Dawn's Daily

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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Dawn
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:47 pm
Location: So Cal

Dawn's Daily

Post by Dawn » Mon Oct 26, 2009 5:55 pm

Just came back on board last Thursday and I have done just fine on N days, but then again I never had any trouble with N days when I first attempted No-S a while back. It is the S days that derailed me.

So today I started a habitCal and I am going to check in daily for at least 100 days. I see that others have done this and I can see how it shows you that you truly can make changes, it just takes time. I can also see how it would take longer than 21 days for some people (like me) and I can see how the number 100 can feel very monumental, yet doable at the same time.

I don't anticipate any problems with my N days so my focus is on my S days until I reach a happy weight range - around 20 pounds. It's my opinion that the No-S diet is the greatest maintenance plan ever, but I think for me a few mods on S days are in order if I want to actually lose the weight rather than doing what I did in the past - lose 2 pounds during the week and then put them back on over the weekend, rinse, lather, repeat, week after week.

I am still not entirely sure what my mods will be but I am thinking of giving myself like 4 Ss per day to start with and whittle my way down to 2 on one day and 1 the other - sounds great in theory, so we will see.

This last weekend, my first weekend back on board was so so. I honestly did not get a change to S in any way shape or form since I went to my Sister's house for a visit and she isn't much of a cook/entertainer, how she keeps her extra 30 pounds going is beyond me. Problem is that on Sunday since I got "ripped off" of any S's on Saturday I had a little entitlement attitude. I didn't do that bad but I did things that I didn't need to just because I could. This is not how I want to do it, this is not how I need to do it in order to drop some pounds. It's pretty simple, get S days under control or stay stagnant.

I am at the point that I don't have a time line to drop X amount of pounds, but I would really like to see a pound a week in order to keep me motivated and reassured that I am doing the right things and you'd think that would be achievable with No-Sing properly and getting some exercise.

So here I go, fingers crossed!
Dawn

Kevin
Posts: 1269
Joined: Mon May 02, 2005 9:02 pm
Location: Maryland, USA

Post by Kevin » Mon Oct 26, 2009 9:12 pm

Good luck!
Kevin
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."

Dawn
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:47 pm
Location: So Cal

Day 1 of 100

Post by Dawn » Tue Oct 27, 2009 10:30 pm

I am counting yesterday as my first day of my personal 100 day challenge. I am counting Sunday as a failure since I didn't plan my day but rather went about it willy nilly, which never ends well and then I feel guilty. I know you aren't supposed to feel guilty on a Sunday being that it's an S day but due to my history with No-S I know I have to have rules for S days in order to keep sane and God forbid, lose a few pounds. So I started fresh yesterday.

Ah yesterday, well I had a terribly hungry day and found myself eating my meals much earlier and closer together than what I would have liked. But for some reason after I had my 3rd meal (at Noon ) I managed to wait until 7PM for my last meal and since I had gotten up at 3AM that day I went to bed early and therefore didn't find myself struggling at the bewitching hours of 8 - 10PM, which normally I would have my 4th meal around then anyway, which is my new strategy to get round the bewitching hour problem, which was my one and only problem with N days when I attempted No-S last year. Not that I ever succumbed to the temptation, but it stressed me out and I loved how 22 hours of the day were easy and stress free, it was just those 2 lousy hours that were kinda ruining it for me. So doing 4 smaller meals is my answer and in just the few days that I implimented it I think I found my forever answer to my N days.

So I ended up doing fine and today so far (it is only 8:24AM) I am not having an unusually hungry day.

I now have my plan for the S days. #1 I am going to enforce the 4 meal rule, skipping meals sets off that deal making part of my brain into action and I love having that as a non issue on N days. And then I am going to start out with 6 S events for the entire weekend. I know it's a lot but that is kinda the idea. It is a set number yet very doable. The plan is to whittle the # of Ss down as needed to lose weight. Heck, if I can lose weight with my already easy N days and doing 6 S events on S days, then I will just stick with that but if the S events are too much for weight loss then I will go about whittling them down, dropping down by one and seeing how that goes.

I wish I could be like a lot of you and just vanilla No-S and not think twice about it, but after 8 months of just not being able to get the S days under control I know I have to do something. I love this plan and really want to do just enough to make it work for me.
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Dawn
Dawn

Dawn
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:47 pm
Location: So Cal

Day 2 of 100

Post by Dawn » Wed Oct 28, 2009 2:59 pm

Did great yesterday. Went shopping and got home late and was thinking about just going to bed and skipping my 4th meal, but I have this feeling that if I skip meals then I will feel entitled to more the next day, or perhaps eat a little heavier the next day and I am working for consistency and to stop the chatter and negotiations that go in my head when I start to deviate from the routine. So I had 1/2 a sandwich and called it a day.

It's only been 5 N days since I started this round and I really think the 4th meals is going to end up working out great. I still might have to edit my meals down a bit for weight loss but the habit on 4 meals is super easy.

For a change I am looking forward to the weekend to see how I do with my limit # of S events.
Dawn

Dawn
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:47 pm
Location: So Cal

Day 3 of 100

Post by Dawn » Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:37 pm

Another great day. The hungries didn't have a hold me yesterday so that does help. I ran into the same dilema last night as I did the night before. I was out and got in late - late for me that is. I really could have skipped my 4th meal without too much trouble, but I really am concerned about how skipping meals starts a chain reaction and then I am back to justifying eating more or heavier the next day. Things are going too good to mess this up, so I will continue to do the 4th meal even if it's like a 1/2 of an apple and a 1/2 of a cup of Cherrios. I really think that 100 or so calories will keep me from getting in trouble the next day, resulting in more like 400 extra calories - or this point that is how I am looking at it.
Dawn

Kevin
Posts: 1269
Joined: Mon May 02, 2005 9:02 pm
Location: Maryland, USA

Re: Day 3 of 100

Post by Kevin » Thu Oct 29, 2009 11:10 pm

Maybe you can be a traditionalist about 4th meal - have a glass of warm milk...
Dawn wrote:Another great day. The hungries didn't have a hold me yesterday so that does help. I ran into the same dilema last night as I did the night before. I was out and got in late - late for me that is. I really could have skipped my 4th meal without too much trouble, but I really am concerned about how skipping meals starts a chain reaction and then I am back to justifying eating more or heavier the next day. Things are going too good to mess this up, so I will continue to do the 4th meal even if it's like a 1/2 of an apple and a 1/2 of a cup of Cherrios. I really think that 100 or so calories will keep me from getting in trouble the next day, resulting in more like 400 extra calories - or this point that is how I am looking at it.
Kevin
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."

Dawn
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:47 pm
Location: So Cal

Post by Dawn » Fri Oct 30, 2009 2:06 am

Kevin,

Thanks for your imput, getting another's perspective is always welcome. And yes I tried the beverage thing the first go around with No-S, not milk, as I can't stand milk, but a variety of other options. My favorite was sugar free hot cooca with a splash of sweet cream. It helped sometimes but after 8 months of stressing out about it I just couldn't shake that silly feeling of being punished. I find the 4th meal deletes all the problems I was having with N days. I am still working on a habit, I am still keeping my calories well within a weight loss range, it's all good and no negative, or at least that is how I am seeing it. Now I feel I have more mental energy to focus on the S days, which I know in my heart is what kept me from losing weight in the past on No-S.

But you know since I have already had evenings where I think skipping that 4th meal would have been fine, not a stressful situation, that might mean that just knowing I can have it is keeping me calm, which maybe means if things keep going well I might be able to do the beverage thing like every other day, and who knows, maybe even ween myself off of that 4th meal all together. But right now it's all about keeping this easy so that I can be consistant.

But please feel free to keep making suggestions, you guys have helped me so much and I really appreciate it.
Dawn

Dawn
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:47 pm
Location: So Cal

Day 4 of 100

Post by Dawn » Fri Oct 30, 2009 12:23 pm

Another great day.
Dawn

Dawn
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:47 pm
Location: So Cal

Day 5 of 100

Post by Dawn » Sat Oct 31, 2009 5:33 pm

So I completed my first week of N days on my 21 day challenge. Everything was fine, perfect in fact. So glad I came back and so glad I am doing the 4 meal thing as that is keeping me sane - I like me sane, it's different, but good, I think I can get used to sane Dawn.

Today is my first S day with my new plan of a set number of S events - 6 to be exact for the entire weekend. It's 10:30AM and I haven't had any thing yet as where with No-S in the past I would have already had at least 6 S things by now. The first thing I did was eat a normal N day breakfast so I am not hungry, which is not necessarily the criteria for me to get into S things, but it helps to not be fighting hunger. I know I should plan things but I have not, I am just going to wing it, but of course not exceed 6 S items for the entire weekend. I think this will really make me consider my decisions carefully since I don't know if something better will be coming along later today or tomorrow. I feel good.
Dawn

Dawn
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:47 pm
Location: So Cal

6 of 100

Post by Dawn » Sun Nov 01, 2009 9:30 pm

First S day a success. Didn't go exactly the way I envisioned, but I kinda wanted to keep it lose enough that I felt like I was taking a breather, but so lose that I could go out of bounds, due to the fact that I do have bounds, I must or else. So I did stay within my 3 S events for the day.

Being Halloween I was especially happy with my choices.

Right now it's 1:30PM so I am 1/2 way through another S day and I have not had any S events. I think I will wait until dessert time, if I can, if I can't I won't, but I will count them and keep them under 3.

Can't wait to report tomorrow and I will weigh in tomorrow - it will be my first weigh in. I am only going to weigh in monthly. I was 179 on Oct 1st and although I did weigh several times during Oct and 174 was my lowest that I can remember, I have not weighed in over a week. So I will count my Oct 1st 179 and then count my Nov 1st weigh to see if I have lost anything. If I have not I am not going to be upset since it's really only been a week since I am really on board and where I really think Ineed to be for the long haul. We'll see!!!
Dawn

Dawn
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:47 pm
Location: So Cal

Day 7 of 100

Post by Dawn » Mon Nov 02, 2009 6:29 pm

Well the first S week went well. I counted it as a success. I did great with the S events, but I didn't do my 4 meals as I should have. The weekends are not as routine and I have my family here with me all day interupting my plans, but I will work on it next weekend as I do think it is important to have those 4 meals. I fear not doing 4 meals will open me up for the temptation to negotiate more S's etc. Also I didn't plan S events and I think that would be helpful. I can see the benefit of having a pre planned, pre portioned item. I need a beginning, middle and end to an S. A 1/2 gal of ice cream is too open ended for me.

I weighed in at 174, so I am counting that as a 5 pound loss since Oct 1st. 5 pounds per month on this plan would be awesome. I am realistically thinking more like 3 pounds.
Dawn

Kevin
Posts: 1269
Joined: Mon May 02, 2005 9:02 pm
Location: Maryland, USA

Re: Day 7 of 100

Post by Kevin » Tue Nov 03, 2009 12:18 am

Sound like you've got it down, Dawn. Five pounds in a month... good work!
Dawn wrote:Well the first S week went well. I counted it as a success. I did great with the S events, but I didn't do my 4 meals as I should have. The weekends are not as routine and I have my family here with me all day interupting my plans, but I will work on it next weekend as I do think it is important to have those 4 meals. I fear not doing 4 meals will open me up for the temptation to negotiate more S's etc. Also I didn't plan S events and I think that would be helpful. I can see the benefit of having a pre planned, pre portioned item. I need a beginning, middle and end to an S. A 1/2 gal of ice cream is too open ended for me.

I weighed in at 174, so I am counting that as a 5 pound loss since Oct 1st. 5 pounds per month on this plan would be awesome. I am realistically thinking more like 3 pounds.
Kevin
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."

Dawn
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:47 pm
Location: So Cal

day 8 of 100

Post by Dawn » Tue Nov 03, 2009 2:53 pm

Another great day. I think I will only report on Mondays unless something noteworthy happens during the week. N days are and have always been a no brainer for me so I think I will take more focus off of them by not checking daily since there is really no great benefit and the less I think about food and No-S the better I think I will be.
Dawn

Dawn
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:47 pm
Location: So Cal

11 of 100

Post by Dawn » Sat Nov 07, 2009 2:52 pm

Great week, couldn't be happier. Still keeping off of the scale. But today is Saturday so we will see how my 6 Ss per weekend work out. Busy weekend planned so I that usually helps. Really hoping after a good 3 or 4 really good weekends I will be on track and not have to work so hard, but rather just go with the flow like I do on n days.
Dawn

Dawn
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2008 6:47 pm
Location: So Cal

Day 12 of 100 day challenge

Post by Dawn » Mon Nov 09, 2009 4:01 pm

Weekend was just fine. Didn't go quite the way I planned, but I feel very good that I just took it little by little and made good choices bepending on what was going on. I didn't just eat to eat or eat heavier things just because it was an S day. I said I was going to eat my 3 meals and I didn't but I honestly was not hungry for dinner on Sat or lunch on Sun. Since I can have a snack if I get hungry I figured I'd be OK to skip a meal on S days and it did work out fine. N days I really try not since I know I will have to wait a long time for my next meal and the funny thing is on N days I am always hungry at mealtime, or is it the knowing if I don't eat now it will be too long and uncomfortable until my next meal? Maybe just knowing I can have snacks on S days keeps me from being hungry, cuz it's not really hunger but rather cravings and mindset issues. Oh well, not going to over think it. I think I will just play the S days by ear as long as this is working, if anything I am doing on S days becomes a problem and I revert back to crazy S days, then I will change things up, but for some reason it's going very good, very easy to do the right things. But I can't help but wonder why it is this time. I am, however, doing one thing different this time and I can't help but think that maybe that one thing is responsible for me doing so well on S days. That one thing is having 4 meals instead of 3 on N days. I feel absolutly no deprevation all week so when S days come along I don't feel that frantic inner feeling to go crazy. Well, it certainly is a good theory. Now of course I only have 2 weekends under my belt this so far this time, but in the 8 months I did this before I don't know if I ever got 2 consecutive good weekends, or heck even 2 good weekends in total. Fingers crossed that I have discovered my key.
Dawn

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