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.

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SpiritSong
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Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by SpiritSong » Thu Apr 14, 2016 1:11 pm

If you are one of the people who left the No S Diet and then came back, please share your story.

I was successful with No S in 2010-2011 and lost about 16 pounds (which I'm sure would have been more had I had fewer "failure" days). I contributed to one of those "does this actually work" threads, and Reinhard told me I should submit a testimonial. But I didn't because I was in the midst of failing out. I checked my Habitcal this morning and found that June 2011 was perfect. I then switched to the system of marking only Special Days and Failure Days on my calendar. July 2011 had one yellow day (Independence Day), and a sea of red days where my N-Days should have been.

So what happened? An extinction burst from my inner beast? I was at the point of my weight loss where people were noticing and complimenting me. Were there emotional issues that were no longer being hidden by snacks and sweets? Who knows. I posted on my check in that I was tired of telling myself "no" all the time and left.

In the five and a half years that passed, I of course put the weight back on and climbed to a new high. I came back to No S twice in those years, I believe for a day or two and then left again. It was definitely not for me and I wondered if I should donate my No S Diet book. Because I was going to do Paleo and get healthy and slim! You know which diet definitely doesn't work? The "Someday I Am Going to Go Paleo" Diet.

After refusing to look at the scale during my December 2014 doctor visit, I faced the scale in June 2015 and recorded my highest known weight. I then lost about seven pounds just by increasing my water intake, exercising, and taking supplements, but once I got past the "last on, first off" easy weight, I was stuck. I still refused to go back to the No S Diet.

Then last week something finally clicked in my head. My stomach fat is unattractive and a known health risk, and I'm not going to get rid of it with someday diet schemes that don't fit the person I am (I don't cook much, I don't like to shop at farmers markets, etc.). The diet that works is the No S Diet, and it was time to get back on it.

That's my story. What's yours?

chilipepper130
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Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 4:57 pm

Post by chilipepper130 » Thu Apr 14, 2016 1:14 pm

What an amazing topic.Thanks for posting this. I look forward to hearing all the reasons why people leave and come back.
Started March 20, 2016

moderatemeals
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Post by moderatemeals » Thu Apr 14, 2016 4:02 pm

Hi Spiritsong -
I can relate 100%! I tried No S diet years ago and had success for about a month. It was the most freedom I've ever felt around food...and it was amazing!!!! But I lost my way somehow and tried other approaches and none have left me with the sanity I found when I stick to No S.

I think my failures are the result of my trying to make my 3 meals healthy. I think that is ultimately what derails me. I also play mind games that if I have a 'red' weekday that I should make up for it by giving up a weekend S day. This time around, I'm just completely focusing on my behavior and nothing related to nutrition. I'm also listening to all the Podcasts which are AWESOME! They are not only informative and intelligent but also entertaining.

I keep coming back to No S because it's really the way I want to live. I think that is very HARD at first to develop this habit (especially if you are a chronic snacker like me). But I think that you focus on just the most basic, vanilla No S until it is second nature. I'm not modifying anything or trying to make things 'clean' or 'healthy,' etc.

Finally, I have read many of the blogs and posts here. One thing that has been working for me lately (since I struggle immensely with nighttime snacking and binging) is eating all my meals much later. Breakfast between 10-11, lunch 2-3 and dinner around 7. I also have been allowing myself a hot cocoa once per day which some might consider an S day treat but I'm okay with allowing it since it helps with me not caving to the cookie monster at 4pm.

Good luck and I look forward to following this thread!
moderatemeals

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

Post by MaggieMae » Thu Apr 14, 2016 7:07 pm

SpiritSong wrote:You know which diet definitely doesn't work? The "Someday I Am Going to Go Paleo" Diet.
I actually laughed out loud at that! If I had a dollar for every time I said I was going to go Paleo , I'd be rich. I did last two weeks on it when I was pregnant. Then I said screw it and gained 55 pounds.
I had a few false starts on No S the last 2 years. I would get a few green days, then when I'd have a red day, I'd say I CAN'T DO THIS! and quit. I've been on it pretty consistently this time since November. Hopefully, I'll stick to it this time!
By the way...."extinction burst" is something I just learned about this week thanks to my son and his psychologist. It was devastating!

nettee
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Location: UK

Post by nettee » Thu Apr 14, 2016 9:52 pm

I had two brilliant months on no S November to January this year.lost around half a stone. Then at the end of that time I finally made the 21 day club and didn't have something to strive for anymore so I started having failure days. Got re addicted to sugar and gained over a stone in 2 months with one no S week a month ago. I was also a bit frustrated at the slow rate of weight loss.

Having a good week again now and hoping to stick with it again. I do find it easy when I am in the right place. Come back as I need to do something - I am unhappy with my size and this system fits in with life and does not require too much concentration.
3 tasty meals a day and loving it

ironchef
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Post by ironchef » Fri Apr 15, 2016 12:17 am

I had a good start and first 18 months. I didn't leave No S per se, but got a bit cocky that my habits were strong and also life got very busy with kids, work, weddings, holidays. I was "off the wagon" so to speak for about 3 months before I realised I needed to check in here again to get back in a rhythm. Luckily enough of my habits "stuck" so even though I took a while off I only gained a few kilos.

Since then I've had periods where I was too busy to check in, times when I made deliberate exceptions for pregnancy and breast feeding, and periods of better or worse compliance, but I always return to frequent posting when I need to tighten up on my habits. In my long break and more recent slack periods I don't do other diets - I wasted my 20's on that and I'm not going back. I never consider myself "off" No S, this is my way of eating now. Even if I have reds every day, I'm still a NoSer, just one with lots of red.

To misquote oolala: No S isn't always easy, just turns out that everything else is harder.

noni
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Post by noni » Fri Apr 15, 2016 4:32 am

In 2009, I was on No S about 8 months. I lost nearly 25 lbs, in spite of my weekend gorging. But that caught up to me, along with too many red days. Went off No S and gained every pound back along with my heartburn.

In 2012, I went back on No S, this time along with intermittent fasting 2X a week. This went on for one and a half years. Lost almost 30 pounds and finally reached a normal weight. But, still gorging on weekends, and as the holidays rolled around the second time, I couldn't (okay, wouldn't) stop indulging, even though I keep my 2 IF days intact. As the weight came on again, I dropped both No S and IF. And heartburn was back.

I've picked up No S again. I know that according to my age and stature, I should not be eating as much as I do, even if the day would be considered green. I keep trying to modify Vanilla No S with a little sweet after lunch and/or dinner. It sounds so reasonable. Don't thin eaters eat this way? I figure if I can have one or two small treats each day, then maybe my weekends would be better. But it's that taste of sweet in my mouth that causes me to scour the house for more. Then I go back to Vanilla for a while, talk myself into modifying again, and it starts all over. This kind of behavior is not good for one's confidence. Well, I love to whine some more, but gotta go and take medicine for this dang heartburn.

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

Post by Merry » Fri Apr 15, 2016 4:52 am

MaggieMae wrote:
SpiritSong wrote:You know which diet definitely doesn't work? The "Someday I Am Going to Go Paleo" Diet.
I actually laughed out loud at that!
I did too! I've never done the Paleo, but I've done lots of "Someday" diets! They never work for me either. My favorite one is the "I need to lose weight" diet. The one where I never actually DO something, but think about needing to do something...sigh.

I found NoS back in 2008. I don't remember how long I did it or even what the results were. (I posted here quite a bit, but when I came back, I couldn't figure out how to read my old posts to know my own history, LOL!). What I *remember* of that time:

I either lost very little or didn't lose at all
I wasn't successful sticking with it because I couldn't figure out how to handle all of the extenuating food circumstances in my life, and because I really wasn't ready to say no to sweets. I could say no to them at home, but if I was at someone's home, I just couldn't imagine not eating the sweets--and to me that meant more than one, usually.

I tried a few exercise ideas--never sticking with them for long. T-Tapp worked well for me until I sprained my ankle, etc...

I was not willing to do any "restrict this type of food" diet because I had experienced that years ago (ate Vegan for awhile, did an allergy rotation diet, did a combo--all cooking from scratch including all sauces, crackers, breads etc....) I burnt out on that. I did lose over 40 lbs. that year, but I just couldn't live that way and gained it all back.

Probably my most successful (as far as losing) weight-loss attempt AFTER trying No-S was calorie counting. But I couldn't maintain it, so that is also my least successful attempt (I gained it all back and more).

This past Thanksgiving I decided that once again I really wanted something that was sustainable, that could help me eat healthier overall, and that could become a new way of eating--I knew another "diet" wouldn't work. As soon as you stop a diet, if you go back to your "normal" ways of eating, you gain.

Since Thanksgiving I'm down about 13 lbs. I still have a long ways to go though, but I'm willing for it to take a few years. I didn't put all this on overnight (though it may seem like that at times!). I want to relearn habits. I can see how unhealthy overeating is, and the constant snacking and sweets. I feel better when I eat meals and not too much. I enjoy my S-day treats--and I'm coming to not miss them so much on other days (I still have my moments!)

I think I'll want to look at my eating in stages, and make changes as I'm ready (and also make changes to my activity level). 14 minutes--that's doable. ETC...

This time around I find I'm willing to say no to sweets--and I can go to someone's house and not eat their brownies, and I'm okay with that. It makes me feel like I'm finally learning self-control.

I'm more consistent with S and N days--no more switching around days trying to accommodate various occasions like I did before--My S days are Friday and Sunday. If I want another day, I take up to 2 NWS days a month. It has to be pretty special beyond that, because it's a red day then--and I don't like red days! I took a few on vacation though--I was okay with that. It was special.

I'm starting to learn that S days don't have to mean "pig-out." Again...feeling better on N days is translating into noticing how I feel when I eat certain ways on S days, and helping me gradually to make different choices. Still enjoying treats or snacks or seconds occasionally--but not so haphazardly.

Reading the NoS book this time really helped as well (I didn't last time, tried to just follow the website). I think it helped me understand the psychology more, and also the health risks of my previous way of eating. I find it also helped me define gluttony. Before, that term seemed so elusive--what if you don't recognize when you are "full enough" until you are uncomfortably full and know you missed the line somewhere? N days define it in a concrete way--and gradually that helps me recognize those tendencies on S days too.

That's some of my journey. Best wishes to you on yours!
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
Respect Moderation

cedar
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Location: Australia

Post by cedar » Fri Apr 15, 2016 6:56 am

I absolutely love that quote "no s isn't always easy-just turns out everything else is harder" !! Fantastic!
I think that quote sums up why I'm back and forth with No s..no s isn't always easy so I venture out and try other things (either diets or non diets) and then I remember why no s is the only way for me. It just makes so much sense,it is moderate yet effective and not only for weight but sanity of mind! I'm just determined to really adopt no s as my only way of eating for the rest of my life and have food and weight issues be done with.no matter where my weight settles because even though I fool myself at times that there is a magic diet out there..no s is the only thing I can do long term that doesn't drive me crazy.
Also I have to say Reinhard is a big inspiration..not many diet blogs are still active and Reinhard never try's to sell anything..he actually doesn't get the recognition he deserves in my opinion..but it is actually why this site is what it is..and he's kept his habits over all these years and his excess weight hasn't returned so that's a big inspiration for me.
Good luck and let's keep on this forum and remind each other that No S really is the only way! :D

ironchef
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Post by ironchef » Fri Apr 15, 2016 10:01 am

I keep trying to modify Vanilla No S with a little sweet after lunch and/or dinner. It sounds so reasonable. Don't thin eaters eat this way?
In my experience living with my naturally thin husband for 13 years, no. He rarely eats sweets except at special things like birthdays. In fact, if he doesn't really like the look of the birthday cake, sometimes not even then.

SpiritSong
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Post by SpiritSong » Fri Apr 15, 2016 10:02 am

Here are some lessons we've learned so far from the generous contributors to this thread so far:

1. Don't ditch the No S Diet during an extinction burst. If you can fight your way through, your habit will be stronger than ever on the other side.

2. Don't play around with the rules. (I suggest reading "The Phases of No S" for guidance in this area. https://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=6437) Trust that there is a process and someday you will be eating three healthy meals a day. Today may not be that day.

3. Use the "mark it and move on" philosophy for red days. (See "Phrases of No S" for proper credit for that phrase. https://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=3883) Just because you hit a pothole with your car is no reason to drive it into a tree.

4. Figure out why you are doing No S and write it down for the days when you forget. And I don't mean "to lose weight." Write down why other diets don't work for you. Write down how great you feel at the end of the day when you had three plates of food and don't feel stuffed and gross. (Idea stolen from Judith Beck.)

5. The "I need to lose weight" diet and all its variations don't work! You can start No S any time because there is nothing special to buy, cook, or eat. Eat your regular food, just less of it.

6. No S isn't easy. Just turns out everything else is harder.

Thank you, everyone! Does anyone else have an "I left but I'm back" story? Did anyone learn completely different lessons from this thread and you think I'm crazy? :lol:

chilipepper130
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Post by chilipepper130 » Fri Apr 15, 2016 11:14 am

Thank you everyone that has posted on here. This is so helpful. I am frustrated because I have not lost any weight yet and it's been almost 4 weeks but after reading these stories I refuse to quit. I'm use to losing weight fast so this is taking quite a bit of patience.

I now know what an extinction burst is and I will be prepared when it hits. Does anyone have a story where they didn't lose anything at first but stuck it out anyway? Did you eventually lose weight? I know there are many more benefits to NoS besides weight loss but it still would be really nice to lose a few pounds.
Started March 20, 2016

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Fri Apr 15, 2016 11:35 am

LOVE. THIS. THREAD. I haven't read all the posts, but I think I suggested awhile back that there be a thread like this, and that it should be considered for a sticky, even though we already have a lot of them. I know I've seen this happen SO many times in my six years here. Having them all together might be as impactful as "success" testimonials.

Oh, BTW, the comment about "the diet that doesn't work" got a guffaw out of me. Excellent!
Last edited by oolala53 on Fri Apr 15, 2016 11:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
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)

chilipepper130
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Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by chilipepper130 » Fri Apr 15, 2016 11:41 am

Merry wrote: My favorite one is the "I need to lose weight" diet. The one where I never actually DO something, but think about needing to do something...sigh.
SpiritSong wrote: Just because you hit a pothole with your car is no reason to drive it into a tree.
LOL!! These two quotes made me laugh the most because they rang so true with me.
Started March 20, 2016

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Fri Apr 15, 2016 12:13 pm

And thanks for ascribing me the maxim about No S just being easier than everything else. Hard won insight. :( But ultimately galvanizing.
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)

Kittson
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Joined: Fri Mar 20, 2015 6:51 pm

Post by Kittson » Fri Apr 15, 2016 1:02 pm

I started No S March 2015. I followed it without a problem until December 2015, so 10 months. At that point I was stressed about the holidays and tried to numb that stress in my life by focusing on calorie counting. I didn’t lose a single pound calorie counting and then when I gave up on calorie counting mid-January 2016, I gained 8 lbs in the rebound eating. I would have been better off just sticking with No S and dealing with my stress head on. What a tough lesson to learn.

Through 2015 I had successfully maintained my weight. I was not overweight when I started No S and am not overweight now. I have just had 21 days straight of No S and lost 2 pounds during that time. I am heavier than I prefer at this time though, and I know that my body will normalize at the weight I maintained last year, as that seems to be my body’s happy spot.

Coming back to No S wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. I have a history of restriction so I had many weeks with a couple red days. It was HARD to get back to three meals, it felt kinda restrictive to me. What helped was committing to read a little bit of the No S book every night for about a week. It reminded me that there is NOTHING restrictive about 3 meals. In fact it is extremely normal. After that week of reading the book I have had smooth sailing. I’m back to habit and I feel great and my weight is going down.

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Fri Apr 15, 2016 2:15 pm

Forgot to tell my story. Found No S (wish I could remember how) in fall of 2008. Had a perfect week before Thanksgiving week. Shot to hell until the next AUGUST during which I was away at a seminar where they fed us three times a day. Fell apart again until Dec. 26, 2009. Had dalliances,mostly imaginary, with adding restrictions at various times. But I consider No S the foundation.

I cannot imagine purposely consistently eating more than three times a day now, nor having sweets any more often than I do.
Last edited by oolala53 on Sun Oct 16, 2016 3:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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)

LoriLifts
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Post by LoriLifts » Sun Apr 17, 2016 7:27 pm

I started No S in 2008. I hate to say that I've ever left, let's just say that sometimes I've been on "hiatus".

The times I've strayed is when my diet brain returns. I feel the need to lose some weight for an event. Or read about some "new and improved" way of eating.

Every hot new diet or food plan or whatever that fails strengthens my appreciation of the simple 3 No S rules. I may be gone for a couple weeks or months but I always come back.

Diet books have come and gone from my bedside table. My tattered, dog eared No S book remains.

This year has been a breakthrough for me. Despite many red days, I have stuck around. I don't even know what the latest diet craze is for 2016.

No S for life!
Habits are at first cobwebs, then cables.

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Merry
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Post by Merry » Mon Apr 18, 2016 4:13 am

walkerlori wrote:My tattered, dog eared No S book remains.
I'm glad someone else re-reads No S! I find it helpful to re-read (in fact, my dh borrowed it...and I've been wanting it back to re-read, LOL! Will have to see if he's done with it.
walkerlori wrote: This year has been a breakthrough for me. Despite many red days, I have stuck around. I don't even know what the latest diet craze is for 2016.

No S for life!
Good for you! Yes, No S for life! (I shudder to think what latest diet craze could be out there, LOL! Mainly I just see commercials for the same old ones..."buh-bye stubborn belly fat" Nutrisystem and "I eat bread every day" WW, and all the exercise equipment ones, a few shows...
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
Respect Moderation

LoriLifts
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Location: new mexico

Post by LoriLifts » Tue Apr 19, 2016 11:40 pm

Hiya Merry!

Sometimes I take my No S book on the road. One time I thought I left it in a hotel room (the horror!). I was so relieved to find it wedged between the "unmentionables" in my luggage.
Habits are at first cobwebs, then cables.

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Merry
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Post by Merry » Thu Apr 21, 2016 5:59 am

walkerlori wrote:Hiya Merry!

Sometimes I take my No S book on the road. One time I thought I left it in a hotel room (the horror!). I was so relieved to find it wedged between the "unmentionables" in my luggage.
LOL, at least it's inexpensive to repurchase if it does get lost! (Hey, less than paying for special food or monthly memberships...!)
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
Respect Moderation

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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Thu Apr 21, 2016 1:39 pm

Welcome back, prodigals!

I've promoted this to be a second order "sticky" thread linked to by the new "sticky of stickies," so it should be easier for future prodigals to find without people having to stress about bumping it up over and over again to keep it above the fold.

Thank you spiritsong, for getting this thread started -- and than you oolala53 for bugging me to make it somehow sticky.

Reinhard

Lovedby2
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I am never leaving home again.

Post by Lovedby2 » Tue Apr 26, 2016 4:01 am

Hi No Sers! Lovedby2 here. Well, it's a long story but I will make it short and sweet. When I found No S I felt like I was home. There's no other way to put it. It just felt right and natural. I was completly content, minding my own business when out of no where it came. That voice. That idiotic, I've lost my mind voice. This time it came disguised as the "it's best for my health" voice. And yes, I listened. I listened for three months and then one day I just said enough already, I'm miserable. And this was not for weight loss, but I will admit I secretly hoped I would loose weight. This came from a doctor. Without all the boring details I basically was told to do low carb. Now, for reason I do not understand, I believed him! And yes, I had tried low carb before, only to want to put a gun to my head after a few days, but hey, he knows best. Now, I have nothing against doctors, but I know this doesn't work for me. The saving grace for me is it did not put me in diet head. I guess because I convinced myself it was for my health. In fact I think because of doing No S for a year I had grown so accustomed to it that I went back to with with no problem. I really don't feel like I lost ground in the head department. Did I loose weight on that little adventure? Heck no! But I didn't gain. So I am back among the living now and loving it! Ahhh...there's no place like home. :wink:
Always learning.

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Tue Apr 26, 2016 5:41 am

I remember you! but you weren't gone long. Good to hear from you. However, it worries me a bit that your doctor thought something was serious enough for such a change. It is very unusual for a doctor to suggest such a diet. If your blood panels show problems, I affirm you will find the right mix and amounts of food at your meals.
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)

leafy_greens
Posts: 426
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Re: Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by leafy_greens » Tue Apr 26, 2016 2:28 pm

SpiritSong wrote:If you are one of the people who left the No S Diet and then came back, please share your story.
Thanks to the OP for being so honest. I think most of us here have a story like this.

In my opinion, the reason people leave is because No S is hard. It's like children rebelling against their parents. Yes it works but there's got to be something easier? There isn't, though.
"No S IS hard... It just turns out that everything else is harder." -oolala53

Lovedby2
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Follow Up

Post by Lovedby2 » Tue Apr 26, 2016 6:30 pm

Hi Oolala! Loving all your posts and expertise! I knew when I wrote the above post that I should clarify. The low carb diet suggestion didn't come from my doctor but a book written by a doctor in regard to low blood sugar. It was correct advice, but just not for me. I already knew I leaned toward low blood sugar and had adjusted my diet years ago. This was extreme, which I didn't need, but secretly hoped it would cause me to loose weight. In other words that well worn pattern of dieting reared it's ugly head again, just in a different form. It's amazing to me how we can deceive even ourselves into thinking we can come into some back door with the same old thing but with different clothes on. Insanity. No, I'm feeling great and so much better eating a well balanced diet. Like I said No S has given me the tools to conquer years of disordered eating, 45 to be exact. I had made great strides when I came to No S but I still lacked the structure. It was the missing piece. I feel at peace with food and in control. No S gave me the power back and that first year has proven invaluable. While I didn't loose but a couple of lbs, I didn't gain. That is huge for me. That alone would be enough to stay with No S. Yes, I do want to loose weight, but I now feel like I am controlling my intake not it controlling me. If it took a year for that, then so be it. I have to put in the equation that I am a woman, 60 years old with low thyroid and other things that really make it tuff to loose. I have finally come to terms with that this last year. I feel like I am at the stage where I can start tweaking No S for my metabolism. Didn't you say something about that Oolala? I am moving cautiously towards that because I understand that it wouldn't take much to cause me to slip into the diet head, so I'm careful. Well, enough said. Here's a salute to No S. I bow to the King (Reinhart) and pledge my alliance till death! Hahaha. I hope I don't have to say, this is all in jest, but just in case...
Always learning.

idontknow
Posts: 814
Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2008 9:43 pm
Location: UK

Post by idontknow » Sun May 01, 2016 10:26 am

I followed No S from May 2010-Feb 2011 and got to a weight where I was very happy. I didn't have masses of weight to lose when I started - probably about 20lbs. Most of my weight loss happened from September onwards, which was when I started a new job. I think it was easier to follow different rules at that time because my whole life was different, if that makes sense. I'm not sure what happened in February - probably just the novelty of everything wore off and I found NoS harder and harder to follow. One of the things I found really hard was marking a day red. Once it was red there was no reason not to eat more - a fail is a fail whether it's an orange or a packet of biscuits. What stupid thinking! Since then I've gained 42lbs - I'm the heaviest I've ever been.
I've been following the 'I need to lose weight diet' since then, so I reckon I'm an expert!
I'd like to come back to NoS. I look at the site regularly and often start a day or a week with good intentions, but I find the stretch between lunch and dinner really hard. This can be about 7/8 hours some days, because of how my day is organised, and I always fail during the afternoon. Maybe I'll try splitting my lunch into two parts. I know it's not Vanilla NoS but it might be a good way to start.
Thanks for this thread - it's good to know that other people find it hard too :)
53 years old
Average weight loss:
May 18 - 2.45lbs

Jen1974
Posts: 648
Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2016 6:49 pm
Location: Colorado

Post by Jen1974 » Sun May 01, 2016 2:05 pm

I am a lot like you with the same problem with the "what the hell, I've failed, might as well go big". Because that was a bigger problem for me than anything else, while I don't restrict my days off, I do still decide on a portion size & say no more when it's gone, even on S days. The portions can be really big & I can eat anything I want, I just can't do more than that. It's saved me from myself on those days & made them more enjoyable. I just read the book & almost felt that I was doing this wrong because of this "No Seconds" I attach, but for me it solved my biggest problem of going too big on days off.

I also am starving at 3:00 & that was always when I would run into problems in the past. I'm not as hungry in the morning though & have found for me eating a later breakfast (betweenn 10-11), a later lunch (around 3:00) and dinner means that I easily make it to dinner & get to eat at a time where I think my body must need food because I've always gotten really hungry than. I've been amazed at how much more energy I have in the late afternoon, early evenings because of this (:

oolala53
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Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Sun May 01, 2016 8:29 pm

Welcome back, idontknow. The 7-8 hours is a pretty long time, esp. if you're not established in the habit. Not sure you were asking for advice, but could you try tiding yourself over with some milk, either dairy or nut, alone or in a hot beverage? Dairy milk has been found to have a similar satiety factor to solid foods. A rather tricky alternative might be to have something to eat, but leave space on your dinner plate empty in size to the volume of that food. Not ideal, but possibly a stop gap measure while you work out whether other meal times might be feasible. Ignore all suggestions, if desired! Just your knowing that alternatives to No S are not likely to work can help you stay strong finding the routine that supports you.
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)

idontknow
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Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2008 9:43 pm
Location: UK

Post by idontknow » Mon May 02, 2016 7:06 pm

Thank you Jen and Oolala for your advice and your welcome back.
My work days can be a little erratic and so I would struggle to eat later than 1pm regularly. However, I will try and do this when I know my evening meal will be later. I have managed to wait 7 hours today between lunch and dinner, but it wasn't a work day - therefore no stress and no desire to eat!

Thanks again for your help and advice.
53 years old
Average weight loss:
May 18 - 2.45lbs

librarylady
Posts: 137
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 10:57 pm

Post by librarylady » Tue May 03, 2016 5:11 pm

I used the No S diet a few years ago to lose weight and did successfully. I kept it off for some time and then sort of drifted back into some (not all!) bad habits, mostly in order to enjoy extra treats with my husband (like weekday desserts and after dinner cordials). I also made the mistake of keeping cookies in the house and sometimes found myself snacking - although not all the time. Not surprisingly some (not all again!) weight began to creep back on. I realized that the drift had happened (part of me still tends to remember my youth and my days of having a galloping metabolism which let me get away with bad habits). My husband then decided to join me in No S, which has made it much easier to reestablish a good pattern. My extra weight is coming off and so is his.

Luckily for me I am not an emotional eater - at least not a "I am feeling bad so I will eat" type of eater. I am more of a "Life is wonderful and I am happy and I want this meal to go on forever so I will take another helping" type. Therefore if the people I am dining with follow the same sort of pattern as I do, I can usually stop with one helping and not have anything after dinner. I did not grow up eating dessert except on weekends and it is easy for me to go back to that. And if I simply avoid buying snacks and having them in the house, I simply don't snack. Again I did not grow up with snacks so they are not second nature to me.

I do see however that it is good to keep checking back -- keeps you honest!!

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

Post by oolala53 » Wed May 04, 2016 6:10 am

Sounds relatively easy breezy for you, LL. Lovely!
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)

librarylady
Posts: 137
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 10:57 pm

Post by librarylady » Wed May 04, 2016 5:16 pm

Thanks oolala53 - I found that I could go back pretty quickly to Vanilla No S. However I also now see that I need to check back to the board regularly to remind myself why I started in the first place. I have to be careful not to allow myself little modifications which become bad habits. Stick with no snacks, no sweets and no seconds except on S days! Oddly I have no problem with overdoing S days.
Having my husband on board is wonderful! Now there are no little weekday treats to say no to!

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

Post by oolala53 » Wed May 04, 2016 5:23 pm

You two can live your own little traditional slim culture life.
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)

librarylady
Posts: 137
Joined: Mon Jan 31, 2011 10:57 pm

Post by librarylady » Wed May 04, 2016 7:25 pm

Thanks, we can try! But I also see that it is essential to login here regularly, to remind myself why this way of living works and nothing else really does. It is the way I was brought up - like so many others - it is "Grandma's diet". But the world around me is not Grandma's world. It is really easy to go along quite well for some time and then get lazy and add little modifications, which can become bad habits.

I like your motto as one to live by:

"There is no S better than Vanilla No S."

Oh and Grandma lived to be 100 - and was active to the end and was always slim - that should teach me something! :wink:

lbb (Liz)
Posts: 682
Joined: Wed May 12, 2010 4:35 pm

Post by lbb (Liz) » Sat May 14, 2016 1:20 pm

Hi No-S friends. I’m back as of yesterday! I was thinking to myself, “when was I least consumed with food and enjoying food and still feeling healthy”. Of course, it was when I followed “NO-S” a few years ago. I think I stopped when I got pregnant, and then I easily got lured by Paleo diets, Intermittent Fasting, Intuitive Eating, and the like.
Truth is, I need my MIND right. It’s out of control how excessive my treat binges have gotten. I’m going down a slippery slope and No-S is the most sane, moderate, practical path.
I know this. All the other paths just look shiny and glittery and new and fun, and I think that’s what made me stray in the past.
I’m back. I deserve to feel good and to not go to bed sick from food each night, recommitting and researching the next new “thing” I’ll do.
NO-S for life!
Liz

oolala53
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Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Sat May 14, 2016 3:46 pm

Four boys! Yowsuh. I remember you, I think. Do you have slim sisters and mother who can snack with abandon?


How tough do you want us to be with you if you start to go back on your claim No S for life? Do we get to remind you to come back and read your post here?

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)

lbb (Liz)
Posts: 682
Joined: Wed May 12, 2010 4:35 pm

Post by lbb (Liz) » Sun May 15, 2016 4:45 am

Thanks for welcoming me “home”, oolala53! It’s good to be back and feels right. Yes, you have the right Liz! I joined back in 2010, a year after my 3rd son was born. We’ve moved across the country and back, had another boy, and finally my husband finished his medical training this year and has his first job! Much to be grateful for!
Please be tough on me with my claim of being “No-S for life”. I don’t have time for any other nonsense I waste my time with. So, like someone said earlier, “No S is hard, but other ways aren’t any easier.” (or something like that!).
Liz

User avatar
lpearlmom
Posts: 4812
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Location: Arizona

Post by lpearlmom » Sun May 15, 2016 4:58 am

Wb Liz! I went through pre-med, medical school, residency & fellowship with my husband. Boy is that a tough road. So glad to be through it as I'm sure you are too.

NoS is the path to sanity. Glad you found your way back.

Gl!

Linda
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

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

Post by oolala53 » Sun May 15, 2016 5:25 pm

I'm actually the one who said, "No S IS hard... It just turns out that everything else is harder." But paraphrase any way that helps you! It may work even better now that you've actually tried other systems [again], so it's relatively fresh in your mind that it's unlikely you'll do any of them permanently. Honestly, I've actually cobbled other stuff in. I have my Paleo MEALS, my vegan DAYS, or two meals in a DAY, many refined-food free days, etc. (I had one obese grandmother and the other died in her 60's, so I'm not using their eating as my models!) But only few things are off the table, and that's after determining that they just don't give me enough pleasure before, during, and after I eat them. A few of them I actually grieve over a little still, but most never enter my mind in between having a few of them at a buffet or something.

Your husband is working! It'll be easy street now... hee hee 8)
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)

pinkhippie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:00 pm

Post by pinkhippie » Tue Jun 07, 2016 1:15 am

I definitely qualify for this thread!

I first joined the No S board back in 2010. I was nursing my second daughter and I think I wasn't able to stick with it because I was STARVING all the time. I managed to get down to about 10 pounds above what I wanted with calorie counting and then I got pregnant again. This time, I gained even more weight.

I used Intuitive Eating and calorie counting to get once again about 10 pounds above where I wanted it. I came back in 2015 but I couldn't leave the sweets. I honestly think I was so stressed out and emotionally eating that I felt like I needed a treat after dinner. I also was in agony going from lunch to dinner with no food. It felt like the hardest thing ever and I couldn't maintain it. I went back to Intuitive Eating and left No S as it felt too restrictive.

However, over the years I have worked on my emotional issues, gradually stopped eating after dinner, cut down on my snacking habit slowly, and although at times I would revert back to eating after dinner and eating sugar after every meal, I was slowly getting those habits back in place.

Now, Im 40 years old and done with babies. I am getting out into the world, going back to school, volunteering, working part time and doing things for myself. I am actually concerned about my health this time around, not as much about weight loss.

I don't want to eat sugar after dinner every night. I don't want to overeat and have a heavy yucky feeling when I go to bed. I want to be healthy. So, I returned to No S with that mindset and I feel it has really made a difference.

So far it has felt so much easier to not snack or have seconds. Sweets are still a little challenging but even that is less difficult than it was. I just feel so much better physically eating this way that it is motivation to continue.

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

Post by oolala53 » Tue Jun 07, 2016 4:36 pm

Welcome back! Belated congrats on babies. I will write you separately over IE questions, as I don't want to hijack the thread. Glad to know you are finding a satisfying way to live a full life with and without food, as appropriate.
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)

pinkhippie
Posts: 1293
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 8:00 pm

Post by pinkhippie » Wed Jun 08, 2016 12:31 am

oolala53 wrote:Welcome back! Belated congrats on babies. I will write you separately over IE questions, as I don't want to hijack the thread. Glad to know you are finding a satisfying way to live a full life with and without food, as appropriate.
Thank you for the welcome back and the babies congrats oolala! I look forward to your IE questions. :)

HoneyBeeNYC
Posts: 40
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2016 10:58 pm

Why I Left, Why I Came Back

Post by HoneyBeeNYC » Sat Jun 11, 2016 11:10 pm

Hi!

First, can someone define what is an "extinction burst"? I think I can guess but I'd like an "official" :lol: answer.

Background: before I did No S, I had lost 25 pounds by driving myself b*tsh*t, doing little episodes of starvation and furious exercise. It worked, gotta say. But I was struggling daily, so I tried No S. Can't remember when - a couple of years ago.

My mind was so screwed up with don't do this, don't do that, don't eat this, yada yada, I just couldn't handle it. Could.Not.Deal. With the idea that yes, you can eat, but in moderate portions. You do NOT have a screwed up relationship to food, you have bad habits.

Well, I dunno - maybe I do have a screwed up relationship with food but...stuff happened. Years passed. I gained back 15 of the 25 pounds I lost plus - oy - I overdid the exercise and came down with a nasty case of plantar fasciitis (PF herein). Anyone ever have this? It's like walking on a razor blade. Luckily I have it only in one foot. I have insurance, I'm being treated.

The PF forced me to behave responsibly and I got a rare attack of good sense. :roll: One: PF is an overuse injury so....rest the damn foot. Just rest. Stop worrying about "fitness" because exercising yourself into injury is not fitness. Geez.

Then I remembered the No S Diet. I need to lose the weight I gained, it will help with the PF. Maybe attacks of good sense happen in pairs, I dunno. But I'm gonna give it a go. I started a few days ago and I frankly do not care whether I've lost weight. Right now I'm just in the establishment mode. I'm trying to establish sanity, then I'll worry about losing the weight that I've gained.

About the PF, I've been doing my exercises and stretching like crazy and icing it and staying off the foot as much as possible (and taking Naproxen) and the acute phase seems to be over.

HoneyBeeNYC
Posts: 40
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2016 10:58 pm

Post by HoneyBeeNYC » Sun Jun 12, 2016 2:32 am

chilipepper130 wrote:Thank you everyone that has posted on here. This is so helpful. I am frustrated because I have not lost any weight yet and it's been almost 4 weeks but after reading these stories I refuse to quit. I'm use to losing weight fast so this is taking quite a bit of patience.

I now know what an extinction burst is and I will be prepared when it hits. Does anyone have a story where they didn't lose anything at first but stuck it out anyway? Did you eventually lose weight? I know there are many more benefits to NoS besides weight loss but it still would be really nice to lose a few pounds.
Is it against the rules to write a food journal, or is that considered compulsive? I do keep a food journal - NOT a calorie count journal, just a hand written note of what I ate. I weigh myself a couple times a week. My suggestion, if you want to lose weight, is that you look at your food journal and decide what you can cut back on. Tinker - see how it goes.

That's what I'm going to try. Because I do need to lose weight. I'm in pain right now with a foot condition & even a 5 pound weight loss will help.

User avatar
Merry
Posts: 1658
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2008 2:14 am

Post by Merry » Sun Jun 12, 2016 4:33 am

Welcome HoneyBeeNYC!

Yes, I've dealt with PF here, in both feet. At times it has gotten pretty bad, and I know what you mean--you just have to rest it, ice it, do the stretches etc... I've done a night brace too. I find really good arch support is crucial (I like the ones I get from the Dr. Scholl's machines that do the foot-mapping.)

I got to a point where I was okay but as soon as I tried adding in some walking, it would flair up again--even the short walk around my block, which is only .9 of a mile. When you get to the point where you're ready to add back in walking, here's a tip that really helped me--slow your pace and lengthen your stride for at least 5 minutes of your walk (I usually do that the first 5 minutes, and then vary it throughout the walk). That continues to stretch all the muscles, but seemed to do more for helping me really get past it than a lot of the other things I tried. Anyway, hth you. I have bunions too--not the greatest feet here!

I don't keep any kind of record of what I eat--I simply count meals (3 per day) and plates (1 per meal). I used to calorie-count, and it's so much easier to maintain No-S than to do all of that. I had thought about adding in a journal when I was first starting with No-S, but I've found for me it's really not needed (at least not at this point).

Have you seen the Daily Check-in board? Many people record what they eat in their daily check-in threads. Maybe you'll want to start one.

Anyway, best wishes to you on your No-S journey, and I hope your PF heals soon!
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
Respect Moderation

HoneyBeeNYC
Posts: 40
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2016 10:58 pm

Post by HoneyBeeNYC » Sun Jun 12, 2016 3:05 pm

Merry wrote:Welcome HoneyBeeNYC!

Yes, I've dealt with PF here, in both feet. At times it has gotten pretty bad, and I know what you mean--you just have to rest it, ice it, do the stretches etc... I've done a night brace too. I find really good arch support is crucial (I like the ones I get from the Dr. Scholl's machines that do the foot-mapping.)

I got to a point where I was okay but as soon as I tried adding in some walking, it would flair up again--even the short walk around my block, which is only .9 of a mile. When you get to the point where you're ready to add back in walking, here's a tip that really helped me--slow your pace and lengthen your stride for at least 5 minutes of your walk (I usually do that the first 5 minutes, and then vary it throughout the walk). That continues to stretch all the muscles, but seemed to do more for helping me really get past it than a lot of the other things I tried. Anyway, hth you. I have bunions too--not the greatest feet here!

I don't keep any kind of record of what I eat--I simply count meals (3 per day) and plates (1 per meal). I used to calorie-count, and it's so much easier to maintain No-S than to do all of that. I had thought about adding in a journal when I was first starting with No-S, but I've found for me it's really not needed (at least not at this point).

Have you seen the Daily Check-in board? Many people record what they eat in their daily check-in threads. Maybe you'll want to start one.

Anyway, best wishes to you on your No-S journey, and I hope your PF heals soon!
Merry - Oh, I feel your pain - having PF in both feet must be awful.

And thank you so much for those PF pointers! Guess what, I've gotten most of the best advice on how to deal with this awful condition from (drum roll), the Internet, even though I am a confirmed internet skeptic. BTW your conclusions fit mine. When I slow down and pay attention to gait, the pain is less.

My problem is that I am a type A personality who doesn't like to wait, and this relates to my food issues. I want things to happen NOW. This is considered childish, and I guess it is, but there's a place in the world for us maniacs. We want things to get DONE, and we don't put up with excuses. This has a good and a bad side.

I've learned that some things really do require patient perseverance, and recovery is one of them. I just heard something great from an online yoga teacher that I like a lot. I will paraphrase. "Be gentle with your body. You wouldn't attack someone else's body, so why would you attack yours?" That really struck me. Overuse is attacking your own body.

I have to learn to apply this to the No S Diet. When I lost weight by controlled starving, also known as intermittent fasting, the fact is I didn't lose more than 5 pounds a month, I just lost it in bursts. But somehow it seemed to me that I lost it quickly. The mind plays tricks. And I was miserable- drove myself even crazier. IFing made my already nutty relationship to food even nuttier. (Literally, I love nuts.)

Regarding the daily check-in, I might do that! But for now, I want to restrain my natural tendency towards compulsion and quick results, so I'll hold back.
I will say for now that my weight is 144, and I'll put a note in my calendar to check back in a month.

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

Post by oolala53 » Mon Jun 13, 2016 5:47 am

Keep track all you like! It's all about habit. If it helps you establish and solidify the meal habit, do it. If it doesn't actually do that OR makes you crazy, drop it.
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)

HoneyBeeNYC
Posts: 40
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2016 10:58 pm

Post by HoneyBeeNYC » Mon Jun 13, 2016 2:01 pm

oolala53 wrote:Keep track all you like! It's all about habit. If it helps you establish and solidify the meal habit, do it. If it doesn't actually do that OR makes you crazy, drop it.
That's my conclusion - whatever helps me stick to it stays, everything else goes. That's why I won't do the daily check-in, because too compulsion inducing for me.

NO CALORIE COUNTING.

No weighing. I will use a cup to measure out things like rice, but that's it.

Also, I added another word on the sayings board to the three sacred "s's" -

Starving. As in, No Starving. (Because I lost 25 pounds by intermittent starving, um fasting, and I remember it with total horror.)

LifeisaBlessing
Posts: 337
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2016 1:08 pm

Post by LifeisaBlessing » Mon Jun 13, 2016 2:18 pm

Hi HoneyBeeNYC!

Welcome to NoS from another newbie! :) I'm definitely with you on the IF! I gave it a try for awhile, but got tired of always feeling run down after being on it. There is some research out there saying that it is counterproductive for females; once I read that, it was all the convincing I needed to stop doing it.
I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.
~Jimmy Dean

The second you overcomplicate it is the second it becomes the thing for which it is a corrective.
~El Fug, on the NoS Diet

HoneyBeeNYC
Posts: 40
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2016 10:58 pm

Post by HoneyBeeNYC » Mon Jun 13, 2016 9:08 pm

LifeisaBlessing wrote:Hi HoneyBeeNYC!

Welcome to NoS from another newbie! :) I'm definitely with you on the IF! I gave it a try for awhile, but got tired of always feeling run down after being on it. There is some research out there saying that it is counterproductive for females; once I read that, it was all the convincing I needed to stop doing it.
I've known guys who tried it and ended up at McDonald's. :lol: Starving is awful.

I realize that skipping a meal isn't technically starving, but I would go days where I ate very little, and all I could do was lie down. I'd be thinking, "oh, but I'm going to be thin." And I did lose weight. But isn't that sick?

HoneyBeeNYC
Posts: 40
Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2016 10:58 pm

Post by HoneyBeeNYC » Tue Jun 14, 2016 11:54 am

Merry wrote:Welcome HoneyBeeNYC!

I got to a point where I was okay but as soon as I tried adding in some walking, it would flair up again--even the short walk around my block, which is only .9 of a mile. When you get to the point where you're ready to add back in walking, here's a tip that really helped me--slow your pace and lengthen your stride for at least 5 minutes of your walk (I usually do that the first 5 minutes, and then vary it throughout the walk). That continues to stretch all the muscles, but seemed to do more for helping me really get past it than a lot of the other things I tried. Anyway, hth you. I have bunions too--not the greatest feet here!

Anyway, best wishes to you on your No-S journey, and I hope your PF heals soon!
Merry, thank you for that tip about walking. It makes a lot of sense, because the faster you walk, the greater the force of the foot on the ground. I am at that point where I still have PF pain but I can walk. The PF flares up when I do. :twisted:

So, I tried your tip and it really works. I slow down and go through all the muscles of my feet carefully. This is kind of weird as I live in NYC where people walk REALLY fast but who cares, they will simply have to learn to tolerate my strange lifestyle, that of the slow walker. :lol:

So so annoying, because ideally when you have an overuse injury, you should rest it completely, oh well. :roll:

I've noticed that the worst is concrete pavement. It's not so bad if I'm inside, or on the grass. Sadly, we do not have grass pavement in NYC. I'll write to our mayor and see if we can do something about that.... :lol:

Anyway - I did my first real day of the 21 day Vanilla No S and it went well. I totally stuck to the letter & spirit of the law - and due to a life time of food guilt, I felt guilty that I ate three squares. I am NOT weighing myself today to see if I was "good" or "bad." I won't lie and say I don't care because I do. But I have to develop a sense of what's good/bad for me, so I'm going to try to restrict my weighing to once a week. (Try.) I won't lie to you: my goal is to lose weight. But I want to do it the right way & not drive myself crazy. So if I haven't lost weight by my check-in time, I'll cut back. Not cut out. Cut back.

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Sat Jun 18, 2016 11:21 pm

Bumping up; doesn't hurt to be reminded what often happens "out there."
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)

Amy3010
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Post by Amy3010 » Tue Jun 21, 2016 6:41 am

Thanks for bumping this up, Oolala...I've been back reading the boards lately but mainly come back to use the Habitcal to recalibrate eating habits that have slipped and gotten sloppy over time. Again and again I come back to No-S as the most sensible and sane approach to managing them. This is a habit that is definitely worth making an effort to maintain.

When I am in the No-S groove, the main thing I notice and enjoy is the feeling of not being obsessed. I have tried many restrictive diets in the past and they always made me crazy - which usually resulted in rebound eating and regaining all that was lost.

MaggieMae
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Post by MaggieMae » Tue Jun 21, 2016 2:54 pm

Thanks for your post, Amy! It reminds me why I need to keep at no s instead of hopping back over to calorie counting.

SpiritSong
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Post by SpiritSong » Wed Jun 22, 2016 10:31 am

Extinction burst (from Wikipedia) - "While extinction, when implemented consistently over time, results in the eventual decrease of the undesired behavior, in the short-term the subject might exhibit what is called an extinction burst. An extinction burst will often occur when the extinction procedure has just begun. This usually consists of a sudden and temporary increase in the response's frequency, followed by the eventual decline and extinction of the behavior targeted for elimination. Novel behavior, or emotional responses or aggressive behavior, may also occur.

Take, as an example, a pigeon that has been reinforced to peck an electronic button. During its training history, every time the pigeon pecked the button, it will have received a small amount of bird seed as a reinforcer. So, whenever the bird is hungry, it will peck the button to receive food. However, if the button were to be turned off, the hungry pigeon will first try pecking the button just as it has in the past. When no food is forthcoming, the bird will likely try again ... and again, and again. After a period of frantic activity, in which their pecking behavior yields no result, the pigeon's pecking will decrease in frequency."

It can be hard to think about this in terms of training yourself, as instead of a pigeon, our brain is going to give us the extinction burst. Perhaps the unwanted behavior is a "I want a snack" signal that is conditioned to occur every time you see food in your work kitchen. You tell your brain, "No, we don't snack anymore" and pass the food by. The brain doesn't get it's reinforcement, so the "I want a snack" behavior should start to fade. But the brain doesn't give up that easily. After some period of time with no snacks, you think you're golden, and then you walk into the kitchen one morning and your brain goes off with "I need a snack. I am soooooooo hungry and weak and I am not going to survive until lunch. Why can't we have a snack JUST THIS ONE TIME. You are being ridiculous with this whole No S thing. Geez, you haven't even lost any weight yet so is it really worth being hungry ALL THE TIME. Just give me this one snack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" That is an extinction burst.

HoneyBeeNYC
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Post by HoneyBeeNYC » Wed Jun 22, 2016 3:22 pm

SpiritSong wrote:Extinction burst (from Wikipedia) -snip

It can be hard to think about this in terms of training yourself, as instead of a pigeon, our brain is going to give us the extinction burst. Perhaps the unwanted behavior is a "I want a snack" signal that is conditioned to occur every time you see food in your work kitchen. You tell your brain, "No, we don't snack anymore" and pass the food by. The brain doesn't get it's reinforcement, so the "I want a snack" behavior should start to fade. But the brain doesn't give up that easily. After some period of time with no snacks, you think you're golden, and then you walk into the kitchen one morning and your brain goes off with "I need a snack. I am soooooooo hungry and weak and I am not going to survive until lunch. Why can't we have a snack JUST THIS ONE TIME. You are being ridiculous with this whole No S thing. Geez, you haven't even lost any weight yet so is it really worth being hungry ALL THE TIME. Just give me this one snack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" That is an extinction burst.
Thank you - that works. Is it another way of say, "I have to maximize my opportunities now, it may never come later...."?

BTW, not to hijack the thread but I'm beginning to think that the most important aspect of No S is no snacking. Pardon me while I ramble. What follows isn't particularly logical.

People have been eating whatever since people have been. In the Paleolithic, "breakfast" might have been as much honey or fruit as you could stuff in your guts. Or animal viscera. Or plants. Whatever. I'm not recommending people do this but for example - I don't think it matters if you eat a bowl of frosted flakes in the morning, with whole milk. I know this is against every tenet of good eating ca. 2016, but if you do that, it's not much of a difference metabolically from eating honey for breakfast (except for the fat in the milk) as long as you....

....don't eat again for a few hours, when your stomach is empty and your blood sugars have returned to normal. Then you eat a tuna on white bread w/mayo, and a candy bar. Horrors! Then dinner - meat, two veg, glass of milk for the kids, a drink for Mom and Dad. Call the child protective services! Welcome to America, ca. 1958, before the obesity epidemic. That's how we ate.

My point is, they ate discrete meals, and not one long food baccanale, day in day out. I don't think it particularly matters what you eat as long as you confine the food to this thing called meals. If you do that, you will automatically (a) cut down on calories and (b) sane-ify your brain.

Trigger warning: the picture is disgusting.

http://www.theonion.com/article/report- ... ntin-30141

Just some rambling thoughts while waiting for injury to heal.

knitapeace
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Post by knitapeace » Wed Jun 22, 2016 3:29 pm

SpiritSong wrote:"I need a snack. I am soooooooo hungry and weak and I am not going to survive until lunch. Why can't we have a snack JUST THIS ONE TIME. You are being ridiculous with this whole No S thing. Geez, you haven't even lost any weight yet so is it really worth being hungry ALL THE TIME. Just give me this one snack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
HEY! Stop eavesdropping on my brain.

:lol: :lol: :lol:
Everything I need, I already have.

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Merry
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Post by Merry » Wed Jun 22, 2016 9:33 pm

HoneyBeeNYC wrote:
SpiritSong wrote: BTW, not to hijack the thread but I'm beginning to think that the most important aspect of No S is no snacking. Pardon me while I ramble. What follows isn't particularly logical.

People have been eating whatever since people have been. In the Paleolithic, "breakfast" might have been as much honey or fruit as you could stuff in your guts. Or animal viscera. Or plants. Whatever. I'm not recommending people do this but for example - I don't think it matters if you eat a bowl of frosted flakes in the morning, with whole milk. I know this is against every tenet of good eating ca. 2016, but if you do that, it's not much of a difference metabolically from eating honey for breakfast (except for the fat in the milk) as long as you....

....don't eat again for a few hours, when your stomach is empty and your blood sugars have returned to normal. Then you eat a tuna on white bread w/mayo, and a candy bar. Horrors! Then dinner - meat, two veg, glass of milk for the kids, a drink for Mom and Dad. Call the child protective services! Welcome to America, ca. 1958, before the obesity epidemic. That's how we ate.

My point is, they ate discrete meals, and not one long food baccanale, day in day out. I don't think it particularly matters what you eat as long as you confine the food to this thing called meals. If you do that, you will automatically (a) cut down on calories and (b) sane-ify your brain.
It's interesting--I didn't realize just how much I ate (as in constantly, all day long), until I focused on meals. I had all kinds of triggers (want to read something longer online? Time for a snack. Tough question to answer for my work? Time for a snack. Kinda bored? Time for a snack...etc...) Gracious!

That said, I think if I included Snickers etc...with my lunch regularly, it would affect sugar cravings (as in, they wouldn't have tamed down as much as they have. I still eat a fair amount of sugar on S days, but I find more and more that it doesn't hold the same appeal. That I can say no to sugar now. That while in my past "too much sugar" or "too sweet" wasn't really in my vocabulary, it is now. I'm actually satisfied with less sugar. This is new for me, and I'm sure it has to be healthier, both for weight & for future disease). Also, if I put that Snicker's on my plate, I don't have room for that apple or orange which has fewer calories and more nutrients. Or I'd find excuses to make a meal out of mostly junk if I allowed some sugar!

Similarly, if a person ate just as much at 3 meals (taking seconds) as they did in many smaller meals (or permasnacking), they probably still aren't going to lose weight.

So I do think all 3 work together, but individuals may find that they are impacted by one more than another. I forget if you have the book--but I did find it so helpful in thinking through each area.
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
Respect Moderation

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Merry
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Post by Merry » Wed Jun 22, 2016 9:33 pm

knitapeace wrote:
SpiritSong wrote:"I need a snack. I am soooooooo hungry and weak and I am not going to survive until lunch. Why can't we have a snack JUST THIS ONE TIME. You are being ridiculous with this whole No S thing. Geez, you haven't even lost any weight yet so is it really worth being hungry ALL THE TIME. Just give me this one snack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
HEY! Stop eavesdropping on my brain.

:lol: :lol: :lol:
:lol:
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
Respect Moderation

HoneyBeeNYC
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Post by HoneyBeeNYC » Thu Jun 23, 2016 12:42 am

It's interesting--I didn't realize just how much I ate (as in constantly, all day long), until I focused on meals. I had all kinds of triggers (want to read something longer online? Time for a snack. Tough question to answer for my work? Time for a snack. Kinda bored? Time for a snack...etc...) Gracious!

That said, I think if I included Snickers etc...with my lunch regularly, it would affect sugar cravings.....

So I do think all 3 work together, but individuals may find that they are impacted by one more than another. I forget if you have the book--but I did find it so helpful in thinking through each area.
I agree about the sugar cravings. I was simply musing about the profound effects that limiting your eating to specific times has on one's intake (if you don't get triggered).

I think the Japanese are very instructive in this way because they are an amazing case of a non-obese, wealthy, modern population. I've read repeatedly that it is frowned upon to eat mindlessly in public, and the government actually took steps to cut down on metabolic disorders. Google "Japan Metabo Law." It's not exactly against the law to be overweight but you do pay a social penalty. It would never happen here.

Everybody says, the Japanese walk more, etc., and that's true, but I think the arrow of causation is backwards. They aren't thin because they walk more. They must stay thin (or normal) because they have to use their bodies more.

roseha
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Post by roseha » Fri Jul 08, 2016 4:10 pm

Hi, I'm posting again after a long time because I can see my weight creeping up again. I was in the 140s for a really long time, which was okay for me since I am in the 5 foot 5 inch range (used to be taller but that's what the doctors are telling me) but I have retired and have been traveling more than usual the last 2 months and just ended up eating out *a lot* and now I'm over 150 pounds which is bugging me because it's literally been years since I've weighed this much.
I feel like I did fairly well sticking to NoS since I don't eat or drink sweets and I can manage the no seconds but I do give in on the snacks in one respect, I tend to eat nuts after dinner and I hate to give it up but I'm thinking the nuts (tend to be raw cashews and tamari almonds from the health food store) are going to have to go. It would actually be easier to give up things like fries, samosas, because I only have them once in awhile.
I do have osteoporosis and even fairly recently my doctor said "don't gain weight but don't lose weight" because she doesn't want me to lose weight in my bones, but I think I need to cut back somehow.
Anyway, just looking for a little encouragement because I know NoS works when you stick to it :) I guess if I cut out the nuts at least on the N days it will help in the long run?

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Post by lpearlmom » Fri Jul 08, 2016 4:43 pm

Hi wb! Sorry for your recent frustrations ! I'm thinking I would keep the nuts as a mod and see how that goes for awhile. Since you'll want to lose weight very slowly due to your med condition, a few extra healthy calories might not be a bad thing.

You also have to be realistic about what you're willing to give up or it'll just backfire on you anyway. When I first did NoS, I was very attached to my mochas so I just allowed them (nonfat, no whip). About a year into NoS I was ready to switch to a sugar-free version but I don't think I would have been so successful with NoS if I had tried to force the issue sooner!

Btw, do you do weight bearing exercises? I'm thinking that might help offset any concerns about extra bone loss while losing but I'm no expert!

Best of luck w everything!

Linda
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

noni
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Post by noni » Fri Jul 08, 2016 4:48 pm

roseha, I hear you about the nuts. They are my weakness, too. I store certain nuts that I use for recipes in the freezer so I don't have to look at them all the time. I tried obeying the mantra, " have a small handful each day because they're good for you." Don't work for me. MIL regularly visits and brings chocolate bars and mixed canned nuts, but it's the nuts that make my knees weak!

You can add them to your plate, but really I thinks no matter how full your plate is there is always room for nuts...just sprinkle them around, right?

Maybe it would be a good idea to try cutting back to S days only as you suggested. Give yourself a month or so to see if it works.

Best wishes and welcome back!

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Fri Jul 08, 2016 5:14 pm

Unfortunately, nuts are so calorie-dense that even just adding them to your dinner plate and then eating them later might not make the difference you would like. (I sometimes do that will fruit and yogurt; the bowl for them is on the plate, but I take a break and eat them a little later.) Is there any other dense food you would be willing to cut down on at your meals to make room for the nuts? If not, the mod to have them on the weekend may be a better bet. But there is no way ahead of time to know what will be satisfying and take the weight off.

For some reason, I can have walnuts and almonds around. I overeat them to a small degree, but cashews? I bought a container at Costco (I was going to make cashew cream in judicious amounts) and the same amount as other nuts sitting in my freezer didn't last even a week. Now, I have them at social events or maybe at a salad bar.

But the other thing may be the eating out. Most foods are so salty and dense it can make it really hard. I know you probably aren't eating fast food, as I did pretty often, but for other reasons, I cut way back on them (and less cheese, though I didn't eat a ton of that) back in January and had lost about 5 lbs. in a couple of months. I didn't anticipate that, but it happened .

But it may not be worth the sacrifices. It's your call.
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)

roseha
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Post by roseha » Fri Jul 08, 2016 9:12 pm

Thanks very much everyone! I appreciate your thoughts on all this. I have tried to be more sensible this week - well except on my birthday which was this week :) but I have been trying to each crunchy cereal (like Chex - low sugar) for lunch and maybe that will satisfy the need for something crunchy instead of the nuts, who knows. I know the eating out isn't good, it was partly due to traveling but I think I can control it better coming up. I hope.
I do think that even though I was getting away with it previously I kind of knew that the nuts were going to add up eventually. I keep them in the fridge anyway so maybe will see what happens if I keep them for the S days - will have to see how that goes.

Linda, my doctor did suggest weight bearing exercise and I do have some tiny one pound weights but it's something I still need to work on. It's been so hot here in my city that I haven't gotten a lot of exercise this week either. Something else to keep in mind I guess. Thanks again all.

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Post by oolala53 » Sat Jul 09, 2016 1:00 am

Hang in there! You deserve all the benefits that will come from your efforts. Crank up the a/c and do some planks, squats, wall sits, side planks, working up to 30 sec each and adding up to 14 min. Short bouts of simulated rope jumping are good, too. YOU can do it!
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)

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Post by lpearlmom » Sat Jul 09, 2016 3:14 pm

I hope you don't feel like you can't have nuts anymore! My husband & I both lost about 40 lbs while eating plenty of nuts. That is his main in between snack in fact. Of course he has a crazy good metabolism so I didn't follow that route but I eat them often on my yogurt or stir fry or just add a little bowl of them to my plate. They are very nutritious and eaten in moderation can definitely be eaten while losing weight.

In fact you should mostly be focused on habit at this point anyway. You can worry about what's on your plate once your habit is firmly in place.

Best of luck!

Linda
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Sun Jul 10, 2016 12:26 am

So we don't get too far afield, I'm going to send my next response to you personally. In any case, I'm glad you feel No S is the right framework to figure this out in, especially if it was working well for you before- just as it has for millions of people who would never consider going on a diet. They are on a diet! The naturally moderate diet that comes from not eating just because they get a whim or because food is available.
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)

roseha
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Post by roseha » Tue Jul 12, 2016 4:39 am

Thanks Linda and oolala53 for your words of encouragement! I do feel that NoS is a great diet, with me it's mainly cutting out some of the "exceptions" I think, maybe the nuts/snacking for instance. Hopefully I can still have them on the weekend, maybe also be a little more realistic about not going overboard in general, smaller lunches and the like. Will see how that goes. Thanks again!

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Tonsha
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Post by Tonsha » Wed Jul 13, 2016 12:20 pm

Thanks for suggesting this SpiritSong!

I was on the forum way back in 2004/2005, and had a lot of success. I lost 2+ stone (>28lbs) back then, and got to my lowest weight of my adult life: 11st 10lbs (164lbs).

I left because - OOOO! Shiny!!!

I came back because I'm heavier than ever at 15st 2lbs (212 lbs).

I had a head injury in 2012 (banged my head on Concorde - no I'm really not that tall. It's just really, really small in there!) Gave me a sort of whiplash injury with chronic tension headaches - cold, stress and hunger were triggers. It took 7 months to calm down, but that took me from 13st to over 14st.

I tried Slimming World with my wife at that point. Did OK for about 2 months. But stress at work made me comfort eat and I regained the losses I'd made even though I was attending the group. My wife & I gave up at about the same time - she has PCOS and quickly hit a plateau. She started to feel awkward doing everything 'right' but not losing weight and having to talk about it every week.

That was back in 2013. Since then I've been "what the heck-ing" my gluttony. Occasionally we would talk about what we were going to do about it. We're both 51 so that just makes things even harder.

Finally - last Sunday - she said "I'm going to start NoS on Monday". I'd already been thinking the same thing, since it worked many years ago.

So here we are - today is day 3. I'm NoS-ing, Urban Rangering and doing my own version of 5BX just to build up a little bit more strength & stamina before attempting a 14 minutes of anything workout.

DaveA
Last edited by Tonsha on Thu Jul 14, 2016 7:22 am, edited 2 times in total.
"The best diet is the one you don’t know you’re on" - Brian Wansink

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Wed Jul 13, 2016 4:48 pm

"I left because- Oh, Shiny." Good stuff.

Welcome home, again, this time to both of you. You've had a lot of fun on the wild ride, no? But this is not a bad place to ride out the decades in moderation. Best kept secret is that it's fun, too.
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)

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Merry
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Post by Merry » Thu Jul 14, 2016 9:14 pm

Tonsha wrote: I left because - OOOO! Shiny!!!
Snort!

Welcome back to you and your wife :-)
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
Respect Moderation

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~reneew
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Post by ~reneew » Fri Aug 26, 2016 3:17 am

Why did I leave? Why do I keep leaving? I'm stupid and impatient. That's all I can come up with. I've been here forever as you can see... Off and on. I ride a roller coaster, that's for sure. If anyone is interested in monthly weights and reasons for straying, see the first page of my daily check in. Long story short, I lost 39 and instead of being happy about it, I felt like I was getting no where fast. I told myself that I wasn't even half way, I still looked horrible, the purchase of a new scale tricked me out of several of those, so I told myself I was only at 28 down... I wanted it gone now. I started thinking I could do it one of the old ways that worked (but obviously not long term). I strayed left and right... All the way back to where I began plus some. All I can say for my trip over the curb, off the road and bahaing cross country up hill is that the entire time I felt panic. Desperation. Fear. Insane actually. The absolute only plan out there that keeps me sane as I'm doing it is NoS all other plans keep me feeling in a panic disappointed state.

I'm back for the long haul. I'm doing vanilla noS, not squeezing in any extra rules whatsoever. I'm not pushing it to go faster by fasting either. It's cool. I'm sane. And since Sunday (it's Thursday) I've lost 8 pounds. Add on the 5 I lost before that and I'm down 13. Yeah, I know water weight and all of that, but I'm the queen of trash-talking myself so, I'm just going with the good feeling right now.

I will get there. Honestly half way would make me extatic and that's my goal.

My advice: Give this your all. Do it without cheating yourself. If you aren't losing, get a little smaller plates. Stick with it or you might find yourself back at ground zero like me.
I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

e-lyn
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Post by e-lyn » Fri Aug 26, 2016 3:28 am

Thanks for sharing your story, reneew! I wonder every day if I'm doing the right thing, especially since I haven't lost any weight so far. But experiences like yours help me to keep going and not give up!

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Fri Aug 26, 2016 12:40 pm

Welcome home. Oh, how the expectation to weigh a certain amount and look a certain way can mess with us. You are so much more than all of that! Enjoy your meals and get at the other stuff. :)
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)

noni
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Post by noni » Tue Aug 30, 2016 7:09 pm

Welcome back reneew! I similarly have yo-yoed with No S and felt the same way about myself for being a dope; silly excuses for giving it up. But I've been back. Each time I leave and come back, I'm a little bit older, and it's slower going with the weight loss, but I've reaped other benefits in the meantime that cause me to stick with it, since weight loss isn't enough of an incentive for me.

stoogeswoman
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Post by stoogeswoman » Fri Sep 02, 2016 4:34 am

Hi! I was on it for a while a few years ago. I had trouble keeping it going because, well, I just have trouble keeping ANY habit going for very long, before I find some excuse to ditch it ("of course you don't have to give up treats EVERY day, just Monday through Friday, except of course you can have some hot buttered popcorn TODAY because it's cold and raining and it really makes you feel good so why not? you can start again tomorrow", etc.).

I am trying it again in self-defense because I had a physical last week, and even though ALL my numbers were really good except my cholesterol, which was a little high, my doctor was aggressively pushing weight loss surgery on me. I hate the whole idea and am seriously thinking of looking for a new doctor because I suspect he's getting some kind of kickback for referrals.

However, I'm over 50 and have arthritis, and it would be helpful for me if I could safely (and nonsurgically) lose a few pounds, so I can move around a little more. So here I am, ready to try again.

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MerryKat
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Location: Sunny South Africa

Post by MerryKat » Fri Sep 02, 2016 11:40 am

Hello

I just realised today is my 11 year anniversary so a good day to post on this thread!

I had a number of breaks away from No S where I tried to modify it to make it better!!! Which never works and I would just end up gaining what I had lost.

I am now totally off of sugar of all kinds due to having Type 2 Diabetes (early stages) which I do not want to get worse. This is not a mod for me on No S it is just a fact of life and as such I still follow Vanilla No S. I still eat 'sweets' for a treat over the weekend, just now they are fruits and different sugar free goodies at non meal times.

Even when I am not on the boards now, I am still No S - this is just the right, normal and sensible thing for me and my body.
Hugs from Sunny South Africa
Vanilla No S with no Sugar due to Health issues - 11 yrs No S - September 2016 (some good, some bad (my own doing) but always the right thing for me!)

oolala53
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Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Mon Sep 05, 2016 6:23 am

Eleven years? That must be a record. There it is, right in your little box, that 2005 was your starting year. I'm bowing over here.

There are good reasons to jettison certain foods from our lives, IMHO. Weight loss is not one of them. Diabetes definitely IS! Seems like it is just one less thing to have to monitor. Hardly worth the payoff, under the circumstances. Sorry you're having to grapple with the condition, but glad No S is helping.
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)

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

Post by automatedeating » Sun Sep 11, 2016 5:04 pm

This thread has been super helpful! I even copied and pasted a summary of suggestions on my own Daily Thread for reminding/inspiring.

I think......my biggest downfall on NoS was the nutrition bit. I was doing amazing following the rules for about a year, but I ate chips, hot dogs, hamburgers, chimichangas, nary a salad in sight.

I felt (and feel) VERY guilty about this. It was embarrassing to post my meals. So I would try to add in salads and vegetables, but then would end up wanting to eat a "real" meal for satisfaction. And then the wheels come off.

So I'm back and recommitted to just being me. Me is not a healthy eater, but me is at a healthy weight with NoS.

:roll: :lol: 8) :wink:
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
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Post by oolala53 » Sun Sep 11, 2016 7:13 pm

I know a lot of people don't like the idea that health might be taken into account when planning meals, but it may help to remember that traditional societies didn't have to contend with the barrage of junk food we have to compete with their quality and variety of food choices. Even they are losing ground in this area and it shows in weight and health stats in other parts of the world.

The best time to limit such foods is when you've have enough experience with them that you are willing to make changes because you see clearly that they aren't getting you something you really want and it is worth trading the pleasure you get from them for the pleasure of a different result you want even more. It sounds like you're there, Merrykat! And I predict you are going to find some delicious and even more satisfying replacements that you will come to miss if you don't have them often.
Last edited by oolala53 on Tue Oct 25, 2016 8:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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)

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MerryKat
Posts: 786
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2005 11:35 am
Location: Sunny South Africa

Post by MerryKat » Wed Sep 21, 2016 9:54 am

Thanks oolala - No S really has been my lifeline in a list of less than desirable health issues which all seem to have weight gain as a side effect! All thanks to No S (in my opinion) my weight has been fairly stable for a number of years. Yes, I could loose a bit but for me stable is perfect.

automated eating - I am not a salad lover either and I find as long as I plan some meals that I really love along with other meals that are good for me - and some times a little of each at each meal I am able to enjoy my eating and do the right thing for my body. It cannot be an all or nothing - this is how we end up with the problems we have. If I am going to have one of my not such good choices I try to add something good to the meal to get some balance. I still eat foods that I love that are not high nutrition category but because I am only eating 3 times a day the damage is limited. Yes, some of these meals leave me a little hungry but that is my choice and makes me enjoy the next meal even more - and often it is a "better" one as I know that will fill me more. Be gentle with yourself and still plan in your favourites now and then.
Hugs from Sunny South Africa
Vanilla No S with no Sugar due to Health issues - 11 yrs No S - September 2016 (some good, some bad (my own doing) but always the right thing for me!)

Jen1974
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Location: Colorado

Post by Jen1974 » Wed Sep 21, 2016 3:27 pm

Automated, I'm not sure I'm the most heatlhy eater either, I will add raw veggies to my meals & have berries for breakfast, but salads only leave me feeling deprived so I try & avoid them (:

ironchef
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Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2012 10:12 am
Location: Australia

Post by ironchef » Sun Sep 25, 2016 10:49 am

I'm not much of a one for salad. I like fruit, and vegetables, but lettuce leaves me cold. I usually make meals where a bunch of veg is already in the stew or sauce, so I don't have to worry (or faff with extra dishes).

roseha
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Apr 15, 2006 2:28 am
Location: New York NY

Post by roseha » Sat Oct 08, 2016 6:26 pm

I just wanted to added a thought here as it's been a few months - I never thought much about the "mod" concept, but Linda's suggestion that I keep nuts as a mod may be working for me. I think my bigger problem was the eating out and takeout, and this week I started making simple vegetarian meals for dinner. I have a feeling it's helping push my weight in the right direction again, I was down to 145 today after being over 150 not long ago. Maybe it helps to figure out what you miss and what you don't, I'm trying to avoid most fried things as well as sweets except on special occasions and it seems to be helping so far. We'll see.

alsuzeGirl
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2016 7:31 pm

Why did you leave? Why are you back?

Post by alsuzeGirl » Wed Oct 12, 2016 7:53 pm

I don't remember when I first tried the No S diet, but I know I tried it once. I do not think it became a habit, so I must have stopped before 21 days :).

I am starting No S again today because I attended a weight loss seminar last night for a gastric bypass and guess what , the after surgery diet had some similarities to No S.

For long term success for a gastric bypass you actually need good habits. One of the four rules for success was to only eat 3 solid meals per day. So that brought back the No S diet to mind and I started researching No S again. Apparently you can't snack after a gastric bypass surgery. So going to that seminar made me realize that the No S diet might be the best approach as it is actually doable.

I remember kinda eating like this when I was a child. Luckily for us there was not a lot of junk food around to snack on. We would basically have our 3 meals and eat fruits from the field and I guess you can only eat so much fruit :).

Anyways this time around I am going to use a habit tracker app on my phone . I think I probably failed the last time by trying to do too much too soon and not keeping track, so life probably happened and I drifted away.

I am very encouraged by all the posts I have read and I love the honesty of everyone in admitting that they have failed and that it is not always easy.

Thanks for the great post and I hope to be a No Ser for life . :)

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

Post by noni » Tue Oct 18, 2016 8:16 pm

Good for you, alsuzeGirl, in keeping an operation as a last resort! And you may strive for 21 days, but there are successful No Sers here that are happy just having a full green week, so don't give up. It's a satisfying and sensible way of eating for life.

Make use of this site, with the podcasts and posters for encouragement. And you could start your own daily journals as well. Also, there are the monthly challenges to help as an assist.

We wish you the best! Keep us posted.
"Never go back for seconds. Get it all the first time." - Garfield

oolala53
Posts: 10059
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Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Tue Oct 25, 2016 8:12 pm

Welcome home, Alsuzegirl. You have plenty of incentive to really make it work this time. You can always change the content of meals as you go it warranted.
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)

Lilbec
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Oct 26, 2016 11:16 am

Post by Lilbec » Wed Oct 26, 2016 11:36 am

I tried No S quite a while ago and loved it but only lasted one week! I know exactly why - I did really well during the week, then went back to normal eating on Sat/Sun, and just didn't get back on the wagon come Monday.

I don't have a big weight problem at all, and I eat a lot of healthy food, but I just eat TOO MUCH ALL THE TIME. As in, I never stop eating/snacking/picking from morning til night. It doesn't feel good (physically or psychologically), and as I get older (now in my 40s) my weight is starting to creep slowly up. I've read & tried so many different things to 'get control' of my eating and nothing works! One thing I particularly hated was the 5:2 diet, because I felt SO hungry and deprived!

So I'm now back with No S, only day 3 (!!!) but going really strong for the moment. I really like having very clear strict rules (3 meals) without any real sense of deprivation (though I'm experiencing a lot of hunger in between meals, for the first time in years). However I'm really thinking I'm going to have to be careful with S days so I don't just fall straight off the wagon again. Maybe something more like just planning for a small treat rather than throwing all the rules out the window..?

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

Post by oolala53 » Wed Oct 26, 2016 12:51 pm

Lilbec, expecting S days to be sane too soon can lead to a lot of misery. It is not a failure to go overboard on S days, even for quite awhile, i.e., it doesn't mean it's not working. That is a big misunderstanding. If a person has been overeating continually, then 20 days a month of sane eating is a big improvement! Diet head makes people think they should be able to go from zero to 60 overnight. It happens, but it is the teeny tiny exception!

Welcome back. Are you going to start a check in thread? Or maybe just habitcal...
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)

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kaalii
Posts: 745
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Location: switzerland

Post by kaalii » Wed Oct 26, 2016 1:34 pm

lilbeck, do how you think is best... id be vary ofthrowing away S-days without giving it a proper chance...

noS diet is about weight loss as much as it is about sanity about food...

how i see it now after 6 months under my belt - Ndays are about weight loss and S-days are not about treats they are about sanity...

maybe this is why we have bigger problems with Sdays in the beginning - because getting rid of the diethead that is fearful and self-loathing takes longer to heal than limiting the physical culprits of our weight gain, those simple 3 Ss...

in any case, good luck! :)
Age:40
BMI: 18.8
Body Fat %: 17.6
in it for maintenance and, more importantly, sanity!!

LifeisaBlessing
Posts: 337
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2016 1:08 pm

Post by LifeisaBlessing » Wed Oct 26, 2016 6:02 pm

Lilbec wrote:I tried No S quite a while ago and loved it but only lasted one week! I know exactly why - I did really well during the week, then went back to normal eating on Sat/Sun, and just didn't get back on the wagon come Monday.
............ However I'm really thinking I'm going to have to be careful with S days so I don't just fall straight off the wagon again. Maybe something more like just planning for a small treat rather than throwing all the rules out the window..?
Hi Lilbec, and welcome to the NoS boards! :)

You will get all kinds of opinions on this, but I am a big believer in making NoS work for you, even if that means modifying from vanilla. I'm soon-to-be 48 and can tell you that eliminating specific "S days" has made the difference for my succeeding at weight/fat loss utilizing the framework of NoS--namely, eating three meals a day, no seconds, no snacking in between meals. For me, that was much simpler and easier to follow. I'm actually in the best shape of my life right now (even better than when I was exercising like a madwoman in my 20s and 30s), doing modified NoS and getting a much more sustainable amount of exercise. It definitely can be done at our age! :)

Since you said you already tried vanilla NoS in the past and it didn't work for you, don't be afraid to modify the plan to suit your individual personality and biology. Allowing yourself small amounts of treats during all seven days within your three meals may be just the ticket to keep you from falling off the wagon.

My advice based on what has worked for me for the last seven months, and what got me to my goal, and surpassing my goal:

1. Weigh yourself daily at a maximum, weekly at a minimum. This way you can tell immediately if you are on the right track, so you can adjust your food amounts accordingly at your next meals.

2. Pay attention to how your body feels after meals. This is an "intuitive eating" strategy, but IMHO a very important aspect of it that can help you better structure the makeup of your meals to suit your likes and dislikes, and get you to your next meal without feeling overly hungry.

3. Always keep the goal in mind. Whenever you're tempted to go off plan, remember why you're doing it in the first place. If you "mess up," just get right on track at the next meal.

Good luck and hope this helps! :)
I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.
~Jimmy Dean

The second you overcomplicate it is the second it becomes the thing for which it is a corrective.
~El Fug, on the NoS Diet

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

Post by naeman » Mon Nov 07, 2016 2:48 pm

I left No S because I severely overate on S days, and I ended up gaining weight on the plan. The more I tried to give myself rules or mods on the weekends, the worse I'd binge when I got off track.

I'm back because nothing else has worked even as well as this for me. At least I could have 5 days of positive eating habits on this plan. I hope that I can find a way to make my S days better, but here's to another try.

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

Post by oolala53 » Mon Nov 07, 2016 3:18 pm

Don't want to hijack this thread but will write to you separately. Hang in there!
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)

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Merry
Posts: 1658
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2008 2:14 am

Post by Merry » Thu Nov 10, 2016 3:28 am

naeman wrote:I left No S because I severely overate on S days, and I ended up gaining weight on the plan. The more I tried to give myself rules or mods on the weekends, the worse I'd binge when I got off track.

I'm back because nothing else has worked even as well as this for me. At least I could have 5 days of positive eating habits on this plan. I hope that I can find a way to make my S days better, but here's to another try.
I hope your new try goes better!! Hang in there and let us know how we can support you, too.
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
Respect Moderation

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

Post by kccc » Thu Dec 01, 2016 4:41 am

Back for annual holiday shore-up. :D

Left because my weight was stable, habits reasonably good, and life is very full. (Still in my "happy range," but know I tend to get sloppy over the holidays...and want to have another New Years where "lose weight" isn't on my resolution list!)

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Merry
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Post by Merry » Fri Dec 02, 2016 3:32 am

kccc wrote:Back for annual holiday shore-up. :D

Left because my weight was stable, habits reasonably good, and life is very full. (Still in my "happy range," but know I tend to get sloppy over the holidays...and want to have another New Years where "lose weight" isn't on my resolution list!)
That's pretty awesome! You may want to join the December Challenge :-).

Welcome back!
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
Respect Moderation

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

Post by oolala53 » Fri Dec 02, 2016 12:49 pm

HI, KCCC! So glad to hear it's mostly smooth sailing.
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)

Izzy
Posts: 28
Joined: Fri Dec 02, 2016 11:44 pm

Post by Izzy » Sat Dec 03, 2016 2:03 am

Hello! New here to posting but over the past year or so maybe longer I have had 2 failed Vanilla attempts and 1 attempt with TOO many mods that also failed, but trying again with a more relaxed approach, see details in my daily (sporadic) check in. Hoping more relaxed rules will mean more long-term compliance and also some results, even if very slow losses!
Izzy

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