Everyday Systems

Hi,

I have been trying to succeed at the No S Diet for awhile now. I usually do well for about three or four days and then I feel really lightheaded and sick to my stomach and quit. Any suggestions on how to get over this and is it normal? Just thinking about it makes me feel this way right now.

I don't think feeling "sick to your stomach" is normal with NoS. But feeling light-headed can come from your body not being used to three regular meals. I would first examine whether your meals are substantial enough--with NoS, you don't need to strive for low-calorie, "diet" meals, but just normal, regular, meals. At the beginning, it is better to make sure you are eating enough and work your portions down over time, than to start out with too little nourishment. Eating three truly nourishing meals might do the trick.

If that doesn't apply, you can try having a nourishing non-sweet drink to help with the light-headedness. Many have found that a glass of milk does the trick--I've used this on occasion when dinner is going to be late. Also, I've found that sometimes a glass of tomato juice or a mug of broth works for me when I'm craving something savory. I personally stay away from drinks like orange juice because while it has no *added* sugars, it *is* a concentrated dose of natural sugars....

Also, I do believe that as you, your body, and your mind get into the NoS habits, your light-headedness is apt to go away on its own accord.

HTH,

Welcome, April,
Sorry to hear about your feeling lightheaded and unwell.
I would help to know what your daily plates look like. I wonder if you are eating enough at each meal, and if you have a good balance of protein/carb/fat.
Do you have any history of low blood sugar? If it happens at the same time every day, maybe plan to have a milky drink then to keep your blood sugar from bottoming out.
Feel free to share more information if you feel comfortable doing so. I hope NoS can work out for you- it's a great system!

tFrom "Stop Overeating For Good," by Balasa L. Prasad, M. D.
The stomach, digestive juices, and the autonomic nervous system, which controls the propulsion operation of the stomach and colon, were prepared to receive food at frequent intervals. When this did not happen, the rapidly contracting empty stomach and the slight drop in the heart rate during the time when X normally ate made her uncomfortable. If she had continued to eat less for a few more days, her body would have acclimated to the new eating routine and she would not have felt any discomfort." p. 89 He writes this saying that the blood sugar issue is misunderstood. It's active in only a small minority of people.

He says later that in the first week or so of making eating changes, a person's natural "Deprivation Drive," which shows up with symptoms that people associate with being "deprived," is very strong. Other drives become more prominent in later stages.

I wouldn't say all discomfort goes away completely after a few days, but it becomes more obvious that it's nothing serious as time goes on.

vmsurbat wrote:I don't think feeling "sick to your stomach" is normal with NoS. But feeling light-headed can come from your body not being used to three regular meals. I would first examine whether your meals are substantial enough--with NoS, you don't need to strive for low-calorie, "diet" meals, but just normal, regular, meals. At the beginning, it is better to make sure you are eating enough and work your portions down over time, than to start out with too little nourishment. Eating three truly nourishing meals might do the trick.

If that doesn't apply, you can try having a nourishing non-sweet drink to help with the light-headedness. Many have found that a glass of milk does the trick--I've used this on occasion when dinner is going to be late. Also, I've found that sometimes a glass of tomato juice or a mug of broth works for me when I'm craving something savory. I personally stay away from drinks like orange juice because while it has no *added* sugars, it *is* a concentrated dose of natural sugars....

Also, I do believe that as you, your body, and your mind get into the NoS habits, your light-headedness is apt to go away on its own accord.

I think this is spot on.

The other thing I would mention is that some posters have started out with 4 meals (e.g. 3 plates plus a small mini-plate at their toughest time of day), then dropped the 4th mini-meal once the rest of the habits are solid. I would try the other strategies first, however.

Also, lightheadedness in my case is usually related to blood pressure, not blood sugar, and has more to do with things like getting up too fast or getting dehydrated than it does to do with food. If you are someone who tends to drink WITH snacks, make sure you are getting enough water throughout the day outside of your meals, especially in hot weather.

Hang in there - your body is used to you drip feeding it snacks all the time and may take a little while to adjust.

ironchef wrote:
Also, lightheadedness in my case is usually related to blood pressure, not blood sugar, and has more to do with things like getting up too fast or getting dehydrated than it does to do with food. If you are someone who tends to drink WITH snacks, make sure you are getting enough water throughout the day outside of your meals, especially in hot weather.

This is so true! I used to work with a patient who would often say he thought his blood sugar was low. Without fail, his blood sugar was never low, but his blood pressure always was.

Make sure you're eating enough to get you through to your next meal.

ironchef wrote:
Hang in there - your body is used to you drip feeding it snacks all the time and may take a little while to adjust.

Just wanted to say that I love this line! Drip feeding, that's exactly what I was doing with sweets. A constant open line!