Worth it check-in

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

Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating

worth it
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Post by worth it » Wed Nov 23, 2016 2:36 pm

Day 3; Week 1- Green

B- Coffee with cream and sugar; 2 eggs over easy with smoked sausage (so good) and buttered toast.

L-3 pieces thin crust pizza; 4 slices salami

D- 1/2 salad; chicken noodle soup; piece of baguette with butter

As I sit here this quiet morning, feeling thankful for having some alone time, I took a gander through my past posts on my thread. As I read through them, I found myself thinking that I sound a lot like my 6 year old sometimes. It's like I keep pushing the No S "boundaries" to see how far I can go without getting in "trouble" or to see if "(Whoever) still loves me if I fail". It's a very strange to read thread through this lens... but as I think about it, I realize that my current disordered eating could be manifested from times in my childhood when I was dealing with parents who were absolutely crazy about dieting/working out/weightloss. Very DEEP.

I guess what I hope to take from this finding is that I'm not a child anymore and these boundaries are for habit building, not for pushing against or even for "self-punishment". I'm documenting this here in case I lose my way need reminding.

I'm sure there will be more DEEP thoughts in my future, and glad to have a place to capture them.
Last edited by worth it on Thu Nov 24, 2016 3:27 am, edited 2 times in total.

eschano
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Post by eschano » Wed Nov 23, 2016 5:45 pm

Amazing insight - I always loved about NoS that it seems to bring a lot of burried stuff to light
eschano - Vanilla rocks!

July 2012- January 2016
Started again January 2021

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Wed Nov 23, 2016 6:00 pm

Let me tell you a secret about Geneen Roth. She basically eats two meals a day, but you won't find that published anywhere. I overheard her say it at a two-day workshop I went to. I was there with several hundred women, most of them in the low obese range. I don't mean to denigrate her, but I left with a heavy heart for most of those women because I am very sure that most of them have not changed their habits much. It can all sound so good, but day in and day out, most humans can't live like that and stay slim, unless there are food shortages. It is WAY harder to commit to eating only when hungry and stopping when full than it is to commit to plates of food at regular intervals.

If this isn't absolutely perfect, it can be an excellent discipline-developer and holding pattern.

I'm glad I wrote you!
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

worth it
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Post by worth it » Thu Nov 24, 2016 3:26 am

Eschano- thanks for stopping by! It's nice to hear from you again. I need to spend a little time catching up on your thread.

Oolala- YES- thank you for reaching out to me! And even better, thanks for telling me that story about Geneen Roth. Seems that in theory her philosophy is great, but in actual practice, she too, is still "controlling" her eating. Makes me feel better that I am using No S to help guide my impulses. Hmph.

Speaking of impulses... I am starving right now but, I'm holding strong. No NWS day for me today, although I was tempted (still unsure if I'll declare Friday an NWS day). I will be going to bed soon, so no need to eat anything until tomorrow morning.

Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving to my USA peeps!

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Post by eschano » Thu Nov 24, 2016 12:14 pm

thank you for stopping by my thread. There is nothing to catch up on :D

I find nearly all intuitive eaters have a system nonetheless as it's not always convenient to eat in the way our society is structured. (I haven't seen an intuitive eater starting to eat during a presentation i.e.) :P
eschano - Vanilla rocks!

July 2012- January 2016
Started again January 2021

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Thu Nov 24, 2016 6:05 pm

I'm not sure Geneen is controlling her eating as much as she probably saw over time that she was hungry a couple of times a day and inklings or urges more often were fake. I don't know if she has set times and amounts, but I'd bet there is relative routine. Even naturally skinny people have patterns. Slim cultures have patterns, too.

Here's to our discovering and adhering to our good-enough pattern!
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

worth it
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Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:47 pm

Post by worth it » Fri Nov 25, 2016 2:18 am

Day 4; Week 1 (Holiday-NWS)

B- McD's sausage and cheese biscuit; hash brown; coffee with cream and sugar

L- Appetizers: veggies and several dips; chips
2 glasses of wine

D-Turkey; mashed potatoes, corn, stuffing; gravy

Dessert: mini cheesecake square; mini cream puff; mini eclair

Snack: Spinach dip with small roll

Definitely an NWS day, but some cool stuff going on... I truly prefer being hungry for my meals. As a result, I waited for about an hour after everyone else was eating to make sure that I had, at least, a little hunger. Also, left a lot on my plate. Secondly, I only at a little bit of sweets- totally didn't care about them, even though I could eat as much dessert as I wanted. In fact, I was surprised that my nighttime Thanksgiving snack was actually NOT a sweet, but spinach dip! Interesting.

Anyway, I was hemming and hawing over tomorrow being an NWS day, but I think I can just make it an N day, and have a dessert if I really want one. Let's see how it goes.

Oolala, thanks for clarifying.

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Post by lpearlmom » Fri Nov 25, 2016 5:49 am

Great that you're noticing those little changes starting to take shape. Before you know it, they will add up to big things.

I'm definitely making tomorrow an N day too. I figure it's only one day till an S day so might as well get another N day in there.

Having the option of a dessert sounds good though too!
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by worth it » Sat Nov 26, 2016 2:51 am

Day 5; Week 1- N Day

B- 2 eggs overeasy with buttered toast and 3 slices of bacon; 1.5 coffee with cream and sugar

L- Baked mostaccioli and (a) meatball; small roll

D- Greek soup; spinach dip with rye bread; 2 glasses of white wine

Kept it an N Day! I even watched my husband eat a brookie (brownie and cookie combo) and didn't feel jealous. I feel very focused now, so I'm going with it. I'm sure things will be difficult at some point, but I'm enjoying eating through my first week. S day tomorrow- yay!?

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Post by worth it » Sun Nov 27, 2016 12:38 am

Day 6; Week 1- S Day

B- Scrambled eggs with feta, sausage pattie; piece of buttered toast

L- Chili over noodles and a piece of Irish soda bread; 1/2 of a brookie (brownie/cookie combo)

D-1/2 of a french bread pizza, serving of popcorn; a tablespoon of peanuts; 2 chocolate covered sea salt caramels; 1/2 grape soda

Snack TBD- maybe decaf coffee, or tea, and sunflower seeds? Who knows? I'll have something if I feel like it. After dinner, though, I'm feeling full.

So far, a very tame S day- hope it continues.

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Post by lpearlmom » Sun Nov 27, 2016 3:49 am

Doing awesome! Keep it up. &#128077;
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by oolala53 » Sun Nov 27, 2016 4:59 pm

Congrats on your N Friday! and the rest.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

worth it
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Post by worth it » Mon Nov 28, 2016 1:39 am

Day 7; Week 1- S Day

B- Piece of cinnamon chip bread; 1/2 eclair; coffee with cream and sugar

L- 4 small Chicken Fingers; 1/3 baked potato with butter and sour cream; a few bites of popcorn

D- Piece of banana cream pie; 2/3 grapes soda; a few Doritos

Another very tame S day today.

Thanks to Linda and Oolala for the encouragement. It is so nice to be cheered on, especially this go around- I appreciate you both!

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Post by worth it » Tue Nov 29, 2016 12:44 am

Week 2; Day 1: N Day (Planned) Fail

B- 2 eggs over easy with a piece of buttered toast; coffee with cream and sugar

L- 1/2 salami sandwich; veggies and dip; a few Doritos

D- Turkey, stuffing, corn, artichoke casserole (leftovers from Thanksgiving)

Planned fail- piece of banana cream pie. Forgot to freeze the leftover pie I made yesterday and instead of scarfing down a piece quickly (because I feel guilty) and likely starting a WTH or a binge incident, I've decided to give into the urge I've had all day and plan have a slice and truly enjoy it. I might even have a cup of decaf with it too : ) I haven't had it yet, but plan to have it after my dinner has settled a bit.

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Post by lpearlmom » Tue Nov 29, 2016 6:05 am

I love it! That pie was really calling to you and instead of it ending up a disaster, you turned it around into a positive experience. Honoring those urges in a respectful way is awesome!
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by Jen1974 » Tue Nov 29, 2016 3:55 pm

I love your positive fail story!! Sounds like a sucessful fail LOL!!

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Good to read

Post by Brocky » Tue Nov 29, 2016 7:16 pm

Hi Just had a quick read through your posts, its so positive to read all the stories posts and every day struggles that people face. I know so many of my issues around eating can be traced back to a messed up childhood. But hoping I can really get a handle on it. Really useful posting what you eat particularly as new to site. I thought Doritos, crisps etc. might have been classed as a snack but now understand it is the timing not the foodstuff. Really enjoying eating cheese without guilt. Looking forward to getting to know you all

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Post by worth it » Wed Nov 30, 2016 3:30 am

Week 2; Day 2- N Day: GREEN

B- Croissant; coffee with cream and sugar

L- 1/2 of a Buffalo Chicken Salad; water with lemon

D- Jimmy Johns sub and chips; diet soda

Linda and Jen- Glad I could get a giggle out of you both! It actually made me giggle too. I TOTALLY enjoyed the pie and ended up just having water afterwards because that's what my body asked for. I'm so happy it didn't turn into a WTH moment. I was also a little worried that maybe I wouldn't be able to get back on habit today, but I did with no problem.

Brocky-(love your name; reminds me of a friend I had in college named Brock and sometimes we called him Brocky). I'm glad you find the posting of my meals helpful... To be completely honest, I'm not even sure why I post them, but for some reason, it makes my posts feel more "complete" and honest (?) to have everything out in the open. I'll have to think about this. Anyway, "snacky" type food is completely allowed, as long as it all fits on one plate! Enjoy your crisps and especially your cheese! :D

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Post by worth it » Thu Dec 01, 2016 1:43 am

Week 2; Day 3- N Day: GREEN

B- 2 eggs overlays with buttered piece of toast; coffee with cream and sugar

L- Leftover chicken fingers and baked potato with butter and sour cream; cup of peppermint tea

D- Crescent dogs; tator tots (left 2/3 on my plate); instant mocha

Was craving sweets in a major way today before dinner, so I decided to have a mocha- that did the trick!

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Post by lpearlmom » Thu Dec 01, 2016 5:17 am

Great job! Mochas got me through that first year. Boy do I miss them. &#128528;
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by worth it » Thu Dec 01, 2016 7:58 pm

Week 2; Day 4- N Day: GREEN

B- 3 crepes with a spoonful of strawberry jam; 3 pieces of bacon

L- Salami sandwich; cheese popcorn; carrots and ranch; a few pieces of cheese

D- Mexican Skillet with lettuce shreds, cheese and sour cream; 1/2 cup coffee with cream and sugar

Ate my lunch like it was my last- scarfing it down. Weird- not sure why. Did something sort of similar at breakfast. Lets see if I can slow it down for dinner. Update: I did NOT slow it down for dinner either. Sigh. I'm feeling anxious today...

Linda,

I totally remember your mochas too! I'm sure they were tough to give up, but you were successful! BTW- mine wasn't as good as the real one from the Coffee shop. I save those for the weekends! :D

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Post by Jen1974 » Fri Dec 02, 2016 3:58 pm

Just wanted to give a belated welcome back. I was traveling when you were first back & took some time to catch up on you. Love the story about your prayer & being lead back here. I ended up here after feeling frustrated with the example I was setting for my daughter with food. I was saying prayers asking for help fixing it & it was the same time of year I normally plan for what to give up for lent. Normally I give up desserts, but felt a pull to do more to work towards a better relationship with food & decided to eat 3 larger meals but give up snacks & stop once my meal was finished. In the weeks after I found this site & read the book & felt like it was so similar to what I was doing that I stayed. (:

You are such a great addition to this board & I always look forward to your posts (:

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Post by worth it » Sat Dec 03, 2016 12:27 am

Week 2; Day 5- N Day- GREEN

B- Croissant

L- oven roasted shrimp cocktail; small bowl of lentil soup; piece of buttered toast

D- 3 pieces of pizza and 2 breadsticks (plate piled high!); 2 glasses of wine.

Better today, not wanting to push boundaries as I have the past 2 days. Maybe because I know its an S-day tomorrow? Also, made chocolate pretzels for the family tomorrow while we decorate the tree... and didn't even eat one! Totally ok with it too. That was a first for me.

Jen, Thanks so much for your post. Kind of like divine intervention for you too! What a supportive and lovely message!! It's such a mood lifter knowing that we are all together in this journey. I just love when we take the time to encourage each other rather than making this a competition that some of the other boards can have. The way in which you give your support and kindness so freely will also be another example for your daughter. I appreciate you! :D

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Post by oolala53 » Sat Dec 03, 2016 6:03 am

I run a team on Sparkpeople devoted to No S. On Spark, there are always these challenges, esp. for weight loss or maintenance. I never know what to propose on the team, except streaks. Just do the program! I think it would be terrible to have a competition for weight loss on No S as you never know how your body is going to react to the protocol. Some people lose so easily; others have been faithful for years with very modest weight changes. But it's hard for me to imagine that nearly everybody doesn't get great benefit from a year and more of having three meal gaps about 20 days a month, even if he/she doesn't lose much.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

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Post by Merry » Sat Dec 03, 2016 7:08 am

oolala53 wrote:I run a team on Sparkpeople devoted to No S. On Spark, there are always these challenges, esp. for weight loss or maintenance. I never know what to propose on the team, except streaks. Just do the program! I think it would be terrible to have a competition for weight loss on No S as you never know how your body is going to react to the protocol. Some people lose so easily; others have been faithful for years with very modest weight changes. But it's hard for me to imagine that nearly everybody doesn't get great benefit from a year and more of having three meal gaps about 20 days a month, even if he/she doesn't lose much.
Exactly!
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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Post by worth it » Sat Dec 03, 2016 11:40 pm

Week 2; Day 6- S Day!

B- 2 mini Trader Joe's croissants; 1.5 cups of coffee with cream and sugar

L- leftover pizza- 2 pieces; 2 breadsticks; a handful chocolate pretzels; 1 sea salt chocolate caramels.

D- Update: small glass of wine- didn't feel hungry for dinner

Interesting day so far. Started off with noticing that my pants were a little loose. I got very excited and thought about stepping on the scale, but then thought better of that, because the scale is VERY triggering for me. I also took a conscious moment to be thankful, but cautioned myself not to be too excited, as even that has lead me to emotional eating before (Sometimes I've overeaten in the past because I've gotten so excited about having lost weight, believe it or not).

I also noticed that after eating the chocolate during lunch, it hurt my tummy a little even though I didn't have that much. Interesting. Just going to listen to my body for the rest of the evening. We are putting up the tree and our Christmas decorations, so it should be fun!

Oolala and Merry- I agree that ALL of us can reap the "food sanity" benefits we get from No S, weight loss or not. I want that to be the real reward that sustains my consistency with No S habit building this time around. I will continue to focus on that! Cheers!

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Post by worth it » Mon Dec 05, 2016 1:36 am

Week 2; Day 7- S Day

B- mini croissant; a few chocolate pretzels; coffee with cream and sugar

Snack: piece of fresh-baked tiropita

L- piece of baked chicken; a few ribs; coleslaw; a few bites of potatoes; asparagus

Dessert: Piece of cake

D- pepperoni; cheese; a few chips; popcorn; a few chocolate pretzels

Wasn't all that hungry today, but ate because I could. I wouldn't say that I stuffed myself, but definitely overate since I wasn't really hungry for any of my meals. Oh well- was an S day. Back to boundaries tomorrow!
:D

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Post by worth it » Wed Dec 07, 2016 7:38 pm

Week 3; Day 1- GREEN

B- coffee with cream and sugar

L- piece of tiropita with fresh fruit

D- Creamy tomato soup in a bread bowl


Week 3; Day 2-GREEN
B- sausage, egg and cheese croissant sandwich; coffee with cream and sugar

L-lean cuisine; sugar snap peas; a handful of chips

D- Subway sandwich; baked chips; small latte


Week 3; Day 3- GREEN
B- coffee with cream and sugar; piece of tiropita

L- 1/2 salami sandwich; veggies and ranch dip; handful of cheese popcorn

D- Update: Macaroni and cheese; smoked sausage; instant mocha

Busy few days- work travel, but home now. Phew.

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Post by worth it » Thu Dec 08, 2016 9:40 pm

Week 3; Day 4- GREEN (so far)

B- piece of tiropita; coffee with cream and sugar

L- 3/4 of a hot pretzel; soup and salad (virtually plated);
cup of herbal tea

D- (Update) PB&J; single serve Doritos; carrots and ranch

CAUTION- MORE DEEP THOUGHTS

:twisted:

So, I've been practicing meditation along with my work at No S. During my practice, I've been focusing on my "intentions," which just happen to be the same as they are with No S. I am focusing on self care and consistency and have noticed that by doing so, No S has seemed "easier" this time around. It's almost as though I'm so focused on doing the same thing over and over (which gives me comfort by knowing what to expect on a daily basis), that I'm not even worrying so much about end result (i.e. the scale). This has never happened to me before when doing No S, and I hope I continue to give myself this wonderful gift of consistency and self care (comfort, and eating for pleasure- mostly). If the weight comes off at some point, that will be wonderful, but for now, I only care about the habit. Yay for the journey this time around!
Last edited by worth it on Sat Dec 10, 2016 4:52 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Merry
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Post by Merry » Fri Dec 09, 2016 2:20 am

I love those discoveries along the way :-)
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

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Fri Dec 09, 2016 5:16 am

Big hug!
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

worth it
Posts: 458
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:47 pm

Post by worth it » Sat Dec 10, 2016 4:50 am

Week 3; Day 5- GREEN

B- large savory crepe stuffed with spinach, mushrooms, onions and cheese; coffee with cream and sugar

Herbal tea

L- leftover 2nd crepe from breakfast with fresh fruit

D- 3 pieces of pizza and two breadsticks (piled plate) 8)

S day tomorrow!

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Post by Amy3010 » Sat Dec 10, 2016 9:19 am

You're doing great! I agree with you - I think meditation is great idea to support No-S habits. Learning how to "pause" is an important skill.

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Sat Dec 10, 2016 9:03 pm

My years of Zen practice actually never brought me the peace or whatever I pursued it for. But I do think it was very influential in helping me see I could withstand the temporary discomfort of wanting to eat between meals, sweets or otherwise. I wish I could transfer that to other areas but it turns out there are worse discomforts than waiting to eat, at least for me. But I'm glad that No S helps with this piece in the puzzle for both of us.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

worth it
Posts: 458
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:47 pm

Post by worth it » Sun Dec 11, 2016 12:45 am

Week 3; Day 6- S Day!

B/L- 2 eggs over easy with buttered toast; coffee with cream and sugar; a handful of reindeer crunch (choc covered Chex mix); 1 choc covered peppermint oreo; 1/3 grape soda

D- 2 pieces of pizza; 2 breadsticks; a handful of reindeer crunch; a few choc covered raisins; 1/3 grape soda

Snack: (Updated): Sunflower seeds; Two big bowls of cereal (ugh)

So, not sure what happened, but had a bit of a wild S day today. It's not the worst, I've ever had, but I definitely ate way past full, which I'm not used to doing. Will try to have more awareness tomorrow, but don't want to restrict myself because obviously I needed to test out my boundaries for some reason. We'll see what happens.

worth it
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Post by worth it » Sun Dec 11, 2016 7:09 pm

Week 3; Day 7- S Day

B- 1.5 cups of coffee with cream and sugar; bagel with butter and cream cheese

Snack: a few pieces of salami; a cube of cheese; a handful of reindeer munch

L- grilled chicken salad

Snacks the rest of the day: popcorn; handful of reindeer munch; 2 chocolate covered oreos, a few hershey's kisses; 1/3 grape soda

(my tummy hurts)

Thanks Merry, Amy and Oolala for the encouragement.

As far as my meditation practice goes, I originally started it because of the high anxiety I was having that was nearly unbearable. It seems to be helping with that in a significant way, which has been very surprising. It has additionally supported my No S habits, for which I am very thankful for, especially by helping me make some very strong personal connections that I can focus on.

Lately I've been reading about how the importance of failure can be for raising a self-reliant child. It highlights the concept that self reliance doesn't come just from in the achievement, but comes from one's effort, as it builds both competence AND confidence. So, the research suggests that I should focus my praise on my son's efforts rather than praising his natural god-given talents, to foster an environment to help build his confidence and competence, learning to trust in himself.

I've recently connected this concept to my own confidence and competence, put simply, the trust (or lack thereof) in myself around my physical body/weight. I've realized that I have been able to put forth consistent effort around many pursuits in my life (i.e. raising my child, marriage, managing my employees, financial goals, etc.), but for some reason, I just couldn't do it when it came to my own personal self-care. I suppose it may be due to past failures and lack of consistent effort in this area. As a result, I now need to learn to trust myself again and trust that I will continue to take care of myself.

I'm realizing that the way for me to do this is through a consistent effort of self care. As a result, I will follow No S along with practicing meditation. I suspect that it will likely take a long time, but the value is in the journey (my consistent effort) to help me build my confidence (and eventual competence) again.

Until then, I'll be here, plugging away, doing the best that I can. I'm sure there will be many successes to celebrate and also failures to be curious about, but that the true value will be in the continual journey. I'm looking forward to learning along the way, focusing the gift of the habit, rather than just the hope of the weight loss.
Last edited by worth it on Mon Dec 12, 2016 2:28 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by oolala53 » Sun Dec 11, 2016 8:47 pm

I gently suggest being very careful about equating difficulty making eating changes with any failure in self-care. Roy Baumeister, researcher extraordinaire on self-regulation (discipline and willpower) said we should never assume we or anyone else doesn't have willpower or that it means anything really terrible just because it remains a struggle to reduce eating. It is one of the hardest behavior changes to make ever studied, and it is absolutely typical that people who can regulate nearly every other area of life stumble. He would be very approving of No S, as he thinks making rules for how much and what to eat in situations (e.g., meals, for us) has much more of a chance for success than traditional dieting.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

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Post by worth it » Mon Dec 12, 2016 2:26 am

Oolala,

My thoughts were of streaming consciousness, so apologize if not fully clear.

What I mean by self care is to continue my habits (meditation and) of No S rather than dabble in other diets. Basically, I want to be faithful to myself and my decision and to live fully in that choice no matter how hard it will be and whether I decide to reduce my food intake or not. I am committed to being someone who really only eats sweets on the weekend and someone who generally doesn't snack or take seconds. :lol:

Who knows if I will ever lose weight, but I want to continue to gift myself of "sticking it out" even when its hard.

But thank you for providing that research. It makes me feel better that I'm not the only one who stumbles in this area.

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Post by oolala53 » Mon Dec 12, 2016 3:50 am

Got it. What more do we really need to ask of ourselves, most of the time? :)
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

worth it
Posts: 458
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:47 pm

Post by worth it » Tue Dec 13, 2016 2:31 am

Week 4; Day 1- Red

B- croissant; coffee with cream and sugar

L- Jimmy johns sub; chips; can of diet soda (lunch brought in at work)

D- 3 Chicken tenders; potato wedges; piece of bread; small chocolate chip cookie (red)

So, I'm sitting here trying not to have a WTH day because of my red, and while I'm feeling some mild discomfort, I guess it's not that bad. Going to just have a glass of water and read though the No S Daily Check in board! 8)

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Post by lpearlmom » Tue Dec 13, 2016 3:51 am

I hear ya! I had a red day too and also struggling with wth. I know I'll feel so much better when I wake up tomorrow and haven't gone overboard though so keeping it in check for now. Looking forward to a good breakfast tomorrow.

One small cookie is pretty minor so try not to sweat it. Your otherwise moderate day will still pay off in the long run.

Keep up the good work!

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

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Post by oolala53 » Tue Dec 13, 2016 1:46 pm

Not giving in to WTH is a valuable skill in itself.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

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Post by Jen1974 » Tue Dec 13, 2016 3:11 pm

I think of small fails as a different kind of victory. Being on a diet that is too strict never ends well. By learning to fail small in the long run it brings much more success than an overly strict plan where minor infractions send me over the edge (: Good job on keeping it to just one cookie!!!

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Post by worth it » Tue Dec 13, 2016 6:51 pm

Week 4; Day 2- GREEN (so far)

B- coffee with cream and sugar; fresh-baked TJ's mini croissant

L- small bowl of Italian Wedding soup; "Tender Greens" salad (not really, but it's my imitation of a salad I get from a restaurant chain in Southern CA called Tender Greens. It has romaine, spinach, a little couscous, onions, roasted red pepper, dried currants, corn, a little chicken breast); cup of herbal mint tea

D- (Update:) lasagna with garlic bread; irish coffee

So, I was inspired by a post on Oolala's thread last night that shared the "secrets" of slim cultures that I found to be very insightful, especially because it described my relationship with food at times in my life, coincidentally when I was 50lbs thinner. At any rate, after much thought, I realized that there was nothing really stopping from eating this way again- with the a small exception at dinner (my husband and son do NOT like eat many of the meals I do), but that doesn't have to stop me from eating "my way" for at least two of my meals during the course of the week.

It was so pleasant to smell my croissant baking in the oven on this cold morning and then to enjoy the steam from the hot soup and the pleasantly full stomach I had from the hearty salad I had for lunch. No doubt, I was nice and hungry for my lunch, but since I was anticipating it so much (especially the salad) I guess it psychologically kept me from being over hungry?

Anyway, I realize that my eating experiences will likely not be like this everyday, but I will continue to try and keep them as something to look forward to rather than just an afterthought or as something to be worried or feel guilty about.

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Post by worth it » Wed Dec 14, 2016 7:45 pm

Week 4; Day 3- GREEN (Update: RED)

B- coffee with cream and sugar; TJ's mini fresh-baked croissant

L- Roasted veggies with couscous; 1/2 cup of steamed milk

D- "Whatever night"- maybe grilled cheese with tomato soup? UPDATED: TURNED INTO crazy RED afternoon and night. 2 Chocolate covered peppermint oreos, handful of choc covered raisins, bowl of cereal, leftover piece of lasagna with bread, sunflower seeds. UGH.

Wanted to thank everyone for their support regarding the WTH concept. Thankfully, I was able to stave it off on Monday, which is a surprising feat for me! I'm always amazed when reading through others' threads that they have been able to do it, and now I can say that I did it too (at least this time :D ).
It's a good confidence builder!

(Updated:) Oh Boy, the beast was on the loose yesterday. In the afternoon after I wrote my initial post, I went wild and had a binge. Granted, it wasn't as bad as some I've had in the past, but it was definitely a RED dat. Sweets was my focus, and I couldn't figure out why until today. I think that everyt ime I try and limit my eating (even just talking about it), I feel restriction and have to push my boundaries. In fact, I pushed boundaries on just about everything yesterday. I didn't meditate, I was on websites looking to buy things (trying to push against my financial budget), etc. Anyway, I'm going to get curious about this instead of making rash moves. I'm going to see if I cant reduce my breakfast (only) each morning for the next week or so and see if I am able to tolerate it, or if I continue to put up reds. If all (or mostly) reds, then I will go back to status quo. If it works and I remain green, then I'll keep on going with it. Let's see what happens.

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Post by worth it » Thu Dec 15, 2016 2:55 pm

Week 4; Day 4- GREEN

B- piece of tiropita, coffee with cream and sugar

cup of herbal tea

L- 1/2 plate of couscous and roasted veggies; a few pieces of salami and cheese; a handful of grapes; coffee with cream and sugar

D-gyro with fries- left 1/2 of both
Herbal tea

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Post by worth it » Sat Dec 17, 2016 3:52 am

Week 4; Day 5- NWS

B- cereal; coffee with cream and sugar
Snack: handful of tortilla chips

L- smoked sausage on bun, piece of tiropita

A few chocolate covered peppermint Oreos; a few chocolate covered raisins; a few grapes

D- buffalo chicken dip with raw cauliflower used for dipping; Herbal tea

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Post by lpearlmom » Sat Dec 17, 2016 6:18 am

Sorry about your crazy day on wens but glad you're approaching the whole thing with curiousity--very wise!

I too get overwhelming urges to overspend that feel like my old urges to overeat. It's like I just need to be reckless or something.

Anyway, you'll figure it out.

Hope you have a great weekend!

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

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Post by oolala53 » Sun Dec 18, 2016 5:51 pm

You probably saw this on my thread but another issue that affects my pleasure with food is that I just don't get hungry like I used to but I still want to eat, in some ways, even more. The desire seems to come up between meals even more often, not less. It's a paradox I've been grappling with off and on for at least a couple of years. I'm sick of trying to change it and of wishing it were different. I think I've said in my best moments, I try to regard it as a person with a chronic illness might have to regard her condition, that is accepting whatever is true in any one moment, be it discomfort or lack of energy or whatever. To some it might sound like complacency or giving, but I don't feel I have a choice anymore. Besides, just before No S I went through a period of not trying to change anything about my overeating, at least not until I was more clear about what I was willing to do. I like to think No S came to me after that, and that something similar will come out of this. Who knows how long it will take? It might just evolve on its own.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

worth it
Posts: 458
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:47 pm

Post by worth it » Mon Dec 19, 2016 5:30 pm

Monday- N-Day (Start of 2nd month!)

B- Coffee with cream; Omelette filled with rondele (so good); 1/2 piece of buttered sourdough toast

L-TBD

D- (to be) baked chicken with spinach, mushrooms and cheese


One month down- yay! These past S Days were not too wild and crazy, but I definitely ate a lot and ate in between meals which was a little unusual for me.

Linda and Oolala, thanks for the support and kind words. I'm surprised to say that I like the "wait it out" suggestion, as it helps provide more information for me along my journey. I guess overall, I'm just bummed out that I want to be self destructive and hope that I can find some answers about that.

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Post by oolala53 » Mon Dec 19, 2016 6:56 pm

I'm going to suggest that you stop thinking that there is anything really purposely destructive in your urges to overeat. Given the way our brains work, overeating is actually a quite rational process, IMHO. I don't buy the theory (even though it was briefly espoused in the No S book) that we punish ourselves by intense overeating. Actually, it would be a fine theory IF it impelled a positive change in behavior, but it usually doesn't, in fact, quite the opposite. It often instills a very emotional, rather than rational, disapproval that actually statistically makes the behavior more entrenched!

The fact that only a third of our population is not overweight is proof to me that it is actually NOT normal not to overeat. I don't believe for one second that the non-overweight are THAT much more wise, self-nurturing, smart, or psychologically balanced than the overweight. Some of them might be, but who's got the proof anyway? They simply respond to internal cues of hunger and satiety a little better, and they seem to dislike being really full (while often being able to eat A LOT of food before getting full.) And a fair number of them are on their way to overweightdom, too. It just hasn't caught up to them yet.

Humans have natural instincts that drive them to overeat in the environment we're in. That doesn't mean we shouldn't do something about it, just that there's nothing wrong with us for wanting to be full, for preferring dense foods, for eating more when there's familiar, delicious food and a variety of it available, and for wanting pleasant experiences (eating) over unpleasant ones (resisting urges and taking care of unpleasant tasks we might want to avoid). We just have to recognize the tendencies and use the prefrontal cortex to rein them in. We can still get reasonable satisfaction in all those areas at meals, but we may have to go through some periods of discomfort while the new brain connections (read "habits") are laid down.

And it may take longer than we want to get good at it, and to find the combinations that get us satisfied with being in caloric deficit, because No S cannot defy the laws of physics!

My gosh, it's only been a month that you've been back! I can guarantee you that a person on a diet may have lost more in a month, but has probably gone backwards in actually preferring to eat less in the long run. THAT is the real goal.

OK, I guess I've hijacked your thread for long enough! Just know that you are probably right on track.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

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Post by lpearlmom » Wed Dec 21, 2016 1:16 pm

Well said oolala! I completely agree that our tendency to want to overeat or eat dense foods shouldn't be seen as "bad". It makes sense from a survival point of view. But you're right we can also figure ways to manage them to benefit our overall health & well-being.
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by oolala53 » Wed Dec 21, 2016 2:49 pm

That's what slim cultures have managed to do. Meal-based eating of mostly quality food, Baby! That's where it's at. But I'm biased...
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

worth it
Posts: 458
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:47 pm

Post by worth it » Thu Dec 22, 2016 3:57 am

Wednesday- N Day- GREEN

B- coffee with cream; piece of buttered toast

L- 2 eggs over easy; smoked sausage; watermelon

Herbal tea

D- open faced sloppy Joe; mozzarella stick; a few potato chips
Coffee with cream

Ok, so I finally put up a green day today. It was so hard M and T, but it was east today. No clue. The only thing I can think of is that I'm over the backlash of cutting sugar out of my coffee. It doesn't feel that way, but who knows with me anymore. Hope tomorrow will be another easy green.

Oolala and Linda, you are both right-logic and reason rule out. I am really going to try not to beat myself up for this type of behavior that has been such a part of my life for the past several years. The journey out of that type of behavior is the reward for me. On days like today it feels good. On days when it doesn't, I still need to feel, but almost review my behavior/actions as an "out of body experience" to ensure logic and reason win out over emotions- mostly to see what I can learn to help me break free from the behavior.

I really have to stop trying to be accountable for everything... lol!

:twisted:

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Post by oolala53 » Thu Dec 22, 2016 7:19 am

worth it, I don't mean to jinx anything but easy days come and go and come. Some will seem obvious and others, not so much. Habit theory dictates not getting too caught up in it. Acknowledge yourself when you make it, and note briefly when you don't. (I'm reminding myself. Though I do like Judith Beck's idea of writing up some wins and keeping them all together in a place you can periodically review them and feel good again.)
Last edited by oolala53 on Wed Dec 28, 2016 8:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

worth it
Posts: 458
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:47 pm

Post by worth it » Fri Dec 23, 2016 1:11 am

Thursday- N Day- GREEN

B- Coffee with cream; mini TJ's croissant

L- smoked sausage with baby carrots and rondele; a few Ruffles and a few pieces of cheddar

herbal tea

D- soft tacos (w/1 low carb tortilla); a few tortilla chips with guac; glass of champagne (random, I know)

Another easy and satisfying day. I will take it.

Oolala, thanks again for your suggestions, comments, advice, etc. Having such a vast knowledge of this area, as well as having done this yourself for nearly 7 years, I believe you have an experiential knowledge that is important for all of us to consider. I know you are rooting for me and I appreciate it!

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Post by worth it » Wed Dec 28, 2016 3:50 pm

Wednesday, Dec 28- N Day

B- coffee with cream; TJ's mini croissant

L-TBD

D- (Will be Penne and meatballs; salad)

Still plugging away. I had an NWS day as well as 2 fails since I last checked in, but am not really freaking out about it for some reason. Maybe it's the holiday season, but whatever, I'm in this for the long haul.

Hope everyone has enjoyed their holidays so far! 1/2 way through!

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Post by Merry » Thu Dec 29, 2016 2:59 am

worth it wrote: Still plugging away. I had an NWS day as well as 2 fails since I last checked in, but am not really freaking out about it for some reason. Maybe it's the holiday season, but whatever, I'm in this for the long haul.
Good for you!
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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Post by worth it » Fri Dec 30, 2016 12:22 am

Thursday, December 29- N Day (Green)

B- coffee with cream

L- sausage sandwich; carrots and leftover spinach dip; a few cubes of cheddar

D- pork chop; mashed potatoes, salad; mocha

Glad to put up a green today.

Thanks Merry! I hope that overall, I have more compliance than not, and hoping for over 80% (looks like I'm tracking to that). Either way, even with the few recent fails and NWS days, I don't feel like my clothes are tight, which is better than most holiday seasons!

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Post by lpearlmom » Fri Dec 30, 2016 3:39 am

Been having a lot of red days too but just happy to get through the holiday season relatively unscathed. And clothes not being too tight--yay!
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by oolala53 » Fri Dec 30, 2016 7:59 pm

I believe tight clothes is how the slim cultures judge that their overeating has gotten out of hand.

Sure 'tis better if it doesn't get that far, but if it's from just a few days, in my experience, it's water. There's no way a calorie deficit explains the drops I have after a few days of moderation. Water takes up a fair amount of room and it FEELS heavy. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that when someone says "I feel fat, " it's mostly the heavy feeling from a bit of overeating and retaining more water to process salt, sugar or carbs. It CAN'T be the fat itself.

If you don't look in the mirror, and you've been eating lightly, don't you "feel" thin, even if the scale doesn't register it?

Mirrors are the worst thing to happen to self-esteem since the ten commandments. I think they should add a modern #11: though shalt not covet thy neighbor's appearance. Hey, I might add this to my check-in thread.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

worth it
Posts: 458
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:47 pm

Post by worth it » Fri Feb 09, 2018 3:03 pm

Hi All,

The day after my last post, our family suffered a tragedy and loss of a very dear loved one and I stopped posting.

Throughout this past year, I have been lurking, but largely trying diets and un-diets again, most notably forms of IE and fasting. Unfortunately, while I’ve had some minor losses, they were gained back again quickly via binge-behavior, leaving me in the situation I’ve been in for the past 10 years… Basically, I’ve been fat for the entire past decade- and very fat for the last 4 years after a hysterectomy.

As I approach 40 (which I will be in less than a month), I suppose I am seeing this as a major life milestone and realize that I can’t continue to let being fat make me feel like a failure. Ironically, this decade has produced some of the best accomplishments I’ve had personally and financially, but honestly, I have not been able to truly enjoy them because I’ve had this feeling of failure chipping away at my soul- just from being a larger size! It defies my own logic and reason.

Ever since I discovered No S about 4 years ago, it’s been the concept that has provided me with the most logical and reasonable approach to eating for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, while it brings me peace with food when I follow it (with one modification I’ll explain later), it hasn’t led to any weight loss for me…Which, of course, is the thing I want most desperately. In all fairness, I second guess myself on this topic all the time. Perhaps I haven’t given No S enough time to work? Perhaps I’ve just eaten way too heavy of foods while on No S? Perhaps I have not exercised enough, etc. When I read back through these reasons, it just sounds like what goes on in my head about any diet I’ve been on- all excuses, all theories, which I never have a clue about.

So, I guess it’s time to try a different approach/focus. Let’s say weight loss is just not possible for me (a VERY depressing thought, but the past 10 years show this is likely scenario), what would l hope for instead? It would be: peace with food; having a healthy and fit body (no back pain); and to have more energy. Do I really feel this way? I sure hope so... or do I still have the fantasy of those internet articles I read claiming ,“Once I stopped focusing on weight loss, I lost all the weight!†(so cliché)?

Either way, I have to try something else now…which is sounding like it will be fat acceptance. Ugh- that’s hard to say. I’m guessing this will be harder than any weight loss program I’ve ever been on. Either way, peace with food the first thing I want and the living within the boundaries of No S (most of the time) is something I can feel I can achieve. So I’ll start there. I’ll also document my pursuit on health and fitness. And, of course, I’ll document my energy levels too. Let’s see how I do- Nothing left but to try this out.

7am Coffee with cream
B (9am): Bowl of bran cereal with a few freeze-dried strawberries; organic yogurt with a spoonful of bon maman apricot jam

L: (1pm) roasted veggies (eggplant, mushrooms and onions and garlic) with a little penne; small bowl of berries and a small banana; coffee with cream

D: (6pm)Greek burgers with zoodle Greek salad; 1 glass of wine
*Dessert (my mod): brownie with 1/2 glass of milk

*My mod: I eat three meals a day (dessert always comes after dinner), every day, including weekends. This prevents wild S days for me.

Fitness: 30 mins Pilates reformer

Energy level: 5 out of 10 today
Last edited by worth it on Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:19 am, edited 3 times in total.

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Post by lpearlmom » Fri Feb 09, 2018 4:04 pm

Wb worth it! When I first committed myself to NoS (after a few false starts) I was convinced I could no longer lose weight. I wanted peace with food though so decided to commit to NoS anyway. Well it may have taken me a few years but I’m now down almost 50 lbs. I know how discouraging it can be but don’t give up. Eventhough I didn’t lose much my first year, my confidence improved because I could see that I did have control over food. I also stopped obsessing about food 24/7 and that in itself was a miracle.

Hang in there. Keep tweaking and make it work for you.

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

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Post by worth it » Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:30 am

Linda,

Thanks for the return welcome- its good to hear from you!

As always, I truly appreciate your words of encouragement. I actually remember that you had “given up†on weight loss back then... and look at you now-Congrats!

While I hope losing weight could eventually happen for me, I have to be realistic and face the fact it probably won’t happen-or at least anytime soon. I’ve been at this a long time. I guess I’m just at the point where I don’t want to spend the next decade of my life focusing on my failure in this area and am going to try and focus on treating myself well. I know it’s going to be hard, but having peace is WAY better than what I’m doing today. In fact, today was already more peaceful-I got to eat luxuriously according to my own tastes and standards without worrying if I should or shouldn’t be eating according to a specific diet... just my own, I guess! I even ordered myself a few articles of clothing at my correct size instead of the one size too small I’ve been sporting.

Here’s to hoping for some small successes with my new focus and also to much continued success for you! Cheers!

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Post by lpearlmom » Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:53 am

Oh yeah I mostly meant don’t give up on NoS. I do believe you might be able to lose weight at some point. I’d been dieting since I was 10 so I get it.

Good for you for buying clothes that for you. It makes such a difference!
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Post by worth it » Sat Feb 10, 2018 3:09 am

Thanks Linda (hugs!)

It’s so good to hear that encouragement- I immediately think that your are that way with your daughters- probably even more so! They are lucky to have you In their corner (and so am I),

:D

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Post by worth it » Sat Feb 10, 2018 6:15 pm

Saturday, February 10

7am: Coffee with cream
B: (9am) Bran cereal with freeze dried strawberries; organic plain yogurt with a spoonful of bonne maman raspberry jam
L: (12:30pm) Homemade soft pretzels twists-2 (so good!) bowl of chicken noodle soup
D: Salad, a bite of calamari, a zucchini bite, a piece of bread; chicken Marsala (took half home)
Dessert: piece of cookie cake with 1/2 cup of milk

Fitness: 34 m walk on treadmill

Energy: 5 out of 10

So nice not to “worry†about the types of food (and times I eat them) I’m posting. I can’t do this/“eat†wrong. I remind myself that I’m not eating for weight loss, according to some weight loss plan. I can’t yet describe the feeling (relaxed?), but for now I’ll say it’s the opposite of anxious.

I asked myself this morning since I’m not eating for weight-loss...what’s the intent? I immediately thought to a quote I wrote down while recently reading about the French culture’s relationship to food: “The French believe in absolutely freshly prepared food for taste nutrition and the best digestion.†I love this- its how I want my relationship with food to be for the rest of my life .

Heavier food today. All so delicious.

For the first time in awhile, I could have left dessert- but I didn’t. And it was really good.
Last edited by worth it on Sun Feb 11, 2018 3:19 am, edited 2 times in total.

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Sat Feb 10, 2018 10:19 pm

First off, I am so sorry for your family's sorrows. I hope the worst of it is over.

Although I suspected that I might get back to not-slim high school weight partly because I hadn't been 50lb more for a really long time (so I think I had a better chance of affecting my new set point), I committed to No S because I just couldn't stand the thought that I would spend another 20 years going about in circles, and that I knew I would not commit to calorie limits/ no this/that declarations/the visual media-driven destruction of our self-esteem over our appearance. (So much of our modern life takes blind (and sometimes not-so blind) advantage of our brain's predictions for survival, and severely limiting what is deemed acceptable for mating has been perverted by the ability to narrow the vision by culling only the extreme from the masses-can you tell I have a soapbox I roll around with me on wheels? Not being overfull so damn much of the day and not feeling in the clutches of food were my driving forces. Later I was willing to mess with the gears, but more because edges that were left of the overeating were bothering me.

In almost everything I've read-that obsession continues- the evidence that exercise promotes weight loss is very small but the evidence that it contributes to weight maintenance of losses is more so. And of course it has many other benefits. Start now! I'm learning now at age over 60 what I did in middle age probably affects me now, and cannot necessarily be made up for. (But I couldn't have been motivated by that then. Maybe being a senior looks too far off, as it does for most in lifestyle and finances. But longterm planning is not in our genes, alas.

That being said, I admit that I also felt my ability to choose clothes that fit and that I thought flattered me the best had grown. In fact, I remember feeling quite fetching in some outfits that others may have seen in a very different way. :lol: I do recommend you get several outfits at the levels you need-casual, work, "date night", fancy events-that fit and look pretty to you. You need not to feel like it's so much work to pick something to wear.

I also suggest at least looking at some of the authors who are bigger, like it, and make no apologies. I happen to believe that many of them would not be their size-please don't drag out the exceptions, dear readers!- if modern refined foods were not competing for their stummies. For all the Aunt Bees there were-do you even know who she was?- there were way more Ethels or thinner.

Not to be the bearer of bad news, but it seems very questionable to me that any but the minority will get thin by simply allowing on-demand eating. There are just too many mechanisms for the brain to use to go for excess. Besides, some of the fattest countries on Earth have not had the diet habit for very long, or never did. They dang well eat what they want, and guess what, their average weights have gone right up with more access to food, especially the modern refined food pushers products. They are even less likely to reverse the trend because the women fear losing the men's attention!
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

worth it
Posts: 458
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:47 pm

Post by worth it » Sun Feb 11, 2018 3:54 am

Oolala,

It’s nice to hear from you. Thanks for asking after my family. We continue to put one foot in front of the other to find a new “normalâ€. It’s strange that over a year has passed... much has changed, but much hasn’t. It’s hard to grasp sometimes.

While reading your message, I thought “Amen sister!†several times:

Amen! about the self esteem issues we face as a result of the media;

Amen! about exercise- I feel so fortunate I can still move my body (even with intermittent back pain);

Amen! about wearing clothes that fit, make it easier to get dressed, and that I think are “prettyâ€.

Overall, I just appreciate your support.

The bottom line is that this extra 30lbs...that turned to nearly 60lbs (over these last 4 years) of extra weight is probably not going anywhere, anytime soon. Unfortunately we in the US don’t have a culture that supports structured eating times, traditions, etc., so I’m glad to have No S in that regard. It’s so NOT diet for me, but more like a.... framework For how I can navigate through this current environment of “plentyâ€. Hopefully I can stop further gain, but mostly want to feel that peace again that is fostered by that “frameworkâ€. I firmly believe that following this (over and over, and over) most of the time will lead to peace I’m seeking.

worth it
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Post by worth it » Sun Feb 11, 2018 11:06 pm

Sunday, February 11, 2018

Coffee with cream (8am)
B (9:30am): Homemade soft pretzel twist; coffee with cream (2/3)
Bloody Mary (12:30 pm)
L (1:30pm): 1/2 BLT; onion rings; handful of chips
D (7:00pm): leftover chicken noodle soup; green salad w/oil and vinegar
Dessert: piece of cookie cake with 1/2 cup of milk
Fitness: none today- didn’t fit into the schedule
Energy level: 6

I was just thinking about what I should have for dinner to “balance out†my meals since I’ve had no veggies today. The good news is that I don’t have to worry if I decide not to eat veggies or not (like I’ve had to in the past, for calories-sake). Granted it may affect my nutrition and digestion today, but I know at least whatever I choose will be yummy! I will just trust my body to do the choosing sometime closer to dinner- what a relief not to have to consciously “punish myself†anymore for my earlier in the day food choices.

Update: to be honest, I’m not sure I even needed dinner, I just ate it to eat. The good news is that I was totally satisfied and full from my choice which turned out to be balanced after all...probably ate it more because it was convenient and overall didn’t feel a strong preference for anything particular.

Another peaceful day!

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Post by worth it » Mon Feb 12, 2018 9:16 pm

February 12, 2018

7am: Coffee with cream
B (9:30am): Soft pretzel twist with organic plain yogurt with a spoonful of bonne maman raspberry jam.

L (1:15pm): leftover greek burger; kimchi; spoonful of rice; fruit salad (strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, grapes) coffee with cream

D (5:45pm): 1.5 Grilled cheese sandwiches; tomato and rice soup; chips and salsa

Dessert: piece of cookie cake with 1/2 cup milk

Fitness: 30 minutes-pilates reformer

Energy level: 5 out of 10

worth it
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Post by worth it » Wed Feb 14, 2018 2:47 am

February 13, 2018

6am- coffee with cream
B (7:45am): banana; organic strawberry yogurt cup
L (12:45pm): leftover chicken Marsala and garlic mashed; added roasted veggies; fruit salad; Colby jack cheese stick
D (6:00 pm): chicken tenders; potato wedges; biscuit
Dessert: choc chip cookie; sunflower seeds

In office today... I eat every meal super fast; dinner is eaten while driving since I have a 2 hour drive home. It makes my stomach hurt all day long.
:(

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Wed Feb 14, 2018 6:33 am

Could you just skip dinner?
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Octavia
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Post by Octavia » Wed Feb 14, 2018 10:39 am

Just wanted to say hi, and to add my condolences for the loss you suffered last year.

Oolala and Linda have left such great advice, things that really ring true for me. I’ve just started No S properly 2 months ago, and just like Linda I thought I couldn’t actually lose weight any more. That in itself was demotivating me from controlling my eating. So I joined No S in order to control my eating - determined to do it whether I lost weight or not. I think when many of us get to that point, then we truly embrace the No S routine, instead of bargaining with it (only doing it if we see movement on the scale). But then, like Linda said, eventually the scale does move.

Regarding the pursuit of attractiveness, I’ve come to feel that it is important, but is perhaps best separated from issues of eating and weight. I think of animals such as my Persian cat (thank the Lord we can’t post cat videos on here! I would be the worst offender!!! 😊) - I know he’s not well if he neglects his grooming. I know he flourishes when I brush him every day. This convinces me that we humans also need to take that pride in our outer selves, and probably put a bit more time into grooming than we think is strictly necessary. Sometimes I look at the younger generation of bloggers and think how wrapped up in appearance they are....but maybe they are onto something, especially the ‘plus size’ ones, who are fighting a battle for the world to change. These girls are revelling in colour, texture, glamour, style. It’s really life affirming, and many of them stress that they accept their bodies while making an effort to eat healthily: it’s not one extreme or the other, you can do both.

I have all of Trinny and Susannah’s books, and they are wonderful - totally objective where body size is concerned. The slim bodies have to be as choosy in what they wear as the larger bodies. And they get you to see your shape, not your size. I enjoy buying and styling clothes much more since acquiring a bit of their attitude.

I think it’s when style (and beauty/attractiveness) is attached to size that we become victims of the media, and start to feel that we’re being manipulated into eating less. So my approach is to pursue beauty (when I have the energy of course....) and do No S, but not to see these two things as related.

Loving the image of Oolala’s wheelie soapbox. 😃

Hope you have a good day x

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Post by worth it » Wed Feb 14, 2018 6:12 pm

Wednesday, February 14th- Happy Valentine's Day all!

7am: Coffee with cream

B (9:30am): bran flakes with freeze dried peaches; plain organic yogurt with spoonful of bonne maman apricot jam.

L (12:45pm): zucchini and mushroom frittata with a slice of Dave's killer bread; fruit salad; colby jack cheese stick

D (will be) Pizza and breadsticks

Fitness: 30 mins pilates reformer


Linda- thanks for your suggestion about skipping a meal. It really evoked a strong reaction for me.

Ironically, I have just recently begun to eat lunch and breakfast again at work because I stopped a formal fasting regimen I was on to try and lose weight. It's something I'm still working my way through, but when I think of how I felt yesterday, I realized that I just feel better when I don't eat "solid food" when I'm at the office and just sip on a yogurt smoothie or some chicken broth (that's what I used to do for a late lunch). I guess I had these grand visions that now that I can "have lunch again" I would be able to close my door, set a plate full of pretty colors and textures with a cute napkin and then peacefully eat a lunch at my desk slowly and joyfully... In reality, what happens is that people at work will ignore the closed door and either knock until I get up to open it or simply just open the door and walk in needing my help. As a result, I have to shovel my food just to get it down in time to move onto the next issue or task they need my help with. To some extent I realize that since I'm only in the office two days a week, people need me (I'm the HR Director there). However, mostly I realize that the company has an extremely dramatic and responsive culture with no boundaries (which has never fit in with that way I do business).

[The GREAT news is that my husband and I recently have achieved some long term financial goals and I have just told the CEO that I am leaving at the end of April to pursue other opportunities (which really just means I'm going to work part-time at another company).]

So, my stomach ends up feeling awful-full and gassy all day- then, I have to drive home 2+ hours after working at least a 10 hour day there. During that drive I realize I feel so relieved to be out of work that food tends to be a relief and a comfort after a high stress, energy draining day for this introvert...Curiously though, the only problem I'd really like to fix about this situation is my upset stomach at work. The comfort/hurried/ fast-food eating in the car doesn't seem so bad now that I'm not trying to lose weight. I think I just need to "lean into" that a little bit and think about it... I guess that in the grand scheme of things, eating two meals a week out of 21 for relief and comfort doesn't seem all that bad or something that I really even want to fix at this time. Hmmm... interesting.

Octavia thank you for your condolences, suggestions and thoughts. I agree that Linda and Oolala have WONDERFUL perspectives for us!

I am extremely curious about Trinny and Susannah (I'm going to look them up online as I've never heard of them), especially the part about "slim bodies have to be as choosy in what they wear as the larger bodies. And they get you to see your shape, not your size." LOVE-LOVE-LOVE that. I also love your thoughts on taking pride in ourselves and separating beauty/attractiveness and size, seeing them as unrelated. I am going to try this starting today. Thank you.

What a "pick me up" today from your responses/thoughts- Thanks to you both!

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Octavia
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Post by Octavia » Wed Feb 14, 2018 10:37 pm

...it’s tragic that Trinny and Susannah have disappeared from our TV screens! They’re a couple of posh British ladies but I’m sure their show came to the USA. This is my fave book of theirs:

The Body Shape Bible: Forget Your Size Discover Your Shape Transform Yourself
by Susannah Constantine et al.
Link: http://a.co/d5sh9BJ

It’s well worth a read!

Fantastic news about your job move coming up! I’ve recently cut down on work commitments myself, and it has affected my life quite profoundly. Looking after myself food-wise is certainly easier.

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Post by worth it » Thu Feb 15, 2018 5:52 pm

February 15, 2018

7am: Coffee with cream
B (9:45am): bran flakes with freeze dried peaches; plain organic yogurt with spoonful of apricot jam; herbal tea

L (will be 1:30pm); portabella zoodle pasta; fruit salad; mozzarella cheese stick; coffee with cream

D (5:45pm): Chicken nuggets; carrots and tomatoes; a few chips; 2/3 of a soft pretzel twist
Dessert: kashi chewy nut butter bar; 1/2 cup of milk

Fitness: 32 min- "Power Walk" (aerobics) with Jessica Smith

I am encouraged this morning. I did an aerobics workout today without a back and knee brace that I've typically had to use in the past. This indicates that my back/abs and legs/knee are getting stronger! I'm sure this is due to the pilates reformer workouts I have been doing about 3-4 per week for the past 2 months. I am SO happy about this since I live in constant fear of my back going out like it did a few years ago (I was laid up in bed for 5 days in severe pain, unable to move). My family has a history of bad backs for which surgery was needed (my dad, my grandma, my brother) and I really want to avoid this for myself. This is a reinforcement of the fit and healthy body I'm seeking. A great marker for progress for me today!
Last edited by worth it on Fri Feb 16, 2018 3:49 am, edited 1 time in total.

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Thu Feb 15, 2018 10:14 pm

Keep up doing the best you can with establishing consistent meal habits, if that's still an issue. Then if after they are very, very solid, they're a good baseline to jump off from and to come back to, if desired, though it might take some effort to reestablish them. Well, it did me.

I have been so lucky that my work accommodated a quiet, though short, lunch. One thing about being an unpopular teacher is that students don't want to hang out or come for help during lunch. I did sometimes insist for failing students and sometimes put lunch off, but in teaching, the students leave before a regular work day is over and it's possible to eat in a leisurely way while looking at papers, answer emails, prep, etc. at 2. All the stuff the public forgets about when they complain about a 7 am-2:00 pm work day. But I didn't eat late often. I protected my dinner window; it was so much better to feel some emptiness before it.

Onwards!
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

worth it
Posts: 458
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:47 pm

Post by worth it » Sat Feb 17, 2018 3:17 am

Friday, February 16

Coffee with cream-6:15am
B: skipped
L(12pm): activia daily probiotic; (1pm) V-8 spicy hot and chicken broth
D (5:30pm): burger, fries, coke
Dessert: sunflower seeds and kashi nut butter bar with 1/2 cup of milk

Was in the office today. Felt much better not shoveling solid food in. No tummy pain until a bit of gas from fried foods... but it’s not as bad as having it ALL DAY LONG. And, its awesome not to feel like I’ve let myself down because I’ve eaten fast food for emotional reasons on the way home. Instead it feels like a neutral event.

Oolala,

I will say that relaxing meal times have become so important to me over the past few months. I’m so lucky that about 70% of the time, I get to truly pay attention and enjoy my meals, whether if by myself or my family. So, I think it feels all the more stressful and intrusive at work since I don’t get that tranquility. I admire the fact you were able to relax and enjoy lunch at work.

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Post by oolala53 » Sat Feb 17, 2018 3:37 am

Oh, I can't take much of the credit. I was blessed that the timing was so good for gaps between meals.

You really figuring out what you need for your condition. I know from experience that that doesn't always lead quickly to the habit! Oh, how I remember the fast food stop on the way home. And often still having dinner! Or junk all night.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Sat Feb 17, 2018 4:25 am

Looks like you had a good eating day and glad to see your exercise is paying off a bit!
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

worth it
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Post by worth it » Sat Feb 17, 2018 9:20 pm

Saturday, February 17th, 2018

7am: Coffee with cream

B(10:15am): hard boiled egg, piece of buttered Dave’s killer bread, plain organic yogurt with a spoon full of raspberry jam

L(1:45pm): piece of smoked sausage, piece of sourdough, green salad with cheese and roasted garlic, handful of cashews, two plums, coffee with cream

D(6:45pm): Cheese fondue with cauliflower, apples, carrots, pretzel bread
Dessert: kashi nut butter bar, milk


Fitness: 35 min Pilates reformer workout

Oolala,

I’m guessing that difficulty in continually developing the habit will be cyclical. The good news is that I am on an upswing right now- I’ll take it! I’m feeling so at ease with eating three meals a day and dessert.

Over the past few days, I’ve been in the midst of a personal breakthrough around emotional eating. I have been used to feeling almost as opposed to emotional eating as I did to being fat, wishing I didn’t have this “problemâ€. However once I (recently) gave myself permission to emotionally eat for any reason (kind of like I did for dessert), it just doesn’t seem that bad in the grand scheme of things. Even more important, before, during and afterwards, my head is no longer filled with all of the negative feelings (about me getting fatter) emotional eating has always caused for me. It’s almost to as if a switch has turned off or something. Feeling this way is contributing to a more peaceful relationship with eating for me. Let’s hope it continues!

Linda,

Thanks for stopping by. Yesterday was a better day with eating. It was much better not to have an upset stomach all day at work.



:)
Last edited by worth it on Sun Feb 18, 2018 1:20 am, edited 1 time in total.

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Sat Feb 17, 2018 9:29 pm

What incredible and delicious developments! So happy for you. :D
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

worth it
Posts: 458
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:47 pm

Post by worth it » Sun Feb 18, 2018 11:45 pm

Sunday, February 18, 2018

7am: coffee with cream

B(9:30am): 2 eggs; 2 pieces of bacon; pieces of buttered sourdough toast; hash browns; OJ

L(2pm): a few bites of baked chicken, corn, mashed potatoes; green salad with ranch dressing

D(TBD): Smoked sausage; white cheddar Mac n cheese
Dessert: Kasi nut butter bar; ghiardelli square; couple of bites of ice cream cake; 1/2 cup of milk

Fitness: 30 mins walk on treadmill

Was up yesterday and am down today. This is going to be harder than I expected and so early on. Today I awoke a lot hungrier than I have been in the past week or so. So, when my husband suggested a big homemade breakfast, I was “in†because I was so hungry.

After breakfast is when the internal diet dialogue began...

Me: those hash browns were good

Diet head: yes, but that was a very heavy meal. Lunch will be heavy too. You’ll really need to eat a vegetable based meal for dinner. You really don’t want to eat too much protein, calories, etc.

Me: You’re right diet head, maybe I can work off this heavy breakfast by going for an hour walk. Ugh, it’s too cold outside. In fact, I really don’t feel working out at all. Maybe I’ll just sit here for awhile. Oh, I just realized I’m going to be eating heavy meals for the next few days since my schedule is messed up! Tomorrow is our all-employee meeting that’s bringing in catered lunch (not vegetable based or a lunch I can skip), and Tuesday I have to take my MIL out to lunch. I’m not going to get to make my delicious homemade veggie heavy lunches I have come to love. Ugh.

And so my internal diet dialogue continues, even though weight loss is NOT supposed to be a goal I’m focused on- this was surprising since I just made a big breakthrough about emotional eating. Dang. I guess 10 year habits die hard.

After this craziness, what I ended up doing/saying to myself was; “You have permission NOT to workout. You shouldn’t be working out to offset any meals. Working out is to make your body feel strong and fit. It’s not a punishment. You also have permission to eat ANYTHING you like. Don’t worry about the heaviness of your meals at this point. I know you worry your body won’t go back to wanting lighter meals as it has been, but this is not a decision you can make for your body today. Let it guide you and decide at the time of each meal. Trust your body and yourself to do this. You can’t do anything wrong.†Then, I sat for another 1/2 hour, got bored and decided I had just enough time before we had to be at my MILs for dinner to go on the treadmill and get a quick shower. So I did.

The fact is that some days will be easy, some days won’t. I just have to figure out how to navigate them.

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Post by worth it » Tue Feb 20, 2018 3:00 am

Monday, February 19,2018

6am: Coffee with cream
B: skipped
L(12pm): 1/2 turkey with mayo; 1/2 cup macaroni salad
D(5:45pm): chicken tenders; fries; coke; sunflower seeds
Dessert: skipped

Fitness: none-at work today

milliem
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Post by milliem » Tue Feb 20, 2018 9:21 pm

Personally I'm not sure it's necessarily 'diet head' to be thinking about what is on your plate and what meals may have more nice veggies involved than heavy fried foods. I'm not in your head of course! If that thinking leads to anxiety, restrictions, mods or fails in frustration it of course is going to be a problem. It might be ok just to be aware and mindful of your plates without taking any particular steps to change them (other than sticking to your version of NoS). I know that for me, being aware of what's on my plates helps me to make good choices about at least SOME of my plates... otherwise I could seriously eat a plateful of pizza for every meal :lol:

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Tue Feb 20, 2018 10:53 pm

I get a little anxious when I have to eat a lot of food out. I've become so aware of how much all the food establishments have to compete for our money with similar weapons: salt, sugar, fat, all in refined packages, and all very easy to overdo in just a few bites. That makes it sound evil, doesn't it? But it sometimes feels that way. I often think about how our founder sounds like he left behind a lot of junk food along with the S's when he made his change. His breakfasts and lunches were/are very simple, and it sounds like he eats mostly homecooked dinners, too, so there is a lot of balance for the times when he has to rely on the market fare, not to mention that he started young.

In any case, do you best with where you are now, and do remember that though it's harder to limit the portions when eating out, it is possible and usually leaves a better feeling a few hours later. But that's just something to aspire to, not hit yourself over the head with. Each meal, it's possible to start fresh.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

worth it
Posts: 458
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:47 pm

Post by worth it » Wed Feb 21, 2018 2:26 am

Tuesday, February 20 2018

7:30am- coffee with cream (1.5 cups)

B: Skipped (no time this morning)

L: Mushroom zoodles; yogurt with a spoonful of apricot jam; fruit salad; decaf with cream

D: slow cooker pork chop; asparagus; few bites of mashed potatoes; bread
Dessert: cupcake with milk

Fitness: 30 min Pilates reformer workout; 1.5 hour cleaning

Today was a breeze. No drama, didn’t think about food at all. Am hopeful there will be more days like this than the other ones I have where I’m anxious, or feeling restricted.

Milliem,

The incident I was describing had me riddled with anxiety and over-analysis- basically the opposite of the goal I hope to achieve about being relaxed around food. For the record, I believe in the Pareto principle around food and LOVE veggies. While I’ve always enjoyed them, I’ve recently been making mostly veggie based lunches, realizing they are a wonderful choice since they taste delicious (based on my recent experiments), offer a lot of nutrition, help with my digestion, and keep me feel lightly full until dinner. It’s the fact that I was worrying so much about what I was telling myself I “should be†eating for lunch was frustrating since I’m not trying to lose weight anymore. It seems like I’m just used to trying to restrict myself or create drama about food when I don’t have a reason to do it any longer.

Oolala,

I was lucky and got out of eating lunch out since my MIL canceled. Ironically, I was going to suggest Panera since that’s where I feel most comfortable eating “clean†but even then, I’d just still prefer to make my own fare.

Dang, this is some hard stuff trying to sort through all my baggage around eating. Glad to have you and the others on this board to listen when we sound off- I appreciate your perspective.

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Wed Feb 21, 2018 2:29 am

Lucky cancel. Onwards!
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

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lpearlmom
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Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Thu Feb 22, 2018 5:53 am

Glad today was a peaceful eating day. It’ll get easier over time. Trust your body to tel, you what it needs. â¤ï¸
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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Octavia
Posts: 901
Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2015 8:01 pm
Location: UK

Post by Octavia » Thu Feb 22, 2018 8:23 am

Hi worth it - just to chime in with Linda’s message, I’m glad you had a good day when things felt easy. If only we could analyse what our success days have in common! 🙂
Hope today goes well for you too.

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Thu Feb 22, 2018 2:29 pm

Octavia, I think the only thing those days have in common is that we actually stick to the protocol. :wink: What leads us NOT to do that is likely a lot of things inner and outer coming together at the same time. But the bottom line solution is the same: wait to eat. 8)
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

worth it
Posts: 458
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:47 pm

Post by worth it » Thu Feb 22, 2018 4:36 pm

Wednesday, February 21, 2018
7am: Coffee with cream
B (9am): granola bar with glass of milk

L(12:30pm): 1/2 salami sandwich, handful of cashews, handful of chips

Fail: Bowl of bran flakes

D(7pm): pizza
Dessert: skipped

Was really hungry between lunch and dinner. Gave in, but didn't let it ruin the rest of the day (although I had those thoughts...)

Thursday, February 22, 2018

7am: Coffee with cream
B (9am): 2 eggs overeasy with toast and OJ

L(TBD):

D(TBD):

Hi All,

Thanks for stopping by. After observing all of these ups and downs with my feelings around eating, I'm going to try and take a more relaxed approach and try not to have "pre-conceived eating notions" in my head each day. Just because I tend to eat X and Y for breakfast/lunch/dinner, maybe I won't feel like that today... I realize that the ups and downs also cause a lot of distress for me. I basically never know which version of "me" is going to show up that day, so I'd really like to be open with my choices.

That's why all of your messages were so apropos!

Linda- I will never tire of the reminder that my body will tell me what it needs (if I listen). Thank you, as always : )

Octavia- I wish I had that super-power of knowing why some days are easier than others so I could only have the easy days... thanks for your well-wishes!

Oolala- Since I don't have that super-power, I agree the only thing that helps is consistency and repetition of 3 meals a day.
:D

worth it
Posts: 458
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:47 pm

Post by worth it » Sat Feb 24, 2018 11:02 pm

Saturday, February 24, 2018

7am: Coffee with cream

B: Skipped

L: eggs pancakes and sausage

D (will be): Buffalo chicken dip and veggies
Dessert (will be): homemade chocolate chip cookies

So, I have been doing a lot of research into the ups and downs of my eating days. Overall, I realize I have a lot of anxiety - at first I thought it was simply related to eating however now I’m seeing that it’s related to many other areas of my life (surprisingly, even positive ones). While looking through my previous reading, I stumbled across a book called brain over binge which I read a few years ago, and felt that it was interesting, it wasn’t very applicable to my own situation. It basically covers a journey of a woman who was bulimic and was able to overcome her eating disorder simply by doing that which she did not want to do-which was binging. Her belief is that the only reason she binged was to satisfy her urge to binge from her “lowerâ€/animal brain and not some deep-rooted, psychological depression, or anxiety problems. These urges are simply the result of “neurological junk†and a “bad habit†that was reinforced each time she binged. While I do, and have binged at different stages in my own journey, I would have never called it bulemia or even BED. However, I certainly believe I have disordered eating and have always thought that it was because of some deep-rooted, psychological depression, or anxiety problems.

I’m now thinking that maybe the only reason I have disordered eating is because I have urges (diet head) and habits that I follow. It’s something I’ll need to explore, but if I can simply ignore all the diet head thoughts, commentary, urges and label as “neurological junk,†I’m hoping I can reverse this drama around food that has been perpetuated for too many years. I believe that I have anxiety and likely always will, but don’t need to link disordered eating to it, as I have done for all this time. I’m even wondering if my reinforcement of researching “healthy eating habitsâ€, even down to posting what I eat on this board could be contributing to the drama. I’m not sure yet.

One thing I know is that it’s ok to have some reasonable/consistent boundaries around eating (ie No S) or attempts to eat healthier (ie eat more veggies, etc) but it’s not ok to have, and listen to, urges/diet head that cause me a great deal of distress. Hmmm...I’ve got a lot of thinking to do.

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Sun Feb 25, 2018 7:11 am

Reading a book for OCD not long before No S made me decide that my compulsion to overeat was a lot like other compulsions in that it would feel like I just had to have the food or something terrible would happen. It was just a set of thoughts and feelings. Nothing more terrible than just putting up with the sensations would happen. I also read a guy named Jack Trimpey, whose ideas are what spurred Hansen on. I've got plenty of anxiety. That hasn't gone away, but I have a hard time believing these days that any continued little problems with food I have now would suddenly go away if I resolved some emotional issues. I've read some of the BOB site. I like a lot of her stuff, but I disagree with her push for people to avoid reducing their intake and to eat meals and snacks. She had maintained a normal weight through her compulsions as many bulemics do.

She also said somewhere that it took about nine months of complete abstinence for the urges to pretty much completely go away. She didn't lose weight, so she probably experiences none of the body's resistance to a new weight. But I think her take that people get way too sidetracked looking for emotional solutions to take the desire to binge away is spot on.

Anyway, I think emotional issues are only one reason people overeat and eventually, it just becomes a habit all by itself.

I used the techniques from the OCD book (by Jeffrey Schwartz) and other thinking strategies to get and stay in gear with No S. Eating can definitely be "divorced" from all the emotional turmoil. They are two separate issues! Use No S to bring some order, and do whatever you think will help you with anxiety issues. Being compliant with No S is actually a help for the other stuff. Disordered eating is more anxiety-provoking (to me) than just putting up with the desires MOST of the time. They sometimes still "get" me, but usually, N days and moderate S days are a relief.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

milliem
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Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 2:30 pm

Post by milliem » Sun Feb 25, 2018 9:16 am

I really love the ideas from acceptance and commitment therapy - basically that it's important to tolerate uncomfortable feelings and do what brings you closer to your goals despite those feelings.

So if you're anxious, accept that, make room for the feeling, don't try and fight it. If you can, still act towards your goals even if your anxiety makes you uncomfortable. There's a strange contradiction that the less you try and hide, block or fight uncomfortable emotions the more chance that they will actually reduce anyway. I think it's pretty applicable to thoughts and feelings around food and eating. You can't always control those ideas your brain has around food and what is triggered from years of 'diet head', but you can accept that those thoughts exist, be kind to yourself if you have them, and perhaps feel less distressed about it.

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lpearlmom
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Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Tue Feb 27, 2018 4:51 am

Honestly the only thing that got my obsession with food under control was first NoS and then Intermittent fasting kind of sealed the deal. Well if I’m honest intuitive eating brought a stop to binge eating but I gained 80 lbs so not sure if that’s a good trade off. Either way it’s all part of my journey.

I know I talk about IF too much but it does help with overeating by getting your hunger and satiety signals working properly. I tend to think overeating is from physiological reasons as much as emotional if not more. There’s a good book called Appetite Correction by Bert Herring if you’re interested.
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

worth it
Posts: 458
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:47 pm

Post by worth it » Thu Mar 01, 2018 4:34 pm

March 1, 2018

Coffee with cream
B- skipped
L- Zoodle pasta with mushrooms, plain yogurt with a spoonful of apricot jam
D- homemade cheeseburgers with chips and guacamole
Dessert- granola bar with milk

Fitness: Pilates reformer; 1 hour walk outside

Hi All,

Thanks so much for your encouragement, thoughts and ideas. I love this board because I can feel how much we are all rooting for each other.

Oolala, I have started to adopt the theory that "emotional issues are only one reason people overeat and eventually, it just becomes a habit all by itself." I have been uber-vigilant about trying to have awareness about the habit I feel I've developed. It's really struck a nerve with me and I'm going to continue my focus here.

Millem, I liked your comment about the "strange contradiction". It's a great message about acceptance which aligns with the direction I'd like my life to go in as I turn 40. It's another area I'm going to continue focusing on.

Linda, firstly, I don't think you talk about IF too much. Your messages are consistent with someone wants to share what has worked for you so it can help others. AND I had much the same experience with Intuitive eating. In fact, the weight I was quickly gaining from IE was what led me to find No S through online "research," which I'm happy I did.

The plain truth is that I believe in IF and while I've experimented with a few versions over the past few years (EOD for 30 days (lost 10lbs but hated it- felt too restricted, sleep issues, digestive issues), The Fast Diet for 30 days (lost 2 lbs? hated it-felt too restricted by feeling like I couldn't easily stop at 500 calories on "fast days") and Fast 5 for 30 days (lost 3 lbs? Loved it, but gave up due to travel... and a worry it was just another way for me to disorder my eating), I do believe IF can be a very healthy way to live.

With Fast 5 I did experience a significant amount of appetite correction, but most importantly it got rid of aches and pains in my back. I also experienced clearer skin, more energy, and felt that maybe it helped lower the inflammation with the endometriosis I still worry I have (even after my hysterectomy). So...I recently re-started it this week (with a coffee with cream mod and a weekend mod of 16/8, if needed), but the truth is, I still worry if IF is just another bout of disordered eating for me. Though I truly don't feel it is, I just hope I'm not lying to myself. I want to believe that the reasons I failed before and the other times I did IF felt "disordered" were simply because I was only focused on losing weight....It just so happened that Fast 5 had some unintended very positive benefits like the omission of aches and pains which I have continued to think about all this time while doing No S. This time around, maybe the fact that I've given up on the hope of any real/significant weight loss, will continue to help me feel that this is a reasonable way to keep a balanced and normal approach to eating to live and keep me noticing that I'm enjoying all of the other benefits of Fast 5 this time around more acutely. I haven't even bothered to weigh myself to get a baseline- I just don't really care. After all, I fully embraced the three meals a day thought process through No S and didn't feel it contributed to disordered eating for me AT ALL. Basically, Fast 5 is similar for me, now I'm just cutting out one of those meals so I can have less aches and pains, better my health and have clearer skin (I'm allowed to be a little vain, right?). : ) The only thing that's still has me a little concerned about sustaining this consistent habit for the long haul is that 2 meals a day isn't typically socially supported by our culture like 3 meals a day is. The good news is that my husband and son are not breakfast eaters so I don't have that many instances where I would have to "succumb" to having breakfast other than times when I travel to see my other family members (mom, dad, etc) or on vacation, etc.

I guess I'm just more hopeful this time around and truly care about enjoying the next decade of my life in a healthy and vibrant way which I think Fast 5 supports. In addition, I'm adding focus in the areas of practicing awareness of habits, "diet head/lower brain voice," acceptance for non-compliance and acceptance that many of my emotions might not be linked to food at all. Most of all, I'm hoping for consistency with eating, which I have experienced to equal peace for me.

Wow- what a novel... Nothing like turning 40 in a few days to contribute to some crazy self-reflection!


:D

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Fri Mar 02, 2018 3:35 am

I love our NoS novel-entries. So many ahas! It's like another form of self-care -- at least it feels that way for me.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

worth it
Posts: 458
Joined: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:47 pm

Post by worth it » Sat Mar 03, 2018 4:19 am

Friday, March 2, 2018

Coffee with cream
B: skipped
L: skipped
D: iced coffee with cream; cheese and fruit box (Starbucks); popcorn; sunflower seeds
Dessert: protein bar with milk

At work today, so I decided to skip both breakfast and lunch- was only a little difficult because I think I was used to having something to break up the day. It was only mentally challenging for about a half hour, but I’m more happy to not have an upset stomach. I also tried a dinner I could eat on the road and that has some nutrition vs. my typical fried, fast food. That was also a little challenging because I was breaking a habit, but overall, I was well-fed, which is what is most important.

Auto- I actually thought about you after I read through my entire post! I couldn’t believe what I wrote was that long, and I remember you had a similar response to your posts as well. It feels so good to get all of these thoughts out of my head and onto paper- it is TOTALLY self care. I have a feeling they’ll be more posts like these for both of us. :D. Whatever works, right?!

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