Everyday Systems

I was really excited when I found NoS about a year ago. WOW! What a concept, to just ignore all the diet "experts" and simply eat like a NORMAL person...

I still love the approach. Weight loss was slow, but I didn't have an awful lot to lose, and my eating habits weren't too bad to start with. After about 4 months, I hit a plateau and decided to not worry too much about it, just continue with the program and give my body some time to adjust.

In July, I did buy a sledge hammer and fell in love with Shovelglove, especially its results. After only the third day of using it, my husband made his first comment that I sure was looking good. Of course, by that time I had lost about 15 pounds as well, but it was still a definite encouragement.

In September, life happened. I travelled 700 miles away from my family to help care for a relative dying from cancer. The expected few days turned into six weeks. And then shortly after I arrived back home, a close friend who was diagnosed two years ago took a nosedive and died as well. Talk about stress and temptations to pig out...

However, through it all, at least TRYING to follow NoS kept things somewhat reasonable. Very few days were completely green, but neither were they all-out binges. Daily walks and Shovelglove were an outlet to keep me sane rather than a way to burn calories.

Two rules proved lifesaving:

(1) No random eating. Even when I failed at the basic No Snacks rule, trying to keep to 3 meals prevented total chaos.

(2) Drink lots of water, but no water bottle allowed. I had to force myself to get up and walk into the kitchen to get a glass of water for a REAL drink, no sips here and there. It is amazing what a difference this rule made in my total daily movement, and how much of a mental break just leaving the sick room for even one minute provided.

And then it was the holidays...

My HabitCal is still far from totally green. But it IS getting better. At present the hardest rule for me to keep is No Seconds.

Even during a highly stressful time, thanks to NoS my weight has remained stable within a 5-pound range for 7 months. Would I like it to be lower? Of course. But I am thrilled that at least I did not gain, and my BMI is considered Normal rather than Overweight. I also know that my portions have NOT been quite so elegant as of late. There is definitely room for improvement without feelings of deprivation, and I am looking forward to another year with NoS.

Thank you so much for sharing. I'm sorry to hear of your loss but I'm happy that you we're able to find ways to care for yourself as well. No-s is just so gosh darn sensible.

Thanks for this thoughtful checkin!

I'm sorry you've had such a difficult year -- but glad that no-s helped. Especially in stressful times, "maintenance is progress," and it's great that you recognize that.

Best of luck in 2015,

Reinhard

I am browsing after a hiatus. Condolences on your losses, but so glad to hear that you felt you had the foundation of eating to keep it from getting too crazy. I've had my falls, but No S has also supported me through some very trying times. It's amazing that we can forget that things are actually better when we stick to the "comfort" of moderation. (I'm talking to myself.)

Sorry for your losses! Structured self-care, which NoS is a part of for me, can be helpful as you proof.

Year 2 UPDATE: Another year of success sort of following NoS!

Soon after posting this testimonial last year, I got serious and actually followed vanilla NoS for awhile. But my weight remained stable, and I knew I needed to figure out ELEGANT portion sizes. So for awhile I counted bites and was thoroughly shocked at how little food really is a decent portion for my body and activity level.

Without any particular goal in mind, I conducted an experiment paying more attention to just how I felt eating less and less food within the framework of NoS. Within a few months I found a "good" level of hunger (just hungry enough for the next meal), and dropped the bite counting. I began to see numbers on the scale I haven't seen since 2003!

Then just before the holidays, we brought a newborn foster baby home from the hospital. I dropped Shovelglove in favor of lifting & carrying this other weight that was 7 lbs. & daily growing. My activity level in no way resembled what it had been for the previous 6 months and I would have STARVED had I not begun eating more. Habitwise the holidays were terrible, and yes, I definitely overdid the upward adjustment.

But my weight remains within the normal range, I am at peace with food, and NoS gives me the framework of sanity I need to live life without having to give food more attention than it deserves.

Thanks for the update.

Congratulations on your continued success and the blessings of a new foster baby! I am with you in that I find NoS *doable* for the long haul, with all life's ups and downs.

Congratulations, elegantportions! This is great news all around. Watch it with the baby lifting, though -- it's far more dangerous than shovelglove, I've found.

I'm so impressed at your patient,, effective self-observation -- and delighted that No-s could provide a framework for it.

Best to you and your growing family in year 3,

Reinhard

Congrats on your success and your blessings--isn't sanity wonderful?

So happy for you, elegantportions! Enjoy your foster baby .