No Snacks, no sweets, no seconds. Except on Days that start with S. Too simple for you? Simple is why it works. Look here for questions, introductions, support, success stories.
Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating
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suzella
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2007 10:25 am
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by suzella » Tue May 21, 2013 2:53 pm
I've been lurking for a few years and have half heartedly tried this "diet" off and on but never really stuck to it for more than a few days. I quit smoking almost a year ago and have gained about 10 pounds. It's only 10 pounds but it has taken a toll on my self-esteem. I have never really been too overweight but I've had major body/eating issues for as long as I can remember. I'm 42 and I remember being in the 5th grade the first time I decided I was "fat." Anyway....over the last few days, I made up my mind that I need to conquer 1) these 10 pounds and 2) my eating issues. From reading here, I see that so many people have found freedom from the eating issues part so I really feel like this is the place for me. I am a person who weighs myself every single day as soon as I wake up. The number on the scale definitely affects the way I will feel about myself for the entire day. I know that this probably isn't healthy but I don't think I can give it up altogether. I would really like to hear from people about this. How do most of you deal with "weighing in"? I'm afraid that if I only weigh once a week, but don't lose any weight, that I will want to give up. I hope I'm not the only person obsessed with the scale.
Well, now that I've made myself sound like a crazy woman.....I'm super excited to come out of the closet and join this forum and I'm looking forward to some positive changes.
Happy Tuesday!
~Suz
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oolala53
- Posts: 10069
- Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
- Location: San Diego, CA USA
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by oolala53 » Tue May 21, 2013 3:53 pm
I think you need to make conquering your eating issues #1.
What if your smoking was artificially keeping your weight down ten pounds? Or are you aware that you've been eating more as a replacement habit and not because you're actually more hungry?
Just figure that you're going to use NO S as a smart way to navigate our food-rich culture that leaves moderation up to individuals while overwhelming them with cues to eat and shame to be fat. If you follow the rules and commit to real moderation down the road, you can hold your head high no matter what.
And stop looking at media images of women! That's a very good diet.
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)
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reinhard
- Site Admin
- Posts: 5924
- Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2005 7:38 pm
- Location: Cambridge, MA
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by reinhard » Tue May 21, 2013 4:20 pm
Welcome, suz!
In terms of the scale issue, there are two diametrically opposed approaches, either of which can be successfully deployed depending on your temperament.
1. avoid/minimize/destroy the scale. People managed to stay thin long before scales were invented. Compulsive scale stepping can unhinge you, so keep it to a minimum.
2. weigh daily, but regularly, at set times, and record the number. I used to say focus on the moving average rather than any individual number, and I still think this is a good idea at first, but once you get a sense of what your normal range is and realize that any one data point isn't all that meaningful, it's less necessary.
I used to practice approach #1. But as an experiment, I've been doing #2 for the last 8 months or so. I took it up a notch by weighing daily on two different scales as an additional sanity check and to smooth out the numbers. I write both these numbers on the back of my daily "personal punch card," and theoretically transfer them to a spreadsheet at some point to plot the moving average, but it's been a while since I bothered with the spreadsheet. I have all the data on my index cards should I feel inclined again. What surprised me about this experiment is how much fluctuation I see during the course of every week, as much as 10 pounds, at least 4 or 5. And it follows a predictable pattern: Friday or Saturday morning is my low, Monday morning my high (I weigh before breakfast every day, which I erroneously thought would be my lowest weight -- this actually occurs before dinner, at least if I can trust additional spot checking -- but I'm sticking with it because it's inconvenient to strip down to my underwear other times of the day and maybe it's better to get a more representative weight than my daily minimum anyway). It's made me think: since there's such a range even at a healthy, long established plateau, what do people mean when they give their weight? My guess is that most people give the lowest number they've seen recently. I've tried to stick with a guestimated average (170) over the years, which was more or less my actual average while I was updating the spreadsheet (171.5).
Reinhard
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wosnes
- Posts: 4168
- Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2006 3:38 pm
- Location: Indianapolis, IN, USA
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by wosnes » Tue May 21, 2013 5:51 pm
I'm a member of the "destroy the scale" club. I would suggest this for you, too, especially if no weight loss is going to affect your mood. No-S does not lead to quick weight loss. It could easily be a couple of weeks before you notice any weight loss and six months or longer before you lose the 10 pounds.
"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."
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reinhard
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- Location: Cambridge, MA
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by reinhard » Tue May 21, 2013 6:18 pm
I agree with wosnes that #1 is preferable for most people -- but if it's not an option, people here have pulled off #2 successfully. I lost all my weight on #1 and sustained it for a decade. #2 (for me) is just an experiment to get a detailed sense of my range.
This podcast might have some helpful tips as well:
http://everydaysystems.com/podcast/episode.php?id=24
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oolala53
- Posts: 10069
- Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
- Location: San Diego, CA USA
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by oolala53 » Tue May 21, 2013 8:19 pm
I think the site physicsdiet.com still has the ability to track your moving average automatically. Ignore the advice of the hacker's diet.
I used to weigh every day and average the weights once a week, which simulates how scientists weigh items they work with.
Or measure your abdomen.
Or just track your habits.
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)
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suzella
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Fri Aug 03, 2007 10:25 am
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by suzella » Wed May 22, 2013 1:31 am
Thanks so much for the advice. I have decided to get rid of the scale and focus more on the habit.
Looking forward to a better way!
~Suz
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leafy_greens
- Posts: 426
- Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2010 8:18 pm
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by leafy_greens » Wed May 29, 2013 3:21 pm
Being a slave to the scale has not helped you lose weight, so get rid of it. I don't see a problem with having one in the house, but only if you aren't obsessive. Are you afraid you will gain more than 10 lbs if you get rid of the scale?