I've got a different problem than others, but it's frustrating nonetheless. I've successfully lost weight with NoS, but I have had no luck turning it into anything remotely habitual.
I have cleaned a lot of my habits up. I drink water almost exclusively. I never eat the food that's lying around at work, even when others offer me donuts or what not. I (mostly) eat single plate servings at meals, and my food quality has increased significantly since starting. On top of that, I've lost about 12lbs. I have many good outcomes from NoS.
I have not, however, been able yet to ditch the tendency to have an after dinner snack in the evenings. I've done the glass of milk (or two) with some success before, but even with that tool, my will does not seem to hold up at this particularly difficult time for a variety of reasons. I'm at least considering canonizing one evening snack a week on Wednesdays to attempt to gain some control habit-wise, since my metabolism seems to be able to support it.
Has anyone else had a similar experience? General success with NoS (over a fairly extended period, so far) but without habit formation? Any advice? Thoughts on canonizing one evening snack per week? Will it eventually sink in if I just keep at it longer?
Losing weight, but not building habit
Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating
Sounds to me like you've developed some pretty good habits. You don't snack between meals, you eat single plate servings with improved food quality and you lost weight. If your only weakness is after dinner snacking, and you're aware of this, then it most likely a matter of time before you'll be able to eliminate this habit.
Maybe you're not eating enough at dinner? It may be as simple as that. Other than this, it appears you're doing very well.
Ray
Maybe you're not eating enough at dinner? It may be as simple as that. Other than this, it appears you're doing very well.
Ray
Start by recognizing how much success you've really already had in habit-building. 
No S isn't really one habit, it's a cluster of habits. You've got most of them down.
If this one isn't interfering with weight loss, AND if it isn't likely to "grow," then you may just want to live with it.
Or not...
When I first started No-S, I was accustomed to a mid-afternoon snack. It was the last habit I managed to change. As an interim step, I instituted a "controlled snack." I could have a fruit, a veggie, or a small list of other foods (4 oz yogurt, that kind of thing) ONLY, and then only "If I really needed it."
So maybe that kind of step would work for you. Or upping dinner. Or, as I said before, just not worrying about it as long as it doesn't become a problem. Lot of options.
No S isn't really one habit, it's a cluster of habits. You've got most of them down.
If this one isn't interfering with weight loss, AND if it isn't likely to "grow," then you may just want to live with it.
Or not...
When I first started No-S, I was accustomed to a mid-afternoon snack. It was the last habit I managed to change. As an interim step, I instituted a "controlled snack." I could have a fruit, a veggie, or a small list of other foods (4 oz yogurt, that kind of thing) ONLY, and then only "If I really needed it."
So maybe that kind of step would work for you. Or upping dinner. Or, as I said before, just not worrying about it as long as it doesn't become a problem. Lot of options.
Brandon,
Congratulation on the results! And on getting *most* of the habit down.
Since you can get results on 3 meals plus a snack, maybe consider legitimizing that after dinner snack and calling it a meal. That way you get both the results and the satisfying feeling of being in control.
If you really want to stick with 3 meals (say you find yourself plateauing on 4), then give yourself really big dinners (and keep it up with the glass of milk) for as long as it takes. But I wouldn't make yourself crazy about this unless you actually think it's a problem.
Reinhard
Congratulation on the results! And on getting *most* of the habit down.
Since you can get results on 3 meals plus a snack, maybe consider legitimizing that after dinner snack and calling it a meal. That way you get both the results and the satisfying feeling of being in control.
If you really want to stick with 3 meals (say you find yourself plateauing on 4), then give yourself really big dinners (and keep it up with the glass of milk) for as long as it takes. But I wouldn't make yourself crazy about this unless you actually think it's a problem.
Reinhard
Thanks for the encouragement Reinhard. It's good to have a reminder that it really is about what works for me individually. With my slightly obsessive perfectionist tendencies, it's all too easy to end up holding myself up to some inappropriate (for me) "perfect" standard for no other reason than that I think I should.reinhard wrote:Brandon,
Congratulation on the results! And on getting *most* of the habit down.
Since you can get results on 3 meals plus a snack, maybe consider legitimizing that after dinner snack and calling it a meal. That way you get both the results and the satisfying feeling of being in control.
If you really want to stick with 3 meals (say you find yourself plateauing on 4), then give yourself really big dinners (and keep it up with the glass of milk) for as long as it takes. But I wouldn't make yourself crazy about this unless you actually think it's a problem.
Reinhard
I would like to lose a little more (only a few pounds though), but I do need to keep in mind that I may have wiggle room instead of driving myself crazy.
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WinstonWolf
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2007 1:11 pm
Yeah.
I have been doing No-S for a couple weeks now, and I do feel better when I don't have sodas, donuts, cookies, and the like during the week.
However, I have adapted it a bit to what I have available.
Specifically... we can get fruit free at work in the mornings. So when I go get coffee (1 cup with milk) ... I grab an apple or banana. But I don't eat it then. I usually eat it around 2:30 pm or so... midway between lunch and dinner, generally. Well, at home, we often eat as late as 8 pm, but when I'm going off to classes (evening MBA currently) it's usually more like 5:30 pm or so.
So, I'll have an apple, and this past week I added a few (7, arbitrarily) almonds... just regular salted almonds.
I call that a .5 meal. So I'm doing 3.5 meals a day. It's been working - otherwise, I probably wouldn't get any fruit in at all as I don't usually have any with meals.
Otherwise, I've been pretty good most of the time about skipping snacks (not much of a snacker anyway at work; more the "playing a computer game for 3 hours at home and downing a can of pringles while doing so" type... haven't, thankfully, done THAT in a couple months!)... sweets... and seconds. Bigger plates, but that's okay... I've been mostly filling in at home with more veggies, at least for dinner.
Baby carrots are very much my friend(s?).
I do kinda miss the incredibly good desserts at work, but ... I do want to lose weight.
215 as of this morning at 5'7". Target is 170 lbs. I did go from 195 to 165 a few years ago... then back to 195... then 205... then 215-220...
Anyway, just wanted to share.
I have been doing No-S for a couple weeks now, and I do feel better when I don't have sodas, donuts, cookies, and the like during the week.
However, I have adapted it a bit to what I have available.
Specifically... we can get fruit free at work in the mornings. So when I go get coffee (1 cup with milk) ... I grab an apple or banana. But I don't eat it then. I usually eat it around 2:30 pm or so... midway between lunch and dinner, generally. Well, at home, we often eat as late as 8 pm, but when I'm going off to classes (evening MBA currently) it's usually more like 5:30 pm or so.
So, I'll have an apple, and this past week I added a few (7, arbitrarily) almonds... just regular salted almonds.
I call that a .5 meal. So I'm doing 3.5 meals a day. It's been working - otherwise, I probably wouldn't get any fruit in at all as I don't usually have any with meals.
Otherwise, I've been pretty good most of the time about skipping snacks (not much of a snacker anyway at work; more the "playing a computer game for 3 hours at home and downing a can of pringles while doing so" type... haven't, thankfully, done THAT in a couple months!)... sweets... and seconds. Bigger plates, but that's okay... I've been mostly filling in at home with more veggies, at least for dinner.
Baby carrots are very much my friend(s?).
I do kinda miss the incredibly good desserts at work, but ... I do want to lose weight.
215 as of this morning at 5'7". Target is 170 lbs. I did go from 195 to 165 a few years ago... then back to 195... then 205... then 215-220...
Anyway, just wanted to share.