Sophiasapientia's "During" Story
Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2011 1:12 pm
It has been one year and five months since I restarted No S and I feel like celebrating!
A little background information:
I'm 36 years old, just a smidge under 5'3" and weight had been a challenge for me for many years.
I grew-up in a household where, once my parents' divorced in my preteen years, nobody cooked (fast food was the norm) or ever sat down to a proper meal. Exercise wasn't prioritized or modeled either. These -- cooking, exercising, regular set family meals -- were all skills and habits that I learned and adopted over time as a adult.
At my all-time highest weight, during a stressful period when my now 8 year old daughter was a year old, I weighed 193 lbs but, over the years, I've yo-yoed all over the place, from the low one-teens upwards. I lost the bulk of the excess weight from my all-time high through a low carb diet/exercise but low carb eating wasn't sustainable for me. I kept about 50 lbs of this completely off through exercise and sheer will but the rest of the weight was a constant struggle. I was tired of obsessing, tired of the continual battle with my body, tired of not feeling comfortable in my own skin. I was constantly reading diet books, searching for a miracle solution. It was on one such search on Amazon in late November 2008 that I happened across the No S diet book. I immediately found the website and decided to give it a go.
Reinhard has said that it can take multiple attempts for No S to stick and I'm certainly one of "those" stories. I tried No S twice and fell off the wagon before restarting on New Year's 2010. I think the difference for me this time was that I wasn't looking for a quick fix. I wanted a lifetime solution and I wanted to settle into a weight that I could maintain easily and happily. I was, above all else, committed to building a solid habit. I had two or three very minor red days in my first several months on No S. The result is that I lost over 20 pounds in about five months last year and have maintained that loss, well within the normal, healthy BMI range for my height, for a year. Some months I lost several pounds, some months I lost 1 or 2. My ultimate focus was on building habit, learning how to enjoy food and living an active lifestyle.
I haven't been perfect. This past winter, while I never abandoned No S, I got sloppy. My weight had dropped into the high 1-teens to low 120s and I felt like I could splurge. I stopped tracking my weight. I started having a bite here, a midweek dessert there. Certainly not everyday but enough that, combined with a change in exercise routine, I lost my footing. It has been a humbling reminder of how important it is for me to be strict and consistent with my habits. Three one-plate meals a day with some treats on special days plus consistent exercise. Wash, rinse, repeat. Wash, rinse, repeat again. And again.
What I Do:
Vanilla No S -- I do plain, good 'ol vanilla No S with unrestricted S Days. I also rarely drink anything with calories between meals on N Days.
S Days -- As I mentioned, I have unrestricted S Days. However, I tend to follow the basic 3 meal structure with some added treats. I don't generally permasnack. I like to plan out at least one or two special treats for each S Day ... something I've really been wanting. We often eat out once or twice on the weekend. I look forward to S Days.
Exercise -- I've exercised consistently for years and it was a well-engrained habit long before I discovered No S. Mostly I walk or do nordic skiwalking. I wear a pedometer everyday and challenge myself so stay active through the course of my day. I think, for myself, if I'm following a moderate diet, exercise is especially essential. I aim to get over 10,000 steps each day. This number tends to higher in the warmer months and about on target during the cold Michigan winters.
Some of my Dietary Defaults:
9-inch plates: In 2009, I picked up a set of 9-inch plates. I use these for dinner and sometimes lunch at home. (Usually my breakfast plate is smaller and I often eat soup or use a smaller plate for lunch.) I don't worry about plate size when I'm out. I figure if the standard plate size was about 9" inches in the 1970s, prior to when our nation had an obesity epidemic, it is good enough for me.
Friday night pizza: If it works with our schedule, I usually make homemade pizza, served with salad or some cut-up veggies, for dinner on Friday night. This works great because my family loves pizza and I feel like I'm getting an end-of-the-week treat without violating the No S rules.
Tracking: About a month into my restart, I began weighing every morning and graphing my weight on Fitday. I know that Reinhard advises against weighing too much and that it isn't a good practice for everyone but I actually find it very helpful to see trends over time. I still weigh myself everyday and graph my weight on an iphone App. It keeps me accountable and empowers me to nip any potential problems in the bud quickly. I've found that when I don't weigh myself, I'm far more likely to make poor choices and gain weight. I also found it useful to keep a daily food log on my Daily Check-In thread ... and especially so when trying to build habit.
THANK YOU!!!
I just want to say THANK YOU Reinhard for sharing your plan and story with the world. This simple system has honestly changed my life. How wonderful it feels to feel comfortable in my own skin and wear those size 4s. I enjoy food once again. Plus, out of the countless plans I tried, this is the only one that my husband actually likes and that I felt good about the habits that I am modeling for our daughter ...
My crazy search for the "perfect diet" -- and all of the mental energy/angst that I once devoted to that topic-- is over. I haven't browsed the diet section of the bookstore since December 2009 and I've saved a ton of money by not purchasing diet related products/services since then. What freedom & bliss!
THANK YOU also to the folks on these Boards for your support, insights and sharing this No S journey.
Onwards
I love how there is no "After" on No S. This a lifetime journey, one that I am committed to living out one day at a time. I look forward to sharing my "During" update in January 2012.
A little background information:
I'm 36 years old, just a smidge under 5'3" and weight had been a challenge for me for many years.
I grew-up in a household where, once my parents' divorced in my preteen years, nobody cooked (fast food was the norm) or ever sat down to a proper meal. Exercise wasn't prioritized or modeled either. These -- cooking, exercising, regular set family meals -- were all skills and habits that I learned and adopted over time as a adult.
At my all-time highest weight, during a stressful period when my now 8 year old daughter was a year old, I weighed 193 lbs but, over the years, I've yo-yoed all over the place, from the low one-teens upwards. I lost the bulk of the excess weight from my all-time high through a low carb diet/exercise but low carb eating wasn't sustainable for me. I kept about 50 lbs of this completely off through exercise and sheer will but the rest of the weight was a constant struggle. I was tired of obsessing, tired of the continual battle with my body, tired of not feeling comfortable in my own skin. I was constantly reading diet books, searching for a miracle solution. It was on one such search on Amazon in late November 2008 that I happened across the No S diet book. I immediately found the website and decided to give it a go.
Reinhard has said that it can take multiple attempts for No S to stick and I'm certainly one of "those" stories. I tried No S twice and fell off the wagon before restarting on New Year's 2010. I think the difference for me this time was that I wasn't looking for a quick fix. I wanted a lifetime solution and I wanted to settle into a weight that I could maintain easily and happily. I was, above all else, committed to building a solid habit. I had two or three very minor red days in my first several months on No S. The result is that I lost over 20 pounds in about five months last year and have maintained that loss, well within the normal, healthy BMI range for my height, for a year. Some months I lost several pounds, some months I lost 1 or 2. My ultimate focus was on building habit, learning how to enjoy food and living an active lifestyle.
I haven't been perfect. This past winter, while I never abandoned No S, I got sloppy. My weight had dropped into the high 1-teens to low 120s and I felt like I could splurge. I stopped tracking my weight. I started having a bite here, a midweek dessert there. Certainly not everyday but enough that, combined with a change in exercise routine, I lost my footing. It has been a humbling reminder of how important it is for me to be strict and consistent with my habits. Three one-plate meals a day with some treats on special days plus consistent exercise. Wash, rinse, repeat. Wash, rinse, repeat again. And again.
What I Do:
Vanilla No S -- I do plain, good 'ol vanilla No S with unrestricted S Days. I also rarely drink anything with calories between meals on N Days.
S Days -- As I mentioned, I have unrestricted S Days. However, I tend to follow the basic 3 meal structure with some added treats. I don't generally permasnack. I like to plan out at least one or two special treats for each S Day ... something I've really been wanting. We often eat out once or twice on the weekend. I look forward to S Days.
Exercise -- I've exercised consistently for years and it was a well-engrained habit long before I discovered No S. Mostly I walk or do nordic skiwalking. I wear a pedometer everyday and challenge myself so stay active through the course of my day. I think, for myself, if I'm following a moderate diet, exercise is especially essential. I aim to get over 10,000 steps each day. This number tends to higher in the warmer months and about on target during the cold Michigan winters.
Some of my Dietary Defaults:
9-inch plates: In 2009, I picked up a set of 9-inch plates. I use these for dinner and sometimes lunch at home. (Usually my breakfast plate is smaller and I often eat soup or use a smaller plate for lunch.) I don't worry about plate size when I'm out. I figure if the standard plate size was about 9" inches in the 1970s, prior to when our nation had an obesity epidemic, it is good enough for me.
Friday night pizza: If it works with our schedule, I usually make homemade pizza, served with salad or some cut-up veggies, for dinner on Friday night. This works great because my family loves pizza and I feel like I'm getting an end-of-the-week treat without violating the No S rules.
Tracking: About a month into my restart, I began weighing every morning and graphing my weight on Fitday. I know that Reinhard advises against weighing too much and that it isn't a good practice for everyone but I actually find it very helpful to see trends over time. I still weigh myself everyday and graph my weight on an iphone App. It keeps me accountable and empowers me to nip any potential problems in the bud quickly. I've found that when I don't weigh myself, I'm far more likely to make poor choices and gain weight. I also found it useful to keep a daily food log on my Daily Check-In thread ... and especially so when trying to build habit.
THANK YOU!!!
I just want to say THANK YOU Reinhard for sharing your plan and story with the world. This simple system has honestly changed my life. How wonderful it feels to feel comfortable in my own skin and wear those size 4s. I enjoy food once again. Plus, out of the countless plans I tried, this is the only one that my husband actually likes and that I felt good about the habits that I am modeling for our daughter ...
My crazy search for the "perfect diet" -- and all of the mental energy/angst that I once devoted to that topic-- is over. I haven't browsed the diet section of the bookstore since December 2009 and I've saved a ton of money by not purchasing diet related products/services since then. What freedom & bliss!
THANK YOU also to the folks on these Boards for your support, insights and sharing this No S journey.
Onwards
I love how there is no "After" on No S. This a lifetime journey, one that I am committed to living out one day at a time. I look forward to sharing my "During" update in January 2012.
It took awhile to get past that and I didn't like that I was modeling for my then-toddler that it was perfectly fine to have a big dessert everyday ... Anyway, I think it is so great that you are taking good care of yourself during your pregnancy, adjusting as needed, for morning sickness, etc! It will pay off after the little one arrives, I reckon.