A year on No S - habits rather than diet dogma!
Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:44 pm
It’s been a year since I started No-S! I’ll try to keep this brief and use bullet points where possible:
Problems pre-No S
• The perception of feeling hungry all the time – I’ve always had a large appetite, but it was starting to get out of hand and affect my quality of life.
• Eating seconds and thirds virtually every dinner time.
• The sudden realisation that I was 6-7kgs heavier at the age of 28 than I was at the age of 22 and on a steady upward trend.
• Having occasional short-lived obsessions with some extreme diet which I couldn’t stick to (raw food diet, McDougall diet) – basically looking for a quick fix and then failing!
Luckily, I didn’t have any issues with sugar (I’d already dealt with sugar issues at the age of 19/20, when I eliminated virtually all refined sugar and refined flour foods in search of better health – I also went vegan at about the same time).
Getting started with No S
What I liked about No S was that it was about habits rather than the actual food, and I found it liberating to just concentrate on habits rather than worrying about some crazy diet dogma (cooked food is toxic, fat will kill you, carbs make you fat etc. etc.).
And, that in terms of appetite management and habits, changes happened very quickly, here is something from my daily check in after 1 month on No S:
“I think this No S ing is gradually reducing my appetite...(in the past) I'd feel a bit anxious if I didn't have at least 2 snacks in my lunch pack (for the workday). That anxious feeling has now gone and I feel fine with just lunch.â€
Changes since No S
Something that surprised me was that although I started the No S thing simply hoping to lose a bit of weight (or at least stop the trend of gaining weight) I experienced a few other positives too:
• In the first 6 months, I lost almost 3kgs and my body fat percentage went down from 29% to 27%.
• In the last 6 months, I’ve been steadily maintaining the same weight.
• I’ve experienced much better, more consistent energy levels.
• I’ve also experienced much less bloating (which I used to suffer as a result of overeating).
• My appetite has become more predictable and manageable.
What’s up now – continuing No S & having to re-think veganism
I’m going along quite well on No S, but had a few lapses recently due to some health issues (e.g. fatigue and teeth problems) which appears to be due to deficiencies in iron, vitamin B12 and possibly vitamin K2. I resorted to eating more carbs and even eating sugary snacks at times just to counteract the feelings of fatigue.
My only choice in resolving these health issues seemed to be to either add more supplements to my daily regimen (and I already take quite a few) or include some eggs into my diet as a natural way to cover these needs, so I was torn between the desire to stick to vegan principles and the desire to rely on real food rather than supplements. After some soul searching, I decided to go with the latter, so last week, I ate a few eggs (organic and free range or course) for the first time in 10 years! Though I must admit I’m not a fan of eggs, I have been feeling better since eating them, for example within a couple of days, the dark circles around my eyes which have been there since I started feeling unwell have cleared up significantly, and I no longer feel the need for 3 cups of coffee just to function normally, so it must be a good sign So now I plan to have a few eggs a week for the foreseeable future (my mum keeps chickens, so supplies should be easy to come by!). This change has also helped me get back on track with No S (e.g. now I no longer feel so tired and in need of quick fix food energy!).
Emotionally, this re-think of veganism was actually quite difficult, so I’m very grateful to the sense of structure that the No S diet provides while I adjust to the change. Once I’ve got my health issues straightened out, my main goal is to continue on the right track, and I’m confident now that No S is the way to do that
Edit Just realised I should probably put my stats in here for context. I'm 29, female, 5'6 - started out at 58kgs and am now 54-55kgs (approx figures - I'm not so strict about keeping track of my weight!).
Also, my No S plan was until recently 3 meals per day with no snacks, at the moment though I have 3 meals plus 1 "allowed" snack of either fruit (an apple or banana) or nuts (e.g. a handful of almonds or 2tbs dried coconut). I may go back to just 3 meals eventually though depending on how I feel.
Problems pre-No S
• The perception of feeling hungry all the time – I’ve always had a large appetite, but it was starting to get out of hand and affect my quality of life.
• Eating seconds and thirds virtually every dinner time.
• The sudden realisation that I was 6-7kgs heavier at the age of 28 than I was at the age of 22 and on a steady upward trend.
• Having occasional short-lived obsessions with some extreme diet which I couldn’t stick to (raw food diet, McDougall diet) – basically looking for a quick fix and then failing!
Luckily, I didn’t have any issues with sugar (I’d already dealt with sugar issues at the age of 19/20, when I eliminated virtually all refined sugar and refined flour foods in search of better health – I also went vegan at about the same time).
Getting started with No S
What I liked about No S was that it was about habits rather than the actual food, and I found it liberating to just concentrate on habits rather than worrying about some crazy diet dogma (cooked food is toxic, fat will kill you, carbs make you fat etc. etc.).
And, that in terms of appetite management and habits, changes happened very quickly, here is something from my daily check in after 1 month on No S:
“I think this No S ing is gradually reducing my appetite...(in the past) I'd feel a bit anxious if I didn't have at least 2 snacks in my lunch pack (for the workday). That anxious feeling has now gone and I feel fine with just lunch.â€
Changes since No S
Something that surprised me was that although I started the No S thing simply hoping to lose a bit of weight (or at least stop the trend of gaining weight) I experienced a few other positives too:
• In the first 6 months, I lost almost 3kgs and my body fat percentage went down from 29% to 27%.
• In the last 6 months, I’ve been steadily maintaining the same weight.
• I’ve experienced much better, more consistent energy levels.
• I’ve also experienced much less bloating (which I used to suffer as a result of overeating).
• My appetite has become more predictable and manageable.
What’s up now – continuing No S & having to re-think veganism
I’m going along quite well on No S, but had a few lapses recently due to some health issues (e.g. fatigue and teeth problems) which appears to be due to deficiencies in iron, vitamin B12 and possibly vitamin K2. I resorted to eating more carbs and even eating sugary snacks at times just to counteract the feelings of fatigue.
My only choice in resolving these health issues seemed to be to either add more supplements to my daily regimen (and I already take quite a few) or include some eggs into my diet as a natural way to cover these needs, so I was torn between the desire to stick to vegan principles and the desire to rely on real food rather than supplements. After some soul searching, I decided to go with the latter, so last week, I ate a few eggs (organic and free range or course) for the first time in 10 years! Though I must admit I’m not a fan of eggs, I have been feeling better since eating them, for example within a couple of days, the dark circles around my eyes which have been there since I started feeling unwell have cleared up significantly, and I no longer feel the need for 3 cups of coffee just to function normally, so it must be a good sign So now I plan to have a few eggs a week for the foreseeable future (my mum keeps chickens, so supplies should be easy to come by!). This change has also helped me get back on track with No S (e.g. now I no longer feel so tired and in need of quick fix food energy!).
Emotionally, this re-think of veganism was actually quite difficult, so I’m very grateful to the sense of structure that the No S diet provides while I adjust to the change. Once I’ve got my health issues straightened out, my main goal is to continue on the right track, and I’m confident now that No S is the way to do that
Edit Just realised I should probably put my stats in here for context. I'm 29, female, 5'6 - started out at 58kgs and am now 54-55kgs (approx figures - I'm not so strict about keeping track of my weight!).
Also, my No S plan was until recently 3 meals per day with no snacks, at the moment though I have 3 meals plus 1 "allowed" snack of either fruit (an apple or banana) or nuts (e.g. a handful of almonds or 2tbs dried coconut). I may go back to just 3 meals eventually though depending on how I feel.