Sandy's Daily Check in - starting 8/24/05

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

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Sandy
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Sandy's Daily Check in - starting 8/24/05

Post by Sandy » Wed Aug 24, 2005 5:33 pm

Today is Day One. I have been a lurker forever, and even tried starting a few times. Habit is what kept me from succeeding. I would think I needed sweets and I could monitor what I ate with moderation. Doesn’t happen! I need to lose about 20 lbs but I do not plan on weighing myself. The scale (as it turns out) is my enemy. I feel great, jump on the scale and it doesn’t tell me what I want to hear therefore I eat, or it does in fact tell me what I want to hear and I’m so encouraged that I eat……….from this point on I will make the declaration to myself and whoever reads this that I will no longer weigh in – its not worth it to me.

I will report in every afternoon. My goal is to feel good and energetic everyday. I work out every morning for at least 1 ½ hours but somewhere along the day I eat something that I feel is “bad” and it kills my attitude.

AM – fruit salad and cottage cheese
Noon – half of a wrap, chips, tomatoes

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gratefuldeb67
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Wed Aug 24, 2005 5:50 pm

Good luck Sandy!!!!!
I only weigh when I'm already feeling like things are going my way....
The scale can be a mood killer...
Most of the time I say they are evil!!! :evil:
So, no more lurking for you!
You will overcome those habits if you stick with it...
Maybe not all of them at once, but just take it a day at a time...
It falls into place with practice!

Peace and Love,
8) Deb

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Post by peetie » Wed Aug 24, 2005 7:57 pm

A goal of feeling good and energetic is a great one. Much more sensible than losing 20 lbs. in 20 days or some such nonsense. Afterall, the reason we want to lose weight is to look and feel good.....so those should be our goals, not some arbitrary number on a scale.

Peetie

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Post by carolejo » Thu Aug 25, 2005 7:47 am

Peetie's right about the "number"... Especially as bathroom scales are so innacurate and unreliable anyway!! Do you really want to hand over your self respect to the scales and entrust your health, happiness and wellbeing to one of the most capricious machines that was ever made...?

I didn't think so :lol:

Glad you finally decided to try out the check in thread. I've found it very useful myself.

C.
CaroleJo

Kevin
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Weigh yourself

Post by Kevin » Thu Aug 25, 2005 1:51 pm

After your first 21 days.

If you are sticking to plan, experience says that you will be happily suprised.

Once No-S is a habit, you can weigh yourself more frequently without getting down about it. I look at my range of weight. Currently, I'm ranging from 176.5 to 180, down from 194-197. Darn near 20 pounds in three months!
Kevin
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."

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Post by Sandy » Thu Aug 25, 2005 2:46 pm

SUCCESS for the day one 8/24/05

pm salad - huge and I ate way to much of it, also a toasted energy bar (bagel type) with butter. No sugar in it at all though.

am (8/25) fruit salad and cottage cheese (sooo good)
noon wrap, humus, celery & tomatos

I feel a bit guilty eating what I want at these meals but I'm giving it 21 days to see how I feel.

More on the scale. A few months back I didn't weight myself for one month - I felt fantastic, all my clothes fit and then I jumped on the scale - it wasn't what I was expecting and I starting eating non stop once again. Thanks for your responses. I feel like I know you people already since I have been reading all your posts for such a long time.

I love the new look of this board also.

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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Thu Aug 25, 2005 3:57 pm

Sandy, you must be either Jewish or Catholic to have such guilt!!!! :wink:
There's nothing remotely guilt worthy about what you wrote down for your meals! LOL....

Maybe you are so used to being told that certain foods are "forbidden" or whatever, that you will have to do a bit of mental deprogramming....
You will do great on the plan, and just enjoy your food...
I am one of those people who took months to downsize my portions....
Just focus on not snacking and sweeting and going for those seconds..
Even if it's somewhat of a trick, and having a large portion of food, in the beginning seems calorically tantamount to going back for seconds,, it is not!
If you need to overload your meals to be satisfied right now, and not to violate your newly forming habits, do it....
You won't gain weight... So don't feel guilty.... If you need to relieve your guilt, go voluteer your services at some place like a senior community center or a hospital! Food should be enjoyable!!! The end!!!! :lol:

Eventually your body will be used to being satisfied with less and then, lo and behold, because you stuck to the "no seconds" rule, you will have that down by then too!!!!

Over the course of a lifetime this will be extremely useful...
My personal hardest S was, and still is, "no seconds..."
For years, I'm embarrased to say, I would just dispense, at times with even using a plate at all!!! :roll:
I used to eat out of the pot on the stove....
Now *that* is something to feel guilt over... My mother used to wonder why there weren't too many leftovers of whatever she had prepared for us....
Glad the group has been of service to you... It sure has for me!!!!
Incidentally, about how long had you been "lurking".. since you mentioned the old group, I'm curious....
Peace and Love,
8) Deb

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Post by Sandy » Thu Aug 25, 2005 7:31 pm

Hi Deb, thanks for the encouragement. I have been lurking for at least 1 1/2 years. I always thought it was a fantastic idea to have three meals, sweets on the weekend. I am afraid that I will push the limits and therefore end up heavier. My worst S is sweets - if I limit those I will drop weight as I normally eat healthy.

If I feel full - I feel like I ate to much! I love the feeling of being hungry and enjoying my meal. I'm spacing them a minimum of 4 hours apart.

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gratefuldeb67
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Thu Aug 25, 2005 10:28 pm

Whoa!!! A year and a half? You are an old timer! LOL....
Congrats for getting off that fence!!!
Now that you are here, we hope you stay! :)

I too am starting to like the somewhat hungry feeling these days...
The only time I can't really function well if I am very hungry is if I have something that actually requires concentration and thinking...
Like balancing a budget or stuff like that...
I've begun to really enjoy the feeling of exercise on an empty stomach and just take things a little slower if I'm a bit on the empty side...
Well time for dinner!

Peace and Love,
8) Deb

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Post by carolejo » Mon Aug 29, 2005 8:53 am

How can it be possible to eat TOO MUCH SALAD....? :?: :P

I mean, Salad is like 99% water anyway! Besides, if it all fitted on the one plate Sandy, then it's perfectly allowed.

Just wanted to say, don't shoot yourself in the foot before you even get properly started!! You're doing great. Don't worry about it. As long as you eat only 3 platefuls a day, the portion control thing will come on it's own. You don't need to force it.

C.
CaroleJo

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Post by Sandy » Tue Aug 30, 2005 5:55 pm

8/26 FAILURE
8/27 FAILURE
8/28 FAILURE
8/29 FAILURE
8/30 FAILURE

I was never planning on posting again, instead - I plan on starting up again as day one 8/31. It seems like such an easy plan - why is it so difficult. I have a personality of all or nothing and apparently over the weekend it was on ALL.

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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Tue Aug 30, 2005 8:39 pm

Hi Sandy!!!

First, let me offer you a big hug!!!!
All or nothing is a common experience for us! Moderation, for someone who is either an "on or off" type, is a huge challenge to try and cultivate... I'm no stranger to this phenomenon... And in modern society it seems that moderation, in general, is in rare supply these days and a lost art...

I am so sorry you are feeling that this is so difficult... Not in any way to minimize your feelings or be glib, but, no one said it would be easy.... Really, I am not trying to be sarcastic, but this is the truth... It's not easy!
For some of us, it's very very very hard to get down those good habits...
I personally, have been on NOS for a whole year, as of yesterday.. Since you have been reading the posts, you must already know my story, but at the risk of being redundant, I'll mention again, that up until this month, I hadn't been able to stick exactly to plan and do the 21 days on habit...
I'd get about three days in, especially in the first three or four months, and then I'd have some kind of "cave in"... Ice cream would beckon me, some late evening snack (though not really bingelike anymore, but still in my mindset, a "f-up...")

Not to sound too 12 step, but to really truly change our habits and what we are doing now, we have to accept where we are now... Now, that doesn't mean we are going to like what we see, but without awareness and acceptance of what we are doing now, there's no way we can change it.... And again, accept doesn't mean "settle" either...
The plain truth is that, as Reinhard mentions in his home page, when we are the cause of our problems, it's really unflattering and most people are just stuck in denial...

I say, embrace those five days you put down as failures and chalk them up to the beginning of your "practice"...

Maybe you could be a bit more descriptive about your "failures", if it's not too annoying, and explain how you felt they were failures...
I mean, I remember Kevin had one day when he put a piece of ham in his mouth while preparing sandwiches and, that day, he called the whole day a "failure".....
Which S's are you real "demons"...
Sweets?
Seconds?
Snacks?
All of the above??? LOL.... :wink:

Perhaps you shouldn't use the Success/Failure model here, considering if you are the type that is "all or nothing", a mild setback, could have very detrimental effects on you mentally, and keep you in a vicious cycle...
Put your focus on what you did well today...
If that means saying no to seconds, but you screwed up on everything else rules wise, just pat yourself on the back for your one good thing for the day...

Give yourself the time and leeway to screw up while you are practicing...
But remember, the more you practice, the less you will screw up..
So just keep going!!!! True change is hard and takes time....
You deserve the best like everyone else here, and we are all with you!

Peace and Love,
8) Deb

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Sandy...

Post by Kevin » Tue Aug 30, 2005 9:55 pm

I would agree with Deb, Sandy.

This diet is simple, but it's not easy. Not for the first 21 days or so.

But climb back on. We all like to hear success stories. You can be one, too. For each between meal period you make it, you're that much stronger. You make a promise, you keep a promise, it's much harder to break the next one.

As for salad, if it's just veggies, don't give it a second thought. I eat salad with every meal, in a side bowl, and don't feel the least bit guilty. And I'm pretty strict. Of course, it doesn't have croutons and cheese in it. I just don't think you can eat too many green, red or orange vegetables.

Come on back in. We'd love to hear you tried again. Trying is success.
Kevin
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."

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Post by navin » Tue Aug 30, 2005 11:39 pm

Sandy-

Indeed, listen to the wisdom of Deb and Kevin. The only thing I have to add is kudos to you for checking in here and posting, even though it was a failure. That means you care enough about yourself and your health to try again, so with some work and patience, perhaps this next go around will be more successful than the last.

We're rooting for you!

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Post by ClickBeetle » Tue Aug 30, 2005 11:59 pm

Hey, Sandy!

I'm glad you posted your failures. Wow! Now that takes guts!

Of course, I'm not glad that you didn't meet your goal, but that goes without saying, I guess ...

Sweets have been my downfall for the last week or so.

You know how I got started on No-S? I was looking for information on low-sugar diets, because my friend lost 85 pounds in about a year and a half, and she swears all she did was stop eating sugar (and greatly cut back on refined carbohydrates, like white flour).

All the advice from Kevin, Navin and Deb is great, and I would add one more thing in hopes it will help. You might try looking at "avoidance techniques" depending on when & where you eat sweets. Things to pop you out of a routine and that familiar situation in which snacking is "committed."

I found that going for a quick walk is very distracting and energizing. But, whatever works for you ... naturally!

Keep on truckin'! We're pulling for you!
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur

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Post by Sandy » Wed Aug 31, 2005 2:37 pm

First of all - thank you all for being so supportive. When I posted FAILURE it was a huge FAILURE

in those days I had

1 1/2 lb of fudge
2 lbs of taffy
1 large candy bar
1 container poppycock
1 Ben & Jerry's
7 lemon bars
4 large cookies
1 pc cake

and that only the stuff I remember. I am (at most times) an out of control sweat aholic. I work out every day and some days I eat healthy. I actually enjoy my life more when I eat healthy. This is a perfect plan and your right Deb – why should I expect it to be easy. I WILL join the 21 club this time……….you people are really great. Oh yeah- I weighed myself and plan on doing that once a week – I’m a slave to many things that are not worth my time or energy. I am in control of every aspect of my life but sweets.

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Post by reinhard » Wed Aug 31, 2005 3:10 pm

Sandy, there is something good about this failure: it shows the difference no-s will make. I don't think there's any way you're going to get thin, on any diet, eating all that sugary stuff. You clearly will get thinner by largely cutting it out. Since sweets are your problem, let them also be part of the solution: think of something especially nice as a sweet S day reward for this weekend.

Stick with it. Remember how many failures it can take. Much better to get them out of the way up front like this.

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Post by peetie » Wed Aug 31, 2005 4:42 pm

Sandy, I am the original sweetaholic. I can eat things that make other people gag they are so sweet! But what worked for me, was making sure on my NoS days that I eat enough healthy, and most important of all for ME, good tasting foods. I am never hungry, and I get taste thrills that aren't of the sweet variety...but they are taste thrills nonetheless. I never eat anything I don't like just because it's good for me.

And I eat enough. It's hard to lust over chocolate fudge when you are already comfortably full and satisfied.....from your stomach to your taste buds. Okay, maybe not hard, but not as likely!

And, I did go a little bozo on my first S weekend, but calmed down very quickly. I liked Reinhard's suggestion as thinking of a sweet reward for being so good during the week. A reward to me sounded like a piece of cake for dessert. Not a whole sheet cake in one sitting. I also found by tagging these sweets onto a meal, I could also eat less of the sweet stuff and be satisfied.

peetie

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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Wed Aug 31, 2005 8:44 pm

Sandy, yo!!! That was quite a disclosure of S'ssing! LOL Hey all those treats sound really good, but not all together...
Though I can understand that when you are accustomed to eating this stuff all the time it could spiral into a majorly vicious cycle...
You really don't want to end up with cavities and diabetes...
I agree with Reinhard that the sweets can be part of the solution...
Just not seven days a week...
Let S days be your safe haven for guiltless consumption of taffy and ice cream... I promise you that if you stick with this for some time... and really give it a go, your cravings and your taste for the excessive sugar will change for the better... But be patient and be diligent...
You will become less "anesthetized" to the sugar and more sensitive to it.. It will take much less to satisfy your taste for it...
Meanwhile, there are loads and loads of lovely fruits out there which are sweet, as well as sweet veggies like yams and such... Why not explore some of the nice and exotic fruits in your local fruit market?
How does a nice ripe cantelope sound? Some sweet corn?
Baked sweet potato with a little cinnamon and nutmeg?
Yum!!!
Good luck, your demons are out now, and they can't hide anymore!
You will get them! One at a time!
Peace and Love,
Deb

PS.. My own personal sweet's victory now is that I went from having four teaspoons of sugar :shock: , plus hot cocoa mix in my daily coffee last year, and now I only use one teaspoon and some chocolate soymilk, which at this point is tasting way too sweet for me.. I may cut down on the chocolate soy and mix in some unsweetened now..
Maybe that doesn't sound so great, but, since on average I have two cups a day, it is saving me 2,190 teaspoons of sugar a year!!!!
Now it seems more impressive!
I never thought I'd be able to cut down on that sugar, though intellectually, I knew I was doing myself in having that much... Time just took care of it...
Stick with it!!!!!!!!

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Post by ClickBeetle » Wed Aug 31, 2005 8:57 pm

Hey, Sandy,

When I decided to cut down on sweets it was because of my friend who lost 85 pounds by cutting out sugar, and at about the same time, my blood test came back high for triglycerides and I read that one of the causes can be high sugar intake.

I don't know if you have had a blood test but with that kind of sugar consumption you could possibly be at risk for not only high triglycerides but also pancreatic disorders, even pancreatic cancer in the long run (tho' I'm sure it's a very small risk). Now I don't want to be alarmist at all ... but I do feel the sugar industry has done a very effective job of convincing the public and the regulatory agencies that there are virtually no health risks to consuming sweets ... and that is just not the case at all.

In my case, it was only the heads-up of a possilbe medical problem that caused me to get serious about sugar reduction.

And I'll agree with Deb and Peetie both -- after just a week (that's 5 days!) of no sweets, my "sugar anesthesia" was way reduced -- I mean, things that were only mildly sweet tasted very sweet. And I began to enjoy fruit more, and that sort of thing. If you can manage to pull it off for even a few days you may notice your sweet tooth being "tamed" a bit.

Finally, and not to diagnose you long distance or anything, 'cause I am most definitely not a nutritionist, and I have no idea what other foods you eat, but are you quite sure you are getting adequate vitamins and minerals? It sure seems that food cravings could be stimulated by some deficiency. (Just a thought. Ignore as needed!) :)
Chance favors the prepared. - Louis Pasteur

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Post by Sandy » Thu Sep 01, 2005 12:52 pm

First of all, thank you to all of you. You are fantastic in your advice and I read every word. I’m trying to get to know all of you by reading your posts each day and will get to the point where I feel comfortable replying to yours as well. I am overwhelmed that you take the time to post such thought producing emails. I already want to meet all of you.

First of all, I am very healthy. The thought of diabetes has scared me but my cholesterol is 140 and my blood pressure is 148/43 – my husband cannot believe it. I work out hard every day and like stated before – sweets is my downfall, but I plan on getting a handle on it. I love good food just as much, I think I’m programmed to want sweets thinking I can’t have them, therefore overindulging feeling like I’m getting away with something. Right now I fit into a size 10/12 but am looking to fit into 8/10 – that will be perfect for me. 20 lbs and I will be golden but the biggest goal is to get a total grip on eating good and feeling good. I feel like a junkie!

Day 1 8/31 SUCCESS

B: Steel Cut Oatmeal, blueberries, soy milk
L: grilled zucchini & summer squash with brown rice and a side of fresh tomato
D: 5 potstickers (like a Chinese dumpling), roasted broccoli

Plus no closet eating at night……..

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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Thu Sep 01, 2005 1:11 pm

Hey!!! Good job Sandy! Yeah, it seems like you basically have very healthy taste in food... And wow, you aren't really obese so you're really lucky given your inclination towards the sweet stuff... Really lucky!
I guess you are very active?
Remember, eat sufficient amounts at meals... No martyrdom is needed here on NoS.. Just "Normal-dom" LOL.... :lol:
Of course sufficient is totally subjective...
No closet eating is great!!!! That earns you 10 Spiritual pushups!!!
Yay!!!

What, if you have any, is your plan for upcoming S days?
A pound of fudge or a pound of taffy? LOL...

Seriously, do you think there's anything you would really enjoy having?

Seems like the idea of treating yourself to your favorite thing is the best psychology you can use here, especially given the fact that you normally look at sweets as "taboo" and "getting away" with stuff...
Once you deprogram that negative and bingelike mentality and realize that there is a huge difference between guilt inducing (and fat inducing) binging, which, in my opinion, is actually pleasureless, and consciously choosing your food, including your treats, you will feel very empowered and learn to love that feeling!!!!
Good work and keep it up!
Don't worry about being perfect okay? Just do your best!
We applaud you!
Love,
8) Deb

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Post by Blondie » Thu Sep 01, 2005 2:07 pm

Sandy!

Your meal choices sound like mine, yum!! :D

You'll definitely get a handle on the sweets thing after a few tough days. Rock on. 8)

Mandy

SandyMandySandyMandySandyMandy--HATE that!! :wink:

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Post by cvmom » Thu Sep 01, 2005 5:04 pm

Hi Sandy.

Welcome. I was totally addicted to sweets. I knew that I couldn't go without them very long. When I found the No S site I was actually looking for a No Sugar diet. Well, what I found was 1000 times better. You do get to have your sugar you just get to learn moderation.

Today marks 3 months of doing No S for me. I have not swayed. The first 2 weeks were uncomfortable but honestly I do not crave sugar anymore. Me. M and M girl!!! It is a miracle.

I needed to lose 20 pounds too. I think I've lost 7 or 8. I'm not sure. I just know that when you do eat less sugar your mind will clear.

Best of luck. Please keep posting.

Dru

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Post by cvmom » Thu Sep 01, 2005 5:12 pm

P.S. Sandy: Put a few berries or fruit on your dinner plate. That helped me in the beginning with the sugar cravings. It may help you too. :)

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Post by Blondie » Thu Sep 01, 2005 5:38 pm

PS
Sandy, like you and Dru, my weight loss goals are pretty modest (but we KNOW that doesn't make it any easier--isn't everyone always saying that it's those last pesky 10 pounds...), and like Dru (and YOU, I swear!!), I found the cravings to abate quickly. I've lost around 13 pounds in about 2 months.

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Post by carolejo » Thu Sep 01, 2005 6:25 pm

Hi Sandy,

Glad you've picked yourself up, dusted yourself down and come back in for another bite of the noS cherry, as it were!

If you haven't already, take a look at the thread 'is there life after snacks and sweets' in the No S diet part of this bulletin board. You might be surprised how many of us are sugar-junkies in various states of reform!!

Personally, I have to say that NoS has really changed the way my tastebuds operate. Once upon a time (a whole 3 months ago!) I would've cheerfully eaten all the sweet things on your list all on 1 day!!!! Now, however, I feel satisfied with just ONE normal serving of most things. I still sometimes think I want to eat some sweets or chocolate bars, but it gets less intense with every passing day that I resist. Resisting is easier when I know that I'll be allowed to eat them on weekends anyway. When I do eat them on S days, it feels really good, but I no longer want to eat the WHOLE 2lb bag of jelly babies in one hit!

So anyway. Good luck with it. Nothing worth doing is really all that easy, but I'm sure it will work out in the end for you. You've got the rest of your life to get it really right, so this isn't a race into the 21 days club or anything. Just take it a third of a day at a time. Every time you make it to your next meal, that's a mini-success of epic proportions! :D I know how hard it was for me at the start... I would have done *just about ANYTHING* to eat a Twix bar. No, really, I would have! Only the thought that I needed to get a handle on things, otherwise I'd end up doing myself some serious damage and the fact that would be able to eat it on Saturday morning anyway stopped me from running off and grabbing it right then. When Saturday came, I didn't even want one anymore!

Hang in there. It does get easier.
C.
CaroleJo

Sandy
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Post by Sandy » Fri Sep 02, 2005 12:33 pm

Day 2 - 9/1/05 SUCCESS

B: steel cut oatmeal, blueberries, soy milk
L: grilled zucchini & summer squash, side of tomatoes
D: Quiznos Chicken Miliano – regular size, chips –

Hindsight says I should have gotten a small instead of a regular, and baked chips instead of the full fat.

I’m so worried about the NS days that I’m thinking of foregoing them. I start playing with plans and taking them to their full advantage. For instance

Sat NS, Sun NS, Mon – labor day holiday NS, Tues S, Wed – birthday NS. I really need to get through this to feel powerful in my “sweet” decisions. Maybe one good item each of those nights and eat healthy the other 3 meals.

Deb, I take it from your postings on your site that you are a single mom – is that right? Thank you for your excellent postings. Your right, I’m very active – workout every day for a minimum of 1 ½ hours – can you imagine how much healthy stuff I could eat if I didn’t eat the sweet stuff – my own white powdered drug! P.S. I was a single mom for 17 years.

CV Mom – your right with the addiction to sweets. I tried South Beach for two weeks and my sweet tooth was totally gone but I also had zip for energy. I always buy one pound of fudge when I go the beach and it is gone by the next day and I don’t share. My kids (now grown) laugh at me because I’m on a sugar high, but the learned at a young age to be careful for the crash! Ohhhh Almond M&M’s the best!

Blondie – are you the runner? I was doing half marathons until 2 years ago. I switched to other workouts; I felt like I was overdoing it – if I run now, it is at the track.

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Post by Blondie » Fri Sep 02, 2005 4:19 pm

Hey Sandy,
Yes, resident crazy person--I mean runner. I love the half-marathon or 10 mile distance!!I actually am training for the Philly marathon. I've only been running as my primary exercise for about 2 years (with some significant chunks missing for injuries, including knee surgery), but I also swim a lot and cycle when I can make myself. My background is in other sports, though. I'll keep running until I don't want to anymore, I think (or if I can't stay uninjured). We'll see :)

Sandy
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Location: New Hampshire

Post by Sandy » Sat Sep 03, 2005 5:53 pm

Day 3 - 9/2/05 - SUCCESS

B: steel cut oatmeal, blue berries, soy milk
L: Atkins Shake
D: Went out - chicken & spinach canollini, 2 pcs bread, butter, 2 glasses wine

My husband ordered dessert and I didn't touch it. He couldn't believe it! I gave him no reasons other than I was stuffed!

I'm on vacation for 9 days and I feel great.

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gratefuldeb67
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Location: Great Neck, NY

Post by gratefuldeb67 » Sat Sep 03, 2005 6:35 pm

Hi Sandy! That meal sounded really yummolicious...
Hey if you were stuffed there really isn't any need to stuff more in, but don't forget that S days are there for you when you need it!
Yes I am a single Mom...
Fortunately, I think God sent down an angel for me when he made my Son Richard....
He is very special!!! And he has helped me so much this year...
As of yesterday and compared to the same time last year, he has lost 3 inches of fat from the area measured right at the belly button line... I am so proud of him!!!!! This comes simply from cutting back on sweet treats.. He never ate seconds and snacks are limited to healthy after school stuff like a small piece of bread and cheese or fruit...
He is as slender and wonderful as they come, but more importantly, he will have a sense of self esteem and self respect for all the hard work he has put into this, plus, he will not have to break years and years of bad habits...
I wonder, from reading your post, whether you are keeping the fact that you are trying out NOS a secret from your hubby?
If that's the case, I would say, better to be open about what you are doing.. I have some pretty bad issues with my Mother, in terms of getting her total support on N days, but then again, I don't live with her anymore... We don't have to argue too much about what gets brought into the house, etc... But she has tried to sabatoge my efforts now and again, which sucks... Well, before I start making a bunch of assumptions, I guess I'll wait to see what you say...

As a general rule though, I say it can be very very helpful to have the support of your family... I suppose some people prefer to keep their attempts at diet a "secret" from others around them because they don't want to get the "unsolicited advice" like "you shouldn't have that!" or "Is that on the diet.." but there's also a psychological risk involved in feeling one needs to be secretive... It's just part and parcel of that whole "eating in secret/drinking alone/bingeing when no one is watching" mindset... When we make a stand in public, yes we are putting ourselves out there and may get annoying comments, but we also are saying "This is what I am doing" in a much more committed way... Sortof like "coming out" instead of being a "closet case"... LOL..
Anyway thats how I feel about my own efforts, though I almost never talk about it with anyone else except close friends and people I really respect and like...
Feel free to elaborate, or not!
Great work so far!!!!
Peace,
8) Debbie

cvmom
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Post by cvmom » Sun Sep 04, 2005 12:50 am

Hey Sandy:

How's it going? I've been doing this for about 4 months (almost 3 months consistently) I didn't say anything to my husband for a good few weeks. I have tried so many "diets" for so long that I didn't want to burden him with my weight "issue". (He doesn't think I'm fat anyway and used to get sick of my going on about it.) So, I can see where you are coming from in case you haven't said anything.

He now knows that I'm "doing" No S and last night said, "Hey, you want dessert? Oh, it's not an S Day is it??" In general, I think when we are in control of our eating and not obsessing about sweets it makes us nicer to be around. Feeling good about yourself and taking care of yourself affects your life positively on so many levels. At least, it has mine.

P.S. Good on you for resisting that dessert. Empowering, isn't it?:!: :!:

Have a great vacation. Dru

Sandy
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Location: New Hampshire

Post by Sandy » Mon Sep 05, 2005 3:02 pm

Hi,
9/3/05 Saturday - SUCCESS Day 4

B. Kashi cereal, soy milk
L. zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes (the last of it)
D. hot dog, hamburger, baked chips,
S Day popocorn (84% f/f)

I should have had half of a hot dog and half of a hamburg but I ate it all

9/4/06 Sunday - SUCCESS Day 5

B. Scrambled Eggs, cheese, 1/3 of a bagel tsted with butter
L. 1/2 of a pizza sandwich (ate out)
D. None (not hungry
S. Small hot fudge sundae

I'm keeping this to myself because I seem to fail when I talk about it. My husband thinks I'm nuts about food in an obsessive way with no reason to be., I feel much saner this way - your right. I have not obsessed

Wed is my birthday. My family is at my mother's right now and are having a BBQ with a big birthday cake - my favorite is a corner piece with tons of frosting. I'll report tomorrow on day six.

Deb, your right - kids are great. My two boys kept me busy all those years and their love was enough. I remarried when the last one went to college.

Sandy
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Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2005 5:18 pm
Location: New Hampshire

Post by Sandy » Thu Dec 01, 2005 10:06 pm

Month of October - lost 4 lbs
Month of November - lost 3.5 lbs
(10.5 lbs for goal)

I almost went back to old eating habits after Thanksgiving, caught myself and continued on a path of eating wellness.

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gratefuldeb67
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Location: Great Neck, NY

Post by gratefuldeb67 » Fri Dec 02, 2005 3:02 am

Yay Sandy!!!! Great news there!!!
Congrats :)
Love,
8) Deb

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carolejo
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Post by carolejo » Fri Dec 02, 2005 7:07 am

Hey Sandy!

that's fantastic! Pretty much bang on the healthiest speed at which to sustainably lose weight too, one pound per week.

Good on you for getting straight back to it after thanksgiving. You're doing really well. :D

C.
CaroleJo

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