Everyday Systems

Hi there, I'm trying to really commit to no s this time and was wondering what advice you can give if you're a long time no s Er? Like what helped you stay on course year after year after year....

Panther wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 12, 2019 4:29 am

Hi there, I'm trying to really commit to no s this time and was wondering what advice you can give if you're a long time no s Er? Like what helped you stay on course year after year after year....

From my viewpoint which may not be shared by everyone, the Number One way to make NoS work, or should I say commit to NoS or any habit is to log your check-ins on a daily basis. After the habit is established, maybe every few days but at least once per week. You will get lots of feedback from many different people on here, many who have similar problems and can offer advice.

Hi Panther!

I'm with Whos about regular logging. I have logged on here for almost 6 years, with a few months here and there where I really went wild. I use the daily check in as my food journal and life journey journal. I also track a few other various life goals. It centers me and gives me a starting place for my mornings.

I also think having the same meals every day on N Days (for the most part) is a huge key for me. Breakfast and lunch are almost always the same, dinner is protein + vegetables. Easy to plan & shop for, easy to stick to, and easy to log (in seconds, really).

For me (and boy this one is controversial) I weigh every day and record it. That works for me because I don't appear to suffer from diet head like many people do. To me, it's just a number to log and watch for trends, nothing to ruin my day one way or the other. All that said, I think I'm in the minority that doesn't have some sort of visceral reaction to weighing.

Lastly, I have noticed that I am able to forgive myself for going off the rails. I have self-compassion about my eating and I don't internalize bad food choices as anything bad "about me". I think I'm just lucky that way (it goes along with not having diet head), but I can see the contrast with some other areas in my life. I am becoming a huge believer that perfectionist thinking and self-blaming is a giant reason that we fail at our goals. Many of us are masters of self-sabotage.

So..... all that to say I recommend doing some internal work about those issues and find where they occur in your life, then work to be gentler with yourself. I think we all have these problems, but they crop up in different spots.

Hi Panther,
there are many factors that influence how good or bad someone can keep the course in the system. Age, gender, life situation all play an important role. What works as a trick for one person can be poison for another.

The most helpful tips are in my experience (No S since 2004):

1. simplify your meals!
This applies to two aspects: Diversity and complexity. For many it is easier to adopt the habit if you simplify the N-days as much as you can. I.e. few, simple menus. I have found that willpower is a finite resource that is distorted by decisions. Pick a few options for your N-day meals, and stick to them for now. I actually only have three simple options for my meals:
Breakfast: Breakfast cereals with whole milk or sandwiches or fruits (apples, bananas etc.)
Lunch: sandwiches or canteen lunch or Drive Inn
Dinner: Potato pan or noodles with meat strips or fried eggs with bread.

That way I don't get into the decision spiral, which runs until I order an XXL pizza...

The second part of the simplification is to keep the effort for the preparation as low as possible. If the preparation of a meal lasts longer than 20-25 minutes, there is a great risk that I will snack in time, or choose another alternative. During the week all my menus are simple and fast. I only cook for hours on weekends or holidays.

2. lose the diet mentality!
No S is a slow, sustained change in your eating habits. It takes time for the results to add up. As a result, many become impatient and try to incorporate other dietary considerations. Then calories are counted again, unappetizing but supposedly healthy things are put on the plates and instead of the desired burger for lunch the recommended salad is eaten. Thus one loses the greatest advantage of the system and after a while this self-flagellation leads to abandonment. All I'm saying is: Enjoy every serving, even the simple ones during the week.

3rd eat slowly!
Try to chew every bite at least 20 times. Better even more often. On average I chew each bite 80-90 times and only swallow when the food is already a soft paste. This works wonders for digestion and the feeling of satiety can be felt in smaller portions. It often happens that I cannot empty my plate.

4 Combine Nos with the other Everyday systems!
I don't know exactly why, but many people around me found it easier to stick to the rhythm of No S when they practiced shovelglove and urban ranger at the same time. You lose weight more quickly, which is good for motivation, and keeping one good habit spurs you not to let the others drag.

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Agree totally with the above two posts, just stick to the rules and it works.
Choose food you really enjoy and eat it slowly and pay attention, doesn't have to be every meal you do this but the more you tune in to what you are eating the more you find your body leads you to good healthy food.

When you see making these choices as opposed to using willpower the easier and more natural it becomes.

Jx

After nearly 8 years of a lot of success, I have had some trouble recently, but I'll talk anyway.

The two main motivations for my sticking with it was 1) feeling that my eating (I did a lot of binge-like compulsive overeating) was only going to get worse and I couldn't see living like that for my last 20 or so years on Earth; and 2) recognizing that no other eating plan was likely to be a better bet in the long run. That is, I felt I had no real options but to keep miserably overeating or commit to No S. I feel very lucky that the 3-meal plan was so pleasurable for so long. And I"m sure some version of it will be again.

So, could you keep eating the way you have been? Could you follow a strict diet for years? could you count calories indefinitely? If none of this, this is a very good bet.

Thanks for all the replies!