Joined: 11 Oct 2009
Posts: 1
Location: North Carolina
Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2009 12:34 am Post subject: Starting No S on Monday,worried about cravings first week
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My husband and I are both starting the No S program on Monday. I am looking for advice on how to get through the first couple of weeks of cravings.
I work from home and I have access to food all the time.
I especially worry about snacking between the meals. I am more of a carb lover than a sweet lover and my husband is the opposite.
Any good advice?
Also my husband takes a lunch to work and works twelve hour shifts. I am having a hard time figuring out what to pack for his lunch since we hav e to cut out all the sweets during the week.
_________________
Starting No S Program on Monday-Need some Advice on cravings
Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating
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clarinetgal
- Posts: 1709
- Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:16 am
- Location: Western Washington State
One thing that helps me to stay fuller between meals is to make sure to include a protein source with each meal. For example, breakfast might be a bowl of cereal, some fruit, and a sausage patty; lunch might be a meat sandwich of some sort, some fruit and veggies, and a small portion of chips; dinner is some sort of meat or protein, veggies, and maybe a bread or roll, if I'm extra hungry.
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NoelFigart
- Posts: 1639
- Joined: Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:23 pm
- Location: Lebanon, NH
- Contact:
I think we have this cultural idea that we're helpless in the face of our cravings. It's not really true.
What we have is a terribly unuseful and deeply-ingrained habit. I'm not for one second saying that one sucks or one is weak because we feel helpless in the face of cravings. We just haven't built up the self-discipline muscle. Our culture mistakes self-punishment for self-discipline, has NO understanding of genuine and deserved pleasure. In an attempt to value ourselves, we are indulgent with ourselves to the point where our willpower seems like a screaming toddler.
Fortunately, we're not toddlers. We can say to ourselves, "I am just practicing my self-discipline and practicing not giving in to cravings. It's just practice."
The thing about practice is that sometimes you get it right and sometimes you screw up. Think of ANY skill you learned. At first it was really hard and you screwed up all the time. It's expected because it's practice. Then, as you practice it more and more, it gets easy. For instance, you're reading this passage without giving it a thought. I don't know if you remember learning to read, but it may have been something you really had to give a great deal of focus and now you do it without thinking about it.
Just practice not giving in to cravings. You might have a talent for it and do great right off, but if you don't, just keep trying without getting down on yourself. You'll get it.
What we have is a terribly unuseful and deeply-ingrained habit. I'm not for one second saying that one sucks or one is weak because we feel helpless in the face of cravings. We just haven't built up the self-discipline muscle. Our culture mistakes self-punishment for self-discipline, has NO understanding of genuine and deserved pleasure. In an attempt to value ourselves, we are indulgent with ourselves to the point where our willpower seems like a screaming toddler.
Fortunately, we're not toddlers. We can say to ourselves, "I am just practicing my self-discipline and practicing not giving in to cravings. It's just practice."
The thing about practice is that sometimes you get it right and sometimes you screw up. Think of ANY skill you learned. At first it was really hard and you screwed up all the time. It's expected because it's practice. Then, as you practice it more and more, it gets easy. For instance, you're reading this passage without giving it a thought. I don't know if you remember learning to read, but it may have been something you really had to give a great deal of focus and now you do it without thinking about it.
Just practice not giving in to cravings. You might have a talent for it and do great right off, but if you don't, just keep trying without getting down on yourself. You'll get it.
------
My blog https://noelfigart.com/wordpress/ I talk about being a freelance writer, working out and cooking mostly. The language is not always drawing room fashion. Just sayin'.
My blog https://noelfigart.com/wordpress/ I talk about being a freelance writer, working out and cooking mostly. The language is not always drawing room fashion. Just sayin'.
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clarinetgal
- Posts: 1709
- Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 4:16 am
- Location: Western Washington State
Noel, ITA with you about how our culture equates self-discipline with self-punishment. I know that's an area in which I struggle. My days always go so much better when I'm disciplined with my time and with my eating, but I constantly struggle with the inner toddler demanding to be able to do what I want/eat what I want when I want it.
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Mounted Ranger!
- Posts: 83
- Joined: Mon Jul 06, 2009 7:35 pm
Here is my advice. It's my advice b/c it works for me. I think it works so well that I hope you try these ideas yourself. However, in the end, you really just have try different things and see what works for you. Still, here it is:
1. Focus on habit building not scales, numbers, well-meaning friends, et c. Just focus on habit building and use the habitcal till it's well ingrained.
2. Shoot for plain, old vanilla No S w/o modification until your habit is an actual habit and firmly ingrained.
3. For your meals, stick with one plate but put plenty of variety on that plate. For example, instead of having a plate of spaghetti and sauce, have a smaller portion of spaghetti and sauce and meatballs, a half an apple, a small wedge of fine cheese, some olives. Eating a variety like this, eventhough it may, overall, be less food, is more filling and satisfying for me and lasts longer in my tummy.
4. Include plenty of protein with every meal. Again, this makes a huge difference for me.
5. If you get hungry between meals, that's okay. Try to be okay with the fact that you're hungry and offer it up. understand that you really won't die of hunger and that after a little while you'll be more comfortable with it. let it excite you expectation for your next meal and just stubbornly hold out.
6. If you just can't make it, hot milk or some other caloric but not sweet beverage between meals is a great help. When I first started and couldn't get through the next meal, sometimes I'd have even two glasses of warm milk to get through to the next meal. Now? I almost never even have one. It tapered off of its own.
7. Don't skimp on S Days! They'll taper off later, for now, ENJOY!
1. Focus on habit building not scales, numbers, well-meaning friends, et c. Just focus on habit building and use the habitcal till it's well ingrained.
2. Shoot for plain, old vanilla No S w/o modification until your habit is an actual habit and firmly ingrained.
3. For your meals, stick with one plate but put plenty of variety on that plate. For example, instead of having a plate of spaghetti and sauce, have a smaller portion of spaghetti and sauce and meatballs, a half an apple, a small wedge of fine cheese, some olives. Eating a variety like this, eventhough it may, overall, be less food, is more filling and satisfying for me and lasts longer in my tummy.
4. Include plenty of protein with every meal. Again, this makes a huge difference for me.
5. If you get hungry between meals, that's okay. Try to be okay with the fact that you're hungry and offer it up. understand that you really won't die of hunger and that after a little while you'll be more comfortable with it. let it excite you expectation for your next meal and just stubbornly hold out.
6. If you just can't make it, hot milk or some other caloric but not sweet beverage between meals is a great help. When I first started and couldn't get through the next meal, sometimes I'd have even two glasses of warm milk to get through to the next meal. Now? I almost never even have one. It tapered off of its own.
7. Don't skimp on S Days! They'll taper off later, for now, ENJOY!
Mounted Ranger!
No S-ing, Ranging, and Shovelgloving since 7/7/09
No S-ing, Ranging, and Shovelgloving since 7/7/09
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maslowjenkins
- Posts: 56
- Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2006 7:33 pm
- Location: Tulsa, Ok
as far as being at home all day, one of the best things you can do to keep temptation away is to not have treats in the house during the week. I buy my s-day treats on saturday or sunday and I only buy enough for those s-days. It's way too tempting to open the freezer on Monday and see a half-full carton of ice cream. or open the cabinet and see a bag of cookies.
and in the beginning, it was always helpful for me to utilize the in-between-meal-drink. Milk, tea, coffee (with a bit of sugar and hershey's syrup for me), heck, even chocolate milk are all permissible in between meals. many people like milk for the protein and many people like coffee and tea for the caffeine. either way, it gives you the boost to make it to the next meal.
good luck tomorrow!
and in the beginning, it was always helpful for me to utilize the in-between-meal-drink. Milk, tea, coffee (with a bit of sugar and hershey's syrup for me), heck, even chocolate milk are all permissible in between meals. many people like milk for the protein and many people like coffee and tea for the caffeine. either way, it gives you the boost to make it to the next meal.
good luck tomorrow!
Carrie
Re: Starting No S Program on Monday-Need some Advice on crav
First off, congratulations for wanting to start. You can do it. It may not be easy for the first couple of weeks, but you can do it. After a few weeks, you'll wonder how you could have been eating so much and so often - at least it's that way for me.
All the other advice you've gotten here holds true for me. You need protein with each meal, lots of variety (surprisingly important to a lot of people), and lots of vegetables. You have to plan protein with each meal. Lot's of high fiber, less refined carbohydrate - white bread, white rice, white potatoes are all less filling and less nutritious than their more colorful counterparts.
Lastly, if it doesn't work the first few days, don't give up, plan and adjust. It may be that eight hours of waking time is too long to go for your husband (it probably would be for me.). The times when I've failed and fallen off the wagon are the times when meal times became irregular, mostly due to the demands of work. If that turns out to be the case, plan a small fourth meal - even just an apple and five triscuits might do the trick. PLAN is the key word here - it's the unplanned eating occurrences that will break you. It may be that, for a while, the temptation is just too much for you working at home. If so, cut up raw vegetables and PLAN to snack on those ONCE between meals - only the veggies, and only once. These are fall back positions, but they may help you get to where you want to go.
No-S is simple, but it's not easy for a lot of us. It may take several tries to get there. Better that you make progress while getting there than that you get discourages and stop trying.
Oh, and contrary to what your body might tell you, you can go to sleep a little hungry. You'll be surprised that in the morning, you probably won't be hungry. I sleep much, much better on an empty stomach, surprisingly. I sleep like a baby when I don't eat after dinner.
All the other advice you've gotten here holds true for me. You need protein with each meal, lots of variety (surprisingly important to a lot of people), and lots of vegetables. You have to plan protein with each meal. Lot's of high fiber, less refined carbohydrate - white bread, white rice, white potatoes are all less filling and less nutritious than their more colorful counterparts.
Lastly, if it doesn't work the first few days, don't give up, plan and adjust. It may be that eight hours of waking time is too long to go for your husband (it probably would be for me.). The times when I've failed and fallen off the wagon are the times when meal times became irregular, mostly due to the demands of work. If that turns out to be the case, plan a small fourth meal - even just an apple and five triscuits might do the trick. PLAN is the key word here - it's the unplanned eating occurrences that will break you. It may be that, for a while, the temptation is just too much for you working at home. If so, cut up raw vegetables and PLAN to snack on those ONCE between meals - only the veggies, and only once. These are fall back positions, but they may help you get to where you want to go.
No-S is simple, but it's not easy for a lot of us. It may take several tries to get there. Better that you make progress while getting there than that you get discourages and stop trying.
Oh, and contrary to what your body might tell you, you can go to sleep a little hungry. You'll be surprised that in the morning, you probably won't be hungry. I sleep much, much better on an empty stomach, surprisingly. I sleep like a baby when I don't eat after dinner.
teandtjl wrote:Joined: 11 Oct 2009
Posts: 1
Location: North Carolina
Posted: Sun Oct 11, 2009 12:34 am Post subject: Starting No S on Monday,worried about cravings first week
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My husband and I are both starting the No S program on Monday. I am looking for advice on how to get through the first couple of weeks of cravings.
I work from home and I have access to food all the time.
I especially worry about snacking between the meals. I am more of a carb lover than a sweet lover and my husband is the opposite.
Any good advice?
Also my husband takes a lunch to work and works twelve hour shifts. I am having a hard time figuring out what to pack for his lunch since we hav e to cut out all the sweets during the week.
_________________
Kevin
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."
Welcome!
Nothing new to add to what's already been posted here -- except to give my enthusiastic "amen" to what Noel said about habit and practice in particular. The toddler analogy is great, too. Your snack craving is like a whining toddler. So react to it the same way you would as a responsible parent. Be firm but loving and the toddler will learn. Don't give up because the toddler is extremely trying and sometimes you didn't respond as the ideal parent would. The stakes are too high for that; you wouldn't give up on your kid, right? Neither should you give up on yourself.
And remember, this isn't anything cruel and unusual or extreme you're asking your toddler-appetite to do -- just to eat the way pretty much everyone did for generations. It's teaching the toddler basic manners, not demanding that it become some kind of suzuki violin prodigy.
The toddler analogy is great in terms of the stakes and the methods. But don't worry, No-s is not nearly as hard. I know no-s can be tough at first, maybe even very tough, but as a father of two young children, there ain't no comparison.
Reinhard
Nothing new to add to what's already been posted here -- except to give my enthusiastic "amen" to what Noel said about habit and practice in particular. The toddler analogy is great, too. Your snack craving is like a whining toddler. So react to it the same way you would as a responsible parent. Be firm but loving and the toddler will learn. Don't give up because the toddler is extremely trying and sometimes you didn't respond as the ideal parent would. The stakes are too high for that; you wouldn't give up on your kid, right? Neither should you give up on yourself.
And remember, this isn't anything cruel and unusual or extreme you're asking your toddler-appetite to do -- just to eat the way pretty much everyone did for generations. It's teaching the toddler basic manners, not demanding that it become some kind of suzuki violin prodigy.
The toddler analogy is great in terms of the stakes and the methods. But don't worry, No-s is not nearly as hard. I know no-s can be tough at first, maybe even very tough, but as a father of two young children, there ain't no comparison.
Reinhard
For you, being at home all day, try to stay out of the kitchen. Prepare your breakfast and eat it at the table. If you need to prep something for dinner or the kids or do some cleaning, do it at the same time that you are making your meal so that you don't have a reason to go back in the kitchen later. It is more efficient anyway. And be concious about snacking while you prep. I know a lot of people do it without even noticing. Then do the same for lunch. Just tell yourself that you are only going into the kitchen 3 times a day. That is what I have to do. Before, I would wander in and out all day, randomly eating for no reason at all.
For your husband, I recommend that you plate his food before you pack it up. Those rubbermaid containers are very deceptive. I thought I was eating a normal lunch (usually dinner leftovers) for a long time until I decided to put it on a plate one day. It was much MUCH more than I expected. But it is also important that he get enough food to keep snacking temptation at bay. Variety is good for that as others have mentioned.
For your husband, I recommend that you plate his food before you pack it up. Those rubbermaid containers are very deceptive. I thought I was eating a normal lunch (usually dinner leftovers) for a long time until I decided to put it on a plate one day. It was much MUCH more than I expected. But it is also important that he get enough food to keep snacking temptation at bay. Variety is good for that as others have mentioned.
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TunaFishKid
- Posts: 250
- Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 10:20 pm
- Location: Long Island, NY
I wholeheartedly agree with every one of these points. I had even forgotten that I used to drink warm milk every night at the beginning, until I read Noel's post - but I did, and I don't anymore. I always thought I craved carbs for some physiological, insulin-related reason and couldn't help myself - until I started NoS. Then I discovered it wasn't a matter of cravings, just one of discipline and habit, and it gets easier all the time.Mounted Ranger! wrote:Here is my advice. It's my advice b/c it works for me. I think it works so well that I hope you try these ideas yourself. However, in the end, you really just have try different things and see what works for you. Still, here it is:
1. Focus on habit building not scales, numbers, well-meaning friends, et c. Just focus on habit building and use the habitcal till it's well ingrained.
2. Shoot for plain, old vanilla No S w/o modification until your habit is an actual habit and firmly ingrained.
3. For your meals, stick with one plate but put plenty of variety on that plate. For example, instead of having a plate of spaghetti and sauce, have a smaller portion of spaghetti and sauce and meatballs, a half an apple, a small wedge of fine cheese, some olives. Eating a variety like this, eventhough it may, overall, be less food, is more filling and satisfying for me and lasts longer in my tummy.
4. Include plenty of protein with every meal. Again, this makes a huge difference for me.
5. If you get hungry between meals, that's okay. Try to be okay with the fact that you're hungry and offer it up. understand that you really won't die of hunger and that after a little while you'll be more comfortable with it. let it excite you expectation for your next meal and just stubbornly hold out.
6. If you just can't make it, hot milk or some other caloric but not sweet beverage between meals is a great help. When I first started and couldn't get through the next meal, sometimes I'd have even two glasses of warm milk to get through to the next meal. Now? I almost never even have one. It tapered off of its own.
7. Don't skimp on S Days! They'll taper off later, for now, ENJOY!
You can do this.
~ Laura ~
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Too solid flesh
- Posts: 639
- Joined: Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:22 pm
- Location: England
I just came across this on Brian Wansink's blog. There is some evidence that vitamin B deficiency can be a factor in carb cravings. See:
http://www.prevention.com/cda/expertblo ... d=blogDest
http://www.prevention.com/cda/expertblo ... d=blogDest