One Year - 65.2 Pounds!

(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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Starla
Posts: 398
Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2009 4:55 pm

One Year - 65.2 Pounds!

Post by Starla » Tue Sep 07, 2010 6:51 pm

Today is my one-year anniversary of starting No S. I hope this testimonial helps someone, especially someone who is where I was a year ago. This is going to be long; sorry!

Just the Facts, Ma’am

I started on September 7, 2009, weighing 241 pounds and wearing size 20/22. Today I weigh 175.8, and my pants are size 14 and baggy. I’ve been surprised at how much my weight loss has varied month-to-month:

Month 1 – 7.5 pounds
Month 2 – 9 pounds
Month 3 – 9 pounds
Month 4 – 6.5 pounds
Month 5 – 3.2 pounds
Month 6 – 7.2 pounds
Month 7 – 4.2 pounds
Month 8 – 0.2 pounds
Month 9 – 4.6 pounds
Month 10 – 2.2 pounds
Month 11 – 11.4 pounds
Month 12 – 0.2 pounds

TOTAL: 65.2 pounds!

Thank You’s

First of all to Reinhard for devising this system and telling the world about it. Reinhard, I think you have literally saved my life. I enjoy words, but I know no word that means the amount of gratitude I feel. I have struggled with eating since I was about 15 years old – almost 40 years. As much as I love the weight loss, the peace and calm I feel about eating is even better. You have my profound thanks - forever.

The No S posters have cheered me on, comforted me, inspired me, challenged me, and made me laugh. What an incredibly kind and wise group of people! I’d love to name names, but I’m sure I’d miss someone. Thank you all!

My mother lost a good deal of weight on No S and had the great good sense not to talk to me about it until I asked. Thanks, Mom!

My friends, family and co-workers have been uniformly supportive.

Thanks to James Morrison for singing the song “One Last Chance,†which I listened to over and over again at the beginning when this was hard.

I Like Vanilla, It’s the Finest of the Flavors

I have done only strict Vanilla No S from the beginning – no modifications. This means I had no extra indulgences, but it also means I had no added restrictions. If it fit on a plate and wasn’t a sweet, it was OK on an N day. I DO eat much healthier than I used to; I have fruit and/or vegetables at almost every meal on N days. But I also have a bagel with peanut butter every morning, and I enjoy every bite. The only foods I have eliminated are foods I don’t like.

In 12 months I have had 4 failures.

S Days

I trusted this system from the beginning, and when long-timers (and Reinhard) said not to worry about S days, that was enough for me. I have had some excessive S days, but over time they moderated themselves naturally. I now have a special treat every S day. I have chocolate-covered almonds every Saturday, and usually a bakery treat or ice cream on Sunday. I frequently eat my treats in place of a meal, just because I don’t want that “stuffed†feeling. Healthy? No. I don’t care; it’s what works for me.

Non-Weekend S Days

I’m pretty stingy with these. The following were my non-weekend S days this past year:

November 26 – Thanksgiving
December 24 – Christmas Eve
December 25 – Christmas
January 1 – New Year’s Day
February 12 – Sick Day
March 12, 15 and 16 – vacation days surrounding a weekend
April 15 – birthday

So, 9 days in 12 months.

Why Me?

I’ve wondered why I’ve been successful at this when I’ve failed at so many other diets, and I’ve come up with two reasons. One of the bulletin board posters asked what separated the successful from the unsuccessful No S’ers, and one of the answers was “Desperation.†I was truly desperate. I was turning down activities because I was not sure I could physically do them. I could not stand to look at myself. I knew the people who loved me were worried about my health, but I pretended everything was OK. I strongly believe that this was my last chance to not only change my life, but to SAVE my life.

The second reason relates to an article that KCCC, I believe, posted. It boiled down to this: the one essential requirement to form a new habit is – doing the activity you want to make a habit. You can do it poorly; you can do it wrong, but you have to do it. I was nothing if not consistent. I had times where I was eating big meals, unhealthy meals, synthetic meals, etc. I had to learn a lot about how to eat. But I kept to three meals per day, one plate per meal. I believe consistency was the foundation of success.

Exercise

Oh, exercise. How I love thee. Or hate thee, depending on how the rest of my life is going. This is where I struggle; when I’m stressed it’s the first thing out the door. The exercise routine that works best for me is this: exercise a minimum of 5 days/week. I take walks on weekend mornings, weather permitting (52 minutes). I walk on the treadmill a couple days per week. I do more intense walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes, and this is the most physically demanding exercise I do. I also try to do a weight-training routine with my embarrassing 3-pound hand weights. This has really made a difference in how I feel and look. However, I will never, ever, swing a sledgehammer around the house, no matter how many sweaters it’s wrapped in!

Markers

This section is devoted to people like me, who have a LOT of weight to lose. You may be reading this and think “Crap! I can do this for a year and still be fat!†First of all, YES! You can do this for a year! And the next year! And the year after that! I think I’m pretty well set for the rest of my life, and it’s a stress-free, painless, enjoyable way to eat. I love my food, especially since I can eat it without guilt or recrimination.

Now to the second part of that sentence. I imagine most fat people, like me, have markers – weights connected to specific achievements or memories. Here were mine:

241 – starting weight
239 – yay, I’m in the 230’s!
233 – what I weighed the last time I was weighed at a doctor’s office
231 – 10 pounds lost!
229 - I’m in the 220’s!
225 – my starting weight the last time I lost a lot of weight on Slim-Fast
221 – 20 pounds gone!
219 – I’m in the 210’s!
211 – I’ve lost 30 pounds!
209 – single digits!
201 – wow! 40 pounds!
199 – OMG! My weight begins with the number 1!
191 – 50 freaking pounds lost
189 – 180s. Yippee!
187 – the lowest weight I’ve been in at least 15 years
181 – 60 pounds
179 – I can’t believe I’m in the 170’s

My point is, there are rewards all along the way. I think I was as happy when I lost 10 pounds as I was when I hit 50 pounds. This slow, permanent weight loss is SO worth it.

My Life Now

I enjoy almost every meal. I love the way my body works. I take long walks and think about how lucky I am to be in this beautiful world. I’m starting to think of myself as a sexual being again. I’m happy. None of this was true a year ago.

If you’ve read this whole thing – thanks! I’ll post another update in a year.

dmarie710
Posts: 249
Joined: Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:48 am
Location: Temecula

Post by dmarie710 » Tue Sep 07, 2010 10:19 pm

wonderful and inspiring. Good for you and congrats on an amazing achievement.
Denise
Denise
restart No S on 4/1 at 132#
goal is 120-123# doing vanilla NoS with Eat Stop Eat on Monday.

vmsurbat
Posts: 499
Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2008 6:12 am
Location: Montenegro

Post by vmsurbat » Wed Sep 08, 2010 5:39 am

Congratulations!

As another successful, right-from-the-start vanilla NoSer, I absolutely, 100% agree with this statement:
I Like Vanilla, It’s the Finest of the Flavors

I have done only strict Vanilla No S from the beginning – no modifications. This means I had no extra indulgences, but it also means I had no added restrictions. If it fit on a plate and wasn’t a sweet, it was OK on an N day. I DO eat much healthier than I used to; I have fruit and/or vegetables at almost every meal on N days. But I also have a bagel with peanut butter every morning, and I enjoy every bite. The only foods I have eliminated are foods I don’t like.
It has been true for me--I've eaten all kinds of wonderful, non-diet, non-sweet food on my Ndays. I, too, have improved the composition of my meals over the months (and mine were pretty good to start with). But the simplicity of Vanilla NoS, and learning to make simplicity work, are what enable me to be a successful NoSer for life. Why wouldn't I just continue on? I eat great meals, enjoyable meals, with no fuss, no muss, and lose weight!

Thanks for your inspiring testimony--reading it was a great way to start my day!
Vicki in MNE
7! Yrs. with Vanilla NoS, down 55+lb, happily maintaining and still loving it!

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~reneew
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Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:20 pm
Location: midwest US

Post by ~reneew » Wed Sep 08, 2010 2:49 pm

Wow, thank you so so much for sharing! We all need to hear the successes. You have inspired me to officially go back to Vanilla and skip all of the other add-ons I keep adding... the amendments. No more~ I am vanilla. Thank you very much for your story, and it wasn't by any means too long! I send you a ((((hug))))
I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

philagirl
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 4:31 pm

amazing testimony

Post by philagirl » Wed Sep 08, 2010 5:44 pm

just wanted to say thanks for posting it...also I have started on Sept 7th 2010!!! :D

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machelle
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Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2010 10:52 pm

Post by machelle » Thu Sep 09, 2010 4:36 pm

WOW! Starla, thank you so much for posting this. Incredible weight loss!!!! I am more than just a little encouraged to read your success story since I am just starting on this journey myself. Congratulations to you. This must have been such an exhilarating year for you. I don't have that much to lose, but nonetheless, it makes me feel horrible about myself. You have certainly given me hope.
8/31/10 Start.
Starting weight: 134.5
Current weight: 132.5
~~ Goal: 115 ~~

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sophiasapientia
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Location: Michigan

Post by sophiasapientia » Thu Sep 09, 2010 11:26 pm

Starla -- Wow! 65.2 pounds!!!! That's incredible!!! :D :D Congratulations on your tremendous success & thank you for sharing your inspirational story ....
Restarted No S (3rd times a charm!) January 2010 at 145 lbs

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reinhard
Site Admin
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Location: Cambridge, MA
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Post by reinhard » Mon Sep 13, 2010 1:24 pm

Staria,

Congratulations and THANK YOU for letting us know -- and in such detail, too. It's very helpful to read about how you saw things along the way, and not just from the mountaintop of your incredible success. These are seriously impressive numbers, and I'm happy to hear good old vanilla no-s was all it took. Your non-weekend s-day report is very interesting; tightening up on these might be a good "not quite mod" strategy for people who are having trouble seeing results on strict vanilla no-s.

Best of luck and looking forward to your next report,

Reinhard

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gratefuldeb67
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Location: Great Neck, NY

Post by gratefuldeb67 » Mon Sep 13, 2010 2:30 pm

Wow!! Congratulations Starla!! Great work!! :D
There is no Wisdom greater than Kindness

Too solid flesh
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Joined: Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:22 pm
Location: England

Post by Too solid flesh » Mon Sep 13, 2010 7:15 pm

Starla, that is fantastic! Congratulations. And what a wonderful, inspiring post.
Be kind, for everybody you meet is fighting a hard battle.

Eileen7316
Posts: 140
Joined: Thu Jul 14, 2005 10:59 pm
Location: Florida

Post by Eileen7316 » Tue Sep 14, 2010 12:08 am

I believe this is the single most inspiring post I've read on NoS. There is a great community here, with wonderful, smart people that post amazing things, but this one did it for me.

Starla, I am committing to six months of this program (no changing my mind or turning back) because of your encouraging post.

I've known about NoS for over 5 years, but never really given it a true try. I started my vanilla Nos yesterday, and I'm keeping the fence around the law!

Congratulations! Maybe you would consider sharing before and after photos?
Eileen

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harpista
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Joined: Tue May 02, 2006 9:13 pm
Location: Stouffville, Ontario, Canada

Post by harpista » Tue Sep 14, 2010 6:28 pm

Awesome! :shock: :shock: :shock:

You have given me new determination. I don't know why I didn't think anything could work any longer... as No S has worked for me before!! ... but this post has convinced me to get serious and give it a real go, and now I'm thinking "I can succeed" too!

CONGRATULATIONS on your success! :)
Nulla palma sine pulvere.
'No garland of victory without first the dust of the arena.'

Sometimesians, unite!

kccc
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Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:12 am

Post by kccc » Tue Sep 14, 2010 6:41 pm

Wonderful story and summary, Starla! Thanks so much for sharing!

(I don't track my NWS-days as well as you, but mine would probably look very similar. Except on vacation, I do this funny "one S-event per day IF there's something worth it" variation - they should probably all count as a string of NWS-days.)

Congratulations on your weight loss, and on most especially on your growing enjoyment of food and life. :)

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DaveMc
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Post by DaveMc » Wed Sep 15, 2010 4:40 pm

Great to hear, Starla, and congratulations!

scgal
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Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2009 2:07 am

Post by scgal » Tue Sep 21, 2010 9:22 pm

Great inspiring post! I love what you said about your N days and keeping it to foods you like. Congratulations on your success!

Ms
Posts: 61
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2009 2:19 pm

Post by Ms » Tue Oct 12, 2010 10:53 am

wow! your post is inspiring. You were so disciplined too. Wonderful. Congratulations!!!

minimizer
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Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2009 11:49 pm

Post by minimizer » Sat Oct 16, 2010 3:03 pm

Wow! CongratulationS! I appreciate all the detail and you are truly inspiring.

mime
Posts: 39
Joined: Tue May 27, 2008 5:54 pm

Post by mime » Mon Mar 28, 2011 3:38 pm

Thanks for posting your success! It is great motivation for others, plus it is great to share success. I really like that you posted your monthly weight loss, it shows how much loss can vary month to month.
Mime

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NoSRocks
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Joined: Sun Jan 17, 2010 12:51 am

Post by NoSRocks » Sat Apr 23, 2011 11:46 pm

FANTASTIC JOB, STARLA! Thanks so much for posting!!! Looking forward to your next update !
No S-er since December 2009
Streamlined S Days: 6/25/12
SW: 170 /CW: 127
Weight loss to date: 43 lbs

Mrandy1
Posts: 72
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2011 5:44 am
Location: New York City

Post by Mrandy1 » Tue Apr 26, 2011 2:04 am

Totally impressive!
Mrandy1

Starting weight 3/20/2011: 176
Weight as of 4/23/2011. 169.8
Weight as of 5/5/2011. 169.5
goal BMI 24.9 = 164 lbs

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