Lilbec's check in

Lilbec · Post by **Lilbec** » Mon Oct 31, 2016 5:47 am

I decided to copy the "October challenge" calendar format since it's nice & succinct - hopefully it works!

03 04 05 06 07

10 11 12 13 14

17 18 19 20 21

25 26 27 28

31

The lightbulb is when I decided to start No S again. Only one week in so I'm feeling very committed, hopefully this check-in can keep me accountable and stop me losing momentum!

First couple of days were hard but the severe between-meal hunger has stopped, I can now get from one meal to the next pretty easily, and am not feeling so bothered when I am hungry.

I can also now tell when I'm full, for the first time in years! (I think my stomach had stopped communicating with my brain, since I snacked so much I never got hungry).

Oh.. and I've lost 1 kg.

Lilbec · Post by **Lilbec** » Wed Nov 09, 2016 4:57 am

I was thinking I didn't really need to do this daily check-in but now, 2.5 weeks in, I'm struggling. The novelty has worn off, I've had 3 fails in the last week and today I've come so close to failing again (though haven't yet touch wood)... the chocolate is calling me.

Two of those fails were pretty minor but yesterday I had an awful experience at work (did something dumb and rightly got told off by my boss), stress-ate a large packet of nuts, and then came home and after dinner kept snacking on this and that. Nothing really dreadful (I don't generally eat a lot of junk) but it just made me feel even worse about myself than I already did.

Emotions really are the hard part for me - I can handle hunger between meals when I'm happy, but when I'm upset it's really hard to just be upset without turning to some kind of snack for comfort.

Lilbec · Post by **Lilbec** » Thu Nov 10, 2016 10:02 am

SUCCESS

B - Greek yoghurt, muesli, fruit
L - veg burrito bowl
D - chickpea burger pattie (no bread), gf pesto pasta, steamed veg. I left half the burger because I was FULL.

Getting back in touch with hunger & fullness has been a big bonus of no S for me. When I snacked all the time I think my stomach & brain gave up communicating, so I could actually eat a huge meal but not be able to tell if I was full or not! Pretty bizarre when you think about it.

I was very, very tempted by chocolate this morning but resisted (just).

Merry · Post by **Merry** » Fri Nov 11, 2016 4:31 am

I'm sorry for the rough day at work. Hopefully tomorrow is better. Hang in there! Good job resisting the chocolate.

Lilbec · Post by **Lilbec** » Fri Nov 11, 2016 7:54 pm

Fri: SUCCESS

...but only just, a few close calls. I was soooo tired after getting up at 4:30am, & a few times caught myself mindlessly reaching for something.

B: 2 buckwheat crepes, nut butter & fruit
L: toasted sandwich, veg
D: half a huge felafel/salad roll

Lilbec · Post by **Lilbec** » Sat Nov 12, 2016 2:52 am

Ps thanks Merry for your supportive words

Lilbec · Post by **Lilbec** » Tue Nov 15, 2016 10:51 am

Sat & Sun: I started out Sat thinking I might even just continue with No S all weekend since I'm in a pretty comfortable pattern with the 3 meals but boy did that go out the window!! It all started with chocolate after breakfast on Sat and went downhill from there, not helped by a birthday party on Sun that involved all kinds of yummy things including my all-time favourite dessert, cheesecake....

Despite all that I've had a turnaround & am now a real convert to S days. Not only do they make it easier to stick with No S during the week, the contrast between how I felt Sun night after all that food (& sugar), and how I feel when I'm only eating 3 healthy meals, made me super keen to get back to 'normal'!

Mon - SUCCESS
Tue - SUCCESS

This morning (Tue) I was in a huge rush and only had time to grab a little bit of breakfast. I was worried I'd never make it to lunch, but then work got super busy and I didn't end up having time to eat until nearly 2pm. No S has totally helped me lose my fear of hunger - ie. yes it can be unpleasant, but I'm not going to die. And I REALLY enjoyed my (quite large) lunch!!

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Tue Nov 15, 2016 2:19 pm

Hi!

I'm glad you're not overly worried about S days for now. I feel very strongly that eating a lot on S days is not a sign of any kind of failure, at least not for several months, if not longer. (Health conditions excepted.) That contrast was what finally helped me make different choices on S days down the line when it wasn't happening on its own.

N days rule!

Lilbec · Post by **Lilbec** » Thu Nov 17, 2016 10:24 pm

Wed - FAILURE
Thur - SUCCESS

I'm disappointed about the Wed failure. It started out small - I made a batch of ginger oat biscuits for the kids and wanted to taste test one after lunch. But this is where the black and white success/failure thing always gets me.... Once I realise I'm going to have to mark the day as a 'fail', my inner pig kicks in: "Well I might as well make the most of it, rather than fail for one little biscuit!" I didn't binge (I'm more a snacker than a binger) but I did go on to have some chocolate, a bit of ice-cream, some kids' leftovers, and various other bits and pieces. How do you avoid this mindset????

Thur was all good. The weird thing is I'm no longer even noticing being particularly hungry between meals (in the first week I was always STARVING). Maybe my body has simply adjusted to less, or less frequent, food.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Fri Nov 18, 2016 12:42 am

Your reaction to having a little is ABSOLUTELY NORMAL. Researchers call it the what the hell WTH syndrome, literally. It made no sense but was/is the norm, not the exception, in food restriction.

And getting past it is what nearly every long term successful loser says was the turning point for them. When they quit letting small fails lead to big ones. It often took a lot of adjustment time, meaning they had lots of failure, but less often and for shorter periods of time. For the great majority of us, that's all we can ask for, and leads to about the same place as the miracles.

I think if people really understand this, it will help them reverse the mindset over time and make for a lot more success down the road.

I suggest you use something I didn't use but wish I did years ago.

Have a habitcal for Vanilla No S and a separate one for NO WTH. This means on the second calendar, you can still mark an N day green if you have a fail but don't go on eating. But you'll have to mark two calendars red if you slip and go wild.

And know that we have a saying here that is also a crucial habit to cultivate: mark it and move on. It is an unproductive HABIT to berate yourself after making the mistake. It can be a motivator to AVOID shame, but does NOT work after the fact! Also paradoxical but true. So to the avoid the mindset, reward yourself for not engaging in it and reduce any drama over your mistakes.

This takes practice, too. It's okay! You can get there.

I hope I can help you avoid a lot of what a long-ago friend of mine wisely called unnecessary and unproductive suffering.

You are normal and you can also learn to master this.

Lilbec · Post by **Lilbec** » Fri Nov 18, 2016 10:59 am

Thank you oolala53 for all your wise words and experience, what you say makes total sense. I just need to somehow get it to penetrate past the logical bit of my brain and REALLY take it on board. I guess it just takes lots of practice.

That's really funny about the WTH syndrome, I think those were literally the words that were running through my mind!

I really like the idea of separate habitcals for No S and No WTH, thank you. I was trying to think how I could get around it, e.g. if it was 'just' a small fail then not actually count it as a fail, but I knew I'd feel like I was lying or cheating. Having 2 separate goals makes much more sense.

Friday - SUCCESS Only just!! I think mid afternoon is my weakest time, and I REALLY wanted to eat some things just for the sake of it. Had to keep reminding myself the weekend was just around the corner...

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Sat Nov 19, 2016 8:49 am

I call the afternoon time the "witching hours," even though it's broad daylight. It was and is my toughest time. (It's a lot of people's.) Mine is totally mental, or so I think. It's always after I finish with students and before i come home, a danger time when I can go buy something extra, but also the same hours I had dead time at a previous job and could go out and buy sweets I would sneak. I do know if I can find something diverting,to do it's no big deal, but it's surprisingly hard for me.

But most people here seem to have it fade as an issue. Odds are you are one of them.

Fridays are a second hump for a lot of people. That urge to bust loose with something is so strong! And food is so easy. (I guess most people attracted to No S aren't boozers.)

So here's to finishing your first month of hundreds...