Everyday Systems

Hello!

I have been a long time believer in the No-S diet - it makes perfect sense to me. Alas, I have not been a long time follower... tried three times and for various reasons gave up (which I think many have done)

I have just started again - this is week 2 - and as with before, found it fairly easy. I suspect that Vanilla No-S is the best way to go, and yet I still find myself struggling with one tweak I want to make - so wanted to hear from others...!

I have three meals a day, and I think they're reasonable portions, mainly vegetarian. No sweets, no snacks and no seconds - all fine. I am also (for various reasons) adding in no alcohol during the week, but I really struggled with Friday night (as I remember I have during previous attempts)!

I would far prefer to start my 'S days' on Friday night and then finish at the same time on Sunday (for example 6pm) - as this way I could have an alcoholic drink and maybe something sweet with my meal on a Friday - which for us, is when the weekend starts... but...

Has anyone else done this - and continued with it long-term? Did you still loose weight? Did it lead to other tweaks?

In previous attempts I generally followed the three meals, no snacking, approach at the weekends too, which seemed OK (I almost never ate seconds anyway) - as I think my weight gain over the years has come from mindless snacking, of mainly processed food, so that is the habit I think is most beneficial to tackle.

Currently I'm not weighing myself, as historically it has not been helpful (not lost? eat because 'nothing works'... lost a good amount? an excuse to celebrate and eat more)... so my aim is to develop and maintain some sensible eating habits, which I hope will get me to a good weight/size for me.

Any thoughts/experiences much appreciated!

Nov 2018 (third time lucky!) - 5'4" - UK size 12/14 bottom, size 12 top

I think this is a reasonable tweak. Friday evening is movie night with friends so I also start my S Days on Friday night. I usually have one sweet on Saturday and sometimes at Sunday noon. It has worked for me. I try to not do snacks or seconds even on S Days because that is a habit I have to monitor.

Sassyhay wrote:
I think my weight gain over the years has come from mindless snacking, of mainly processed food, so that is the habit I think is most beneficial to tackle.

If you have identified this as your main reason for weight gain, then it makes sense to me to concentrate your efforts there. I see no problem with starting your weekend on Fri nights if that fits in with what you do already. After all, if it doesn't work, you can change back later on.

I've always been a little relaxed around Friday evening

For me the most important thing about this is its for life not something I'm doing until I've lost weight. Therefore it has to fit my life.

Jx

Thanks all! I think a 'lifestyle' approach is the way forward and realistically I would struggle to give up my Friday nights, so this one tweak seems sensible. But I probably need to stay a bit mindful of it - and not rush at 6pm like a bull in a china shop!

Hi Sassyhay! Just want to say “Hello. I really identify with much of what you said, especially not weighing. I believe in No S wholeheartedly, just have terrible trouble with evening snacking. So wishing you the best and see you on the boards.

I'm not sure if Tess (eschano) will see your post, but I do not that she used this mod very successfully for at least a year or two!

Anna from KC - hello to you too! Had a planned S day on Monday (celebrating a birthday) and was tough getting back on the horse on Tuesday... but I did it... and it's nearly Friday evening! Felt a crazy urge to weigh myself (to either feel relief or berate myself) but again managed to resist as I figured that if I weighed more than I thought I might give up, and if I weighed less, I may have slacked during the week

Automatedeating - thanks for letting me know about about eschano, I will try and find some of her posts!

I've been tempted to do this, but haven't yet made that modification. I do have a little glass of white wine on many Friday nights and a yummy meal, but no seconds or sweets. I have had many Fridays where I failed, however. Sometimes the wine loosens my inhibitions just enough to eat.

I don't drink alcohol during the week, typically, either.

My first recommendation is to say to tough it out and keep Fridays Vanillla.

But if that sounds unnecessarily difficult, I would say to end the S's at midday on Sunday. S days don't go from breakfast Saturday to breakfast Monday, so it's not a 48-hour thing, but more of a 36-hour thing, though not in so many words. Theoretically, you could eat until midnight Sunday, but we all know that's not in the spirit of things.

In the end, the only thing to do is test it out in your life and see if you can keep the lines bright.