KCCC's check-in

[mimi]

KCCC, I had a very similar situation when I was laid up with my broken ankle and friends and family were arriving with homecooked meals - complete with desserts...I allowed myself a small serving of dessert each evening, but that was it - I stopped. This way I was able to enjoy everyone's kindness, for which I was so extremely thankful and continue with a slightly modified NoS lifestyle...and the end result? I didn't gain an ounce - in fact, I continued to lose weight over the 16 weeks I was incapacitated.
This is your life, and you're living it KCCC. It's not a diet, remember!
You are so wise and preemptive - you'll be fine and can enjoy some excellent chocolate at the same time... and the young man will be thrilled!

Mimi

[kccc]

Mimi - thanks for the reminder of your situation! I was remembering when I was on vacation in March, when I did much the same thing, and it worked well for me then.

Last night, I really wanted a glass of wine later, but decided that I'd used my "glass ceiling" on the chocolate. And I think that's a reasonable trade-off - one or the other, but not both, on N-days. For this time period, to be reconsidered when our French child leaves.

A temporary mod.

[kccc]

S-days were kind of like N-days with a bit extra around the edges. Nice. I had a truly indulgent dessert for Mother's Day (we went out to an Italian restaurant, and I had a real-deal canoli, which I love). All good.

And back to normal...

Br- oatmeal, apricots, nuts (need to get more yogurt)
L (planned) - ham and cheese sandwich, apple, carrot. Not my usual, but the leftovers got used up on other people's lunches. It's okay.
D (planned) - tortellini (Or London Broil if it's thawed, but I doubt it will be. Tomorrow.)

Need to grocery shop - only did a partial trip on Friday.

[kccc]

Too busy... too busy... too busy...

But eating decently.

Exercise needs attention, though. Sigh.

[kccc]

Posted a while back on my thread (above) that my weight was slowly rising. Having made that realization, I took a hard look at what was going on, and made some TINY changes - genuinely painless - and am pleased that I seem to have reversed the trend.

Issues: Because of my work/commute, I am VERY sedentary - more than I'd like. And I had added "little treats" here and there - all No-S compliant but pretty caloric. The combination started me heading in the wrong direction. (Though, I hasten to add, at a slower rate than if I hadn't been doing No-S.)

Solution: Someone commented that "most people tend to eat the same things over and over," which got me thinking. So, I looked at my routine meals for places I could easily trim. Didn't take long to spot a few standard items that I could drop or switch out, and barely notice. Also, I started wearing a pedometer to help me add a little more activity. At first, that was depressing - on a normal work day, I average only 2000-3000 steps. Pit-i-ful. However, a little attention and extra movements can bump it up about another 1000, maybe 2000, and a walk will double that. I'm averaging 4-7000 now, which, while still not the greatest, is an improvement.

Tiny changes DO make a difference.

Exercise - walk and PT (got up to 8600 on the pedometer today!)
Br - oatmeal and banana (used to be craisins and nuts - fresh fruit is a better choice on multiple levels)
L - salad with bleu cheese crumbles and leftover London Broil; small serving tortilla chips; dried apricots (I put a "glass ceiling" on dried fruit - one serving per day, max.)
D - cantaloupe, chicken quesadilla (homemade)
Glass of wine

[sophiasapientia]

KCCC -- Way to go! I too have found that minor adjustments can make a difference. It sounds like you're making some very sustainable changes to your routine and that's awesome.

[kccc]

KCCC -- Way to go! I too have found that minor adjustments can make a difference. It sounds like you're making some very sustainable changes to your routine and that's awesome.

Thanks, sophiasapienta! I have to admit, my suddenly-lowered activity levels have been problematical for me. The "unintended consequences" of changing my job has been to upset the formerly steady-state balance I had. But I'm pushing on both sides of the calorie/activity equation, and doing it **without** panic or an overboard reaction, which makes me very happy. (In the past, recognizing that my weight was rising would have sent me into a spiral that would have only made the problem worse!) And I am very pleased that No-S lets me SEE what I'm doing clearly enough to make just a few sustainable changes without having to go back to counting!

Today (thus far)
Br - oatmeal + banana
L - Fast food. Chick-Fil-A grilled chicken sandwich and fries. Maybe I should have chosen a salad... I feel full but not satisfied.
S-treat: two small candies (some of the French nougat. Each about the size of a Hershey's mini.)
Dinner will be a cookout at a friend's. I am bringing watermelon.

Exercise: A good walk, plus weekend activity. The pedometer is up to 9900, and we just had lunch. I expect to break 10000 today!

[LoriLifts]

Hi KCCC,

I wanted to stop by and thank you for the "Phases of No S" post. I loved it and have re-read it several times.

I've been one of those "Vanille Lite" people. I've got the No Seconds, No Snacks down. No Sweets have been sporatic.

Your post got me thinking about commiting to Vanilla S for 21 days. Thanks to you, I'm sticking the sweets in the freezer until Saturday.

Thanks again for such a thought provoking post.
Happy S day Sunday!
Lori

[kccc]

Hi Lori,

I'm glad if my post inspired you... but do keep in mind it IS an over-simplification (some people make it work with mods from day 1). But if you were already thinking you should work on that habit... it's all good!



On my own No-S journey...

Saturday was reasonable, and I even set a new personal best on the pedometer of 14500. However... Sunday leveled it out. No exercise (ped 4500), and over-the-top eating until I felt icky. I think it was stress... I had an overfull day, including delivering the 'homily' at church in the morning and preparing for an all-day class today in a topic I'm a bit rusty on... No time to say "whew!" before gearing up again.

But today's Monday, and I'm back to normal eating. No exercise, though.

Tomorrow is another day, and I did what I could today.

[kccc]

Tuesday...

Br - oatmeal, banana
L (planned) - focaccia, cheese, salad, dried apricots
D is TBD, which is not good. I need to figure out something before I go home. I would like to DO something tonight, which may mean eating out... Hm. Will think on it, and go home with a plan.

Exercise this morning - walking and PT stretches. I'm up to 4000 on the ped. Which is a good start, but I don't get many steps at work.

[kccc]

Ended up with only 5700 on the ped for the whole day yesterday, despite the great start. Wearing it really highlights how sedentary my life is, even though I'm working on it.

Dinner was grilled cheese sandwiches, fruit cup, and cherry tomatoes. Fast and easy, and better than going out - we still got our errands done.

Today...
Br - 1/2 multigrain bagel, PB, banana
L - Ham and cheese sandwich, cherry tomatoes, dried apricots
D - TBD. I'm seeing an ugly pattern here... hm.

[kccc]

Yesterday's dinner was just for me - boys were at a friends, hubby worked late. I had been looking forward to getting some dried figs for lunch, but because of the schedule, ended up going to the grocery well after lunchtime. Disappointment. I wanted those figs all afternoon.

Finally had an early dinner, which included figs! (Plus cheese, crackers, figs, cherry tomatoes.) It was great, but I did wonder how I was going to make it throug the looong evening having had dinner so early.

Oddly, it wasn't a problem. Even though I stayed up late. As soon as I passed the normal dinner hour, I felt "done." (I did allow myself a glass of wine.)

Today
Exercise - PT strength, walking. Got over 5000.
Br - oatmeal, apple
L - 1/2 veggie sandwich, carrots, figs. (Brought something else, but there was a shared lunch at work. So I ate the sandwich, which was fine, but virtual plated my veggie/fruit instead of eating chips.)
D (planned!!) - rotisserie chicken, sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes/salad, peas and carrots.

[mrsj]

KCCC, thanks for your post about the phases of No S. You claim that it's over simplified, but it really helped me figure out exactly where I am. I'm still at phase 1 and have tried to move too quickly to phase 2. So-back to phase 1 and stick to it until it's really HABIT.

Because of your post I've identified my problem and am now able to do something about it instead of fumbling around in the dark

Thanks so much for taking the time and effort to write such a beautiful post, which thank Goodness is a sticky!

[kccc]

mrsj, glad it was helpful to you. As long as it was, I feel like I left out a lot - for example, in phase 1, the "strictness" podcast is SO helpful!

Aaand... the process is not linear. At. All.

Right now, I'm "looping back" to phase 1 after a rough four days. I still do a certain amount of emotional eating, and fell off big time from Thursday night through Sunday. Technically, Saturday and Sunday were S-days, and Th-Fri were failures... and I've certainly done worse... but having that many in a row just doesn't feel good. (As I write that, I realize that's a positive indicator for the long term right there - that slip-ups FEEL abnormal.)

So, it's Monday, and it's an N-day, and I'm glad to be here.

[kccc]

5/24

Exercise - yoga class, and AM PT
Br - oatmeal w/plain yogurt, banana
L - leftover sweet potatoes, leftover peas and carrots; deli meat and cheese; raspberries (a real treat!)
D (planned) - tortellini with pesto, focaccia, salad, kiwi

ETA: Dinner was as planned, minus focaccia - didn't have time to make it. And probably didn't really need it anyway.

And... today is Day 1 of a 21 day re-boot. Basic No-S rules, followed strictly, plus some attention to mindful eating. I say "some attention" because I find that difficult, so am just going to try to do it a bit each day, not for all-meals-all-the-time.

[kccc]

Pedometer last night - 8000. Which just hit me... that was a yoga morning. However did I manage that? (Did I not clear it?? Hm. I walked at lunch, running an errand. I parked further out, and made the trip to my car an extra time b/c of the errands. Doesn't seem enough. Oh well - mark it and move on.) <-- ETA... I got it. 8000 was Sunday; I forgot to wear it yesterday. Oh well.

Today...

Exercise - walk and strength PT. Ped at 5700 after exercise.

Br - oatmeal, banana.
L (planned) - salad, raspberries, deli meat, cheese, crackers. I have an apple that I brought, forgetting that I had raspberries, but think I won't need it.
D (planned) - Italian sausage, potatoes, veg, fruit (TBD)

Have been reading Geneen Roth's book (listening to, that is), and am struck by how well her ideas complement No-S. Here are her guidelines (paraphrased and re-ordered for myself).

1) Eat when your body's hungry
2) Eat what your body wants (I interpret this as REALLY wants, once the overlay of "addictions" have cleared out)
3) Stop when you're satisfied

This three are learning to eat in response to your body's signals. I think No-S is a GREAT training ground for those - over time, you body gets used to the rhythm of three meals, and limiting to one plate forces a focus on "what do I want?" However, I do tend to "eat what I've served up" without regard for when I actually reach satiety. I stop when my plate is empty.

4) Eat sitting down - Also No-S- friendly, when you have real mealtimes. Not generally a problem.

5) Eat without distractions - ah, a real problem area for me. Breakfast and lunch are in front of my computer. Dinner is the only meal where I sit down with my family and just eat - and I race through it.

6) Eat (with the intention of) being seen - in full view of others. I interpret this as "no sneak eating" - which I observe on N-days and MOST S-days... but not my worst ones. This one is a "warning sign" for me. (And I tend to break #4 in conjunction - standing in the kitchen.)

7) Eat with enjoyment, gusto, pleasure. I think I have made tremendous progress here, thanks to No-S - that's what I mean by "making peace with food." I NEVER felt allowed to enjoy food before, and categorized it pretty unforgivingly: "this is good, this is bad." BUT... my tendency to tune-out while eating undercuts enjoyment. I look forward to meals, then barely taste them.

So... goal: Spend a little time at each meal eating mindfully. Not the whole meal - I don't feel up to taking on something onerous. A bite or two will do. That will address both 5 and 7, at a "babystep" level that I have learned (the hard way) is most likely to lead to success for me.

And I'm in Day 2 of re-boot.

[kccc]

5/26

Yesterday went as planned. Enjoyed "being mindful" with my raspberries especially. Total pedometer was 8600.

Today...

Br - bagel w/cream cheese, applesauce
L - favorite healthy buffet - haven't been there in ages!
D - chicken and chard, focaccia, veg/fruit

Having to plan ahead a little more because I need to pack lunches for my son (summer camp) as well as myself. It's hard because he's SO PICKY - I put leftover tortellini in a thermos for him yesterday, and it "didn't taste right." Since he LOVES tortellini and gobbled it for supper the night before, I'm at a loss. Oh well... he came home asking for a snack, and I gave him the uneaten carrot sticks out of his lunch. He at them up and still ate a good supper. So, I think I'm just going to let it go - he won't starve if he eats a light lunch. (Part of it, I think, is that he loves the current summer camp and it's so engaging that he doesn't think about food.)

Working from home today. The last few days I've done that, I've not gotten any exercise. I intend to get at least 15 minutes in today!

[kccc]

Well, I ate at my favorite place today, and tried to eat mindfully for the whole meal. And thought about the experience...

I put a lot of different tastes on my plate, which I like to do and is one reason I enjoy this place. For example, I had both a tiny bit of fish and a bit of chicken (probably no more than 4 oz for both); my salad had lots of "tastes" in it. Only a small amount of carbs - a bit of cold pasta salad, added as an afterthought when I looked at my plate and thought "no carbs here," squeezed into the "half" not taken up by salad. Lots of veg/fruit - the green salad, roasted butternut (maybe 2-3 measuring tablespoons), a bit of fruit salad (about the same). The roasted butternut seemed to have been caramelized a bit - very sweet, but not a "sugar added" sweetness (maybe honey, but not much). The fruit was amazing, especially the fresh pineapple. Wow! I thought about "rule 7" and how much slowing down and attending helped with that one.

I didn't like the chicken as much as I thought I would, and left a few bites. Both parts of that statement are interesting. It wasn't terrible or anything, and normally I would have eaten it without even noticing that it wasn't that appealing. And I never, never leave food on my plate - my portion control is "pre-emptive," by not putting on too much. But I left the chicken. A bit of salad too, because I had a lot.

I still overate slightly. I can tell I'm a tiny bit past "satisfied." Not a lot, but I bet I do this often just because I'm not paying enough attention to notice.

Payng attention at this level is actually a bit difficult, but I think it's a useful exercise to do intermittently - not often enough to be crazy-making. The reward of enjoyment makes it more feasible.

[kccc]

Totally changed my mind on dinner, because I wanted something with lots of "lunch leftovers." So, made black bean chili, focaccia, salad, and fruit. Very good, and easy lunches for all of us too.

Pedometer is just under 3000 - not great. I did do 15 minutes of Pilates/Yoga, plus PT. Better than last Wednesday.

5/27 (planned)
Br - oatmeal, w/Greek yogurt, banana
L - black bean chili, focaccia, salad, figs (reprise of dinner)
D (planned) - Cream of broccoli soup, fresh pineapple, grilled cheese sandwiches.

Br and lunch is packed, so I'm set!

[kccc]

5/27

Ped at 6400 after walking exercise (and parking further). I'm shooting for 10000 today! [ETA: by the end of the workday, it was only 6900. Hm...]

Looking at all the variants of how people approach weight loss on the board. Such a wide range. The intermittent fasting thread is interesting, but I think it's really not for me right now. Fasting safely and effectively takes moderation. It could so easily lead to either binge eating or over-fasting (because of that heady sense of control that drives anorexics) and I don't have the energy to focus on steering that narrow middle path.

Besides, No-S works just fine for me as long as (1) I follow it carefully, with no fudging or lapses and (2) I eat "real food." I know the last part isn't strictly No-S (and is an area of disagreement on the board), but I can tell the difference FOR ME and know that it does in fact matter very much TO ME.

I actually worry about some of the folks trying intermittent fasting - not all of them, but the ones that seem to have a "quick fix" mentality. I believe that approach is seriously counter-productive to success. But... not my life or choices. Everyone has to find his/her own path.

Right now, my path is exploring "enjoyment" and "paying attention." A friend of mine says "synchronicity is the universe knocking at your door," and I swear I'm getting the non-stop message to "slow down, pay attention, be present" everywhere I turn. So... I'm listening.

For some reason, my son thinks Jello is wonderful, but I cringe when I read the labels - artificial color, artificial flavor. So, last night, I experimented with a "gelee", which is what Jello imitates. I did taste, but it was really "cooking tastes," not hidden snacking. (The differences: If I already know what it tastes like, it's not a taste. If I take more than 1/8 tsp, it's not a taste. If I try it again before changing anything, it's not a taste.) It was really good, and my family loved it. I was afraid they were so used to artificial color that the fact that lemon-lime isn't really green would throw them, but my son said it tasted like "key lime pie" - and everyone who knows key lime pie knows that real ones are NOT green. I'll make some more over the weekend, so I can have a real serving. It's not really harder than regular Jello as long as I have the ingredients.

[kccc]

Last night's ped reading was just over 9000.... and I did some end-of-the-day "house circles" (walking around and around within the house) to get to that.

But...I'm just under 7000 at the beginning of my workday, and I am only working half-a-day, so I think I can break 10000 today! Gym is closed on Fridays for the summer, but there are showers in another building and my exercise buddy and I are meeting at our normal time and walking outdoors. I am glad that I can adapt my routine to still make it work.

Br- oatmeal plus blueberries. Yum! I am so enjoying seasonal fruit.
L - "Sandwich", apple, cherry tomatoes, figs (see below)
D - Pasta with clam sauce.

My "cream of broccoli" last night was an absolute bust - too thin and watery. I used half-and-half, and think it needed real cream. Oh well. On the other hand, I made a hot sandwich - sort of a calzone or stromboli kind of thing - using my focaccia bread dough, mozzerella cheese, and pepperoni. Folded the incredients up into the dough and baked it, cut it into slices to serve. That was a hit; I have a slice in my lunch today. Fresh pineapple and blueberries rounded out the meal, so it was okay overall.

However, I realized as I was putting food away that I'd "snitched" - not much, but this is a habit that keeps sneaking up on me, and I am determined to break it. So, I am back to DAY 1 of STRICT Vanilla, starting today. Dang it.

[kccc]

Okay, I'm on Day Three. Friday included a RED - late night "I deserve" eating. Sigh. Saturday was an S-day, and so was Sunday. Monday, I got back on track (and neither Sat nor Sunday was awful, thank goodness).

On the exercise front, I broke 10,000 steps on Friday, had a "personal best" of 15000 on Saturday (went to an amusement park - you walk a lot there!) and broke 10,000 on Monday (off work, so could walk). Not bad. Sunday was embarressingly little - about 2000 - so we won't mention that. The overall trend is more steps in even an "average" day. I've got 7000 so far today.

Today (Tuesday, June 1)
Br - Greek yogurt with honey, figs
L - focaccia-cheese bread, salad, figs
D - tbd. Will be out - conferencing again.

[sophiasapientia]

On the exercise front, I broke 10,000 steps on Friday, had a "personal best" of 15000 on Saturday (went to an amusement park - you walk a lot there!) and broke 10,000 on Monday (off work, so could walk). Not bad. Sunday was embarressingly little - about 2000 - so we won't mention that. The overall trend is more steps in even an "average" day. I've got 7000 so far today.

Way to go!!! You're doing great!

[kccc]

Thanks, Shannon!

Dinner last night was Panera's "you pick two" - black bean soup and salad, plus bread. It was a lot., even with "half portions".. but I ate "mindfully" and left some of both. Happy about that!

And I got 12000 steps yesterday (early morning walking, then just a busy day).

Br - Kashi cereal and banana
L - Food court, Cafe du Jour. Looked good for eating out. I got the three salad plate: one mostly veggies, one pasta and seafood, one fruit. AND I ate mindfully and LEFT SOME.
D - odd one. There was a reception, with "real food," and I filled two small plates with an assortment of veg/fruit/cheese/crackers/mini-quiche and was willing to call it enough for a light meal... but then a colleague was really, really determined to buy me dinner (which I'd not anticipated). And I did need/want to talk to him. So, I went and just had a cup of soup. Total was not awful (at least not according to my tummy), so I'm going to consider it virtual-plating and let it go.

8000 steps today, 4000 from an AM walk.

[kccc]

Conference Day 2

Br - cereal, banana, milk
L - fajita bar buffet - one plate, half of it salad
D - Out with a friend. Pasta with broccoli and shrimp, bread. Left most of the penne (after eating out the good stuff) because I wanted the bread.

Exercise - 11500 steps!

[Grammy G]

KCCC, I have never had a pedometer that I felt was acurate. I always seem to have too many steps on it after a bit of walking. where do you place yours? (yep, I do the stride thing to regulate it) i just threw three away..one freebee..one cheapie..one $$$one. I think it is me..(':(')
You, by the way are doing a great job of getting those steps in!!
You are an inspiration ..you talk the talk and walk the walk..whoo hoo!!

[kccc]

KCCC, I have never had a pedometer that I felt was acurate. I always seem to have too many steps on it after a bit of walking. where do you place yours? (yep, I do the stride thing to regulate it) i just threw three away..one freebee..one cheapie..one $$$one. I think it is me..(':(')
You, by the way are doing a great job of getting those steps in!!
You are an inspiration ..you talk the talk and walk the walk..whoo hoo!!

Hi, Grammy G! Thanks for stopping by. I have an "Accusplit Eagle 1720" and I wear it clipped to my waistband just up from my right hipbone. It seems pretty accurate - if anything, it sometimes fails to count steps. But I think the measurements are consistent from day to day, and since my goal is to increase overall, that's all I need - as long as I can tell "this is MORE," I'm good. (I did have to talk myself out of being too fussy about details, though, which is why I round down to the nearest 500. Otherwise, I get caught up in "should I add 50 for walking around the house before I put it on?"... and that's just silly.

The steps were better because I was at a conference (albeit a small one) and also getting a morning walk in. Today was not quite as good - 8000 steps (half day, then drove home). But the week is pretty stellar, at this stage at least.

Br- cereal, banana, milk
L - Last meal out, at a place known for both its breakfasts and lunches. Had a veggie sandwich and a bowl of grits (Subbed for chips, which made me very happy. I love stone-ground grits!)
D - home again! Chicken quesadillas, fruit salad, carrot sticks.
TWO glasses wine.

Will be interested to weigh in tomorrow and see how all the meals at restaurants balanced with the walking...

[Grammy G]

Thanks for info, KCCC. I actually found one more pedometer and am going to clip it to the waist band of my skirt this AM before I head out for the day. I am glad you mentioned getting hung up on details. i think that could very well be one of my problems. I'm going to think about that as I go about my day and see if I can begin to change that attitude. thanks!
I'm also onboard with mindful eating. Not too long ago, I had salmon at a restaurant that was so good..I didn't want that fillet to be gone.. so I was taking tiny bites..savoring each morsel.. I'm going to go for that feeling and speed, but not expect perfection!
You do such a great job of balancing your life!! When you get to be my age, I am sure you will look back and think :"How in the world did I do all of that!!" You seem to have found the elusive balance time for yourself, time for family, time for work, time for others. You continue to be an inspiration!!

[kccc]

You do such a great job of balancing your life!! When you get to be my age, I am sure you will look back and think :"How in the world did I do all of that!!" You seem to have found the elusive balance time for yourself, time for family, time for work, time for others. You continue to be an inspiration!!

Grammy, this made me laugh! It's a constant "re-balance" to make sure all the plates are spinning. I just try to be aware of "what needs attention" as much as I can, and include myself in the mix. (It's that "put on your own oxygen mask first" thing.)

We are probably not that different in age. I'm 53 - my son was born when I was 44. (A "happy surprise" after we'd given up on being able to have kids. Whenever I see the bumper sticker that says "if I'd known grandkids were so much fun, I'd have had them first," I feel like raising my hand and saying "I did that!") I do think that age brings a sense of perspective on what matters and what doesn't - perhaps as a trade-off for the lower energy levels!

Weigh-in this morning - 147. A little lower than last time, so the walking is having an effect despite eating out last week. I'm pleased - seems as if I'm "re-balancing" and will get back to my "normal" 143-145 pretty easily if I just continue to pay a bit of attention here. I am happy to have made this course-correction without panic and stress.

And I forgot to mention one moment that shows how strong habit has become...I presented at poster session, which was held in conjunction with a dessert/coffee bar after lunch (in order to boost attendance - good planning, that). The dessert bar was AMAZING - cheesecake, flan (I think - one of those custardy things with caramelized sugar around it), tons of other good-looking things. I walked past it and thought "How pretty! That looks beautiful." And then I didn't give it another thought... Genuinely. It was an N-day, so all that was just for decoration as far as I was concerned. (I was busy talking to people, so that was one aspect. Still.)

Off to have a good S-day and a happy weekend with my family! The conference was good, but I am so glad to be home with them - I got a wonderfully loving welcome which just has me full of warm fuzzies.

[kccc]

Saturday... got my 10,000 steps.

Have been slacking off on PT, and need to watch that. Neck is hurting again.

For meals, basically had 3 meals with good desserts for both lunch and dinner. Plate a bit fuller-than-normal at dinner (and I ate several slices of bread served with the meal, which I don't normally). Overall, a very nice S-day.

Hope for another today - I've noticed that Sunday tends to be my "overboard day" and I'd like to avoid that.

[kccc]

Good Sunday - mostly just meals with desserts.

I did start to look for sweets around 10PM, when the "get it while I can" little voice started up its refrain. But I had a few pieces of candy, decided I didn't really want it, didn't want the key lime pie my husband bought... and then I noticed I had only 300 steps to break 10,000 for the day, so I started walking. By the time I was done, that little voice had gone away.

Monday
Exercise - Yoga. Boy, I needed that! I've been focused on walking so much that I have neglected yoga/Pilates, and I can tell that my body is just tied up in knots as a result. (That "balance" thing again...)

Will focus on getting in my PT today, and let the walking go. I'll wear the pedometer, but not stress about it since I didn't get a morning walk. (Actually, if I hit 4-5000, that will be good. Maybe I'll target that much.)

Br - Greek yogurt, oatmeal, blueberries
L (planned) - homemade bread, cheese, banana, dried figs. All well-liked items, but I'm thinking it's a little... drab. All the same color family (once the banana is peeled). Oh well - it will still taste good.
D (planned) - tortellini with homemade pesto, which I made over the weekend when I trimmed up the basil.

[Grammy G]

well KCCC, I still have some years on you! I am 67 and proud of it!! For some reason, 60 was a big turning point for me to decide to put myself first (I think a big chunk of that was that both my parents and hubby's parents had passed by then and kids were all launched!).
Here is my pedometer story..I did place the pedometer right where you suggested...and it seemed to be working great.. until I popped it off the waistband of my jeans as I was preparing to use the toilet! Now I have no more working pedometers! Am going to check out hubby's junk drawer..he must have one or two in there! I like your idea of working toward more each day...not 10,000 steps from day one. I know two ladies who went from never walking to thinking they HAD to do 10,000 steps a day and they ended up with injuries that kept them from walking at all!
I love your "aren't they pretty!" story!!! I hope I would have done the same thing!! Along the pretty food line: I needed to take a dish to a party on Sunday. The hostess said, "You always make such interesting dishes!" gulp!! Now I had to come up with something besides the deviled eggs I had planned!! I went to the farmers' market and brought home wonderful greens, fruits, veggies. Here is what I made..you are welcome to use this anytime..it is so pretty: I put down a bed of baby spinich leaves and topped them with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and a fresh orange pieces (I liked those colors together!!) I made a dressing of Greek yogurt, honey,vanilla, and a little lime juice and blobbed it on top of the salad. It was beautiful and tasty and gone by the time anyone could go back for seconds! P.S. there were several dishes of deviled eggs!

[kccc]

Oh Grammy, so sorry you lost your new pedometer! The one I use has a "tether" that clips to a belt loop or elsewere on the waistband, as sort of a safety catch. More than once, that tether has saved me from losing mine the exact same way!

Your salad does sound pretty. Fruits and veggies can be so beautiful, can't they? All those colors.

And okay, you do have a few years on me. But not all that many. Wear them proudly - I intend to do the same! I set the intention some years ago of being "an interesting old lady someday"... which means I need to learn about and do interesting things now!

==
One more "good moment"... I ate at my favorite grocery place on Saturday, with my son. A reasonable plate of very good food (the roasted veggies were AWESOME), and I decided to have a bakery dessert after. They had flourless chocolate cake, which I adore. So I got a slice, and agreed (under a bit of duress) to split with my son (didn't want to buy two...).

We sat down to eat, and enjoyed our first few bites. It WAS delicious! But after a minute, we both slowed. My (sometimes wiser than me) son remarked "this is really rich, isn't it?" Yes, it was, I agreed, as I realized I am no longer used to that much at once. I said "should we save some for later?" and he replied, "yes, just one more bite." We put about a third of it away. I did have it after dinner that evening, but felt really good about eating ONLY what I really wanted at lunch. (And I am pleased that somehow, I have managed to teach more moderation than I possess to my son.)

[oolala53]

Hi, just browsing. I got a pedometer with a tether, which saved me many times, until it went through the wash. There isn't much call for underwater pedometers. Sigh! I'll replace it soon.

Keep up the good work!

[kccc]

Hi Oolala! I haven't washed a pedometer (knock on wood), but did wash a phone one time. Luckily, my contract was already up and I was considering a new one.

Glad to have you stop by. I returned the visit over at your thread.

[Grammy G]

mmm..glad to see this discussion on pedometers! I'm thinking I shouldn't spend too much $$ on one as it is probably going to be bouncing off the floor or going through a washer/dryer!!
KCCC.. good dessert story! how different from the "Clean your plate" I grew up with!! What great lessons you are teaching him!! A few bites of a really wonderful treat is very satisfying.. much better than a sleeve of cheap cookies with little taste and a gazillion additives!!
BTW, if you are ever looking for an absolutely wonderful chocolate cookie (who isn't??) Chocolate Moose Dragons..online at lizlovely.com. You cannot eat more than three bites!! Liz makes vegan cookies and gluten free cookies..that's it!
Full disclosure: I know Liz and her husband..(he is the son of a good friend) but would buy their cookies anyhow.. In fact, I did buy their Ginger Snapdragons at a local health food store before I realized who made them! If you like ginger..this is the treat for you....oh...now I have to wait for an S day!!

[kccc]

I only got to 2500 on the pedometer yesterday. Which was really frustrating, because I TRIED. I parked further away, went to the "far" restroom at work, walked over for a meeting instead of driving, etc.

However... my neck feels better for doing yoga instead. Balance, balance, balance.

Food yesterday
B - oatmeal, greek yogurt, blueberries
L - Bread, cheese, fig, banana
D - tortellini w/pesto, broccoli, fruit, plus bread-and-bean-dip (small portion of tortellini and bread)

Today
Walked this morning, and the ped is nearly 7000. I will break 10,000 today! Also did strength PT.

B - yogurt and blueberries (oatmeal was a little too "pasty" in the yogurt yesterday)
L (planned) - bread, cheese, figs, small apple, small carrot
D (planned) - Italian sausages, sweet potatoes, peas'n'carrots, fruit salad

I am liking fruit salad a lot. It's a great way to use up the-fruit-that-needs-to-be-used, and my family will eat more fruit served that way. Plus, just so nice for summer - and so PRETTY. Love those colors.

Also, bread and cheese ROCKS if you have good bread and good cheese. The bread is a homemade WW sourdough (from a bake sale) that has a sweet taste to me (not desert-sweet, but whole-grain sweet). The cheese is an Irish Dubliner cheddar that has a salty taste. The two are AWESOME together - a taste extravaganza that I'm looking forward to!

[Grammy G]

Well, KCCC, I have decided pedometers are not for me!! Found yet another one and the battery died! The universe is telling me to just forget about it, I'm sure.
Bread and cheese..what could be better? (maybe add a nice glass of vino?)
Chedder is one of my favorites. I love it on apple pie.... or melted on just about anything.. or big chunks with fruit. I now have to take lactose pills to enjoy most cheeses, but it is worth it!!
I love that you post your menu for each meal! I often steal ideas (OMG..I just heard a crash of glass on the backyard deck one floor below me..I ran downstairs and turned on all the outside lights and peered out the sliding doors to the deck... there sat a big raccoon staring back at me. I won the contest and he walked down the stairs..turning to see if I was still watching every so often. A ceramic jug full of wild flowers is no longer setting on a table out there. It is probably one story down on the flagstones under the deck. I'll find out in the morning.) anyhow, I often use your ideas for my meal planning.. so thanks!

[kccc]

Grammy, what a shock that racoon must have been! (And I cruise other people's menus to get ideas as well!)

==
A "learning experience" with regard to food. I was really, really looking forward to lunch yesterday, but when I got it out... I got distracted and ate it almost mindlessly. Not completely - I would catch myself, "taste" a bite, but then get drawn into the computer again. I felt that I hadn't enjoyed it as much as I could have... And I think I do this a lot. I have recognized that I tend to live "two steps ahead of where I am" - not fully "present" because I'm already planning the next thing. I am working on that.

Today
Exercise - 15 minutes of Pilates/Yoga mix plus PT stretches

Br- bread and cheese and banana
L - TBD. I'm at home.
D - Pasta with clam sauce, fruit, salad.

I usually go out on "work-at-home" day, but can't today. I am disappointed, and will need to watch that... can translate into over-eating.

[kccc]

Best-laid plans and all that...

Was working and missed lunch... had to run to an appointment. So, didn't get lunch until 3PM... which ended up being fine. I got to eat out at my second-favorite place, and to my surprise, actually ate a little less than I normally would there despite the late hour. So, that worked out well.

Dinner ended up being grilled cheese, carrots, and apple.

And I forgot to put my pedometer back on in the middle of the day... oh well.

[kccc]

Quick post since it's late... Got to 11000 on the pedometer today, and had a successful day overall. Did strength PT in addition to walking. Neck is better as a result of attention. All good.

[kccc]

Yesterday - good on walking and strength work. All No-S compliant for food!

Today
Br - oatmeal with craisins, applesauce
L- leftover pasta with clam sauce (from last night), salad with craisins, which broke my "dried fruit only once a day" rule, but we are OUT of most fruit! I made sure both had small amounts only.
D - will be out with family - Longhorn's, I think. They have a salad I like.

No exercise thus far today.... long story for missing the AM routine. Hoping to fit some in later.

[Grammy G]

Does your family enjoy oatmeal too? I never can get anyone at this house ti eat it with me. bummer... but I still make it (steel cut) and I love your additions. I picked up some dried cherries that I am only sharing with those who choose oatmeal I've also enjoyed mixing a spoonful of almond butter into the hot oatmeal.
I really look forward to reading anything you write.. heavy burden for you!! Thanks from me.

[kccc]

Grammy, I have a long commute and eat breakfast at work, so I just pack oatmeal for me. When my family in the mood, I'll make it for them and leave it, but lately I think they've been doing bagels. (I pack my oatmeal the night before - mix rolled oats and milk together, with a dash of cinnamon and whatever fruit goes in it. Overnight, it soaks and softens. I often eat it cold.)

Weekend report - we were off for a fun-filled weekend! I ate a Longhorn salad on Friday, which made it special without breaking my N-day. Saturday and Sunday were both indulgent, but in a good way - nice meals, some special treats, but nothing that made me feel over-stuffed and no perma-snacking. Still, probably a lot of calories, because of restaurant meals and some fast food. S-days - enjoyed and over. And I got some Pilates in on Saturday, plus 8000 on the pedometer, and broke 10.000 on Sunday (actually, I know I did more than that, because we were at the amusement park and spent at least an hour in the water section, where I took my pedometer off). All good.

Today, did yoga this morning, and realized I forgot to put on my pedometer. Oh well.

Br- oatmeal, craisins (still haven't made it to the grocery!)
L - (planned) - bagel with cheese, carrot sticks, apple
D (planned) - chicken quesadillas, veg and fruit TBD (frozen/canned)

Have GOT to get to the grocery tonight!

We went to a "Steak and Shake" on Sunday. I'd not been to one before, but my husband had nostalgic memories of them. Not bad for a fast-food-type place. They make real milkshakes, and I enjoyed a kid-sized one very much indeed.

[kccc]

Lunch yesterday ended up being Chinese - my boss invited me out. It was good, if a bit much (big plate, even though I left most of my rice).

Dinner was chicken quesadillas, fruit salad. That was it. Oh well. We finally made it to the grocery for fruits and vegetables, so that will get better. Not too many, because we're leaving again on our real vacation on Sunday.

Today
Exercise is walking and strength PT. I'm up to 6700 on the pedometer - should break 10,000 today!

Br - yogurt and banana
L - what I brought yesterday
D - pasta with chicken and white beans, broccoli, watermelon. Bread if I get to it.

[kccc]

Yesterday's dinner was great. Out of broccoli, so subbed peas and carrots, and left the beans out of the pasta (there was plenty of chicken).

Made tapioca pudding for the guys - they've been requesting it for a week. I decided this morning that there was little enough sugar in it that I could have it plus fruit for breakfast - it's mostly a milk/egg custard. A bit of a stretch perhaps, but it's no sweeter than the yogurt I had the day before, so I feel justified... and I was feeling tremendously deprived not to have any. This one serving will satisfy me, and 1/2 cup with a peach feels like a very reasonable breakfast. (It does sort of break the "would you eat it for dessert" rule, except when I eat it for dessert, I add whipped cream, which I did NOT do for breakfast.)

So...
Br - tapioca and fruit
L (planned) - favorite place, one plate
D - hubby will be gone, so son and I will have homemade bread with white bean spread, plus fruit and veg. Both of us LOVE the bean stuff and can make a meal of it, but hubby doesn't so much. (Beans, olive oil, rosemary, lemon juice... perhaps garlic. Throw it in the food processor, sprinkle with more rosemary and black pepper. That's it. Serve as a dip or spread with good bread and carrot sticks. Yum!)

Mindful eating... realized I've gotten a bit slack on doing that intentionally, though I find that the habits have taken hold naturally a BIT. At every meal, I think "this is good!" about something. But I want to work on it a bit more. It is nice that it's self-reinforcing, because I do enjoy eating more... but it's still hard to sustain for most of the meal, and I tend to allow myself distractions (computer, books) too much. I suppose that just means I can make some obvious improvements easily.

[oolala53]

The tapioca sounds reasonable to me. Do you think it was much sweeter than oatmeal with some brown sugar? Probably not.

Mindful eating is definitely worth it, but it's not a cultural practice. Years ago, I heard a nutritionist say we should "chew your juice and drink your food." He meant we should not be swallowing food without making sure the particles were liquefied and had mixed thoroughly with saliva, which is where digestion actually starts. Turns out chewing, chewing, chewing until starches for sure are liquidy keeps releasing flavor! I've done that with my meals for years. My big problem before No S was bingeing on chocolate. That I was not consistently mindful of, needless to say. Not having sweets during the week has greatly cut down on that; in addition, not eating such strong flavor as sweets has made the sensitivity to flavors more intense. I encourage you to experiment with it more. Your biggest obstacle may be that everyone else will be done long before you!

[kccc]

Well, there's less than a tablespoon of sugar per serving in the tapioca. I don't put brown sugar on my oatmeal, but I could see putting that much on. It didn't taste sweeter than oatmeal with craisins, or ordinary "fruit at the bottom" yogurt. And the sense of deprivation is gone... I had some, and enjoyed it, and my family can have the rest. So overall, I think having it as a meal was a good choice.

Forgot to put in that I did NOT make 10,000 steps yesterday, despite my promising start. Only got to 7500. Sigh. A sedentary day.

Today's exercise was T-Tapp Basic Plus and my PT stretches. Not a lot - too much to do.

Lunch at my favorite place was interesting. I ate more mindfully, since I had been reminded of that goal. Had a serving of salmon and salad/fruit, but salad with lots of interesting flavors. Realized when I was almost done that I was really full... but I wanted the rest, because it was so good. (I probably eat a little past being full a lot - the plate held "normal portions" for me, and I tend to "clean my plate.") It was like having a conversation with two parts of myself - the emotional self was really resistant to stopping, and reacted like a child being made to do something it didn't want to, while the more rational part of myself argued that I really didn't need it. I am wary of pressing too hard on the emotional component, because that can backfire. So, I looked for a compromise... which was that I could eat some more, but I would NOT clean my plate. I ate a little bit more, focusing on "the best parts," and left some of the fruit, a bite or two of salmon, and a bit of salad.

Babysteps. But babysteps will take me where I want to go. As Butterfly phrased in a recent post, "tiny changes."

[oolala53]

I don't remember if I knew about or asked you about your experience with T-Tapping. I bought a couple of DVD's off eBay. I shouldn't have done it esp. not getting one with instruction. I went to a session with a trainer yesterday and that was a totally different experience. I think I see now how it can have the effects it's supposed to. It was very intense work!

[kccc]

Oolala, regarding T-Tapp... I bought the book on impulse when it came out and the author was doing a tour. (It's awful - don't buy it. The exercises are almost impossible to follow from the written descriptions.) Howevever, because I bought the book, I got a good discount on the dvds. So, I bought the "Instructional" series, which includes the Basic Workout Plus.

The instructionals are just that - she talks you through each exercise and what to attend to. The Basic Workout Plus is the Instructional I series, plus Hoe-Downs. It's a good 15-minute workout once you have the moves down. And I like the "Primary Back Stretch" as a work-day stretch in the office - just a few minutes, and really takes out the kinks.

I have not learned to love the Instructional II series - mostly because there are a lot of moves that require more balance than I have, and I get frustrated with them. I'm also not a T-Tapp "believer" (there's almost a cult-like group around T-Tapp... though I suppose the same could be said of No-S). But it's a decent addition to my collection of alternatives for "15 minutes of ANYTHING." My other "rotations" generally draw on Pilates/Yoga combinations, sometimes formal, sometimes just "what feels good."

==
Dinner last night was a lazy one, since hubby wasn't going to be home for it. Last of the homemade bread, plus bean spread/dip (which my son and I both love); watermelon, carrot sticks, plus dried figs for me. Kids (mine and a regular guest) ate extra watermelon, added cheese and wheat crackers, and got root-beer floats for dessert.

Exercise today - walking plus strength PT. I'm starting to put some running (well, slow jogging) intervals back in. Got up to 6800 steps by the time I finished my workout.

Br - leftover chicken quesadilla (1/2) and a fresh peach. Eaten hastily, because I had an early meeting... but I appreciated the peach. OMG, those are so delicious. And beautiful, too - gorgeous color.
L - will be at Panera
D (planned) - salmon and couscous; we'll see on the veg/fruit. I think cauliflower and fruit salad with fresh peaches and banana.

[Nichole]

Hii! Those are some good goals you have there!

I experience the same thing at restaurants and sometimes even at home. It's soooo good and you want more, but you're full. I always regret eating past full myself because I get really very uncomfortable and I hate that feeling sooo much. It's almost like feeling sick! I wish all restaurants had the small and large option, like TGI Fridays does (I don't eat there a lot, but I appreciate the choice). I would always go with the small sized.

[oolala53]

Thanks for the info on T-Tapp!

[kccc]

Thanks for stopping by, Nichole! Actually, I know that "I'm REALLY full but..." feeling, but the one yesterday was more subtle than that. I didn't feel uncomforatably stuffed after, and wouldn't have even if I'd cleaned my plate. However, because I was paying attention, I realized "no longer hungry" came rather earlier than I thought it did.

Oolala, hope the T-Tapp stuff is useful to you! I've never been to a class, and would rather like to, I think. I really like classes, because they keep me more focused.

==
Got to 10,000 last night. All food as planned. Left some at lunch (my usual black bean soup and salad at Panera).

Br today - oatmeal, banana
L - leftover pasta, watermelon, figs
D - TBD. It's Friday, and I start my vacation at the end of the day!!! (I want something No-S but special. Isn't it great that there IS such a thing?)

[kccc]

Well, I had a "face-down Friday" right after completing my 21 days on vanilla.

And I've realized that about every three weeks or so I have a Friday Failure at the end of the day. I just want to blow off steam at the end of the week, and it's really hard not to include eating. Going back through my journal, I can see this as a clear pattern. I eat, sometimes I stay up really late reading or something, and I do it with a sort of "so there!" attitude.

The good news is that they're getting smaller in scope. I catch them faster, recognize them earlier, let go of them more easily. And I'm starting to recognize the "triggers." Last night, we ate at a place my family loves that I think is only marginally okay. This is not good, because it leads to a "not really satisfied" feeling - especially on a Friday, when I really do want something special. Then I ate more chips than I usually allow on an n-day, so felt that I'd already failed by the time I came home.

So I binged. I ate...
- 2 ounces of dark chocolate (and gave my son a bite, since I at least did not eat standing up and did not "sneak eat" - though I was tempted)
- 3 dried figs

And I was done. I couldn't see the point of eating anything else. And yes, it was S-day stuff (chocolate/seconds) and I did not eat out of hunger, but in all honesty, that amount wouldn't have REGISTERED as a "binge" a few years ago.

I did not eat to the point of being sick. And I am done. I don't feel the need to eat everything in sight today, even though it's an S-day.

I think I'm learning to "fail better," lol!

[Scrybil]

KCCC, that pattern sounds so familiar to me, and frankly you 'contained the damage' quite well I think. I do find late Friday nites difficult. I don't WANT to go to bed - I want some time alone with my book in my comfy chair and - of course -my comfy food. I too notice the rebelliousness I feel: "What the hell!" I think it's pressure valve, and I succumb so often.

Kudos to you for reining it in!

[Grammy G]

I think you did a great job of recognizing the Friday problem..I remember that feeling when I worked and Friday afternoon meant all bets were off and I could strip off the work clothes and put on the sweats and ...guess we are all the same! YOU saw it for what it was and..faced down that devil Yeah!! It is always inspiring to read a success story!
I know nothing about t-tap. What site should I go to to find out about it? I too am one of those people who needs change in m exercise routine. I don't even like to walk on the track at the high school..even with friends. I still get a kick ot of Richard Simmons dance-workouts and You reminded me that the Wii keeps opening new activities. I let the batteries run down and never replaced them..it has been (gulp) a year since I've used that. Like you, not my fav. but good for a change.
It is 3AM and I am up but not eating..for me, this is great! That's because people like YOU have been here and willing to share your journey! Thanks!

[kccc]

Well, haven't checked in for a few days... we're on vacation.

The weekend was a bit excessive - but they were s-days. Between some activities that messed with our schedules and the stress of packing (and getting those last "GOT-TO's" done), I didn't eat my normal regular meals, which made a big difference.

Monday started vacation proper. This is a long-ish one, so my strategy is one I've used in the past... rather than trying to keep to N/S days (when there's no pattern to the week), I allow myself one S-event per day IF it's truly "S-worthy." Something special, not just "oh, I can have a Snickers because it's vacation."

Monday
B - egg and homemade bread at home
L - hamburger, half-order of fries and half-order of mandarin organges
S-event - Peach Milkshake - real fruit!!
D (late) - Grilled shrimp salad at O'Charley's No dressing, because of the bleu cheese crumbles.

Dinner ended up being VERY late, and I'm proud of myself for not snacking. All good!

Exercise - Whitewater park!

Tu
Ex - 15 minutes yoga, PT
Br - ham, toast, banana

Today... flying out!!

[sophiasapientia]

Monday started vacation proper. This is a long-ish one, so my strategy is one I've used in the past... rather than trying to keep to N/S days (when there's no pattern to the week), I allow myself one S-event per day IF it's truly "S-worthy." Something special, not just "oh, I can have a Snickers because it's vacation."

Sounds like a great plan! Have a fantastic vacation!

[oolala53]

I like the sound of your vacation plan, too. Where did we get the idea that vacation means overeating? Geesh, in our culture, we do that all year! I've often chosen yoga and meditation vacations just because I consider them a vacation from the onslaught of food. It backfired a bit this spring, but that was the first time. One S event per day still sounds fun!

[kccc]

Lunch was a sub - ham on wheat. A bit large, but since we were going across time zones and I knew we were going to be eating very late by local time, I ate it all.

And was glad I did. After the plane trip, dinner was about 10:00 on "my" time. I had another grilled shrimp salad (less to my taste than yesterday's).

Nothing S-worthy today. I did consider a snack through the long "afternoon," but everything available was so junky I didn't want it.

Morning exercise was all I got, so I'm glad I fit it in.

Long day!! But we're heeeeerreeee!!!!

[Grammy G]

YEEEAAAHHH for you! You work so hard .. I hope you play just as hard!

[kccc]

Thanks everyone, for the vacation wishes. We had a very good time our first day here.

Br - egg, bacon (2 slices, I think - it was chopped smaller), 1 slice whole wheat toast, 1/2 banana
L - BBQ chicken, corn on the cob, pork and beans (which I didn't finish). Museum food - but better than expected
D - pasta with pesto sauce, topped with chicken (from "Noodles"). VERY good, and a reasonable portion!

Not bad overall, but I'm feeling the lack of vegetables. Also, getting expensive to eat out so much (well, breakfast is included with the hotel, so that's not so bad). Hope to get to a grocery tomorrow, and get some basics that we can keep in our hotel fridge.

Exercise - AM PT stretches, and 10,000 steps (barely, but made it!)

[Grammy G]

That is so funny KCCC, I always feel veggie deprived when we travel! I make a big pot of veggie soup as soon as we get home and both of us eat it for at least one meal a day for two or three days! Remember to drink lots of water..that food is probably saltier than you make at home!
Hope the weather is wonderful and you are smilin' morning to night...well..at night too!

[oolala53]

RE:veggies, me, too! It's exasperating how expensive it is to get some relatively plain, fresh vegetables in restaurants, and I'm not talking about a few leaves of lettuce. Can a handful each of carrots and green beans be that expensive? Actually, they probably are, given how many restaurants use frozen foods prepared in portion sizes. I guess fresh is harder to keep. But when I see huge packages of fresh veggies in Costco, it just seems that it should be possible for restaurants to get them in bulk, too.

I have sometimes been able to convince someone else at the table to split a regular entree and a meal salad that often gives us both enough of a range of food.

Keep enjoying your meals, though!

[kccc]

thanks, Grammy G and Oolala!

We are traveling in Colorado - last day in Denver before we go on - and I have intentionally booked all our hotels in a chain that has fridges and microwaves in the rooms. It also offers a "continental" breakfast that is really a small breakfast buffet. But other meals are "out" so far, until I can get to a grocery.

My one weakness when we stay in this hotel chain is that they have breakfast pastries. They look so good that I always have to remind myself that they're really rather nasty. (And I confess that in the past I've had to eat a few before I remembered, lol!) But I am having an easy time this round, because I don't want to use up my daily "S-event" that early in the day. Funnily enough, I haven't had S-events the last two days because nothing has been sufficiently "S-worthy" thus far. There have been some times that I'd snack in the past (especially being 2 hours off my normal time zone), but I really really really prefer regular meals by now... which I think helped me get on "time zone" faster than I normally do! My body went "okay, THAT's mealtime" after that first long day, and there were only tiny hunger pangs at "normal" mealtime, easily ignored, and they went away until I had lunch at the "new normal" time.

Located a grocery, but it was closed by then. So, will get there today. We have a car, and I bought an insulated bag, so can carry some stuff with us as we travel.

Exercise this am - yoga sequence, AM PT stretches. (Need to do strength PT - I'll check out the fitness room tonight.)

Br - 1/2 bagel w/PB, slice ham, OJ, small banana (OJ and banana both to address the veggie lack)

[kccc]

... and later that same day...

Went to the grocery, which was a "Whole Foods." I am ready to move here. The closest we have to it is EarthFare, which I love (it's the "favorite place" I often refer to as my treat lunch place - the buffet is always good). Whole Foods is like EarthFare on steroids. I love love love it.

Dropped my guys off at a rock shop while I went shopping for fruits/veg (and, as it turned out, lunch) and we were all as happy as could be.

Lunch - mostly a salad of mixed greens, walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes, and bleu cheese, with a few bites of the tortellini with pesto that my son had, plus organic cherries!! Made up for my veggie-lack in spades!

Dinner - we were walking around downtown, and my son declared he was starving, even though it was only about 4:30. He was serious, though, and I took pity since on our normal time, it was dinnertime. We stopped at a Corner Bakery and got a plate of pasta plus a side salad. Hubby and I shared the salad and tasted the pasta. My son DID eat the pasta up, so he was hungry! I considered my amount of salad to be a virtual plate serving (it was) and planned to have something else later. I did eventually have some dried figs, but the main part of my dinner was...

THE S-Event!! We went back to Whole Foods after a hot day of walking around, and each got a small gelato! They would split up the flavors in a serving, so we each had two different flavors and shared tastes. I adore gelato, and ate ALL my serving (even though a "small" is four ounces by weight - not exactly tiny). If my dinner had been more than half a side salad, I don't think I could have eaten it... but it was definitely S-worthy and will probably hold me for days!

Not quite at 10,000 steps yet, but think I will be before the day is over.

A good day on all fronts.

[oolala53]

Man, gelato is easy to eat. Congrats on keeping it reasonable, as 4 oz. sounds to me.

[lbb (Liz)]

Good job on not ordering the gelato case...as I would!
Whole FOods is the best, eh? I just drool over everything there.
Oh and loving the Corner Bakery. Man, you're making me hungry.
Congrats on traveling and "No-S" ing. I am traveling soon and am scared!

[kccc]

No real exercise - driving too much. I'm tired, but only got my PT in this morning. Maybe I'll do some bedtime yoga...

Br - 1/2 waffle with PB and jelly instead of syrup; HB egg
L - cheese and fruit and crackers - a plate at a lovely place with a stream.
D - pizza and figs. An extra piece because I was starving (we ate very late), which I suppose is my S-event for today.

[kccc]

I did do my bedtime yoga on Friday. That makes me happy. Not a lot in terms of exercise or calorie burning, but a BIG DEAL in terms of compliance. And I slept better.

Saturday was busy with events, but not much in terms of walking (6500-ish on the pedometer), and I didn't even get PT in. Can't remember what I ate... oh yes, reasonable breakfast and lunch, but we were on a train from 4:30-8:30 and we ended up eating at both ends, albeit relatively lightly at each. (Added, a good hefty meal, so that was my S-event).

Sunday (this morning) we were at a different hotel, and they only had pastries/donuts and fruit for breakfast - but some better-quality ones. I ate THREE plus a banana - there's my S-event for the day! Lunch was late - at a crepes place that was wonderful. Crepe filled with chicken, spinach, tomatoes, and goat cheese, with mixed green salad on the side. Yum! No dinner yet - TBD. This hotel is near a steak place, and my son is begging to go, so that's likely.

No exercise thus far either - we did go on a short hike, but I forgot my pedometer so don't know how far. (When I realized, didn't want to interrupt the hike to go back to the hotel for it.) After that, it was a driving day, along a scenic route. Beautiful, but I'm tired now.

I do like the "one S-event per day" approach to vacations. Helps me be reasonable, but still feel indulged. And I think it works out about the same overall.

[oolala53]

Hey, I'm telling a few people about this, just as a suggestion for those times it seems impossible to get any 'real' exercise in. Feel free to ignore it. I may have even seen something about it here on No S, so if it's a repeat, please ignore.

A Japanese researcher found that if an exercise was performed as fast as possible for 20 seconds with a 10-second rest between 8 consecutive rounds, it raised the metabolism for 36 hours. This means 4 minutes of working out at a time. Check out youtube for some suggestions of what kinds of exercises to use. Search Tabata protocol.

I've used it at least 3 times this week, once at 11 p.m., and found today that I was able to keep up in my African dance class better than last week. I did a little T-Tapp this week, too, but the Tabata was all I did on three 3 days. I did it on vacation the week before even though I walked a lot. It's fast and you don't need much space, plus no equipment. All body weight. Finally, it's okay to do a bit more if you're inspired after your 4 minutes.

Just my two-bits. Keep up the good work on eating on your vacation. Sounds sane, moderate, and fun.

[Grammy G]

Oh..Love Whole Food stores.. also Trader Joe's.... neither in my little town
Fresh cherries! Are they from Flathead Lake in Mt.? I swear, those are the best cherries i have ever eaten. The Mt. Rainers are as big as apricots and sooo sweet!
I love the west and can hardly wait to get there in a few weeks!!
I also love the food choices.. always seem healthier or maybe just different.
I was just having coffee on the deck this morning dreaming I was out west drinking morning coffee looking at those mountains!! OMG , is there a better way to start the day?
Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!! (a smile-y for each of you!!)
p.s. hubby tells me often that the reason he went into geology is because his parents took him out west and he was fascinated by the mountains (he grew up in NJ)

[Scrybil]

KCCC, I like the 'one S Event' plan for vacation - I may plagarize that one later this summer.

btw, heading to your hometown tomorrow for two days of college orientation with my son. I'd ask you to keep tabs on him this Fall, but why make requests I couldn't fulfill myself, right?

Sounds like you're having a wonderful time - love the travelogs!

[kccc]

Everyone, thanks for visiting my thread!

Grammy, I did not know your husband was a geologist! My hubby's degree is in geology, but he works in another field (long story)... however, we have an AMAZING rock collection (well, to be accurate, HE does. But I thought it was beautiful enough to make display space for it...) He is going NUTS out here in Denver. (Happy nuts, that is!) Today we went to the mining museum at the Colorado School of Mining (I think I'm only approximating the name) and he was just in heaven. Then we drove down Clear Creek Canyon, where you could see how the creek had carved the lava tabletop in two... gorgeous.

Oolala, I am googling the tabata protocol - thanks for sharing that! Will let you know if I try it out.

Scrybil, let me know next time you come to visit (when I'm in town) - would be fun to meet somewhere!

==
Dinner last night was steak (6 oz), broccoli, and "steak fries." I ate about a third of the fries and half the steak and broccoli - saved it in the hotel fridge (along with my husband's leftovers) and we microwaved it for dinner tonight, along with some apple slices and other snack-y stuff to fill out. (We only had a few bites of steak each, so needed some extra.)

B - scrambled egg sandwich (about 1 egg and one slice toast), banana
L - cool sandwich place near the campus. My "Mediterranean" was like a salad on top of good homemade bread! Excellent.
D - our leftovers, as above.
S-events... had two today, one being a chocolate peanut-butter dessert thingy at a bakery after lunch(sort of like a home-made Reeses cup, only MUCH better!), the other one chocolate chip cookie after dinner. Two is more-than-planned, and though I enjoyed both, I will be a little more careful.

Exercise - did 15 minutes of yoga/Pilates/T-tapp medley this AM, AND got my 10,000 steps in!

[Grammy G]

There is nothing like having your personal geologist when traveling, is there? We also loved Denver and surrounding areas....we haven't been there in years..think our 40 year old son was 17 and it was the first year he could help with the driving. I'm sure there are many changes in the city but the rocks remain the same.
I am sure you will love reading the book I just "reviewed" on the summer reading site...hubby is reading it too!
So glad you are having a great time!

[kccc]

Today is not a day I want to report.

All well until dinner, when I over-ate and followed it up with THREE large chocolate chip cookies. Ick.

Issues:
- I'm on vacation, but have a work deadline looming anyway. Got a spanner thrown in the works at the last minute. Had to deal.
- Son has been seriously trying my patience yesterday and today. I love this child, but if he whines one more time, I'm ready to push him off a mountain. (Hyperbole for effect, of course.)
- We attempted a drive up a mountain today that I finally asked to abort because my knuckles were turning white. Mt. Evans (about the same height as Pike's Peak) has a two-lane paved road to the top - tallest in the Western Hemisphere. I expected hairpin turns. I did not expect that there would be stretches with NO road shoulder, NO guardrail, NO trees even, and a dizzying drop below. No room for error at all...
- At dinner, there was a deal for 2 entrees plus an appetizer. The appetizer was my undoing. Once I started on it, it was downhill from there. (Aside: I have decided that I really dislike appetizers. If I eat it, I've spoiled my dinner or started down the road to over-eating. But sitting there, hungry, while others eat, is also unpleasant - and the worst is, if someone orders an appetizer, the rest of the food comes more slowly because the restaurant staff wants to give you time to eat the appetizer! So, it feels like a no-win. And I can't demand that everyone do without because I don't like them.)

So... I overate at dinner, and since I didn't literally drive the car off the cliff this afternoon, I proceeded to do so metaphorically tonight with cookies...as I put the final touches on the chapter proposal going in tomorrow.

And yes, I know better.

Let me add: The day also had some great parts - my overeating response makes it sound worse than it was. We toured an old mine, and until the white-knuckle stretch, the mountain drive was lovely. We stopped on the way down and took a walk - that was great. And my very wonderful husband took our son off to the pool so he could burn off energy and I could finish up my work in peace. The work is done, and I am ready to relax!

[oolala53]

I like that you saw the eating event as part of the whole. I know you didn't want to have eaten them, but those cookies sounded pretty good.

So, you are the person who does T-Tapp, right? I keep saying I'm going to do a bootcamp, but I don't. And the weather is even cooperating, as I like it a little cool. I sweat even during the 15-minute BWO+, if I do it right.

[Grammy G]

Look at all the days you have been on vacation and done a wonderful job!
I forgot about the roads out there! Having 2 teenage boys agreeing with hubby that backing down a mountain "path" in a Suburban is an OK thing.. happened more than once and I know what you mean!!
I hate to tell you, but things will get worse with son before they get better... kids just know the right buttons to push, don't they? And, sad to say, get better and better at it! My adult children, with kids of their own, now ask how we ever managed to pack up 4 kids and a tent and spend weeks on the road every summer. I will only say that that is when I started drinking beer!
Look at all the things that had to happen before you gave in to cookies! As they say, "you've come a long way,baby!"

[sophiasapientia]

I have to agree that it sounds like you are handling vacation beautifully! In fact, I'm planning on stealing your one S event a day mod next week when my DH is on vacation. One "off" day is not a big deal in the greater scheme of things.

As for the kiddo, I know all of us parents have been there. My DD is terrific and an absolute joy most of the time but she does have moments when she drives us crazy and I've found that this is more likely when she is out of her normal routine, dealing with time changes, etc. In fact, I got so fed up with hearing her whine at one point that we came up with a code word -- 'bubblegum' -- that basically means "Enough! Stop with the complaining! You are seriously trying our patience!" Amazingly, a "look" and using the code word is usually enough to get her to change her attitude without having to lecture or reach the "I'm going to strangle you" point.

Hope the rest of your trip is wonderfully relaxing & fun!

[kccc]

You guys are awesome! Thank you ALL so much!

The chapter proposal is in, and I am pleased with it. So that's over.

We are ALL off-routine, and though the vacation is lovely, it's starting to tell on all of us... I'm ready to be home, and grateful that I'll have two days AT home before returning to work (thanks to the 4th of July weekend).

My child is going to be a kid... so, I'd better focus on being an adult, and not squabbling back at him. Guess it's an opportunity for me to practice some of that Zen-like calm I've been trying to cultivate, lol! (Grammy, I've never liked beer, so your comment about "that's when I started drinking beer..." cracked me up.) I think it's hard on him not having siblings when we're on vacation - at home, we have his friends over quite a lot. He asked if we could bring a friend next time (we did that once when we rented a beach house), and had trouble understanding that when we fly somewhere, that's not feasible.

But overall, vacation has been very good. Today, we take the "Scenic Drive" from Denver to Estes Park. I think it will be beautiful, and hopefully a bit less scary than yesterday. (It IS a main road!) We spend two nights there before we come back to fly home on Saturday. I intend to enjoy these next few days!

[oolala53]

You've hit on it--travel is both fun and trying. It's great that you''ll have time at home before you have to go back to work.

I had friends growing up who went on vacation with others. My friend's parents paid the plane ticket and the hosts took care of everything else. I wonder if there are some parents who would go for that next time? They might be happy for the break, too.

Keep up the smart eating.

[Grammy G]

Estes Park!! I love Estes Park!!! I actually have a friend from our winter retreat that summers in Estes Park..every year!! Lucky Duck!!
I'm going to be looking for you to share any eating-words-of-wisdom you have gleaned while traveling.

[kccc]

I LOVED LOVED LOVED Estes Park. I envy your friend, Grammy!

We are home again, and as much as I enjoyed Colorado, I'm glad to be back. Our kitties are almost glued to our laps, wanting love. (Friends cared for them, but they missed us.) Got in late last night, and have laundry going this morning.

I didn't track eating as closely the last few days of vacation, and think I had some extra S-events in there. However, my "basic 3-meal structure" held, and I'm glad for that. Weighed this morning - 146.5, which is about the same as I left at, I think. I'm good with that, especially considering all the restaurant meals that probably included hidden seconds as well as my "events".

Now for adjusting back to Eastern time! Glad I have a few days to do it, and get my life back in order, before going back to work! We stopped on the way home to get milk for breakfast, but the fridge is otherwise bare.

Good to go, good to be home.

[kccc]

From my bit of Reneew's June Challenge... want to keep it:

June challenge for me:

1) Twenty-one day Vanilla Re-boot to reclaim some habits that have gotten sloppy. I'm on Day 3... and if I keep it up, I can finish just before vacation!
2) Continue increasing pedometer steps (no specific target, just "more")
3) "Mindful eating" practice daily - not all-meals-all-the-time, because that would make me crazy, but at least a part of a meal each day. Even a few bites count.

And I usually don't report here b/c I keep a habitcal, but I'll do a weekly report this time around.

WEEK 1 UPDATE (Friday, June 4)
1. On Day 7 of 21-day "re-boot"
2. Went to a conference last week, and got my walking in at a good level. I got at least 8000/day, up to 12000. Broke 10,000 on M, T, W. (This is much better than I've been doing. Not sure it will continue at this level in the coming week.)
3. Mindful eating - have been doing some each day, and several times have left food on my plate as I realize I'm full!! This one is hard, but self-reinforcing because it results in more enjoyment of my food. The trick is to balance it so that I continue to enjoy doing it, and it doesn't feel like a chore.

Current weight - 147 (My long-term normal is 143-145, but I'd gradually drifted up to 150. My energy/exercise balance had shifted due to lifestyle changes. I'm now addressing that.)

So, a very good week to start off.

Week 2 update (Friday, June 11)
Weight still at 147, but that's okay - I usually bump down in "steps," then it holds for a while.
1) Sticking to vanilla.
2) Walking... broke 10,000 steps on Saturday, Sunday, Tu and Th. Did yoga/pilates on M/W. Nothing on Friday (yet!)
3) Mindful eating... not doing as frequently, so this check-in is a reminder. Though I did leave some lunch twice this week, because I noticed I was full. So, a step forward.

Week 3 update (Friday, June 18 )
Weight is just a hair over 146 - definitely under 147, and the lowest I've seen in months now. (My "normal" is 143-145.)
1) Sticking to vanilla - and I think I've hit my 21 days. Smile Doesn't mean I'm stopping, lol!
2) Walking - broke 10000 only twice this week (Sunday and Thursday), Sad I did do yoga/Pilates/T-Tapp on other days. Still lower than last week, but I am trying! My average is definitely up since beginning the pedometer-wearing.
3) Mindful eating - I totally forgot (doh!!) for a few days, but still hit my minimum because the habit had been set... but could see that without reinforcement, it will go away. Working on it. It IS nice to eat more appreciatively - a fresh peach is AMAZINGLY good. And as a spin-off of eating a bit more mindfully, I have left food on my plate several times. (That is new to me - I have a strong "clean your plate" history. Usually, my portion control is done in advance, by what I put on my plate to begin with; once it's there, I tend to eat it. So, I consider leaving some to be a definite sign of progress.)

My son left part of his dessert last night - one I know he loves. As he left the table, I asked if he wanted the rest of it and he said "No. I know when to stop." I am pleased that he can listen to his body so well. Maybe he won't have to relearn that skill later, as I am doing.

Final report (July 4)
Left on vacation right after my last post. Before I did, I had what I have come to call a "face-down Friday." It includes overeating, but also staying up too late, usually reading or something FOR ME. However, there's an air of "so there!" to it that undermines enjoyment. And I usually feel awful the next day. Looking back on my thread, I realize these happen every three-four weeks... something to think on.

Vacation went well. I did "one S-event a day" and pretty much stuck to it, except toward the end. Some days, I didn't bother having anything... nothing was "S-worthy." And I DID keep a basic 3-meal structure, which I think helped a LOT. I worried that I was overeating because of all the restaurant meals, but my weight this morning was the same as when I left (146 - 146.5). So, that's fine.

However, "mindful eating" needs a re-boot. Why is that so hard to REMEMBER? Will revisit that for July, I think.

I like the weekly reflection - and noticed that Grammy G does a 21-day reflection. Both are good ideas, and I intend to add them to my thread.

Okay, I've spent a while here, and need to get back to restoring post-vacation order in my life!

[kccc]

July 4 was a good day. Got 13300 on the pedometer, got the post-vacation unpacking/laundry done, and participated in some July 4 festivities. Had some treats, but not over-the-top.

Let's see...
Br - donuts, bought (along with milk) on the way home last night because I knew there was no food in the house!
L - Cheese, crackers, apple. All I wanted, because I'm trying to get back to "normal" eating hours and wasn't really hungry at lunchtime
S - slice of cherry pie that I made for my hubby for July 4th.
D - cookout at the pool - hamburger, green salad, fruit salad, homemade cookie.

Today, not so good. I woke up with a splitting headache and nausea, and it just didn't go away. Spent most of the day in bed or lying down. I do believe this is the worst headache I've ever had. A bit better now, once I figured out that I needed to DRINK something, but only just - and it's afternoon! My wonderful family has been very nice to me, and left me alone (except for a short period where everyone snuggled up with me in a huge heap, including the cats, which was sweet).

So, I'm just taking it easy...
Br - bagel with butter (cream cheese had gone bad)
L - crackers, one slice cheese, 3 dried figs
Don't know what else. The food thus far was mostly to try to settle my stomach, and did seem to help, but I'm not really hungry.

I did a grocery shop at the "health food" grocery I like yesterday, so we have fruit and some veg, but still are missing more generic items that we get at the regular store. Hubby is gone to do that shopping.

I'm just going to allow myself to be a slug today. I recall my sister telling me once (when I was pushing myself when ill) "Dang! Don't you type A's know how to be sick?" I am slowly learning that allowing myself to "be sick" for a while often makes for a faster recovery overall. Here's hoping.

[kccc]

Feeling better, and ready for work tomorrow - more or less.

Dinner was crockpot BBQ chicken, salad, watermelon. All easy stuff.

Got a few things done, but not at the usual level. No real exercise - a few stretches, but not 15 minutes worth.

Some days, you just have to say "it was as good as it could be today." And just move on...

[oolala53]

"Some days, you just have to say "it was as good as it could be today." And just move on..."

You got that right!

[kccc]

Feeling much better, and back on track.

Br - oatmeal and banana (boy, I missed oatmeal)
L (planned) - Leftover BBQ chicken, salad, watermelon, crackers
D (planned) - salmon burgers, watermelon, cooked carrots, broccoli

Worked out this morning - walk and AM PT. Up to 7400 on the ped already.


==
Edit to add: turned out to be out of salmon, so substituted tuna melts. Otherwise, as written. Over 10,00 on the pedometer today!

[Strawberry Roan]

Stopping by to say hey

[kccc]

Hi, Berry! It is so good to see you!

[Scrybil]

KCCC, enjoyed the travelogs, but glad you're back into the routine....Habit,habit,habit........

[kccc]

Yoga this morning. Sort of. The class is a blend, and is more aerobic than most, AND has a strong emphasis on balance... which I tend to find frustrating. (My balance needs improvement, alas. I'm reasonably okay on cardio, strength, flexibility... but balance is weak.) We did some movement exercises standing on the bosu, and I finally just moved to the floor.

It is where I am...it's feedback, not failure... I must live with this fumbling awkward stage if I want to get better...yada yada... sigh.

Overall, a good workout, though. I did better with some of the other exercises. And actually, I did pretty well at not letting myself get REALLY frustrated, but just doing what I could do and trusting in improvement over time.

Br - oatmeal, banana
L - leftover veggies, mixed (broccoli, carrots, a few cherry tomatoes); small cup of black bean soup with a bit of cheese and chips crumbled in; 2 figs.
D (planned) - tortellini or other pasta, fruit salad, veg... bread if I have time.

[joasia]

Hi KCCC. Life is ok. How are you doing?

milczar

[kccc]

Hi, milczar! I'm just back from a lovely vacation, which means making the transition to normal (hectic) life...Hope you're doing well.

Dinner as planned. Had more time to cook than usual, so had homemade pesto, got the bread made, and stir-fried some zucchini in a little olive oil with some basil, and finished it with a little balsamic vinegar for a veg. Hubby and I totally loved it, son made gagging noises. Oh well. Have leftovers for tomorrow!

[kccc]

Did my 3 miles of walking this morning (new target... about 6000 on the pedometer) and got to work... to find that I'd forgotten to bring the lovely breakfast and lunch I packed last night.

So I'll have them tomorrow. Today, I walked down to the food court in another building, intending to buy a bagel or something... and caved at the sight of biscuits and gravy! It was delicious, and I love being able to indulge on something I like (but know has almost NO redeeming nutritional value) without guilt. Oh, and the extra walking has me at 8600 steps already today, so hitting 10,000 will probably be easy-peasy.

Br - biscuit and gravy
L TBD
D (planned) chicken quesadillas, watermelon, and some sort of veg.

[oolala53]

I wouldn't call it caving in. It was breakfast!

Isn't it great to be able to make do without having a hissy fit?

[kccc]

You're right, Oolala - it was a choice, and one I enjoyed!

Lunch ended up being out with a friend (making a virtue of necessity). We went to a Japanese restaurant - her choice. I had miso soup, grilled scallops, and stir-fried veg. Delicious! Left the salad (boring iceberg lettuce) and the rice (a HUUUUGE mound that I didn't want/need).

Dinner as planned, with a cucumber from our garden as the veg.

Dinner has been late the last few nights, because the guys are going to the pool right after they get home. I'm glad for them, but it throws dinner late - around 8 instead of 6:30-7:00. So, I get pretty hungry. The funny thing is that the thread on fasting helps me hold out, even though I decided that Eat-Stop-Eat just wasn't for me. When I start to whine inwardly about how looooong it's been since I last ate, then I think "there are people on No-S that choose not to eat for 24 hours. You can handle this much." And I can. Funny, that. Oddly, I would have expected that I'd want to eat more when I eat late and am hungry, but that doesn't seem to the case.

[kccc]

You're right, Oolala - it was a choice, and one I enjoyed!

Lunch ended up being out with a friend (making a virtue of necessity). We went to a Japanese restaurant - her choice. I had miso soup, grilled scallops, and stir-fried veg. Delicious! Left the salad (boring iceberg lettuce) and the rice (a HUUUUGE mound that I didn't want/need).

Dinner as planned, with a cucumber from our garden as the veg.

Dinner has been late the last few nights, because the guys are going to the pool right after they get home. I'm glad for them, but it throws dinner late - around 8 instead of 6:30-7:00. So, I get pretty hungry. The funny thing is that the thread on fasting helps me hold out, even though I decided that Eat-Stop-Eat just wasn't for me. When I start to whine inwardly about how looooong it's been since I last ate, then I think "there are people on No-S that choose not to eat for 24 hours. You can handle this much." And I can. Funny, that. Oddly, I would have expected that I'd want to eat more when I eat late and am hungry, but that doesn't seem to the case.

[ShannahR]

Hi KCCC
I totally agree with you about the ESE thing. While I'm happy for the people who it works for and like it, I don't think I would ever do it myself! I can't imagine I could do it long term and incorporate it as part of my life. It would probably help me lose weight but it would be temporary. I'm trying not to change my "healthstyle" for quick weight loss reasons.

I love reading your thread, have a great weekend!

[kccc]

My weekly check-in from the July-Challenge thread

1) Maintain No-S habits (getting back on track after vacation)
2) Work on increasing walking with my pedometer - and tracking that this month
3) Mindful eating - at least a few mouthfuls each meal.

And I do a full check-in on my daily thread, so will just do a weekly recap here like I did last month. That worked well for me.

Weekly report for July 9
1) Was pleased to get back into No-S swing pretty easily.
2) Have three 10,000+ days this week, plus a yoga class. I've started tracking steps on a website, which lets me see them on a graph. May go back and put in any earlier numbers that I have, so I can see progress. It used to be that on a day I walked for exercise, I'd get maybe 8000 steps total, and a day I didn't, I'd get 2-3000. Now, if I walk, I can usually hit 10,000 for the day pretty easily, and when I don't walk, it's 3-5,000. I am pleased with that level of improvement.
3) Doing that more, and liking it. I enjoy food more when I pay attention to it. Still needs attention.

Weight today: 144. That's a loss of 2.5 from when I came back from vacation (last weighed Sunday July 4, right after we returned). Quite a drop for me, but I do tend to lose in "jumps" between which I hold steady for a long time - and of course, there may be normal fluctuation in that too. Still, this puts me back in my "normal" range after my "course correction" earlier this year, so I'm VERY pleased about that. (I'm 5' 7", so 144 is a BMI of 22.6).

I'm happy about weight being back at the normal level. Took a while, but it's nice that I could bring it back in line without panic or extreme measures that would make me crazy.