The data doesn't lie!

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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LadyFartFace
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2018 5:41 pm

The data doesn't lie!

Post by LadyFartFace » Sun Apr 19, 2020 2:14 am

Hello everyone!

I have tried and failed at NO S roughly 3-4 times in the past 5 ish years I have heard about it. I always get scared that I won't lose any weight without calorie counting.

So, looking to my data. I have added all my calorie totals for 14 days, subtract them from my tdee x 14 days. Then I divided that number by 3500 (the amount of calories in one pound.) My data shows that I should have lost 1 pound each week for a total of 2 lbs. Which was accurate as that is what I lost.

Now this time I subtracted all of the snacks from my daily totals. Then I added those totals for 14 days and subtracted them from my tdee x 14 days. Then I divided this number by 3500. The total was 5.3 pounds or a little more than 2 pounds a week!

Now this total isn't including the S days. But I only subtracted (I use lose it to track and it sets my meals up by breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks) the calories from the snack section. There were many days when I had sweets during the week that were added to my lunch totals or days I had pastries for breakfast etc.

So I figure it would even out! Either way it would at least be the equivalent of counting calories but in a more sustainable and healthy way!

I purchased the No S Diet book and blew through it! I feel like it's so simple and how can I go wrong following it! So anyway, Hello! I am so so happy I read the book and then looked at my own data! I feel so reassured and totally shocked that 2.5k calories a week for me come just come snacks! Thank you for reading! ,

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

Re: The data doesn't lie!

Post by oolala53 » Mon Apr 27, 2020 2:13 am

Welcome! How fun that there is no reason to have to talk yourself into this! But having the book is still a nice backup.
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)

cb3g
Posts: 36
Joined: Tue Oct 22, 2019 11:43 pm

Re: The data doesn't lie!

Post by cb3g » Mon Apr 27, 2020 6:04 pm

Welcome!

One thing that I think is important to note - you aren't guaranteed to lose weight doing the No S Diet. If you are like most people, you probably will. But you may or may not be like most people.

Do you tend to snack between meals? Do you tend to eat mindlessly while doing other things (TV, work, etc)? Do you regularly eat seconds because they are delicious? Do you have sweets on a daily/near daily basis? Do you have more than a couple of pounds to lose? If this is you, you will most likely lose weight on the No S Diet, because these tricks alone will lower your total caloric intake. If you can follow the No S Diet consistently (still tricky, but more sustainable than many other options) you will likely feel that you've found a way to maintain a healthy weight that is also mentally healthy and sustainable.

However, if you are someone who already has a dialed in diet, or who already successfully follows a more restrictive diet (CICO, macros, paleo, whatever), or who has very little weight to lose (or is maybe trying to be at a lower weight than would be considered strictly healthy/natural for your body) No S isn't guarantee to lose weight. At the end of the day, weight loss is basically governed by calories in/calories out, and it's still possible to increase your overall caloric load with No S, especially if your baseline was already low total intake.

If you've already got a dialed in way of losing/maintaining an ideal weight, then I think you need to ask yourself why you are looking at another method. Probably sustainability/mental health, right? It could benefit you if you are trying to transition to maintaining a healthy weight with a less restrictive mindset.

My basic advice - don't be scared that you won't lose weight. If you haven't found a method that works for you, then you don't really have anything to lose by trying it out (it doesn't cost you anything to stop snacking...actually you'll probably save money). If you do have something that already works for you, then you need to ask yourself why you are looking to make a change.

LadyFartFace
Posts: 10
Joined: Thu Sep 27, 2018 5:41 pm

Re: The data doesn't lie!

Post by LadyFartFace » Mon Apr 27, 2020 8:48 pm

cb3g wrote:
Mon Apr 27, 2020 6:04 pm
Welcome!

One thing that I think is important to note - you aren't guaranteed to lose weight doing the No S Diet. If you are like most people, you probably will. But you may or may not be like most people.

Do you tend to snack between meals? Do you tend to eat mindlessly while doing other things (TV, work, etc)? Do you regularly eat seconds because they are delicious? Do you have sweets on a daily/near daily basis? Do you have more than a couple of pounds to lose? If this is you, you will most likely lose weight on the No S Diet, because these tricks alone will lower your total caloric intake. If you can follow the No S Diet consistently (still tricky, but more sustainable than many other options) you will likely feel that you've found a way to maintain a healthy weight that is also mentally healthy and sustainable.

However, if you are someone who already has a dialed in diet, or who already successfully follows a more restrictive diet (CICO, macros, paleo, whatever), or who has very little weight to lose (or is maybe trying to be at a lower weight than would be considered strictly healthy/natural for your body) No S isn't guarantee to lose weight. At the end of the day, weight loss is basically governed by calories in/calories out, and it's still possible to increase your overall caloric load with No S, especially if your baseline was already low total intake.

If you've already got a dialed in way of losing/maintaining an ideal weight, then I think you need to ask yourself why you are looking at another method. Probably sustainability/mental health, right? It could benefit you if you are trying to transition to maintaining a healthy weight with a less restrictive mindset.

My basic advice - don't be scared that you won't lose weight. If you haven't found a method that works for you, then you don't really have anything to lose by trying it out (it doesn't cost you anything to stop snacking...actually you'll probably save money). If you do have something that already works for you, then you need to ask yourself why you are looking to make a change.
CICO in terms of calorie counting is actually my down fall. If I know I only have x calories I tend to fill up on junk foods and I snack a lot and then end up very hungry at dinner and go on. When I don't count calories I tend to still snack and eat junk foods but I eat a lot more veg and fruits since I do t have to worry about "wasting calories" on them.

The other issue I have with calorie counting is for me it wasn't sustainable. Between not wanting my kids to view food as numbers nor being able to do it without obsessing and trying to eat the max amount I can. I just can't stick with that for life.

Everytime I have done the No S Diet, I have lost a good amount of weight usually 5-6 lbs a month which is so good! But with calorie counting I could possibly lose 8+ lbs so that difference of 3 or so lbs puts me off. I get obsessed with numbers and timelines. I haven't actually learned to chnage any habits. I diet until I don't. I have lost over 100 lbs to regain because I didnt really change a thing.

All diets work temporarily by creating a deficit. By my numbers my excess of calories comes from snacks and junk foods. By limiting those to 2 days it for sure brings about weight loss for me. My favorite thing though is just like he says in the book, it becomes a lot easier to see excess on your plate.

Recently my mom, sister and I all had the same dinner without planning it. We shared pictures of our plates on our group chat. My mom is top of her BMI range and my sister is low end of her BMI. I am 155lbs away from the top end of my BMI. What I noticed was, while I was technically with in my calories, my portions were huge compared to them. We all had the same sized pork chop, but I had 2 good sized potatoes with a lot of butter,a big salad with cheese and ranch. My mom had one smaller potato and some veg. My sister had a small amount of stuffing and 1/3 of the salad I had, she also made rice but declined it.

So even though I was eating a reduced amount I still was eating to excess but it was allowed because I was in my calorie range. I want to actively target the excess I have grown used to. :)

Thank you for your reply.

GabbyGirl2
Posts: 107
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2020 11:37 am

Re: The data doesn't lie!

Post by GabbyGirl2 » Sat Aug 22, 2020 3:57 pm

Lady (I can't get myself to type Fart - oops!) - you lost 100 pounds - WOW! What an accomplishment! That's amazing. I've lost 3 pounds after being on No S for a little over two weeks. I want to lose about 25. I know that weight loss isn't really as important as changing habits but I can't help myself. I am obsessed with the scale. Someone suggested that I throw away the scale and maybe get weighed again in six months. I haven't brought myself to that place yet. I can't imagine all that calculating calories, but what works for one doesn't work for another. I have no idea what my calorie counts are. I wish you the very best of luck in your future endeavors!

healthyskillz
Posts: 70
Joined: Wed Aug 09, 2017 9:24 pm
Location: Netherlands

Re: The data doesn't lie!

Post by healthyskillz » Tue Aug 25, 2020 6:46 pm

I used food to deal with every little stressor in my life for about 15 years. I binged but was never overweight. Some would say I was lucky but I felt deeply ashamed; it was like this huge secret hovering over my head. I started No S for sanity bc I knew I couldn't keep on going like I was, something would break. Just being able to be normal around food is worth so much!
"Not giving up = winning!" // healthyskillz.tumblr.com
F/30-ish. BED recovered. Mod: pre-dinner fruit.

GabbyGirl2
Posts: 107
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2020 11:37 am

Re: The data doesn't lie!

Post by GabbyGirl2 » Wed Aug 26, 2020 6:19 pm

Hi, heathyskillz - I'm so sorry you went thru all that for so many years. Did you purge, too? I only ask because you said you were never overweight. If this question is too personal, don't answer.

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