Crystal's Daily 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

Crystal
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:19 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by Crystal » Sat Apr 21, 2018 10:25 am

21 Day Challenge: Day 19 (Friday): Success

Breakfast: 2 cups milky coffee, oatmeal.

Lunch: Vegetarian chicken rice with cabbage.

Dinner: Grilled Cheese sandwich and mushroom soup.

Urban Ranger: 1 hour.
44 years old. Long time vegetarian.
Vanilla No S.
Starting Weight: 269 (17 July 2017)
Last year: 228 (14 August 2018)
Current Weight: 232 (6 November 2019)
Goal Weight: Wherever my weight eventually settles on No S.

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

Post by oolala53 » Sat Apr 21, 2018 4:31 pm

Two more days! Woot woot!
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)

Crystal
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:19 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by Crystal » Mon Apr 23, 2018 3:27 am

21 Day Challenge: Days 20 and 21 (Saturday and Sunday): Success

So, obviously, the last 2 days were easy. 😂 I guess I’m just going to try to continue as I have been, with checking in every day. But I don’t think I’ll post my meals. They are all pretty much repeats anyway.

Sadly, I found out this morning that my younger brother (he’s 40) has diabetes. He just found out himself. It’s pretty bad and he’s in the hospital. I live far, far away from my family so I hadn’t realized how bad my brother’s health had become. He’s always been a big guy, plus size, like me, all his life. Even as a kid. He’s super active though. He’s also a musician and lives that lifestyle. Lots of food and drink. Late, late nights. He makes his living with his music so it’s a full time job/lifestyle for him. He lost tons of weight in the past couple years, and even more lately. He looks absolutely terrible. My family finally convinced him to go to the Dr, but he wouldn’t go until it was a full blown emergency. Maybe he was scared because my mom died 3 weeks after she went to the hospital-3 weeks after the day she found out she had cancer. I’ve known that cancer runs in my family, but I never knew diabetes did until recently. I now have 3 brothers and my dad (all active, all average size) who developed it. My dad was shocked. He said it was the last thing he expected to get. (He’s not related to 2 of my brothers so at the point of his diagnosis, he was the only one.) All my grandparents died in their 40’s, 60’s or early 70’s from heart disease or cancer. Very depressing.

So I’m sad that I can’t be there for my brother right now. I just don’t have the money for a flight (10,000 miles) and don’t know how I could get away for very long. One of my brothers thinks this brother will be ok if he can learn to manage his diabetes. He thought this brother must be on hard drugs to look and feel so bad, so he’s actually relieved it’s diabetes.

So, I guess diabetes definitely runs in my family. Even more incentive for me to stick with this for the long haul. In fact, it’s way more incentive-i have a little girl with Cerebral Palsy who I need to stick around for. I don’t know what she’d do without me, and not being here for her is my greatest fear.
44 years old. Long time vegetarian.
Vanilla No S.
Starting Weight: 269 (17 July 2017)
Last year: 228 (14 August 2018)
Current Weight: 232 (6 November 2019)
Goal Weight: Wherever my weight eventually settles on No S.

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

Post by oolala53 » Mon Apr 23, 2018 7:20 am

Best wishes for your brother and your family.
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)

User avatar
lpearlmom
Posts: 4812
Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 4:59 am
Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Mon Apr 23, 2018 5:28 pm

So sorry for the news. Diabetes is scary but definitely manageable. My husband was able to avoid meds by going very low carb and losing weight. Unfortunately he’s kind of fallen off that lately but I’m hoping he’ll get back on track soon. If you combine keto or v low carb with intermittent fasting, you can pretty much reverse the disease process.
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

Crystal
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:19 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by Crystal » Mon Apr 23, 2018 11:46 pm

Thank you for the kind words, Oolala and lpearlmom. â™¥ï¸ I hope my brother can manage his condition. He is a very determined person so I have high hopes for him. He definitely does not need to lose weight. He was in severe ketoacidosis so lost a huge amount of weight to the point of looking very frail and sickly. Which is not his normal look-he’s normally a big, muscular guy. He looks elderly now. 😢 But he will be ok I hope. He was severely dehydrated. He’s already feeling better and will hopefully gain some weight back in the form of muscle.

Yesterday was a success as far as No S. I skipped breakfast and had a reasonable lunch and dinner. One iced milk tea in the afternoon. And I lost another pound! My weight seems to go like that-I’ll lose a few pounds then plateau for a month before losing again.
44 years old. Long time vegetarian.
Vanilla No S.
Starting Weight: 269 (17 July 2017)
Last year: 228 (14 August 2018)
Current Weight: 232 (6 November 2019)
Goal Weight: Wherever my weight eventually settles on No S.

User avatar
lpearlmom
Posts: 4812
Joined: Fri Aug 02, 2013 4:59 am
Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Tue Apr 24, 2018 4:49 am

Oh sorry that sounds like type I diabetes. I’m sure he’ll start doing much better once he’s on meds.

Yay for another pound down. You’re doing great!
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

Dalia negra
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:48 am
Location: Barcelona (Spain)

Post by Dalia negra » Tue Apr 24, 2018 4:50 am

Crystal wrote:Thank you for the kind words, Oolala and lpearlmom. â™¥ï¸ I hope my brother can manage his condition. He is a very determined person so I have high hopes for him. He definitely does not need to lose weight. He was in severe ketoacidosis so lost a huge amount of weight to the point of looking very frail and sickly. Which is not his normal look-he’s normally a big, muscular guy. He looks elderly now. 😢 But he will be ok I hope. He was severely dehydrated. He’s already feeling better and will hopefully gain some weight back in the form of muscle.
I'm glad to read this.
Crystal wrote:Yesterday was a success as far as No S. I skipped breakfast and had a reasonable lunch and dinner. One iced milk tea in the afternoon. And I lost another pound! My weight seems to go like that-I’ll lose a few pounds then plateau for a month before losing again.


This encourages me a lot. I'm going through a plateau and seeing that you can get out of it gives me hope. Do you do something different to make it happen? Or are you just going on and the weight goes down just?

Crystal
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:19 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by Crystal » Tue Apr 24, 2018 8:29 am

Thanks, lpearlmom. 😊 I didn’t know you could develop type 1 as an adult. But I don’t know anything at all about diabetes. I better read up since it apparently runs in both sides of my family! 😩

Dalia, thanks. To answer your question... I haven’t really done anything differently when I plateau. Sometimes I have plans to do something different, like drink less milky drinks, for example. But I never seem to have the willpower necessary to do that! 😂 So I just keep on doing vanilla No S and slowly, so very slowly, I lose another pound. Or half a pound. This last plateau was actually a gain of about 4 pounds, so I tried to stick to a 21 Day Challenge where I tried to be perfect for those days. I succeeded, and I went back to where I was (234) plus 1 (233) and a couple days later I’m at 232. But I rarely have fail days, so I think my weight would have gone down even without the 21 Day Challenge. But I know not to expect to go down another pound for another month. Maybe i will hit 231 by June. 😂 If No S is teaching me anything else, it’s certainly teaching me patience! 😂 Just keep on keepin’ on, try to stay as green as possible. You always read on here not to change anything for a long time to see if you will continue losing without changing it up, and I think I’m finally learning thru experience that this is true. But don’t worry, I’ll probably be in panic mode about my weight in another couple weeks. 😂 If you have any questions, please ask. 😊
44 years old. Long time vegetarian.
Vanilla No S.
Starting Weight: 269 (17 July 2017)
Last year: 228 (14 August 2018)
Current Weight: 232 (6 November 2019)
Goal Weight: Wherever my weight eventually settles on No S.

Dalia negra
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:48 am
Location: Barcelona (Spain)

Post by Dalia negra » Tue Apr 24, 2018 9:04 am

Thank you very much for your response, Crystal!

True, patience is the key in No S. I do not usually be patient, and less in terms of weight, but I will learn! :lol: :)

Crystal
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:19 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by Crystal » Wed Apr 25, 2018 3:40 am

Yesterday, Tuesday, was a Success.

I thought it would be interesting to look back at my Happy Scale app and see what my lowest weight was for each month since starting no S. I’d do average instead of lowest, but that would require some math and I’m too impatient to do that. 😂 Here is what I came up with:

17 July 2017 Start Day: 269
August 2017 ? (Changed phones and lost my data)
September 2017: 252
October 2017: 247
November 2017: 242
December 2017: 241
January 2018: 238
February 2018: 234
March 2018: 234
April: 233

So my weight loss has slowly become slower and slower. But I’m still losing without changing anything, so I’m happy about that.

Also wanted to mention that this is the longest I’ve stayed on No S. I had a couple serious attempts in the more than 10 years (!!) I’ve known about the plan. And many, many, too many too count not serious attempts where I’d resolve to do it and give up after one or 2 days. I’m not sure why it’s stuck (so far) this time. I do know that after I had my daughter, I was a stressed out, sleep deprived mess for years. She didn’t sleep well until age 4, and she has a moderate disability so taking care of her comes with it’s own challenges. I’ve finally started feeling like myself again in the past 2 years. I also got fed up with my weight when I stepped on a scale and realized I was at my highest weight ever.

I just write all this to say not to give up if you’ve tried and failed many, many times. I think most people have. I think it’s the rare person who reads about No S and gets it right the first time. Especially if, like me, you’ve battled diet mentality all your life. Believe me, fat little 6 year old girls already know all about diets. It takes years to get over that kind of life, those kinds of feelings surrounding weight, food, self-loathing.
44 years old. Long time vegetarian.
Vanilla No S.
Starting Weight: 269 (17 July 2017)
Last year: 228 (14 August 2018)
Current Weight: 232 (6 November 2019)
Goal Weight: Wherever my weight eventually settles on No S.

Dalia negra
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:48 am
Location: Barcelona (Spain)

Post by Dalia negra » Wed Apr 25, 2018 9:29 am

Thanks for taking a look back to help me, Crystal, I appreciate it very much.

As for me, yesterday I had a red day and today the weight has marked another 2 pounds more. I feel totally frustrated, but I am following my day as usual, I have eaten what was on my plate, and I have cooked some spaghetti that I will also eat on my corresponding plate. I have reached a point where No S is the only thing I want to do, because I love it. Regarding the weight, I think I'll leave the scale aside for a while (if I'm capable).

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Octavia
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Location: UK

Post by Octavia » Wed Apr 25, 2018 11:14 am

Good luck with your journey, Crystal. I’m impressed by your list of lowest weights - No S has really worked for you. Like you, I’m learning patience - just doing Vanilla and waiting, waiting, waiting! But it is working!

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

Post by oolala53 » Wed Apr 25, 2018 5:41 pm

You have lost a little over 13% of your weight. If you have looked at real research on obesity and weight loss, that is astounding. Even if you only maintain, you would be outdoing the subjects of hundreds or possibly thousands of studies. And you have likely gained 90% of the benefit for your health.

Nearly all successful "losers" tried many times and many strategies before they settled on something they were willing to keep doing. They also then became willing to do things they couldn't convince themselves to do before, for whatever reasons. A lot of them never get thin, but do maintain lower weights and experience a lot more vitality. You are 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)

Soprano
Posts: 1184
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2018 8:56 pm
Location: UK

Post by Soprano » Wed Apr 25, 2018 7:21 pm

Well done Crystal it is so encouraging to see NoS working :)

Jx
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

idontknow
Posts: 814
Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2008 9:43 pm
Location: UK

Post by idontknow » Wed Apr 25, 2018 10:16 pm

I just write all this to say not to give up if you’ve tried and failed many, many times. I think most people have. I think it’s the rare person who reads about No S and gets it right the first time.
So true - I have also tried, been successful at some times, and failed at other times over the last 10 years. I'm trying again because it's the most sensible option.

Well done on your weight loss!

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

Post by oolala53 » Thu Apr 26, 2018 1:05 am

Reinhard didn't even have to read about it! But we all know what a different guy he is. Lucky for 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)

Crystal
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:19 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by Crystal » Thu Apr 26, 2018 3:27 am

Thanks so much, you guys, for your lovely comments. Thank you Dalia, Oolala, Soprano, Octavia, and idontknow.

Dalia, don’t worry about that little 2 pound gain. I agree that you should put the scale away. Put it far away for a month at least. Put it out of reach. It’s really hard, though, I know. I tried to give it up, but couldn’t. But I’ve been better in the past few weeks about weighing less frequently.

Oolala, so true about Reinhard. I truly don’t know what I’d do without No S. I know enough about the fat acceptance movement (and agree with much of it) and about diet failure rates to know I couldn’t do a truly restrictive or counting diet ever again!!! So my only option was to keep gaining weight because I didn’t know how to eat moderately on my own. So thankful I stumbled onto No S (I think I read about it in someone’s blog-they only briefly mentioned it) so many years ago. Once I read about it, I was hit with this “aha moment†and knew I could never diet any other way. Didn’t know then that it would take me 10 years to implement it successfully in my life! I’m so thankful to Reinhard for No S.

Yesterday was a success. Skipped breakfast again. Had a normal lunch (packed soup in a thermos and some bread and fruit). And a rather large dinner.

I’ve also done about one hour of Urban Ranger each day this week.

Have a lovely day everyone! 🌺
44 years old. Long time vegetarian.
Vanilla No S.
Starting Weight: 269 (17 July 2017)
Last year: 228 (14 August 2018)
Current Weight: 232 (6 November 2019)
Goal Weight: Wherever my weight eventually settles on No S.

Crystal
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:19 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by Crystal » Fri Apr 27, 2018 4:31 am

Yesterday was a FAIL. I had a normal breakfast and lunch. But my daughter stayed home from school so I was stuck at home with her and there are many temptations at home. We actually temporarily live with my in-laws (common here, and we are waiting for our house to be finished being built). They buy junk constantly. Really, all the time. I’m always having to resist this kind of temptation. It’s their house, so it’s not like I can tell them not to buy stuff. They buy stuff to share with everyone and constantly remind you it’s there. I usually just set something aside for the weekend and have no trouble resisting. But 2 days ago, my MIL brought home those tiny containers of Haagen Dasz. Oh, man. I ate one yesterday. Right before dinner. It was divine. Carmalized cookie flavour. Then, weirdly, I didn’t feel like eating dinner. I was also a bit too lazy to cook. It was just my daughter and me, and I had her dinner sorted out so I ate an oat breakfast bar with a plain cup of Earle Grey tea. The bar was way too sweet. Then, a couple hours later, I got a migraine. So yesterday was not great. But today is another day.
44 years old. Long time vegetarian.
Vanilla No S.
Starting Weight: 269 (17 July 2017)
Last year: 228 (14 August 2018)
Current Weight: 232 (6 November 2019)
Goal Weight: Wherever my weight eventually settles on No S.

Dalia negra
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:48 am
Location: Barcelona (Spain)

Post by Dalia negra » Fri Apr 27, 2018 5:09 am

Crystal, mark in red and follow, after two days it will not seem so bad ...

On the other hand, if you ate only the ice cream and the bar, you could consider that you made the virtual dish, but with sweets. It's not ideal, but maybe it helps to see it like this ...

I hope your migraine goes away !!

Crystal
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:19 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by Crystal » Fri Apr 27, 2018 7:38 am

Thanks, Dalia! My migraine is gone, thank goodness. I get really, really bad ones where I vomit a lot. But I was able to not get to that horrible vomiting stage by keeping an ice pack on my head until I fell asleep. I woke up this morning with no migraine! That doesn’t always happen, but I’m so happy when it does!

As far as the fail goes- I’m ok with it. I used to let failures bother me a lot. I think that’s why I quit No S many times. I would fail and give up. I’d have months of perfect green, then a few reds, then I’d stop altogether. But this time, I’m just not letting the fails get to me. I don’t know how that happened, how I turned that switch off in my brain that made me feel like giving up when I failed. Now, I truly don’t care. I guess if I had a lot of fails it would make a difference. But I don’t think a few here and there makes much difference.

It’s friday afternoon here. Have a wonderful weekend!
44 years old. Long time vegetarian.
Vanilla No S.
Starting Weight: 269 (17 July 2017)
Last year: 228 (14 August 2018)
Current Weight: 232 (6 November 2019)
Goal Weight: Wherever my weight eventually settles on No S.

Dalia negra
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:48 am
Location: Barcelona (Spain)

Post by Dalia negra » Fri Apr 27, 2018 9:13 am

Crystal wrote: I don’t know how that happened, how I turned that switch off in my brain that made me feel like giving up when I failed. Now, I truly don’t care. I guess if I had a lot of fails it would make a difference. But I don’t think a few here and there makes much difference.
The same happens to me!

I'm glad that your migraine has disappeared.

Happy weekend to you too!

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

Post by oolala53 » Sun Apr 29, 2018 1:07 pm

Were you being a little sarcastic when you said that it was weird that you didn't want dinner after the Haagen Dasz? I wouldn't feel like it, either, so close to meal 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)

Crystal
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:19 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by Crystal » Mon Apr 30, 2018 8:07 am

Hi Oolala-no, i was being serious. 😂 I was genuinely surprised that I wasn’t hungry. It was a tiny ice cream container. Like the ones you might get for dessert on an airplane? It takes a lot more food than that to make me full, but maybe my appetite is bigger than yours. 😂

I can’t remember when I last checked in. Friday was a success. I only had one red day for April. Then Saturday and Sunday, which have involved a lot of haphazard eating. I’m on a little vacation, staying at this resort and we haven’t eaten many proper meals. Mostly snacks. I took an NWS day today and was planning on taking one tomorrow too. But I’m pretty sick of eating this way and want to just get back to regular N Days. (Tomorrow is Tuesday). Not sure what I’ll do. Stay off the scale for sure! I don’t think I want to know my weight after the past 3 days! 😂
44 years old. Long time vegetarian.
Vanilla No S.
Starting Weight: 269 (17 July 2017)
Last year: 228 (14 August 2018)
Current Weight: 232 (6 November 2019)
Goal Weight: Wherever my weight eventually settles on No S.

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

Post by oolala53 » Wed May 02, 2018 5:24 am

Congrats on a mostly green April!

Oh, I was thinking the container was bigger. And sometimes, even something small like that will take the edge off so much that I'm not actually hungry for the meal. I used to always eat a meal anyway, but now I sometimes (un-No S-like) decide to just wait until the next morning to have a meal. I wouldn't have done that the first few years. Even later, it can be risky, inciting possible rebound eating, but I'm more aware of what's going on now, so I am better able to resume normal eating.

I find that even on vacation, I like it better when I treat most of the weekdays as N days. I have coffee or tea as a "snack" if others want to eat.
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)

ladybird30
Posts: 1118
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 10:41 pm

Post by ladybird30 » Wed May 02, 2018 6:23 am

oolala53 wrote: I have coffee or tea as a "snack" if others want to eat.
Me too.
Three meals a day - not too little not too much, but just right

Crystal
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:19 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by Crystal » Fri May 04, 2018 8:51 am

Just a quick check in for the week:
Monday: NWS day
Tuesday: NWS day (but quite tame)
Wednesday:Success
Thursday: Success
Friday: ?

Despite the fact that I took 2 NWS days right after the weekend, I’m still losing! 231 a couple days ago and 230.6 this morning. Can’t believe I may actually see the 220’s soon. Or not. Haha. You never can tell. I could plateau again or gain or whatever. Who knows? I used to think this was predictable. Now I know the only thing I can control is my behaviour. But I really believe that it will ultimately lead to continuous, slow weight loss. I’m so happy that’s the case, and I’m really happy I’m learning to be ok with the process.
44 years old. Long time vegetarian.
Vanilla No S.
Starting Weight: 269 (17 July 2017)
Last year: 228 (14 August 2018)
Current Weight: 232 (6 November 2019)
Goal Weight: Wherever my weight eventually settles on No S.

Dalia negra
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:48 am
Location: Barcelona (Spain)

Post by Dalia negra » Fri May 04, 2018 9:43 am

Crystal wrote:
Despite the fact that I took 2 NWS days right after the weekend, I’m still losing! 231 a couple days ago and 230.6 this morning. Can’t believe I may actually see the 220’s soon. Or not. Haha. You never can tell. I could plateau again or gain or whatever. Who knows? I used to think this was predictable. Now I know the only thing I can control is my behaviour. But I really believe that it will ultimately lead to continuous, slow weight loss. I’m so happy that’s the case, and I’m really happy I’m learning to be ok with the process.
I love what you say in this part. It's wonderful that No S teaches us to enjoy the process, when the normal thing in a diet is wanting to lose all the weight quickly to finish it as soon as possible ...

Congratulations also for your weight loss, I am very happy for you !! :D

Crystal
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:19 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by Crystal » Fri May 04, 2018 10:26 am

Thank you so much, Dalia! I’m cheering you on as well! ♥ï¸
44 years old. Long time vegetarian.
Vanilla No S.
Starting Weight: 269 (17 July 2017)
Last year: 228 (14 August 2018)
Current Weight: 232 (6 November 2019)
Goal Weight: Wherever my weight eventually settles on No S.

Dalia negra
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:48 am
Location: Barcelona (Spain)

Post by Dalia negra » Sat May 05, 2018 6:37 am

Thanks Crystal! I have good news, I left the stagnation!!! :P

Have a great weekend :)

Crystal
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:19 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by Crystal » Fri May 11, 2018 4:21 am

From where I left off:
Friday: Success. Urban Ranger: 1 hour
Saturday and Sunday: S Days
Monday: Success. Urban Ranger: 1 hour
Tuesday: Success. Urban Ranger: 1 hour and 40 minutes
Wednesday: Success. Urban Ranger: 45 minutes.
Thursday: Success. Urban Ranger: 1 hour and 20 minutes.

As expected, because this is just the way it goes, the scale is reading 2 to 3 pounds higher these past few days. I’m thinking of doing 2 scale experiments. 1. Put the scale out of reach, high in the storeroom for 1 solid month. Get on with my life. Weigh again in a month.
2. Weigh every day for a month. Record my weight here every day along with “success†or “failure†and my Urban Ranger minutes.

I’d actually like to do both. Just thinking which to do first. I’m not really discouraged this time by my weight “gainâ€. I don’t actually think it’s a real gain, and I’m used to this kind of thing now. I’ll decide by Monday which I want to do first: either put the scale away or weigh every day.
44 years old. Long time vegetarian.
Vanilla No S.
Starting Weight: 269 (17 July 2017)
Last year: 228 (14 August 2018)
Current Weight: 232 (6 November 2019)
Goal Weight: Wherever my weight eventually settles on No S.

Dalia negra
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:48 am
Location: Barcelona (Spain)

Post by Dalia negra » Fri May 11, 2018 4:52 am

Crystal, if it helps, I weigh myself every day and register it. I use Dashboard TrendWeight, and before I used The hacker's diet. Yesterday I tried not to weigh myself, but the fear of taking weight (totally irrational, I know) made me go through a lot of anguish. So I have decided that I will continue to weigh myself daily even if the plateaus depress me. It gives me something to keep me attached to and the calmness of controlling the situation.

Dalia negra
Posts: 276
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Location: Barcelona (Spain)

Post by Dalia negra » Tue May 15, 2018 5:23 am

Crystal, how are you? I miss you...

Crystal
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:19 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by Crystal » Wed May 16, 2018 2:30 am

Thank you, Dalia. That’s so kind. I’ve been doing ok. Just busy, and my daughter has been sick. She’s missed some school and I had to pick her up early yesterday because she still wasn’t well. But I think she’s ok now so I’ll be taking her today.

I’ve decided to try a month of weighing every day and recording my weight here. After that, I’ll take a month of not weighing at all. These are just experiments to see how weighing every day and not weighing at all effect my thoughts and feelings and my compliance on No S. Really, I’m just trying to keep things interesting. 😂

Monday: Success. Urban Ranger: none (I didn’t walk bc my girl stayed home from school and I was busy taking care of her.) Weight: 231.8
Tuesday: Success. Urban Ranger: 45 minutes. Weight: 230.8

It’s Wednesday morning here. I weighed 230.4 this morning. A new low for me since starting No S. This just shows how meaningless the scale can be. I’m happy about the reading, but it’s kinda crazy because all last week, I weighed 234. 11 Days ago I weighed 230.8. I have no idea why my weight went up again last week. But it just shows me that these daily up and downs don’t mean that much in the grand scheme of things.
44 years old. Long time vegetarian.
Vanilla No S.
Starting Weight: 269 (17 July 2017)
Last year: 228 (14 August 2018)
Current Weight: 232 (6 November 2019)
Goal Weight: Wherever my weight eventually settles on No S.

Dalia negra
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:48 am
Location: Barcelona (Spain)

Post by Dalia negra » Wed May 16, 2018 4:52 am

I'm glad you're fine, Crystal, and I hope your daughter is fully recovered.
Congratulations for your weight loss, I just noticed your signature and lost 38 lbs in less than a year, that deserves absolute respect. It is a great achievement!!

Regarding weighing yourself every day or not doing it ... my relationship with that is love and hate. As soon as I need to do it every day, as I decide not, you already know it :lol:. Let's see how it goes for you.

We read here! :wink:

Crystal
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:19 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by Crystal » Thu May 17, 2018 3:33 am

Wednesday: Success. Urban Ranger: 45 minutes. Weight: 230.4

It’s Thursday morning. I weighed 229.2 this morning. Woohoo! A new low, and I’m in the 220’s now! (At least for this week, haha.) I’ll undoubtably go up again for a few days before I go back down. But this represents 40 pounds lost for me! I don’t really know what my weight goals are-I’ve come to realize that weight goals are not a great idea. But I’d LOVE to lose another 40 pounds. We will see what happens as the years go by.
44 years old. Long time vegetarian.
Vanilla No S.
Starting Weight: 269 (17 July 2017)
Last year: 228 (14 August 2018)
Current Weight: 232 (6 November 2019)
Goal Weight: Wherever my weight eventually settles on No S.

Dalia negra
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:48 am
Location: Barcelona (Spain)

Post by Dalia negra » Thu May 17, 2018 5:02 am

How nice Crystal !!!!! I'm glad!!!!!!!! :D

And I love your idea of ​​not having a weight loss goal, it takes away a lot of unnecessary tension :wink:

Merrygoround
Posts: 90
Joined: Sun Apr 22, 2018 5:14 am

Post by Merrygoround » Thu May 17, 2018 7:51 pm

Gosh, no weight loss goal. Another huge new concept for me. I have lost about 90lbs (not wth no s, with a variety of diets, some quite silly) and although I am now a normal weight with a bmi of under 25 (down from mid 30’s I think) I am still hankering after the whole 100lbs lost thing.

What would happen if I didn’t have a weight loss goal?
What would happen if I just ate my 3 meals a day?

Interesting. Today’s thought for the day. No weight loss goal.
Merry

Crystal
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:19 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by Crystal » Fri May 18, 2018 4:31 am

Thank you, Dalia and Merry! ♥ï¸

My idea to have no weight loss goals came from years of hardcore dieting in my 20’s. I lost 70 plus pounds 3 times. The lowest I ever got was 169, and I couldn’t get the scale to budge after that no matter what I tried. I even went low carb, and I’m a vegetarian. That is tough! But I was reaching for that magical “normal†BMI. I had come so far, exercised such restraint around food, deprived myself, etc, but I felt like a big FAT failure because I was still in the overweight category. 😢 What nonsense! If only I had accepted myself for who I was and just tried to maintain my loss instead of feeling like I had to lose more. People would compliment me all the time and I’d just say, “thank you, but I still have more to loseâ€. On the one hand, I knew I looked better, but i was still filled with such self loathing that I didn’t really even appreciate or enjoy the weight loss. I stayed 169 for maybe 5 minutes, lol. I could not sustain the loss or what I was doing to lose the weight.

When I tried No S this time, I didn’t want to make any real goals besides just staying on the plan. I wasn’t even sure I could lose anything with No S. When I did start losing, I thought the goal of 190 seemed reasonable for me. Now that I’ve been doing No S awhile, I’m not sure I can lose that much. But I’m not even sure I care anymore. TBH, I DO want to continue losing for sure, and 190 is still sort of a goal in my mind. But not in the way I ever felt about a goal weight before. My goal is really to stay on this plan for life, and if in 2 or 3 years I lose to 190, then sweet! Amazing! If not, i hope to be happy with my weight wherever I end up on No S. Honestly, I feel better about my body now, at 229, then I ever did at 169. I may have looked better then, but I had a very distorted view of weight in general and my weight in particular. It’s sad that so many women in their 20’s look stunning but they don’t appreciate it. Also, with so many tragic things happening all over the world, who cares about my weight? 😂

That was a pretty lengthy explanation and I think I veered a bit off topic. I just meant to say that having a weight loss goal (one that would seem totally REASONABLE to most people! I wanted to be 154, not 120 for goodness’ sake!) derailed my weight loss efforts, totally discouraged me and caused me to give up altogether. I just can’t let that happen this time.

Thursday: Success. Urban Ranger: 1 hour. Weight: 229.2
44 years old. Long time vegetarian.
Vanilla No S.
Starting Weight: 269 (17 July 2017)
Last year: 228 (14 August 2018)
Current Weight: 232 (6 November 2019)
Goal Weight: Wherever my weight eventually settles on No S.

Dalia negra
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:48 am
Location: Barcelona (Spain)

Post by Dalia negra » Fri May 18, 2018 5:16 am

These are very wise words.

I have thought many times the same. I started to diet with 10 years old (yes, a girl). I've always been a plump girl, and everything has come from not knowing how to control myself with food. When my father arrived from work and had dinner, I had dinner with him again. I like food and that also allowed me to share something with him. The point is that with that record, the weight that I could comfortably maintain for years was 176 lbs. Now I weigh much more and you do not know what I crave that weight. If only I had stayed there and had not done so many stupidities ... I wish at twenty years someone would have come to tell me everything you've written here.

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Octavia
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Location: UK

Post by Octavia » Fri May 18, 2018 8:11 am

Thanks for these powerful testimonies, Crystal and Dalia.

I too was always plump as a girl, but would probably have stayed at a normal weight had I not tried dieting - firstly low fat, then calorie counting. I was always rebounding, and gradually developing that taste for/tolerance of excess. It’s as if our boundaries break down, the more we diet, and No S gently rebuilds them.

Crystal
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:19 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by Crystal » Wed Jun 20, 2018 8:43 am

It’s been awhile since I posted. I’m still doing No S of course. I have a minor slip-up now and then, but I’m sticking with it for the most part. My lowest weight was 229, and it’s been around there for the past month. It’s ranged from 229-232. I tried weighing myself, as an experiment, every single day for a month. I was going to record my weight here every day, but the whole thing just got a bit discouraging. I’m the kind of person to disappear from the boards when my weight goes up a pound or two. This is not a great way to deal with discouragement I know. I have abandoned that daily weigh-in experiment. Yesterday I put the scale away and will not weigh again for 2 weeks.

This month has been kind of a wash. I’m just glad I haven’t really gained. My routine is upset because my daughter is on one month school holiday. So I’ve been home a lot. It’s harder to avoid mindless eating at home! Plus, my 1 hour to one and a half hour daily walks have not happened because they are built into my daily routine of taking her to school. I have been walking, but it’s more like 20-30 minutes per day. Yesterday I did 45 minutes.

When I have a fail, it’s not a big fail. A few extra bites here and there, too many tastes when cooking, etc. I also have to hand feed my 7 year old daughter who has mild CP a lot. She can eat by herself, but it’s very messy and takes forever and a day. She doesn’t like feeding herself, and sometimes I don’t feel like fighting it. And sometimes, I don’t have time to let her do it on her own. When she’s eating something delicious, I admit a few spoonfuls make their way to my mouth. Ugh. Yesterday, I took her to the playground. We played for a few hours and then I treated her to a McFlurry at McDonald’s. Yes, I took about 5 bites. These are small fails, but I think over the week, they add up. I was reading one of the threads on the main board where Oolala mentions “No BLTsâ€. No Bites, Licks, or Tastes. Boy, do I need to implement this in my life. My portions are reasonable and I stick with No S pretty well. I never, ever binge. But these BLTs are adding a lot of extra calories every day. I need to stop it. I wish I could chew gum while cooking (I’m so hungry when I cook dinner!) or feeding my girl, but gum is banned in Singapore! 😂😂😂
44 years old. Long time vegetarian.
Vanilla No S.
Starting Weight: 269 (17 July 2017)
Last year: 228 (14 August 2018)
Current Weight: 232 (6 November 2019)
Goal Weight: Wherever my weight eventually settles on No S.

Crystal
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:19 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by Crystal » Tue Aug 14, 2018 7:27 am

As usual lately, it’s been quite a while since my last post. I haven’t left No S by any means. In fact, I’ve spent the past month or two trying to be a bit stricter and break my latest plateau. I’ve finally gone down another pound. Only took 3 months LOL. I also surpassed the one year mark doing No S. That felt great. So happy that I made it a year with no inclination to stop. This year has been fantastic. I’ve lost 41 pounds, gained total freedom from anxiety around food, enjoyed many, many delicious meals and many delicious guilt-free S Day treats, without counting a single thing. I’ve also pretty much made peace with what has to be the slowest method of weight loss ever. I’m not even sure that’s a bad thing, slow weight loss. The only real negative I can think of is the emotional toll it can take if a person puts too much emphasis on the number on the scale. As I have done and continue to do at times. I’m pretty confident that my weight will continue to drop, but how long will it take to lose the next 40 pounds, which is what I’d ultimately like to lose? I have no idea. I’m starting to think 5 more years is not far fetched.

In the meantime, I’m just doing No S without really thinking about it. What used to be hard is truly a habit now. Wow. That makes me smile just to type that. But it’s really true. I occasionally fail, but they are small fails. I still struggle with a few too many tastes while cooking, etc, but no big deal. I’ll keep working on it.

Speaking of cooking-a couple months ago I downloaded an app called Mealime. It’s changed my life. It’s basically like one of those home delivery meal kits (Blue Apron) but you do your own shopping. You choose your meals for the week and it makes a shopping list for you. Then you follow the step by step instructions. The meals are delicious and very heavy on the vegetables, beans, grains. I choose the vegetarian options, but there are many eating preferences to choose from and it accounts for dislikes and allergies. And it’s FREE. They have a paid version but I find the free version more than adequate. Tonight I’m having Zucchini and potato fritters with a lentil, bell pepper and feta salad. I don’t have a lot of time to cook when I get home in the evenings, so I prep the vegetables and sauces before I leave to take my daughter to school and then cook it when I get home. I also have delicious leftovers to bring for lunch the next day so I’m eating less peanut butter and jam sandwiches with potato chips. ðŸ‘ðŸ½ðŸ˜‚ If you can’t tell, I highly recommend Mealime.

I’m also keeping up with my daily walks. It’s been so hot here lately, and so tempting to take the bus. But I just reject those thoughts and walk anyway.

I will try to check in more often. I love No S so much. I shudder to think where I’d be right now without it. I was at my highest weight this time last year and stuck in this cycle of eating whatever whenever, gaining, feeling terrible about myself, etc. I’m at a completely different place now. Even if I don’t lose another pound, I’m a changed person. I just feel so much gratitude to Reinhard for sharing this way of eating. I couldn’t have figured it out on my own.
44 years old. Long time vegetarian.
Vanilla No S.
Starting Weight: 269 (17 July 2017)
Last year: 228 (14 August 2018)
Current Weight: 232 (6 November 2019)
Goal Weight: Wherever my weight eventually settles on No S.

ladybird30
Posts: 1118
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 10:41 pm

Post by ladybird30 » Wed Aug 15, 2018 2:57 am

So happy to hear of your success.
Three meals a day - not too little not too much, but just right

cedar
Posts: 312
Joined: Tue Apr 19, 2011 5:30 am
Location: Australia

Post by cedar » Mon Aug 20, 2018 9:16 am

Hi Crystal, this sounds strange but I started reading your posts on Friday night and it was like reading a really good book..I couldn't stop! I was quite happy living in your world for a while while I enjoyed my cup of tea! Anyway I just wanted to say Hi and I think your No S journey is very inspiring. I've been on and off No S often over the years ( I don't know why I go off it because it's really the only thing that makes sense!) but I'm back and loving it. All the best to you and thanks for providing me with some very enjoyable inspiring reading.🙂

Imogen Morley
Posts: 1022
Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2010 1:11 pm

Post by Imogen Morley » Mon Aug 20, 2018 9:34 am

Regarding your last post, I'm always wondering if the feeling of being in control of one's eating isn't actually the best part of NoS. I can totally relate to your insight - with fully ingrained NoS habits weight loss becomes secondary.

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

Post by automatedeating » Mon Aug 20, 2018 2:37 pm

Yay Crystal! What a fun post! So neat about your mealtime app. I also am currently motivated about meal planning, and cooking at home.

Congrats on the 40 you've lost and the peace you have about where you are at!

Also -- so cool about your daily walks. My best NoS year ever I walked to and from work every day. Prioritizing that walk is a great for mental health as well as our physical movement! :-)
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

Crystal
Posts: 163
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2008 4:19 pm
Location: Singapore

Post by Crystal » Wed Nov 06, 2019 7:21 am

So, its been over a year since I have written here. I have been meaning to come back, but I have been so busy. I haven’t even been reading the forum. I was writing my daily check-in using my tiny iphone, which I still have and love and use, but this site didn’t have a mobile version so it was really difficult to read and write that way, It seems a bit easier to read on my phone now, but typing so much out is still a hassle on my phone. I finally got a Bluetooth keyboard to use with my ipad so I can type now! Yay! Actually, getting back to these boards was one of my main reasons for getting the keyboard. Being able to record my progress and failures and successes this way was a big motivator to continuing No S. I am so happy to be able to be on here again!

I have not entirely left No S, but my compliance has not been great lately. I have actually for the most part stuck with it for the past year (which makes it over 2 years that I have been doing this) but I have not been strict enough and lately that has lead down the slippery slope leading to not doing it at all. I’m not that bad yet, but I want to jump right back in and get strict about it again. As for weight loss/gain-it looks like the last time I updated my signature I weighed 228. I weigh 232 as of yesterday morning, so that is not bad at all I guess. Can’t believe I have only gained 4 pounds in the past year even though I was not strict at all. I have largely followed No S this past year, I just haven’t been very strict and have easily given in to temptation or taken extra bites, or had desserts on N Days, etc. I definitely think this has lead to my eating too much sugar lately, and I don’t want to continue doing that.

My goals are basically still the same. I mostly just want to do this to be healthier. I feel great when I follow No S strictly, and I enjoy my meals so much more. I am 44 now, and I want to do whatever I reasonably can to stay healthy for as long as I can. I have a physically disabled Daughter and I need to stay healthy for her. I am still pushing her in her wheelchair on our commute to school (which still involves an almost 4 hour commute round trip which includes a one hour train ride and about 40 minutes of walking each way) so I am still getting around an hour to an hour and half of walking most weekdays.

As far as weight loss goals-I am a naturally plus size person who has always been healthy despite being fat. Really. I have never had any real health problems or issues because of my weight. I read a lot of Fat Acceptance literature in my 30’s and stopped feeling bad about being fat for the most part. I would still like to lose more weight if that is what happens when I get strict with No S, but it is not as big of a deal as it once was in my life, not by a long shot. I want to be healthy. I want to continue to be able to walk and ride my bicycle and feel good, both physically and emotionally. I feel better both physically and emotionally when I am eating this way.

My husband started doing No S a couple months ago (he does not need or want to lose weight-he just wanted to use No S as a way to cut back on sugar). That was a big motivator for me. We were doing it together and it was great. But he had an overseas work assignment which kind of derailed him and now he is back overseas again until the end of the year. I am a goal oriented person and I like to have something to work toward, so I am using this opportunity to try to stick to No S strictly until he gets back. It just gives me a goal to work on. He left last Saturday and I have been doing well since then (it is Wednesday afternoon where I live now). In the few days since I have been back to strict No S, I have felt great. And I have been hungry for dinner again! That is such a good feeling and tells me I am back on track.

Sorry this is so long! I plan to be back on here as often as I can. Daily if possible. Just to record my progress and such. I will try not to be so long-winded, but with an actual keyboard it is so tempting to just go on and on and on... hahaha.
44 years old. Long time vegetarian.
Vanilla No S.
Starting Weight: 269 (17 July 2017)
Last year: 228 (14 August 2018)
Current Weight: 232 (6 November 2019)
Goal Weight: Wherever my weight eventually settles on No S.

Soprano
Posts: 1184
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2018 8:56 pm
Location: UK

Re: Crystal's Daily Check In

Post by Soprano » Wed Nov 06, 2019 7:33 am

Welcome back :)

It's great to read you pretty much maintained over the year.

It's easy to slip here and there and good to get back on it. Health and feeling good are much better reasons to stick with it.

Jx
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

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

Re: Crystal's Daily Check In

Post by automatedeating » Wed Nov 06, 2019 2:50 pm

I never use my phone to update here. I'm way too long of a writer! I use my chromebook. Very occasionally, when I'm out of town, I try to quickly jot in my food entries, but it's annoying to me. So congrats on your iPad keyboard! :-)

And welcome back! You sound like you are in a really good place, and that the habits of NoS have made long-lasting change in your typical eating patterns.
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

tobiasmom
Posts: 1391
Joined: Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:08 pm
Location: Texas

Re: Crystal's Daily Check In

Post by tobiasmom » Fri Nov 08, 2019 4:50 pm

So great to see you back. I am also trying to get my act together here. Sounds like you’ve done great this past year!! I love your attitude about weight loss. I need that desperately!!!
Military wife and homeschool mom of two boys, 15 and 10.
No-S restart 01/08/23
SW: 239

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