KCCC's No-S story

(New!) Read (or post) about people who have stuck with No-S for 10 or more months, lost 10 or more pounds, or 10 or more percent for their starting weight. Periodic updates strongly encouraged -- you can think of it as "Yearly Check In."

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kccc
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KCCC's No-S story

Post by kccc » Sun Sep 28, 2008 12:08 am

I have previously written long complex posts that tell my story, so will gather them up and paste them in (with some editing for coherence) rather than re-writing.

Short form - have been on No-S about 2 years. Am able to maintain on it, when I was continuously gaining before. Love it.

General stats: I am 52, 5'7", about a size 10. I don't generally weigh anymore, but did for this thread. Currently 145.

While stabilizing my weight is a HUGE benefit, I feel that my new attitude toward food has been the best part of No S. I don't make a spectacular weight-loss story, because my weight isn't much different. However, I've lost a lot of mental "baggage" that I'm truly happy to see go. The side effects of maintaining weight through a deprivation mindset are not good. No-S allows me to enjoy food MORE while eating less... what a gift!

== (excerpted, with edits, from http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... highlight=

Some background... I’ve done calorie-counting diets, and I’ve done them successfully. When I was in my late teens and early 20’s, and heading toward the same levels of obesity prevalent in my family, I lost weight – and gained it back, alas – several times on calorie-restricting diets. I can still reel off calorie counts for an amazing variety of foods. I did eventually lose and keep off the excess weight when I began a regime that combined calorie-counting with exercise. At some point, I realized that I liked the way I felt when I exercised regularly, and I even learned to enjoy the exercise I did. (That’s not to say I’m naturally active – I’m not. I take exercise classes because left to myself, I get lazy.)

At any rate, I kept off the weight for decades, but I now describe how I did it as “an armed truce with food.†I exercised regularly, watched what I ate, and monitored the scale closely. Whenever my weight was “out of bounds,†I immediately went on a restriction diet until it was back where I could live with it. During all that time, I doubt anyone looking at me (5’7â€, size 10 max) would have thought “wow, she really has a weight problem†– but in some respects, I did.

Yet that all worked until I hit mid-life, had a baby in my 40's, and lost exercise time... all at once. At that point, I began to struggle. Several rounds of Weight-Watchers convinced me that I could LOSE through diets that demanded total attention, but I couldn’t maintain that way anymore. No-S has been an incredible relief.

In addition to being able to maintain with relative ease on No-S, I deeply appreciate the difference in mindset, which seems HUGE to me. In my calorie-counting days, I rarely enjoyed food. Food was “good†or “bad.†Treats were always consumed with a side order of guilt. I ate a lot of “fake food,†because it was lower in calories. I was always bargaining with myself over food (“if I have this now, I won’t have that later… if I don’t have this now, I can have that later.â€) Food never just WAS. With No-S, I don’t count calories, I just eat one plate when it’s mealtime. I do eat mostly healthy stuff – I like it – but I no longer categorize foods as “bad†just because they are high in calories. And I eat "real food" most of the time. I now think that, within these guidelines that sort of replicate “how we were designed to eat,†my body is wiser than my mind in determining what it needs.

==excerpted from http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... highlight= (not my thread)

It is important to accept "where you are." I was thinking about that just this morning... I have spent most of my adult life in a healthy BMI range, with the exception of the early 20's wake-up call that I was heading into obesity and the period immediately following pregnancy (and that's excused). Within that range, my weight has been within a 10 pound range 80% of the time, I'd say.

And I've never been happy with it. My "ideal weight," in my head, has always been "five pounds less than I am now" - NO MATTER WHAT I WEIGHED. Even for a few months when I was well below the usual 10 pound range.

What woke me up to that is looking at pictures recently. There were a couple taken about a year ago where I was about 5 lbs less than I am now, and I thought "Man, I look great in those! I wish I weighed that now." And then I remembered how I felt when they were taken... which was "If I could only lose 5 lbs, I'd look pretty good!"

Sheesh.

At this point, I've decided I'm going to build good eating/exercise habits, and let my body be the weight it wants to be... and let go of it.

If I'd directed all the energy I've spent on "those last 5 lbs" to something IMPORTANT, my life would surely be better. Collectively, if everyone had done the same... well, I bet we'd have world peace by now.

(Added note: I did tend to weigh in the 130's when I was younger, so maintaining this attitude is still a challenge.)

== and from http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic ... highlight= , just because I liked it, and don't want to lose it. :)

I sometimes listen to "Zencasts" on my iPod. (Zencast on iTunes, or go to http://amberstar.libsyn.com/) The teaching stories and metaphors often seem relevant to No-S (or any habit-change).

Some time ago, one of the teachers was talking about change, and used the metaphor of imagining a line, then imagining another 5 degrees off. Five degrees out of a circle's 360 seems like very little, and looks like nothing... at first. But as you follow the lines out, the change becomes more dramatic and noticeable over time. The divergence from the original path becomes more marked.

Even so, a small change, over time, can take you a far distance from your original path.

Some of us on this board are just starting. Their five degrees consist of the basic No-S habits, with no other changes. Perhaps even phasing in the new habits one at a time...

Others of us have been here over time, and are finding that our changed direction is becoming noticeable in ways we didn't expect. We tend to make healthier food choices, are more consistent, have different tastes in food, etc. Our initial 5 degrees marked a change in direction that has grown over time.

I really like this metaphor, because I have learned that it's important to make gradual changes. If they're too much, the initial enthusiasm burns out too quickly. So now, when I'm trying to make a lasting habit, I look for "5 degrees I can do." (And of course, when you add 5 degrees on top of an earlier 5 degrees, you can end up with AMAZING directional changes.)

/another bloggy post from KCCC

== (same thread, further down)
One piece of the "line" analogy that I don't think I made clear enough was that we should avoid comparing ourselves to people who are at different places on their own journey, or at least be ultra-careful about it - even when we're trying to help.

It's easy for new folks to look at the things long-term people are doing and think that it's required, or something they SHOULD do, and get discouraged. ("Look at all these people eating oatmeal. I don't even LIKE oatmeal! I thought you didn't have to do this kind of stuff?")

It's easy for long-term folks to give well-meaning advice that doesn't take into account "where people are." (I am sure I've done that. Embarassed ) Things that I consider "sweets" may be too stringent for a beginner... and not high on the overall priority list for them.

Thinking about the "5-degree slope" of the line is helpful in terms of evaluating how much "challenge" to offer or take on.
===

blueskighs
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Post by blueskighs » Sun Sep 28, 2008 11:53 pm

KCCC,

LOVE YOUR STORY thank you for sharing it so well and LOVE YOUR PEACEFUL, WISE, PERSEVERING, HONEST AND ENCOURAGING PRESENCE ON THE BOARDS!

Blueskighs
www.nosdiet.blogspot.com Where I blog daily about my No S journey

funfuture
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Post by funfuture » Mon Sep 29, 2008 2:20 am

Ditto from me - I've loved following all your messages and threads over the past 10 or so months, KCCC. Your input has been wonderful! Congratulations on getting to this point with NoS. :D

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bonnieUK
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Post by bonnieUK » Mon Sep 29, 2008 3:14 pm

Ditto from me too :)

You said:
At this point, I've decided I'm going to build good eating/exercise habits, and let my body be the weight it wants to be... and let go of it.
I really need to do this too!

I'm coming up to my 30th birthday and now realise that I've spent far too long being unhappy with my body, regardless of weight (In fact I can pinpoint the exact moment my body image issues started, it was at the age of 9 after a seemingly innocent joke from a relative about my "pot belly"). So I've spent 20 years obsessing about body issues and fod, and I really don't want to spend another 20 doing the same!

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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Mon Sep 29, 2008 3:14 pm

Dear KCCC,

I'm so happy you arranged this as a "best of..."

You've contributed so much wise, thoughtful, and generous advice to this bulletin board already -- there's nothing more helpful you could have done than consolidate and contextualize it as you've done here.

Thank you for being one of the pillars of this community. I do not at all take it for granted.

Reinhard

kccc
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Post by kccc » Wed Oct 01, 2008 3:46 pm

Aw, thanks, everyone!

I'm touched and glad if my ramblings have been helpful to others - the posts that others make have been so very helpful to me, that it's nice to feel that I've made some return. (I'd name names, but I'd forget someone. So many wise and helpful people here!)

I have learned so much from this board, and the changes in habits have affected other areas of my life so positively. For example, when I'm not eating to avoid tasks, I end up DOING them... and what a difference that makes!

In terms of stats, let me add that my WW goal was 143 (and they allow a 2-3lb "variance" at weigh-in, if I recall correctly). Prior to No-S, I lost to my goal TWICE and gained back to around 155 both times. I was on my way up again when I found No-S. The feelings of desperation which accompanied that weight were very intense. While a part of me still wants to get back into the 130's, I really am trying to let go of that and rejoice that I'm now very, very stable where I am, with minimal effort. (And who knows where it will go? I'm trying to cultivate a "mild curiosity" but keep my focus on habits.)

Thank you, Reinhard, and thank all of you who have contributed to this supportive community.

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la_loser
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Thanks

Post by la_loser » Sun Mar 08, 2009 3:23 pm

KCCC,

I just reread this wonderful post from top to bottom and thought it might be helpful to bring it back to the top for those new people who have posed some questions about No S recently. Your common sense, straight-forward message seems to bring the issues of the whether mods are necessary early on and others as well.

Also, it does me good to read over the other topics from the testimonials boards. Like a little mini pep rally in my brain.

Thanks for sharing and for being such an important voice here.
LA Loser. . . well on my way to becoming an LA Winner. :lol:

dementedAngel
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Post by dementedAngel » Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:15 am

KCCC, your story is quite similar to mine. I'm 42, a mom of a 3 year old and a 20 month old and have a full time job. I'm also a WW lifetime member since 2001. I've run 2 marathons. Um yeah... I'm up about 20 lbs (I haven't weighed in for a while) and I just can't seem to find time to run anymore. I'm walking at lunchtimes now, but I just can't use exercise to push me into good habits the way I used to.

I'm on day 2. I really think that I can do this. Have two little ones has induced a state of ADHD, but I think that this is simple enough to work and I'm already immensely relieved.
A.

kccc
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Post by kccc » Sat May 02, 2009 1:47 am

Good luck, dementedAngel. Look forward to seeing you on the main discussion board. :)

kccc
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Post by kccc » Wed Dec 02, 2009 1:32 am

It's been over a year since my last update, so thought I'd go ahead and post. This has been a relatively difficult year for me in terms of maintenance, which is why I've been posting on the No-S board relatively frequently.

Final count: I'm up to 148 (was 145 on my last check in; 143 was my WW goal weight).

My weight has bounced around 148 for a while now. Most of my difficulty has been stress-related. While I am learning to focus on alternative ways to nurture myself, eating is definitely one form of self-comfort still...and this year has involved a lot of change/stress. Last October, I was almost sick with worry over my disappearing job. The new-and-better job I ended up with in January entails a much longer commute, which means I sit more and have less time to cook healthy meals (plus it's got its own stresses). I've also had a good bit of travel, which always gets me (restaurant meals).

However... it could have been much worse. I could have easily packed on 10-15 pounds or more under these kinds of circumstances in the past, which would have added to the stress! No-S has helped me identify my emerging trouble-spots and work on them, over and over. (The bites, licks, and tastes habit I fell into. Restaurant meals. Just too many red days. S-days gone wild.) Each time I started to feel I was getting out of control, I was able to figure out the core problem and address it - there was always a key leverage point that I could clearly identify and work on. So, the sense of panic that used to accompany weight gain in the past just hasn't been part of the picture this time. I am truly grateful for that!

I still intend to get those few extra pounds off. However, I'll be happy with simply holding steady on my habits through the holidays. If that translates to holding steady on the scale as well, that's success enough for this time of year.

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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Wed Dec 02, 2009 9:27 pm

Thank you for the update, KCCC! (and your continued presence and wisdom on these boards).

I think under the circumstances, you've done great with no-s this year. Congratulations!

Reinhard

kccc
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Post by kccc » Fri Jul 09, 2010 8:49 pm

Just a quick update - I'm now back to 144 (at 5'7"). Doesn't sound like a lot of weight, but it makes a real difference in how my clothes fit and how I feel.

It got a bit worse before it got better - hit the low 150's. But after the holidays, minor tweaks led to slow-but-steady progress...with minimal panic. :)

No-S really lets me see what I'm doing, so I can find good leverage points.

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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Wed Jul 14, 2010 1:26 pm

KCCC,

Congratulations and thanks for the update!

It may not sound exciting, but "slow-but-steady progress...with minimal panic" is exactly what we should all be going for.

Reinhard

kerrycrow
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thank you for your story

Post by kerrycrow » Wed Jul 14, 2010 10:32 pm

Today is my first no S day, I am reading the book but not quite through.
I found this board and found your story personally inspiring!!!! Thank you for taking the time to post it.

Me:
Initials KC
WW lifetime member currently at 151, goal weight 142
5'7"
The last 1.5 years I have spent a tremendous amount of energy on these 10 pounds that I gained (due to injury, but I'm ok now). With no progress except time and energy lost. When I heard and started to read about no S it was as if a wave of relaxation went through my mind and body. I just want to stop counting stuff :) But I know I need some structure, AND I know snacking has been my biggest problem (and wine going hand in hand---!) I am loving all that I have read and your story especially helped me. I feel more hopeful today after reading this book and these boards than I have in a long time. I can feel good in my skin again, it will happen!!! And I will be a normal, happy person while I am doing it...not a crazed counting lady.

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