Check In by Bunso

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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bunsofaluminum
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Check In by Bunso

Post by bunsofaluminum » Tue May 17, 2016 11:19 pm

DAY TWO:

sitting here at work, NOT snacking (when my poor widda tummy is used to a 4:00 apple or pretzels at my work desk)...and feeling the grumbling. but NOT snacking.

I try to eat late for dinner, like around 7:00, so I'm waiting for that. It means about seven hours since I last ate, and my practice of letting 12 hours pass between dinner and brekkie the next day means I'll eat around 7:00 in the morning, a good time for breakfast.

This grumbling...my appetite is unhappy, but I'm not yet hungry. Time for water or tea.

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Wed May 18, 2016 3:12 am

Welcome buns (love the name ;) ). 7 hrs is a long time to wait. It'll get easier though. Make sure you're eating enough at mealtimes. You can always reduce your portions later but for now you kind of just have to do whatever it takes to get that habit down.

Best of luck!

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

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Wed May 18, 2016 6:44 pm

I'm calling an S day for shovelglove...S for sick, right? I made it thru work okay with no snacking (I had two spoonfuls of homemade chicken noodle soup when i got home, that my BF had made while i was at work) but I also came home with the beginnings of a raging headcold. Woke up this morning with a bit of fever, utterly stopped up, packed sinuses. Hot tea helps.

I'll stick with the No S's today, but not shovelglove. I'm resting.

Ooh, for lunch I had a gigantic bowlful of homemade soup with a cup of torn spinach leaves stirred in. A few crackers and some pretzels. Happy tummy!

thanks lpearlmom for your good wishes. I made it to 6:30 before dinner last night...plenty long enough. :)

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Thu May 19, 2016 1:30 pm

DAY THREE REPORT

I'm noticing where I have trained my appetite to rear up during the day. Because I always go 12 hours between dinner and brekkie, I'm usually hungry when I wake up, and my stomach really lets me know if I go past about 7 a.m.

Hungry again, for real, by noon so I eat. My stomach is moderately grumpy by then. but WOW at 4:00 pm! sheesh Because pretty much every day, I've had something to eat at 4:00. An apple and some pretzels usually. If I am at home, possibly another helping of lunch. At any rate, because I've always had a bite at 4 o'clock that is when my stomach wakes up and wants its SNACK.

This is true for the days when I work evenings...and I snack at my desk at work. And for my morning shifts...I get home, and have a snack. So yeah, 4 pm is an appetite time. Here's the thing, though. By snacking in the afternoon, I wasn't responding to hunger, I was responding to my appetite. At the first hint of rumble, I ran to get something to assuage the beast. And I knew it as I was doing it.

I wonder how long it'll be, before things adjust. It wasn't much fun putting up with it yesterday, though drinking water worked nicely, and of course some hot tea. And I'll do it again today...eventually my appetite will get the hint "No food at 4 pm" and begin to sleep thru til dinnertime at 6:00ish.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Fri May 20, 2016 11:07 pm

DAY FOUR
success

DAY FIVE

today out of habit, I grabbed a banana at 4:00, my most common snack time...and realized my tummy wasn't grumbling...I had half a banana in my hand, peel half off and said "wait, why?" because part of what I'm doing is observing to see what times of day my appetite wakes up.

About 10:00 a.m. (which did happen today)
around 2:00 ish (a bit)
and 4:00 (not a single hint of appetite)...that's cool. and I put the banana down. I'll have it with dinner.

Not doing shovelglove...I've got cellulitis which means mucho resto for at least a week. *sigh*

However, I'm proud of myself and so happy to see my stomach responding so quick to the change in my eating habits.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Sat May 21, 2016 5:16 pm

It's Saturday, my first S day, so I tried some dark chocolate M&Ms...really a favorite. And wouldn't you know, they were WAY too sweet. I might have something dessertish after lunch or dinner, but I really don't want super sweet. hmmm

and because I don't want to disrupt the five days of rescheduling my diurnal rhythms, I think I won't be snacking either. It was very nice, not having appetite uproar at 4:00 yesterday afternoon. Things are settling in for about a 7:00 brekkie, 11:30 or noon lunch, and dinner around six or 7:00.

Today I felt a bit of a tinge at 10:30 and ignored it. Lunch soon.

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Post by LoriLifts » Sat May 21, 2016 9:56 pm

Welcome!
Your username rocks!
Habits are at first cobwebs, then cables.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Sun May 22, 2016 9:54 pm

thanks walkerlori it's been my online persona from the very beginning. :)

so yesterday was an S day, and I tried M&M's which were way too sweet. I ate a vegetarian gourmet delight pizza...the first half for firsts, the second half a couple hours later. ;) super SOOOPER thin crust, and no cheese so I think I didn't do myself any harm. It was a lot of food, though.

And then I was good for the night...

Today I've eaten regular meals, no snacks between brekkie and lunch, and having some pretzels with mustard honey sauce between lunch and dinner. If I can find where I stashed my extra dark chocolate, I'll have a couple squares of that.

dinner shall be vegetable noodle soup in miso broth. I shall most likely have seconds. I lurve noo noo's.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Mon May 23, 2016 11:31 pm

Starting on my second week, and doing good. Sunday was a sort of "gorge on seconds" day, with two huge helpings of vegetable noodle miso soup. Yum! and my tummy was nice and full but not stuffed. I was a little bit worried that I might have stronger appetite urges today, but it hasn't been bad.

I'll be ready for dinner when it arrives in 30 minutes.

This is also looking like a more likely place for me to "track" because I'm freaking out over a cup of rice having like 320 calories. I've been tracking my food at sparkpeople for a little over a month, as a way to get my mind in the game, but I may phase that out, as it is so detail oriented and tugs at the little bit of OCD I have in me. It's starting to get boring anyway...as counting calories inevitably does, eh?

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Post by Jen1974 » Tue May 24, 2016 2:51 pm

Sounds like you're doing great!! Rice (& angel hair pasta) were hurdles for me too. This week rice tonight for dinner & angel hair on Thursday. I used to make things like that for my family & eat something different. It's so much more fun to enjoy it right along with them!! I totally benefit from eating like this. I feel happier & healthier (& much more sane LOL) Plus I weigh less now than when I feared those dreaded high calorie high carb foods LOL!!

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Tue May 24, 2016 11:17 pm

DAY EIGHT:
Success

DAY NINE:

so yeah, the 4:00 appetite reared up stronger today than yesterday. The only snack I had on my S days was on Sunday, some pretzels at 4:00...so maybe this is really hunger, not just appetite?

Anyway, I'm doing this as an experiment on myself. It's possible to ignore even genuine hunger pangs, right? I mean, so what if this is from a truly empty stomach? If I only eat at 6:00, then eventually the 4:00 grumbling will dwindle and possibly die out permanently. I also tend to have a bit of an uprising at 10:00 a.m. (another snack time for me)...each "snack appetite" is about two hours before the next meal, and three or four hours from the previous meal.

My daughter has a cat who overeats. When we left the food out for eating at will, she gained weight alarmingly fast. so, we started feeding her a cup in the morning, and a cup at dinner time. She lost the weight, and the meowing was pitiful for like a day and a half. I think her appetites adjusted rapidly, and now she simply starts meowing when meal time approaches. Same with me. Right?

I mean, when we talk about three meals and snacks...why? Because I had days when I simply ate all day long. Breakfast, then an hour later, something. Then 90 minutes later, a little bit of this. Then lunch. And, as the mood hit, a light snack here and there. In the fridge every ten minutes, just looking most the time. Etc.

Just as Rhinehard says, it didn't matter if having a snack ruined my appetite for the upcoming meal, because I ate a full meal at mealtimes anyway. And the moment I felt any kind of anything in the stomach regions, I found something to munch.

Well, I'm adjusting. And it feels good. :)

cedar
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Post by cedar » Tue May 24, 2016 11:27 pm

Excellent! Yes..the habit will kick in and you won't even think about eating between meals if you keep going and going... I'm there now with my habits but I'm still eating full meals..I'm in this mainly for healing my disordered eating..I feel sure weight loss will come later when I'm ready and my body and mind can trust I'm not going to starve it on another ridiculous diet again! So I'm no inspiration when it comes to 'successful weight loss' but I can definitely say the habit of meals and no snacking does happen. Good luck! Love your name!!

bunsofaluminum
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Post by bunsofaluminum » Wed May 25, 2016 12:51 pm

Hi cedar thanks for dropping by.

Yeah, I'd love to see the pounds drop off, but that is not my main criterion for "success"...being healthy is far more important. Our bodies want to be healthy, and if excess fat is unhealthy, our bodies will deal with that when the time comes. My overeating patterns are being corrected, first. I bet eventually I'll need less food at meals as my appetite gives up and says "Okay, we eat three times a day. Very good" I am, after all, training myself along with my appetite, learning the difference between being hungry and having a slight mid-afternoon grumble. That should work at meal times, too. Eventually I'll be able to say "I'm full now" and NOT finish that pile o'food on my plate. And then, what do you want to bet, my eyes will not be bigger than my stomach, and I'll start choosing reasonable amounts of food for meals.

So. Snacking was my "biggy" . Is. I didn't think seconds would be an issue (they're not) and I already was minimalist on sweets, so i knew they wouldn't give me trouble either, and they haven't. However, I have been known to have a little palmful of M&Ms after work, or bake banana bread and chow down on that, and my BF makes yummy caramel corn that I usually dig into with gusto when he makes it. Etc. Oh, and at work there is the standard dish of fun size candy bars on the receptionists desk, and the managers all have candy in their offices. Sometimes the cravings would set in and I'd grab me some canday.

IOW, sweets haven't been an everyday thing, and dessert as a course after a meal, almost never, but a few times a week, big time sugar load, right?

It's been 10 days since I started No S'ing and on Saturday I got me a little handful of M&Ms and popped two in my mouth. ACK! :shock: so sweet! Like GAG ME sweet. And these are dark chocolate M&Ms, that I have loved so long and so well. Okay, that's kind of to be expected. Your taste buds change. Okay.

But something else is going on in my body, and I know it has to do with eliminating the irritant that sugar is. First off, my moderate "stress incontinence" is pretty much gone. No leakage, no "ooh quick, where's a bathroom". Cool! I mean, I've been blaming that on bearing four children and my former morbid obesity. But I am still the mother of four children, and before I regained some poundage, and was only overweight not obese two years ago...I still had leakage, even though I was more fit and slender than I am currently.

And I just noticed something when I got out of the shower this morning... this burning sensation in the skin on my left thigh, which came up during pregnancy, and intermittently over the years. There's a label for it, that I don't remember. A form of mild neuropathy that isn't painful enough to worry about, but enough to notice...except when it's gone.

Got out of the shower this morning and said...wait. How long has that been gone? That irritating little nuisance area is...well I noticed it today because it feels slightly buzzy, but it's been gone altogether for I don't know how many days. Cool! Maybe lack of sugar is why I've recovered so quickly from the cellulitis.

Neato!

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Post by RAWCOOKIE » Wed May 25, 2016 3:09 pm

I agree - I went from being a 3 meals and 3 snacks-a-day person - ie never going more than about 2 hrs without food! to being quite OK on 3 meals. I can go 6-8 hrs between meals and no longer feel that kind of 'panic' of 'when will I get to eat?!?!' It happened quite quickly after I started No S - exactly as you saw with your cat!
I love Everyday Systems :3

13.6.15 124.25lbs
11.11.21 101.00lbs

bunsofaluminum
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Post by bunsofaluminum » Thu May 26, 2016 3:15 am

hey rawcookie overeaters eat all the things, all the time! ha!

DAY 10

success. I got really super hungry before dinner, and made a big plate of food which I ate all gone, really fast. I didn't like getting that hungry.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Thu May 26, 2016 10:16 pm

Good grief but my mid morning and mid afternoon snack time appetite has been active today. I had a big bowl of oatmeal with the works at 7:00. By 10:00 I felt so hungry it hurt. Felt like I was empty, but I'm sure I wasn't. So we went and had Sweet Tomatoes for lunch. A salad bar buffet. I filled up one plate piled high with regular green salad, and a smaller plate with tastes of specialty salads, a piece of cornbread, and a piece of French bread. It was a pile o'food, and my tummy was happy. Plenty full, not stuffed but very satisfied.

and here it is, 4:00 and darned if I don't feel hungry. Pfft. Tea with lemon and honey. *sigh*

Meanwhile, I'm going to keep track of appetite days. Let's just see how long it takes to adjust.

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Post by osoniye » Fri May 27, 2016 4:38 am

bunsofaluminum wrote:I had a big bowl of oatmeal with the works at 7:00. By 10:00 I felt so hungry it hurt. ... A salad bar buffet. I filled up one plate piled high with regular green salad, and a smaller plate with tastes of specialty salads, a piece of cornbread, and a piece of French bread. ...and here it is, 4:00 and darned if I don't feel hungry.
Hi Bunso... Sounds like you're doing well with the habit!
Just a note on my experience... if I eat oatmeal for breakfast (even if it's loaded with good stuff), I am starving by mid morning. Same with a salad for lunch and the "starving" afternoon experience. You just might want to keep track of what you've eaten on the days you have the snack monster attacks and when you don't. I'll bet it's different for everyone with the satiety!
-Sonya
No Sweets, No Snacks and No Seconds, Except (Sometimes) on days that start with "S".

cedar
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Post by cedar » Fri May 27, 2016 10:32 am

I agree with osoniye about oats..I love them, but they just don't seem to fill me for long..I have discovered if I have them along with some boiled eggs and yogurt it can satisfy my hunger for longer though. It's all experimenting , and those hard days can be helpful to realise that you can survive that hunger in between meals..it's unpleasant but not fatal.
All the best you are doing so well :D

bunsofaluminum
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Post by bunsofaluminum » Sat May 28, 2016 1:52 am

Hey there, thanks. Yeah, on the salad thing, I'm not super surprised to feel hungry after salad for lunch, but the mid morning screaming hollering hunger pangs were not the usual. My most common brekkie is oatmeal, and though I sometimes have appetite nudges at 10:00, it's almost unheard of for my stomach to feel so freaking empty as it did.

One of my menopause symptoms is the raging munchies, so it might have been related to that. Of course it's hormones, right?

meanwhile, today was a success with No S AND pretty much zero appetite surges because i was busy at work and after work. Which also makes me think my screaming hunger may have had something to do with boredom. At least, the 4:00 raging monster munchies. That 10:00 BS was pretty bad. I ate B, L, and D, and since I was busy at 10:00 I don't even know if I had munchies then.

I'm counting today as a success for everything!

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Sun May 29, 2016 2:22 am

DAY 12:

S day. I had popcorn before dinner today. I'm wanting something sweet, but still enjoying how good my body feels without sugar, and I don't want to wake the beast (sugar cravings) it's been so pleasant without. So, a spoonful of honey in my post prandial green tea, and I'm eyeballing the dark chocolate M&M's.

So, I have nine days to go until day 21, and then I will weigh. I stepped on the scale a day or two ago, and no changes yet. Have only done shovelglove twice, because I got sick and serious rest is absolutely mandatory, or it takes much longer to get over it. I will try it on Monday and see. Going up one flight of stairs at work yesterday kicked my butt, so I'll be the judge on Monday whether my body is ready to get to daily workouts again or not.

On my Habitcal I'm tracking NoS, shovelglove, and appetite. The appetite calendar isn't about changing my habits, but I'm curious to see how many days it might take before my appetite responds to a regular schedule, without any food between meals. I've had more red days (appetite uprising) than yellow (some reduction) or green (no problem with appetite grumbles).

One of the reasons I don't want to do much snacking even on S days, is to bring my stubborn appetite around to my chosen meal schedule. If I "give in" at any of the usual uproar times, it will set my clock back so I want to be strict. Today's popcorn came at 5:00, and I was already hungry, not just appetite. I did have a meal an hour later and am now settled in for the night.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Sun May 29, 2016 8:53 pm

DAY 13

Doing well. I had a very light breakfast, so I was hungry at 10:30 and ate...S day. But I will load up better for my breakfast...I don't want to fight that 10:30 raging appetite every day. ugh.

Meanwhile, this being an S day, if I feel like it, I can have a snack, right? :)

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Mon May 30, 2016 7:46 pm

DAY 14 SUCCESS

Doing good today. I ate a bigger than normal breakfast. When my usual bowl of oatmeal left me still feeling hungry, I fixed hash browns with a side of spinach, and that did the trick. Thing is, I waited about 30 minutes, or more, on that darned oatmeal

(which has ALWAYS been enough...hasn't it? hmmm)

and when I still felt hungry 30 minutes later, I figured it wasn't appetite, it was hunger. After all, I eat dinner at 6:00 or 6:30, and brekkie at 7:00 the next day, so at least 12 hours. Of course I'm hungry. Methinks breakfast will have to be adjusted upward, if I am going to make it from B to L without snacking.

Today is Memorial Day, but I'm not counting it as an S day, though I might have a taste of the food my BF is making while I'm at work. He cooks a mean soup, a scrumptious pot roast, and today he's doing a pork loin with potatoes. I'll taste the gravy over a tater, sure. ... I don't eat meat so...

Well, day 14 for me. One week from today, I'm going to weigh, and then I think I'll take a page out of Oolala's book and weigh on the equinoxes and the solstices. GREAT idea...get my mind off that damn scale.

I tried skilletglove this morning, made it through a set of seven "shovel" motions, and had to stop. More rest needed. Still going great with the no snacking.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Wed Jun 01, 2016 1:42 am

DAY 15

SUCCESS

appetite raging today. :?

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Thu Jun 02, 2016 2:22 pm

wow, yesterday was rough. I ended up eating a HUMONGOUS lunch, in order to pack my stomach so i wouldn't have to deal with stupid false hunger all afternoon. It worked.

And, I got a taste of how actually terrific this system is for actual life, when I went up to my mom's for her birthday. Because S also stands for special, I was able to moderately have what everyone else was having

...Here's the thing. I am a strict vegetarian, eating a whole foods starch centered diet, and I do the best I can to keep it low fat, too. This means that, whenever I get together with others and food is involved, I do a lot of picking and choosing. Usually I can find some non meat dishes for my plate, but low fat is very rare. At home, I do not use oil in my cooking, don't put butter on things, etc. but out and about, oil is used in cooking, plain and simple. This means I don't eat out very often, and that's okay, but it has meant me being a sort of "fussy eater."

Well, yesterday's birthday pizza, though veggie, had cheese on it...and since I was counting it a "special" day, I DIDN'T pick the cheese off. And, the ice cream treat my sis in law made...I had a bite of it. YUM! but one bite was enough.

No S freed me up to simply eat what was there. I usually order pizza without cheese, but since they had ordered it before I got there, and since it was an S day...I had my pizza with cheese. It was nice.

So far today hasn't been as brutal on the appetite as yesterday LET IT BE SOOOOOO!

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Merry
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Post by Merry » Fri Jun 03, 2016 4:26 am

Sounds like a successful party :-). It's so wonderful to be free to eat normally at social gatherings.
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
Respect Moderation

bunsofaluminum
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Post by bunsofaluminum » Sat Jun 04, 2016 2:17 am

DAY 16 SUCCESS

DAY 17

It's been an okay day, other than having a bite to eat about an hour after I got home from work. I want to wait dinnertime until about 6:00, and then we'll be going to the store. But I just had a banana at 5:00 to hold me until 6:00. Thing is, I don't want to eat again after dinner...but hungry now.

LATER

I ate at 5:30. And it's now just about an hour before bedtime, and no snacking. Not hungry. Hm.

On Monday I will start up with 14 minutes of doing something every day. They opened the pool where I live...but I can't do that for only 14 minutes. Maybe yoga. And skilletglove.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Sun Jun 05, 2016 2:10 am

DAY 18 Saturday June 4

An S day, and I'm using it. I had an apple and granola bar between B&L and I had seconds on the tater tots at dinner. I also made lemon bars, a sweet, and had two while I fixed dinner. I plan on having another lemon bar here in a bit, and then I'm done.

I won't be doing seconds again tomorrow...too full.

It's funny,, when I was packing my lunch for work this morning, and realized...hey, it's an S day. I can have a snack! and put my little snack in there. :) Kind of exciting.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Mon Jun 06, 2016 1:04 pm

DAY 19 Sunday

I treated the day like an S day, more than I wanted, but I didn't do seconds, however I had a high fat snack that I won't repeat.

Eating as I do, a starch based "vegan"...let's say "strict vegetarian" because I eat no animal protein, including eggs and dairy. I'm not a vegan; I do eat a slice of turkey at Thanksgiving, and I eat eggs once in a while, fresh from my friend's back yard chickens. And I'm not opposed to honey or leather...etc.

But, I follow the McDougall program, which is simply a whole foods plant strong diet, lots of starches, VERY LOW FAT. One of the great things about it is, Dr McDougall acknowledges feast days: Christmas, T'giving, Easter, Birthday, 4th of July, etc. He advises that we eat the feast foods like french fries or meat (if we want...I truly do not. Meat is yucky to me, for the most part) or cheese, on those special occasions, and stop treating every breakfast like it's Easter, every lunch like Thanksgiving, and Christmas at every dinner meal. He would also not say to have a feast day every Saturday & Sunday.

But this is sort of what I did this past weekend. And I need to stop that. After all, Rhinehard says "except on days that start with S. Sometimes" and warns us not to go overboard just because it is the weekend. Mind you, I didn't really overdo, I just ate some foods that are not recommended, too much of them, two days in a row...tater tots are pretty high fat. Right?

Heh They were good. :D

Today I am going to try skilletglove. I have been feeling human the last couple of days, and think it may not kick my ass too badly. Maybe the cellulitis is all gone. Finally.

And, I have finally said "Fine then. I WILL GOOOOOH to the freaking DOCTOR! You happy?" about my dangblasted ankle. I am sick of not being able to walk. It is my favorite form of exercise and I haven't been able to, because my ankle hurts ... my whole left foot really...randomly, and pretty badly, most days. Today, I make the appointment. Because if my foot were not tweaking, on this fine summer morning I would be out there, walking in the sunrise light.

e-lyn
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Post by e-lyn » Mon Jun 06, 2016 8:53 pm

Bunso...I thought I recognized your name from another board and perhaps it was McDougall's forum? I had followed that way of eating off and on throughout the years. The last time was about 5 years ago and I was solid for about 2 years. I lost some weight but I had to count WW points in order to do so. I think it was just too much snacking. And then after about two years I just got weary. I was cooking constantly for 5 hungry people and my family was tired of the food. We rarely ate out as there is little available out there that meets the requirements. Worst of all, even though I had lost about 30 pounds my husband lost absolutely nothing! And we craved sweets like crazy.

I do miss many things about it. The simplicity, the low cost, the health benefits etc...

Anyway, just wanted to say Hi. I hope the combination of McD and No S is working for you!

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Mon Jun 06, 2016 9:50 pm

e-lyn wrote:Bunso...I thought I recognized your name from another board and perhaps it was McDougall's forum? I had followed that way of eating off and on throughout the years. The last time was about 5 years ago and I was solid for about 2 years. I lost some weight but I had to count WW points in order to do so. I think it was just too much snacking. And then after about two years I just got weary. I was cooking constantly for 5 hungry people and my family was tired of the food. We rarely ate out as there is little available out there that meets the requirements. Worst of all, even though I had lost about 30 pounds my husband lost absolutely nothing! And we craved sweets like crazy.

I do miss many things about it. The simplicity, the low cost, the health benefits etc...

Anyway, just wanted to say Hi. I hope the combination of McD and No S is working for you!
Hi there...were you under a different name on the McD boards? I don't remember an e-lyn.

Yes, sometimes the cooking gets burdensome and not being able to eat out...not much fun. . In fact, other than staying away from meat and dairy, the past two years have been a lot of eating out, and a LOT of high fat foods...and a 40 lb weight gain. I can NOT believe how easy it is to gain weight. Sucks.

I've got my timing down about right: cook big batches, two or three times a week. Like, on a day off I'll make a huge pot of soup, and a triple batch of veggie marinara sauce. Then I have my meals ready made for the next several days, with the occasional nuked potatoes and steamed broccoli for lunch or something else for variety. The same breakfast every day also simplifies. Oatmeal. Yum! And eating this way...well, the energy! I'm getting that back, now that I'm being stricter and I love it. :)

But one of the benefits I was never expecting, I was reminded of the other day when I made burgers for my sweetie. Geez, the GREASE! Cooking without oil means super easy clean up of the pots and pans AND all the surfaces in the kitchen.

anyway, thanks for saying hi!

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Post by e-lyn » Mon Jun 06, 2016 10:15 pm

I think I used the same name but I rarely posted. I did, however, read that forum daily for over 2 years mainly to convince myself that it was the right way to eat. Yes, I really do miss the easy clean up and it was easy on the budget too!

I hear you on the weight gain. I'm in the same boat myself...sigh.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Tue Jun 07, 2016 1:53 pm

DAY 20

SUCCESS

I did awesome on the No S. Note: chewing my food carefully for every bite, even oatmeal, EVEN the sweet potato soup I had for lunch makes ALL the difference. 1) I feel full on firsts only 2) my "one plateful" was considerably smaller for all meals and 3) snack appetite was only ugly briefly in the afternoon, and I ate dinner when I got hungry at 5:00 (very early dinner for me)

DAY 21

Looky here! I made it to the three week mark.

More, later. We'll see how the day goes. NO chocolate at work today, and none except on S days.

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Post by Merry » Wed Jun 08, 2016 5:30 am

bunsofaluminum wrote:
Looky here! I made it to the three week mark.
AWESOME!!
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
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Post by bunsofaluminum » Wed Jun 08, 2016 3:16 pm

Well, day 21 was a triumph! I had some nudges from the snack monster at 2:30 and 4:00, and was tempted when I got home from work because of the pie my BF had cooked and had sitting, already cut into, on the counter top. JUST my kind of pre-bed snacking...but I didn't. I wasn't hungry, for one thing and...No S times two? No thanks, not when I've got thru three weeks without. :)

The one thing I thought would have changed by now is the appetite surges. I eat hearty meals, filling up with wholesome whole foods, 99% of the time home made from scratch. When I am done with a meal, I feel satisfied and even full (though I will NEVER stuff myself solid anymore EVER. So uncomfortable)...Anyway, I would have thought in three weeks' time that my appetite would be trained. The only false hunger surge that has gone away is the nighttime one, where I habitually had a little something when I got home from work at 9:30...and on days off...and so forth, and so on. That late night snack monster is no longer.

But, the 4:00 appetite is miserable, and the 10:30 a.m. roaring can be pretty noticeable, too. I mentioned my daughter's cat, whose appetite changed in a couple of days once we started feeding her twice a day...that hasn't been my experience. Just wait and see, I guess. OTOH, I am good and hungry at mealtimes, not just "hmm, better eat in case I get hungry later" ...

But I am going to try chewing my food thoroughly to see if that helps. I lost 40 lbs ages ago eating everything I wanted, only chewing each bite at least 30 times and stopping when full. It was that slow, mindful eating that destroyed donuts in me, forever...YUCK. Can't stand donuts anymore. Donuts chewed thoroughly are NASSSTAY, and I've never developed a taste for them since. When I was consistent with the thorough chewing, I noticed that I was hungry by mealtimes, but had no urge to snack between times.

So, maybe chewing every bite thoroughly at lunch will make a difference for that 4:00 munchies thing. Hope so, because I'm sure tired of it.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Thu Jun 09, 2016 2:59 am

Being busy means my appetite isn't bothersome.

Also, and related, my overeating is a boredom thing.

that is all

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Post by RAWCOOKIE » Thu Jun 09, 2016 5:36 am

I can't guarantee this will happen for you - but persevere - you are training your brain not to expect food mid-morning and mid-afternoon! I never thought I'd be able to - I was always a snacker - but I've done it. A hot drink is sometimes needed - and on a late shift at work, I now regularly take hot chocolate to drink around 9pm. (cocoa, low-fat creamer, nutmeg - just add hot water)
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Post by bunsofaluminum » Thu Jun 09, 2016 3:04 pm

Thu DAY 24

Hi RAWCOOKIE that hot cocoa recipe sounds great. I'm going to try it for sure. We used to make it that way when I was a kid, only using powdered instant milk instead of non dairy creamer. I know you're right about the retraining...it's just taking longer than I thought it would. And it doesn't matter anyway. I'm reverting to my childhood, when I was told "not right now, it'll spoil your dinner."



Something just occurred to me. I am calm. I've done skilletglove ;) and had my shower and breakfast and my stomach is happy. I started some rice in the kitchen, because today will be a cooking day and I have a rice dish in mind, and am looking for a potato dish to make a big batch of. But other than that, I'm not thinking about food.

I was in the kitchen. Scooped out the rice, added water, set the rice cooker, and left...WITHOUT opening the fridge or the cupboard to see if there was food. Of course, now that I'm writing about it, I am thinking about food hahahaha

BUT...I am 55 years of age. Have been overweight my entire adult life, and morbidly obese for my entire 30's and the first half of my 40's. Believe me when I say, not a moment has passed in my waking life, that I wasn't thinking about what I would eat next. Not a surge of appetite has ever gone unheeded. If a little nudge came from my stomach, I fed it as soon as I could. If I sat down to read, I first grabbed a little something to nibble. TV on? Popcorn to hand.

Many people have a history of dieting and failing. Not me. My history has been "that sounds good. I'll eat some. Mmm, tastes good. I will eat ALL of it" without *really* thinking I was that fat. Serious denial, folks. When I got so fat I couldn't fasten a seatbelt around me, I FINALLY decided to do something about it and went on my first diet...age 34. No lie.

It just so happened, that was The McDougall Plan, which was so wonderful. It filled me with energy, my foggy brain cleared up, my digestive issues, etc. And I lost some weight. But my family didn't dig it, and I got tired of cooking meat dishes for them to add to the veggie foods I was cooking in compliance with the diet. It was nine months before I was back to regular omnivore eating. There have been several weight loss attempts, and successes, since then, and though I've always gained some weight back when I revert to my unhealthy habits, I have never been one to gain it all back and then some.

Anyway, even with that first diet, (and I came back to it, and it is how I eat now, and always will) I constantly thought about food. Loved the energy. Oh my gosh, what a difference eating high carb has made to my health. Playing baseball with the school kids while all the other moms sit and gab? Throwing snowballs while the other adults watch and sigh? Dancing literally all night long when out with friends?

but, even with the high energy levels, and increased vitality of eating this way, I have always CONSTANTLY thought about food. Just finished brekkie. Yum. What shall I have for lunch? And before starting the No S way, I would fret about being somewhere and not having snack items available. What if i got hungry? :roll:

So it was very nice to realize that I had just done kitchen stuff, and food NOT be on my mind. And it was a calm sensation. Peaceful. I like it![/b]

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Post by librarylady » Thu Jun 09, 2016 3:22 pm

What a great post bunso! I am so happy for you that No S is helping to reset your feelings toward food and "hunger". Congratulations :D

Oddly enough, although I never was much of a snacker so I do not have the same history, I was just thinking a few minutes ago how nice it was to reach mid-morning and not want something with my coffee - because that is the one time that I really really tend to want a snack. I realized that it was because my breakfasts were not only very early (to get to work on time), but had always been protein-short. When I started adding a hard boiled egg after I got to work the 10:00 gnawing which started me thinking about muffins and croissants and scones and doughnuts disappeared. Of course I would still like to eat one of those (they taste good after all), but I can resist it easily with my brain as I can at other times of the day.

It is a good feeling!

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Post by Merry » Fri Jun 10, 2016 5:02 am

librarylady wrote:What a great post bunso! I am so happy for you that No S is helping to reset your feelings toward food and "hunger". Congratulations :D
Yes, great post!
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2 years and counting on No-S.
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Post by bunsofaluminum » Fri Jun 10, 2016 2:22 pm

Hey Librarylady and Merry thanks for the comments.

Now that you mention it, I do a lot better in the mornings when I have my quesadilla style, which is high protein...refried beans cooked quesadilla style inside of corn tortillas. Yum! and they fill me up good. With a side of rice and corn...hmmm. Worth thinking about.

Yesterday was horrid for appetite surges. Because I wasn't busy. Stay at home day, which I spent cooking (lovely :)) and went swimming with my visiting daughter. But wow, did I ever want to munch at 2:30 and at 4:00. blargh.

Shovel glove this morning...I think for Friday's from now on, I will do something like yoga for my 14 minutes, because I have an early work shift on Friday, and this morning I got all sweaty doing shovelglove right before having to get ready for work, without any time for a shower.

Today is a work day, and it looks like going to be busy so maybe the stupid munchies monster won't strike.

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Post by e-lyn » Fri Jun 10, 2016 4:58 pm

I can definitely relate to munchies and cravings! The first couple of weeks my stomach felt so hollow and empty between meals. I found that a 6 oz glass of V8 or coffee with about a 1/4 cup of milk (I usually drink my coffee black) really did the trick during the worst of it. I've backed off a bit on the need for those lately. After dinner is still the most difficult time for me so I'll have a 'vanilla milk' or a decaf w milk if I need to.

I'm not sure if there's a good McDougall substitute for the drinks I mentioned. I've never developed a taste for almond milk. Tea is good and soothing if you like it. It does seem to be getting easier three weeks in, but my first week was miserable and Mondays and Fridays are still difficult for me.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Fri Jun 10, 2016 9:17 pm

e-lyn wrote: I'm not sure if there's a good McDougall substitute for the drinks I mentioned. I've never developed a taste for almond milk. Tea is good and soothing if you like it. It does seem to be getting easier three weeks in, but my first week was miserable and Mondays and Fridays are still difficult for me.
Hi e-lyn...yes, I just love tea. I find that a cup of hot green tea with honey and lemon in it works wonders, most of the time. It's rougher when I'm out and about and the raging begins. But since I'm out and about, so far I haven't stopped and gotten a snack, but it's still kinda rough to deal with.

I'm in my third week now, having made it to day 21 :D so we'll see how things go. I think I started on a Tuesday, go figure. Today being a work day, it hasn't been as bad, though I still knew it was there at 10:30, but since I was busy it didn't bother me.

Glad that tomorrow is an S day, BECAUSE...I put aside the dark chocolate on N days, and can hardly wait to taste it tomorrow. Don't know if I'll do any snacking, though I can almost guarantee, I will pop some popcorn after work...doesn't that sound great. But I may have it INSTEAD of a meal :lol:

Also glad to get a break from skillteglove. Today's routine...I could really feel it, almost immediately after starting. Time for a rest.

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Post by Merry » Sat Jun 11, 2016 4:47 am

[quote="bunsofaluminum Don't know if I'll do any snacking, though I can almost guarantee, I will pop some popcorn after work...doesn't that sound great. But I may have it INSTEAD of a meal :lol: .[/quote]

I actually did that tonight for dinner! (S day for me). Hadn't done that in a long time.
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2 years and counting on No-S.
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Post by bunsofaluminum » Sat Jun 11, 2016 2:18 pm

Day What? hahaha can't remember. I'll count them up at my habitcal in a bit.

Today is an S day, and I'm excited, because I'm having chocolate today! I'm so excited! Anticipation is great! I brought a snack, but may not use it. Just depends if I am feeling it at noon time, since I eat quite late for lunch on Fri and Sat.

However, I know I'll have some chocolate. It is Trader Joe's Chocolate Lover's chocolate bar 85% my second favorite super dark. G&B 85% is THE BEST chocolate in the world. It's organic and fair trade, which I like.
TJ's isn't officially fair trade, but I contacted the company and got an email back explaining that their chocolate is "single source" which means all the cocoa beans come from the same farm region, and it is small family farms, etc. and they are careful to choose farms where child slave labor is not used. Sometimes children do participate, because it's a family business.

When I got up this morning, I felt so good. Still do. But there's something happening, I can feel it. There is so much more calm in me than usual, and a lightness (even though I'm sure I haven't lost much) ...energy. Calm, clear headed alertness. Well, I've had this before, just from eating McDougall style, but this lightness I'm sure comes from letting my system empty out between meals. It feels good!

Popcorn today? possibly. Probably. Instead of a meal? Most likely. We'll see. It is an S day, but I won't go overboard. Last Saturday's nonsense with the tater tots will not be repeated. The main thing about S days is going to be having chocolate, and letting myself be open to choosing, but not going nuts with any of it.

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Post by RAWCOOKIE » Sat Jun 11, 2016 8:16 pm

I think you're right about the 'lightness' that comes from letting our systems empty - or at least complete the digestive process! - before having our next meal.

I have also spent my whole life (it seems) thinking about what I'm going to eat next! Before No S, I never used to leave home with a couple of snacks in my bag "just in case" - I was frightened of being hungry and would get shaky if I didn't have my snacks. I no longer get shaky, or need the snacks with me to feel 'safe' - but I still KNOW what I've got planned to eat at my next meal - and I look forward to every meal!
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Post by bunsofaluminum » Sat Jun 11, 2016 8:56 pm

RAWCOOKIE wrote:I think you're right about the 'lightness' that comes from letting our systems empty - or at least complete the digestive process! - before having our next meal.

I have also spent my whole life (it seems) thinking about what I'm going to eat next! Before No S, I never used to leave home with a couple of snacks in my bag "just in case" - I was frightened of being hungry and would get shaky if I didn't have my snacks. I no longer get shaky, or need the snacks with me to feel 'safe' - but I still KNOW what I've got planned to eat at my next meal - and I look forward to every meal!
Hi RAWCOOKIE...I have been the same exact way, my whole life: afraid of feeling hungry. This translates into over buying at the grocery store. Even non food items. I would buy a massive quantity of say, toilet paper. Right now I have a stockpile of 12 paper towel rolls. As if I didn't have a store four blocks from me, and another one a mile away, where I can get TP and paper towels WHENEVER NEEDED. The food, same thing. Buying 25# bags of dried beans. Well, I eat beans, a LOT, but it is taking me a long time to get thru those garbanzo's. hahahaha.

And the rice/lentil/dried pea mix...oof. Why? did I REALLY think I was going to run out of all other food, and have no resources to tap? It all stems from a fear of feeling hungry (not BEING...I've never actually been truly hungry, I'm sure.)...maybe that is turning around. Has my relationship with food been one of scarcity? I think so. Food for thought...heh...er...something to chew on HAHAHAHAHA!

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Sun Jun 12, 2016 2:09 pm

DAY 27 Sunday, June 12

Yesterday's S day went pretty well. The only snack I had at work was the couple of squares of dark chocolate, and I had popcorn when I got home, and a kind of late dinner. I didn't overdo ANYTHING. :)

Today is Sunday, and I have a social thing right after work, from 3:00 to 5:00. My usual routine is to pack something to "tide me over", because :shock: I might get hungry by 5:00 pm!

Last time, what I did was recognize the fact that I am not going to starve by 5:00 pm, and that after my get together it is a ten minute drive home, where I can fix food. That is the plan. It worked just fine for me the last time I had this meeting...it is once a month, a group of friends who practice the art form of zentangle. We ooh and aaah over each other's art, swap notes, share techniques, etc. It's lots of fun.

And I've ALWAYS either stopped before and gotten something quick, or made sure to pack something to munch on the way home. But nah. No need. This "need" for a little something is just more of my scarcity thinking. The fear of feeling hungry is a FALSE fear, based on unreality. And I'm learning that I can live through even that stupid munchies attack at 10:30, and the 4:00 one.

Where did I see this...I can't control whether the scale goes down, but I have utter, total, complete control over what I put in my mouth.

Good stuff.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Mon Jun 13, 2016 3:46 am

My sixth S day is over

Today marks the end of my third full week in No S Land.

For ages, I've been having super dark chocolate at work, as a way of getting myself through a boring work shift. I don't have this chocolate on my days off, for instance. just as work, just as a way of keeping my morale up, along with Altoids breath mints. It takes me almost two work weeks to get thru a 3.5 oz 85% chocolate bar, as I only want a few squares to be satisfied.

Well, this past week I finished a bar on Monday, and didn't start a new bar on Tuesday, and went the rest of my week without. On Saturday, I opened a TJ's extra dark chocolate bar and had my first taste in five days...oh! it was so delicious. Fruity and full, amazing notes of raisin, smoke, and flower. SO good.

And guess what...it wasn't as good today, my second S day. It got to be "regular" pretty fast, where the first taste yesterday was so exquisitely luscious and nuanced. Just goes to show, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and anticipation is a superb "sauce" :)

Other than chocolate, the only "s" I had today was a snack of mango and nectarine chunks with lime and chili powder, after dinner. I feel really good, right before bed. Today a co worker told me I looked narrower. :lol: which even if I have lost pounds, it can not possibly be enough to notice. HOWEVER, when I looked in the mirror before work, I also thought I looked narrow. But looks aside, I know I feel great!

Got a boot for my aching ankle, and now that I've been wearing it for a few days, I can feel a difference. Seems that resting it is making the difference. Let's see at the three week mark, and then PT.

Heal, ankle! BE HEEEEEALED!

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Post by RAWCOOKIE » Mon Jun 13, 2016 5:38 am

:D hooray for looking narrower! and I hope your ankle will heal asap too.

I no longer snack (not even dark chocolate) on N days at work, but if I'm at work on an S day, I can snack all day - as a way of getting myself through the day! It makes you wonder, doesn't it - what goes on in our brains; so that try to squash uncomfortable feelings at work by eating chocolate, or mints! I've started using herb teas more often - to take a break-excuse at work.
bunsofaluminum wrote:I've been having super dark chocolate at work, as a way of getting myself through a boring work shift. I don't have this chocolate on my days off, for instance. just as work, just as a way of keeping my morale up
:D
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Post by bunsofaluminum » Mon Jun 13, 2016 9:08 pm

brutal snack cravings today. I thought my lunch was enough. A big samwich with 1/3 c. of filling, carrot sticks, and an apple. I felt fully satisfied when I was done. Not stuffed, but full. That was right at the noon hour. By 2:00 my stomach was giving me grief. grrr.

Hot tea at my work desk, eh? If I were at home, it's almost a guarantee, I would be in the fridge, back for seconds.

*note to self* two samwiches?

Oh! just thought of this...I woke up before 5:00 am this morning and tried, but couldn't get back to sleep, so I'm SLEEPY. Maybe that's part of it.

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Post by kaalii » Tue Jun 14, 2016 5:25 am

bunsofaluminum wrote:
Oh! just thought of this...I woke up before 5:00 am this morning and tried, but couldn't get back to sleep, so I'm SLEEPY. Maybe that's part of it.
not always but most of the times - tiredness makes me crave food, especially less healthy food... so, yes, maybe...
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Post by bunsofaluminum » Wed Jun 15, 2016 4:54 am

Hi Kaalii

Yeah, I think being tired was most of my problem.

DAY 29

We had a fun time this evening, going to see Steely Dan and Steve Winwood in concert. Because it was a special date night, I counted dinner as an S dinner. Does that make sense?

IOW, I stuck to No S for the day, but we went out to dinner before the concert, to a pretty nice buffet with a variety of food styles: Chinese, Mexican, Southern Style. I ended up making a second trip to the buffet to try a few things that didn't fit on my first plate. So, that was seconds. But neither plate was piled high with food. Anyway, going to see Steely Dan in concert makes it an S day (for special, right?)

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Post by RAWCOOKIE » Wed Jun 15, 2016 6:43 pm

Definitely! How cool!
I love Everyday Systems :3

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Post by jackn » Wed Jun 15, 2016 6:49 pm

Hey, buns, looking good.
Regular habits and regular checking in.

As to the sandwich and hunger the other day, one detail is missing: what's the 'filling'?
The whole thing sounds diety, is very carby, and seems to have little fat and protein.

The latter make me feel satisfied.
And 'fat' is sometimes olive oil, of course, but mostly butter.
I say this as I find butter, in particular, highly satisfying.

Two cents'.
At meals only eat.
Only eat at meals.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Thu Jun 16, 2016 3:02 am

good day today for snack attacks, the absence thereof.

Because!!! I ate a really filling breakfast, about an hour later than usual, and a hearty lunch, and a lovely filling dinner.

I've thought about chocolate here and there, but haven't done anything about it. Sugar is not a craving anymore at all, and in fact yesterday out to dinner I thought about having a brownie, but didn't want to deal with the trigger that might be. I like not having the maralgia patch, and the little bit of stress incontinence being gone is lovely, too. If I did eat something really sweet, would that set me up for cravings? In my experience, yes. so why would I do that to myself. A brownie, then mega cravings then sugar binges, then maralgia and incontinence again? no, thankeeveddymuch.

Now, I have to think realistically about brekkie. I ate today about 7:30, and yesterday at 8:00 and both days my mid morning cravings were nil. But the reality is, on three days of my work week, I start early. I wonder if I should take breakfast and use one of my 15 minute breaks for the first meal of the day. Just aim breakfast for around 8:00 instead of 6:30. Hmmm. It does seem to make a difference for the snack urge at 10:30, along with enough bulk to keep me going.

Had two beers tonight. Some delicious locally brewed stout. Epic Brewery. Bet you didn't know, SLC Utah has a thriving micro brewery cutlture... hee hee ... this is good beer. Epic is my favorite brewery, and you can't buy their stuff in regular stores...wine either This IS Utah, after all...but I bought this bottle of stout at the liquor store about a couple of months or weeks ago. I will go again soon, to the atual Epic brewery I know wher it is. Amd buy me some more. Yummy stout.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Thu Jun 16, 2016 3:11 am

jackn wrote:Hey, buns, looking good.
Regular habits and regular checking in.

As to the sandwich and hunger the other day, one detail is missing: what's the 'filling'?
The whole thing sounds diety, is very carby, and seems to have little fat and protein.

The latter make me feel satisfied.
And 'fat' is sometimes olive oil, of course, but mostly butter.
I say this as I find butter, in particular, highly satisfying.

Two cents'.
hey Jackn. The filling was a garbanzo bean based "faux tuna" ... so high protein, and yes, high carb. I'm vegetarian, eating a starch based, plant strong diet, and have for almost seven years, and have thrived on it. There is a smidgen of mayo in the filling. I knew this wasn't going to be quite enough as I finished lunch, though I felt satisfied at the time. it was significantly less volume than usual.

I eat pretty low fat. Haven't found that adding it keeps me satisfied any longer, though I do love butter, especially on pancakes or popcorn.

Thanks for the drop by. It's feeling very friendly around here, and I like it.

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Post by e-lyn » Thu Jun 16, 2016 3:50 am

Mmm...I love that garbanzo spread! It was one of our staples when we were following the McDougall plan. Was it filling enough, Bunso? I might make some soon. Glad you enjoyed the Steely Dan concert. Sounds like it was worth taking an S day!

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Post by jackn » Thu Jun 16, 2016 4:58 am

bunsofaluminum wrote:I'm vegetarian, eating a starch based, plant strong diet, and have for almost seven years, and have thrived on it.
I see.
Didn't know.
I was vegetarian for twenty-odd years, of which the last three were vegan.
For years I followed Fuhrman.

I can see what you're talking about.
And I'm sure that many paths can be taken.
At meals only eat.
Only eat at meals.

bunsofaluminum
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Post by bunsofaluminum » Thu Jun 16, 2016 11:01 pm

edited for double post
Last edited by bunsofaluminum on Fri Jun 17, 2016 1:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Thu Jun 16, 2016 11:22 pm

Hey Raw, Kaalii, and Jackn...thanks for the drop by's.

Note: Eating breakfast later is a GREAT way to stave off the mid morning munchies! Ate brekkie about 8:45, and simply did not get any snack cravings today at 10:30. By noon ish I was hungry and I ate food.

Also wanted to mention something I remember from my childhood, a couple of things really.

Didn't we used to eat three square meals a day? There was something from the vegetable/fruit group, the bread/cereal group, the meat group, and the dairy group. Right?

Well, when I was eating today, I noticed that in making my plateful, I had a balanced meal.

Bread, garbanzo bean samwich filling, baby carrots, a couple of small pickles, and some tortilla chips with salsa. I don't consume dairy, so my drink was water. I had grains, protein, and veggies.

That hasn't been my usual routine, as I would have made two sandwiches and eaten them all gone. Then, an hour later I would have had a snack...tortilla chips or possibly something sweet. And, probably an hour before dinner, I would have been rummaging for a handful of almonds or some crackers "to tide me over"

Also from my childhood, the phrase "don't spoil your dinner"...which tells me that having a snack just because was NOT usual. We got good and hungry between meals, and there was a spread on the table especially at dinner time. TV was usually off, though we ate in the front room once in a while, too. Etc. Like...mealtimes, right? Not "grazing all day"...

Another thing: I'm discovering that it's okay to get hungry. If I do, it is only a matter of an hour or so, at most, before I do eat. No biggy. For the FIRST TIME IN MY ADULT LIFE, I and not my grumbling stomach, am in charge.

Feels good.
Last edited by bunsofaluminum on Fri Jun 17, 2016 1:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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kaalii
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Post by kaalii » Thu Jun 16, 2016 11:24 pm

wow, great to read this!
so much sanity in one post!

and i totally click with all the particulars of your experience and insight:
a later breakfast works for me, too
balanced nourishing decent size plates inspired by childhood
not "spoiling" the upcoming meal with snacks
letting oneself feel the "real" hunger (usually one hour before dinner, for me) and being ok with it
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jackn
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Post by jackn » Fri Jun 17, 2016 4:53 am

Definitely, bunsofAl.

Three square meals and no snacks.

The real food-lover likes food too well to be eating all the time...
At meals only eat.
Only eat at meals.

bunsofaluminum
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Post by bunsofaluminum » Fri Jun 17, 2016 1:59 pm

e-lyn wrote:Mmm...I love that garbanzo spread! It was one of our staples when we were following the McDougall plan. Was it filling enough, Bunso? I might make some soon. Glad you enjoyed the Steely Dan concert. Sounds like it was worth taking an S day!
Hi e-lyn. I think what happened with that lunch the other day was not having enough on my plate. Just a samwich and some carrots. It wasn't enough, though at the time I felt satisfied. When I had the same lunch yesterday, I made the same samwich, and about twice as many baby carrots, a couple of baby dills, and a little handful of tortilla chips with salsa. I also took 45 minutes to eat it all, chewing everything thoroughly. I was full when finished, and it stuck with me all afternoon, until about an hour before dinner.

Today is an early workday. Fri, Sat, and Sun I have early shifts, and I've been in the habit of eating by 7:00 on these days, just before walking out the door. Today though, I brought breakfast with me: an apple, a banana, and two packs of granola bars (that equals four crunchy style Kroger brand just like Nature Valley) I plan on eating that between 7:30 and 8:30 at my desk (shhhh don't tell anyone... ;)) it's a bit smaller than the bowl of oatmeal I usually have, so we'll see if eating it later helps with the morning munchies.

Today is an S day for skilletglove, but I will probably get in the pool when I get home from work. It isn't really a workout, but I sure am active in the water. :)

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Post by jackn » Fri Jun 17, 2016 5:29 pm

bunsofaluminum wrote: I also took 45 minutes to eat it all, chewing everything thoroughly.
This is great.
I go through phases, sometimes managing to chew, sometimes not.

It's powerful stuff, anyone who chews knows.
Not to mention the greater satisfaction.
At meals only eat.
Only eat at meals.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Sat Jun 18, 2016 1:30 pm

Hey Jackn...yeah, chewing is another simple and amazing way to naturally take lbs off. You get full faster, and stay satisfied longer when you thoroughly masticate every bite. I'm with you...sometimes I remember, a lot of times I forget and just wolf it down.

Yesterday I avoided appetite surges because I stayed busy at work all day. What a difference that makes! Proof that most of my overeating is from
boredom, plain and simple.

Also yesterday, I took off my jeans without undoing the zipper or button. 8) Now, these are NOT my skinny jeans, just a pair I had to buy when I had gained back a size or two. They are not tight on me, and they are not fresh from the dryer so maybe stretched out a bit BUT...they haven't been loose on me either. Until yesterday, I noticed they feel a bit baggy and then at bedtime, I just pulled them down. ha!

S day today. I brought chocolate with me to work, and IS IT EVER GONNA TASTE GOOD when I decide to open it up and have some. Some time today or tomorrow, I will have popcorn. Other than that, I can't think of anything I want to indulge in on either of these S days.

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Post by jackn » Sat Jun 18, 2016 3:04 pm

Yes, bunsofal, boredom.
Personally, I also notice tiredness is big.

Great about the loose jeans.

Popcorn I find quite enticing.
I think it's one of those things I can't keep around, as I don't trust myself to have it within reason and stop.
Bummer it can't easily be had out, like chocolate, say. At least not around here.
Anyway, movie popcorn has nothing to do with homemade.

Good luck, buns.
At meals only eat.
Only eat at meals.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Sun Jun 19, 2016 3:01 am

good S day today.

Three squares :) and the snacks I had were chocolate between brekkie and lunch, and a handful of raw almonds after dinner.

Other than that, it was life as usual, and I feel terrific.

I've gotten to where it feels much better not eating again after dinner. Going to bed "light" just feels better.

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Post by Merry » Sun Jun 19, 2016 3:56 am

bunsofaluminum wrote: I've gotten to where it feels much better not eating again after dinner. Going to bed "light" just feels better.
Yes!
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2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
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Post by kaalii » Sun Jun 19, 2016 5:03 pm

Merry wrote:
bunsofaluminum wrote: I've gotten to where it feels much better not eating again after dinner. Going to bed "light" just feels better.
Yes!
oh yes! :D

i now even wonder how i managed to sleep before i stopped snacking/eating practically just before going to bed... :shock:
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in it for maintenance and, more importantly, sanity!!

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Mon Jun 20, 2016 8:44 pm

Oh snap...today is beginning to feel like a snack fail. This "time of month" is very tough for me. It's almost my only symptom...the raging munchies...and I've got them bad.

It's only a couple hours after lunch, and my stomach feels empty. I was fine this morning...late brekkie, lovely swim for a half hour. Lunch, which was a huge bowl of pho veggie soup, and I felt full at the time, but it didn't take long to turn around.

We'll see. blargh! :evil:

Meanwhile, that swim was absolutely wonderful. Outside in the morning on the longest day of the year, pulling a few laps and horsing around in the water. If that isn't nice, I don't know what is. Meanwhile, we'll see what tea and water do for me on this brutal appetite surge.

My S days were great. I had chocolate on both days, and a huge batch of pan popped popcorn on Sunday and those were my only S's.

Today instead of skilletglove, I did my 30ish minutes of swimming. That might have to be a REAL regular occurrence. It was WONDERFUL.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Tue Jun 21, 2016 1:54 am

Unbelievably, I DID IT! I made it to dinner without snacking EVEN THOUGH I went down to the snack bar at work and shopped, but didn't buy anything. I was on the verge of buying a V8 or there was also a mango juice smoothie thing...until I checked the price. Pfft. And 920 mg of SODIUM???? in V8...good grief!

So, I am now post dinner, another 90 minutes to the end of my shift. Right now my stomach is hollering at me, but I'm ignoring it. Meh. Little punk. Get used to this, because THINGS ARE CHANGING.

And, lest I forget: I have lost 1.5 lbs :) since the last time I weighed, which I don't remember when that was. About two weeks ago, I guess.

Cool.

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Post by Jen1974 » Tue Jun 21, 2016 2:02 am

You're CRUSHING it!! PMS makes it SO hard to make smart choices & you are anyway (: way to go!!!

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Post by e-lyn » Tue Jun 21, 2016 2:17 am

Congrats on making it through the snack attack! And the weight loss!

I love V8 and it really helped me through the first week of No S. I do get the low sodium kind and it's fine once you get used to it.

You're doing great!

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Tue Jun 21, 2016 7:19 pm

So, in order to avoid the monster munchies today, I ate a HUMONGOUS bowl of oatmeal. Like, a full cup of dry oats, cooked up to like two cups of food, with berries and walnuts...yum! But boy did I get full.

And I ate a late breakfast so I didn't even start feeling lunch hunger until after 11:30...but I had to eat an early lunch, due to taking the bus to work today. I fixed quesadilla style, and some corn and quinoa, and ended up eating one piece of the quesadilla and all the grain and I'm really full.

If I'd thought about my day a little bit, I could have done with half the oatmeal and gotten truly hungry earlier and eaten a more solid lunch. Meh. I guess I'll wait and see how things are for the mid afternoon munchies. And ignore them anyway, right? ;)

Got my skilletglove out of the way today. Didn't want to, but what does 14 minutes cost me? So I did it. I'm the couch potato of the world, so I balk at even 14 minutes of anything unless I'm on a fitness kick, then I go nuts every day and enjoy it.

Yeah, snacking is going to still hang over my head today, and not in the slightest way related to being hungry. Good thing I'm at my desk and didn't bring snacks to work. Rotten hormones anyway.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Wed Jun 22, 2016 3:18 am

Alrighty, I got through another N day, without snacking or seconds. Ate large meals, to prevent appetite surges. But I've discovered something. When this hormonal surge of munchies is on me, appetite doesn't really matter. I haven't felt hungry at all today, but I'm still tempted to shove things in my mouth.

It is pure willpower not to, and I'm grateful to be at work where I don't have access...if I'd been at home, I probably would have gone nuts. I've got to plan what I'm gonna do tomorrow, which is a day off. Maybe, JUST MAYBE, this will be over. Sometimes it is two days, sometimes it is three or four. Ugh.

Well, at this point I am borrowing trouble from tomorrow. Right at this very moment, the appetite is calm, and I am not in the vicinity of snacks so I'm succeeding :) and when I get home I can just decompress with the TV on and hit the hay in a half hour.

So today is taken care of. I'll let tomorrow wait until then.

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Post by Jen1974 » Wed Jun 22, 2016 4:03 am

Oh how I hate that time of the month!!! Bigger meals help & I've heard that there is an increase to metabolism that time of the month too &#128522;&#128522;

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Thu Jun 23, 2016 1:28 pm

Day 30 Cool

Okay yesterday was a semi disaster. I snacked and had seconds. Held out until that mid morning appetite nonsense, when I grabbed some almonds. Not a palmful...about half a cup. Sat and munched them all gone. Then had some leftovers from the day before. Then about a half hour later, it was lunchtime so I made pancakes and at them and FINALLY didn't feel hungry.

My breakfast was a moderate bowl of oatmeal...I should have had more. Then took the old man to work, went shopping, then once I got home, a half hour crying jag (hormones ugh) then eat all the things...

Then it was all good. I felt satisfied and no false hunger or any other kind of hunger. My daughter came over and we ran a few errands, then on our way home from picking up my BF from work, got a flat. At 5:00 pm on the freeway. Lord it was hot! And, the tools in my trunk didn't fit the nuts on the tire, or something. But i still didn't feel hungry :) And a friend, a very good friend whom I owe a huge favor now I wonder what kind of beer he prefers, came and helped us out. That was a hot freaking 90 minutes. Oof.

And by that time I was hungry so my girl and I went to the Oh Mai, a local Vietnamese sandwich shop and after we ate, we went swimming. Ahhh...the pool. And the day ended much better than it had "middled"

A word about the noodle "bun" I enjoyed from Oh Mai. I actually have a recipe for this dish, I discovered when riffling through my recipe box.

just as Pho is the Vietnamese word for noodle soup, Bun is the word for vermicelli noodle salad, and that's what i had. A bed of chopped romain, a pile of vermicelli rice noodles, slivered carrots and daikon radish, a coconut milk sauce, some roasted peanuts and little fried onions sprinkled on top. Bean sprouts. OH MY! so yummy. Of course, meat eaters can get it with pork, beef, or chicken.

Now I want to get all the ingredients and make a bun salad for lunch today.

And, I feel more sane today. Thankfully.
Last edited by bunsofaluminum on Fri Jun 24, 2016 9:45 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Post by knitapeace » Thu Jun 23, 2016 1:32 pm

So is that what your user name means, Vietnamese noodle salad of aluminum? LOL!!!

That dish sounds REALLY yummy--I like just about anything with peanut sauce. It's always nice when a day that's turned crummy turns around again before it's over. :)
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Post by Jen1974 » Thu Jun 23, 2016 4:45 pm

Hormones can get me too!! I've found on No S sometimes I have to accept that I need to eat bigger meals during that time of the month. Stupid hormones (:

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Fri Jun 24, 2016 2:20 am

good day today! all hormonal BS is behind me. :)

No skilletglove today though. It just felt like a rest day...sleepy and kind of achy.

In fact, most of this day I haven't been thinking about food AND I haven't been busy. Hm.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Fri Jun 24, 2016 9:37 pm

Day 32

Another day without an obsession nor any appetite surges about snacking. :) That's two in a row, after my humdinger of a snack frenzy on Wednesday.

But even looking back on that day, what did I have for snacks. Some almonds between B and L, and some chips after dinner. Seconds were at lunchtime, when I ate the quesadilla style leftovers plus the big batch of pancakes. I didn't sit and chow down all day long, and I never did have any sweets. So...maybe it wasn't a total bust. I did make it through two days WITH the monster munchies without caving. That's pretty dandy, you ask me.

Busy at work again today kept food far from my mind, and I ate when I was hungry.

Tomorrow is an S day...that means CHOCOLATE! yay!

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Sun Jun 26, 2016 1:30 am

DAY 33

Today is an S day, so I had chocolate. I also ate a granola bar with a cup of coffee, about mid morning, though the appetite was quiet. But when it came time for lunch, I wasn't very hungry, so I ate light. Just some roasted oven fries that I made yesterday, which were going to be part of my lunch. The rest of what I brought went in the fridge at work and I'll have it tomorrow.

I was really hungry by about 5:30 and again ate light, a serving or so of pasta salad. Feeling satisfied now, two hours later. If i get feeling hungry this evening, I'll have a banana. But I might not. Evening snack attacks seem to be a thing of the past.

Now, about that chocolate. As always, the first morsel was delectable. Just about the best thing ever...but that wonderful fruity, smoky nuance dwindled with every taste, and the last bit I had, though yummy, was just like...extra dark chocolate. I wish every taste could be as WOW as the first.

heh, it reminds me of the second time (and all others) that I read Lord of the Rings...how I wished it was for the first time. Meeting Treebeard, or gasping with dread at the climb up Cirith Ungol and the loss of Frodo past the gates of Mordor. Not knowing! It was beyond wonderful, and never to be experienced again, because once it is read, you know. Even though it is still my favorite story in the world, there is nothing to equal that first "taste."

The benefit of this is, I was completely satisfied with much less chocolate. Tomorrow I think I will "need" even less.

wow. What am I learning from this. I'll have to think about it for a bit.

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Post by Merry » Sun Jun 26, 2016 4:23 am

bunsofaluminum wrote:DAY 33
Now, about that chocolate. As always, the first morsel was delectable. Just about the best thing ever...but that wonderful fruity, smoky nuance dwindled with every taste, and the last bit I had, though yummy, was just like...extra dark chocolate. I wish every taste could be as WOW as the first.

heh, it reminds me of the second time (and all others) that I read Lord of the Rings...how I wished it was for the first time. Meeting Treebeard, or gasping with dread at the climb up Cirith Ungol and the loss of Frodo past the gates of Mordor. Not knowing! It was beyond wonderful, and never to be experienced again, because once it is read, you know. Even though it is still my favorite story in the world, there is nothing to equal that first "taste."

The benefit of this is, I was completely satisfied with much less chocolate. Tomorrow I think I will "need" even less.

wow. What am I learning from this. I'll have to think about it for a bit.
LOVE this! :)
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Post by kaalii » Sun Jun 26, 2016 6:27 am

Merry wrote:
bunsofaluminum wrote:DAY 33
Now, about that chocolate. As always, the first morsel was delectable. Just about the best thing ever...but that wonderful fruity, smoky nuance dwindled with every taste, and the last bit I had, though yummy, was just like...extra dark chocolate. I wish every taste could be as WOW as the first.

heh, it reminds me of the second time (and all others) that I read Lord of the Rings...how I wished it was for the first time. Meeting Treebeard, or gasping with dread at the climb up Cirith Ungol and the loss of Frodo past the gates of Mordor. Not knowing! It was beyond wonderful, and never to be experienced again, because once it is read, you know. Even though it is still my favorite story in the world, there is nothing to equal that first "taste."

The benefit of this is, I was completely satisfied with much less chocolate. Tomorrow I think I will "need" even less.

wow. What am I learning from this. I'll have to think about it for a bit.
LOVE this! :)
me too!!!
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Post by bunsofaluminum » Mon Jun 27, 2016 2:58 pm

DAY 34

Saturday was a day of very light eating. A low calorie day.

Sunday (yesterday) I had a huge batch of popcorn. Just vast. It was delicious. But other than the popcorn and about five tortilla chips, I ate regular meals at mealtimes, and appetite/false hunger wasn't an issue. Because Sundays are my uber early work shift, I always take things I can nibble at my desk, in order not to have a 10:00 am breakfast, so maybe brekkie was a bit snackish, as I had almonds, an apple, and a granola bar that I munched over about a two hour span, rather than sitting down with food, eating it, and being done.

And of course, chocolate. EVEN THE FIRST TASTE wasn't as amazing as that first taste on Saturday, after five days of having none. And I was right: three squares (vs the usual six) was ample...hmmm,,,I wonder if it is possible to have only one square of chocolate on one S day. Because this past weekend, the absolute delectableness of that first taste outshone every bit of chocolate that I put in my mouth.

Now, when I have chocolate, it is only organic, fair trade, super dark 85%. My favorite is B&G, which is thick, with 30 very small squares. After counting the calories, I allowed myself six squares per work shift, and didn't eat any on my days off. This way a single bar of very good chocolate lasted me for a five day work week.

One of the things I thought I might do, once I switched to having chocolate only on S days (which are also work days for me) was to have half a bar on Saturday, and half a bar on Sunday. But it turns out, I don't want more than just a couple of squares.

That first taste is a flood of flavor, and I relish it, letting it melt in my mouth and savoring the aftertaste for a long time before having anything more. Now, the rest of my allotment of squares is good, don't get me wrong. But after the first taste, the subtleties of flavor do not appear. It tastes like really good chocolate, but sort of "the same" nothing special about it. NOTHING like the first taste.

How does self denial tie into pleasure? Does going without for so many days set me up for abundant satisfaction at the first taste, such that a second and third square are not even desired? Thinking about how this applies to people who quit eating when full, rather than "ooh, just another bite of this, just a small helping of that" BECAUSE their taste buds are satisfied and they don't need more. And is that because they fully enjoyed their foods, slowing down and savoring every bite? And is THAT because they came to the meal truly hungry, not having shoveled snacks in all day...hmmm...

It comes back to that "elegance of sufficiency" (or some such...wish I could find it again) we were talking about somewhere in these forums. An elegant little taste of something, fully relished, and thoroughly enjoyed, is enough. A yummy morsel, highly anticipated, is so packed with flavors and SO pleasurable because of the anticipation and waiting to have it. How does that anticipation lend itself to even more pleasure in the first taste, making it "enough" to have just an elegant, sufficient, uber luscious bite.

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Post by Merry » Mon Jun 27, 2016 11:53 pm

I like B&G too! I used to get the 65% with peppermint--but yes, thick, and the squares are rich :-).
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2 years and counting on No-S.
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Post by bunsofaluminum » Tue Jun 28, 2016 1:55 am

Hi Merry

I've never tasted anything bad from B&G.

SUCCESS today.

Appetite, just a wee twinge at 4:30 and then work got uber busy, so I didn't have my meal until 6:30 and by that time I was truly hungry.

Swimming for my exercise, no skilletglove.

Oof, have I ever been sleepy today. It's been a busy, productive day, and my feet hit the floor running...right after my morning tea and a little bit of reading...but truly, I've been busy as can be both at home and at work today...and sleeping thru it all.

Hopefully tomorrow will be perkier.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Tue Jun 28, 2016 8:26 pm

Things are coming along with the appetite surges. First of all, they are not as strong and secondly, they are not as frequent. Looking at my HabitCal, where I have been tracking my appetite: Green for no troubles, yellow for some nudges, red for screaming stomach grumbling at all the usual times. Going back over the data in table view, I can see three day runs where screaming appetite was an issue...yes, when the hormones are surging, the appetite is screaming. Red days are dwindling in number. Good!

Made a decision after my vast helping of popcorn on Sunday...where I really did overeat and had seconds...a huge batch of popcorn. Yes, I popped two batches and ate it all gone, twice. It was overeating, plain and simple and by gobbling up that second batch...it sure was yummy, but dayum, girlfriend.

Anyway, popcorn is now a once a month treat, and there are some rules. 1) take some in a smaller bowl out of the big bowl, out of the kitchen. 2) one batch ONLY (though I may eat an entire batch if I want) and possibly 3) 20 minutes between finishing a helping and getting a new helping.

gotta getta grip. And, with my delayed gratification experiences with chocolate, I predict that once a month popcorn is going to be outstanding, the smell as it is popping, and the scrumptious first taste. Won't that be grand!

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Wed Jun 29, 2016 3:41 pm

During the week it's like you're riding a bike with training wheels. On S-days the training wheels come off. Of course you're going to be a little wobbly. Of course you're going to fall flat on your face a few times. You don't give up trying to learn how to ride a bike because of that.

Now I realize that this is profoundly different way of looking at things from what most other diets do it. When you count calories or carbs or whatever, it's a purely conscious activity. There's no training involved. It starts out pretty easy, in fact. You're as good as you'll ever get at counting stuff or reading labels on day one. The problem is that conscious activity is very expensive. It gets tedious very fast. You want to use it for other more important things. And eventually you do. And that's the end of your diet. That's why no-s is about habit, instead, about training unconscious behaviors. And it can be hard at first. And slow. But it gets easier and easier. And I think "starts hard, gets easy" is ultimately vastly preferable to "starts easy, gets hard."
from podcast #34. Just putting it here so I can find it again when I need it.
Don't sneak. You have no reason to sneak. This is legitimate reward. So make it seem legitimate. If you start sneaking for no reason, pretty soon you'll have one.


and this...wow. That's how my sunday binge on popcorn was. I was home alone; I put the popcorn pan back away;...eliminated evidence that I had gone haywire with my snack. Hm...I have to think about how the presence of my feller affects my behavior with indulging. Sneaking and hiding is alcoholic/dependency behavior. It is denial behavior, it is addiction behavior. Hmm. Haven't had that problem in a long time. When I was married, my ex and I didn't bother each other about things like eating. And...I ballooned up to over 300 lbs. Since then, I've lost 100 lbs, and since meeting my current S.O. I have gained 25 lbs back...more than that, if you count up from my absolute lowest weight in 2013.

Anyway, dang. My overeating is a real problem, if I'm hiding my snack times from my boyfriend.

and I love the modification of small-s days (minor holidays, weekends, the upcoming family reunion, etc) where you have one "s" per day or some such vs Capital S-Days like Xmas and birthday. (my bday IS Xmas...what shall I do?) where you are totally free and self indulgent, and enjoy all the things!

good insights, Reinhard. Good podcast.

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Merry
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Post by Merry » Thu Jun 30, 2016 2:15 am

You know, it's so good that you are recognizing the sneaking--I think that's an important step to moving forward to better choices.

Freshly-popped popcorn is wonderful :-). Enjoy your once-a-month treat!
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
Respect Moderation

e-lyn
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Post by e-lyn » Fri Jul 01, 2016 3:16 am

Bunso, thanks for sharing the story of your sneaky popcorn binge.... :D
I can definitely relate and it's very helpful to read about the process of working through all these food issues. Keep up the good work!

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Post by RAWCOOKIE » Fri Jul 01, 2016 6:06 pm

I love the podcasts and often go back to them for re-inforcement

I still feel 'bad' if I overdo it at the weekend - usually stuff like Doritos or bread! But letting go of the 'bad' feeling is part of the No S journey I think.

I bet if you planned to eat a big bowl of popcorn every weekend, you might get sick of it in the end! :wink:
I love Everyday Systems :3

13.6.15 124.25lbs
11.11.21 101.00lbs

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Sat Jul 02, 2016 3:33 am

Hey Raw thanks for dropping by...yeah, I've never yet grown tired of popcorn, and I used to eat it every single evening after work, and have a huge batch or more once a week currently, and still love the stuff. so...gotta get a grip. I'm not refusing it to myself, just letting it go another step down to once a month treat status

Hi e-lyn...isn't it amazing how freeing it is to face up to weaknesses.

Good days today and yesterday, though I did have a banana and a dinner roll at 5:00, because dinner was going to be late.

Tomorrow is an S day, a chocolate day! woot!

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Post by kwerp » Sat Jul 02, 2016 7:40 am

Just saying Hi! New to the forum and I found your journal insightful, especially about the cravings around hormonal times. I'll keep that in mind. :)

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Sat Jul 02, 2016 8:51 pm

Hi Kwerp. If you are like me, following this NoS thing will teach you things about yourself really fast. It's good!

So, something interesting just now happened for lunchtime. First of all, I didn't feel hungry until like 2:00 pm, after a hearty breakfast at 6:15. I ate what was left of the rice (about 3/4 c) with frozen peas and green onion and a yummy sauce I found when I cleaned out the fridge hahaha...and because I knew that wouldn't be enough to last more than an hour, I made a large serving of oatmeal, with the works.

Then, some of my yummy chocolate, and a cup of coffee with non dairy creamer (S day treats) and it hit about 2:10 before my stomach hollered at me.

And lunch was very light: a bean burrito, some grapes, and about 10 wheat thins crackers and I am nicely full. THIS doesn't happen. And because it is so late, I think I'll make it easily to 6:30-7:00. At least, that's what I'm aiming for.

Meanwhile, how strange that I wasn't ravenous, and that I felt nicely satisfied on such light fare, coming to lunch as late as I did.

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Mon Jul 04, 2016 3:52 am

A good S day today. Nothing out of control, enjoyable chocolate, moderate plates of food. Perhaps a bit more nibbling while fixing food. And, I did have a late night snack...a cold baked potato... first time in absolute ages.

RAWCOOKIE
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Post by RAWCOOKIE » Mon Jul 04, 2016 3:33 pm

Well done!

S days do seem to evolve over time!
I love Everyday Systems :3

13.6.15 124.25lbs
11.11.21 101.00lbs

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Post by bunsofaluminum » Tue Jul 05, 2016 1:14 am

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

wow, surprised myself at dinner today. I brought a bbq style meal: pulled jackfruit samwich, watermelon, corn on the cob. And I happened to find a single serving size of Lay's regular potato chips. Since it is a holiday, I decided to have a half-S day...like, when I saw the chips I said "hm. It *is* a special day" and grabbed em.

Ate my meal. Chips were there. I had a few with my samwich, and there was half a bag left at the end of my lunch break. Which I tossed. In the trash. :shock:

:?:

wait...what? I DIDN'T eat all the potato chips?

Nope. 1) I was nicely satisfied and didn't need them
2) they were mighty salty

3) I really don't eat fatty junk foods. I just tossed them in as a treat for this half-S day.

Changing. This No S thing is changing me. wow.

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Merry
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Post by Merry » Tue Jul 05, 2016 4:03 am

Love it! Better going "to waste" in the garbage than to "waist" on us!
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
Respect Moderation

bunsofaluminum
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Post by bunsofaluminum » Wed Jul 06, 2016 4:41 am

whew, late night grumbles tonight. First time in quite a while. But I ate lightly enough at dinner, this might be actual hunger. But it's almost bedtime so no biggy. Finish my tea and hit the hay. :)

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