Still NO S'ing...

(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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3aday
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Still NO S'ing...

Post by 3aday » Sun Nov 30, 2008 4:57 pm

This is something I posted in May of this year....

I started in Dec 2005 (more like Jan 2006) but it wasn't until 2007 that I chose the No S lifestyle.
I only recently started posting again after the book came out to encourage the new No S'ers. I didn't want them to make the same mistake I did by not doing it when they first didn't see results. I can't imagine how much sooner I would have found peace if I didn't start and stop.
It does become automatic after several months and you really no longer feel the need to post. Lately, I feel like posting because it's my way of life and I wanted others to see how wonderful the No S lifestyle is.

When I started No S, it was "Half Essed".
I was still in dieting mode.
I then stopped and started other diets and tried to incorporate additional rules which all backfired.
When I finally made a mental decision to do Vanilla No S, I began to have success after several months.
The first few months I didn't really lose but my body changed shape.
Then, out of nowhere, I started to lose (once No S was habit).

Below is an post from about a month ago which I will repost:

I have to add this disclaimer: When I first started in 2006, I was THE WORST NO S'ER SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME!

Most of 2007 I spiraled into "other diets" insanity...and then I made a conscious decision to just buckle down and do it.

It wasn't easy at first (I wish I could lie) but it can be done.

Reinhard was right when he wrote it can take like 12 attempts.
I think it took me like a 112 attempts.
Well, maybe 1112 attempts.
But, when you can get your mind on board, it becomes easy as cake!
(Which you can't have Monday through Friday!) Razz

and

It is amazing how this lifestyle is when you just make a commitment that eating between meals or after dinner is not an option.
I started No S and it took me months and months to even get on track.
I started in 2006 and I did not create any boundaries at all. My posts back then are embarrassing!
Then, I became obsessed with diets again. I did everything. I started eating a vegetarian diet, then a vegan diet, then back to a low carb diet, then only organic eating, then trying to eat when you are hungry and stopping when you are full and you know what happenned? I didn't lose weight and was eating all the time and I was back to focusing on food, weight, and diets.
Finally, one day, I said to myself...eating in between meals is not an option. You can train your hunger. You really can.
My manifesto: Eating more than one plate of food is not an option. Soda and juice during the week is not an option. Dessert Monday through Friday....not an option.
I started eating 3 adult meals a day and that's it. I didn't use little plates, I didn't count my bites (which I have done), I didn't eat a fistful of food. I ate a normal size plate of food.
After I did the first month, there was no willpower involved. Just habit.
I have peace with food. I have peace with my body being able to heal itself slowly. I have also incorporated the power of habit into other areas of my life.
Please realize, this works. Don't be discouraged if you don't lose weight right away. If you have been on diets for years or decades...it can take a long time to start losing but once you start, it will be gradual and consistent.
Developing the habit of eating 3 meals a day without snacking does great things for your mind, your self esteem, and your confidence. It is truly amazing. The day will come when you start having to buy smaller clothes and your body will adjust to the weight it wants to be.
I posted this because it is my wish that you go full force in the beginning.
Don't waste months and months like I did and put extra unnecessary rules like I did (weighing, measuring, focusing on what I could and couldn't eat).
You deserve much more than dieting insanity and madness and your body and state of mind will thank you for it.
Also, for a few months I had some unbelievable S days. But, the habits you develop during your N days really do carry over to your S days.
Now, I stick to 3 meals on the weekend and usually my S days consist of dessert or some caffeinated sugary goodness in cup.
I try to compare this to quitting smoking. I tried 8 million gazillion times to quit. I tried everything, but when I quit cold turkey the option to take a puff was gone.
It was painful and hard, but I survived. The first week was the hardest (like No S). But, overtime, you resolve gets stronger and you don't smoke.
You can do this. Have faith in your ability to create habits and don't rely on your emotions.
I pray that someone reads this post and they stop spending time on trying to figure out why they eat emotionally and just develop the habit of eating 3 meals a day. You will have more time living and finding your purpose and your life will thank you for it.
I think of all my fellow No Ser's and I send you positive thoughts and blessings your way. YOU CAN DO THIS!

3aday
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Post by 3aday » Sun Nov 30, 2008 5:02 pm

Here is part of one of my older posts:

Because of No S....
I no longer count calories.
I don't weigh or measure.
I don't freak out if I go to someones house for dinner and they make lasagna and garlic bread and I am on a "diet".
I always eat within hunger and fullness.
I eat real food.
I give food it's proper focus.
I give life it's proper focus.
I can devote my time to living life, dealing with issues I avoided for 20 years, and learning how to cope again.
When I used to count calories and journal, my focus was 100% on my diet, my food plan, what I could eat, what I could not eat.
Frankly, counting calories and journaling fueled my food and dieting obsession and made it impossible for me to stick to a plan, any plan, even No S (because when I started NO S, I counted calories and snacked and was unsuccessful until I actually followed the actual rules of No S.) My focus was on nothing but food!

Not every plan works for every person.
For me, Reinhard's version of No S is the plan I chose to follow and have had success with.

There are just three rules and one exception:

* No Snacks
* No Sweets
* No Seconds

Except (sometimes) on days that start with "S"

What works for me:
Real sugar, real fat, one plate of food.
Plain and Simple

3 meals a day, living in between.

3aday
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Post by 3aday » Sun Nov 30, 2008 5:07 pm

I also want to add that I currently journaling throughout the holiday season.
Habit is pretty powerful for me, but I am human too!
The holiday season can be pretty tempting for me but having built a powerful habit with No S, I am pretty certain I can get through this season!

Here is my first post from my holiday check in:

Well, it's that time of year again.
Even though I am a No S devotee and pretty much stick to habit now, this time of year brings all types of temptation for me and the irresistible urge to be a slacker in my exercise routine.
HABIT is soooo powerful but I know how easy it to falter when everyone is offerring delicious goodies at work and holiday gatherings between Thanksgiving and New Years Day.
I want to keep myself motivated and accountable through this holiday season.
In fact, I rejoined Leslie Sansone's Walk Club a few days ago so I can participate in the Walk Challenges and follow her monthly walk schedule.
December's walk schedule is GREAT. It's full of one milers and short workouts that are quick enough to stay consistent until January 1st.
I plan on doing their Annual Black Friday/Post Thanksgiving Boot Camp from Friday through Sunday to kick off the December challenge.
I also plan on listing my meals for accountability.
The medication I am currently on has slightly elevated my blood pressure so I need to make sure that I follow No S and walk FAITHFULLY this holiday season.
Last year was pretty good for me but I did fall off the wagon a couple of times.
I want this season to be my season of Mental and Physical Olympics and true Thanksgiving, not just on one day

Off topic:
I do also want to add that I am am back to adding a little sugar to my coffee and tea. The longer I am on No S, the more I learn what works for me.

3aday
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Post by 3aday » Sun Nov 30, 2008 5:17 pm

Omigosh, I can't stop posting.
Forgive me.
FYI, I do have before and after pictures too.
But, I am too embarrassed to post them on a bulletin board.
Maybe I will in time.

Gosh, I feel pretty self absorbed with all this posting about me!

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la_loser
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Post by la_loser » Sun Nov 30, 2008 5:22 pm

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for this affirmation. I have been No-Sing since the summer and although I really feel like I've been "honest" on my Habitcal by recording RED days when I failed to earn a GREEN, I've yet to see any appreciable change either on the scales or in the way my clothing fits. (And no, I'm not weighing everyday!)

I'm clearly convinced of the philosophy that this will work--or I wouldn't be posting often and encouraging others! Still, after five months, I'm growing weary of being patient.

Your post today has reignited my resolve to stay with this. It's reassuring to know that for some people it may take more time. I do remember back in the day that the first couple of times I ever tried to lose weight that it dropped off pretty easily. I'm guessing at my age, it's just going to be a lot slower than I would like.

Your timing couldn't have been better; I lay awake last night trying to figure out how I could combine No S principles with one of those restrictive diets that I've done and I just knew that wasn't an answer.

So I'm hereby resolving to be vigilant this month and see if my Christmas gift to myself could be a little less of me!

Thanks again for your encouraging post! And as I previewed my response, I saw your additional posts--all right on and helpful. And please don't feel self-absorbed. It seems to me you're sharing the good news to help the rest of us "get it."
LA Loser. . . well on my way to becoming an LA Winner. :lol:

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gratefuldeb67
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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Sun Nov 30, 2008 6:33 pm

Way to go Becky!!!!
I am very proud of you for never giving up even through all your months of "Half Essing"
I always was rooting for you that you would come around to embrace NoS fully. I'm very happy for you and appreciate you being here!!
Love,
:wink: Debs x
There is no Wisdom greater than Kindness

3aday
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Post by 3aday » Sun Nov 30, 2008 6:58 pm

Deb, you were instrumental in keeping me focused until I caught on. I can't thank you enough.
I feel like I am so different from 2 (actually almost 3) years ago...
From Half S'ing to No S Vigilante!

3aday
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Post by 3aday » Sun Nov 30, 2008 7:03 pm

LA WINNER! I am glad my post reignited your resolve.
I actually wasn't going to post but I decided "what the heck"!
It's not easy writing about myself (even though you would never get that from my posts". Sooooo.....I am glad that I was able to help someone.
No S can be painfully slow but you are actually doing a maintenance plan and not a diet so results are slower than with other plans.
But this is sustainable, lifetime program for me.
YOU CAN DO THIS!

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la_loser
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Thanks again.

Post by la_loser » Sun Nov 30, 2008 7:22 pm

Thanks much for all your insight--you included a lot of info that will help many of us! Hearing from those who have hung around for awhile and found sustainable success is very affirming to me and I'm sure to others as well.

Congratulations!
LA Loser. . . well on my way to becoming an LA Winner. :lol:

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rpm
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Post by rpm » Sun Nov 30, 2008 9:08 pm

Wow, the wisdom that is in this thread is priceless! I am convinced that for me, vanilla No S is the way to go.
René
Taking care of me, one No S Day at a time!

blueskighs
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Post by blueskighs » Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:24 am

Becky,

thank you for so abundantly sharing your No S experience. When I first started on NO S I always looked for your posts and found them very supportive, sane and inspiring!

Your "story" is very important. You will inspire many more people by posting your testimonial here. It will be nice to have you "back" for the holidays,

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

Kathleen
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Post by Kathleen » Mon Dec 01, 2008 4:25 am

3aday,

How do people figure out that regular diets are "fools gold" and don't last in the long run? Perhaps personal experience of diet failure after diet failure is the most compelling reason to stay on the diet.

Your testimony, I bet, will be very encouraging to people, so they don't need any more diet failures before they commit to this diet.

Kathleen

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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Mon Dec 01, 2008 4:19 pm

Forgive you? This is wonderful!

Thank you -- and congratulations!

This might even be the paradigmatic "testimonial." There is so much wonderful stuff hiding in people's daily checking threads -- making one's testimonial a "best of" powerfully leverages this existing wisdom.

Reinhard

3aday
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Post by 3aday » Wed Dec 03, 2008 6:23 pm

I posted this in my daily check-in today....

On another note, this morning I went back to my doctor's for a followup appointment.
My husband was with me.
Anyway, the doctor said "I am happy with your weight. It's still going down. In fact, it's gone down 5 pounds since your last appointment!"
(Which was two weeks ago).
I was so excited.
Now, I never put any emphasis on my weight. And, I want to add, I never lose 5 pounds even in a month. (My loss has been slow and steady).
But anyway, it was enough to make me super excited.
I still have to take my medication for a health issue I am going through and my high blood pressure still gets elevated from the medication, but my doctor said it was not related to my weight or diet and she knows I exercise.
I told her that I have been following No S and explained the diet to her.
She thought it was just great.
She has been my doctor for a couple of years now so she knows me very well.
She said she was happy with the changes I have made.
Also, her reaction to the No S diet absolutely made my day. She seemed very impressed.
I go back to see her the first week of January and when I left she told me to keep doing what I am doing!

kccc
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Post by kccc » Thu Dec 04, 2008 2:39 am

What wonderful news!

Thank you for pulling all of your posts together - reading them sort of in sequence, like a story, is really powerful! And you describe the effects of No-S so well!

3aday
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Post by 3aday » Fri Dec 05, 2008 11:39 pm

Thanks soooo much for everyone's kind words.
I appreciate it so much.
Thank you!

Blessings to all!

starflower
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Post by starflower » Sat Dec 06, 2008 1:07 am

Reading your posts inspires me to be as strict as I can with "No S", right from the start. You've been there, so I am taking your advice and not reinventing the wheel. Thank you.

3aday
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Post by 3aday » Sat Dec 13, 2008 1:03 am

Awww, thank you.

I actually purchased two extra copies of the No S Diet book.

I am going to give one to her when I see her in January. Hopefully she can look at it and encourage some of her other patients with this sensible approach. I know my blood sugar has been great since doing No S and I put sugar in my coffee and tea now!

She is fit and practices the No Snacks approach. A few years ago when I developed a serious case of a cellulitis infection in my toe because of my blood sugar and bad shoes...she encouraged me to lose weight. She is pro-protein and pro-weights and she mentioned that she only eats breakfast and dinner. She said she eats a good breakfast with eggs and veggies which sustains her all day long. I'm sure alot of it became habit for her.

Anyway, she is an amazing doctor and her personality and support is so incredible. I always say "Is there anywhere I can go to nominate you 'Doctor of the World!'" She just laughs and hugs me as she escorts me out the door!

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Nichole
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Post by Nichole » Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:34 pm

I love this post; thank you. I hope my latest attempt at No S can cure my obsession, just as you have overcome your obsession.
"Anyone can cook." ~ Chef Gusteau, Ratatouille

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MysteryLover
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Post by MysteryLover » Wed Apr 01, 2009 5:48 pm

I just wanted you to know that I absolutely loved this post! I wish I had read it when I first found No S last month, but better late than never. I especially liked your quote: 3 meals a day, living in between. It's such a shame all the time I wasted planning meals, journaling & just plain stressing over my food intake. No S certainly does free up a lot more time to spend on more important things like family, hobbies & housework. Thanks for sharing.
--Gina (a.k.a MysteryLover)
03/01/2017: 195.2
Current: 174.6
Goal: 145.0

burbanum
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Post by burbanum » Fri Apr 17, 2009 5:01 pm

OK so i am day 5 in NOS and have made it so far...however I would so be lying if i did not say it is really hard. today especially as it is riday and i want to just have a sweet or snack so bad...i just made some coffee with milk and a little sugar to hold me over until lunch in about 30 minutes...when does it start to get easier and more habit like? how many weeks until i am not thinking CONSTANTLY about next meal, or s day etc...i have enjoyed eating real meals, not mini meals, but terribly miss the chocolate i allowed almost daily and night snacks...help!!!

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Post by TexArk » Fri Apr 17, 2009 7:48 pm

It does get better. Some of us have been surprised when we have gone back and read our earlier posts. Most all of them have to do with how hard it is and how hungry we are and we ask for help from others concerning making it to the next meal.

For now, I would suggest eating enough at each meal and have a glass a milk or juice if you think you just can't make it inbetween. LALoser has a good recipe for H2Orange that got me through the first couple of weeks. Also reread the book and listen to the podcasts for motivation.

Just stay with it and before you know it you will forget all about eating except at meals. You will surprise yourself one day when your body gets retrained. Your grocery bill might even go down. And there certainly are fewer decisions to make.

3aday
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Post by 3aday » Wed May 20, 2009 1:38 am

It does get better! Trust me!
I wish you all the best of luck on this plan.
Don't give up!
Blessings,
Becky

Grace
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Just the push I needed!

Post by Grace » Wed Jun 03, 2009 3:09 pm

Thank you Becky for everything you shared --- it was *just* what I needed to hear! By the way, your diet (and 'no diet' diet) history sounds just like mine. I've yo yo dieted since I was 13 years old and I'm 44 years old now. Recently, even though I *know* I can't maintain it for life, I found myself tempted to start back on WW (because it's a guaranteed 1-2 lb. weekly weight loss). The thing is, I *hate* counting anything now and even when I was on WW and got down to a good-looking weight for on me, I KNEW I couldn't maintain it for life. With No-S, I *know* this is a way of life I can live with. I just battle the mindset "I can't believe I weigh 171 lbs. I've never weighed this much in my life (I'm 5'4). I've GOT to get this weight off NOW!!" After reading your posts, they all rang so true for me. I've got to realize that it's going to take time, but I need to have the right mindset going into NO-S. I love the "____ is not an option" refrain. I will definitely be saying this to myself a lot. I have tried to start No-S a few times, but I'm beginning No-S afresh today (after weeks of not doing anything, but gaining weight) and I have copied your posts and will be going back to them as I need to as I make the No-S rules habits in my life. Thank you for the encouragement and for everthing you shared. I know there are many others who needed to hear what you said. I know I did!
:) Naomi (aka Grace)
I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me! :)

Burnergirl
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Thank you!

Post by Burnergirl » Thu Jun 11, 2009 2:34 am

I've just signed on... and am finding the testimonials quite inspiring. It's hard to accept that I can do this slowly... don't have to rush. I'm a few days in and finding it very easy to stick with. I've never been much of a snacker anyway, and my sweet tooth is limited to dark chocolate now and then... seconds and trying extreme approaches have been my down falls. I read this book, and it just made such perfect sense. What a neat approach...eat normally, what you like, just limit the how much and the how often. Perfect!
I hope to be able to report success sooner than later... but it's liberating to not worry if I'm having too many carbs, or not enough fiber, etc...this fits me to a T.
Thanks!!!
Take each day one at a time... Life is to be enjoyed.

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la_loser
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Welcome!

Post by la_loser » Thu Jun 11, 2009 2:47 am

Burnergirl--welcome! You're right--this thing is simple and so sensible. And the freedom you feel is amazing. . . you just have to be really patient. . . but it does work as 3aday's thread attests as do many more.

Don't be a stranger.
LA Loser. . . well on my way to becoming an LA Winner. :lol:

Burnergirl
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Another good day..

Post by Burnergirl » Thu Jun 11, 2009 1:21 pm

Thanks for the welcome L.A...nice to hear from you. It is easy...and I'm not even worried about what 'treat' to enjoy on the weekend... I'm sure I will, but I'm not missing anything now, so it's not worrying me. That was one of my concerns... that I'd be so focused on intake during the week, that I'd go nuts on the weekend...I've got the next two weekends booked with 'go away' plans... and I'm quite confident that I'll enjoy them fully without upping the scale.
Have a good one! Cheers!
:lol:
Take each day one at a time... Life is to be enjoyed.

ShirleyHeineman
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"A way of living with food..finally"

Post by ShirleyHeineman » Mon Sep 14, 2009 12:17 am

I just found this eating plan the last week in August and the book is amazing. I finally feel food will be and can be put in perspective...finally!!!!I like obeying during the week and feeling that I am following somekind of plan, and then on week-ends and special days being able to eat if I want to. I am in awe of this plan. I usually want to lose 100 lbs TODAY but I feel this just might be okay, to take it easy and still enjoy favorites without counting calories, writing it all down, measuring, etc. The burden feels lifted, knowing that each day is successful just in being obedient. I truly pray that this works.

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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Wed Sep 16, 2009 12:03 pm

Welcome Shirley!

Glad you liked the book -- hope No-s winds up working for you.

Best,

Reinhard

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Dandelion
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Post by Dandelion » Tue Sep 29, 2009 3:14 am

Thanks so much for posting this. It's just what I needed.

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