Everyday Systems

Hi, I'm only on day 4 of the no s diet. Snacking was my big problem and I want to be free of it but I find the hunger is so intense between meals and at night.
I eat my meals at about 9, 1 and 5. I make the meals big and sustaining, eating until I'm full but not overfilled. I drink tea with a generous amount of milk between meals which helps.
My question really is who else has experienced this at the beginning and how long did it last? How long does it take until you can eat just three meals a day without too much discomfort.

I've found before bed I'm so hungry that its hard to get to sleep. But its too hard to spread out my meals any further. My mind is racing too - low blood sugar perhaps? I got out of bed after an hour or so last night to get a cracker with cheese in the hope it would help get me to sleep.
On the plus side the bloating I get every day has vanished - yay!

Hi I am on day 3 so can't really advise as going through it myself. I have been eating breakfast at 10 lunch at 2 and dinner at 7 so the evenings are a bit shorter if that makes sense. I have also been eating more on my three plates than I normally would. Going to keep doing it like this for the first 3 weeks to get used to the habit of not snacking. Pretty hungry tonight. So I keep coming on here and reading for inspiration.

I experienced the same issue my first week of No S (I've only been on it for 3 weeks).

I ate around the same time of day as you. The one thing I did differently from you is that I didn't eat to a point of being full but not overfull. What I mean is, I made a plate and I cleaned the plate. I think this means that some days I am still overfull.

I'm not saying it's the solution, because I still need to work on reigning in my N days. But it kept me from snacking at least.

Best of luck!

Hi. I am 2 months in now and I can reassure you that hunger is definitely decreasing over time. At first it was really hard but your body soon adjusts. I find a glass of milk, or a cup of tea really helps. Try warm milk at night to help you relax and go to sleep. Hang on in there, it will get better.
Also, try and remember that hunger is only temporary, you only have to wait until your next meal. Nothing bad is going to happen to you because you're hungry! And you'll enjoy your next meal all the more.
Good luck

Hi SophieK,
I experienced the EXACT same you did when I started No S about a year ago. For me in some ways it was a relief to feel hunger because for so long I had been eating so much, I was never hungry.

I think you are doing just right except maybe eat a little more. The days will definitely get better. (I started No S-ing in November 2015.)

Best wishes to you and hang in there!

Make sure you have plenty of protein and a bit of fat with all your meals (as well as a bit of carbs and lots of veg). I find eggs and cheese particularly filling. You will get used to it and feel hungry less often but also I have become less 'afraid' of hunger and it makes the food taste better!

Get overfull for awhile. You are not on a diet. You are on a program to help correct appetite and move you toward moderation. Hunger can be delightful but if it's not, it can be counterproductive. but just that anxious feeling to eat is probably best ignored or tolerated.

If it's hard to sleep, it does sound like real hunger. Milky drinks are good stopgap measures. I say it wouldn't be terrible to have a night snack, if you're really sure it's not just jonesing for food out of habit. I've known of several who used a snack between lunch and dinner for a few months, even, and had it drop away.

but it's your call. Whatever you do, be consistent for at least a week at a time.

To many wonderful meals!

Hey there...welcome Sophiek.

first of all, I call it appetite, to differentiate from actual hunger. However, appetite is strong, and appetite is fierce. It's hard to battle, when you've given appetite whatever it wants, whenever it wants, for as long as I did.
But hunger? it really isn't possible to be REALLY hungry 2.5 hours after a hearty meal. The pangs usually are just appetite, unless your stomach is actually empty and you need food. Anyway...

I struggled with it quite a bit at first, but got through by telling myself I'd retrain my appetite not to rear up. After all, the stomach gets on a schedule, and when food is not forthcoming at its usual time...such as say 2:30 pm between lunch and dinner...the appetite lets you know it is there. Not. Fun.

At the beginning, I thought "give it time, and my appetite will reboot and be on a sensible schedule"...this did happen, I must say. Now I feel my appetite around meal times: 6:30 and 11:30 am, and 5:00 ish pm.

But before this adjustment, I found something out. One of the things I was hoping for was that my appetite wouldn't bother me. And...even though it still gave me grief at the "usual" times (such at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm, and 9:30 pm right before bedtime) lo! and behold! it got to where it DIDN'T BOTHER ME.

That is to say: Yes, I could feel my stomach growling at me BUT I was able to and did ignore it. It took quite a bit longer than I anticipated for my appetite to adjust, but it only took a week or so for me to retrain myself to ignore it.

I also second the advice to eat a very large meal at first. My first week or more, I stuffed myself FULL at mealtimes. Like...oof, that's a lot of dang food...to avoid feeling hungry between meals. That normalized too.

It is going on seven months since I started. I haven't lost anything EXCEPT my food obsession (most days) (a lifetime of habitually focusing on food doesn't just go away in half a year)

Anyway...hopefully you muscle through this part of things, and go on to food sanity which is BY FAR the best thing about No S eating.

Oolala and bunsofaluminium I just wanted to say that your posts have really helped me. I still tend to get a bit caught up in the weight loss side of things, when in actual fact huge and wonderful things are happening with my attitude to food. So you have given me a timely reminder that even if the scales do not reflect a loss, what I have gained in terms of sanity and peace of mind far outweighs (excuse the pun) that.
2 months in and I need to remind myself that I have NEVER in my life felt this calm and relaxed around food. That's worth more than anything.

There is a sizable faction of slim women in this country who hate their bodies and fear food. They MIGHT live to a ripe old age, but we don't know. I would rather be heavier, enjoy food in moderation, and possibly die earlier than live like that. But that's a personal call. And since I'm already 63, it's too late for me to die young. Earlier is still a possibility, but I'll take my chances, since my health markers are good. If they weren't, it would be a different ball game.

Thanks for all the replies and advice! I've been making my meals especially breakfast (even) bigger so that I can last until about 2 for lunch and then have dinner after 6 this has made the no s diet much more doable.

Great! If it stays that way, fine. It MAY change. Best if these things can happen without your noticing...

Awesome! I hope that helps