Everyday Systems

I am considering all these struggles to be positive things. I think I am working this all out in mind. It seems I slip up everytime I try to add rules to No S. Whenever I do that, the simplicity of the program and the lack of guilt flies out the window and so do my habits.

No S in and of itself works. I've only done it successfully for one week, and I was so happy during those 7 days that it inspired me to write the post about how it was almost spiritual.

I've since had several starts and stops. First I tried to do three meals extremely low fat, then I tried extremely low carb, and then linking and balancing a percentage of carbs with fat and protein. I don't know why I never learn. But I can't do that. I never have been able to. It drives me insane.

So today, 05/09/08, I am back on the band wagon. No S works. It is simple. It does not drive you nuts. It is livable. It does not require special shopping or abstinence other than for snacking and sweets, and even then I can eat them on the weekends.

Okay everyone -- here goes -- I am taking Reinhard at his word that it takes multiple starts to get going and form a habit.

Welcome back, LauraAnn and hope that this time it clicks for you. Hang in there and try not to "mess" with the idea of the 3 meals. Just eat what your body says it wants. That is what I have been doing and it is working for me....just completed my first month and am down 8 lbs. And it has been totally stressless!!! First time I can say that about any plan I have been on. Good luck to you.

Here's what works for me: at each meal, I eat low fat/healthy if I don't have a real strong craving for something else. After a few "healthy" meals, my body may start wanting something richer, so I have a nice, hearty meal with anything I really want, and then I'm satisfied. The same goes for weekends - I don't eat a dessert or snack unless I genuinely want it.

In the past, I ate low fat at EVERY meal, and then I would begin to feel like I was starving. Then, I would break down and eat a rich meal. However, in that mindset, the rich meal was "breaking" the diet, so then I'd feel like a total failure and completely give up. Now, the rich meal is not a failure. It just provides some much needed balance.

For example, right now I am starving and looking forward to having a hearty lunch, b/c yesterday I ate pretty low fat all day. Can't wait...mmmm...french fries...

LauraAnn wrote:First I tried to do three meals extremely low fat,
then I tried extremely low carb,
and then linking and balancing a percentage of carbs with fat and protein.
I don't know why I never learn.
But I can't do that.
I never have been able to.
It drives me insane.

Okay everyone -- here goes -- I am taking Reinhard at his word that it takes multiple starts to get going and form a habit.

LauraAnn,
I know just how you feel.

But I'm hoping.....in the case of No S....
that I can do something I've never been able to do before...
3 meals a day, no snacking.
Success at THAT, for me, would be a miracle.

MissyMoo wrote:Here's what works for me:
at each meal, I eat low fat/healthy
if I don't have a real strong craving for something else.

MissyMoo,
That sounds to me like what you are doing what Reinhard calls:
"intelligent default".
That's similiar to what I've been trying.

WOW you guys are great! Thanks for all the quick replies. I cannot tell you how already I feel such a profound sense of relief to "be back home". This is what I know I can live with. I just have to let go of the diet mindset. I am guessing this is what most of us struggle with.

Welcome back, LauraAnn. I agree with you about the diet mindset; it doesn't work for me, either. I posted a few minutes ago that I love my No S lunches, now that they aren't diet meals. I would get so hungry that I would allow myself to eat whatever I wanted, think that I had blown another diet day, then hate myself. Now I treat myself to beautiful, healthy sandwiches on multigrain bread and love lunch. It is great that you have recommitted yourself on a Friday, because you will have three successful days going into next week.

Welcome back LauraAnn! I'm sure this time you'll do even better!

Where in Austin do you live? I work in Austin.

f

Hi f.... I live just south of Austin in Hays County. Moved out here because of the great schools for my son. He loved growing up here. Had the best of both worlds. Small town where you knew tons of people and only 30 minutes into Austin to UT football and basketball and all the neat things Austin has to offer. Love, love, love the Austin area. Where do you live?

Flipturn --- I love what you said about recommiting on Friday and able to have successful days under my belt by Monday. I actually had been thinking about skipping the S days this week since they are tomorrow and Sunday, but that's my "diet mentality" rearing it's ugly head. I will do the plan as written. Besides Sunday is Mother's Day and I want to be able to enjoy a nice Mother's Day lunch without guilt. So today a no S day and tomorrow and Sunday S days and then Monday back to No S as written. Sometimes I think it's so simple we can't possibly believe it could ever work, so we try and complicate it with extra rules and punishment (like no S days this week).

welcome back!

I've lost 5lbs and I still can't believe it works! today my hypochondria self started thinking maybe i have a disease that's causing me to lose weight ...


'you have to laugh at yourself sometimes, you'd cry your eyes out if you didn't' - Amy Ray, The Indigo Girls

Blamey -- I cracked up laughing when I read this. We must be related. I always think things like that too.

Oh Blamey that reminds me of my Dad. He was alwyas a hefty man and one day he decided to cut out his favourite breakfast of fried cheese ( a whole frying pan filled with cheese and fried, served over fried bread with a side plate of bacon) because it was making him feel a little nauseous every morning. Three weeks later he was at his doctor, terriifed he had somehow got TB because he lost weght so rapidly

LauraAnn

Good for you. It took me 2 1/2 years to figure out that whenever I tweak No S is when I stop loosing.

It took me this long to realise that eating on a daily basis does not have to be a war or even a battle. We can just eat 3 times a day and be happy and satisfied and have SO much more time to do things.

Welcome to 'vanilla' No S land.

Laura Ann,

I'm bringing this back to the top. When I read your post today about breakfast and the Texas heat, I totally empathized since I lived there most of my life. And I have a ham sandwich most days, especially during the school year.

But if I'm reading your signature correctly, you have lost over twenty pounds on No S since April of last year, near the time I started too and something clicked in my head about something you said last year about having to restart and also about tweaking and remembering to eat real food and get out of the "diet" food/good food/bad food mentality. So I searched and found this thread and thought it would be timely to bring back up.

Tweaking and mods seem to be on lots of people's minds these days and Reinhard even put out two podcasts on the topic. It just seems so important, at least in my case, to "truly honestly really" follow the Vanilla No S rules (and adding in movement with purpose of some sort regularly) and give them time to work before ever tweaking.

Glad to see you back on the boards! Try to stay cool!