Why did you leave? Why are you back?

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.

Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating

elegantportions
Posts: 128
Joined: Mon May 19, 2014 6:06 pm
Location: Montana

Post by elegantportions » Wed Feb 28, 2018 5:26 pm

I don't count myself as ever actually leaving NoS, but I wanted to put this here to call everyone's attention to the Sticky of the Stickies.
My last post was my Year 2 testimonial in late 2015, included as a reply on Year 1.
Sorry, I would include a link to that post, but it's been so long since I have been here that I don't remember how.

New CatchPhrase: Don't go tharn!
(Showing my age here)
From the book Watership Down by Richard Adams (1972), "tharn" is the term used when animals see the headlights of oncoming cars and are frozen in terror...
Or think about the 1971 movie Andromeda Strain when one of the scientists almost fails to save the world because she goes into a trance instead of responding appropriately when she sees all the red warning lights...

My HabitCal reveals everything:
2014 avg 5 reds per month, just learning the habits, losing excess weight slowly
2015 avg 2 reds per month until Dec, still losing

NoS Book, p. 142: "Be honest about failures, and limit them. One day is regrettable but inevitable. Two in a row is pushing it. And it should never be more than that. Don't beat yourself up, just hit the brakes hard. Marking green, yellow, and red (respectively) for success, exemption, and failure on a Habit Traffic Light calendar helps. Just make sure not to stop marking when you run into a failure; that's the most important thing to mark."

Dec 2015 & Jan 2016 were almost solid red.
I can't believe I kept marking (with varying success) through Oct 2016, all the while slowly regaining excess weight.
2017 was spent in denial, still gaining.

So, here I am, BMI worse than when I started and 4 years older, but hopefully wiser.
Last week was solid green.

A few things I have learned during my dereliction:

If I eat like a newborn 8x a day, then I gain weight like a newborn.

I really do not want to eat chips every single weekday lunch, and my default 3-oz. bowl full will definitely NOT fit on my lunch plate.
If oversize portions feed an oversize body, then the corollary must also be true: Right-size portions feed a right-size body.

I can easily eat enough to more than compensate for lugging a baby around all day.

No Snacks means the kitchen is closed between dinner and breakfast.
"Just a few" jelly beans after dinner leads to permasnacking until bedtime.
If I have cravings, just drink some water and either take a walk or go to bed NOW.

I really do need to check in at least once a month for accountability and encouragement.
It's great to see old friends still on board!
EP
5'5" Female Age 62
Dec 2018 Year 5 BMI = 25.8

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

Post by oolala53 » Wed Feb 28, 2018 5:40 pm

Thank you for sharing your observations. It's so easy to get lured by the excess messages, even if the messages are encoded in the food- esp. the packaged stuff. 8)

Is this what you meant about a previous post? If not, let me know if you want me to delete it.
***************************************************************
"Year 2 UPDATE: Another year of success sort of following NoS!

Soon after posting this testimonial last year, I got serious and actually followed vanilla NoS for awhile. But my weight remained stable, and I knew I needed to figure out ELEGANT portion sizes. So for awhile I counted bites and was thoroughly shocked at how little food really is a decent portion for my body and activity level.

Without any particular goal in mind, I conducted an experiment paying more attention to just how I felt eating less and less food within the framework of NoS. Within a few months I found a "good" level of hunger (just hungry enough for the next meal), and dropped the bite counting. I began to see numbers on the scale I haven't seen since 2003!

Then just before the holidays, we brought a newborn foster baby home from the hospital. I dropped Shovelglove in favor of lifting & carrying this other weight that was 7 lbs. & daily growing. My activity level in no way resembled what it had been for the previous 6 months and I would have STARVED had I not begun eating more. Habitwise the holidays were terrible, and yes, I definitely overdid the upward adjustment.

But my weight remains within the normal range, I am at peace with food, and NoS gives me the framework of sanity I need to live life without having to give food more attention than it deserves."
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)

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

Post by Over43 » Thu Mar 01, 2018 4:09 am

noni wrote:It's the first time I didn't eat all the skin off the turkey while carving it.
(I think I left this on the wrong post and don't know how to get rid of it)
The skin is the best part :D
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

elegantportions
Posts: 128
Joined: Mon May 19, 2014 6:06 pm
Location: Montana

Post by elegantportions » Thu Mar 01, 2018 9:53 pm

Yes, Oolala, that was the post I meant.
Thank you very much for digging it up for me.
EP
5'5" Female Age 62
Dec 2018 Year 5 BMI = 25.8

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

Post by oolala53 » Fri Mar 02, 2018 12:45 am

I just went to the Testimonials forum.

I hope to see your update there sometime.
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 » Thu Jul 19, 2018 8:35 am

Hello!
I was successful with NoS 2012-2016 and lost 20pounds sustainably on it. I stopped when I got pregnant with my first child in 2016 as I felt extremely nauseated for four months and nothing other than constant snacking was helping. So I swapped one habit for permasnacking yet again. My first daughter was also a shocking sleeper and up every 1 1/2hours all night until she was 9 months old and still rarely sleeps through now so sleep deprivation didn’t help one bit and I didn’t really manage to get back on NoS before I got pregnant with my second around my firstborn’s first birthday. Now that the little one is 12weeks and a much better sleeper I feel like I can start in earnest again.
Obviously none of these are valid excuses as I know of enough people who successfully did NoS while pregubut I’m just not one of them.
My main triggers are:
-Tiredness
-Food leftover on my toddler’s plate that I would happily wolf down
-boredom
-being in the house a lot with access to food

Ultimately, I know NoS is the right way for me. I was happy and healthy and had a good relationship with food and my body. I won’t even consider any other diet again. NoS healed me in so many ways I didn’t think possible and impacted positively on my mental health, my partnership, and my family and I crave that structure again.
eschano - Vanilla rocks!

July 2012- January 2016
Started again January 2021

User avatar
Sammybunny711
Posts: 193
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 5:08 pm

Post by Sammybunny711 » Wed Jul 25, 2018 12:39 pm

All of your stories are so inspiring! I did No S for a brief period of time back in the day and just got tantalized by all the other diets out there. I also modified the HECK out of No S to "fit my lifestyle". Well this time? NO MODS. I'm going to stick to vanilla No S starting today. I have always been able to do extremes but not balanced habits. That changes today. I'm going to be able to do this. I KNOW I can. The community here and on the Facebook group will be big factors in this success, I just know it. Thanks for always supporting each other. We can do this! GO US.
Height: 5'4"
Highest weight: 210.4
Current Weight: 191.8 (-18.6 lbs)
Goal Weight: 125-135


*^..^711

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

Post by oolala53 » Thu Aug 02, 2018 6:52 am

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)

naeman
Posts: 41
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2016 2:45 pm

Post by naeman » Wed Aug 08, 2018 2:42 pm

I left because I had trouble sticking to the habits, and even when I did for a month or so I tended to maintain instead of lose.

I came back because nothing else has worked for me. I've been in a somewhat frantic state of feeling hopeful about a new diet, giving up after a week or two, and then feeling horribly down until I think of a different angle to try a new diet from. I realized that there was no chance of succeeding in the long run if I didn't just stick to something.

I've decided to think about things a little differently this time. I want to approach the diet in a way that optimizes my chances of sticking with it. Instead of tracking binary success or failure on N days, I've split my tracking into three habits: snacks, sweets, and seconds. If I mess up an have a snack, I mark that one red for the day, but I still haven't failed completely and there's a reason to keep resisting sweets and seconds.

I've also decided to weigh myself only twice a month. In the past I've judged a diet by how sustainable it is and how much weight I'm losing with it. Seeing my weight stay the same or go up for a short period of time inevitably leads to giving up on the plan. Weight loss is my ultimate goal, but there are other good reasons to stick with No S until i can find a way to lose weight on it. So I'm not going to judge my success by weight loss, at least not initially.

I plan to get about 60 successful days in each N day habit (in a row) and seeing where that puts me before I start trying to work on my mindset for S days. I'm three weeks in and although I've had some slipups I've kept going and have felt no temptation to stop. Here's hoping this time works for me long term.

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

Post by eschano » Wed Aug 08, 2018 3:09 pm

I very much hope it works for you too. Interesting approach, will follow it closely
eschano - Vanilla rocks!

July 2012- January 2016
Started again January 2021

ladybird30
Posts: 1118
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 10:41 pm

Post by ladybird30 » Thu Aug 09, 2018 3:47 am

Hi naeman, welcome back and good luck with your new approach. I didn't lose any weight for the first month I was on the forum as I was still adjusting how much I needed to eat.

I think that one of the reasons No S has worked for me is that I have regarded it as a way of permanently changing my eating habits rather than a temporary diet. By using the rules to cut out excess food my weight has gradually come down over the last year or so.
Three meals a day - not too little not too much, but just right

Bluebell
Posts: 633
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2016 7:17 pm
Location: Hampshire UK

Post by Bluebell » Fri Sep 28, 2018 9:19 pm

I’m going to copy and paste today’s check in which pretty much sums it up.

Ok, where to start.
Firstly, I have finally returned to this forum and my daily check in to see two messages asking after me. I am beyond touched that anyone would bother to look me up or think of me after all this time, let alone strangers online. So thank you.
Since I last checked in, in March, I had a complete relapse. I did what I always always do which is to return to my bad old habits. I lasted so much longer with NoS than any other diet, however it was as if I could not escape the inevitable forever.
I had maintained my 2 stone loss for some time, give or take a few pounds, but between now and then I have put back on 22 of the 28lb I had lost. It has felt like deliberate sabotage, and yet I knew even as I was doing it that deep down this was not what I wanted.
As a coincidence, I had a very interesting conversation with a friend of a friend who is a hypnotherapist. We spoke a bit about my issues around food and she said that she thought I was almost certainly rebelling against my mother putting me on a diet aged 12. I told that her that I didn’t feel like I was rebelling but she said that it would be locked away in my subconscious somewhere. She was very lovely and not at all pushy.
I kept thinking, I would love to see her for a session, she will finally release me from this burden (that’s how it feels, a burden to keep doing this to myself)
Mainly because I can’t justify spending that money on myself, I never got round to booking an appointment with her. However, I found myself asking ‘What would I want the outcome of a hypnotherapy session to be?’ And I came up with this.
I would like to eat sensible meals, cut out the crap, and enjoy the occasional treat without tipping over into a binge and feelings of guilt.
That would be the NoS diet then.
So here I am. Nothing will work for me as well as NoS has. I think I truly know that now. I hope so anyway. I’ve managed a week successfully and have also started C25K, I’m only on week 2 of the programme but feel determined to get fitter and healthier this time round.
I hope its OK to come back after all this time away. I intend to post from time to time, but keep a more detailed record in a paper diary kept by my bedside.

Edit : I just noticed my signature (or whatever you call it) at the bottom of my posts. Taken from one of Oolala’s replies on one of my posts. I think I lost sight of the North Star for a while, but its still up there. It never went away. I just stopped looking for it.
"You'll know where the North Star is ⭐️" - Oolala

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

Post by oolala53 » Sat Sep 29, 2018 3:43 pm

Sent a private longer message, but welcome home.
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)

Bluebell
Posts: 633
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2016 7:17 pm
Location: Hampshire UK

Post by Bluebell » Sat Sep 29, 2018 3:47 pm

Thank you Oolala. My Inbox is empty though? (maybe I’ve been away too long? :lol: )
"You'll know where the North Star is ⭐️" - Oolala

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

Post by oolala53 » Sun Sep 30, 2018 3:20 pm

I guess it wasn't private. I think it's the one I put on your check-in thread.
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)

3squaremeals
Posts: 291
Joined: Sun Oct 23, 2016 11:03 pm
Location: Australia

Post by 3squaremeals » Mon Oct 01, 2018 4:04 am

Back again for the 100th time. When will I learn that diets don't work for me. This time I will be having 6 N days and 1 S day where I will have one S event. Most likely a sweet. As I need to keep the structure of the N days all week. I am going to start tracking my eating and exercise on habitcal.

I feel like I need to really make this work for me as I don't want to keep being overweight, miserable and obsessed with food and the scale. There is more to life than this.

Bluebell
Posts: 633
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2016 7:17 pm
Location: Hampshire UK

Post by Bluebell » Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:04 am

oolala53 wrote:I guess it wasn't private. I think it's the one I put on your check-in thread.
Ah yes, thank you :)
"You'll know where the North Star is ⭐️" - Oolala

Bluebell
Posts: 633
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2016 7:17 pm
Location: Hampshire UK

Post by Bluebell » Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:06 am

3squaremeals wrote:I feel like I need to really make this work for me as I don't want to keep being overweight, miserable and obsessed with food and the scale. There is more to life than this.
Sounds like we are in a very similar position. Good luck with your return :)
"You'll know where the North Star is ⭐️" - Oolala

3squaremeals
Posts: 291
Joined: Sun Oct 23, 2016 11:03 pm
Location: Australia

Post by 3squaremeals » Mon Oct 01, 2018 6:42 am

Thank you Bluebell, good luck to you on your journey too. We can do this! 🙂

Marina
Posts: 61
Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2017 2:37 pm
Location: Brazil

Back and ashamed

Post by Marina » Mon Oct 22, 2018 12:03 pm

I'm back. Again. I feel so ashamed to have fallen of the wagon! I was doing ok but had a very bad day a few months ago and that was it... i went back to disordered eating and feeling alienated from life. I regained almost all the weight i had lost and have to start walking daily again. I'm still pre-diabetic and very afraid of becoming diabetic. The good thing is i have been managing pain much better.

I've been doing vanilla No-S since the beggining of october but the S days are terrible and have me binging the whole day which sometimes goes on to contaminate my monday and sometimes tuesday. So i'm going back to what has worked the most for me in the past which is to stick to 3 meals on the weekends and allow myself maybe only one or two Ss (as in a dessert and a normal snack).

I feel very scared when i stop to think about my eating habits. Will i be able to eat in a nomal way? Will i be able to be healthier and avoid diabetes? No-S has to work for me. I have to make it work.

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Wed Oct 24, 2018 2:52 am

Hi Marina!

I also have a pre-diabetes diagnosis (and borderline hypertension to boot), so I know that scary feeling of our health feeling out of our control. It's not, though. We can each find what works for us. For me, I have to eat whole foods (which easily moderates my carbs), and avoid free access to my trigger foods (or build in a "limited" access). But other than that, I can fairly happily stick to NoS, plain and simple.

Welcome back.

I don't have a solution for your questions (S Days, no S Days, etc.), but I do hope you find your "thrive" path. Don't give up!
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

Soprano
Posts: 1184
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2018 8:56 pm
Location: UK

Re: Back and ashamed

Post by Soprano » Wed Oct 24, 2018 6:17 am

Marina wrote: I feel very scared when i stop to think about my eating habits. Will i be able to eat in a nomal way? Will i be able to be healthier and avoid diabetes? No-S has to work for me. I have to make it work.
Yes you will be able to do all of that, be patient be prepared for the odd setback, you are only human. Just keep on doing it.

Use the habitcal it's a great motivator

Jx
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

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

Post by oolala53 » Wed Oct 24, 2018 4:51 pm

This is one of those situations where using fear would be a good thing. It's the timing that matters. If we feel the fear only when there is no risk, when there are no eating decisions to be made, it's going to be ineffective suffering. We need to muster the fear, or resolve, right when the urge to eat that extra food comes up. That's the moment of proof/truth. Being honest about admitting that it might not be as important as we say if we keep letting our intention melt in the moment can help grow the determination. Think of us cheering you on to hold out BEFORE you take those "failure" bites and how glad you'll be when you can look back and see that you got over the hump.
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)

jenji
Posts: 661
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2017 5:00 pm
Location: Cambridge

Post by jenji » Mon Nov 05, 2018 7:50 pm

I hope you can get back in the groove. I was able to bring my blood sugar back to normal (from a high reading) over the first 4 months.
I'm a 53-year-old mom and non-profit CEO
I am 5' 7.5"
Began No S at 184#, BMI 28.4 - 9/25/2017
Current weight: 181#, BMI 27.9, 12/19/2022

MaggieMae
Posts: 589
Joined: Sun Nov 01, 2015 9:53 pm
Location: Ohio, USA

Post by MaggieMae » Sun Dec 02, 2018 2:55 pm

Wow, jinji! That's quite the testimony for no s! Congrats on getting the blood sugar level under control! Just looked at your stats.... We're similar in height and age, and I am so happy for you that your bmi is also down along with your blood sugar. Amazing! I am encouraged by your success.

jenji
Posts: 661
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2017 5:00 pm
Location: Cambridge

Post by jenji » Mon Dec 03, 2018 3:55 pm

MaggieMae wrote:Wow, jinji! That's quite the testimony for no s! Congrats on getting the blood sugar level under control! Just looked at your stats.... We're similar in height and age, and I am so happy for you that your bmi is also down along with your blood sugar. Amazing! I am encouraged by your success.
Good luck
I'm a 53-year-old mom and non-profit CEO
I am 5' 7.5"
Began No S at 184#, BMI 28.4 - 9/25/2017
Current weight: 181#, BMI 27.9, 12/19/2022

Lady Crimson
Posts: 24
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2013 11:19 pm

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by Lady Crimson » Tue Jan 01, 2019 3:54 am

Short answers:
I left because I am an idiot.
I'm back because I am not a complete idiot.

Long answer:
My first time with No S, I had a great deal of success. I found the book in the bookstore and started it right away. The first month I lost ten pounds but then in the following months my weight loss slowed and I wanted to lose weight faster. . .and ended up regaining all the weight I had lost.

I returned because dieting doesn't work. Every time I leave no S and go on a regular diet I lose more weight on those diets than on No S but I can't stay on those diets forever and so eventually and crash and regain all the weight plus some extra. No S is the only "diet" that works long term and gets easier the longer I am on it. I first joined back in September 2008 (I had a different username then) and if I had stayed on No S, I would have been at my ideal weight years ago. Instead here I am ten years later, once again returning to No S and hoping that this time I can use some common sense and stick with the only thing that really works.

I just noticed that I rejoined with this username in 2013--over five years ago. If I had stayed on No S then, I would be at my ideal weight by now. I really need to stop being an idiot! Where's a wall? I need to bang my head against it--that will help, right?

ladybird30
Posts: 1118
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 10:41 pm

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by ladybird30 » Tue Jan 01, 2019 4:43 am

Lady Crimson wrote: No S is the only "diet" that works long term and gets easier the longer I am on it.
I never thought about that before, but No S does get easier after a while, while starvation diets just get harder and harder.
Three meals a day - not too little not too much, but just right

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Tue Jan 01, 2019 4:09 pm

I agree! It gets easier! In order of (for me) No Snacks (I can't imagine a life of snacking anymore); No Sweets; and No Seconds. The NoSeconds has always been the trickiest one for me and is not as black & white, so I find it harder to internalize.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

ceo418
Posts: 202
Joined: Mon Apr 27, 2015 10:26 pm
Location: Plainsboro, NJ

Post by ceo418 » Wed Jan 02, 2019 12:50 pm

I'm back because I've been out of control with my eating for a long time and have come to realize that I need structure. 3 meals a day, with treats on weekends and special days...that's a fairly simple set of rules. I'm fully expecting some wild S-days to begin with, then I'm hoping they'll calm down and I can finally shed the weight that's been with me for pretty much my entire life. I want to feel better in my own skin and hopefully delay or avoid major health problems down the road. It's time. I can do this.

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

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by oolala53 » Wed Jan 02, 2019 11:09 pm

Lady Crimson wrote:Short answers:
I left because I am an idiot.
I'm back because I am not a complete idiot.
Guffaw.

I joined in the fall of 2008, but lasted only two separate weeks of the next 15 months. But 12/26 was my 9th anniversary (and if you read my thread, you know that I have been wobbling. I think the worst is over.)

I don't think you can guarantee that you'll be at your goal weight if you stick with it this time, but you can be at your goal sanity! Just keep remembering what the options are. Calorie counting? Eliminating foods? Continued disorder? Or systematic moderation? I know which one seems the least painful.
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)

Dalia negra
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:48 am
Location: Barcelona (Spain)

Post by Dalia negra » Mon Jan 28, 2019 10:08 am

Hello!!!

Well, I left because I focused on losing weight before looking at how good I felt. I was losing weight with No S, but very slowly, and I wanted to lose more quickly as I was used to with all my diets.

Why have I returned? Because I can not make a diet anymore. The last one I have done has "forced" me to eat cheese and bread at breakfast EVERY DAY, and meat and a small amount of carbohydrates at noon. This every day the same. The structure is almost equal to No S, three meals a day and two free meals a week in which to give free rein to our voracity, the problem is that eating always the same becomes boring even putting imagination ...

I want to emphasize that No S helped me a lot the previous time, she managed to leave bingeing for a long time, so much so that I thought I was prepared to make a more strict diet. But no. The restriction made the compulsion return. So now I'm in this for pleasure. I want to recover the pleasure of food again. And S does not give it to me without everything falling apart and my way of eating is chaos.

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

Post by oolala53 » Tue Jan 29, 2019 3:49 am

No eating routine that doesn't supply enough pleasure for the payoff is going to last. Which is not to say we can't sometimes find pleasure in something that we didn't think we could, but we have to find it out.

I hope this go brings what you want.
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)

ladybird30
Posts: 1118
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 10:41 pm

Post by ladybird30 » Tue Jan 29, 2019 5:17 am

Dalia negra wrote:The restriction made the compulsion return.
You said it. Here's to pleasure.
Three meals a day - not too little not too much, but just right

Dalia negra
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:48 am
Location: Barcelona (Spain)

Post by Dalia negra » Tue Jan 29, 2019 6:21 am

You are absolutely right.


 However, when I get pleasure from food I feel guilty and my diet mentality starts talking to me and telling me that it will be impossible to lose weight, and that without sacrifice I will not get it ... Many years of torturing me ... but I will manage to go erasing all those thoughts ... I'll try at least :wink:

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

Post by oolala53 » Tue Jan 29, 2019 6:32 am

I like to say that the pleasure has to be there before, during, and after eating. This helps in realizing that we might want to eat a lot more of food because it tastes good, but that will not lead to pleasure later. I think the guilt over delicious food is that we know we often kept eating it just for the taste. That is a very human thing to do, but it doesn't serve us, especially when seductive food is so available.

You are going to get this!
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)

Dalia negra
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:48 am
Location: Barcelona (Spain)

Post by Dalia negra » Wed Jan 30, 2019 10:10 am

oolala53 wrote:I like to say that the pleasure has to be there before, during, and after eating. This helps in realizing that we might want to eat a lot more of food because it tastes good, but that will not lead to pleasure later. I think the guilt over delicious food is that we know we often kept eating it just for the taste. That is a very human thing to do, but it doesn't serve us, especially when seductive food is so available.

You are going to get this!


Absolutely true. Yesterday I read you (sorry for not answering before) and I thought you were right, so I tried to stop when I was satisfied even if there was some food on the plate, and voilà! There was no feeling of guilt, only satisfaction :wink: :D

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

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by oolala53 » Wed Feb 27, 2019 9:03 pm

To remind anyone why people leave and come back.

https://www.facebook.com/treynkennedy/v ... 672645306/
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)

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

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by Over43 » Mon Apr 15, 2019 4:55 pm

I never "leave" but, I do get side-tracked.
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

nettee
Posts: 471
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2015 10:01 pm
Location: UK

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by nettee » Wed Apr 17, 2019 7:45 am

I left after a very stressful event in 2017 and have been back briefly since but away again and most recently on another diet which was similar in some ways to no S but not as simple.

I am back because I know I find this system sustainable and it works. I have two green squares on my habitcal which make me happy.

It has been really helpful to look back in my previous 10 months of habitcal to see how I can stick with this as I have done it before and to look at my testimonial from when I lost my stone in 4 months.
3 tasty meals a day and loving it

ChandaLikePanda
Posts: 99
Joined: Sun Jul 16, 2017 6:37 am
Location: WA

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by ChandaLikePanda » Sat Apr 20, 2019 1:38 am

I left because I didn't give it time to work. I started seeing other people losing weight with low carb/keto, and they were losing it fast. I wanted to lose weight fast, too. Then it was really restrictive. No bread, no potatoes, no sugar. Then people started insisting that "clean" keto was the way to go, and since I wasn't really losing weight fast like others were, I thought I would try that. Even more restrictive, weight loss was slow. But then the restrictions lead to binging. So I would binge, feel guilty, and the cycle would repeat. I put on more weight. I was sick of diets, yet I kept looking for the one. "One diet to rule them all." I tried calorie counting, macro counting, eating only meat, eating nothing with a face. I lost my balance. I gave up. I was sick of diets. I looked at Mindful Eating, or Intuitive Eating. I felt like I was constantly thinking about food. Constantly eating. Grazing on snacks throughout the day, like a cow. Constantly asking myself how I felt about food.

I was tired of it.

I remembered being a kid and eating 3 meals a day, sometimes with a snack after school. I figured I had to go back to that. I remembered the NoS diet, and I found my way back here. I'm ready to give it a real chance, to give it the time that it takes to build new habits. It's so simple, I really don't have to think about it, except for when I'm planning what to eat. It's working well so far.
Gender: Female
Age: 43
Height: 5'4"

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

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by oolala53 » Thu Apr 25, 2019 6:21 am

Oooo, Chanda, the lure of low carb! I have looked with envy at times because of some people's claims of feeling very blasé about food from it. But long term success is the exception.
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)

milliem
Posts: 1178
Joined: Sun Mar 20, 2011 2:30 pm

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by milliem » Sat Apr 27, 2019 2:19 am

I stopped because I wasn’t losing weight and to be honest was finding it hard to stick to the n days... so I kind of gave up. I didn’t switch to another plan I just stopped doing anything about my eating! I’m back because I don’t feel great in my body and have developed some unhealthy habits that I want to break. I want to give it time and be more moderate in my eating habits rather than trying to diet and failing constantly!

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

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by oolala53 » Thu May 02, 2019 6:14 pm

Some day I'm going to scroll through this thread and see how many times people say things changed when they stopped using weight loss as the major success criterion. Good luck on the new incarnation!
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)

Thisisnotabadidea-
Posts: 106
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2019 4:59 am

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by Thisisnotabadidea- » Wed May 22, 2019 12:09 am

Wanted to lose 3 pounds quickly to be "goal" weight so calorie counting lulled me in to "get it over with". I lost 2 of those 3 and then rebound to where I stopped No S just as quick after a rough patch and found myself slipping back into eating all the time while being anxious 24/7 about it. Weight be damned I just want sustainability and simplicity

User avatar
Sammybunny711
Posts: 193
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 5:08 pm

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by Sammybunny711 » Mon Jul 22, 2019 10:24 pm

I've tried to do No S unsuccessfully over the last 9 years because I keep getting distracted by yo-yo dieting and binge eating. I am now at my highest weight and desperate to make better habits for myself. I am back to stay and I can't wait to get this weight off in a sustainable, sane fashion.
Height: 5'4"
Highest weight: 210.4
Current Weight: 191.8 (-18.6 lbs)
Goal Weight: 125-135


*^..^711

JJW
Posts: 13
Joined: Sun Sep 08, 2013 7:01 pm
Location: Texas

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by JJW » Tue Jul 23, 2019 10:21 pm

Welcome back Sambunny! I’m right there with you. Joined in 2013 and have never stayed on no s for more than a day or two, always lured off by the flashy promises of other diets. Ready to commit to the sanity of no s! We can do this!!

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

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by oolala53 » Thu Aug 08, 2019 4:37 pm

Not to discourage you, but making better habits and "getting this weight off" can be loosely related. Depending on sustained, linear weight loss (or large losses) can derail better habits. (So many people leave because No S didn't get them weight loss at a rate they wanted, with no mention of any other benefits they may have been experiencing. If a habit overall doesn't somehow make eating more satisfying, it isn't going to stick. Most of the alterantives just aren't satisfying long term, even if they do lead to more weight loss.) I affirm that you will find the new habits pleasurable and vitalizing! Or will keep adjusting until you do.
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)

Thisisnotabadidea-
Posts: 106
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2019 4:59 am

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by Thisisnotabadidea- » Thu Aug 08, 2019 6:13 pm

oolala53 wrote:
Thu Aug 08, 2019 4:37 pm
Not to discourage you, but making better habits and "getting this weight off" can be loosely related. Depending on sustained, linear weight loss (or large losses) can derail better habits. (So many people leave because No S didn't get them weight loss at a rate they wanted, with no mention of any other benefits they may have been experiencing. If a habit overall doesn't somehow make eating more satisfying, it isn't going to stick. Most of the alterantives just aren't satisfying long term, even if they do lead to more weight loss.) I affirm that you will find the new habits pleasurable and vitalizing! Or will keep adjusting until you do.
I totally agree. Once I gave up trying to lose weight on No S it became much more enjoyable(if only because I get more food! :wink: ). I'm enjoying being a stable weight with stable eating patterns which I've arguably never have had before. Those benefits outweigh being 5-10 pounds above my "ideal" weigh. Who cares about the scale when you have other stuff to do than micromanaging your body and food!

kccc
Posts: 3957
Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:12 am

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by kccc » Mon Nov 04, 2019 3:20 pm

Back for the holiday season. As usual.

Leave during the rest of the year because No-S is pretty automatic the rest of the year.

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by automatedeating » Tue Nov 05, 2019 1:40 pm

Hi kccc. :-) Welcome to the holidays! How did Halloween go for you?
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

kccc
Posts: 3957
Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:12 am

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by kccc » Wed Nov 06, 2019 7:31 pm

Halloween was my wake-up call and reminder that the holidays didn't go well for me last year!

User avatar
BackToThin
Posts: 72
Joined: Thu Feb 21, 2019 4:29 am

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by BackToThin » Thu Nov 07, 2019 3:33 am

I left because I was impatient. I've been gone for 6 months (exactly, to the day), I counted calories, and lost a good amount of weight.

I'm not back yet, but I want to be back because I don't want to count calories for the rest of my life. The No-S Diet, or a variation of it, sounds like a good way to lose the remaining weight and to maintain my weight after that.

I thought I was going to count calories till my weight was back to 120; I'm down to 144.4 at the moment. I'm going to transition slowly and not count calories one day per week and see how that goes.
No-S Lifestyle (~Don't Eat Like An Idiot Diet) and re-learning how to eat like a normal person after failing post calorie counting. More than half a year of that sent me diving face first into a giant slice of cheese cake and ultimately fat again.

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

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by oolala53 » Sat Nov 09, 2019 2:58 pm

While on WW, I saw what kind of meals seemed to be the most satisfying and pleasurable. They actually tended to be what others might call diet meals, certainly of less than 500 calories and even lower. They became the basis of my N days (and often S meals) and took me all the way down However, if I wanted to get to and stay at weight more in the middle or low end of my BMI range, I had to be more drastic, though calorie counting wasn't part of it. May I ask if you have ever lived relatively easily at 120?
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)

Marina
Posts: 61
Joined: Sat Jun 03, 2017 2:37 pm
Location: Brazil

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by Marina » Wed Dec 11, 2019 3:26 pm

Back again. So much happened to me while i was gone...! Chronic pain got disabling yet again and all i could manage was to work and sleep some days. Not fun. Turned to food again as a coping mechanism (not a good one, i know). I was felling very lonely and like my life was never going to be good. I was in a very dark place; had some good days and all and tried to do some nice stuff, but it was bad in general. This year i had weight loss surgery on March 26th. It was a GREAT decision and it has helped me a lot. Pre-diabetes and 60% of my chronic pain are gone. It has NOT been an easy ride at all but it's been one that's given me hope and done wonders for my health. Not a magic solution either (not easy to explain this).

Now i'm in a much better place. Eat small portions and feel like my apetite has lessened a lot. Have met someone new and got engaged fast. Just seemed right. Am very happy. I'm still in pain some days and this is a challenge, but have more good days than bad ones and the pain is much more bearable. I aim for a life without pain and am daring to believe this might be possible for me.

So i'm back to NO-S but this time i'm almost done losing weight. I plan on using NO-S as a maintenance strategy that is both good for my body and my mind. I thank the people here who have repeatedly helped me with good advice. I intend to be here for good this time!
35yo brazilian, female, vegetarian. I've undergone weight loss surgery on march 2019 and am using No-S to as a weight maintenance strategy.

Height: 5'2" (1,58m)
Starting weight: 248 lbs (112,5 kg)
Current weight: 135 lbs (61,3 kg)
Current BMI: 24,6

Soprano
Posts: 1184
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2018 8:56 pm
Location: UK

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by Soprano » Wed Dec 11, 2019 8:10 pm

Congratulations on your engagement!

Well done with the loss, great to read you are in a good place.

Jx
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

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

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by oolala53 » Fri Dec 13, 2019 6:35 pm

I affirm that having done No S before will help with adjusting to years of life after surgery. Best to you and your fiancé!
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)

Toygirl1
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Sep 15, 2014 12:53 am

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by Toygirl1 » Sat Jan 18, 2020 11:13 pm

I am too much wanting to have quick weight loss. I just turned 80. I gained 15 pounds in the last year and a half. Want so much to lose,but give up too easily. I have recently tried Oz new diet and the recipes and food recomended is awful to me. No wonder people can't continue. This NoS seems to be the most sensible and doable. So here I am again. I will use the chart this time. Surely I can stick to this and eat things I really like. I am a good cook and don't want to leave that for it is joy to prepare. But will keep trying.

Whosonfirst
Posts: 538
Joined: Thu Nov 16, 2006 12:32 pm

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by Whosonfirst » Sun Jan 19, 2020 12:39 am

Toygirl1 wrote:
Sat Jan 18, 2020 11:13 pm
I am too much wanting to have quick weight loss. I just turned 80. I gained 15 pounds in the last year and a half. Want so much to lose,but give up too easily. I have recently tried Oz new diet and the recipes and food recomended is awful to me. No wonder people can't continue. This NoS seems to be the most sensible and doable. So here I am again. I will use the chart this time. Surely I can stick to this and eat things I really like. I am a good cook and don't want to leave that for it is joy to prepare. But will keep trying.
Hang in there toygirl1. It's great to hear you are a good cook. Love your name too.
https://twitter.com/SipeEngineering
Current weight(9/2020)-212 lbs.
Goal Weight- 205 lbs.
NoS Goal: >= 80% Success days

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

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by oolala53 » Wed Jan 22, 2020 3:53 pm

Welcome back. You might have to do some juggling of what's on your plate, but remember what your options are... I can't imagine snacks, sweets, and/or seconds were not part of the reason you put on 15 lbs., so the prognosis is good! No S is not a bad way to spend a year anyway.
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)

Nell1223
Posts: 65
Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2016 10:02 pm
Location: Derbyshire UK

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by Nell1223 » Wed Jan 22, 2020 6:09 pm

Hi I’m back after what must be a 3 or 4 year gap. I don’t know why I left - maybe I thought the grass was greener in the land of other diets, maybe life’s events got in the way.

Why have I come back? I’m sick of diets and non-diets. I’m sick of reading about the latest holy grail of eating- I’ve tried them all - low carb, no carb, low fat, Weightwatchers, Mediterranean diet, counting calories, blood sugar diet, 5 :2, intermittent fasting, intuitive eating, paul McKenna, eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. I’ve read about and tried to follow Gillian Riley. I’ve an embarrassingly large stash of diet books that when the pile gets too big I donate to charity, then buy more!

Despite all this I’m still overweight - in fact I’m bigger than I was 4 years ago

I recently got to thinking, ok, I don’t snack much and I tend to eat more at weekends than in the week, and I prefer not to eat processed rubbish, so in my google searches up came my old friend No S diet, so I thought yup, maybe this is the answer, the way to clear my head of the muddle of diets-speak etc

In the past 3-4 years I’ve moved house and location, we had a year long building project to build an extension (finished jan 2019) for much of this time we had no working kitchen and ate takeaways and ready meals. It’s no surprise, although it shocked me at the time, that I developed GERD (GORD in UK) and a hiatus hernia and am on 20 mg daily omeprazole and I need to eat smaller frequent meals - perhaps 4/5, avoid sweets, carbs and spicy foods; losing weight should help reduce it too. I’m wondering if it’s ok for me to do No S and does anyone else have this and how you manage No S’ing? Did it help you?
Thanks 😀

Whosonfirst
Posts: 538
Joined: Thu Nov 16, 2006 12:32 pm

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by Whosonfirst » Sat Jan 25, 2020 1:35 pm

Nell1223 wrote:
Wed Jan 22, 2020 6:09 pm
Hi I’m back after what must be a 3 or 4 year gap. I don’t know why I left - maybe I thought the grass was greener in the land of other diets, maybe life’s events got in the way.

Why have I come back? I’m sick of diets and non-diets. I’m sick of reading about the latest holy grail of eating- I’ve tried them all - low carb, no carb, low fat, Weightwatchers, Mediterranean diet, counting calories, blood sugar diet, 5 :2, intermittent fasting, intuitive eating, paul McKenna, eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. I’ve read about and tried to follow Gillian Riley. I’ve an embarrassingly large stash of diet books that when the pile gets too big I donate to charity, then buy more!

Despite all this I’m still overweight - in fact I’m bigger than I was 4 years ago

I recently got to thinking, ok, I don’t snack much and I tend to eat more at weekends than in the week, and I prefer not to eat processed rubbish, so in my google searches up came my old friend No S diet, so I thought yup, maybe this is the answer, the way to clear my head of the muddle of diets-speak etc

In the past 3-4 years I’ve moved house and location, we had a year long building project to build an extension (finished jan 2019) for much of this time we had no working kitchen and ate takeaways and ready meals. It’s no surprise, although it shocked me at the time, that I developed GERD (GORD in UK) and a hiatus hernia and am on 20 mg daily omeprazole and I need to eat smaller frequent meals - perhaps 4/5, avoid sweets, carbs and spicy foods; losing weight should help reduce it too. I’m wondering if it’s ok for me to do No S and does anyone else have this and how you manage No S’ing? Did it help you?
Thanks 😀
Welcome back Nell1223, We're all here for the same reasons, more or less. My wife thinks I have an iron discipline, especially turning down desserts if we're eating out. It's just not true, but I let her think it is. You don't snack much, but eat more on weekends. I'm almost 180 degrees opposite, but it still amounts to struggling with how or what we eat, usually the quantity in my case. Just a long winded way for me to say hang in there, we're all in the same boat.
https://twitter.com/SipeEngineering
Current weight(9/2020)-212 lbs.
Goal Weight- 205 lbs.
NoS Goal: >= 80% Success days

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

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by oolala53 » Tue Jan 28, 2020 11:16 pm

Welcome back! I am PM-ing you, but I will say here that somewhere on here I have seen people who managed GORD, but I can't remember what if any mods they used. No S is as much about being systematic as it is the number of meals. It seems you have big incentive to make changes, if you can really make the connection.
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)

User avatar
Sammybunny711
Posts: 193
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 5:08 pm

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by Sammybunny711 » Tue Mar 10, 2020 12:29 pm

Welp. After my sweeping "I'm back!" post in July of last year, I immediately got off track with bingeing and other diets. (DAMN YOU, WW!!!) I'm finally fed up. I need sanity surrounding my eating. I need better eating habits. I would love to lose weight, but the most important thing now is that I reestablish a healthy relationship with food and with my eating habits. I am confident No S can help with that.
Height: 5'4"
Highest weight: 210.4
Current Weight: 191.8 (-18.6 lbs)
Goal Weight: 125-135


*^..^711

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

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by oolala53 » Sun Mar 22, 2020 12:59 am

Welcome again, SB. Hey, I"m on another site, and believe me, people making grand pronouncements and almost immediately dropping off is heartbreakingly common, enough that I often secretly feel fear for the person posting, especially when they sound really excited. It's part of the "drug" cycle. Sometimes outward excitement can work, but usually, they need to sound more kind of almost cool, thoughtful, and logical, maybe even humble. Repeated defeat can help someone see more clearly what's necessary and likely doable.

It does seem short women have a tougher time getting the body to let go of fat, especially here where we think people need so much food. There are some outliers out there, but they're outliers!

I wish this site still sent email alerts when members add to any thread I'd like to follow. I'd watch for your posts.
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)

User avatar
Sammybunny711
Posts: 193
Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 5:08 pm

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by Sammybunny711 » Mon Mar 23, 2020 12:03 pm

Aww thank you!! I know, I wish the site did email alerts for threads, too! It's cumbersome sometimes to have to go look at the thread page to figure out what has a new post.

Yeah, I agree with you. I think people have to be almost nonchalant about their plan and their commitment to health. Otherwise it's a crash and burn experience a lot of times. That's how it's been for me in the past. I want this time to be different, so I'm focusing on ME being different ABOUT IT. It's hard, but so far, I've been On-Habit for two full weeks and I'm counting that as good progress, even though the scale isn't agreeing yet. I'm also experimenting with calorie counting S and N days just until I see that I can trust myself without counting. I HATE counting food, but at the same time, I have a lot of weight to lose...
Height: 5'4"
Highest weight: 210.4
Current Weight: 191.8 (-18.6 lbs)
Goal Weight: 125-135


*^..^711

Bluebell
Posts: 633
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2016 7:17 pm
Location: Hampshire UK

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by Bluebell » Wed Jun 03, 2020 12:40 pm

Well here I am, back again. I had to look up my initial joining date and was surprised to see it was September 2016. I did so well with NoS my first time around. I lost 2 stone and kept it off for over a year, it was the most successful way of eating I have ever tried.
However I eventually did what I always do, return to my old ways and bad habits, as if I have some kind of self sabotage internal switch that eventually has to be activated no matter how hard I try.
I tried a couple of times to go back to NoS and failed, somehow the motivation wasn’t there even though I knew it would be the best choice for me to make. I also tried other diets, low carb, 18:6, intuitive eating. (This I might add is in addition to many other diets I have tried over the years before I found NoS, too many and too tedious to list here!) I also had a hypnotherapy session which actually was a huge help in undoing some of my long standing self hatred about my body which goes right back to my childhood. So while I am feeling much less negative about how I look, I have still piled on the pounds due to overeating and guess what, here I am right back at the exact weight I started NoS at initially.
I had a moment of clarity whilst feeling light headed and awful and desperate to eat during an 18 hour fast, which basically consisted of me saying to myself, what on earth are you doing you crazy woman. You know the best approach, you’ve done it and it worked and more importantly it was sustainable and realistic. It fits in with family life, it doesn’t require cutting any food out, or counting calories or grams of fat, you don’t have to study labels on food packets, you don’t have to pay money to go to a group, it doesn’t even matter if you mess up, you just eat 3 meals a day and get on with your life.
So here goes, No S for good this time, no excuses. I am on day 3. So far so good. I need to find my daily posts wherever they are buried so I can read back and start logging my successes and failures. Thank you for having me back (again!)
"You'll know where the North Star is ⭐️" - Oolala

ladybird30
Posts: 1118
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 10:41 pm

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by ladybird30 » Sat Jun 06, 2020 4:24 am

Welcome back Bluebell
Three meals a day - not too little not too much, but just right

Bluebell
Posts: 633
Joined: Thu Sep 29, 2016 7:17 pm
Location: Hampshire UK

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by Bluebell » Sat Jun 06, 2020 9:27 am

ladybird30 wrote:
Sat Jun 06, 2020 4:24 am
Welcome back Bluebell
Thank you, it is good to be back😊
"You'll know where the North Star is ⭐️" - Oolala

April
Posts: 163
Joined: Sat Apr 06, 2019 8:50 pm

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by April » Sun Jun 07, 2020 5:17 pm

000000000000000000000000000
Last edited by April on Sat Jun 20, 2020 7:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
April

"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

r.jean
Posts: 1653
Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 7:47 pm
Location: Midwest

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by r.jean » Thu Jun 11, 2020 12:18 pm

Good luck Bluebell. Stick with it!
The journey is the reward.
Maintenance is progress.

User avatar
ZippaDee
Posts: 745
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2008 2:14 pm
Location: No Quit Zone

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by ZippaDee » Tue Dec 01, 2020 4:18 am

Hello. I've have been around for a very long time. Not always committed, but always around. I've seen this thread and read this thread several times since it was created several years ago. I've never posted here because I knew I was never fully "back". Today I am back.

Why did you leave (several times) ?

Several of you have summed up my reasons here already. I think DaveA said, "OOOOO Shiney" Yup, I have done this a few times. Leaving for WW. Desiring the structure, the "in person" workshops, the printed materials, the bulletin board that looks a lot like facebook, the huge following, the faster weight loss etc. etc. This would often lead to months and months or sometimes years of the "someday" diet. Or the "I really need to lose weight" diet. I wanted to do WW.....and have been successful with it several times, BUT it really wasn't true success because it isn't sustainable for me! I would leave to "do" ww, but never get around to actually doing it! Imagine where I could be if I would have just stuck with this 10 years ago!....YES TEN!

Why are you back ?

In a nutshell I think Oolala summed it up quite nicely when she said "No S isn't easy. Turns out everything else is harder." YES! This. I have enough experience now to know that counting, weighing, measuring is just not sustainable long term. Any "diet" or new way of eating is going to require effort. I have been successful with No S in the past and I have "fallen off the No S" wagon in the past. It's not easy to change habits. Out of everything I have tried though it makes the most sense and is the most sustainable long term. It still takes effort! In my signature line it says "diets don't work". I don't think that is actually worded correctly ? All diets have potential to work IF you can stick with them. Therein lies the problem. Maybe it should read, "Diets don't work because they aren't sustainable". No S IS sustainable with effort! That is why I am back. I feel I have a better chance of success now because I have exhausted so MANY other avenues!

I will see you on my check-in thread.
"Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day." ~Winnie the Pooh ~

A Flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms!

Diets Don't Work.

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by automatedeating » Tue Dec 01, 2020 4:47 am

Ooooooh yes! I will see you and Tigger on your thread! yay! :-)
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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

Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by oolala53 » Thu Dec 31, 2020 6:02 pm

ZippaDee, what I say is that diets don't (often work) ON THEIR OWN to teach you how to be satisfied with less food permanently. They don't teach you how to negotiate with habit and with the body's intermittent attempts to get that fat back. It's a mystery why it becomes very easy for some, but when you look at it, and the amount of support and continued interaction it takes for nearly everybody to keep up the new habits is extremely common. (Founders of systems seem to be the exceptions God bless 'em!)
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)

Post Reply