Get Easier/Automatic?

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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RobinM
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2017 9:00 pm

Get Easier/Automatic?

Post by RobinM » Thu Jun 11, 2020 5:29 pm

So, those of you who have been following this system for a while, does it really get progressively easier and become largely unconscious and automatic?

gingerpie
Posts: 1031
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 8:16 pm
Location: Pennsylvania, US

Re: Get Easier/Automatic?

Post by gingerpie » Thu Jun 11, 2020 6:31 pm

Easier? Yes. Automatic? Not really. Unconscious? Never. But what about preparing/eating food is automatic or unconscious? You have to plan, buy, organize, prep, cook and clean up every bite that goes into your mouth. Nothing about that is automatic regardless of the eating plan you choose to follow. Yes, it gets easier to make the choice not to stuff yourself at every opportunity but again, it's a choice. The same way, brushing your teeth is a choice. Is it automatic to brush your teeth or do you follow through with a routine in order to accomplish the task? I suspect you have a routine, a set of steps that you follow. Not hard steps and steps that you have taken so often that they seem automatic. But they aren't. They are steps that you decided were important enough to practice over and over until you became really good at them. So, this is my guess: at some point you think, "I'm going to go brush my teeth now."- and you do. It's a conscious thought and deliberate decision. The same can be said of choosing when and how much to eat. It's a set of steps that take much practice to master but will eventually become easier to follow.

Kind regards and best of luck to you,

Soprano
Posts: 1184
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2018 8:56 pm
Location: UK

Re: Get Easier/Automatic?

Post by Soprano » Sun Jun 14, 2020 2:28 pm

Which elements are you hoping will get easier?

Not snacking has definitely been easier over time, it is rare I have a snack unless I am genuinely hungry and a while a way from a meal. Though on holidays and celebrations I do.

Not eating sweet stuff I don't even think about anymore as I made a conscious decision to reduce carbs for health reasons and they don't fit with that lifestyle. It doesn't mean I don't eat them from time to time but it is rare even on a weekend. I just don't see them as a treat anymore.

Seconds again, I rarely have but that is because by now I know how much I need to satisfy me but if I'm genuinely hungry I might have a little extra.

It has taken a while to get to this point and I don't doubt at some point in the future I may slip into old habits especially if I get particularly stressed about something. But I now know the road out and give myself grace until I'm ready to follow it again.

So yes it does get easier and to an extent is automatic. However I don't think it was just NoS that go me to this point.

Jx
Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.

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

Re: Get Easier/Automatic?

Post by automatedeating » Sun Jun 14, 2020 3:33 pm

I joined NoS with this username because I was seeking this goal!

First of all, I have to separate out "normal times" from "gone crazy off the rails" times, which seems to happen at least three times a year (or more? - I should go back and check). Anxiety and depression due to life circumstances invariably are my triggers for seeking out junk food. During those times, processed junk food is clearly used by me as an emotional coping mechanism. I had this happen in January, for about 4 weeks (after getting a new puppy), then again more recently for about 1 week. That one I pulled out of faster. But I just wanted to preface my answer by being honest that I'm far from 100% compliant.

During the long periods of compliance, things are definitely automatic and mostly unconscious. From time to time, I'll consider giving in but usually don't. Long months pass like that and very little "willpower" is required during those times.

After falling off the wagon, I usually keep posting here and just ride the wave of emotional overload. I try to remind myself I'm doing the best I can and that I'll get back on my feet again. I have fits and starts - and then suddenly things are OK again. I literally am JUST coming out of such a time (a week or two?) of junk food eating, but rather quickly the ship righted itself and I'm OK again.

The greatest amount of willpower is necessary to get back on the wagon/in the boat. That's always where I feel like I'm in the water, trying to pull myself up into a boat, but not sure my arms have the strength or that I can do it.
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
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Re: Get Easier/Automatic?

Post by oolala53 » Sun Jun 21, 2020 3:04 am

Robin, I am over ten years in and I am very sure that after four decades of grappling with my eating before that, there was nothing else out there that I was willing to try that could have tamed me the way No S has. I still marvel that I can walk down a candy or cookie aisle at a supermarket- for some years I tried to make sure I didn't go down them unless I was looking specifically for an S day sweet- and not feel even a twinge. I am still grateful that when I leave the house (not so much these COVID19 days, but normally), I'm not worrying about whether I have a snack with me. I do sometimes want food at the wrong times, and I can sometimes feel bitter over that, but once again, could anything else have kept me from ever feeling that, month after month, year after year? You will find advocates of all kinds of eating who do find it easy for the long run, but compared to the number of people who TRY those styles, the number after 5 years or more is still very small.

I suspect these answers aren't inspiring much confidence. I also suspect they are not getting across how the effort it takes to comply is not even approaching the suffering associated with traditional dieting. I doubt very much people are thinking, "This is so terrible! I CAN'T/SHOULDN'T have a snack/sweet/second. It's really unfair to have to limit myself. I'm so deprived! How can I really enjoy life living in this prison?"

It can be hard to say what automaticity is. Does it mean you really never think about a behavior or that you never feel a desire for something else? I think in our society, it's very hard not to have to put a tiny bit of oomph into food choices because we are confronted with food options so much of the time, and those can sometimes live in our minds even when the food isn't there.

I can tell you that what I think becomes pretty close to automatic is having the default be ignoring the whim or offer to eat. This happens when you truly believe that it really is your best option to stick to meals and you recognize the pleasure you still get to have when you do have those meals because you have done it over and over. You are giving up something but also getting something! No matter what method you choose to reduce your eating, it's likely to have some sense of sacrifice involved-no matter how many promises of how this and that in the diet will keep you from wanting more. It will also need to have some payoffs that you recognize and value. The balance of those two will determine if you keep up the new behavior or not.
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

Re: Get Easier/Automatic?

Post by automatedeating » Sun Jun 21, 2020 3:18 pm

I also suspect they are not getting across how the effort it takes to comply is not even approaching the suffering associated with traditional dieting.
YES!
I suspect these answers aren't inspiring much confidence.
My favorite thing about NoS and this forum is how we are all honest about our struggles. NoS is so simple that it doesn't have that magic "perfect cure" that perhaps other diets try to sell. Moderation isn't sexy, I guess. :-)
I think in our society, it's very hard not to have to put a tiny bit of oomph into food choices because we are confronted with food options so much of the time
Preach it, Sister!
I can tell you that what I think becomes pretty close to automatic is having the default be ignoring the whim or offer to eat.

Excellent definition.
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

alene1
Posts: 533
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2009 1:06 am
Location: Washington state

Re: Get Easier/Automatic?

Post by alene1 » Thu Jun 25, 2020 4:08 pm

What a wonderful group of wise posts here! These are gold. Thanks all. :)

RobinM
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2017 9:00 pm

Re: Get Easier/Automatic?

Post by RobinM » Wed Jul 01, 2020 3:46 pm

These answers actually are inspiring confidence in me! Right now it's still taking a fair amount of conscious attention to redirect myself when I want to snack on N days or eat seconds. All I want is for that part to get a little more automatic, and it sounds like it will. Thanks!

ladybird30
Posts: 1118
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 10:41 pm

Re: Get Easier/Automatic?

Post by ladybird30 » Sun Sep 20, 2020 1:17 am

I don't know about automatic, but it has got easier.

After lockdown started earlier this year, I put on a couple of pounds after some unwise eating of more energy dense foods than I usually do. But in contrast to pre No S days, I quickly stopped that when I realised I was putting on weight. I have lost those extra pounds and a couple of more.

The other day I had a food I don't usually eat for lunch, and was struck by food cravings a little while after my meal.
I had to tell myself repeatedly that I wasn't hungry, so I wasn't going to eat. After a while the cravings subsided, then as the afternoon wore on mild, genuine hunger kicked in. I felt a feeling of relief, and was able to wait for my evening meal
as usual.

It has taken a lot of practice to get to this point, but it has been well worth it.
Three meals a day - not too little not too much, but just right

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

Re: Get Easier/Automatic?

Post by oolala53 » Mon Sep 21, 2020 4:12 am

Out of curiosity, ladybird, was the short period of time feeling some cravings worth it? I know on my other site, there are people who are willing to give up a lot so they will never have a craving. I was willing for years to navigate them because I just couldn't accept the image of myself as "having" to abstain. And I can never keep track well enough to make connections to previous foods. I often doubt my conclusions anyway. But I can want to keep eating a lot of foods, or just food.
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)

ladybird30
Posts: 1118
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 10:41 pm

Re: Get Easier/Automatic?

Post by ladybird30 » Thu Sep 24, 2020 2:04 am

No Oolala, it wasn't worth it, and it will be a while before I eat that particular food again.
I am not sure if it is an innate quality of the food, or just that I have developed an association with
overeating it which was triggered.

It is not a food I can eat everyday anyway, as it doesn't agree with my body to do that. Otherwise,
I might try to extinguish the brain pattern simply by including moderate quantities with my meals
daily.

I have learnt that putting labels on myself just makes life harder, so I try not to do it.
Three meals a day - not too little not too much, but just right

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