Sophiasapientia's Check-In

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 1:32 am

Happy Easter Denise & Roxy! I hope that you both had a lovely Sunday! I'm very much looking forward to reading your updates. We can do this!

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 1:41 am

4/4/2010 -- S Day -- Sunday/Easter
B -- Hard boiled egg, 1.5 slices of fresh bread w/ butter, strawberries, coffee
"Easter Dinner" -- Honeybaked ham, company mashed potatoes, pineapple delight, steamed asparagus, roll, glass of wine. Seconds on ham & potatoes.
Dessert -- Slice of strawberry-rhubarb pie, small scoop vanilla bean ice cream

Sunday morning weight: 130

Exercise -- Over 10,000 steps, including 60 minutes skiwalking

April resolution: Exempt

It was a very nice day ... We hosted family for Easter dinner.

DD is on spring break this week so I will need to be creative about getting my exercise in. She'll definitely be good for a couple of strolls but my daily walks are my coveted "me" time. Usually it works best for me to get up an hour or so earlier than usual, before the family wakes up, and do it then. We'll see.

dmarie710 · Post by **dmarie710** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 1:48 am

Happy Easter, Shannon. Sounds like you had a great day. Mine was wonderful. Way over the top candy wise, but that's the way it goes. I love Easter candy. Enjoy having you DD and hopefully you can your walks in. I started my own check in thread (hopefully it'll keep me honest) lol

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Mon Apr 05, 2010 3:06 am

Hello and Happy Easter to you too. Glad you had a lovely time with your family and friends. Sounds like you had a very nice S Day, too. I had a really nice Easter with my family, thanks for asking - went a bit over the top in the evening with the sweets though! However, holidays are made for celebrating, right??

Take care and look forward to reading your check in for many weeks/months/years to come!!

Love from Roxy xxx

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 1:18 am

4/5/2010 -- N Day -- SUCCESS
B -- 1/2 bagel w/ cream cheese, coffee
L -- Bowl of cottage cheese w/ tomato, slice of yummy bread w/ butter
D -- Leftover Honeybaked ham, company mashed potatoes, steamed asparagus, pineapple

Monday morning weight: 130.4

Exercise -- Over 12,000 steps, including 45 minutes skiwalking

April resolution: SUCCESS

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 4:17 am

Hi Shannon!

All the best to you for the coming week also. I'm sure you'll do great!! Looking forward to reading your posts.

As for the brand of yogurt: I've been experimenting with several kinds including Trader Joe's and Fage. Before No S, I'd only eat the fat free versions but now I usually have the full fat kind. Though its hard to tell the difference to tell you the truth since they have improved the non fat versions over the years. Ive also been adding cinammon and/or honey which is very nice. I also read somewhere that a cinnamon and honey combination can help to speed up the metabolism. We shall see!@!@

Meantime, I think I might try taking the focus of off weight/goals and just focus on the habits... as another poster suggested recently and I think - hope - it might help me for a bit. However, I as I have been so impressed by your daily log ins and weigh ins, I'm also thinking I might try doing so myself. Again, not sure if it'll work for me. I guess I might experiment again and see what works best.

Anyway, thanks again for your nice message and have a great week.
_________________

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Tue Apr 06, 2010 12:20 pm

Mmmmm ... I'll have to give the Greek yogurt a try sometime. I've been toying with the idea of making my own yogurt but haven't been that ambitious yet. I understand it is pretty easy, though.

I think that focusing on Habit and not on the scale is a great idea, especially if you have any concern that seeing the inevitable flux would derail you or stress you out. My primary focus is on Habit. For me, the daily weight is a data point for informational purposes not unlike keeping track of my exercise or what I've been eating. I'm kind of a nerd in that regard and like having the data. But I'd ditch the scale and weight tracking if it was a hindrance in any way.

Have a fantastic week!

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 12:08 am

4/6/2010 -- N Day -- SUCCESS
B -- 1/2 bagel w/ cream cheese, couple strawberries, coffee
L -- Green soup w/ sprinkle of feta, slice of yummy bread w/ butter
D -- Curried chicken salad over greens, 2 crescent rolls

Tuesday morning weight: 130.4

Exercise -- Over 18,000 steps, including 45 minutes skiwalking & lots of time at park w/ DD

April resolution: SUCCESS

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 11:29 pm

4/7/2010 -- N Day -- SUCCESS
B -- 1/2 bagel w/ cream cheese, couple strawberries, coffee
L -- Green soup w/ sprinkle of feta, slice of bread w/ butter
D (Red Robin's) -- Natural burger, garden salad w/ ranch dressing on the side

Wednesday morning weight: 129.8

Exercise -- Over 15,000 steps, including 3 miles WATP & 10 minutes on XL Glider (Thunderstorms today)

April resolution: SUCCESS

dmarie710 · Post by **dmarie710** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 11:44 pm

Hey, Shannon. What is the green soup? I picture a split pea.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Wed Apr 07, 2010 11:53 pm

LOL! It is a soup made primarily out of greens.

It varies a little depending on what looks best at the market but my current batch has swiss chard, kale and spinach. I use a recipe adapted from Anna Thomas' "Love Soup" cookbook. I think it is pretty tasty ... but am the only one in the house who will eat it.

dmarie710 · Post by **dmarie710** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 12:10 am

that sound delicious. It would be nice during cooler weather. I have lots of salads, but when it's cold, it makes me cold.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 12:17 am

I'm a big fan of veggie soups, especially during the cold Michigan winters. I've got to figure out how I'll adjust my default lunches when it warms up here consistently. I'll probably eat some salads and also more soups with in season veggies (Anna Thomas' book has recipes for spring and summer soups so I'll likely try some of those.)

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 12:45 pm

I've been thinking a lot about how we eat impacts our overall health. How much can we protect ourselves and our families by eating the way Michael Pollan suggests (Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants)? How much are certain illnesses environmental, genetic or beyond our control?

A lot of this is hitting home right now because of my MIL. She's 61 and battling cancer. She's already had 2 heart attacks in the past and has a series of other health issues, including celiac disease and Muscular Dystrophy (my DH also has the latter which is genetic.) Last fall, when the oncological surgeons were first removing the cancer, there were a series of complications, they had to remove most of my MIL's intestines and she now has to get most of her nourishment through TPN. The thing is, my MIL always took pretty good care of herself -- much better care of herself than my own mom who is morbidly obese, doesn't exercise at all and lives on junk -- she walked a lot, never had a serious weight issue and ate a pretty decent diet, although it did contain some processed stuff and soda, especially before the celiac diagnosis. Now, the cancer has spread, and they can't treat it because her liver isn't handling the chemo, and everyone is very concerned that my MIL isn't going to be able to pull through this.

I'm so sad for my MIL and our family . And I worry about my DH and his health. DH's dad passed away at the age of 49 due to pancreatic cancer. All 4 of his grandparents died at relatively young ages. Is this family history of cancer and heart disease inevitable? Is there anything I can do to protect him?

Just ponderings ... I need to reread "The Jungle Effect."

ShannahR · Post by **ShannahR** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 3:23 pm

Sophia-
I'm so sorry to hear about your MIL's health. I just thought I'd respond to your thread because I recently finished The Jungle Effect. It was a very interesting book and if you have any questions about it before you buy I'd be happy to answer them. Maybe you already know this but the five chapters are: heart disease, diabetes, depression, colon disorders, and breast/prostate cancer-some of which might be interesting to you. I will try my first recipe this weekend from the book and if you're interested I'll let you know how it goes.

Best wishes for you and your family

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 11:19 pm

ShannahR wrote:Sophia-
I'm so sorry to hear about your MIL's health. I just thought I'd respond to your thread because I recently finished The Jungle Effect. It was a very interesting book and if you have any questions about it before you buy I'd be happy to answer them. Maybe you already know this but the five chapters are: heart disease, diabetes, depression, colon disorders, and breast/prostate cancer-some of which might be interesting to you. I will try my first recipe this weekend from the book and if you're interested I'll let you know how it goes.

Best wishes for you and your family

Thanks so very much Shannah! The Jungle Effect is an interesting/insightful read. I just checked it out of the library for the 3rd time ... Maybe I should break down and buy it.

I'm looking forward to rereading parts of it later tonight. Please do let me know how the recipes turn out. I haven't tried any yet and am curious.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Thu Apr 08, 2010 11:21 pm

4/8/2010 -- N Day -- SUCCESS
B -- 1/2 bagel w/ cream cheese, coffee
L -- Green soup w/ sprinkle of feta, hunk of pretzel bread
D -- Johnnycakes, chicken apple sausage, apple slices, 2 small pieces of extra sharp cheddar

Thursday morning weight: 129.8

Exercise -- Over 19,000 steps, including 45 minutes skiwalking & lots of time w/ DD at the park (Brr! It was pretty brisk outside today but DD wanted to stay and play.)

April resolution: SUCCESS

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Fri Apr 09, 2010 11:19 pm

4/9/2010 -- N Day -- SUCCESS
B -- 1/2 bagel w/ cream cheese, coffee
Tea w/ tsp. of sugar
L (at friend's house) -- Smallish bowl of pasta w/ meat sauce, grapes
D -- Homemade pizza, pepper slices

Friday morning weight: 129.8

Exercise -- Over 16,000 steps, including 45 minutes skiwalking & 1 mile walk w/ family

April resolution: SUCCESS

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 4:56 pm

I was inspired by Noel's post to share my own weight loss graph which I have been keeping since the end of January, about a month into restarting No S. Weight loss isn't a linear process, that's for sure.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Sat Apr 10, 2010 11:23 pm

4/9/2010 -- S Day
B --Small homemade pumpkin chocolate chip muffin, coffee
L(at local Mexican restaurant) -- 2 cheese enchiladas, rice & beans, few chips w/ salsa, Diet Coke
Sweet -- 1 dark chocolate cherry cordial, 1 cherry truffle, small homemade snickerdoodle, unsweetened ginger-peach iced tea
D -- Green soup w/ sprinkle of feta

Saturday morning weight: 128.8

Exercise -- Over 12,000 steps, including 60 minutes skiwalking

April resolution:EXEMPT

One of the cool things I've learned recently by graphing my weight is that I tend to plateau for a few days midway through my monthly cycle, including during this past week. I had no idea about this previously. Very enlightening.

DH and I had a couple free hours this afternoon while the kiddo was at a party. We went to the bookstore and had the luxury of browsing which was lovely. One of the things that struck me is that diet books hold no appeal anymore. I have no desire to look at them. Cookbooks, absolutely. (I bought a new Jamie Oliver cookbook.) Nonfiction books about overall health, yes. But gone is that horrible, desperate feeling of needing a plan, some "quick fix" to end this nightmare of weight struggle. I'm at peace and it feels wonderful.

dmarie710 · Post by **dmarie710** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 3:28 am

Shannon, you are totally in the 128's. How exciting. Congrats to you. You chart is interesting to me, cause it show's it took a good month to have a downward trend in your weight. Maybe more, but I'm just estimating.
Have a great weekend.

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 3:34 am

Well done yet again on your continued success on No S. You are doing FABULOUS! Just love logging in and checking out your latest post to see what your weight is for the day (hope you don't mind me saying so). It just gives me the impetus to keep going. You really have a handle on your S Days too it seems. You can relax and enjoy them as they are meant to be. I hope I can get to that stage soon.

I definitely think all your walking helps too and it's a great idea to keep on a pedometer. I try but forget sometimes. When I'm out walking with my husband, we go at a much faster pace than I would when I am walking alone. For example, I also found my weight (which had risen by a couple of lbs to 163 last Monday) was back down to 160 again on Thursday/Friday.

Not going to weigh in tomorrow morning because I feel so bloated from today's over excess and it would just be counter-productive. Still considering the idea of logging in daily even if just for a few weeks to get me on a losing streak once again. Have a wonderful weekend, Shannon. You are doing great and you must be feeling on top of the world.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 12:42 pm

Thanks so much ladies! Inevitably the scale is up over a pound and a half this morning. One of the things I've had to come to terms with if I'm weighing daily is that I can't place too much stock in any one given weight. There are just so many factors at play -- hormones, sodium, extra calories on S Days, etc, etc -- that I have to look at the trends over time. It is always cool to see a new low, though.

In terms of the weight graph, it doesn't show January. I lost about 6 pounds that month, some of which was likely water weight and easy come/easy go holiday excess. February was very slow. I averaged under a half a pound a week but I'm pretty sure I lost inches during that time. Things picked up in March, especially after I started wearing my pedometer and challenging myself to get more steps in. Focusing on Habit helps. Taking things one day at a time and keeping an eye on the bigger picture helps. More than anything, I want to be on a path that I can stay on for the long term.

Hope that you both have a lovely Sunday!

dmarie710 · Post by **dmarie710** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 2:25 pm

I don't even weigh myself on Sunday or Monday's just because I know my weight is going to be higher. But your right about daily fluctuations. It does seem that your weight is now in the high 120's though, even though today may be a bit higher. I think your doing great.

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Sun Apr 11, 2010 11:05 pm

Yeah, I'm hearing you on the sodium having an effect on weight! A couple of years ago, I managed to lose 10 lbs in a week, unbelievable though it sounds, by going on a low sodium diet. Needless to say, it didn't last long and once again, I never could get below the dreaded plateau! At that time, I weighed 150 lbs... what I'd give now to get back to that weight

Total agreement on the weighing daily scenario too, with the ups and downs. I can fluctuate by 4 - 5 lbs from morning to night. In a way that's why I'm not sure if weighing every day would work for me or not... on the other hand, many successful dieters (for want of a better expression) claim it's the best way of keeping a handle on their weight.

Anyway, hope you had a great weekend. Best wishes, Roxy

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 12:30 am

I know what you both mean. Weighing in following an S Day is not my favorite thing to do. My plan is to continue to do it now, for tracking purposes, until my weight stabilizes and I'm maintaining consistently. After that ... I don't know ...

Years ago, I remember the author of "Living the Simple Life" writing that she and her DH maintain their weight by graphing it daily. If it creeps up a little, they cut back on things for a day or so. She said if she stops keeping track, before she knows it, she's 5+ pounds heavier. I've definitely been there too ... Except my 5 pounds were more like 10-15 or more.

We'll see.

Have a wonderful, wonderful week!

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 12:32 am

4/11/2010 -- S Day
B --1/2 bagel w/ cream cheese, coffee
L -- Baked sweet potato, slices of extra sharp cheddar
Starbucks -- Small dark cherry hot chocolate (no whip), 1/2 slice of iced lemon loaf
D (out for Thai) Massaman curry w/ rice, bite of chicken satay, 1 Andes mint

Sunday morning weight: 130.4

Exercise -- Over 14,000 steps, including 45 minutes skiwalking

April resolution: Exempt

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Mon Apr 12, 2010 2:59 am

Just stick to whatever works for you, hon. You're doing great - feeling good mentally as well as physically which is absolutely wonderful and a great place to be. Just love reading your daily check ins!

Have a fantastic week !!

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 12:09 am

Awwww ... Thanks so much Roxy!

4/12/2010 -- N Day -- SUCCESS
B --1/2 bagel w/ cream cheese, coffee
L --Cottage cheese w/ tomatoes, small slice of fresh Tuscan bread w/ butter
D -- Garden salad topped w/ homemade parmesan crusted chicken tenders & honey mustard dressing, small slice of fresh Tuscan bread w/ butter

Monday morning weight: 130.2

Exercise -- Over 16,000 steps, including 60 minutes skiwalking

April resolution: SUCCESS

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Tue Apr 13, 2010 11:54 pm

4/13/2010 -- N Day -- SUCCESS
B --1/2 bagel w/ cream cheese, coffee
L -- Leftover Massaman curry w/ beef over rice, grapes
D -- Ham & cheese pie, steamed broccoli

Tuesday morning weight: 130.4

Exercise -- Over 14,000 steps, including 3 miles of walking

April resolution -- SUCCESS

Last night was a bit rough. I woke up around 2 a.m. with very sore calf muscles (related, I think, to some yardwork I had been doing on Monday) and it took a long time to fall back to sleep.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Wed Apr 14, 2010 2:01 pm

Well, we are heading into mid-April and so far I seem to be maintaining my weight:

Start Weight: 130.2 lb on 04/01/2010
End Weight: 130.2 lb on 04/14/2010
Total Change: 0 lb
Avg. Weekly Change: 0 lb
Maximum Weight: 130.4 lb on 03/31/2010
Minimum Weight: 128.8 lb on 04/10/2010

I'll see how it goes over the next 2-4 weeks. With the exception of eventually adding in some shovelglove/weight training, I'm not really interested in upping my exercise or cutting back on my food intake so if this is where my body settles, so be it.

My current BMI is 23 (healthy range) and my waist measurement is 25.5 inches ...

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Wed Apr 14, 2010 2:54 pm

I'm going to experiment with keeping my daily log in a written journal, rather than online, for awhile to see how that works. This will allow me to record personal thoughts/information etc that I'd rather not share online and hopefully also cut down a bit on my internet time.

We'll see how it goes. If I feel like I need the accountability of posting my food, etc, here on a daily basis, I'll go back to that. I will continue to post general progress updates and thoughts here.

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Wed Apr 14, 2010 8:20 pm

Good Luck, Shannon! Will miss reading your daily updates on here...!!

Hope you'll be back soon.

All the very best,

Roxy

dmarie710 · Post by **dmarie710** » Wed Apr 14, 2010 9:26 pm

I will miss seeing you here everyday. I do look forward to seeing how you progress. I think a 25.5" waist is really a good size. Good for you.
Denise

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Wed Apr 14, 2010 10:27 pm

Thanks so much Roxy & Denise! I'll still be around the Boards and posting and I look forward to seeing you both lots!!!

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Thu Apr 15, 2010 1:31 pm

Received my first weight-related compliment from a non-family member this morning. Another mom I'm friendly with at DD's school said: "Wow! You've really lost weight ... You look great!"

FWIW, my weight this morning was down a pound from yesterday. I am testing out some theories I have about my monthly cycle/hormone fluctations and how that impacts my weight by gathering data ... and also trying to figure out if I have any imbalances going on. (They run in the family. My sister has PCOS and my mom had/has monthly cycle/hormone imbalance issues.)

dmarie710 · Post by **dmarie710** » Thu Apr 15, 2010 9:33 pm

I can relate with those imbalances. Like yesterday my weight shot up to 135, but I also had a strong feeling I was starting my period, and I did. Today it was 133 and hopefully it will go down more. It'll be interesting what you find, Shannon. My husband and I are trying to have to get pregnant and last month was my first month of ovulation test. I can tell you, I'm learning alot about my body.
Talk to you soon.
Denise

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Fri Apr 16, 2010 12:47 am

Denise -- How exciting about trying to get pregnant!!!

Have you read the book "Taking charge of your Fertility" by Toni Weschler? I've heard lots of great things about it over the years and am using it now to help with my data/charting. Fascinating stuff! I can see why so many couples have great success getting preggers by using the advice given in this book.

dmarie710 · Post by **dmarie710** » Fri Apr 16, 2010 10:34 pm

I've never heard of that book, but I might have to look it up if we have trouble. I had a Tubal ligation 11 years ago and in Nov. had it reversed. My obgyn has told me what to do to help things along and might prescribe me Clomid if I'm not pregnant in a few months. It's really exciting.
Thank You for letting me know about that book.
Hugs

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Thu Apr 22, 2010 1:36 pm

Just a quickie check-in. Everything continues to go well.

I like keeping the written journal. It is a good way to end my day and helps keep me on track.

My weight is still slowly creeping down. It was 128.4 again this morning and TOM should be arriving today or tomorrow.

I'm not sure what my body fat % is but I'm positive that I've gained muscle/tone over the past few months. Yesterday I tried on the bridesmaid dress I wore for my sister's wedding in September 2007 and it fit perfectly. I weighed in the low 120s at the time of her wedding.

The

thing is that I'm looking a lot smaller. I see it when I glance in the mirror and other people are definitely noticing and making comments as well. I wouldn't mind losing some more weight but I'm not sure I want to lose a ton more ... even though for vanity's sake I wouldn't mind being able to say that I weigh in the low 120s or high teens again.

I'm naturally curvy and gaunt doesn't suit me all that well. Still waiting to see where things settle.

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 2:24 am

Thanks for checking in again Shannon and giving us an update on your weight.... I miss reading your daily check ins as mentioned. However, I also think you are making really smart choices as far as the No S Diet is concerned as in you're experimenting with what works for you and not getting obsessive etc. After all, one has to be able to live with one's style of eating and to feel comfortable and confident that what you are doing is having the desired effect; sounds like you've really got a handle on it and the added bonus so to speak is that you are continuing to lose pounds...without worry. How marvellous! I hope I can one day get to that stage. I don't worry as much as I used to however I haven't been quite so vigilant this past week or so and admit to a little more nibbling than usual. I was also tempted to go back to WW or some such diet club at the beginning of the week for a kick start... not a good idea as it just made me want to binge and in the end, i saw sense and didn't go anyway. I haven't weighed myself in a week but I have this inkling that I have put on some weight. I am usually correct! I may try weighing myself tomorrow but I don't want to make myself miserable and depressed. On the other hand, it might give me the push I need to really get serious as in not going overboard on S Days and being really green on N Days. We'll see how it goes. Thanks for listening to my rant! LOL!! Good luck Shannon with No S. Not that you need it, sounds like you are doing wonderfully and thanks for keeping us updated. Have a great weekend.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 11:29 am

Roxy! It is so lovely to "see" you!

I completely understand slipping up a little, toying with the concept of WW, etc. So far as weighing right now, etc, I know that you'll do what is right for you. If stepping on the scale right now is going make you miserable, it probably isn't worth it.

It is funny that you should mention about "not getting obsessive" because I was thinking about that yesterday. I was telling my DH that for the past few months my weight was basically on "urgent, major project status" as I worked on getting back to a healthy weight, finding what worked for me, getting into the groove, etc. As someone who has struggled with this weight issue for years, I suspect my weight will always be on project status to a certain extent but I'm to a point where it needs to be a "ongoing mini project" and I need to focus my energies on other areas of my life.

It seems that doing periodic check-ins and a daily written journal is just about right.

Do take care and keep in touch, OK? Have a wonderful weekend!

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 1:47 pm

Hi Shannon and thanks for your nice reply. Glad my message made sense since I wrote it in the wee small hours of the morning and my eyes were starting to get a bit heavy

and great to read of your progress.

Well, I feel quite a bit better this morning since I weighed myself and despite my 'fears', I haven't gained any weight at all. Still stuck at the "magic no." of 160 lbs though AAARGH! I was sure I was going to put on weight since I had been eating slightly bigger portions than when I started No S. Also I went shopping yesterday and bought a big chocolate cake at the store, telling myself it was for the weekend. This happens a lot!
Cut cake into 4 huge slices and put it in the freezer. Needless to say, in the process there was plenty icing and buttercream filling to spare... all of it went into my mouth

I also 'stole' a few morsels that had broken off whilst attempting to shovel the very gooey cake into the freezer bags. Have you ever tried putting an iced cake into a freezer bag and managing to keep it intact??

say no more!

of course, by the time I'd realized what I'd done, I felt very guilty and thought about changing it to an S Day. Despite nibbling here and there on N Days, this is the first major Red Day I have had since starting No S. However, my husband came in from work moments later and we both went for a long, brisk walk around the neighborhood. This managed to take my mind off of the mini binge for a while. I felt a little apprehensive this morning but decided to weigh myself anyway to see what damage had been done and fortunately, I haven't gained. It's still frustrating to say the least that I haven't managed to crack the 160 mark. It's as if my body likes being this weight. I am certainly not complaining but even if I saw the scale nudging down slowly by a pound a week or even a month. WoW! It would just make all the difference. Anyway, hon at the danger of sounding like a broken record I will sign off for today.

Yes, please keep in touch and even if you only decide to post here once a week, I'll look forward to reading your updates.

Best wishes, Roxy xxxxx

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Fri Apr 23, 2010 3:39 pm

Roxy, I have to say that your post has made me hungry for some chocolate cake.

I think some chocolate baked good is in store for me this weekend. Mmmmmmmm ... Anyway, kudos for you for getting right back on track after your nibbles. That's a big success in my book!

I have to ask, in terms of maintaining your current weight, what do you think the major issue has been? Do you think it is primarily a compliance problem, a not creating enough deficit to lose weight issue or something else? A couple thoughts (and please feel free to ignore any or all of these):

1.) Maybe your body has, as you suggested, reached its happy weight even though it isn't the ideal you have in your head.
My sister, who is the exact same height and body shape as me, is struggling with this issue. She has been at about 133-135 for 3 years now. She runs and does Turbo Jam. She makes good food choices most of the time. Her body just seems to like 133-135 even though her personal ideal is 128. (I should add that she does have PCOS which complicates the whole weight issue. Potential hormone/thyroid issues are another matter to consider because they can definitely cause weight gain and/or make weight loss very difficult.)

2.) It is mostly a compliance issue.
Reinhard says that if you look at your records and see that you have more than 1-2 botched N Days a month that working on habit/compliance should be your focus.

3.) It is a calorie deficit issue.
If compliance isn't a big problem and you still aren't losing and want to lose more, it may very well be that you aren't creating enough of a deficit to lose weight.

I have to say that this has been my issue.

Partly it was the food for me. I like food and I was eating too much.

No S helped a lot with that by cutting out stuff like seconds, nibbling off my kid's plate, etc. As I've mentioned here before using the dietary defaults, using nutritional info to make better choices when I ate out, using 9" plates, etc helped as well.

I think an equally significant revelation for me was that I was just plain not moving enough. Honestly, I thought that since I was walking at a decent pace for about 45 minutes 5-6 days a week, I was doing quite well on the exercise front. What took me a long time to get is that, even with my walks, I wasn't getting enough activity to create a deficit with my moderate diet.

I was probably getting about 10,000 steps on the days I took my walks and around 5,000-7,000 steps, and sometimes less, on my weekly day(s) off ... whereas the experts say you need a weekly average of 12,000-15,000 per day to lose weight.

Once I realized this, I've been able to make minor, painless adjustments to make sure I'm staying active enough while going about my normal day and the weight loss has been much, much easier.

At any rate, please forgive my ramblings and feel free to ignore them. Enjoy your Friday!

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Sat Apr 24, 2010 4:25 am

Hi again Shannon!

...sorry if I tempted you with the chocolate cake story! I felt pretty hungry myself after writing it down

Anyway, thanks for the great suggestions/insights as to the weight issues. Made interesting reading and excuse the pun, gave me food for thought.

Overall, my compliance has been remarkably good on the No S Diet; even though I've had a nibble here and there on the N Days/been buying desserts for S Days, (the majority of which don't even get eaten once they go into the freezer; I think they are more of a safety net in anticipation of a food craving, if you know what I mean...?) compared to the way I used to binge/gorge on food and then make a feeble attempt to cut down for a day or two, most of the time not getting past the 3 day mark.

I'm 5 ft 7 inches and have always had a medium frame/build and now that I'm over 40 (ahem!) it could certainly be that my body is happy at this weight. I do have intermittent thyroid issues (which I won't go into here since I don't want to bore every one to tears and it's a long story!). Suffice to say, the thyroid issue isn't severe enough to warrant taking medication (yet). Basically I swing from hypo to hyper...but even when I'm hyper, which raises the metabolism in most people, in my case it doesn't. Anyway, enough said on that issue for one post, but thanks for bringing it to my attention. It's certainly something to think about, and it did slip my mind since I don't have a severe thyroid issue.

Its interesting that you mention your sister being of similar height etc. being heavier, albeit by a few pounds. My sister is similar in height and build also yet weighs about 15 - 20 lbs less than I do. One of the 'lucky' ones who doesn't have to do much to remain slim and can eat what she wants. Grrr....

Also interesting that you mention how much exercise you had been doing previously compared to what you are doing now. I figure I'm doing about 5 - 6 days, on average 10,000 steps like you said and its becoming apparent that its definitely not enough to lose weight on. Okay for maintaining I guess. A few years ago, I had a part time seasonal job working outside in all weathers. Very physical and lots and lots of walking. Now I think of it, even then with around 5 - 6 months of solid walking and activity, approx. 10 hrs a day every day, it still took me several months before I eventually lost 15 or so pounds. Needless to say, once the job finished, it didn't take long for those pounds to find their way back again. My point is; it seems apparent that one has to consistently and regularly exercise at a certain (optimum) pace in order to lose the pounds and more importantly keep them off. Diet is important too of course but one can only cut down so much and starving oneself is definitely not a good idea not to mention unsustainable.

Okay hon - better say goodnight again since I have to be up early in the morning. Tomorrow is an S Day - yippee! so looking forward to it. Have a great week.

Best wishes, Roxy

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Fri Apr 30, 2010 11:27 am

Lots going on this past week but all my N Days were Green and my exercise level has remained consistent. I think my average daily step count is around 14,500. The scale is still slowly heading downwards. My weight today, post TOM, was 127.

Here are my stats for April:
Start Weight: 130.2 lb on 04/01/2010
End Weight: 127 lb on 04/30/2010
Total Change: -3.2 lb
Avg. Weekly Change: -0.75 lb
Maximum Weight: 130.4 lb on 03/31/2010
Minimum Weight: 127 lb on 04/30/2010

May is a month full of "big events" in our household, including my birthday this weekend followed by Mother's Day, DH's & my wedding anniversary and a trip out of state to visit with family. Given that, my primary objective in terms of No S is to maintain my weight. If I happen to lose anything, great but my plan is to focus on habit, keep up my daily step count up as much as possible (the step count may be a lot harder on travel days and and simply not top priority when visiting ailing MIL) and enjoy special days as they come up.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Fri Apr 30, 2010 4:19 pm

Today is a FAILURE for No S. My second since restarting No S at the beginning of the year. I was making caramel brownie cupcakes for an event at my kid's school and chatting on the phone while baking and I flubbed the recipe a bit so I wanted to make sure they were OK before subjecting other people to them. (The one I had was yummy, thankfully!) The rest of today will be Green and I'll probably skip the sweets tomorrow. Sunday is my birthday so I'll definitely be having dessert and a nice meal out then.

OK, off to walk and mow the lawn ...

dmarie710 · Post by **dmarie710** » Fri Apr 30, 2010 11:15 pm

Nice to see you post, Shannon. Your weight is coming down really nicely. I haven't lost any this month, but I'm not giving up.
Sorry about the failure, but it sounds like it's really not that big of a deal.
Do you have any advise for me? I might need to be more careful at meal time and eat less.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Sat May 01, 2010 2:23 am

Hi Denise! Thanks

... While I'm not thrilled about today's failure, you're right, it's just a blip and not a big deal. I stayed on track for the rest of the day.

Hmmm... OK advice. As you know, we short ladies, and especially us short ladies who are already within our healthy range, don't have tons of fudge room. You need to create more of a deficit to get the scale moving downwards. Here's what I'd look at:

1.) Exercise. Definitely a viable way to create a deficit. How active are you during the course of a day? The experts say we need 60-90 minutes of activity to lose weight.

2.) Drinks. Are you drinking things with calories at or between meals? Drinks like milk, juice and wine all have calories which can add up and make a difference for weight loss.

3.) N Day foods that fall in the Grey area. You may want to consider cutting out any "grey area" foods on N Days, like maybe the Lo Carb frozen yogurt, and see if that helps.

After looking at 1-3, I'd try cutting back on portion size but it doesn't sound like you're eating a ton. Another option would be to track your calories for a short period of time to get a general idea of how much you are taking in versus how much energy you're burning and then you could cut back on food or bump up the exercise accordingly. Haven't tried this one myself, though.

HTH & that you have a lovely weekend!

dmarie710 · Post by **dmarie710** » Sat May 01, 2010 2:53 am

Thank You, Shannon
I do work out 6x/week for appox. 60 min. I don't drink many calories, except wine. I love wine. I'm sure it would help if I cut back on that. I'll try cutting back on the frozen yogurt also. It's just so yummy. It's only 5 to 8 calories per ounce also.
I'm so impressed on how well your doing. You always have just kind words and good advice also. Have a great weekend. Happy Birthday.
Denise

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Sat May 01, 2010 11:13 am

Hey Denise -- It sounds like you are doing well.

You might try adding in an extra 10-15 minutes a day to your workout (or adding a 7th day of 60 minutes) to try to get it up to the 60-90 minute daily average recommended for weight loss.

Depending on how much wine you are drinking that could be the major culprit in not losing weight. Either cutting back and/or opting to cutback on calories somewhere else in lieu of the wine may be enough to turn things around.

The low carb frozen yogurt is a judgement call. For myself, I'd probably classify it as a sweet even though it is low in calories. However, if it makes No S liveable for you, it may be a mod worth keeping. Sometimes the artificial sweetners in stuff like that (if yours has artificial sweetners) can impact weight loss. (Speaking here as someone who has a bit of a diet soda addiction which I've been working on.

)

Anyway, enjoy your S Days and thanks for the kind birthday wishes!

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Sun May 02, 2010 3:16 am

(((((((FIRST OF ALL, MANY HAPPY RETURNS!!!!))))))))))

AWWW Shannon! Thanks so much for your nice message of support! After reading your kind words, no kidding - I feel much better already Very Happy

I said to hubby that the reason I weighed myself and kept ridiculously and pointlessly stepping on and off this morning, praying that it would go down Rolling Eyes was I was 'scared' if I didn't weigh, my weight would continue to pile on/creep up before I could do anything about it. He just laughed (albeit kindly) and said "Just do what I do: don't weigh at all. If your weight gets out of hand, you can just tell by your clothes!" Very sensible and calm way of looking at it but sometimes when one gets into that negative way of thinking, it isn't always easy to convince!

Anyway, hon, thanks again for your nice message - it really did cheer me up. I will also be sure to treat myself to a nice dessert or snack after dinner tomorrow night. This evening, I had a big bowl of fresh strawberries and cream... and I did feel guilty, if only for a few seconds. Razz
Have a great week and I'll keep you (all) posted on how I get on next week.

Best wishes, Roxy x

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Sun May 02, 2010 3:31 am

Totally agree, Denise! Shannon always has a kind word and she does indeed have some very good advice and ideas. (being the nice lady she is, she will probably be blushing right now).

Talking of which: I think I will start wearing my pedometer on a daily basis and not wanting to aim too high incase i get discouraged, but I definitely want to aim for the 14,500 daily steps. I personally don't think I'm doing enough walking/exercise and if I do manage to walk, say, 10 or 12,000 steps one day, the next day I might only manage around 4,000.

I have a question: do you think quality of steps matters/relates to how one burns calories ? i.e. is it "better" or just as beneficial to walk around your basement several times a day (very boring but sometimes I resort to this when the weather is bad) or walk outside or on a treadmill in order to get your excercise and no. of steps? Really interested to hear your opinion(s) and thoughts on this, thanks!!

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Sun May 02, 2010 1:48 pm

To follow on from/add to my previous question:

Going to start wearing my pedometer and taking note of my no. of steps. Should I only include the "exercise" steps or every single step taken throughout the day? I take it they all add up?? Sorry if this seems like a silly or obvious question but I need all the help I can get!

Have a great Sunday!

Love, Roxy x

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Sun May 02, 2010 6:36 pm

Awww, thanks Roxy!

I'm having a really nice birthday! My family is thoroughly spoiling me and, among other things, I received a KitchenAid Stand Mixer.

I'm looking forward to using it.

In regards to your pedometer question, yes, absolutely every single step counts.

I have an Omron pedometer which I bought for around $20 a few years ago on Amazon and it is awesome. It tracks your regular steps and your aerobic steps and keeps track of a week's worth of data.

For my "bread and butter" exercise I either walk or do nordic skiwalking for 45 minutes to an hour + a day (recently I've been shooting for an hour or more during the week.) My walking/nordic walking accounts for about half or more of my daily steps.

All my other steps are from running errands, doing house/yardwork, playing with my daughter, etc. If the weather is bad, I'll go on the treadmill and or sometimes I'll even walk at the local mall during the winter, just for a change of pace, when it is too bitter cold and icy to be outdoors. I often listen to audiobooks or podcasts on my iPod during my "bread and butter" workouts and this makes the time fly by quickly. Somedays, to get more activity in, I'll do Leslie Sansone style steps while watching a TV show, jog around the house, march in place while talking on the phone, anything to keep myself moving because I've found that it really does make a difference. I believe that the experts suggest that at least 10,000 of your weekly steps be aerobic steps (steps taken at a faster pace) for good health and that these should be done over at least 3 days.

I hope this helps! I'd recommend taking it slowly at first so you don't crash and burn. Maybe aim for 7,000-10,000 steps for the first few days or something that feels reasonable/not overwhelming to you.

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Sun May 02, 2010 9:21 pm

Hey Shannon and A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! Sounds like you're having a wonderful day with your family and friends.

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my question! I too wear a pedometer (when I remember) and I tend to shoot for 1 hour of walking every day. Sometimes its harder at the weekend though and I think that if I made the extra effort, it will indeed help. Even if it IS just walking around the house for a bit. I tend to march in front of the tv/walk around the basement when the weather is bad here. I wasn't sure if it was having much of an effect. I also have a treadmill but its in the basement (with no tv) and tends to get a bit boring.
I calculated out 14,500 steps multiplied by 7 and it came to 101,500 steps. So that is what I am going to try to aim for this coming week. If I don't manage the full 14,500 steps in one day, I'll aim for more the next and so on and hopefully it'll add up to 101,500 at the end. Fingers crossed!!

Thanks again hon for your very helpful reply to my post. Have a great birthday and a wonderful week. PS: your weight loss to date is absolutely AWEsome!!!

dmarie710 · Post by **dmarie710** » Mon May 03, 2010 2:06 am

Shannon, I'm so happy your birthday was a great one. You deserve it girly.
Roxy, 14,500 steps is a great goal. I'm sorry you have hit a wall. I know how frustrating that could be. Shannon, you have really good advice for both of us. I for one, am truly thankful for how nice and thoughtful you are with your advice. I hope both you girls have a great week.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Mon May 03, 2010 11:47 am

Thank you again ladies! You both are so sweet!

Roxy, I agree with Denise that 14,500 steps sounds like a good goal. Hopefully that will be enough to tip the scales downwards.

I look forward to hearing about how it goes.

I splurged some yesterday in terms of food (nothing absolutely crazy but I treated myself) and, since it was pouring rain, slacked off some on the exercise front as well. Back on track today. Scale this morning said 127 (Sunday morning it was down to 126.6) ... My waist measurement is 25 inches, down 1/2 inch from mid-April.

We head out of state later this week for a long weekend with family. Looking back at my journal, I realized that both times I fell off the No S wagon were due to not jumping back On Track after trips to see family so, if I can get online, I may try to update my check-in while we are away. Otherwise I'll write in my written journal and check-in by early next week.

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Mon May 03, 2010 6:14 pm

Hi again Girls!

Thanks both of you for your lovely messages and not to mention the ongoing support...VERY much appreciated!!

Hope you had a great birthday Shannon. Yes, you did indeed deserve it as Denise says, after all your hard work. Also hope you have a lovely trip and look forward to reading your posts when you get back.

Just a quick note re. the steps I've done so far: yesterday, I clocked up 12062 steps and today so far, I've clocked up around 10,000. I wore my pedometer on my daily walks and each time its clocked up around 9,200 steps! Pretty good for just about an hours' walk. However, and not wishing to come across too gloomy - I have been doing these walks almost on a daily basis for several years so they haven't contributed greatly to my weight loss journey on No S! But I figure I would be a lot worse shape without them. Also, I realize that I do them "pretty much" daily, meaning not 7 days a week. Therefore if I shoot for 6 - 7 days consistently it could make a difference. We'll see. fingers crossed again!! LOL!

Meantime, against my better judgement, I weighed myself this morning and it still looks like 163 lbs

However, and this is such a coincidence as the topic of conversation at the top of the General No S Board is in reference to the accuracy of scales - I found that if I put the scales on a certain place on the bathroom floor, they weighed me less whilst others weighed me more! I had noticed this happening a few weeks ago but not as noticeably as this past week or so (when I've been paying more attention/getting depressed about weight gain) and I find it very frustrating since I don't know whether I am getting a truly accurate reading or not now. It makes me question whether my scales were ever giving me an accurate reading in the first place. Well, I feel sufficiently fed up at the moment that I won't be weighing again till the end of next week and we'll see what happens then. I am tempted to go buy another set for comparison whilst on the other hand, thinking scales are doing me more harm than good. I'll have to give it some thought I guess.

Anyway girls - thanks again for your lovely messages and hope all goes well for you both this week; I'll be back on the board at the end of the week no doubt to record my No S Days and hopefully some weight loss!!

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Thu May 06, 2010 5:20 pm

Weight was 126.6 this morning, down 18.4 pounds since January. I put on a pair of shorts that I lived in last summer and they are too big.

We leave on our trip today. I already have 13,000 steps on my pedometer and am on track for a Green Day with No S. I'll try to check-in tomorrow if I can get online.

Elspeth · Post by **Elspeth** » Thu May 06, 2010 5:50 pm

Congratulations! You are doing so well.

Have a safe trip.

dmarie710 · Post by **dmarie710** » Thu May 06, 2010 5:53 pm

Good for you, Shannon. Enjoy your trip.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Sat May 08, 2010 12:53 am

Thanks Densie & Elspeth!

Quickie check-in:

No S -- SUCCESS (Spent most of the day in the car)
B-- Small bagel w/ cream cheese, about 2 oz OJ, coffee
On the Road -- Coffee
L (Burger King) -- Whopper Jr, small fries, diet soda
D -- Ham, fruit salad, homemade applesauce, brown rice (Skipped out on dessert. Looking forward to S Day tomorrow)

Exercise -- Over 14,000 steps on pedometer (Hit the treadmill at the hotel early this morning & took shortish walk with extended family tonight)

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Sun May 09, 2010 12:53 am

Another quickie check-in:

5/8 -- S Day/Trip
B (out) -- 1/2 ham/cheese/apple omelet and some hashbowns, coffee
L (P.F. Chang's) -- Part of a lunch sized order of crispy honey chicken w/ rice
Sweet -- Small chocolate custard cone
D -- Leftover omelet & hashbrowns from breakfast, cut-up veggies and small portion BBQ chips

Over 10,000 steps on pedometer. No official workout, just walked around town with family.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Tue May 11, 2010 8:42 pm

Finally home! Yay!

Sunday was an S Day/Mother's Day. We met up with my DSis and BIL for lunch out and went to my SIL's place for a special dinner. Ate more than usual and only got 7,500 steps on pedometer.

Yesterday was Green for No S but we were on the road all day/ate out twice. No gym at hotel and only 3,234 steps on pedometer.

Today we were likewise in the car for much of the day, ate out twice, minimal exercise so far and I binged on a couple of pieces of chocolate when we got home. So Red for No S. Not sure why I binged after staying on track -- albeit eating more than usual -- while away. Stress eating, I think. My MIL is in very poor health with the cancer/liver problems and while it was a good/important trip, it was pretty hard emotionally.

I'm glad to be home and can't wait to get back into my routine with exercise/No S tomorrow. I suspect the scale will be up and it might take a week or two to get back to where I was last week. The important thing is focusing on habit and not letting the trip derail me overall, like I've done in the past ...

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Tue May 11, 2010 10:56 pm

Hey Shannon and welcome back from your trip! Glad you had a good time. You deserve it!

Just popping in to say hello and so sorry to hear about your MIL . My thoughts are with you at this time.

I'm sure you will be back on No S in no time and it sounds like you did pretty good whilst you were away. Its very difficult to keep to a routine when you're away from home.

Just FYI: Don't know whether you read my last post, but I have finally thrown out the scales! I was getting fed up with them since they were giving me a different reading each time I stepped on and it was making me grouchy and frustrated. I've decided to keep focusing on the No S habits and take it from there.

Anyway - enough from me, welcome back and have a great week.

Love Roxy x

Elspeth · Post by **Elspeth** » Wed May 12, 2010 1:18 pm

Welcome back Shannon! I'm sorry to hear that your mother-in-law is still doing poorly. It must be so hard on you and your husband. Blessings on you.

Congratulations on not letting that emotional eating slip (totally understandable) derail you. I think the best thing about No S is how it becomes a way of life, not just a diet. So one little slip or two does not mean the whole thing comes to a crashing halt.

(((Hugs)))

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Thu May 13, 2010 3:14 pm

Thanks so much for the kind words and welcome back, Roxy & Elspeth! My MIL is a wonderful lady and we are hoping that her condition improves. She's a fighter, that's for sure.

Roxy, good for you for tossing the scales. I think it is important to figure out what works best for you.

I'm still recovering from the trip. I went to sleep at 8 p.m. last night.

As I suspected, I have a bit of recovery to do from the trip in terms of No S. My weight for the past two mornings has been 128.2 ... I've decided to keep my daily journal on here until I get to 126.

5/12/2010 -- N Day -- SUCCESS
B --1/2 bagel w/ cream cheese, coffee
L -- Dal w/ rice, diet root beer
D --Sloppy joe casserole, steamed broccoli, apple slices w/ cinnamon

Wednesday morning weight: 128.2

Exercise -- Over 15,000 steps, including 60 minutes of skiwalking & mowing the backyard

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Fri May 14, 2010 1:50 am

5/13/2010 -- N Day -- SUCCESS
B --1/2 bagel w/ cream cheese, coffee
L -- Dal w/ rice, diet rootbeer
D --Sloppy joe casserole, steamed broccoli, apple slices w/ cinnamon

Thursday morning weight: 128.2

Exercise -- Over 13,000 steps, including 60 minutes on treadmill

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Fri May 14, 2010 6:07 pm

I received a pair of good quality nordic walking poles as a birthday gift from my family last year and I love them. They are definitely my exercise of choice when it is decent enough outside to walk. Among other things, the walking poles burn between 15-45 percent more calories than regular walking and they definitely tone my upper body/trim my waistline. They also take pressure off of my joints. In general, I'm thrilled to be getting "more bang for my buck" when I'm exercising, especially when it doesn't take a bunch of extra effort.

The worst part of skiwalking? The comments. I. get. them. constantly.

Some I don't mind at all and these are from people who haven't seen nordic walking poles before and/or have questions about them. I'm happy to chat/help. But some are just plain dumb remarks from folks who are either trying to be funny ... or mean ... at my expense. These are what annoy me to no end.

Today, for instance, I was walking past a yardsale in my neighborhood and the homeowner (a lady I don't know and who is very obese, btw) yells out across the street: "I thought you needed snow for those! " and starts laughing. Every single person at her yardsale turns and stares at me. Very embarrassing. I just smiled and pointed to my iPod, indicating that I couldn't hear and walked on. I know I shouldn't let these comments bother me but ***sigh*** ... Oh well. As I said, I love skiwalking and I will persist. Maybe someday it will become more mainstream and the comments will lessen.

Vent over. Onwards.

dmarie710 · Post by **dmarie710** » Fri May 14, 2010 9:22 pm

Hi Shannon
Those walking poles sound like a bunch of fun. I hate it when people are so dumb, though. No common sense. I don't know if you watch the show Modern Family, but it is one of our favorite shows. There's an episode where the husband is nordic ski walking. That show is so funny.
You keep doing what you enjoy. I guess we all need to learn to not let other people get to us. They are usually clueless.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Sat May 15, 2010 1:44 am

Hey Denise -- Thanks! You know, I have seen a few episodes of Modern Family -- funny show! -- but didn't catch the one with the nordic walking. I'll have to see if I can find it online.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Sat May 15, 2010 1:46 am

5/14/2010 -- N Day -- SUCCESS
B --1/2 bagel w/ cream cheese, coffee
L -- Dal w/ rice, diet rootbeer
D -- Homemade pizza, carrotsticks

Friday morning weight: 128

Exercise -- Over 15,000 steps, including 60 minutes of skiwalking & short walk w/ family

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Sun May 16, 2010 1:44 am

5/15/2010 -- S Day
B --1/2 bagel w/ cream cheese, coffee
L (Panera) -- 1/2 Mediterranean veggie sandwich, Greek salad, coffee
Bite of Chipotle potato salad
D (at friend's house) -- One plate w/ small hamburger, garden salad, chipotle potato salad, roasted potatoes
Sweet (Coldstone) -- Kid-sized dark chocolate ice cream w/ cherries

Saturday morning weight: 127

Exercise -- Over 12,000 steps, including about 60 minutes of skiwalking

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Mon May 17, 2010 12:22 am

5/16/2010 -- S Day
L (Salsarita's) -- Bean taco, steak taco, chips w/ salsa & queso, Coke Zero
Sweet (Coldstone) -- Kid-sized dark chocolate ice cream w/ cherries
D -- Scrambled cheese eggs, maple turkey sausages, 1/2 thin bagel w/ cream cheese, glass of OJ followed by about 10 coconut M&Ms

Sunday morning weight: 126.2

Exercise -- Over 10,000 steps, including 45 minutes of skiwalking & mowing front lawn

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Tue May 18, 2010 12:19 am

5/17/2010 -- N Day -- SUCCESS
B -- Thin bagel w/ cream cheese, coffee
L -- Cheese sandwich, cherry tomatoes, small portion BBQ chips, diet rootbeer
D -- Lamb kofta, tomato/cucumber salad w/ balsamic vinegar & sprinkle of feta, 3/4 pita round

Monday morning weight: 127.6

Exercise -- Over 14,000 steps, including 45 minutes of skiwalking & mowing back lawn

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Tue May 18, 2010 11:19 pm

5/18/2010 -- N Day -- SUCCESS
B -- Thin bagel w/ cream cheese, coffee
L -- Kashi lemongrass coconut chicken (frozen meal)
D -- Lemon-pepper ribs, small baked potato, spinach salad, Coke Zero

Tuesday morning weight: 127

Exercise -- Over 15,000 steps, including 60 minutes of skiwalking

Tomorrow is DH's & my wedding anniversary so I'll be taking a NWS ... Not sure yet if it'll wind up being a whole S day or just an S event for dinner since we are going out to a nice restaurant. I have to say that the prospect of taking a NWS makes me a little jittery, especially if I haven't "paid for it" in advance by either skipping an S Day or by planning to "pay for it later" by skipping an S Day. However, I figure that if this is is truly my way of eating for life, I need to be able to celebrate on bona fide special occasions guilt-free.

dmarie710 · Post by **dmarie710** » Wed May 19, 2010 12:32 am

You really should enjoy, guilt free. Happy Anniversary.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Thu May 20, 2010 2:45 pm

Thanks Denise. We had a nice anniversary.

Here's how yesterday looked:

5/19/2010 -- NWS Day -- Wedding Anniversary
B -- Thin bagel w/ cream cheese, coffee
L (McDonald's) -- Hamburger, small fries, kiddie-sized diet soda
D (out for anniversary dinner) -- Piece of fresh bread w/ butter, bowl of french onion soup, a couple bites of a reuben sandwich (didn't care for the way it was made), some fries, part of a piece of bumpy cake & some strawberries w/ cream (shared dessert w/ family), several sips of port wine

Wednesday morning weight: 126.6

Exercise -- Not exactly sure because I didn't wear my pedometer all day but it was over 10,000 (including 35 minutes of skiwalking before DD woke up and DH had to leave for work)

So I ended up keeping the day to an S event, although I did eat out for lunch. DD had the day off from school and, to my credit, I don't feel like I went overboard with food even though she and I made a double batch of chocolate chocolate chip cookies for an upcoming school event and went out for lunch and a movie. Weight this morning was 129 but I'm sure most of that is temporary.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Fri May 21, 2010 12:21 am

5/20/2010 -- N Day -- Success
B -- Thin bagel w/ cream cheese, coffee
L -- Kashi chicken pasta pomodoro (frozen meal)
D -- Hearty oatmeal pancakes, bacon, strawberries

Thursday morning weight: 129

Exercise -- Over 20,000 steps including over 80 minutes of skiwalking

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Fri May 21, 2010 11:25 pm

5/21/2010 -- N Day -- Success
B -- Thin bagel w/ cream cheese, coffee
L -- Apple slices sprinkled w/ cinnamon, slices of sharp cheddar
D -- Homemade pizza, spinach salad

Friday morning weight: 128

Exercise -- Over 14,000 steps including 1 hour on treadmill

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Mon May 24, 2010 2:00 pm

5/22/2010 -- S Day
B -- Thin bagel w/ cream cheese, coffee
L (Boston Market) --Quarter chicken white, mashed potatoes, green beans
D (McDonald's) -- Hamburger, small fries, vanilla ice cream cone
Later -- 1 small homemade cookie plus 5 cheetos

Saturday morning weight: 128

Exercise -- Over 11,000 steps including 45 minutes of skiwalking

5/23/2010 -- S Day
B -- Thin bagel w/ cream cheese, coffee
L (Salsarita's) -- Steak taco, bean taco, tortilla chips w/ salsa & queso
Sweet (Coldstone) -- Kiddie-sized fudge brownie batter ice cream w/ kitkat
D -- Hot dog, apple slices w/ cinnamon, few chips, small homemade cookie
During Lost series finale -- about 4 small homemade cookies

Sunday morning weight: 128

Exercise -- Over 10,000 steps including over 45 minutes of skiwalking & mowing front/part of back lawn

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Tue May 25, 2010 11:47 am

5/24/2010 -- N Day -- SUCCESS
B -- Coffee
L -- Bagel w/ cream cheese, grapes, carrots
D (Noodles & Co) -- Bangkok curry w/ beef

Monday morning weight: 128.2

Exercise: Over 20,000 steps including 60 minutes of skiwalking

Had planned a nice dinner at home but, due to an emergency/timing issues, we ended up eating out.

We'll have the meal tonight instead.

kccc · Post by **kccc** » Tue May 25, 2010 1:20 pm

Shannon, did I tell you that you inspired me to dig out my pedometer? My numbers are humbling - I knew I was terribly sedentary due to job/commute constraints, but seeing exactly how much is disturbing - but improving thanks to getting some attention. I find myself doing the little things that add up - parking further away, going to the bathroom at the end of the hall instead of the one by me, etc. It does help.

Mostly, I am reminding myself that "better is an improvement" and trying not to be bummed by the numers!

Thanks for the inspiration.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Wed May 26, 2010 12:39 am

Way to go, KCCC!!!

You're doing great and I think focusing on "better" is a great plan. The little things can definitely make a significant difference. I find that some days it is easier to accumulate steps than others but the bigger, overall picture and making a consistent effort over time is what matters.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Wed May 26, 2010 12:40 am

5/25/2010 -- N Day -- SUCCESS
B -- 1/2 bagel w/ cream cheese, coffee
L -- Kashi coconut lemongrass chicken (frozen meal)
D -- BBQ meatballs, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli

Tuesday morning weight: 127.4

Exercise: Over 14,000 steps including 60 minutes of skiwalking & mowing most of backyard

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Thu May 27, 2010 12:33 am

5/26/2010 -- N Day -- SUCCESS
B -- 1/2 bagel w/ cream cheese, coffee
L -- Two smallish stone ground tortillas w/ melted cheese, grapes
D -- Egg salad sandwich, carrots, chips

Wednesday morning weight: 126.2

Exercise: Pedometer accidently reset so I'm not exactly sure but it was over 12,000 steps as of 3ish. Did 60 minutes of skiwalking.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Thu May 27, 2010 11:51 pm

5/27/2010 -- N Day -- SUCCESS
B -- Monster C strawberry juice
L -- Bagel w/ cream cheese, grapes, chips
D -- Southwestern chicken roll-up, carrots, tortilla chips w/ salsa

Thursday morning weight: 125.4

Exercise: Over 14,000 steps including 60 minutes of skiwalking & mowing part of front lawn.

DH & I have a rare date night tomorrow so I may take an S Day and make one of the weekend days an N Day.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Sat May 29, 2010 2:41 am

5/28/2010 -- N Day -- SUCCESS
B -- Monster C strawberry juice
L -- Bagel w/ cream cheese, apple slices w/ cinnamon
D (Applebee's) -- Turkey club, french fries, diet soda

Friday morning weight: 126 (TOM is overdue)

Exercise: About 15,000 steps including 60 minutes of skiwalking

DH & I went out for dinner and to see Sex & the City 2. My dinner plate was bigger than usual but it was still a green day. My weight is below where it was pre-trip, even with pending TOM, so I think I'm ready to take a break from keeping a daily food/weight log here and will reserve this thread for more general updates and thoughts.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Mon May 31, 2010 5:33 pm

Whew ... May is almost over!

With all the celebratory events/holidays and the trip out of town, May is as challenging for me as December. I'd call the month a success overall. One red day, the rest green or planned yellows. My exercise level remained consistent. I believe that I either maintained my weight or lost a pound or two, although I'm not sure. (I'm staying off the scale today since I'm in the middle of a long S weekend and TOM is still pending so I'm positive that the numbers will be up temporarily.

)

I'm looking forward to June and getting back into a more regular routine. I'll have to adjust a little when kiddo finishes up the school year in a couple of weeks but am not worried about it. It'll just mean getting up earlier to exercise. I'm going to join the June challenge to track my Vanilla habit and exercise.

idontknow · Post by **idontknow** » Tue Jun 01, 2010 8:08 am

Hi Shannon,
I've just read through your thread and found it really interesting. I am a bit shorter than you (5'2) and weigh 139. I'm also a bit older than you (45). I would like to lose about 10 pounds, and so have found your thread very motivating. I have noticed that your meals are small and I have noted the amount of exercise you do. I'm going to start a similar thread so that I can track weight and food intake.
Thank you so much for all your posts - it's given me hope, motivation and inspiration.
I'm sorry to hear about your MIL - I know how hard it is when a family member is ill. My thoughts are with you all x
Sally

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Tue Jun 01, 2010 3:56 pm

idon'tknow wrote:Hi Shannon,
I've just read through your thread and found it really interesting. I am a bit shorter than you (5'2) and weigh 139. I'm also a bit older than you (45). I would like to lose about 10 pounds, and so have found your thread very motivating. I have noticed that your meals are small and I have noted the amount of exercise you do. I'm going to start a similar thread so that I can track weight and food intake.
Thank you so much for all your posts - it's given me hope, motivation and inspiration.
I'm sorry to hear about your MIL - I know how hard it is when a family member is ill. My thoughts are with you all x
Sally

Hi Sally! Thanks so much for the kind remarks and well-wishes for my MIL.

Yes, I've definitely found that, as a shorter woman, my body just doesn't need the same amount of calories as someone who is taller than me. Eating somewhat light for breakfast and lunch and staying active have enabled me to lose weight doing vanilla No S while still having some special S Day treats and eating normal dinners each night with my family. The trade off of not having to stress out about every single calorie I'm taking in has made this No S journey enjoyable and, I believe, sustainable for me. It took awhile to find my groove but the process has been well worth it.

I'm looking forward to reading your check-ins!

All the very best,

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Tue Jun 01, 2010 4:04 pm

I'm fortunate to live in a major university area with a very diverse population. One of the benefits of this is that there are many ethnic supermarkets. On the way back from dropping DD off at school this morning, I stopped by a local Middle Eastern grocery to pick-up some tahini. It reminded me that I really need to take better advantage of some of these stores, both in terms of the splendid variety they offer and in terms of prices.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Fri Jun 04, 2010 3:27 pm

Just checking-in with a quick update. This morning's weight was 125.8 (with TOM starting today, finally!) ... and I'm feeling, well, glorious, really. Healthy, happy and content.

One of my favorite things about No S is how much I'm enjoying food again. I'd say I'm passionate about it and in a good way. I love to experiment with new recipes and cuisines and, at any given time, I have a new cookbook or two on hold at the library. I love to eat it, whether it be at home or out. I love to plan my family's weekly menu, grocery shop and frequent the farmer's market. I enjoy planning my S Day treats in advance and eating food that I truly love each and every day. I'm having so much fun!

The difference between No S and other diet plans I've tried in the past -- Weight Watchers, low carb, calorie counting and the like -- is that I don't have the sense of panic, stress or guilt about food anymore. Reinhard is right. Over time, I've developed a sense of what is enough for me. I find that if I eat a little heavier one meal/day, my body generally wants less the next meal or day. I am able to balance the books naturally through consistent habits and the "good enough" approximation that No S provides. I feel normal and am so excited to stay on this journey for the duration.

kccc · Post by **kccc** » Fri Jun 04, 2010 6:02 pm

What a wonderfully happy post to read!

Good for you!

(And I totally agree about enjoying food again - that's SUCH a plus!)

NoSRocks · Post by **NoSRocks** » Sat Jun 05, 2010 5:27 am

CONGRATULATIONS, Shannon! Loved this post and agree with every word. No S is definitely the way to go.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 12:45 am

Thanks so much KCCC & Roxy!!!

This weekend was good/productive overall but exhausting. We had very severe weather -- a tornado touched down about 15 minutes from my house, among other things -- Saturday night and into the early morning so none of us slept all that well. Also, my DH has been feeling a little off health-wise which has me concerned.

We aren't sure if it is related to his Muscular Dystrophy or if he is just having anxiety-related symptoms with everything going on and worrying about his mom. The whole family ended up taking a much-needed nap this afternoon. Thankfully, everyone is safe and DH seems to be feeling better tonight.

Nothing majorly over the top in terms of this weekend's S Days. I only had 4,000 steps in by 7 p.m. tonight, though, so I squeezed in a walk after DD went to bed. I definitely find that I function much better if I get enough movement in ... and that I'm able to better able to take care of my family if I'm taking care of myself.

dmarie710 · Post by **dmarie710** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 12:58 am

I'm glad your all OK, right now. Sounds like a scary weekend. Will keep your family in my prayers.
Denise

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 3:37 pm

Thank you Denise! I really appreciate your prayers for my family.

sophiasapientia · Post by **sophiasapientia** » Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:07 pm

I'm in the midst of listening to "Switch: How to Change When Change is Hard" by Dean & Chip Heath. It has a lot of insights that I think are useful for my Everyday Systems projects so I'm going to copy the outline here for future reference purposes.

HOW TO MAKE A SWITCH
For things to change, somebody somewhere has to start acting
differently. Maybe itâ€™s you, maybe itâ€™s your team.
Picture that person (or people).
Each has an emotional Elephant side and a rational Rider side.
Youâ€™ve got to reach both. And youâ€™ve also got to clear the way
for them to succeed. In short, you must do three things:

Direct The Rider
FOLLOW THE BRIGHT SPOTS. Investigate whatâ€™s working and clone it. [Jerry
Sternin in Vietnam, solutions-focused therapy]
SCRIPT THE CRITICAL MOVES. Donâ€™t think big picture, think in terms of specific
behaviors. [1% milk, four rules at the Brazilian railroad]
POINT TO THE DESTINATION. Change is easier when you know where youâ€™re
going and why itâ€™s worth it. [â€œYouâ€™ll be third graders soon,â€ â€œNo dry holesâ€ at BP]

Motivate The Elephant
FIND THE FEELING. Knowing something isnâ€™t enough to cause change. Make
people feel something. [Piling gloves on the table, the chemotherapy video game,
Robyn Watersâ€™s demos at Target]
SHRINK THE CHANGE. Break down the change until it no longer spooks the Elephant.
[The 5-Minute Room Rescue, procurement reform]
GROW YOUR PEOPLE. Cultivate a sense of identity and instill the growth mindset.
[Brasilataâ€™s â€œinventors,â€ junior-high math kidsâ€™ turnaround]

Shape the Path
TWEAK THE ENVIRONMENT. When the situation changes, the behavior
changes. So change the situation. [Throwing out the phone system at Rackspace,
1-Click ordering, simplifying the online time sheet]
BUILD HABITS. When behavior is habitual, itâ€™s â€œfreeâ€â€”it doesnâ€™t tax the Rider.
Look for ways to encourage habits. [Setting â€œaction triggers,â€ eating two bowls of
soup while dieting, using checklists]
RALLY THE HERD. Behavior is contagious. Help it spread. [œFatakiâ€ in Tanzania,
â€œfree spacesâ€ in hospitals, seeding the tip jar]

Sophiasapientia's Check-In

Nordic skiwalking