Everyday Systems

I am not sure if I have posed anything here yet, but I have read quite a bit. I have used the No-S diet since August, when I found the book on a free book cart in a bookstore in Mass. Our van had broken down in Boxborough on the way to a family camping trip in Maine.

Amazingly, I actually enjoyed reading a dieting book. It was well-written, often funny, and seemed rooted in common sense. Since I work in the Liberal Arts as a teacher, I also began to notice that what this system seemed to encourage is a chief goal of the Liberal Arts: virtue. Reinhard's book seemed to encourage the cardinal virtues of temperance and prudence, and as a result, his system also had more utilitarian results: weight loss and healthier life. And every time I read passages to my very slim, health conscious Austrian wife, she told me that she had been trying to tell me the same things for 20 years. This, too, was a good sign.

Reinhard's approach seemed to give a voice to our non-obese ancestors -- he gave a "vote" to the dead and listened to what they had to teach us about diet and living. He listened to the voice of tradition: "Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about." -G.K. Chesterton

Right before finding this book in August, I weighed 208 pounds (at 5', 8"), and last week I hit a milestone: 192. This is without any "organized" exercise, although I certainly burn calories while teaching. I never sit down, as I am probably riddled with ADHD, OCD, and caffeine. I wanted to lose some poundage before beginning an exercise program, for I saw the development of systematic virtue as the first step. Progress has been very slow but also steady, and for that I am grateful.

Thanks for the book, Reinhard! You seem like a great guy.

Blessings,

Rob Olson
Hillsdale, Michigan

Thanks for posting this, Rob. I enjoyed the No S part of your post, but that quotation about tradition was revolutionary! You've made me re-define the word.

I never expected when I opened your post that by the time I finished it I would see a piece of the world in a new way.

Rob,

Congratulations and thank you for posting this impressive and thoughtful "testimonial"!

The Chesterton quote is great. It's from Orthodoxy, isn't it? I listened to the audiobook over the summer. If I'd come across the quote before writing the No-S Book I'm sure it would have made it in. Thank you for reminding me of it!

In the "Systematic Moderation" podcast episode I did in August I mentioned that I had two "subtitles" for that concept. The one I talked about then was "... for sustainable good habits." The one I reserved for a future episode is "new methods for old virtues." I'm happy you picked up on that angle despite my reservation!

Reinhard

How wonderful to see Chesterton quoted here -- and one of my favorite quotations!

I agree with what Rob had to say about virtue. I am in the midst of Peter Kreeft's book Back to Virtue (he is another Catholic apologist and philosopher) and it's very true that most of what is wrong with our lives -- individually and as a culture -- can be fixed by simply going back to the basic morals our grandparents took for granted. Temperance, moderation, self-control, discipline... all these things were a no-brainer to our ancestors, while in our time they are usually punch lines.

Thanks for posting, Rob! And, Reinhard, thanks again for your amazing book. I think one day we may see it as part of a revolution -- or should I say reversion?

Kristen

Thanks for sharing Rob, I'm pleased to hear of your success! I love that quote too! This was a great post!