I found this diet in June. By the end of July I'd decided it wasn't so much a diet - but a lifestyle. Unlike any other diet or exercise routine I've ever tried, I can actually see myself eating like this forever - and being happy while I do it!
I've always been an emotional eater. Specifically a stress eater. When life got crazy, I liked to drown the chaos with pizza, chocolate, fast food and other greasy and rich comfort foods - in quantity. The more food I stuffed into my mouth, the less stressed I feel. I've always felt something like I was addicted to food and to eating, but since I couldn't just stop eating altogether, I didn't know how to break the addiction. The structured freedom of No S has done just that for me. Since I get only 3 meals, I can cut out much of the emotional portion of eating. I no longer eat because I'm stressed, but rather because I need food to survive. And I enjoy the food I do eat more, because I'm eating quality food because it tastes good and not cheap junk because it gives me an emotional high for 15 minutes. I feel better, I feel better about myself and the ability to continue this long journey I have ahead, and I feel in control - for the first time in as long as I can remember.
Since June 27 (the first day I actually weighed myself) I've lost 18 pounds. More impressively, between July 15th and September 10th I lost nearly 10 pounds. That time period was the qualifying exam for the program that I am in (and am still in because I passed!) - and was easily the most stressful 2 months of my life to date. If you had asked me at the beginning of the summer to predict how my weight would change during the exam, I would have guessed that I would gain at least 5-10 pounds from eating junk. Instead, I stuck to the plan and actually lost weight!
I still have a long journey ahead, but I'm feeling confident that it's a journey that I'm finally ready for - so thanks Reinhard for coming up with a strategy that finally works for me!
I've been reading the message boards for awhile, hesitant to join, but after 3 months I think I'm finally ready to officially join the No S community. Plus I need some advice and opinions...
![Smile :-)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Now No S has been perfect for me, but my husband hasn't been having the same success. He also wants to lose some weight and has been (mostly- he's still drinking soda but has mostly switched to diet) following the diet since June with me. He hasn't really lost any weight and is now looking for ways to modify the plan to better fit his life style. One of his largest issues is that although he's stopped snacking and taking seconds - he's so afraid that he's going to be hungry that he takes super huge servings and then feels like he has to clear his plate. He's thought about maybe trying something where he makes two smaller, 1/2 full plates at dinner and eats only one, but allows himself the second one an hour later if he is still hungry, at least to break him of the habit of overeating out of the fear of being hungry later. Has anyone tried anything like this? His other issue is that he is still going a little hog wild on S days - but I feel like if he can get the N days to go a little smoother, he might have better luck on the S days, because I know that now I *can't* eat as much on S days as I used to be able to. Any thoughts or suggestions?
Thanks!