Just found No S today - starting tomorrow - makes sense

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.

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SOutdoors
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2014 3:11 am
Location: United States

Just found No S today - starting tomorrow - makes sense

Post by SOutdoors » Wed Aug 13, 2014 3:38 am

Seems so simple, yet somehow profound. I love the simplicity and straightforwardness. Will start tomorrow. Current weight: 255 pounds. Goal: Health. Looking forward to it.
Ready for a change!
SOutdoors

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Over43
Posts: 1850
Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:15 pm
Location: The Mountains

Post by Over43 » Wed Aug 13, 2014 3:53 am

Good luck. Don't worry about perfection, just do your best.
Bacon is the gateway meat. - Anthony Bourdain
You pale in comparison to Fox Mulder. - The Smoking Man

I made myself be hungry, then I would get hungrier. - Frank Zane Mr. Olympia '77, '78, '79

Skelton
Posts: 135
Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2012 9:50 pm

Post by Skelton » Wed Aug 13, 2014 9:49 am

Welcome.
Yes, No S is simple. I find when I'm following it right that I have more time available, mostly because I'm not fretting over what to eat, when to eat it, and worse, trying to follow a conventional diet which seems to take a huge amount of my time.
Good luck!
"We stop looking for the better diet and start looking for a better life." pangelsue

SOutdoors
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2014 3:11 am
Location: United States

Thanks!

Post by SOutdoors » Wed Aug 13, 2014 2:57 pm

Thanks for the well wishes. I already have questions but the basics are easy enough that I should be able to manage in the meantime.

Questions:

Is the classic 3 meals a day what most people are doing?

I was late to work this morning, where we have a cafeteria, due to an accident on the highway. I ate my omelet and banana around 10am! I am guessing that I should just continue the day by spreading the next two meals out accordingly, correct? This is in contrast to just skipping the meal.

Are diet sodas allowed with a meal?

Thnx!
Ready for a change!
SOutdoors

germanherman
Posts: 140
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2006 8:49 am
Location: northern germany

Re: Thanks!

Post by germanherman » Wed Aug 13, 2014 5:20 pm

SOutdoors wrote:Thanks for the well wishes. I already have questions but the basics are easy enough that I should be able to manage in the meantime.

Questions:

Is the classic 3 meals a day what most people are doing?

I was late to work this morning, where we have a cafeteria, due to an accident on the highway. I ate my omelet and banana around 10am! I am guessing that I should just continue the day by spreading the next two meals out accordingly, correct? This is in contrast to just skipping the meal.

Are diet sodas allowed with a meal?

Thnx!
Welcome from my side too.

Regarding the questions: Three meals is the classic, but it's not absolut mandate. The timing of the meals is only important for building the habit. The more structure and continuity you can get, the easier is building the habit.

So you should try to get the meals most of the times in the same timeframe. That way your subconscious doesn't count a meal to a different time as a "snack". You should try to reach a normal "Wait for real hunger than eat a meal"-beat. If you had your breakfast late, wait a couple of hours and eat the next meal and than some hours to dinner. If your dinner would be late at night that way you could skip it, but you are not forced to do it.

Diet sodas are allowed, but Reinhard reccomends to change to a "healthier" alternative (unsweeted Tee, water etc.). One might argue, that by drinking diet sodas you signal your subconscious, that "sweets" are ok. That way building the "No Sweet" habit is harder and could take longer. So drink them, enjoy them and after a while, try to reduce the amount you consume.

Sorry for the terrible english, i'm still a german :oops:
Spend over 450 Dollar on some Systems, Gadgets and courses = Zero Results

Spend 15 Bucks for a Shovelglove + NoS-Diet= ;)

German by nature

SOutdoors
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2014 3:11 am
Location: United States

Post by SOutdoors » Thu Aug 14, 2014 7:19 pm

Thanks!

I can see that this diet is going to expose my real eating issues quickly. Bad habits and addiction to sugar - it really isn't actual hunger. Eating three meals a day I cannot possibly be truly hungry but I still wanted "something else" all day long. Today is the same and I find myself craving sugar. Need to push through until the cravings are gone or at least less.
Ready for a change!
SOutdoors

aspencer27
Posts: 298
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2011 8:26 pm

Post by aspencer27 » Thu Aug 14, 2014 7:29 pm

I hear ya. I think sometimes I snack just out of habit. I found myself initially just walking into the kitchen before I even realized what I was doing! And like right now, I am actively avoiding the snack monster calling my name just for that afternoon pick-me-up, even though I don't really feel hungry.

Coming to the boards really helps me a lot, so that's why I'm here now. Good luck, we can make it to the next meal without a snack!

SOutdoors
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2014 3:11 am
Location: United States

Post by SOutdoors » Thu Aug 14, 2014 7:48 pm

Thank you and good luck to you too! How long have you been doing this?
Ready for a change!
SOutdoors

aspencer27
Posts: 298
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2011 8:26 pm

Post by aspencer27 » Thu Aug 14, 2014 8:14 pm

I'm a few weeks in. I joined back in 2011 to try and help my dad find a better way to eat, but then my eating habits started getting out of control from stress eating and eating out of boredom. So, here I am trying it out myself! I have a daily check in on here - "I'm trying this check-in thing". I love reading thru the long-term check-ins from the start to see how far people come along with making such small changes (and not even being successful always), it's really helpful to me.

I think I'm past the afternoon snack monster - I went and got some herbal mint tea, yummy!

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Sun Sep 21, 2014 2:34 pm

Are you still trying? It can take several attempts to get it going. Even failure can eventually make a person more determined. I won't tell you today how short my attempts were and how long it was between failed attempts before I surrendered to No S 4.75 years ago. I'm still not perfect, but it is the core of my eating and has helped me lose and keep off about 40 pounds. I failed at times, but I have never given up. Consistent, moderate, meal-based eating keeps millions of people slim- not necessarily cosmetic slim- and in good health throughout the world. The same cannot be said for any of No S's "competitors." Some success, yes. Widespread, millions of successes, no.

It's livable!
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)

SOutdoors
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2014 3:11 am
Location: United States

Starting Over One More Time

Post by SOutdoors » Fri Sep 26, 2014 3:27 am

I have been on and off of this thing several times now. It has made me an honest man though...there are no excuses for not being able to stick to eating 3 squares a day. If someone came up to you and said I will give you $1000 if you only eat 3 meals today and you can't have any snacks, seconds or sweets - you and 99.9% of the people on earth would say NO PROBLEM. And you know what - it wouldn't be a problem at all. Who can't live on 3 meals a day?! If they asked you the same thing the next day you would have the same reaction. So, the real question is what is your price - what is it going to take to make you stick with it? The doctor telling you that they found cancer? Losing a job because you can't even stay awake? The attention of a pretty girl or handsome guy? What is your "price"? What will finally break you free from the addiction-like grasp? That is where I am right now - trying to find my price, my motivation.

I start again tomorrow and hopefully the circumstances, events, issues and all other "reasons" to stray are held at bay.

Thanks for the encouragement.

JS
Ready for a change!
SOutdoors

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Fri Sep 26, 2014 5:15 am

How about this for a motivation: the alternatives. Feeling cruddy from overeating too often. Not really enjoying a lot of the food you do eat. Being torn over thinking there's an easy diet out there that will make all the problems go away and down deep knowing there's little chance you can live on one of them forever. Being so tired of feeling that food is in charge.

And if not now, when?

You're not obligated to use any of these, but if any fit...

And you're very right. You can live, and live pretty well, on three meals a day.
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)

eschano
Posts: 2642
Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:20 pm

Post by eschano » Fri Sep 26, 2014 8:24 am

This made me laugh because I figure I have saved about £1000 in the last 2 years by not buying chocolate bars every single day. I didn't buy chocolate nor crisps nor other snacks for about 236 days a year (5 N days per year -24 NWS days) x £2 pounds per day (which is really thinking low expenditure here because I had days where I would buy £6 sweets and eat them in no time) is £472 and if I round up to £500 I have £1000 for the 2 years on NoS.

And the thing is: I actually feel the difference. I never had savings before and now I do.

So depending on how many sweets and snacks you bought pre-NoS per day - you will save. It is indeed the No$ diet as well.
eschano - Vanilla rocks!

July 2012- January 2016
Started again January 2021

Klutzy68
Posts: 23
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2014 3:23 pm
Location: United States

Post by Klutzy68 » Fri Sep 26, 2014 9:40 am

One of the things I've done in the past is put that saved money in a "new skinny clothes" jar. It builds up fast! Now though I have clothes in a vast array of sizes because of course the skinny clothes never did fit for long. Unfortunately I got rid of several nice things because I'd given up, but now I feel hopeful again.

JR, that is so true about the $1000. And I love the price idea! For me it used to be about looking better, having dates, nice clothes, etc. For awhile I was extremely obese and it became about sanity and survival. Now it's about health and longevity. Seeing people older and sometimes younger than me who are in pitiful health, can barely walk, suffering from various weight- or food-related debilitating diseases, is a powerful motivator. Once your peers start dying or living miserably with diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, hip replacements, etc, you get scared. At 66 I'm in good health and want to stay that way. I don't feel old and don't want that feeling to come for a very long time! Plus I want to look nice at my daughter's wedding next year! :D

noni
Posts: 613
Joined: Fri Feb 27, 2009 2:01 pm

Post by noni » Sat Sep 27, 2014 12:25 pm

We should have a sticky to simply list anyone's pros and cons about the normal way of eating on NoS. Pros: All the good it has done; Cons: All the bad of NOT following this WOE.

When feeling weak, we can come back to it and read not only our own, but others as well for encouragement, and boy do I need it! I did the entire month of Sept. quite well for me and lost a whopping 1/4 of a pound.

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Sun Oct 12, 2014 10:39 pm

Noni, that can be tough, though a quarter of a pound might be all that is reasonable. And eating sanely can be its own reward, if need be.

The body really does have so many ways of keeping a weight equilibrium. I for one can't let it completely rule me, though it does still enter my thoughts. But I know there is only so much I am willing to do- and NOT to do. What I'm doing today is all I'm willing to do, bottom line.
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)

catservant
Posts: 89
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2012 4:02 pm

Post by catservant » Mon Oct 13, 2014 12:48 am

Just wondering, SOutdoors, whether you've got the answer figured out yet. Your post really got me thinking...it's a really interesting question. I think when I find the answer to it I may start to enjoy more success. Hope you've found your price, and that I find mine!

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