Maintenance

[Remy]

Regarding maintenance (or what to do when you're not on a diet). I have realized after doing No-S for about 5 weeks now that there is no "after the diet" phase. Since this phase has always been my undoing I am so happy to just be able to do this (No-S) forever.

In the past I have been extremely good at doing diets. I lose the weight, get to where I am happy and then get lost as to what to do next, so go back to all the old bad habits and put the weight back on. I realize this is a common problem and is why the yo-yo diet syndrome was named. However, it is now my understanding that doing something not normal (a specific diet, or in my case numerous restrictive diets) means you end up with no idea on how to just eat like a normal healthy weight person.

This has been a breakthrough for me. Doing the No-S diet I have unconsciously been practicing a "maintenance" style of eating and I can just keep doing it - all the time! I have lost some weight (haven't weighed but clothes are looser) but more importantly I have been setting up this great lifelong habit. What a relief!

I know it is probably obvious but it has been a real "Ah hah" moment for me.

The other interesting thing for me is that I have been traveling for the last three weeks with my husband and child. My husband is working and my daughter and I are tagging along. We have another two months to go and will be going to a number of different states and overseas as well. I could have given up the No-S diet or counted it all as S days but I have just continued on. My modification because of the different styles of accommodation and cooking facilities is to just have 2 S days a week although they may not fall on Saturday and Sunday. I know it is outside the rules but it has worked for me. As I said earlier I have lost weight. I have not binged nor felt like it. Some of my S days have included just one bit of cake besides my three meals but I haven't felt deprived.

This has been a huge turning point in my life. I now feel at 50yo that I have grown up and can eat normally without the constant obsession with food.

[BrightAngel]

Regarding maintenance (or what to do when you're not on a diet). I have realized after doing No-S for about 5 weeks now that there is no "after the diet" phase.

Excellent point, Remy.
In Truth, there is no "after the diet" phase in any kind of diet.
No S has built-in maintenance,
but it is still the amount of calories in and calories out that determines weight.

During my 2 1/2 years of Maintenance, I have learned that for the
"formerly fat",
maintenance primarily means continuing to gain and lose the same few pounds over and over.
My actual choice is to "maintain" at my current goal weight;
or to "maintain" at 190 lbs, or at 270 lbs or higher.

I know from my weight history, that if I gave up trying to control my food intake,
there is no limit to how high my weight could go,
and eventually, I would need to "put on the brakes".
Then I could work to maintain that high weight,
by gaining and losing the same few pounds over and over,
or lose weight down to my goal, and then work to maintain my perfect weight,
by gaining and losing the same few pounds over and over.

The dream of staying the same weight always, without effort,
is just that. . . . a dream, i.e. a fantasy.
. . . . . . .Even with No S.

[kccc]

Great post, Remy!

It really is an "Aha! moment" to realize that this works, and you CAN maintain with relatively little effort once you internalize the basic pattern. And it's a pattern that's flexible enough to live with under a variety of circumstances...

Good for you! You sound so happy, and I'm happy for you.

[blueskighs]

This has been a huge turning point in my life. I now feel at 50yo that I have grown up and can eat normally without the constant obsession with food.

Remy,

thank you for sharing your beautiful post.
i am having such AHA moments with NO S as well, to be able to go about and enjoy living and eating without counting calores and being obsessive about what I eat is truly BLISSFUL,

Blueskighs