technicalities

lifeisfun · Post by **lifeisfun** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 6:45 pm

I am on my 15th day, and I'm curious about about a few things. So far, I've been doing NoS with no mods.

Milk, is it a drink or a food? Could I have it after dinner and consider it a success? I'm not a huge milk drinker, just curious your thoughts.

One plate, if I'm having a salad with a meal should it take up space on the plate (even if I use a bowl) or can I fill a plate and have salad in a bowl as well?

I find that sometimes I forget about breakfast, not often. Could I still do three meals that day or just stick with lunch and dinner.

Thanks!

NoelFigart · Post by **NoelFigart** » Mon Mar 09, 2015 8:03 pm

Milk is a drink. I strongly encourage you, if you can swing it, to get a copy of Reinhard's book and read it. He discusses this at some length in it with great clarity. This is more about habit than calories. It is certainly better to have non-caloric drinks, but technically this is cool, and can even be a good way to deal with hunger between meals initially.

One plate. Technically salad goes on the plate. If you're like me and tended to have a dinner salad on the side growing up, it'll feel weird.

As far as breakfast? Again, habit. No-S, while sort of presuming a three meal a day habit, doesn't require it. There are people on this board who are successful with two meals a day (I'm guessing they're pretty substantial!) and people who do four. The important part is boundaries and habit. Personally, I think if you're FORGETTING about the meal, you ain't hungry yet!

ironchef · Post by **ironchef** » Tue Mar 10, 2015 1:24 am

I totally understand not wanting a cold salad on a plate with hot foods. I also often do a bowl of soup with a side plate for toast, likewise my breakfast slice of toast doesn't go into the porridge bowl (although both would fit onto a dinner plate). I don't think there is any drama with logical "single serving" meals served off more than 1 dish.

However, I'd just add that you need to be honest with yourself - no system can take the place of common sense. One of the ideas behind the "1 plate, no snacks" thing is that less energy dense foods (salads, veggies, fruits) have to fit on your meal plate, and will thus take the space that you might otherwise have filled with more energy dense foods. If you're putting salad to the side to avoid wilting green leaves with hot fish and potatoes, that's one thing, but if the salad is in a bowl so you can load up more plate space with pizza, your body won't be fooled.

Blithe Morning · Post by **Blithe Morning** » Wed Mar 18, 2015 6:30 pm

I use a variety of strategies, depending on where I am and what's available.

Put your bowl on the plate and fill in around it.
Leave 1/3 - 1/2 of the plate empty.
Use two small plates or a small plate and bowl.

lifeisfun · Post by **lifeisfun** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 3:09 am

Thanks! I've been very conscious about using a bowl and not breaking the spirit of the "one plate". I just don't like salad on a plate, it gets all wilty. I do agree that it could become a problem if that bowl of salad isn't accounted for in the plating of the other foods.

The breakfast thing still bothers me. I think it's because it is drilled into us that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" and "studies show that those who eat a healthy breakfast lose or maintain weight loss x% more than those who don't". I just get sidetracked and then realize that it's almost 11am and I haven't had breakfast yet. I'll just let it ride and see how things progress.

ironchef · Post by **ironchef** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 4:51 am

lifeisfun wrote:The breakfast thing still bothers me. I think it's because it is drilled into us that "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" and "studies show that those who eat a healthy breakfast lose or maintain weight loss x% more than those who don't". I just get sidetracked and then realize that it's almost 11am and I haven't had breakfast yet.

I knew plenty of people when I worked in Italy who just had an espresso for breakfast, sometimes with a tiny pastry, and none of them seemed to struggle with their weight. I personally pushed my breakfast back a few hours after I wake to make sure I'm hungry for it. I do know there are successful posters here (wosnes?) who don't always do 3 meals.

Dale · Post by **Dale** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 7:31 am

I think some of the thinking on breakfast has come from the National Weight Loss Registry. http://www.nwcr.ws/research/ (although you only need to have maintained for a year to register). But it looks like a good number (22%) of the people who lost and maintained don't eat breakfast. And I know thin people who don't eat breakfast.