Today I have been doing No S for a month. I am now 3 pounds heavier than when I started.
I'm not someone who caves in and cheats. I've been following the guidelines exactly. But clearly, I am still eating too much. I am going to have to do some kind of modification, or instead of being maintenance for life, No S will just be another way to slowly gain weight.
Does anyone have any suggestions, comments, or insights about this?
Why am I gaining?
Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating
I've been back and read your thread on the check-in page, I'm sorry you're feeling a bit down with No S.
My best advice would be to follow your own gut with the idea of deciding what you are going to eat before you start eating. I've done this since starting No S. I decide what my meal or portion will be, before the first bite, then that's it. Anything else is considered is seconds and so is not allowed.
I did No S for a full year and ended up the same weight as when I started. Now I've lost 9 pounds in 8 weeks. The difference is increasing the exercise I'm doing. I do 20 minutes Jillian Michaels DVD 5 or 6 days a week before work.
Why don't you try posting on your thread EXACTLY what you've eaten in a day, just to see if anyone can help pinpoint anything you could do better.
For example: Friday
First breakfast 7.45am - Banana and a yogurt
Second breakfast 10.00am - A bowl of porridge with skimmed milk, with honey and raisins in it.
Lunch 2.30pm - Leftover spicy sausage rice, an apple and an orange
Dinner 8pm- Chicken and mushrooms with broccoli and roast carrots.
My modification is that I eat 4 times a day when I'm working. It works out better that way with my break times at work so it stops me needing a HUGE breakfast at 10.00 because I've been up since 6.30 and exercised so am really hungry by then, or needing a HUGE lunch at 2.30 because I had all my breakfast at 7.45am and got really hungry with the big gap. It's not vanilla No S because it's 4 meals not 3 but it works for me and its pre-determined, and doesn't lead to all day snacking. I can't choose what times I can eat when I'm working, so I found a solution.
Is there a specific problem you need a solution to?
My best advice would be to follow your own gut with the idea of deciding what you are going to eat before you start eating. I've done this since starting No S. I decide what my meal or portion will be, before the first bite, then that's it. Anything else is considered is seconds and so is not allowed.
I did No S for a full year and ended up the same weight as when I started. Now I've lost 9 pounds in 8 weeks. The difference is increasing the exercise I'm doing. I do 20 minutes Jillian Michaels DVD 5 or 6 days a week before work.
Why don't you try posting on your thread EXACTLY what you've eaten in a day, just to see if anyone can help pinpoint anything you could do better.
For example: Friday
First breakfast 7.45am - Banana and a yogurt
Second breakfast 10.00am - A bowl of porridge with skimmed milk, with honey and raisins in it.
Lunch 2.30pm - Leftover spicy sausage rice, an apple and an orange
Dinner 8pm- Chicken and mushrooms with broccoli and roast carrots.
My modification is that I eat 4 times a day when I'm working. It works out better that way with my break times at work so it stops me needing a HUGE breakfast at 10.00 because I've been up since 6.30 and exercised so am really hungry by then, or needing a HUGE lunch at 2.30 because I had all my breakfast at 7.45am and got really hungry with the big gap. It's not vanilla No S because it's 4 meals not 3 but it works for me and its pre-determined, and doesn't lead to all day snacking. I can't choose what times I can eat when I'm working, so I found a solution.
Is there a specific problem you need a solution to?
When nothing goes right...go left.
It's not unusual for people either not to lose or gain a little when starting No-S. Often times, it's because they either put way too much food on their plates so they won't be hungry between meals or they overdo on S days -- or some combination thereof. And sometimes, it's what they're eating.
It would be helpful to know what you're eating in a typical day/week.
It would be helpful to know what you're eating in a typical day/week.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
Well, you know what? I'm not tracking it. So I can't really tell you exactly. here is the general idea.
Breakfast is sometimes an egg with some cheese and toast. Other times Shredded Wheat with 1/3 banana, 1/2 peach, 1/4 cup blueberries, and 2% or 1% milk. Occasionally I might have a shake made with 1 cup of the milk, 1 egg, 1/3 banana, blended.
Lunch varies. Often we go out. I might have a sandwich and some coleslaw or a sandwich and some chips, or a green salad. Sometimes we go for Mexican food and I'll have a chicken enchilada or a beef taco and corn chips.
Dinner at home is chicken (skinless breasts) with green beans or squash or broccoli, and rice or potatoes. Sometimes lean ground beef, or lean pork chops. If we eat out I might get a steak or salmon and two vegetable sides.
My "big splurges" on S days have so far been a couple of ice cream cones (on different days), some cookies on one day, seconds of potato salad and a second hot dog at a picnic, and a dessert that I can't remember at a restaurant. I might have had a snack or two of roasted almonds.
Breakfast is sometimes an egg with some cheese and toast. Other times Shredded Wheat with 1/3 banana, 1/2 peach, 1/4 cup blueberries, and 2% or 1% milk. Occasionally I might have a shake made with 1 cup of the milk, 1 egg, 1/3 banana, blended.
Lunch varies. Often we go out. I might have a sandwich and some coleslaw or a sandwich and some chips, or a green salad. Sometimes we go for Mexican food and I'll have a chicken enchilada or a beef taco and corn chips.
Dinner at home is chicken (skinless breasts) with green beans or squash or broccoli, and rice or potatoes. Sometimes lean ground beef, or lean pork chops. If we eat out I might get a steak or salmon and two vegetable sides.
My "big splurges" on S days have so far been a couple of ice cream cones (on different days), some cookies on one day, seconds of potato salad and a second hot dog at a picnic, and a dessert that I can't remember at a restaurant. I might have had a snack or two of roasted almonds.
I don't know why, but I'm assuming that you're an older woman. So, how tall are you and how much do you weigh?
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
Yes, older woman. 5'3" 181 lbs.
I lost 50 pounds in 2006-2007 to get to 147. I started to regain after 2 years in spite of many efforts to get back to what I was doing (calorie counting). Last year I lost weight on Medifast, but I was unable to keep doing it because of intolerance to soy protein. My weight has been increasing since then. I'm burned out on counting, weighing, and measuring and I hoped this would be a way to live without doing that. But not if I'm gaining weight.
I lost 50 pounds in 2006-2007 to get to 147. I started to regain after 2 years in spite of many efforts to get back to what I was doing (calorie counting). Last year I lost weight on Medifast, but I was unable to keep doing it because of intolerance to soy protein. My weight has been increasing since then. I'm burned out on counting, weighing, and measuring and I hoped this would be a way to live without doing that. But not if I'm gaining weight.
This is going to sound like a silly question, but when you look back at your mother and grandmother, did they weigh more or less or the same as you?
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
Your meals sound reasonable to me. Exercise along with moderate eating is the key for me. I have found that using weights is the most effective in promoting weight loss (for me). Maybe that is why shovel glove has been so effective for Reinhard.
I average 45 mins to an hour a day of either walking, running, or weight work. I use Leslie Sansone's DVD programs when weather is too hot, too cold, or too rainy. I use weights through the whole DVD instead of just the portion she does. I took time building up to this amount of exercise, and I do not always do it all at once. I am trying to get myself to shovel glove, but I have not formed that habit yet!
PS. I consider my exercise moderate not intense. I enjoy music and my dogs and having time to think every day during exercise. It is now a compulsion, and I do not feel right if I do not fit it in although I do take an occasional day off.
I am 56.
I average 45 mins to an hour a day of either walking, running, or weight work. I use Leslie Sansone's DVD programs when weather is too hot, too cold, or too rainy. I use weights through the whole DVD instead of just the portion she does. I took time building up to this amount of exercise, and I do not always do it all at once. I am trying to get myself to shovel glove, but I have not formed that habit yet!
PS. I consider my exercise moderate not intense. I enjoy music and my dogs and having time to think every day during exercise. It is now a compulsion, and I do not feel right if I do not fit it in although I do take an occasional day off.
I am 56.
The journey is the reward.
Maintenance is progress.
Maintenance is progress.
The point is that if your older female relatives were heavier, you're more likely to be heavier as well -- or you can spend your life dieting to get to a more "normal" weight. However, if they weren't heavier, then it's likely a different problem.
Many of us are about 20-30 pounds heavier than our older female relatives were at the same age. The problem seems to be not only how much we eat, but exactly what it is. The food we eat is substantially different from the food our mothers and grandmothers ate.
Many of us are about 20-30 pounds heavier than our older female relatives were at the same age. The problem seems to be not only how much we eat, but exactly what it is. The food we eat is substantially different from the food our mothers and grandmothers ate.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
I see what you're getting at. 
My mother and grandmother were about the same weight I am, I assume, based on appearance. We didn't talk about actual weight a lot--today everyone seems focused on it.
It's not my intention to spend my life dieting, which is why No S has appealed to me. But slow gain isn't the solution I'm looking for--I already had that!
My mother and grandmother were about the same weight I am, I assume, based on appearance. We didn't talk about actual weight a lot--today everyone seems focused on it.It's not my intention to spend my life dieting, which is why No S has appealed to me. But slow gain isn't the solution I'm looking for--I already had that!
Well, as I said above, it's not unusual for people to gain a little or not lose initially. So just keep on. You might have to make some modifications down the line, but still nothing that resembles a "diet."JayEll wrote:I see what you're getting at.
It's not my intention to spend my life dieting, which is why No S has appealed to me. But slow gain isn't the solution I'm looking for--I already had that!
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
JayEll, don't give up and ditch NoS because of the weight gain. I think it happens to more folks than you think when they first begin NoS. In my opinion this is due partly to having years of dieting under their belts - counting, weighing, measuring, and all that lovely stuff that is part of the confining dieting world. With NoS there is a new-found freedom from all that - including the carrot and celery sticks! It makes sense that a person could gain weight at first.
When this phase settles down, take a look at three things: your exercise (which you've admitted you've slacked off on), your portion sizes, and the amount of packaged foods vs. more natural, homemade foods and meals that you're consuming.
I have been where you are, and part of my problem was me fooling myself...my plates needed to be a lot more reasonable in what they were holding. NoS wasn't meant to be a contest to see how much I could get on one plate for one meal!
Now I am seeing much more success because I really took a look at those three areas I mentioned. I also spent a great deal of time working on my thinking processes and reactions. The combination of those efforts has been well worth it and I am almost 25 pounds lighter than I was.
So, keep on going and working on it - consider yourself a work in progress...we all are!
Best wishes,
Mimi
When this phase settles down, take a look at three things: your exercise (which you've admitted you've slacked off on), your portion sizes, and the amount of packaged foods vs. more natural, homemade foods and meals that you're consuming.
I have been where you are, and part of my problem was me fooling myself...my plates needed to be a lot more reasonable in what they were holding. NoS wasn't meant to be a contest to see how much I could get on one plate for one meal!
Now I am seeing much more success because I really took a look at those three areas I mentioned. I also spent a great deal of time working on my thinking processes and reactions. The combination of those efforts has been well worth it and I am almost 25 pounds lighter than I was.
So, keep on going and working on it - consider yourself a work in progress...we all are!
Best wishes,
Mimi
Discovered NoS: April 16, 2007
Restarted once again: July 14, 2011
Quitting is not an option...
If you start to slip, tie a knot and hang on!
Remember that good enough is... good enough.
Strive for progress, not perfection!
Restarted once again: July 14, 2011
Quitting is not an option...
If you start to slip, tie a knot and hang on!
Remember that good enough is... good enough.
Strive for progress, not perfection!
I'm sorry this has been your experience at the get go. It must be a little frightening. I don't know the amounts but your meals sound reasonable and your weekends, too. What were you eating like before? Were you eating meals and snacks and/or seconds? Permasnacking? A lot of processed foods?
Of course it's never a bad idea to add some moderate exercise but No S should be able to cause some initial loss without it. The next issue I would look at is when do you get hungry? I've found that I've had to keep decreasing the amount of dense foods (I never purposely cut back on veggies and have about the equivalent of three apples a day in fruit) over time in order for me to get hungry for my next meal. I now like to start getting mildly hungry for at least an hour before the time for the next meal. This means I have pretty much figured out what I need to eat at the previous meal to feel like that. Sometimes I like to do something like shopping for clothes to extend the time before dinner just for practice and to make sure I'm really hungry and not just wanting to eat because it's dinner time. If I"m not actually hungry at a meal time on N days, I eat quite light. That had been happening lately so I've cut my meals a little more. I was a little resentful at first but I keep checking in with my stomach afterwards and realize I am satisfied, so I can't complain. (But I'm also pretty good at telling the difference between real hunger and just urges to eat.) I tell myself if my body needs more calories later, it can pull from my stores.
Right now, it's probably still too soon for you to think of holding back on S days but as time goes on, you may want to pay a bit more attention to hunger levels then, too.
The sad truth my be that as a short-ish woman who may have been even heavier at some point?, you may have to eat quite small amounts eventually to lose weight. We have one member here who was morbidly obese at one point and she says she has to monitor what she eats very carefully and that she often feels she could eat more, but her low weight is important enough to her. It doesn't have to be, you know. There are some women here who would not be satisfied with my amount of weight loss. Some of them come here at my height and weight to LOSE weight. But I'm not here to weigh a certain amount. I'm here to maintain a moderate eating life and eventually moderate movement as well. At this point, I'm willing to take the body I get from that. Thankfully for me, it's just inside the normal BMI range.
Good luck with this continued journey.
Of course it's never a bad idea to add some moderate exercise but No S should be able to cause some initial loss without it. The next issue I would look at is when do you get hungry? I've found that I've had to keep decreasing the amount of dense foods (I never purposely cut back on veggies and have about the equivalent of three apples a day in fruit) over time in order for me to get hungry for my next meal. I now like to start getting mildly hungry for at least an hour before the time for the next meal. This means I have pretty much figured out what I need to eat at the previous meal to feel like that. Sometimes I like to do something like shopping for clothes to extend the time before dinner just for practice and to make sure I'm really hungry and not just wanting to eat because it's dinner time. If I"m not actually hungry at a meal time on N days, I eat quite light. That had been happening lately so I've cut my meals a little more. I was a little resentful at first but I keep checking in with my stomach afterwards and realize I am satisfied, so I can't complain. (But I'm also pretty good at telling the difference between real hunger and just urges to eat.) I tell myself if my body needs more calories later, it can pull from my stores.
Right now, it's probably still too soon for you to think of holding back on S days but as time goes on, you may want to pay a bit more attention to hunger levels then, too.
The sad truth my be that as a short-ish woman who may have been even heavier at some point?, you may have to eat quite small amounts eventually to lose weight. We have one member here who was morbidly obese at one point and she says she has to monitor what she eats very carefully and that she often feels she could eat more, but her low weight is important enough to her. It doesn't have to be, you know. There are some women here who would not be satisfied with my amount of weight loss. Some of them come here at my height and weight to LOSE weight. But I'm not here to weigh a certain amount. I'm here to maintain a moderate eating life and eventually moderate movement as well. At this point, I'm willing to take the body I get from that. Thankfully for me, it's just inside the normal BMI range.
Good luck with this continued journey.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23
There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23
There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)