Jen's Daily NoS Thoughts (:

Counting carbs/calories is a drag. Obsessive scale stepping is a recipe for despair. If you want to count something, "days on habit" is a much better metric. Checking off days on a calendar would do just fine, but if you do it here you get accountability and support. Here's how. Start a new topic in this forum called (say) "Your Name Daily Check In." Then every N day post a "reply" to that topic as to whether you stayed on habit. A simple "<font color="green">SUCCESS</font>" or "<font color="red">FAILURE</font>" (or your preferred euphemism if that's too harsh) is sufficient, but obviously you're welcome to write more if you want. On S-days just register that you're taking an S-day. You don't have to do this forever, just until you're confident you've built the habit. Feel free to check in weekly or monthly or sporadically instead of daily. Feel free also to track other habits besides No-s (I'm keeping this forum under No-s because that's what the vast majority are using it for). See also my <a href="/habitcal/">HabitCal</a> tool for another more formal (and perhaps complementary) way to track habits.

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Jen1974
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Jen's Daily NoS Thoughts (:

Post by Jen1974 » Thu May 12, 2016 9:55 pm

So I recently found the daily check-in & thought I'd join in too (:

I started No S in Feburary, kind of by accident. I needed something to give up for Lent & I decided to give up snacks, seconds, & desserts. It was working pretty well for me so I did a google search for No Snacks, I found this site & it seemed so similar to what I was doing that I stayed (:

My first 6 weeks would technically be all green days, but I ate bigger portions on some days & considered those my S days.

I actually gained about a pound in those first 6 weeks which was frustrating but really good for me. I was really proud of how I wasn't overeating anymore. I really got used to the habits & just enjoyed getting to choose what to eat based on what sounded good & not based on any diet. I also found how much easier it was not to binge or go overboard when I wasn't depriving myself too much during the week.

I decided that I wasn't losing weight though because my green days weren't quite green enough to do anymore than cancel out my yellow days that were a little too yellow (: I needed to find ways to be a little healthier on some of the days. I added in stars to my calendar for yellow & green days where I ate a little lighter. If all the days were stars, I would lose weight more quickly but burn out. If all my days are plain, I would just spin my wheels. So I try to reach a mix of both & it's worked really well. I also seem to like the feeling of "earning" a star for healthier choices (:

I've had a problem with the "what the hell" effect in the past so I do my red days a little differently too. I could see myself feeling like "well the day can't get any redder, might as well live it up" so I added orange for a day where I make a mistake but don't let it mess up the whole day, plain red for a day where I make a couple mistakes but don't get all the way to "what the hell" and a red day with a sad face for "what the hell". I've only hit that on vacation when I left all rules behind.

I started eating lunch at 3:00 which was always when I would have a hard time not snacking in the past. This has made the hugest difference for me in terms of not having days where I fail.

I know that you aren't supposed to be able to fail S days, but I am really proud my my S days & wanted them not to be cheat days at all, so I can fail an S day. The biggest thing I'm trying to avoid is the "what the hell day", even if it's an S day. Cheat days were problems for me in the past so this keeps my S days from becoming cheat days.

My crazy calendar is here:

https://fun2eatagain.wordpress.com/my-no-s-calendar/

I have a blog where I write about what I'm learning on this plan:


https://fun2eatagain.wordpress.com

I gained weight back on the vacation where I had a bunch of red days & have finally gotten back to where I was before that trip so now I will hopefully get to start moving forward again. That's the summary so far on me (:

Jen (:
Last edited by Jen1974 on Fri May 13, 2016 4:54 pm, edited 6 times in total.

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Post by cedar » Thu May 12, 2016 10:16 pm

Thanks for writing this Jen..I've been reading your blog and thoroughly enjoying it! I've recommitted to vanilla no s for 1month and have had no fails, but haven't lost a single gram of weight so your story gives me comfort..I'm like you I just want to be regular and consistent with food and be at food/weight peace. I know weight loss will come when I'm ready (I fortunately don't need to lose much) but for now it's about habit and sanity and I'm feeling I'm achieving this.
All the best and keep up the writing you are really great at it!

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Post by Jen1974 » Fri May 13, 2016 12:02 am

Thank you so much Cedar!! That totally makes my day (: I think I like writing thinking that if I ever "forget" & start going down the crazy path again I can go back & remind myself just how good not crazy feels LOL!!

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Post by lpearlmom » Fri May 13, 2016 5:17 am

Glad you're posting. It's really helped me with my journey.

Welcome & gl!

Linda
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by kaalii » Fri May 13, 2016 11:49 am

haha, jen1974, you actually intuitively invented a version of this diet yourself... cool!
i know quite a number of people who eat this way intuitively all their lives - needless to say, none of them is overweight...
Age:40
BMI: 18.8
Body Fat %: 17.6
in it for maintenance and, more importantly, sanity!!

Jen1974
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Post by Jen1974 » Fri May 13, 2016 4:34 pm

I realized last night that I've chosen to be a lot more positive on this plan than most. The past 2 days I have really struggled (I'll blame hormones). I wanted a snack, I wanted more for dinner, I wanted ice cream for dessert. But I made it (: I put a smiley face on any day that I make it though "even though". I went to bed almost giddy that I earned that smiley face, which is silly, like a 4 year old getting a shiney star on a chart LOL. In the past those days would have ended up red & when I see the smiley faces on some of the days in my calendar it reminds me that I can succeed even on days that are hard!!

Almost all days that I enter in my calendar I consider wins. Everything but the "what the hell" (red day with a sad face) days are ones where I don't get to lose control, even if I slip up, & that's always something to be proud of!! The only days that weren't wins were the "what the hell" ones, but even those were such a great reminder of how much better food tastes when I don't overeat.

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Post by Jen1974 » Fri May 13, 2016 4:39 pm

Hi Kaalii (: It's funny that even though I sort of decided what to give up on my own, it was still really useful to find this & read the No S book.

I think the best thing I learned was about being strict with my habits!! Once I took no seconds to the extreme of meaning, something small like not even eating a Cheerio out of the box when I'm putting it in the cupboard after breakfast, that I noticed the little part of me that has always wanted more in the past slowly getting quieter & quieter at the end of meals now that she knows the answer is ALWAYS no (:

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Post by Jen1974 » Sat May 14, 2016 5:12 pm

My S days start Friday night, all day Saturday, & then Sunday I can choose to have an S day, or if things are going to happen during the next week I can decide I'd rather "save" the splurge for that instead. I think I read in the No S book that you shouln't trade. I don't allow myself to use a future splurge early ("next Sunday I won't take an S day") but I do allow myself to "save" it for later & use it for something more worth it (:

I'm silly with my stars I put in my calendars. Last night I told myself that I could have beef jerky as an appetizer, or ice cream for dessert & get a star, or do both & skip the star. I wanted the star so I decided on just beef jerky. I'm really like a small child with earning these stars (:

Me & my husband are taking our first trip for fun without our kids. We both want to lose a little weight before it & I've been doing No S & he is just trying to make healthier choices. He eats these small meals & kind of looks at me funny when I load up for mine. Then he ends up starving around 4:00 & starts grazing through the pantry until dinner. A handful of pretzels, a handful of nuts, a cookie, some crackers, etc. etc until dinner. Never a huge amount of food, but if I picture him putting it all on his plate & he would never eat it all, but doing it just a tiny bit at a time makes it feel like not much food. He's been complaining that he's not getting anywhere & wants to not snack like me but says he's just too hungry. I keep telling him he needs to eat a little more at meals, but he wants to lose weight & when you want to do that you always think you need to eat little meals. It's a funny cycle to see from the inside of No S. He's starting to do the no seconds, I wonder if he'll eventually jump on board for the no snacks & sweets part too (:

Happy S Day everyone!!

Jen

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Post by Jen1974 » Sun May 15, 2016 4:49 pm

Yesterday was an S day, but my N day meals are really good so my S days are very similar to N days with a little extra thrown in (: We made mini pizzas & calzones for dinner, my daughter had a friend spend the night (: I had an ice cream for dessert which always amazes me just how good it is. I like the mini Ben & Jerrys because I always eat just the right amount of those (: I'm starting to realize I may eat more than others. When I read what other people eat I'm amazed that I feel like just one of my meals contains probably more calories than all 3 of someone elses LOL!! I just had a typical N day breakfast which was 2 cups of coffee with cream, 2 scrambled eggs on 1/2 bagel with 1 oz melted cheddar, a bowl of berries, & a Noosa Yogurt which probably should classify as a dessert, but I consider it healthy & am totally fine not thinking of it as a dessert LOL!! I'm at home all week & love weeks where N days are so easy to make healthy (: It will be a nice break from the last couple of weeks where we were on the go. The best thing is that those were successful weeks too on No S. This is such a more sane way of eating. It makes my old self seem silly sometimes for how complicated I made it all.

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Post by Jen1974 » Mon May 16, 2016 3:18 pm

Sundays can sometimes be my least favorite day. The week is just looming & a lot of times there is nothing that fun about Sunday so it gets tempting to try & make myself feel better with food. Yesterday was one of those days. It started out fine but by lunch I could have easily turned the day into a "what the hell" day & eaten more. I waited, had an ice cream after dinner & ended up with a really healthy yellow day. This is the type of day in the past where I remember climbing into my pantry & finding hersey bars I normally save for S'mores by the fire & pounding though them just to have more. Eating bags of chips, just because, & anything else that sounded remotely good even though I wasn't hungry. Yesterday I stopped at my one ice cream, made a cup of tea & went to bed amazed that I made it (:

I added a smiley face because that was the first time I think I've ever concurred a boring Sunday. I usually manage to turn to food to make me feel better when I'm grumpy, tired, & bored & I didn't. It was REALLY REALLY hard but I didn't go overboard (: Love this plan!!

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Post by lpearlmom » Mon May 16, 2016 4:36 pm

Jen--thank you for stopping by my thread. It really helps to hear from someone else dealing with some of the same stuff. Your words made me tear up a little. You give me hope that our relationship can stay in tact.

Also, I know what you mean about Sunday's. I noticed s general grumpiness around here as the reality of Monday morning starts to sink in. Great job on handling those emotions in a different way. That is a huge step. It feels so good doesn't it?

Have a great week!!

Linda :)
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by Jen1974 » Wed May 18, 2016 2:51 pm

Had date night on Monday but still got the green. We just ent to sushi which is probably healther than a lot of what I cook at home (:

I'm 100% virtual plates. I like eating my food in cources so the eggs are hot, the cereal's not soggy, ect. I always decide what I'm having before the meal begins though & then that's it, no more. With sushi we order lite to keep the bill down so it's not quite enough food for me when I'm only having 3 meals a day. I planned ahead of time I'd have a yogurt when I got home. That would be a fail for most probably, but for me it works better than either spending too much on dinner, or coming home starved & it doesn't feel like a fail as long as I've planned in advance that that is the plan, but it would feel like a fail if I came home another night & decided after the fact to have a yogurt. It's funny how the same thing can go either way (:

I love that I now eat anything for meals on N days. I don't feel like I have to just "get through" my N days to get to my S days & be able to eat things I enjoy (except for sweets LOL). I look forward to eating good things everyday.

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Post by Jen1974 » Thu May 19, 2016 3:09 pm

New low on the scale today which is always nice. I gained a little over 3 lbs on a recent vacation, it's been 6 weeks of re-losing that so seeing a new low was really nice!! It is not much fun to re-lose weight, but it was such an eye opening experience that I don't regret it at all. It truly was the first time I reached an "I've had it point" & with No S it's something I never have to do again. I'm feeling pretty confident that I learned my lesson so it was well worth the 6 weeks it took to get the vacation weight off (: I feel like I'm supposed to just naturally end up on a "day off" not WANTING more but I'm realizing for me it will always be a choice & I'll always need to lean on the "No Seconds" habit to guide me.

This week is easy to get green stars because we're eating at home almost every night. My green days are easy too because I have big meals. I am really good at working out every morning. It's a habit I created in my 20's when my kids were small & I realized it was in the morning before my husband left, or not at all so 45mins of running or elliptical 6 mornings a week. Maybe that's why my meals seem big but just to make all you others that eat big meals know you're not alone here's my N Day (:

Breakfast:
1/2 toasted bagel with 2 Scrambled Eggs & 1 oz cheddar
Bowl Of Berries
2 cups of coffee with cream
Small bowl of total with whole milk

Lunch:
1/2 Bagel with pizza sauce & 2 oz mozzarella cheese
Small bowl of Total with while milk
Noosa Yoghurt
Bowl Of Berries

Dinner:
Angel Hair Pasta
Spagetti Sauce
2 oz mozzarella cheese
Noosa Yoghurt

So there it is. I'm posting this because I will read what others eat & think I'm eating SO much LOL, but I'm losing weight & love my N days so I'm pretty happy. It used to cause problems for me in the past when girlfriends would tell me about their side salad & chicken breast, I had to realize that that way of eating isn't for everyone (:

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Post by lbb (Liz) » Thu May 19, 2016 11:14 pm

Hi Jen! I think you are doing great! I love reading your thoughts! And, I think none of us should compare at all how much or what others are eating! It’s so easy to do, but our bodies are so different! And our hormones all are different! I eat a ton in quantity but it works for me!
COngrats on your successes! I really like the thought of deciding what you’ll eat before-hand and then you can have that peach or something after dinner, if at dinner you weren’t entirely satisfied--a type of virtual plating!
:)
Liz

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Post by Joyday » Fri May 20, 2016 12:19 am

I really enjoy your posts!

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Post by lpearlmom » Fri May 20, 2016 3:21 am

Yay you're doing great! So awesome that you have that great exercise habit. I'm working on that! I don't think your meals look too big. As you saw from my post, I'm making mine a little bigger. So much more satisfying and much easier to have a green day, and yep with all that great exercise, you'll definitely need some extra nourishment!

Keep up the great work

Linda
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by Jen1974 » Fri May 20, 2016 3:39 am

Thanks girls for reading my posts (: I love this community!!

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Post by Jen1974 » Fri May 20, 2016 4:56 pm

Yesterday another eat at home N Day (: Today it occured to me that it was Friday & therefor tonight I can take an S day. I hadn't even thought of it. No big plans for what to have or what I will splurge on this weekend. I've always been someone who eats more on weekends, even before No S and by Friday I'm normally counting down the seconds until I get to be "free". Love that my N days are not something I need to be "free" from. My week days used to feel like diet prison LOL!

I do have my niece's graduation tonight. I've noticed that when people serve dessert at these events, you are almost forced to eat it. I don't like store bought cake with frosting. There's always just too much frosting that sort of tastes like Crisco with sugar to me (: I'm very picky about my S events. I like them to always be something that is worth the wait & cake just isn't it for me. I'd rather pick-up a Krispy Kreme donut on the way home or a cherry dipped cone & use my S event on something worth it (:

Happy S Day everyone!!

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Post by lbb (Liz) » Fri May 20, 2016 6:18 pm

I relate to weekends always being over the top for me. I also cannot stand store-bought crisco cakes...my husband says I'm a "cake snob", and I am!
I started No-S Tuesday of this week and have some anxiety about treats this weekend.
Do you stick to 3 meals/day and then choose a treat or two?
Liz

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Post by Jen1974 » Fri May 20, 2016 9:53 pm

Liz, I'm a total cake snob too, good cake is just so much better than Costco ones LOL!!!

S days flow pretty much like N days for me with 3 meals, sometimes a bit bigger portions though. I don't limit the number of "S events" I can have but also don't take any just becase it's an S day. It has to be something I REALLY want. I do decide on a normal portion size & then say "no seconds" on all S events & I also ask myself "would I rather" to decide what I really want (would I rather have a brownie after dinner or a snack now). If I get to the end of a day & feel I'm wanting one more S event when I feel I've already had enough, I decide if it's worth it. Not enough S events burns me out but too many slows progress. Sometimes I decide that yes, it really is worth it, it's usually on a week that has been extra challenging like PMS (: It's funny how allowing myself those extras occassionally has been really good for me. I think in the past I would resent feeling deprived when I was too strict & needed to give myself a little grace.

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Post by lpearlmom » Sat May 21, 2016 4:15 am

I love how carefully you've thought out your S days Jen! Maybe mine would have calm down a lot sooner if I'd done the same.

I hope you find some S worthy treats this weekend. We're waking up early and taking my daughter to a special donut shop (The Fractured Prune) for her bday. I'm very excited as I almost never eat them!

Btw, love the noosa yogurt too&#128077;

Have a great weekend!

Linda
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by lbb (Liz) » Sat May 21, 2016 4:44 am

Thanks for your input on "S" days. I think I'll follow a similar pattern. I find myself seeing it liberty to binge like old days. Not to simply enjoy a donut at a shop with my daughter, cake with my husband, but to open the cupboards at night after the kids are in bed and to "do my thang". To have all the typical binge foods.
Instead I need to enjoy...go slow. Nothing tastes good if eaten too quickly and not savored!
Thanks for all your tips!
Liz

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Post by Jen1974 » Sat May 21, 2016 5:05 pm

My daughter has been my inspiration to wanting to eat like a normal person. I had been watching her eat & comparing it to how disfunctional I could be with food & realized I would NEVER want her relationship with food to be anything like mine. One thing I noticed the most about her is her ability to stop in the middle & save anything once she was done. There was no "well I know I won't let myself have this later so better eat as much as I can" attitude that I somehow had picked up along the way. I love that I've learned how to do this with her (:

Last night my mother in law asked my daughter if she wanted cake. My daughter eats nothing just for the sake of eating it & said "no thank you". She had already eaten a cookie & was perfectly content with that. My mother in law got annoyed though & told my husband "I guess she's too healthy to eat cake". What is it with people pushing desserts on others. It's so funny because I had talked about the cake thing yesterday (: I actually dodged the cake bullet because I was talking to my brother in law outside when dessert was served so they didn't notice that I didn't have cake. There were these lemon cakes that I loved there but I didn't want to just stand & eat them. It seemed like a waste of an S event because things taste so much better when you sit & enjoy them so I skipped them & decided to save the S event for later this weekend. I'm pretty sure I had about a dozen of them in the past, grabbing one everytime I walked by thinking "I better eat as many of these as I can, I know I won't let myself have them later". (:

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Post by cedar » Sun May 22, 2016 6:52 am

It's great to be able to witness a 'normal eater' isn't it Jen..someone who hasn't been messed up with diet rubbish! My sons are fascinating to me also..they both eat differently- one likes lots of small meals and one likes big full meals less often but they both will just stop eating if they've had enough no matter what it is..all but 2 bites for example. Also you cannot force them to eat if they don't want to..no way at all!
I think people who push food or comment on others eating have their own issues they need to address..it should not affect them at all whether another person eats or not. It's interesting to watch.

I love how you've handled your s days and only eating 's worthy treats'..inspiring! Still loving your blog too! Xx

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Post by lpearlmom » Sun May 22, 2016 3:30 pm

Awesome Jen! My girls are the same. They hate bday cake and always turn it down at parties. I think it's a quality issue. More cake snobs!:)

Isn't it fantastic that we've broken the cycle of women hating their bodies, and eating in a disordered way? My youngest daughter told me the other day that she wants to take dance "because she has the body for it". This is a girl that was on the chubby side till recently.

I refused to get spooked by her chubbiness and never said anything negative nor did I try to restrict her eating in any way (despite my MIL's concerns). This last year (11 yrs old) she grew a bunch and leaned out naturally on her own. My parents put me on a diet when I was 10 and everything spiraled out of control from there. I can't help but wonder if I would have leaned out on my own too if they had just left me alone. Oh well, I'll never know but am happy my girls have a positive view of their bodies.

Have a great Sunday!

Linda
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by lbb (Liz) » Sun May 22, 2016 3:45 pm

LInda--how lucky your girls are to have you as their mom! I have 5 sisters and heard the diet message from a young age. I matured quickly physically and when I turned 13, started dieting, leading to anorexia, and the rest is another story. So, yes! Your girls are perfect as-is and will naturally be at their perfect weight. :)

Kids are so fascinating. Food is just fuel for my boys. They definitely have NO emotional attachment. Plus, i’ll hand them a treat and they usually don’t finish it. WOW!

Keep up the great work, Jen!
Liz

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Post by Jen1974 » Mon May 23, 2016 4:07 pm

I noticed this weekend how I have such a better appreciation for splurges when I'm selective about them & put what I'm having in front of me before I start. I sit, eat slowly so it lasts, & really enjoy it. In the past I would practically inhale way too much of whatever "off limit" food I would have during a what the hell moment LOL! I love that I have found a way to use restrictions to enjoy food more instead of using them to deprive myself to the point of needing a "what the hell" moment.

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Post by lbb (Liz) » Mon May 23, 2016 8:23 pm

I want to get to this spot, Jen! I don't know why the sitting and enjoying of a treat has been so off-limit, but stashing candy in my pockets and sneaking more cookies has...yikes! That's so great you are at the point where you are treating yo'self well!
Liz

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Post by Jen1974 » Mon May 23, 2016 9:56 pm

You'll get there Liz!! It takes some patience at first but that's what teaches you what works for you (: There are a couple of things I couldn't have around. I almost bought them at the store today to see how I'd do now LOL! Sugar Babies are one, I've had to buy my daughter many boxes of those to replace the ones I eat until they're gone (:

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Mon May 23, 2016 11:49 pm

Hi Jen

Your "S event" story is wonderful. I hope to get there before long, to the place where I wait for an "event" rather than just saying Ooh S day! I'm going to shovel it all in!

You have your daughter, I have my son (who actually pushes a plate away with food still on it) and my sister (who I like to follow thru a buffet line, and do what she does hahaha) to observe for "normal eaters"

They exist, which proves it's possible to govern our appetites, and not let them govern us.

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Post by Jen1974 » Tue May 24, 2016 5:15 pm

I was thinking how if I had found No S sooner, I might have used No S as just another way to do my same restrict until what the hell day cycle. I could of easily just added it on top of my already restrictive N style days & gotten to the weekends a little burnt out from restrictions & gone big. Same cycle, different diet. But this time I wanted something different.

I think I broke the cycle when I attacked my N days first. I didn't allow them to be too restrictive. I didn't allow myself to use them as a punishment for eating more on S days. Instead I focused on enjoying my N days. Because of this I didn't lose weight at first (gained a pound) but thank goodness I let that be okay. Once my body got used to less restrictive N days, I didn't feel that desperation to go big on an S day. It's not that I don't have the desire to eat too much on my weekends anymore, but I don't have the need to eat too much so I can choose not to.

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Post by cedar » Tue May 24, 2016 10:39 pm

Yes that's so true isn't it Jen..it depends on your mindset and attitude! And readiness to be balanced and normal with food! As wonderful as No S is, and it is the best!!, if you're in the old "diet mentality-gotta lose weight no matter what- mindset" it too can be just like all the other diets..as I'm sure there are people who can sanely do a diet like low carb or calorie counting if they have a balanced realistic attitude.. I have a friend who does the 5:2 diet..she just does it..been on it for about 3 years and she lost her weight and just maintains now. I tried that and I found myself in absolute binge/starve mode..it was awful! I feel I'm getting there, I wanted some chocolate last night and I had the old thoughts pop up "just do it! Who cares..you deserve it!" You're sick you could just have a S ick day..and I stopped and thought -"what really will the chocolate give me? What will it do? All I'll do is feel guilty and annoyed with myself..I can wait a few days and enjoy something even nicer." I could really see I had a choice..I wasn't rebelling against anything because I could have it if I wanted but was it the chocolate I really wanted?? No actually, it wasn't. Even though my appetite hasn't been big with this flu, I've been eating my full meals anyway so as to keep up the nourishment and habit and I'm sure that helped me to remain calm and rational last night when faced with that craving.
Anyway sorry to hijack your thread!!! But could definitely relate to your comments.
:D

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Post by lpearlmom » Wed May 25, 2016 5:25 am

Yep Jen when I first did NoS, I wasn't losing weight fast enough and so left. I came crawling back years later and many pounds heavier. It clicked for me when I got to the point of wanting sanity with food even more than I wanted to lose the weight. Just has to be in that order I think.

(Wow cedar that chocolate story is great! Good things happening mentally for you!)


Linda :)
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by Jen1974 » Thu May 26, 2016 3:00 pm

Cedar, I love the chocolate story too!! I have those moments where it just seems hard to resist the treat. I notice so much with them how when I am strict & don't give in, it seems the habit get stronger & the urge to have a treat at the wrong moment gets weaker every time. And the best part is that when I am selective about treats I appreciate the ones I do have so much more!! Some moments are just SO HARD though but t sure feels good when the habit wins & the urge loses (:

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Post by Jen1974 » Thu May 26, 2016 3:16 pm

My kids are getting out for summer today so it's been a crazy busy week!! So far, so good for N days, but I do notice I'm wanting a little bigger meals. I've been debating taking my food off the gas a little in June & working towards maintaining instead of losing. There's a lot going on in June that I want to enjoy with fewer restrictions so that's probably that's where I'll head. But then I'll try on a swimsuit & second guess that LOL!!

So I've talked about my daughter & food so now my boys. Teenage boys can eat SO MUCH FOOD!! Holy cow my 14 year old son eats a lot. Doesn't have to think about a thing, can eat what he wants & grows so fast that he can barely eat enough to catch up (he's 6'3"). My second son wants to be tall but he hasn't hit his growth spurt. Everyone is always talking about how much his brother eats & how tall he is so I worry he's trying to eat to catch up. He's 12 & is going though the age where you get a little thicker before you grow a little taller which my older son went though too, but I worry he takes it a little too far trying to keep up with his brother. He was watching TV before school & finished off 1/2 family sized box of cereal a couple of mornings ago. I told him 2 bowl max & then needs to switch to yogurt, fruit, eggs, something different. I don't want him to worry. Childhood IS NOT the time to think about what you eat, but he plays soccer & as he gets thicker it's harder for him to run & I worry there is a level of thicker that I feel like you can't recover as easily from as a kid & I don't want him to face that challenge either. Being a parent is not always easy. My dad used to make comments about people's weight & it was a BIG factor in my constant worry about my weight. I don't want to do that to my son, but I also see kids who are allowed to eat anything they want & get so heavy that they are made fun of at school & seem so unhealthy & unhappy.

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Post by cedar » Fri May 27, 2016 11:07 am

Hmmm yes it's a tricky one with kids and food isn't it. I don't have any great advice, but the way you are modelling such a normal and balanced way of eating is certainly something that you should be proud of!

Sounds good about the maintenance plan..better than feeling like it's too strict or you're missing out and then going the other way..I'll be interested to see what you decide to do.

Loved and agree with your last blog post too..I didn't comment on the site but thought I'd do so here. I always enjoy reading it.
Have a great weekend Jen!

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Post by lpearlmom » Fri May 27, 2016 2:10 pm

Hi Jen!

It's hard not to worry about our kids weight. We know how fat people are discriminated against and we don't want them to suffer. My younger daughter stopped soccer (seasons over) and suddenly has been eating more than normal. I'm guessing it's a growth spurt but I can tell she's gained a few pounds. I would never say anything but it's hard not to worry.

I know restricting will make it worse but I try to follow Ellyn Satters rules for kids. It's our job to say what & when and their job to say how much and if at all. So they can have 3 meals and 2 snacks but it needs to a be sitting down event. Not grazing all day and definitely not in front of tv (hard one for us during the summer). You're suppose to provide all food groups but they can pick and choose what they want and how much from each group from what you offer. Dessert can be offered nightly but it's a single serving thing.

We have to do our job and the trust their bodies to do their job. I highly recommend reading any of her books. She's a child dietician and her philosophy is very much in alignment with NoS. She's also done research to back up her beliefs so it's not just ideas.

Here is her link if you're interested:
http://www.amazon.com/Ellyn-Satter/e/B000APPUYQ

I particularly like the last two books listed here.

So hard being a parent but you sound like a wonderful, thoughtful and caring momma! Your kids are lucky to have you.

Have a great day!
Linda
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by Jen1974 » Fri May 27, 2016 3:33 pm

Thank you so much Linda & Cedar!!!

Linda I will definately check out Ellyn Satter!! She sounds perfect for kids. I want to teach my kids how to eat just like No S has taught me. Eating enough, but not too much at meals & some foods are only meant to be enjoyed sometimes (:

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Post by Jen1974 » Fri May 27, 2016 5:09 pm

Yesterday was my first day that I planned to have an N day but it turned red ): I debated calling it a yellow, I almost could have convinced myself that I didn't really do anything wrong because I use virtual plates, but my dinner portion was more of an S day dinner portion & so I felt that I failed the "no seconds" because of that so I marked it as red, with a smiley becasue I'm still really pround of it. I didn't go overboard, I didn't say what the hell, I didn't add in dessert. Just had a little too much dinner (: I don't get red days becasue I'm pretty laid back about S events & what I can use them for & my N days aren't overly restrictive so there hasn't been a reason to have an Red day, so I've thought a lot about what happened so I can fix it (:

First, I ate lunch on the run. I was busy getting ready for the after school ice cream party moms were doing for the neighbor kids when they get off the bus on the last day of school & didn't sit to eat, running around & taking bites instead. Because of that I felt like I never really ate lunch, even though I did.

Second, last weekend my husband had a client in town so not much happened & I didn't really have many S events. Normally I'd save it & have one later, but I didn't so I think I needed a break.

Third is that I'm hitting a low point on the scale where normally I start to backslide. I wonder if part of the reason for that is that my body is resisting losing more weight for a bit. I've just felt more hungry this week & I've wanted bigger meals on N days. I've leaned towards listening & now I plan to. It's not like I'm wanting to binge on candy or have desserts. I've just wanted bigger meals. My meals already seem big & I'm only losing a little over 1/2 pound a week but I think it's time to take my foot off the gas & coast for a little instead of running the car into the ditch LOL (: So now if I want a bigger meal, I will plan on having one instead of sneaking one & turning my day red over it (:

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Post by Jen1974 » Sat May 28, 2016 5:27 pm

Yesterday was Friday & I always allow myself a S event on Friday night if I want one. My S days are pretty mild so I allow myself up to 3 a week. S days are about a breakeven I'd say & N days are where I make progress. I didn't really need one after my red day on Thursday so N day it became. I felt back to normal where my meals were big enough & didn't leave me wanting more yesterday. It's sometimes hard to tell when my inner child is just having a meltdown & wants more, or when it's my body that needs more. I do feel that I needed the S day style dinner on Thursday night & after that I was good to go on Friday again. Sometimes though hormones, not enough sleep, or boredom makes me feel like I need more when I DO NOT & I need to be strict & make sure not to have bigger meals over something like that. Those are the moments that when I quit being strict I can find myself backsliding, but also when I am too strict & burn out that can cause a backslide too so I'm gameplanning of how to make sure that I don't do either of those things (: I think I'm okay with up to 4 S days & only 3 N days at this point. If my S days set me back I couldn't do that, but the are kind of just N days with benefits. I don't snack at all anymore & S days (never been a huge snacker & now it isn't something I want anymore) I just add in larger meals or desserts. An extra S day would just slow my progress a little & I'm close to where I want to be anyway so I'm thinking I'm okay with that. I'm very selective about my S events so I'm not really worried that I'd end up abusing this.

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Post by Jen1974 » Mon May 30, 2016 2:53 pm

Weekend was really mild & ended up with 2 N Days. I had planned to do S'mores with my crew on Saturday night. We had a bon fire, but the neighbor kids showed up which was really fun, I love my neighbor kids!! I've known them since they were very small so I'm close with them all. But by the time I got all the kids S'mores & they were off playing I decided that I wanted to save the S event for later. It's more fun to have S'mores with my kids still there I think (: Plus I go on vacation on Wednesday & couldn't help but think that the S events there were going to be much better than anything here over the weekend & seeing as it's SO close it felt better to wait.

Memorial Day BBQ tonight at a friends. Should be an N day. Usually there is nothing that S worthy at these things (: I do like N days that are truely N days. There's no little "should I?" Voice in my head that is there on S days when I know it's a choice (:

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Post by lpearlmom » Mon May 30, 2016 3:25 pm

You're doing great Jen! I love how you really like to save your Ss for only the stuff that you'll truly enjoy.

Enjoy your bbq!

Linda
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Post by Jen1974 » Tue May 31, 2016 4:31 pm

I have gotten SO selective about my S(plurges) (: It's one of my favorite things I've picked up here!! I bought a big thing at Costco of Oreo Thins which are one of my favorite sweets. I love that I can have them in my cupboard without feeling the need to have one. I'm okay saving them for later. Not that I don't ever WANT one, but by eating meals that leave me satisfied I'm usually feel okay waiting.

I've started noticing my will power levels. I can feel when they are getting a little too low, when I start craving more things, or being tempted to have just a little more & that I need to plan a bigger splurge to fill them back up again. I'm there now & am excited for my vacation tomorrow where I plan to have all S days, but still follow my normal S day pattern of only splurging on what's really worth it (: Today it's a solid N day. Last nights BBQ was fun & I followed the one plate rule, but it was still more food than I would usually eat (:

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Post by cedar » Tue May 31, 2016 11:34 pm

Have a great vacation Jen!

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Post by MaggieMae » Wed Jun 01, 2016 2:13 am

Sounds like you're doing great! I'm inspired by so many things that you've shared. Have a great vacation!

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Post by lpearlmom » Wed Jun 01, 2016 2:43 am

Have a wonderful vacation!
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by Jen1974 » Fri Jun 03, 2016 5:20 pm

Having lots of fun. It's raining now & my husband is working & I'm avoiding work so here I am instead (:

Love all the food here!! Have found that 2 meals works best. A late big breakfast & a long slow dinner. We jump spots so dinner goes over a bunch of hours & it's fun to eat a little here & a little there. I've stuck with the "no seconds" & have not had any what the hell type moments so I'm pretty okay with that. Much better than last time!! I think the habits are a lot more solid now than they were then!! I'm sure I will backslide slightly after this but it is well worth it when I'm not completely overdoing it!!

I used to avoid hunger & I've really started to like the feeling of hunger in between meals. On our way here, we had breakfast just before we left but it was a 4 hour flight & when we made it to the hotel there weren't many options to eat because it was after lunch. I used to have to pack snacks or I would get hangry (grumpy from getting hungry) and that is gone. I love that my body seems to have gotten good at using other things for energy than a constant string of food!! I always think of it as burning fat now instead of burning the last snack I ate, might not totally work that way, but it seems like a happy thought (:

I guess I was hoping to eat a little less here than I am, but am happy enjoying vacation & not thinking much past don't overdo it & "no seconds" & have more later instead of overeating now. My body feels better, the food is tasting better, & overall it's just a better way than going through the vacation eating anything I want whenever I want which only left me overly full & lethargic most of my last trip.

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Post by cedar » Fri Jun 03, 2016 8:38 pm

The 2 meal routine sounds great Jen. Sounds like you're doing well..it's always a fine line between just letting go and enjoying being relaxed and 'free' but still not going overboard and ruining the vacation by feeling stuffed and undoing your hard work with weight loss and habits.

Are you still in your morning workout routine? Or are you having time off from that while away..? Enjoy yourself hopefully you're too busy relaxing to answer this :lol: xx

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Post by Merry » Sat Jun 04, 2016 6:24 am

Sounds lovely, Jen!
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Post by Jen1974 » Sat Jun 04, 2016 4:55 pm

Seems to be a rainstorm that comes every day at this time (: So much more fun to check in here instead of work (:

Cedar, I do exercise on vacation. In all honesty I don't really like it & wake up always sort of wishing I was someone who slept in instead, but I give myself the option of either eating a little less, maybe skipping desserts, or exercising & I'd rather exercise & eat more. I LOVE vacation food LOL (:

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Post by lpearlmom » Sat Jun 04, 2016 10:21 pm

Wait why are you guys working on vacation? Are you on a cruise?

Yes I'm nosy--sorry!

Glad eating is going well. We're going on a 3 week road trip & im worried my eating will be a mess. Oh well!

Linda
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by Jen1974 » Tue Jun 07, 2016 4:43 pm

Linda, It's funny you ask. I could see how that would seem weird (: Me & my husband both have pretty flexible jobs & work from home. We travel a lot so we very rarely can be on a trip without having to spend some time working, which is fine because it means we can be gone more often. We have 2 families that like to do big extended trips, we like to have our own family trip where we get to focus on just our kids & we just got back from a trip just my husband & me. We drive older cars & try to save money in other areas so that we can put more money towards traveling (:

I ended up happy enough with how I handled food on the trip. Ended up eating more than I would have chosen before I left, but only really took 2 solid rules. I could only eat things that I REALLY wanted. No eating things "just because" I was on vacation and I couldn't get to "what the hell" or "you only live once, might as well enjoy it". I had to really think about what & how much I wanted for everything I ate & drank. In the end, there was really good drinks, & really good food so it was worth it to backslide a little (:

Yesterday on the trip home I didn't do as well as I would have liked. I knew I had to eat an earlier than normal breakfast & a later than normal dinner with no food in between. I thought that by eating extra at breakfast it would work out ok, but I was STARVED on the plane & ended up eating a couple of the snack packs they pass out. This only proved that snacks truly don't work for me. It took the edge off my hunger but that was about all & by the time we got to the restaurant after picking up our kids, I was still way too hungry. We went to mexican so there were chips & it was the worst I have done against chips in a while but the restuarant was busy & food was taking FOREVER. I'm actually not unhappy with myself over it because I didn't get to "what the hell". I didn't just continue to eat chips, but stopped (even if it was only after a few too many). As long as I never get to "what the hell", it never becomes something to regret & I LOVE LOVE LOVE that I don't seem to lose control like that anymore.

I did learn that 3 meals a day works best & that the timing of my meals is really important to my success. I don't do well with way too hungry & no matter how strong my habits are, way too hungry makes it impossible for me to succeed!!

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Post by lpearlmom » Wed Jun 08, 2016 6:26 am

So awesome Jen! What a cool way to live life. Clearly you have your priorities in tact.

I found the vacation days spent flying on NoS were the hardest. My schedule was all thrown off and I was way too bored on the plane not to partake in those little snacks. I think I pretty much just called it an S day so I'd say overall you did great.

Linda
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by LifeisaBlessing » Wed Jun 08, 2016 5:24 pm

Jen1974 wrote:I did learn that 3 meals a day works best & that the timing of my meals is really important to my success. I don't do well with way too hungry & no matter how strong my habits are, way too hungry makes it impossible for me to succeed!!
Such words of wisdom Jen! One of the reasons I came back to NoS was the 3 meals sanity. I did try some intermittent fasting at one point, but found that the hunger levels went way past comfort for me, and ended up causing me to "make up" for what I wasn't eating during fasting times.
I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.
~Jimmy Dean

The second you overcomplicate it is the second it becomes the thing for which it is a corrective.
~El Fug, on the NoS Diet

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Post by Jen1974 » Wed Jun 08, 2016 5:26 pm

Linda, that makes me happy that you say that about the travel day!! I felt like I had come undone that day (:

Feels REALLY nice to get back to 3 "normal" meals. Yesterday I felt a slight feeling of hunger a couple of hours before lunch & it felt great to tell myself "you're not hungry, you're bored".

I've pretty much given up snacks for good I've decided except for on vacation. They don't do anything for me. They confuse my hunger signals & never leave me feeling satisfied because they are always too small. On vacation it's sometimes harder to not have the afternoon ice cream with my kids or the late night treat before bed, but other than that I'm better off with 3 meals a day & that's it!!

As a total side note & nothing to do with No S but I realized about 6 weeks ago that I used to lose weight more quickly when I ate more calcium. I changed some of my meals so that I was again getting 120% of my daily calcium & I started losing weight more quickly without eating less (went from just over 1/2 lb per week to just under 1 lb per week) & noticed I gained much less on my recent vacation than before. Can't be 100% sure calcium made the difference, but I didn't make other changes. I'm kind of blown away by it. Once I lose the little bit of weight I put back on on vacation I won't have much else to lose but still like the idea of it making it so I can eat a little more than I can without calcium & keeping my bones strong at the same time LOL!!

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Post by Jen1974 » Sat Jun 11, 2016 3:50 pm

I 've thought a lot about what my line in the sand really is with sweets this week. I know with seconds & snacks where I'm at. All 7 days I don't do seconds (I plan the portion before the meal, I use a virtual plate) or snacks. Snacks have gotten easy, seconds is always where I have to force myself to push back. However, sweets has always been the one that isn't very important to me. I really can take or leave them. I do get used to having something sweet at the end of a meal, but right now that's Noosa yogurt, which really for some WOULD be a sweet treat (: Sweets are just not really part of my plan so far, but going forward I've decided that my goal was to eat like a normal person & having occasional sweets in the right amount (not too much) feels more normal to me than not, so for me a day can still be green if I have a sweet as long as I've made room on my plate for it & it's part of the "meal". I'm not uptight about any of this though. If we're going to DQ after dinner, the ice cream is part of my dinner. I feel that's what normal is for me & my family & that's where I want to be. Normally it is a weekend where this happens, but in the summer sometimes it's not. Normal eating is being able to have a treat during the week but refrain on the weekend sometimes. I feel like I'm there with sweet treats so that seems to be a better fit for me.

Nothing too exciting this week. Tue-Fri, all green. I considered adding a sweet this week to my lunch. My lunch has felt just a little too light & I thought a dark chocoloate would be a good way to feel a little more finished at the end of lunch. I was all set to buy it but didn't make it to the store & after dinner was wishing I had so I could have one after dinner & I realized what happened to me & why I quit buying dark chocolate. One piece after lunch, turned to another one after dinner & slowly became 2 after lunch & then 2 after dinner because they were "only around 50 calories" & there were health benefits that made it feel like I wasn't eating anything I shouldn't. But when I kept inching my way up it made it hard to lose weight & I still have a little to lose so I decided, not yet as far as a daily treat (:

I'm in the lose the vacation weight mode, which I always hate just a little, even though it's really worth it to kick back & have fun on vacation. I always just get a little sick of working out in the mornings which I feel like I'm undoing damage, vs. making progress or maintaining my weight (: I'm lucky working out is a habit, the last 2 mornings I've felt like "DON'T MAKE ME". The other good thing is how good it feels to have worked out. It's always worth it, but some days are just really really really hard (:

Happy S day everyone!! Headed to our cabin in the mountains & than camping. I'm sure there will be some S events, but I've realize 3 meals is what works best for me!!

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Post by RAWCOOKIE » Sat Jun 11, 2016 8:07 pm

Have a great time. I feel better on the 3 meals too - S days can feel so chaotic!
I love Everyday Systems :3

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Post by MaggieMae » Sun Jun 12, 2016 1:21 am

Hi, Jen! I'm envious of you for going to a cabin. I love nature. Today is my first s day where I'm sticking to three meals. I feel so much better and in control. Went out for Mexican food with hubby and ate too many chips! Chips and dip are my absolute weakness! It's one of the few things I've learned that I can't have in my house during the week.

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Post by Jen1974 » Thu Jun 16, 2016 9:41 pm

I love nature too MaggieMae!! My cabin is my happy place. We went camping while in the mountains too which I love!! I saw a bear walk right by my campsite while we were there. It was so cool & a little scarey &#128522;

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Post by Jen1974 » Thu Jun 16, 2016 11:12 pm

So I went camping this week & it was a NO S EPIC FAIL (: I flat out did terrible with eating. First off it's during the week. I had hoped to take healthy versions of S days during it where I don't backslide but enjoyed a few extra S events. This was incredibly unrealisitc on my part. We love to hike & we were on a lake with a boat so we did that & stayed active, but there is a lot of down time while camping & I bring lots of good food. It was putting me in a bad mood to worry too much about it while camping so I started thinking I needed a break from all thoughts of if I should or shouldn't & just enjoyed the food. I swear it was PMS that conviced me this was a good idea LOL!! I didn't bring as much as I normally do but had too many sweets. I love sweets after dinner around the fire & went overboard. I also realized that under normal conditions my meals are filling but when you add in extras camping like buttered corn on the cobb, it adds up quickly. Especially when camping meals aren't the healthiest like brats, & chili dogs (:

I do want to do a little better next time camping, but also think I need to accept that at certain times I need to kick back & enjoy the moment & camping is one of those. My kids are only young once. I got candy with them on the boat when we stopped at the marina & had so much fun in the back of the boat eating it with my 14 year old who said "I didn't think you ate Tootsie Roll Pops & Mike & Ikes Mom". Normally I would have thought I should skip it after the powdered donuts at breakfast.

So now I slid back a little more after already backsliding at the All Inclusive. I don't like times where things just keep coming at me that make it hard for me to "catch up". No S has taught me how to eat so much of the time & it works great, but there are moments that are more enjoyable not worrying too much about "snacks, sweets, or seconds" and they seem to come up a lot in the summer.

Now if I can just spend a few weeks on a normal schedule I know I can recover thanks to No S. I just need to figure out how to have a reasonable amount of backsliding happen during these things. I think when I expect myself to be too "good" during these events that are full of so many "special" & "sometimes" things that it just doesn't work.

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Post by kaalii » Thu Jun 16, 2016 11:40 pm

oh, i love camping!
im going on 6 weeks holidays soon and a lot of it will be camping!

hey, one week of Sdays is a great thing once in a while, why not?

what i love about noS is that it is about the habit... so mark it and move on!
you are back on track!

and the comforting thought can be that by the next camping trip your habits will be even stronger... and even if not - it is totally ok!
(un)fortunately we dont live in holidays mode all year round! :D
Age:40
BMI: 18.8
Body Fat %: 17.6
in it for maintenance and, more importantly, sanity!!

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Post by Jen1974 » Sun Jun 19, 2016 2:29 pm

Back in the swing of things & I've realized my problem with this month. There's just a lot of fun that comes up so its hard to tip the scale. Have realized that NO ONE but me gives a crap if my average weight this month is a couple of pounds more than my "ideal" weight & I'm much happier enjoying things this month than worrying if my plates are a little more full than they should be to lose weight. 3 meals a day & enjoying all the fun that summer brings is where my happy is now, not some dumb number on the scale!! Happy just maintaining my weight for a while!!

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Post by Jen1974 » Mon Jun 20, 2016 5:07 pm

Go figure that I get to the point of "happy just maintaining my weight" I drop back down today to about where I was at the end of May. June should have put a little weight on me. I looked at my calendar today & it's all yellow, some red, & hardly any green which are the days that keep me from gaining with all those yellow & red, so who knows. The scale makes no sense sometimes. I'm just going to figure it's my bodys way of saying it's okay staying at this weight.

The inner insane person that always wants to "lose just a little more" thought that I should take this as an opportunity to get back on track & start eating smaller meals to make progress again. I told her to shut up & enjoy June (: I really don't need to lose weight at this point. My clothes all fit again & I'm at the lowest weight I ever get to since I was 16 which I don't think counts (: I'm 5'6" & would love to get to 118, but have always told myself that at 120 I need to relax & see if I get there naturally. I'm at 120 now so time to relax (: Plus my body must like this weight if I can stay here even though I've enjoyed so many S events in June!!

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Post by LifeisaBlessing » Mon Jun 20, 2016 5:51 pm

You're doing fantastically! :) Way to go keeping on plan, and actually losing -- it's a great feeling keeping the sanity around food, even when celebrating. So relax and enjoy the fruits of all your effort! :)
I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.
~Jimmy Dean

The second you overcomplicate it is the second it becomes the thing for which it is a corrective.
~El Fug, on the NoS Diet

Jen1974
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Post by Jen1974 » Wed Jun 22, 2016 3:28 pm

I notice people disappear from here & I always wonder if they move on hoping to find something better or if they just get so used to doing it that they no longer think about it enough to check in. It's all pretty routine for me during non-vacation times but I still check in because I'm so amazed at finally finding something that makes losing & maintaining easier. It's never easy to lose weight or maintain weight. It's so easy to quit paying attention & accidently put weight back on so I love that by eating 3 meals a day 7 days a week that even when life gets hectic with more eating out & social eating events that I don't gain weight back!!

I love that I get to eat ALL the foods that I love in the right time & in the right amount too. No more guilt over meals that are high in carbs (: I also love how I've learned how to say no to seconds making it easy to control portion sizes. When it comes down to it, once you can control portion sizes you can truly eat anything you want!!

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Post by Merry » Wed Jun 22, 2016 9:51 pm

Jen1974 wrote:I notice people disappear from here & I always wonder if they move on hoping to find something better or if they just get so used to doing it that they no longer think about it enough to check in. It's all pretty routine for me during non-vacation times but I still check in because I'm so amazed at finally finding something that makes losing & maintaining easier. It's never easy to lose weight or maintain weight. It's so easy to quit paying attention & accidently put weight back on so I love that by eating 3 meals a day 7 days a week that even when life gets hectic with more eating out & social eating events that I don't gain weight back!!

I love that I get to eat ALL the foods that I love in the right time & in the right amount too. No more guilt over meals that are high in carbs (: I also love how I've learned how to say no to seconds making it easy to control portion sizes. When it comes down to it, once you can control portion sizes you can truly eat anything you want!!
Check out the discussion Why did you leave, why did you come back?. Very interesting!

I too love that I can eat all kinds of foods!
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
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Post by Jen1974 » Thu Jun 23, 2016 4:54 pm

I do like reading that thread Merry!! I can understand why people would have a hard time losing weight even when eating only 3 meals & no sweets or seconds. I've noticed that I can eat a breakfast that will make me feel full enough & not feel too hungry until lunch or I can add a couple of pieces of bacon & maybe some hashbrowns to the same breakfast, & not feel too ful & still get hungry at lunch time. It can be hard to find the meals that are just enough so that you are satified but still not so much that you just spin your wheels!! I do feel at times like it helps to be calorie aware (I think lifesablessing used that phrase) if your goal is weight loss. I am calorie aware by nature after counting calories for as long as I can remember (: When I started No S I didn't worry too much about how big my meals were & didn't lose wegiht but when I started checking myself on "could you live with a little less at meals?" I lost the weight I wanted to. It was really important to not worry at all about it at first to get the habits down first though (at least it was for me!!)

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Post by Jen1974 » Wed Jun 29, 2016 9:59 pm

Who knew it could be SO hard to maintain LOL!! This month has just been filled with fun & it's hard to stay on track. Lots of S events & camping brought bigger than normal S days which I just couldn't quite figure out how to do. Camping food is a big part of our camping trips & when I've always taken a break from worrying about what I'm eating while camping, it felt overly restrictive to worry too much now, but at the same time didn't feel as good to let lose after working so hard on habits that have been so good in my life. Vacation days & camping are hard for me to navigate. I'm going to keep trying to find a balance.

Sweets are on my watch list for now. Camping I ate plenty of sweets, but they seemed to trigger something in me. One morning I ate a breakfast burrito & had 4 mini donuts for "dessert". They tasted amazing, but I noticed only a couple of hours later I was already hungry. Normally my breakfast takes me all the way to lunch easily. A breakfast burrito & donuts was A LOT more than I normally have so you would think that it would last longer. At night it was also easy to graze on cookies & sweets that were out around the fire, breaking off little pieces of chocolate chip cookies, or having a couple of pieces of chocolate. I'm thinking that I may need to make sweets more of a S event on a trip & not allow any grazing. Sweets are definately what is turning my vacation days red.

Vacation is the only time I really let loose on sweets (I don't crave them & normally don't necessarily have them, & they are always special, not ever just grabbing somethings sweet). I wonder if sweets for me lead to more hunger & eventual overeating. I'm not talking sugar, I eat a lot of foods with sugar, but the donuts, cookies, candy, junk food style of sweets that are part of the "NO!" In No S. I feel like when these become frequent in my diet, that I feel hungrier making it harder to make smart choices. It's so much easier to stay on track when my stomach's not growling for more sweet treats!!

Happy to have a few N days. Ready for more normal N days which won't be until the end of July. Love all the fun summer brings, but it's always nice to have normal back!! As for the next few weeks I have 11 days until we leave again on a big family trip.

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Post by Jen1974 » Fri Jul 01, 2016 10:24 pm

Empty calorie foods I've decided are my nemesis. All the foods with no health value that I rarely eat but when I do I can eat a lot of without ever feeling full. I could have these foods as a kid but once I started dieting it seemed to break something in me that knows intuitively how much to eat of them. These no nutrition foods all seem to trigger a desire to overeat in me too. It's like they fire up my appetite. I'm a little excited about realizing this because it should help me on my vacation/camping type days where I have more of this type of food. From now on I always have to decide on an amount of these foods & after that, no more. I'm also limiting how many of these foods to have. Chips, crackers, "snack food", & most sweets along with breads & bagels unless I add protein & fat all do it to me. And things like donuts do it even if I've included fat & protein with the meal. I eat these things & feel tired & want to reach for more food again quickly after because of that. I feel like it's all high glycemic, zero nutrition foods (not fruit). Dark chocolate & ice cream have never had the same effect & they are low glycemic.

I really feel that's why my N days are easy, these are all foods I don't normally eat. I have bagel pizzas & white bread with eggs but my high glycemic no nutrition foods are all combined with cheese, full fat yogurt, eggs, or some other item with fat & protein. I'm excited to see if this knowledge helps me on my trip next week!! I'm using an app called streaks to track how I do.

My streaks goals for vacation (and to clean up any grey areas on S days) are:

No Seconds. Bigger portions are ok, just have to decide on an amount before I eat.

No Grazing. All foods I have to sit down & enjoy & commit to an amount, no grabbing a few handfuls of Golden Grahms or chips around the campfire.

No more than one sweet per day (preferably after dinner when the "crash" I sometimes feel after sweets comes when it's time for bed)

Only eat things I REALLY want. No eating anything "just because it's vacation".

Hoping this fixes some of my vacation eating which I feel is the final step for me. If I figure how to eat on vacation without feeling restricted but also without ending up with regrets I'll be completely content with how I eat!!

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Post by lpearlmom » Wed Jul 06, 2016 5:08 am

Glad you're getting done insight into your vacation issues. I definitely didn't want to miss out on things like roasting marshmallows or trying the best cinnamon buns in the Yukon but I just took small portions and skipped the stuff that wasn't special. Sounds like you have a similar plan.

Wish we were still camping. Have fun and let us know how it goes!

Linda :)
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by kaalii » Wed Jul 06, 2016 10:17 am

Jen1974 wrote: My streaks goals for vacation (and to clean up any grey areas on S days) are:

No Seconds. Bigger portions are ok, just have to decide on an amount before I eat.

No Grazing. All foods I have to sit down & enjoy & commit to an amount, no grabbing a few handfuls of Golden Grahms or chips around the campfire.

No more than one sweet per day (preferably after dinner when the "crash" I sometimes feel after sweets comes when it's time for bed)

Only eat things I REALLY want. No eating anything "just because it's vacation".

Hoping this fixes some of my vacation eating which I feel is the final step for me. If I figure how to eat on vacation without feeling restricted but also without ending up with regrets I'll be completely content with how I eat!!
im feeling the same way!

and these are kindof my guidelines, too... plus caring more about alcohol consumption that our holidays can have... refreshing but sugar loaded coctails in the summer nights are so tempting...
im starting every day as N day as usual...
and caring about low nutrition food is so important for me too as it makes my hunger go up and harder to stick to 3 meals because plainly they make me hungry... these foods are so calorie dense but paradoxically just not feeding me enough...
enjoy your vacations!
Age:40
BMI: 18.8
Body Fat %: 17.6
in it for maintenance and, more importantly, sanity!!

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Post by LifeisaBlessing » Wed Jul 06, 2016 12:17 pm

Great job adjusting and making the plan work for you--that's what it's all about! :)
I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.
~Jimmy Dean

The second you overcomplicate it is the second it becomes the thing for which it is a corrective.
~El Fug, on the NoS Diet

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Post by Jen1974 » Wed Jul 06, 2016 6:12 pm

kaalii wrote:
Jen1974 wrote:
caring about low nutrition food is so important for me too as it makes my hunger go up and harder to stick to 3 meals because plainly they make me hungry... these foods are so calorie dense but paradoxically just not feeding me enough...
I've really noticed the same thing Kaalii!! I've especially noticed it with high glycemic foods. Potato chips, donuts, cookies, cupcakes candy all seem to make me crash & feel hungry again soon after eating them & they are all things I only eat on vacation.

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Post by Jen1974 » Fri Jul 08, 2016 4:43 pm

After June where I had many more S events than normal & a bunch of vacation S days that are much bigger than a normal S day I was only hoping to come into July not gaining. I was surprised this week when I realized to that I actually lost 1 & 1/2 pounds. I'm thinking that I've been more active than usual, but also feel that my metabolism is on fire, I almost wonder if it's from my days being all over the place as far as how much food I'm consuming. Whatever it is I'll take it (:

Any non vacation days have gotten to be seamless. I'm not strict about S events, I can take them when needed as long as it's something special & that only happens sometimes so there is never a reason to go too big on a normal S day (I know it's not my only chance) or to fail a day that would normally be a N day for things that come up.

I love that there is no anxiety about things that come up. June was fun & in the past I would have struggled with having so many days that couldn't be perfectly healthy. I would have tried eat less on days that were like that & would eventually fail & end up at "what the hell" instead of just giving myself permission to enjoy, but not go overboard. There would be guilt & stress over this & it felt so good to not live like that anymore. What is the most shocking is that I lost weight anyway LOL!! And I even did have meals where I went a little overboard. I didn't have entire days where I did that though & I never ended up at what the hell. I also never punished myself for those days like I did in the past when I would try to be extra healthy to make up for it.

Love No S & the sanity it has brought to my life.

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Post by lpearlmom » Sat Jul 09, 2016 5:54 am

Yay what a fantastic post! Love that things are really falling into place and the weightloss is a nice extra bonus.

Can you remind me what your mods are? I'm currently trying figure out what I'm doing now that I'm back from vacation. It's confusing to me that I lost weight even though I didn't stick strictly to NoS. I allowed treats when they were very special which is what I think you're doing? I'm worried everything will become "very special" though and wondering how to differentiate?

Anyway would love to hear your thoughts.

Keep up the great work!

Linda
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by e-lyn » Sat Jul 09, 2016 6:00 am

Great post, Jen! Very inspirational and gives me hope that food sanity is possible.

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Post by Jen1974 » Sat Jul 09, 2016 5:03 pm

Thanks Linda & e-lyn (:

My No S is:

3 meals 7 days a week & S events are bigger meals (seconds) & sweets & can happen anytime from Friday night though Sunday & also for things that happen sometimes & are special during the week.

If we were going for ice cream, I'd have one with my family, because that's something that doesn't happen very often. I can never take an S event & think "I'll skip one next weekend", but if I know something is going on during the week, I will sometimes choose to have less events the weekend before & "save" one. Even on weekends I make sure S events are things I really want. Sometimes not much happens worth an S event during the weekend & a lot of times after a non eventful weekend I'll make plans for something special during the week.

How I decide what is "special" enough is if it is something that doesn't happen very often & if it's something I REALLY want. My friend a lot of times sends homemade desserts with her kids when we have them over. It happens often so it's not special. Once though she sent a bundt cake & that is my favorite & I really wanted a slice so I decided that was special, because I can say no to all sorts of desserts that I wish I could have, but having to watch everyone eat something that I love would make me feel resentful of any eating plan & that has never ended well for me (:

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Post by lpearlmom » Sun Jul 10, 2016 4:51 am

Thanks for the further details Jen! It's really helpful to get insight into other ppl's way of managing their eating. I'm struggling a bit these last few days but hopefully I'll find a good groove like you have soon.

Thanks again for sharing.

Linda
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by Jen1974 » Wed Jul 20, 2016 4:43 pm

Just got back from a long vacation which was really nice. We were at an all inclusive with extended family. There were a lot of choices for places to eat & lots of great (and some not so great) food to eat (:

I saw a mom on the beach with her 3 kids. She had the body that I am always working towards. I'm almost too good at working out (I'm not good at giving myself time off on vacation) & No S has been great for me so I look perfectly fine in a swimsuit, but she had one of those perfectly flat stomachs & really no problem areas at all. But everytime I saw here she never looked all that happy. She at salads while I ate calzones, she drank bottled water everyday, I had a some yummy pool drinks. I'd get dessert at night after ordering the steak, she ate fish & skipped the dessert. I realized that I would be miserable on vacation if I had to be so careful about what I ate & that having a perfectly flat stomach wouldn't make me one bit happier in life. It was this A Ha moment & from there my vacation was so much happier. I never overdid it but I enjoyed everything I ate with absolutly no guilt. Even when I ate a little too much I never thought "oh I shouldn't have eaten so much". I was happily enjoying a few meals that were just a little too big & am happy coming home with no regrets at all. I love how good getting back to the structure of No S feels after a break.

My daughter asked "what's this" when she noticed her normally flat stomach had a tiny "pooch" (she overheard some girls tallking about their stomachs, ugggh). I told her it was her food baby & if she didn't have a bit of a food baby after a fun trip that it meant she wasn't enjoying herself enough (: My daugter does not evereat & was enjoying a few extra cotten candies & milk shakes like everyshould be on vacation & I DO NOT want my 10 year old to worry about that anymore than I want myself to on vacation (: Before vacation I though I needed to get my vacation eating under control but on vacation I realized I needed to learn how to eat on vacation with no guilt & at the same time no binges which I did so for me that was a bigger success.

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Post by lpearlmom » Thu Jul 21, 2016 5:19 am

Wow Jen another great post. Totally shows the insanity of our desire to be thin. What is the point of having a "perfect body" if youre miserable right? I mean there has to be a balance. That sweet spot where you feel healthy and fit but still able to enjoy life.

I think you're finding it for sure. Sounds like a fabulous vacation and love your response to your daughter. 10 years old is such a fragile time for girls. That's when some of them seem to start filling out a bit and becoming aware of beauty standards. That's when I started dieting and I've been diligently watching my daughter (now 11) to make sure she doesn't fall prey to the diet industry. So far so good but with girls it's always going to be looming over us. Hopefully our daughters will resist.

Anyway enough of that tangent! Wb!

Linda :)
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by Jen1974 » Mon Jul 25, 2016 4:55 pm

So after my vacation I came back, had one great day, & seemed to fall apart from there. Not sure if it was the sugar that my body was used to getting everyday on vacation or the fact that it was that time of the month, but I would do fine at breakfast & lunch, but by dinner, 3 nights in a row I ate too many chips, too much pizza, too many rice krispy treats (they were homemade, impossible to resist LOL), just TOO MUCH!!. Old habits die hard & they seemed to sneak back in on vacation. I'm giving myself some credit, I've had whole weekends where I ate way too much & this was just nights. I really have been doing great on NO S, I may have just needed a break. I don't do S days like other people do. I stick to 3 meals a day, allow some bigger portions, & sweets so maybe I just needed a break. Anyway, yesterday which was more of an N day (3 meals, no sweets, but a bigger dinner which means an S day for me) felt GREAT!! It's funny how sometimes what you want, isn't at all what is good for you. I felt awful on Saturday after 3 days of overdoing it!!

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Post by Merry » Mon Jul 25, 2016 10:31 pm

Sounds like a great vacation! Sometimes it takes time to transition back home, and a few off days can happen. You'll get back on track. Funny how getting back to a more regular, 3-meal day feels "good" though, isn't it?!
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2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
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Post by Jen1974 » Mon Aug 15, 2016 10:44 pm

I haven't checked in for a while. I came back from a trip, & seemed to end up with leftover baggage making No S more of a struggle than it had been up until then. I was doing things on the trip like having mini cakes a few hours after breakfast & eating a lot of things I normally don't eat like cookies & cupcakes. It was like it all was kryptonite to No S. It was funny how hard it became to quit eating that type of food. I was sticking to 3 meals a day, but my S days got much bigger than before & with virtural plates the boundries seemed to blur on No Seconds.

I had decided when I got back from the trip that I wanted to enjoy summer & still do No S, but not worry about weight loss (I had a few extra pounds to lose after the trip), & instead just focusing on not gaining until school started when I plan to get more strict. What happened instead was that the numbers kept creeping up on the scale which made me realize that I have either gained or lost weight, but never maintained. Maintaining weight isn't easy. I guess I always thought that it would be, but you still have to work really hard to make smart choices & in some ways even harder because you don't have the reward of the weight loss to fuel your will power.

I started thinking about what I do differently when my goals is maintaining & realized that it was the type of food I include in my diet when I'm not trying to lose weight. It's not that these foods are ever off limits, but when I'm trying to lose weight I very rarely eat things like chips, donuts, cookies, cakes, candy, sugary beverages, etc, etc & when I do I am VERY strict about no seconds. These are all foods my mom calls "empty calories" because they have no nutritional benefit. When I take my foot off the gas, I allow these things back in & I am convinced that it is these things in large quantities that are complete kryptonite for me.


So, as a test, I created a few strict boundries for myself for all these 'empty calorie" foods. I can only have them on S days & even then I can't eat large quantites of them. I added something that I used to consider a sweet into my N days which is dark chocolate. Dark chocolate has less sugar than the yogurts I eat & has never caused any of these problems that the empty calorie foods seem to. As long as I make room on my plate, I can eat a piece with lunch & dinner, but only one piece, & if I ever go over 1 piece, no more dark chocolate on N days. Also if I ever have "seconds" of any of the empty calorie foods that cause me problems, even on S days, the dark chocolate goes away on N days. This has saved me a couple of times when I wanted "one more chip". No seconds is a lot harder for me to follow with these foods, especially when I've been having more of them in my diet my diet. It's like detox LOL!!

My guess is that the reason I have problems with these empty calorie foods has something to do with the Glycemic Load. I read a study that explained what happens to your blood sugar & why something like this happens:

My kids made rice krispy treats to sell at a concert. The concert was making dinner end up later than normal & I was hungry. I had a rice krispy treat which didn't do much for the hunger at all & by the time we got to dinner I was STARVING. We ate at a mexican restuarant & by than my will power was gone. I ate chips until my food came & finished my entire burrito. I got home & found myself still feeling hungry & had 2 more rice krispy treats. WTH, what happend to my will power? Why was I so hungry when I consumed way more food than I normally would?

Anyway I feel much more in control now that I'm not eating these things as often or as much that seem to cause cravings & overeating in my world. I wanted to post about it here thinking maybe it would help someone else. It was crazy what those foods were doing to my will power!! It is like night & day now that I've limited them again. Maybe some of us are more sensitive to these foods than others? It feels good to be back on track. I've got a couple more weeks before my goal goes back to weight loss. I can't wait for a more normal schedule again!!!

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Post by lpearlmom » Tue Aug 16, 2016 4:13 am

Glad to see you back. It must make it hard with all the traveling.

I think you're on to something about the glycemic index. I'm not really a sweets person but I notice it's so much harder to stop eating super sweet food than more nutritionally dense foods.

I like that you're thinking in terms of empty calories as opposed to fattening food. It feels more about self-care as opposed to deprivation in those terms.

I hope you get back in a good groove soon!

Linda :)
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by Merry » Tue Aug 16, 2016 6:06 am

Jen1974 wrote:Maintaining weight isn't easy. I guess I always thought that it would be, but you still have to work really hard to make smart choices & in some ways even harder because you don't have the reward of the weight loss to fuel your will power.
YES! I can't tell you how many times I've had the thought that if I stop a certain diet, I should just "stay" that weight (keep the loss, maintain...). I never have though! It's one of the things that drove me to No-S (thankfully!)--I knew I needed something that would both help me lose and be sustainable for life. Otherwise I'd just forever keep yo-yoing.

Anyway, great discoveries you're making!
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
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Post by Merry » Tue Aug 16, 2016 6:07 am

lpearlmom wrote: I like that you're thinking in terms of empty calories as opposed to fattening food. It feels more about self-care as opposed to deprivation in those terms.
I like this too, and like how you put it--self-care, not deprivation. Cool!
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
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Post by Jen1974 » Wed Aug 17, 2016 4:58 pm

Thanks Linda & Merry (:

I love that about the empty calories vs. fattening food too Linda. My mom went to college to be a dietitian. No foods were ever bad or fattening or off limits in my house but we talked alot about making good choices & limiting empty calories. Even today I've never thought of any food as fattening. The quantity not the quality of the food I eat is what is fattening LOL!!

I am really being strict with myself again on no seconds which is the best thing for me. My habits really are like children seeing how much they can get away with. Having a solid do not cross line that I stick to no matter what I want in the moment is the key to success with No S for me.

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Post by lpearlmom » Fri Aug 19, 2016 6:30 am

Your mom sounds awesome!

I agree with you on the firm line thing. Today I was like why do I keep trying to tweak this perfectly fine system? I mean how awesome is it, that if I stick to this, I most likely won't have to worry about my weight for the rest of my life?

I can see that when I stick to NoS, maintaining my weight is so much easier. I may crave heavy foods for a couple of days, but it's usually followed by a few days of wanting lighter food. As long as it's all contained in meals, it seems to balance out. When I think about it like this, I feel super motivated to train my habits by being super strict with that line.

I want my habits to be strong, so I don't have to be. The system is really pretty genius. I guess when all else fails, read the directions, right?

Anyway sorry for the ramble...I tend to do that!

Linda :)
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by Jen1974 » Fri Aug 19, 2016 4:43 pm

That was not rambling at all Linda, I loved it & totally agree!! (: It gets too boring around here without enough posts like that!!

So I've hit my stride again with green days. I changed up how I'm marking them. I use this app called streaks & as long as I only eat or drink what I have planned to have & don't have seconds I check off Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Drinks (Glass Ceiling), and if I hit all 4 goals I check off "No S Day". I need to mix things up sometimes to get myself motivated again so this seems to be working for me (: Once I get to 30 days in a row I'm planning a bigger than normal S day for myself. I can hit the goals on weekends too because I stick to 3 meals, even on weekends. 3 days down so far (:

I think it all comes down to being strict but setting realistic goals for myself. Hoping the streak continues (:

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Post by lpearlmom » Mon Aug 22, 2016 5:28 am

Thanks Jen! I like your app idea--sounds cool!
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by Jen1974 » Thu Sep 01, 2016 3:24 pm

August was just crazy busy. Trying to get the last bit of summer fun in followed by the start of school, my sons birthday, made for a difficult No S month. I had more fails from the middle of July until the end of August than I've had since I started. It was great to look at what I was doing & decide why it wasn't quite working. I wasn't snacking but too big of S days followed by more S events than normal plus a few times that felt overboard with chips or dessert that I didn't like & didn't want to fall back into. Something that I have realized is that Some foods are like Kryptonite for me. It's like lower will power lets them in on an N day & once they're in, the remainder of my will power vanishes. It's also why when I have too much of them on vacation or on S days that it makes N days harder. That's why with those foods I have to have a strict no seconds policy & not rely on will power to stop. And if I want more after, switch to a non Kryptonite food. If I don't have a set amount that I will eat of something before, I don't seem to be able to choose to stop at the appropriate amount. I'll just keep pushing it. I also did a lot better with a "no what the hell" button to push, so I added that to my "streaks" app after having Oreos after dinner (a fail) turned into having 10 Oreos after dinner. Now I have Oreos, fine 4 is the serving size, it's a fail, but could have been worse. More than that is "what the hell" and the thing I want to avoid more than anything else!!

One last thing I did was once I realized I had too many things that required S events & saw the numbers on the scale creeping back up I added in an 11mile bike ride to my days. I have an exercise bike at home I used when I broke my leg & I loved it. I can read or watch tv which I never have time to do, but I quit doing the bike once I could run & do elliptical. It's made such a huge difference! I'm seeing the scale creep back down & it feels like I'm not having to try at all. It hasn't mattered that I've been eating out & having bigger portions & extra S events. Spending a little time on the bike each day means I can do that & still lose weight & actually keep up with my son in the book we are reading together (:

I started doing my calendar again. I went through & listed what S events I took & what caused fails to get a feel for what was going wrong. I want to see September have no fails but especially no What The Hell days!! I realized that I was maybe being a little too tight on my S days. I don't need to have a binge day, but I need to allow myself an occasional day to have a bigger S day. I think when I got back I was frustrated when I wanted to make crepes & have a breakfast burrito but felt that was the only S event I could take & I knew we were going out for BBQ that night which I consider to be an S event because I eat a bigger portion than I normally would there. I had that old feeling of Just needing a break from the rules & so now I'm making it okay to occasionally go big on a S day. Hoping to get to a point where I don't rebel again &#128522; The key is to be crazy strict, but also give myself enough permission to enjoy food & events that involve food so that I don't have to rebel against the strictness.

Jen1974
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Post by Jen1974 » Tue Sep 06, 2016 3:35 pm

I had a fail on Sunday. It was a good fail though (:

Normally I stick to 3 meals every day & add in S events. I generally choose 2 S events on Saturday, but just one on Friday & Sunday unless something is going on that justifies an extra S event. Because it was a 3 day weekend I should have chosen to have 2 S events on Saturday & Sunday, but didn't & ended up taking 2 on Sunday anyway which is a fail.. Sometimes I fail due to expecting too much out of myself & this was one of those times. The thing I've learned the most lately is that I need to have realistic expectations, but not be so relaxed with my expectations that I get no where. Sometimes it's hard to know the difference though!!

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Wed Sep 07, 2016 4:54 am

Hi Jen

Glad you are enjoying the bike. You've actually inspired me to pull out my rowing machine and start using that on the days I don't get up to ride my bike. I'm so not a morning person so this has been a struggle lately.

I really like reading about your mods especially I just cannot seem to stick with vanilla anymore. I just can't seem to convince myself of its importance for some reason but I still like the general idea of nos. I'm toying with the idea of floating S events but am not really sure what I'm doing to be honest.

Would you mind telling me specifically your mods. I'm sure you've outlined it before but I'm still a little fuzzy on what you decided to do.

Thanks, linda

Ps what book are you reading with your son?
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Merry
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Post by Merry » Wed Sep 07, 2016 5:17 am

Hi Jen,

What kind of elliptical do you have? I've been thinking about getting one (tried out a friend's & really liked it...hoping that means I'd keep up with it, LOL!)
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
Respect Moderation

Jen1974
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Post by Jen1974 » Fri Sep 09, 2016 5:47 pm

Merry, I have a Nordic Track Elliptical from Sears. I LOVE it!! I've tried a lot of them & this one feels like a more natural movement & it gives me a good workout but is still enjoyable (: My husband was told to do Elliptical for cardio because he has bad knees but he always hate Ellipticals & this is the first one he enjoys.

Linda, I love the ideas of No S too. I love that eating 3 meals & no snacks means that if I feel hungry between meals I'm either craving something for reasons other than hunger, or my meals need to be bigger, but either way there's no "should I or shouldn't I have a snack?" I love that no seconds means that no, I can't have just a little more, not even one more bite (that turns into many more than that). Done is done. I love that no sweets has put certain treats where they should be, sometimes & special.

For me though , I didn't want to have to be overly restrictive during the week or overindulge on weekends. I don't think that's what No S is meant to be, but that has been my normal pattern & I could see it being that way for me. I also wanted to eat like a "normal person", & if something comes up that is special & sometimes to not need it to be a weekend or holiday, but use a more common sense approach so I decided 3 meals 7 days a week with S events. I didn't set limits at first & was fine without limits, but about 6 months in I noticed too many S events were sneaking into my weekends so my general rule of thumb is 1 S event on Friday night, 2 on Saturday, & 1 on Sunday. I can save them & use them later, like if there is nothing I want on Saturday, I can "save" it for when there is something (I never want to force an S event), but I can never use them early, like take an S event on a Thursday & plan to skip it on Saturday. I don't like "borrowing" from my future self (: The 4 S events on Fri, Sat, & Sun don't have to be for any reason at all, but any other S events that I add need to be sometimes & special. If we're going out for ice cream during the week, if I'm meeting friends for happy hour, things that don't happen often I take an extra S event. I don't add S events on top of my normal weekend ones unless it seems necessary.

My other mod would be I don't use a plate, but instead plan out my meals on paper on purpose (Dave Ramsey thing, he's my favorite for personal finance & budgets). I started doing this when I realized the lines were getting blurred on my virtual plate. It gives me a clear definition of what is included in my meals & makes it okay to do things like eat raw veggies when I put them out before dinner because they're included in my meal. I try to keep a lot of common sense in it all. Honestly I want my daughter to see how I eat & not think I'm on a diet at all (: I'm kind of think of it all as training wheels for how to eat like a normal person.

Probably way more info than you needed, but I like putting it on paper. It's a good reminder for what my goals are (:

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Sat Sep 10, 2016 2:24 am

Thank you so much for all the details. I really appreciate it. I think I was trying to find a solution very similar to what you describe. I was really struggling with finding a happy medium between total vanilla and total chaos.

I love that your modeling normal eating for your daughter. That's been a huge motivator for me as well. Of course now I've taken the dive into strict NoS for awhile so I'll see how that feels and re-evaluate things after my challenge.

Thanks a again for clarifying. Your take on NoS is very appealing to me.

Linda
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Merry
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Post by Merry » Sat Sep 10, 2016 6:08 am

Jen1974 wrote:Merry, I have a Nordic Track Elliptical from Sears. I LOVE it!! I've tried a lot of them & this one feels like a more natural movement & it gives me a good workout but is still enjoyable (: My husband was told to do Elliptical for cardio because he has bad knees but he always hate Ellipticals & this is the first one he enjoys.
Thanks--any idea what model you have? It looks like Sears have Nordic Track Ellipticals that range from $500 to almost $2000!

I tried out a friend's that I really liked, and I did think it felt easy on the knees.

What do the bad ellipticals feel like that your husband always hated them?
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
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Jen1974
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Location: Colorado

Post by Jen1974 » Wed Sep 14, 2016 4:29 pm

Merry: I'm sorry I have been MIA! This time if year is chaos for me with trying to catch up on work & keep up with all the kids back to school things & activities!! Mine is a E8.7 that has been discontinued but it seems very similar to this one

http://www.sears.com/nordictrack-e-7.0- ... ockType=G1

The Elipticals we don't like as well are the ones that feel like you're jerking around a lot without ever getting much of a work out, if that makes sence LOL!! This one is very smooth, the motion is similar to running with less impact & it gets you a good workout!! Plus we have had 0 maintenence issues with it so it's been worth the money!

No S has been great for me lately. I've tried to add in a little intuitiveness, in that I'm really listening to what I need & not worrying if that means I have a few bigger meals. Sometimes I focus more on weight loss & weeks like PMS become harder than they need to be because I try to keep my meals the same size as a normal week. I'm proud when I make it though those weeks successfully, but I'm starting to wonder if long term I am better off not struggling though a week & instead listening to what my body needs which seems to be bigger portions during PMS.

My pattern has been diet, lose weight, feel great in my clothes, get burnt out on diet & rebel, gain weight, clothes feel tight, get mad at myself & get back on diet. Round & round I go. No S has been great because it brought sanity & created such better eating habits, but sure enough, even sticking with No S, my weight didn't just bottom out & stay there. So, instead of focusing on weight loss, I'm focusing more on what I need each day. I'm losing the weight I put on a little more slowly because of it but am hoping that doing it this way will stop the cycle. I'm hoping there will be nothing for me to rebel against this way!! I'll tell you one thing, PMS week is so much better with bigger meals!! I'm not pacing the kitchen waiting for my next meal LOL!! And even better, I'm so much NICER!! I think part of the reason I go though PMS week in a bad mood is that I'm fricken hungry LOL!!

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:31 am

Oh boy if I didn't eat more when I'm pmsing, I'd be starving too!!
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Merry
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Post by Merry » Fri Sep 16, 2016 8:48 am

Thanks Jen, I appreciate the feedback!

And definitely, some of those PMS weeks are just make it through how I can!
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
Respect Moderation

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