Been lurking, have book, been NoSing for 3 days, 1st post...

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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Nay
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Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2008 10:19 pm

Been lurking, have book, been NoSing for 3 days, 1st post...

Post by Nay » Wed Mar 26, 2008 10:51 pm

Thanks, Reinhard, for your hard work. Like many others here, I have been seduced by various quick wt loss diets, and by "sensible" diets (WW in particular). I have lost weight on all of them, but in the middle of my progress I would get so insane about food that I would binge. Counting calories or points WORKED for me, but good god, I would eat my points for the day and still be hungry! And then I'd snack!

A year or so ago I read the Pollan book and the "French Women Don't Get Fat" book. Both had excellent points, esp about eating real food only, eating at mealtime only, etc. But it never really coalesced into a plan I could envision myself following until I found this web site, entirely by accident. I was looking for an exercise program, somehow got to Shovelglove, and found No S that way.

Now, why couldn't I think of just eating one plate of food at each meal?? It's so simple and easy!

Some observations on myself: WW worked for me, but it felt like a prison, as do diets that restrict certain food categories like Atkins. (After 2 weeks on South Beach, I would have killed for a piece of bread.) I don't know why "3 plates" is not a prison and "24 points" is, but that's the way it is.

I have also read books that advise you to listen to your body, feed it when it's hungry, only eat what you really want at that moment, etc. It sounds good at first, but when I tried that I realized I did not want my waking life to revolve around food. That sounds funny, since I love food and have eaten way too much of it, but I came to the realization that I wanted to be LESS interested in food, not MORE interested. I wanted it to have a normal place in my life -- I did not want my daily activities decided by what my appetite, stomach and emotions wanted to eat, and I did not want to carry food around in a bag in case I got hungry and wanted to feed myself. I'm not a horse with an oats bag tied around my head. So that whole approach was out.

Now, I cannot report any weight loss progress because I have not been doing this long enough. But I can say that it has been easy to eat my 3 plates a day, not snack, not take seconds, and save my sweets for the weekend. I am eating enough so that I am slightly hungry before each meal, and slightly hungry before going to bed. I think that's good. I also walk for exercise 3 - 5 days a week, for 45 minutes at a time.

Reinhard, I bought your book because I wanted to support you personally; heaven knows your site explains everything just fine!

I have about 45 pounds to lose. I'll be reporting any loss/gain every 2 weeks or so -- I know this isn't the quickest way. But I am tired of the war with food, and I'm too damn old to keep on being in these chains.

By the way, I bought your book in a Barnes and Noble. There were 3 copies, prominently displayed. Now there are only 2 copies!

kccc
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Post by kccc » Thu Mar 27, 2008 1:15 am

I'm a WW refugee too. I did lose on it - at the cost of a LOT of effort and attention - but I can't maintain on it. I just can't sustain that level of detail long-term. And I was always bargaining with myself... "If I don't eat this, I can have that... I can have this now, and give that up later..." Often, they were bargains I couldn't keep, which undermined self-trust.

And I totally agree that this is just saner - you capture it beautifully.

Welcome, Nay.

Nay
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2008 10:19 pm

Yes, the bargaining was awful.

Post by Nay » Thu Mar 27, 2008 1:27 am

It focused my attention on food too much. If I have this cookie, I have to cut dinner in half--etc., etc. Arrggh! Awful! Some people hated counting points but I didn't mind that -- I just realized that points put me in a frame of mind that destroyed any possibility of a normal relationship with food. Like I said, I didn't want to FOOL with food, I don't want it to be the thing I think about all day.

Thanks for your support!

kccc
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Post by kccc » Thu Mar 27, 2008 1:43 am

I'm not sure if I think about food more or less... I know I think about it differently.

For example, I truly love to bake. And I used not to "allow" myself to do so, because I didn't "need" cookies or cake or whatever. Now, I bake on weekends. Sometimes I eat a lot, sometimes not very much... but I enjoy baking. And that's a gift.

I also enjoy good food, and it's nice to be able to eat it without dissecting it.

At the same time, I don't ANGST over food the way I used to. I don't feel guilty about it. I just eat it. Some days it's a treat, some days it's just fuel. And either way, it's okay. It's not a source of anxiety, and that's all that matters.

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Mavilu
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Post by Mavilu » Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:10 am

KCCC wrote: For example, I truly love to bake. And I used not to "allow" myself to do so, because I didn't "need" cookies or cake or whatever. Now, I bake on weekends. Sometimes I eat a lot, sometimes not very much... but I enjoy baking. And that's a gift.
That's one of the things that make me so happy to have found NoS!.
I love baking too, but I was starting to think that it wasn't a hobby, rather it was a curse and I felt horribly guilty and conscious about the ingredients (sugar, butter, eek!).
When I baked dessert this last saturday, I didn't even give a thought about how much butter was going into it, I just enjoyed it.
Nay wrote: I just realized that points put me in a frame of mind that destroyed any possibility of a normal relationship with food. Like I said, I didn't want to FOOL with food, I don't want it to be the thing I think about all day.
This kind of thing just isn't for everyone, some of us get terribly anxious about it, I guess because there's alway a clear-cut limitation (as in how many points/calories a day/week); I used to be so scared of going over the limit!.
It's impossible to enjoy your food that way.

So how did you like the "French Women Don't Get Fat" book?, I'm intrigued but everytime I want to buy it, I get swayed by the negative reviews.

wosnes
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Post by wosnes » Thu Mar 27, 2008 10:28 am

I've read French Women Don't Get Fat as well as Mediterranean Women Stay Slim, Too and enjoyed them both. I read them both about the time I found No-S, and to me they all have much the same message.

I think there's a lot of food for thought in the books, primarily about how we Americans think about food (as a source of guilt rather than a source of pleasure) and how we go for quantity instead of quality.

I've been baking on weekends, too!
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

Nay
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Post by Nay » Thu Mar 27, 2008 10:36 am

KCCC, I love baking, too, and I plan to bake on weekends as you do. I also always felt guilty about the ingredients, but no more -- think of the crap that's in commercially-baked stuff! Now THAT junk will kill you, if you're not in France!
I find I DO think about food a whole lot less, because my mealtime encounters are now so relaxed.

Mavilu,
If you want to read "French Women Don't Get Fat" borrow it from the library. That's what I did. I did like the book, specifically for its descriptions of how the French approach food and how they revere it. But as a 'diet" book it was not anywhere near as effective as Reinhard's ideas.

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FarmerHal
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Post by FarmerHal » Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:12 pm

Welcome!
You've touched on a lot of points that I feel about noSing.

It's been very freeing for me to not think about food all day long or snack all day long and feel worthless and guilty about any morsel of food crossing my lips.

Slow and steady (weightloss) wins the race! Every plate adds up to eventual (cumulative) pounds lost. Try to be sane on your S days, although at first I had some crazy crazy S days and even now from time to time I'll go overboard. But still, today's S day "overboards" are significantly less caloric than my days pre noS.

I've dropped 22lbs and 2 dress sizes so far. All without agonizing over counting calories (I did this once for 2 years and went from 206lbs to 170lbs, but then gained it all back plus about 35 more when I stopped counting!) or having a sweet, etc. I feel much more sane, and I also feel like I'll be able to keep it off this time! As long as I stick to noS.



Look forward to your posts!
{FarmerHal} ...previously Shamrockmommy...
Vanilla NoS... Making good habits.
Restart 12/2015, size 22
3/2016 size 18
1/2018 size 18

wosnes
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Post by wosnes » Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:36 pm

Nay wrote:If you want to read "French Women Don't Get Fat" borrow it from the library. That's what I did. I did like the book, specifically for its descriptions of how the French approach food and how they revere it. But as a 'diet" book it was not anywhere near as effective as Reinhard's ideas.
A few years ago I started being frustrated by the fact that we don't seem to know how (or what) to eat unless someone tells us. What I most appreciated about French Women Don't Get Fat and Mediterranean Women Stay Slim, Too was that they weren't "diets", but examples of how others approach and think about food and eating all the while staying slim and healthy.

Prior to this I'd started reading about the Mediterranean diet. The differences between how and what they traditionally ate compared to how we were told to eat and their level of their health compared to ours started raising questions in my mind. Things just didn't add up.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

cvmom
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Post by cvmom » Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:18 pm

Hi Nay.

Welcome.

This has been an interesting thread to read. Thank you for starting it.

Two points: The thing I like about FWDGF is that she does talk about moderation. She also talks about quality of food. Having a salad made with fresh ingrediants from a garden or from a Farmer's market is just so much better then having a salad from a bag.

Also, like you, I don't want to be thinking about food all day. It's pretty boring. I have other things to do in my life. And, to sit around and wait until I'm a "1" on some hunger scale is silly. Frankly, there are some days when I'm really into food and other days when I couldn't really be bothered.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy NoS-ing!
D

wosnes
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Post by wosnes » Thu Mar 27, 2008 3:51 pm

cvmom wrote: Also, like you, I don't want to be thinking about food all day.
One of the things I read in MWSST or some other book about the Mediterranean is that those folks often do think about food all day long: when they're eating breakfast, they think about what they'll have for lunch; when they're eating lunch, they're thinking about dinner; when they're eating dinner, they're thinking about what they'll eat the next day. They're always exchanging recipes. The thinking about food is a positive, pleasurable thing, not a negative.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

kccc
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Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:12 am

Post by kccc » Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:38 am

wosnes wrote: One of the things I read in MWSST or some other book about the Mediterranean is that those folks often do think about food all day long: when they're eating breakfast, they think about what they'll have for lunch; when they're eating lunch, they're thinking about dinner; when they're eating dinner, they're thinking about what they'll eat the next day. They're always exchanging recipes. The thinking about food is a positive, pleasurable thing, not a negative.
Yes, that's what I meant about thinking about food "differently." I'm notI sure I think less, but I certainly think more pleasurably - and with far less guilt!!

Dawn
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Post by Dawn » Fri Mar 28, 2008 5:25 pm

Food isn't the enemy, we are! Practically every enjoyable thing has a down side. 7 weeks into this I am really seeing the down side to thinking about food disappear (the guilt, the negotiating etc). I find it wasn't that I thought of food, but how I thought of it. It's like in the old days when girls were taught that sex was dirty and bad - what a buzz kill huh? Boy, the longer I do this, the more I discover about myself!
Dawn

cvmom
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Post by cvmom » Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:09 am

Dawn wrote: Boy, the longer I do this, the more I discover about myself!
Very True. I have had the same revelation.

I never think of food as the enemy, I just get annoyed when I have to plan meals for my family because they are all so picky! One only eats chicken and fish, one eats hardly anything and one expects a hearty meal every night. So, that's why I get so annoyed thinking about food! LOL :lol: But, I still want to try the granola recipe....

CVmom

Jesseco
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Post by Jesseco » Sat Mar 29, 2008 1:41 am

cvmom, I have the same problem with cooking for my family. I like to eat healthfully and simply (except when I want sweets). My husband likes a "traditional American" meal, although he's diabetic and what he wants isn't good for him. Son #1 likes exotic and gourmet food. Son #2 likes a LOT of food, mostly Americana. And son #3 ONLY likes chicken nuggets and skittles. Luckily, my husband helps me grocery shop; it's too much to remember everyones' likes and dislikes. And it helps that sons 2 and 3 are away at college for now!

cvmom
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Post by cvmom » Sat Mar 29, 2008 2:40 am

Jessco

LOL -especially about your Son #3. My son #2 has three options for dinner: plain rice sushi with broccoli, spaghetti with tomato sauce and broccoli and cheese pizza (and only cheese pizza from selected restaurants and only one frozen brand) and broccoli. So I usually rotate those.
I can't believe he is still growing...

Jesseco
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Post by Jesseco » Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:26 pm

cvmom--at least your son likes broccoli and tomato sauce (he's getting antioxidants and lycopene)!!!

tommi
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Post by tommi » Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:35 pm

Jesseco wrote: My husband likes a "traditional American" meal
Since i'm very interested in foods around the world, what's a traditional American meal like? All i know (from tv and movies) is that it should be high protein food (eggs, meat) and soups, is this correct?

TIA
we do what we want because we can

Jesseco
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Post by Jesseco » Sat Mar 29, 2008 12:46 pm

tommi, I was thinking of meatloaf, mashed potatoes with gravy, and lima beans! That was a common meal for both my husband and myself when we were growing up in the 1960s and 1970s, and it is "comfort food" for us now. Of course, the potatoes and limas are "high-carb", which does not help with my husband's diabetes.

I think traditional American would include something high protein (meat dish), and then some vegetables and bread (but my husband doesn't really care for bread). And don't forget dessert!

My husband's mother was somewhat of a Southern cook--meaning that you use fat (she loved butter) and sugar a lot in cooking. Probably some "real" southern cooks wouldn't agree with that "definition", but hey, I'm in Maryland!

Also, I think there would be differences in definition of "traditional American" if you compare socioeconomic levels. We're from "middle class", but more affluent Americans might have soup as a first course. Although we eat a lot of soup now (for a light meal)!

joasia
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Post by joasia » Sat Mar 29, 2008 4:16 pm

I did ww for a year and lost 50 pounds. Gained it all back plus some. and some more. WW works great, but it is VERY difficult to stick with. For starters, there is no way to know the points in food unless you eat everything at home and measure. That leaves out restaurants, work lunches, vacations, friends' homes, holidays, etc. It drove me crazy and when I went off the plan I ate like a crazed pig. The calorie restriction is big, 24 points is not much food. I thought about food and diet constantly. Finally, it made me eat a lot of fast food while avoiding good food. It went like this "I will have McDonald's because I can figure out the points, where as I don't know how many points the lemon chicken and rice have". When obviously the latter would be healthier and tastier.
The destiny of nations depends on the manner in which they feed themselves. Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

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