so it wasn't awful. I think I just need to work on shifting to a later lunch so that I can last until dinner. I usually am not very hungry at breakfast, so maybe that's my problem. But I figure if I can make it until dinner, eventually my hunger clock will reset itself so that I am eating enough at the appropriate times.

jw
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Joined: Fri Jul 05, 2013 7:27 pm
Location: PA

Post by jw » Sat Mar 29, 2014 12:41 pm

Your hunger clock will definitely reset itself, Skipper -- faster if you don't feed it! I mentally compare it to a stray cat that will show up unfailingly as long as there's a chance you will feed it . . . yowling "It's food o'clock!"

Thanks for your encouraging words and good gf ideas on my thread!
"The second you overcomplicate it is the second it becomes the thing for which it is a corrective." -- El Fug

eschano
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Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:20 pm

Post by eschano » Mon Mar 31, 2014 9:31 am

Hi Skipper,
I never ate breakfast before NoS. After doing the 1 plate a day for dinner only for a while I started waking up quite hungry. I have a light breakfast now every morning to tie me over to lunch.

Hope you find a way to making it work for you!
eschano - Vanilla rocks!

July 2012- January 2016
Started again January 2021

Skipper
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2014 8:16 am

Post by Skipper » Mon Mar 31, 2014 11:32 am

Thanks for the good advice, JW and Eschano. Intriguingly, after only a few days my hunger clock seems to have reset itself. This weekend, I stuck to the one-plate rule but made sure I had a little extra fruit with my breakfast, and I was not even hungry for a snack at any point. I had an herbal tea after dinner each night, which is always a nice treat, and I drank a LOT more water. Since I don't have much of a sweet tooth, I didn't finish the single-serving bag of chocolate chips that I bought myself for the weekend, so I think I may have a wee bit throughout the week if I want a dessert after dinner... a bit of a modification, but I don't feel like it will cause me to blow the No "S" rules.

paularok
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Joined: Mon Mar 31, 2014 11:10 pm

Hello everyone

Post by paularok » Mon Mar 31, 2014 11:21 pm

This is the first time I have ever written anything like this publicly and I find it scary. Dieting has always been a more or less hidden activity for me. I tried No S a few years ago and did not stick with it. I have started again with a few moderations. I can not have the free weekends like I did. It seemed to feed my binging behavior. Instead I am following the No S system as suggested except I am allowing one sweet only on Special days like holidays, birthdays, bridge party days, and visits to friends when it socially is difficult to pass up the dessert without insulting them. These "sweet" days should never be more than twice a week. The only other variation I have made is, while I do not eat snacks, I allow myself popcorn once a week at the movies.
I will weigh myself once a week and see how it goes.
After close to a week, I feel in control of my eating and think I can do this for the rest of my life. That would be a miracle!

automatedeating
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Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Tue Apr 01, 2014 2:03 am

Cool, Skipper! Glad your hunger clock is already resetting!
Sorry to sound like a strict teacher here, but I would encourage you to toss the chocolate chips in a big dumpster and hold off until the weekend for sweets. But that's just me. We all must be the captain of our own ships!
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

Skipper
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Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2014 8:16 am

Post by Skipper » Tue Apr 01, 2014 8:11 am

No worries, Automatedeating. You're probably right, especially while I'm still forming habits and getting used to meal sizes. Thanks for the advice!

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