3 years in - it's way more than just weight loss!
Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 4:07 pm
I started in March 2010. I had been on the chubby side almost all my life, mostly because of my emotional overeating. In high school I was overweight, carrying 165 lbs/75 kg on my small, 5'1''/155 cm frame. When I finished school and started my studies, my emotional problems disappeared as I was no longer bullied, and so did my excess weight. Without ANY conscious effort (I kid you not!) I went down to quite reasonable, though still too chubby for my taste 125 lbs/57 kg... and then I regained some weight (~13 lbs/6 kg) when my emotional overeating came back with a vengeance. At the end of my toxic relationship I decided it's high time to commit to something, and I chose No S to get back my sanity. Of course, I was expecting some weight loss, but one of the reasons I found (and still find) No S so appealing is the fact that it allowed me to focus on something more than food or body hate.
I was white-knuckling it for the first month or two. My S days were WILD, and never really calmed down, although I'm working on it. In summer 2012 I added regular exercise, and I still make sure that I move at a moderate pace for about an hour every day - 30 min walk to and from work, plus running errands/purposeful walking/yoga/Leslie Sansone 2 mile workout. In spite of my numerous and sometimes quite spectacular fails and binge episodes the general trend was downward, and so here are the results:
2010 (starting): 138/63
2011: 125/57
2012: 118/54
2013: 110/50
Total so far: 28 lbs/13 kg down
But the most important thing about No S:
I've started believing in myself, in my ability to do things that are hard but necessary. I've learned that I have much more strength and willpower than I ever expected, that I just have to fake it till I become it, that after the first stage of gritting my teeth and clenching my fists difficult things become second nature. The power of habit is enormous. I firmly believe that the discipline I learned on No S has helped me become a better version of myself. The timid, awkward, plump girl that I was morphed into a self-assured, outgoing young woman. I'm happier, more productive, better organized, way less shy, and - yeah, why not say that too? - prettier. I'm more patient now, less impulsive. The success I've had on No S spilled onto other areas of my life. Sometimes people who have known me for years ask what happened, have I fallen in love? Actually, yes - I've fallen in love with myself. And with No S, too. Even in times of stress I'm able to keep it up (although it's harder then), and I am sure I'll be eating this way for the rest of my life.
And one funny thing: my weight loss is the most noticeable when I browse the pictures from my yearly spring travels across Europe - I get slimmer and slimmer with each passing year. Maybe I'll post some examples when I figure out how to replace my head with a smiley or something...
No S is not a diet or meal plan or "way of eating". To me, it's an all-encompassing self-improvement system. I hope it will help you as much as it helped me.
I was white-knuckling it for the first month or two. My S days were WILD, and never really calmed down, although I'm working on it. In summer 2012 I added regular exercise, and I still make sure that I move at a moderate pace for about an hour every day - 30 min walk to and from work, plus running errands/purposeful walking/yoga/Leslie Sansone 2 mile workout. In spite of my numerous and sometimes quite spectacular fails and binge episodes the general trend was downward, and so here are the results:
2010 (starting): 138/63
2011: 125/57
2012: 118/54
2013: 110/50
Total so far: 28 lbs/13 kg down
But the most important thing about No S:
I've started believing in myself, in my ability to do things that are hard but necessary. I've learned that I have much more strength and willpower than I ever expected, that I just have to fake it till I become it, that after the first stage of gritting my teeth and clenching my fists difficult things become second nature. The power of habit is enormous. I firmly believe that the discipline I learned on No S has helped me become a better version of myself. The timid, awkward, plump girl that I was morphed into a self-assured, outgoing young woman. I'm happier, more productive, better organized, way less shy, and - yeah, why not say that too? - prettier. I'm more patient now, less impulsive. The success I've had on No S spilled onto other areas of my life. Sometimes people who have known me for years ask what happened, have I fallen in love? Actually, yes - I've fallen in love with myself. And with No S, too. Even in times of stress I'm able to keep it up (although it's harder then), and I am sure I'll be eating this way for the rest of my life.
And one funny thing: my weight loss is the most noticeable when I browse the pictures from my yearly spring travels across Europe - I get slimmer and slimmer with each passing year. Maybe I'll post some examples when I figure out how to replace my head with a smiley or something...
No S is not a diet or meal plan or "way of eating". To me, it's an all-encompassing self-improvement system. I hope it will help you as much as it helped me.
