Satsuma's check-in

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

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Satsuma
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Satsuma's check-in

Post by Satsuma » Wed May 18, 2016 6:47 pm

I discovered nos a week or so ago and have been trying it and I like the simplicity of it. I want to see how recording my habits here helps, so here goes :D

Today's meals:
Porridge oats with cranberries, kiwi fruit, pecans and flaxseed.
2 boiled eggs with mayonnaise, a couple of slices of toast and half a grapefruit.
Homemade dhal and rice.

Drinks:
Lots of coffee throughout the day, plus a glass of wine with dinner. Otherwise I drank fizzy water.

Today's exercise:
Couch to 5k programme, week 2, day 1.

Feeling positive about it all :D

Satsuma
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Joined: Wed May 18, 2016 8:56 am

Post by Satsuma » Thu May 19, 2016 7:02 pm

Another day, going well, feeling positive :D

Meals:
Breakfast and dinner were almost identical to yesterday (I made a lot of dhal so there will be leftovers for a while!)
Lunch was an egg sandwich, babybel cheese and a flapjack.

Drinks: half a glass of wine, milky coffee, a black tea and a small amount of Diet Pepsi. Couldn't finish it as it was just too sweet. Glad I ordered it instead of the sugary version, though, which I would have finished.

Exercise:
NHS strength and flexibility podcasts week 2, attempt 1 (you do each level 3 times before moving up). These podcasts are great - a very gentle way of building fitness back up, which is perfect for me.

So far so good :D

Satsuma
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Joined: Wed May 18, 2016 8:56 am

Post by Satsuma » Fri May 20, 2016 5:57 pm

Still going strong :D one thing I'm really noticing is that when I'm not snacking all morning I'm so very thirsty! I haven't been logging water as a drink but I've had several large glasses of it throughout the day every day so far.

Meals:
Same porridge mix as before for breakfast plus a hazelnut yoghurt
Halloumi and lentil salad
More leftover dhal and rice

Drinks: several milky coffees and teas, a can of pop with lunch (not counting this as a fail as it was part of a meal)

Exercise:
Couch to 5k programme week 2 day 2

:D

RAWCOOKIE
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Location: Cornwall, UK

Post by RAWCOOKIE » Sat May 21, 2016 10:15 am

Sweet! Welcome to your first No S weekend :D

Good luck with the C25K - I started out with that sort of programme - it's amazing how fitness improves! Are you in UK? Park Run is a brilliant thing to aim for, if there's one near you.
I love Everyday Systems :3

13.6.15 124.25lbs
11.11.21 101.00lbs

Satsuma
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Post by Satsuma » Sun May 22, 2016 9:08 pm

Thanks Rawcookie! Yes, I'm in the uk - I'm going to try a parkrun when I can run a whole 30 mins without stopping!

It's been a good weekend overall. I actually deliberately went out and bought cake as a 'treat' yesterday and today, but they didn't really taste that good, to be honest. It's like I'm actually realising what sugary junk really tastes like and, well, it's not worth it. I ended up feeling like the 'treat' was a bit of a chore!

And I seem to be magically cured of the urge to snack - I get hungry and think 'oh it must be nearly lunchtime' and see that it's maybe 11:30 so I think 'oh fine, I'll just wait another half hour and then have lunch'. I honestly thought that part would be such a struggle but it's just flipped a switch in my head somehow.

I was going to have Sunday off exercise, but I woke up so early I thought I might as well go for a run :D So now I've finished week 2! I'll be down at a parkrun very soon at this rate!

osoniye
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Post by osoniye » Mon May 23, 2016 5:00 am

Satsuma wrote:I get hungry and think 'oh it must be nearly lunchtime' and see that it's maybe 11:30 so I think 'oh fine, I'll just wait another half hour and then have lunch'. I honestly thought that part would be such a struggle but it's just flipped a switch in my head somehow.
That's really great Satsuma!
By the way, do you have any tips for cooking dahl?
-Sonya
No Sweets, No Snacks and No Seconds, Except (Sometimes) on days that start with "S".

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kaalii
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Location: switzerland

Post by kaalii » Mon May 23, 2016 8:57 am

heey, welcome, im also new to noS and find it awesome...
Satsuma wrote:one thing I'm really noticing is that when I'm not snacking all morning I'm so very thirsty! I haven't been logging water as a drink but I've had several large glasses of it throughout the day every day so far.

yes! i have read somewhere, and felt it myself, that a big part of what we mistake for hunger signals is actually thirst signal... sensible eating like on noS makes us fine-tune into that again...
Age:40
BMI: 18.8
Body Fat %: 17.6
in it for maintenance and, more importantly, sanity!!

Satsuma
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Post by Satsuma » Mon May 23, 2016 3:54 pm

Hi osoniye and kaalii! Thanks for dropping by :)

The dhal recipe was this one: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1360 ... piced-dhal

I'm very lucky to have a very good shop nearby where I can get the herbs and spices they list - I think this is the key to getting a really good, satisfying dhal! I did find it needed quite a bit more water than just the coconut milk, and then extra liquid when reheating. But lasted ages and was very filling. Yum!

And good point about thirst signals, kaalii. I used to drink so much tea along with all my sugary snacks, but now I'm cutting out the rubbish and going straight for the water!

Things are going well today so far - hope everyone else is having a good Monday :D

Satsuma
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Joined: Wed May 18, 2016 8:56 am

Post by Satsuma » Tue May 24, 2016 12:30 pm

Yesterday's meals

yoghurt, flaxseed, granola and kiwi
halloumi sandwich plus a satsuma
shop-bought gnocchi and pesto, apple slices with peanut butter.

Not too bad today so far, either:
same breakfast and mashed avocado on toast plus a satsuma for lunch.

Add in liberal amounts of coffee and tea!

The exercise routine is going really well, too. I finished week 2 of the podcasts I'm following yesterday, and then stepped up to week 3 of the couch to 5k this morning. Feeling very happy with my progress - which I must admit is hugely helped by the fact that I'm working from home at the moment. Right! Back to work :D

Satsuma
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed May 18, 2016 8:56 am

Post by Satsuma » Sat May 28, 2016 7:47 am

First red day on nos yesterday! Not panicking, though. We opened a bottle of wine to celebrate one of our milestones towards buying a house and ended up finishing it off. Which I suppose could count as an extra 's' day but I don't want to start messing around with the system until I've got the basics ingrained.

Other than that, things are going really well. Missed an exercise day this week too, but I'm still on track with my training so far. Finished week 2 of the couch to 5k this morning - yay!

Now for the weekend :D

Satsuma
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed May 18, 2016 8:56 am

Post by Satsuma » Tue May 31, 2016 1:09 pm

Ouf! Fell off the wagon a bit this weekend, thanks to overindulging on Sunday. Spent Monday recovering, which was ok because it was a bank holiday, but actually rather frustrating because what a waste of a day off!

Anyway, nos is getting me back on track today. It's tempting to just think I've failed one day so can just snack today too. But I want to be able to shade that little square green on my HabitCal, so I'm being strict :D

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