New to the plan...having trouble.

No Snacks, no sweets, no seconds. Except on Days that start with S. Too simple for you? Simple is why it works. Look here for questions, introductions, support, success stories.

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choxie
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New to the plan...having trouble.

Post by choxie » Fri Nov 18, 2005 5:46 pm

Hi, my name is choxie.

I am new to this plan and an so willing to give it a try. It seems like a no-brainer type of eating plan. That can work.

But as no-brainer as it is, I am still having problems with it.

I am having trouble with my food. I an still caught up with trying to make dietetic meals.

I realize that in order for it to work, I can't have Fast food everyday for lunch and junk food for dinner.

But I can't figure out what to eat.

I have been trying the Campbell's and Progresso soup to go for lunch. I eat one of those (you know with the pop-top lid that you heat in the microwave). SOme rosemary and olive oil triscuits and maybe some carrot sticks. The soup flavors are good. Minestrone, Sirloin Burger with Country Vegetables, Beef with Protabello Mushrroms and rice, etc.

For breakfasts, I usually have some bacon or sausage with some Oatmeal, or Go Lean Crunch, sprinkled with some Fiber All (love this stuff).

I do have a mid morning snack, b/c I don't eat lunch until about 3 in the afternoon. It usually consists of yogurt and Go Lean Crunch.

When I look at this, I think way heavy on carbs, or fat or something.

Can someone help me? Is it my mindset, or can I really loose weight just eating what I like for 3 meals and one snack a day?

Have we as dieters in the world today become to reliable on someone else telling us what to eat that we can't even think of making choices for ourselves (okay the big WE is really ME and the answer seems to be a resonding YES!!!!)

Please help, or talk me down from the ledge. I am wanting this to work. But if I can't get even this simple plan to work for me, then what hope do I have.

I am not, repeat, not going to do the gastric bypass thingy in any form. But I know that is what my doctor is intimating at everytime I see him.

Please give me some advice, or just help me throught the panic stage.

Maybe it is too easy, and I have overthought everything to the point that I have made it too complicated.

Maybe I should take a step back and approach this from a different angle.

Maybe I should shut up and stop trying to analyze myself.

choxie
Posts: 13
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2005 9:30 pm

Okay, I am reviewing some of the check in threads

Post by choxie » Fri Nov 18, 2005 6:03 pm

Judith's thread gives me the feeling that I may be on the righ track.

Reading some more.

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peetie
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Post by peetie » Fri Nov 18, 2005 6:07 pm

Hi Choxie,
You come in from that window ledge right now! Not necessary! You are already doing a lot better than you are giving yourself credit for.

It is SO hard to get away from the diet mentality, so I understand your concerns about "doing it right", but "right" in the NoS world gives you a whole lot more wiggle room than any rigid diet that constains you to the point that you eventually MUST break free.

First off, your meals could use more protein, but if they are sustaining you as is, I see no reason to mess with it now. I think at the beginning it is important getting the basics down, and that's exactly what you're doing. Learning to eat three meals a day (in your case a mini meal because of scheduling issues), no sugar, no snacking and no bingeing. Sounds like a great start to me.

You didn't mention dinner, but I am assuming it isn't a crazy food orgy, but a plate of food that you like and that sustains you through the evening.

As long as your are not eating sugary treats and snacks and seconds, you are on the path. As you get more comfortable, you can tweak your meals to a higher nutritional standard, if you'd like, but for now, I don't see anything wrong with what you are eating. Lots of fiber, that's good....some protein in the yogurt....yeah, bacon and sausage are a bit fatty and chemically laden, but for one meal a day in a reasonable portion, I don't think that's such a terrible thing either.

So, relax, and don't overthink it, Choxie. You are thinking just enough to get you on the NoS path. And I can't wait to see the look on your doctor's face when YOU show HIM!!!

Peetie

choxie
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Thank you Peetie...

Post by choxie » Fri Nov 18, 2005 6:18 pm

You are right, I am eating a well-balanced dinner. I have two little girls, so whenever I eat with them, I eat well.

I have given up the sweets. I would graze on them all day.

And the vending machine at work knew me by my first name.

Those habits I am working through.

Not sure how to add more protein to my meals. Breakfast is usually a race to ge tto the door. I consider it a success to have given up the poptarts that I used to scarf down 3 and 4 at a time.

I guess I could eat more of the roast proteins that I actually cook for my family. I usually rotisserie a chicken and a pork roast on Sunday's for us to eat from during the week.

Okay, I'll add more of that and get rid of hte bacon/sausage.

And by the way, this is day 3 of my NoS first 21 days.

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carolejo
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Post by carolejo » Fri Nov 18, 2005 7:28 pm

And the vending machine at work knew me by my first name.
:lol:

I hear ya!

BUT NOT ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!!! :twisted:

You can do this. Don't forget though, that there's a whole load of difference between "simple" and "easy". I won't lie to you. This ISN'T easy! Especially not at the start. But the hard part is all up front. Once you've got yourself stabilised, broken that blood sugar high / crash cycle by sticking to your 3.5 meals a day with no sweets and no snacks, built those good habits to replace the bad ones, it does become much easier.

Personally, I don't think I'll ever be able to do away with willpower completely (I'm not that lucky!) but at least the days where I need it have decreased rapidly. I'm happier, healthier, leaner and more sane, doing this.

Your meals seem fine to me. Like Peetie says, worry about the 'macro' level first. Get your pattern of meals fixed, *then* you can start to think about what goes into them if you like. As for speedy breakfasts, you can actually eat just about anything for breakfast - it doesn't have to be a 'normal' breakfast food. Leftovers from dinner the night before make a good breakfast, especially leftover fish or meat to get that protein boost and help to hold off the hunger pangs.

Good luck and don't worry. It sounds like you're on the right track! :D

C.
CaroleJo

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Jammin' Jan
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Post by Jammin' Jan » Fri Nov 18, 2005 7:57 pm

I can't think of anything to add to what Peetie and Carol Jo said, but just wanted you to know I'm rooting for you. You can do this. You're already on the right track. Just keep going, don't get impatient, and remember that tweek-as-you-go works well for all of us. Best wishes for success! :D

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gratefuldeb67
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Sat Nov 19, 2005 1:14 am

Choxie! What a cooooool name!!!!
Yo mama...
No gastric bypass girl.... Then you'll have a two inch wide stomach stapled to your small intestines and guess what???
You'll still have whatever habits you have...
Try the three weeks on habit...
I had a really hard time getting to the point where I'd get down 21 days perfectly, infact it took me a whole year of trying, getting to about 10 days or something, then eating something like Haagen Daaz, before I got the 21 days on habit down..
Wow... I bet you don't really need to lose as much as you say...
Why not take it in chunks? (no pun intended.... LOL..)
I bet, if you diet and exercise, you may only need to shed half of that to get much healthier!
So far people who have been on NoS for a while have lost at about an average rate of 25- 30 lbs a year... Some more, some less...
But the awesome thing is, you won't gain back...
Hope you learn to reclaim you enjoyment of food and lose your worry and obsessions over the categories of food...
As long as it's not sodas and candies and cake, on N days, just enjoy it!

Peace and Love,
8) Deb

Kevin
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Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Post by Kevin » Mon Nov 21, 2005 12:27 pm

Don't overanalyze this! Some things, at the macro level, really are simple. You will make micro-level adjustments as you go along, but don't let worry about them keep you from adopting the pattern.

It sounds like you are doing many of the right things. Keep it up, you'll get results. It may take a while, but few of us consider that it took years to gain the extra weight... I left college at about 165, and didn't hit 175 for 10 years, 185 in 5 more, and 195 in 5 more. A half pound a week will get you down 25 pounds in a year. That's good weight loss, especially since you can keep it up year after year.

If it is possible, try to stick to eating three times a day. If you need the fourth meal, make it consistent, and consistently small. It sounds like you are eating a portion of your lunch plate a little early, and that's a fine approach.

Good luck. Hang in there! And, if you can, get a 20 minute walk in every day. That'll really speed up the weight loss.
Kevin
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."

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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Mon Nov 21, 2005 8:55 pm

Choxie,

Welcome! I'm just going to reiterate what Kevin, Peetie, and Deb have said. Take a deep breath and:

1) focus on getting proper meal habits down. Once you have that down the problem of portions and nutrition become tractable. You may even find that they don't need systematic intervention.

2) walk. I love shovelglove, but I realize it isn't for everyone. Walking is for just about everyone. You need to do some exercise and this is the safest, most pleasant, cheapest, most excuse proof kind.

A typical weekdaily breakfast for me is a slice of "pan toasted" mestemacher black bread with a piece of cheese melted over it and a piece of fruit on the side. Sometimes I throw some nuts on top, or some cold cuts, or some reheated leftover vegetables. Convenient, reasonably healthy, and I like it. I realize it's a little idiosyncratic, I say it just to get your wheels spinning.

Reinhard

choxie
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Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2005 9:30 pm

Post by choxie » Tue Nov 22, 2005 3:29 pm

THank you all for your responses.

I am truly going to give this my all and make it work for me.

I have definately included walking in my program.

I have started a couch to 5k training program.

It trains you to run a 5k in a 9 week period.

I'm modifying to run a 5k by March.

I can do it. I am fairly active. THe only thing that keeps me from being totally fit is my weight. Blood pressure, heart rate, recovery, flexibility - all of these things are on point with someone who is fit. But my weight holds me back from being athletic.

So look for me to make good losses. I'm shooting for around 1lb a week. if I get 2, then great. If I get .5 then great also. If I get none. that's okay too.

sunnyday
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Post by sunnyday » Tue Nov 22, 2005 10:40 pm

Hi choxie

Just a note about losses.
Based on my experience, an average of 1lb per week is very achievable and it sounds like you'll be doing more exercise than me so you'll probably do even better.
That said, don't panic if you weight goes up over the course of a week. One week my weight went up 4lb! It was probably water weight caused by hormone cycles and it was gone the next week.
It's the overall trend over a couple of months that will show you the results not so much the weekly variations.

Emma

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