A friend of mine said about this diet, "Boy, if I fail at this it'll be pretty embarrassing. I'll have to say, 'I tried not being a glutton, but oh well, it just wasn't me!'"
Which got me wondering... here on the boards are all the people who are currently trying out the NoS Diet, and a lot of people who are doing quite well with it.
Has there been any serious criticism of it?
Do people who tried it and decided it wasn't a good idea, or they couldn't stick with it, ever write and give feedback?
Just wondering.
Question: Does Reinhard ever hear from NoS quitters?
Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating
-
phosphorus
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 5:32 pm
- Location: Minnesota
Hello,
your friend is right, and I agree. If a person cannot follow even the no s principles, then that person will probably not be able to follow any other plan / or lose weight. Everything requieres AT LEAST a little bit of willpower, but if this *small* requierement is not met, failure will come.
I've met some people where I live who asked me how I lost weight and keep fit, and I tell them about nosdiet and shovelglove. Initially they say "oh it is so easy wow" etc. etc. but after a few days when I meet them again, the tell me they haven't started doing it!
I believe that it is mainly a mental block, people thinks it looks very very simple but then for some bizarre reason, they say "I better keep doing what I was doing... I'm too lazy even for that". It's a shame...
In my experience, most of the people interested in this diet to whom I explained it, din't even bother to try it. What I've learned then is that many people are too lazy to do something for themselves, unless they're motivated by other reasons like being pushed / offered money / or a big publicity phenomenom. Example: there's a popular radio show here in the mornings, and they have a section about weight loss paid by a "lose lots of pounds in a few days" clinic. The testimonies are huge: 40, 50 or more pounds in one or two months. And the price is very very high. But what they basically do is put you on a very restricted calorie diet, make you exercise a lot in their location, and tell you that you must follow their plan strictly etc. (not even little treats permitted). But guess what? People flock! to this clinic. But we don't hear later about what happened to the people after they meet their goal. After the "oh I paid so much for this and eveyrone is doing it" spell evaporates, I'm sure their old lack of willpower comes back and they freeze.
your friend is right, and I agree. If a person cannot follow even the no s principles, then that person will probably not be able to follow any other plan / or lose weight. Everything requieres AT LEAST a little bit of willpower, but if this *small* requierement is not met, failure will come.
I've met some people where I live who asked me how I lost weight and keep fit, and I tell them about nosdiet and shovelglove. Initially they say "oh it is so easy wow" etc. etc. but after a few days when I meet them again, the tell me they haven't started doing it!
I believe that it is mainly a mental block, people thinks it looks very very simple but then for some bizarre reason, they say "I better keep doing what I was doing... I'm too lazy even for that". It's a shame...
In my experience, most of the people interested in this diet to whom I explained it, din't even bother to try it. What I've learned then is that many people are too lazy to do something for themselves, unless they're motivated by other reasons like being pushed / offered money / or a big publicity phenomenom. Example: there's a popular radio show here in the mornings, and they have a section about weight loss paid by a "lose lots of pounds in a few days" clinic. The testimonies are huge: 40, 50 or more pounds in one or two months. And the price is very very high. But what they basically do is put you on a very restricted calorie diet, make you exercise a lot in their location, and tell you that you must follow their plan strictly etc. (not even little treats permitted). But guess what? People flock! to this clinic. But we don't hear later about what happened to the people after they meet their goal. After the "oh I paid so much for this and eveyrone is doing it" spell evaporates, I'm sure their old lack of willpower comes back and they freeze.
Oh yeah, lots of criticism. Alot comes from people who are on the diet and are either frustrated b/c they either haven't lost any weight at all or are losing more slowly than they would like.
What surprises me, are the people who criticise it who've never even tried it! Most of these just have the whole diet mentality drilled in them so deep that they can't believe something so simple could work.
My husband has a friend who's the serious body builder type and he keeps preaching to me how the body's GOT to have snacks...you have to eat 6 times a day he says.
I can understand his POV...he's doing something that works for him. He's disciplined enough to weigh his food, count carbs and protein, etc. Plus his goals are different from mine. He wants to really bulk up, and I just want to lose weight and maybe look more toned.
But other people really baffle me. One night me and some of the neighborhood moms were talking about weight loss and they were all on one diet or another...calorie counting, low carb. I couldn't wait to tell them about No S figuring they'd be so relieved and grateful, but they just smiled politely and said, "Hmm. Ok. That sounds interesting." It's now about a month or so later, none of them have lost any weight and all of them have either given up or are on to a different diet.
What surprises me, are the people who criticise it who've never even tried it! Most of these just have the whole diet mentality drilled in them so deep that they can't believe something so simple could work.
My husband has a friend who's the serious body builder type and he keeps preaching to me how the body's GOT to have snacks...you have to eat 6 times a day he says.
I can understand his POV...he's doing something that works for him. He's disciplined enough to weigh his food, count carbs and protein, etc. Plus his goals are different from mine. He wants to really bulk up, and I just want to lose weight and maybe look more toned.
But other people really baffle me. One night me and some of the neighborhood moms were talking about weight loss and they were all on one diet or another...calorie counting, low carb. I couldn't wait to tell them about No S figuring they'd be so relieved and grateful, but they just smiled politely and said, "Hmm. Ok. That sounds interesting." It's now about a month or so later, none of them have lost any weight and all of them have either given up or are on to a different diet.
We've been conditioned to believe that weight loss requires a complicated set of rules and deprivation rather than simple, easy to live with rules/habits and moderation.
"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."
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
The posts here overwhelmingly positive. I'd love to think that's because everyone who tries it loves it and succeeds brilliantly, but, more realistically, my guess is that most quitters just fade away and we don't hear from them.
But of course I have no way to quantify or prove this.
Generally speaking, people are excited up front and post like crazy. After an initial spurt of enthusiasm many of them run into trouble and we don't hear from them anymore. It's a little embarrassing to admit to failure, especially if you buy into the program in principle, and aren't out to settle a score. Not everyone who fades away is a quitter (posting is time consuming and for many people once you get the habit down there's really not all that much point), but I think a pretty chunky percentage are.
Does this mean no-s is crap? I don't think so. The that bar that other diets have set for adherence is pretty low. I like to think no-s does better, substantially better in terms of success rates (especially long term), but again, no long term double blind studies or whatever have been done yet (any interested researchers out there?).
Reinhard
But of course I have no way to quantify or prove this.
Generally speaking, people are excited up front and post like crazy. After an initial spurt of enthusiasm many of them run into trouble and we don't hear from them anymore. It's a little embarrassing to admit to failure, especially if you buy into the program in principle, and aren't out to settle a score. Not everyone who fades away is a quitter (posting is time consuming and for many people once you get the habit down there's really not all that much point), but I think a pretty chunky percentage are.
Does this mean no-s is crap? I don't think so. The that bar that other diets have set for adherence is pretty low. I like to think no-s does better, substantially better in terms of success rates (especially long term), but again, no long term double blind studies or whatever have been done yet (any interested researchers out there?).
Reinhard
-
phosphorus
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 5:32 pm
- Location: Minnesota
Not much you can do about people who dis the lifestyle without even trying, I guess -- I was just wondering if there were any who tried it for a long while and then quit. i suppose if you didn't see any weight loss or other improvements, that could be pretty demoralizing. And I suppose no plan is right for everybody.
I was pointed here when I described what I had been doing and a friend said, "Oh, that sounds like the No-S diet, sort of." It wasn't that I was doing no snacks no sweets no seconds -- in fact I was having all of those things while counting calories to keep the total quite small -- but that I was actively trying to learn how not to be a glutton (my words) by learning to be okay with being hungry. I've always had a fear of getting hungry and have overeaten for that reason. I finally decided I was sick of overeating and was going to try being hungry for a change. That was what reminded my friend of No-S, even though I wasn't going about it the same way.
It strikes me that with something like this, the most important thing is that your behavior is changing to something that's less grotesquely overconsumptive and more moderate. Less quantity, more quality. The real benefit (both from what I've been doing and from the No-S I'm considering switching to) is that your behavior is more pleasant, frugal, attractive, generous; you become more fully human by exercising your will and your control over the appetites of the self. Almost like going on a retreat! If you lose weight in the bargain, bonus! But that doesn't seem to me like that's what it's all about (though I bet it helps motivate more than less visible improvements.)
Reinhard, don't get rid of your gluttony terminology. It's just what the world needs to hear
I was pointed here when I described what I had been doing and a friend said, "Oh, that sounds like the No-S diet, sort of." It wasn't that I was doing no snacks no sweets no seconds -- in fact I was having all of those things while counting calories to keep the total quite small -- but that I was actively trying to learn how not to be a glutton (my words) by learning to be okay with being hungry. I've always had a fear of getting hungry and have overeaten for that reason. I finally decided I was sick of overeating and was going to try being hungry for a change. That was what reminded my friend of No-S, even though I wasn't going about it the same way.
It strikes me that with something like this, the most important thing is that your behavior is changing to something that's less grotesquely overconsumptive and more moderate. Less quantity, more quality. The real benefit (both from what I've been doing and from the No-S I'm considering switching to) is that your behavior is more pleasant, frugal, attractive, generous; you become more fully human by exercising your will and your control over the appetites of the self. Almost like going on a retreat! If you lose weight in the bargain, bonus! But that doesn't seem to me like that's what it's all about (though I bet it helps motivate more than less visible improvements.)
Reinhard, don't get rid of your gluttony terminology. It's just what the world needs to hear
I was here a couple of years ago and was one that faded away. I had surgery and put life on the back burner. Of course weight was creeping back on. For some reason I didn't think about returning (sounds strange, I know). I was telling someone that I did not want to return to WW, I just wanted to eat like a normal person. . . . and the bell went off!! What happened to NoS?? I found my way back, have lost 10 pounds over 3 months and see this as a way of life. Don't be discouraged by the small (by other weight loss programs) amount of weight I have lost. I still have trouble with gluttony on S days. I am trying to get a handle on that and know that one day I will. I do agree, though, that when the diet isn't working for someone they tend to fade away. I also think that, like me, they will return to this sanity one day.
Gotta smile. Laff
Achieving begins with believing!
Achieving begins with believing!
-
xJocelynx87
- Posts: 319
- Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2007 4:17 am
A few months ago I lost around 13lbs combining No-S with regular exercise. Life happened, and I fell off the wagon. I have restarted several times with little consistency, but I am maintaining my weight and know that as long as I keep coming back the habits will re-stick eventually. Even when I'm not on track, I visit the boards at least once per day just to see how everyone's doing and what everyone is talking about. I do agree that if you can't stick to this diet, you won't be able to stick to any other, so my guess would be that those who leave will eventually find their way back here. It's such an enjoyable way to eat (I need to remember that when sweets are calling my name!) that I don't know why anyone would want to do anything else for long-term maintenence.
Jocelyn
Jocelyn
I'm one of those that started fading away, but I have kept reading every few days just to see what is happening. I can only speak for myself, but that's true for everyone, so here is what happened in my case:
I love eating the No-S way. It makes perfect sense. I know that it's something I can use to maintain, as Jocelyn said, for the rest of my life. In my case I became too impatient with the rate of (or maybe I should say "lack of") weight loss. Now, here's the honesty part, since leaving No-S I have still not lost a pound and probably have gained some. I think it's like diet backlash or something. As an aside, I say "probably gained" because I don't get on the scales. I go by how my clothes are fitting. I don't need to see a specific number, because they're all over the place anyway -- and too damaging to my psyche.
I just read Intuitive Eating and convinced myself that even No S was too much like a diet during the week. So I tried to tweak it by just allowing myself three s-events per week at any time during the week. Sounds like a good plan to me, but, based on my own behavior, it doesn't work. Meanwhile, my husband has stuck to no-s and has lost 8 pounds since May. Again, as someone said, slow losses, but at least he's losing.
I know others have tried before, and without much success, but I want to believe that I am different and that I can go on a diet and lose the weight and then maintain using no-s habits. However, having just read Intuitive Eating, I agree with them that that is just jumping back into the diet/binge cycle that I know for a fact does not work. But, ohhh, how I want to be thin right now!!
I have felt a little isolated since leaving No-S, as in "where do I belong?" I don't fit in with normal eaters because I am too obsessed with my weight and what I eat, and I don't fit in with dieters because I think diets are at the base of the problem in the first place. So, I feel like I've been sort of floundering. This thread caught my eye and here I am.
I love eating the No-S way. It makes perfect sense. I know that it's something I can use to maintain, as Jocelyn said, for the rest of my life. In my case I became too impatient with the rate of (or maybe I should say "lack of") weight loss. Now, here's the honesty part, since leaving No-S I have still not lost a pound and probably have gained some. I think it's like diet backlash or something. As an aside, I say "probably gained" because I don't get on the scales. I go by how my clothes are fitting. I don't need to see a specific number, because they're all over the place anyway -- and too damaging to my psyche.
I just read Intuitive Eating and convinced myself that even No S was too much like a diet during the week. So I tried to tweak it by just allowing myself three s-events per week at any time during the week. Sounds like a good plan to me, but, based on my own behavior, it doesn't work. Meanwhile, my husband has stuck to no-s and has lost 8 pounds since May. Again, as someone said, slow losses, but at least he's losing.
I know others have tried before, and without much success, but I want to believe that I am different and that I can go on a diet and lose the weight and then maintain using no-s habits. However, having just read Intuitive Eating, I agree with them that that is just jumping back into the diet/binge cycle that I know for a fact does not work. But, ohhh, how I want to be thin right now!!
I have felt a little isolated since leaving No-S, as in "where do I belong?" I don't fit in with normal eaters because I am too obsessed with my weight and what I eat, and I don't fit in with dieters because I think diets are at the base of the problem in the first place. So, I feel like I've been sort of floundering. This thread caught my eye and here I am.
Jill
The food I eat today is my choice! What price am I willing to pay?
"There are no failures, only feedback." ~~ Robert Allen
The food I eat today is my choice! What price am I willing to pay?
"There are no failures, only feedback." ~~ Robert Allen
Great to hear from you rebounders!
JillyBean -- I think the problem with intuitive eating is that we don't really have good intuition about avoiding excess. It's not a situation that occurs in nature. My cats, for example, though blissfully innocent of the corrupting influence of diets, will cheerfully overeat and get fat if given the opportunity. The way people used to eat back when we were thin was not by intuition, but eating almost exclusively at established, social meals -- when it was TIME to eat. Most people no longer eat that way not because their intuition has been corrupted, but because scarcity and tradition no longer hold these meal based eating structures in place. No-s is really just an attempt to reestablish these "natural" structures by explicit, habit-forming rules (which do become, at least partially, "intuitive"). I'd love it if we could skip the rules and rely on good old tradition again (the scarcity part I could do without), but unless you're going to start a social revolution, rules are your only option.
Anyway, sorry to go off on that tangent. Thank you all for giving (or considering giving) no-s another chance and best of luck getting it to really stick this time.
Reinhard
JillyBean -- I think the problem with intuitive eating is that we don't really have good intuition about avoiding excess. It's not a situation that occurs in nature. My cats, for example, though blissfully innocent of the corrupting influence of diets, will cheerfully overeat and get fat if given the opportunity. The way people used to eat back when we were thin was not by intuition, but eating almost exclusively at established, social meals -- when it was TIME to eat. Most people no longer eat that way not because their intuition has been corrupted, but because scarcity and tradition no longer hold these meal based eating structures in place. No-s is really just an attempt to reestablish these "natural" structures by explicit, habit-forming rules (which do become, at least partially, "intuitive"). I'd love it if we could skip the rules and rely on good old tradition again (the scarcity part I could do without), but unless you're going to start a social revolution, rules are your only option.
Anyway, sorry to go off on that tangent. Thank you all for giving (or considering giving) no-s another chance and best of luck getting it to really stick this time.
Reinhard
I agree with Reinhard. I think intuitive eating sounds really nice, but whenever I've tried to do that, I fail. I might be successful for a little while, but eventually I start to make poor choices and overeat, and agonize over trying to justify the whole thing.
I find it really is a lot simpler to just have these rules. No-S can still be intuitive, to a degree. You can put pretty much anything on your plate that you feel like, which is pretty liberating, I think.
I find it really is a lot simpler to just have these rules. No-S can still be intuitive, to a degree. You can put pretty much anything on your plate that you feel like, which is pretty liberating, I think.
I didn't fade away; just thought I'd tweak the basic NoS a bit. That was my undoing. It's taken me three whole agonising weeks to get back to the plain vanilla NoS again. Phew...
I made poor choices in my meals. I went overboard on sweets. I am now more aware of a lot of things that I do that sabotage my good behaviour for days on end. One off day and wham! I'm eating sweets to make up for all the deprivation. Snacks and seconds have never been the problem. I guess I'll have to put up with the temptation of sweets all my life. Will I ever be rid of it? That's not intuitive eating, it's compulsive eating!!
I made poor choices in my meals. I went overboard on sweets. I am now more aware of a lot of things that I do that sabotage my good behaviour for days on end. One off day and wham! I'm eating sweets to make up for all the deprivation. Snacks and seconds have never been the problem. I guess I'll have to put up with the temptation of sweets all my life. Will I ever be rid of it? That's not intuitive eating, it's compulsive eating!!
-
Hungry Girl
- Posts: 69
- Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:28 pm
No S Quitters
It's early days yet, but I am forging my own path now! I am such a rebel that I couldn't even stick to No S. Check out my blog at JackSpratt'swife.blogspot.com
Hope you are all doing well
HG
Hope you are all doing well
HG
Here we go again!
URL for blog
FYI- I tried to find Hungry Girl's blog and discovered that the link is actually
http://jacksprattswife.blogspot.com/
The site states:
http://jacksprattswife.blogspot.com/
The site states:
This blog is open to invited readers only
http://jacksprattswife.blogspot.com/
If you are a reader of this blog, tell us who you are! Sign in using your Google Account.
LA Loser. . . well on my way to becoming an LA Winner. 
I started No S in 2006 with good intentions.
While No S'ing, I did every "diet" except for no snacks, no sweets, no seconds!
I faded away sometime in 2006 for about a year and started again in the middle of 2007.
Absolutely nothing else works for me. No S is it.
I tried intuitive eating too. I must have read every single book on the subject but was unsuccessful no matter how much I tried.
No S is my lifetime plan.
I like everything about it, including glass ceiling and making certain tasks habit.
If hubby and I ever are blessed with kids, I may name my firstborn Reinhard!
While No S'ing, I did every "diet" except for no snacks, no sweets, no seconds!
I faded away sometime in 2006 for about a year and started again in the middle of 2007.
Absolutely nothing else works for me. No S is it.
I tried intuitive eating too. I must have read every single book on the subject but was unsuccessful no matter how much I tried.
No S is my lifetime plan.
I like everything about it, including glass ceiling and making certain tasks habit.
If hubby and I ever are blessed with kids, I may name my firstborn Reinhard!
-
blueskighs
- Posts: 1787
- Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:11 am
- Location: California
your behavior is more pleasant, frugal, attractive, generous; you become more fully human by exercising your will and your control over the appetites of the self.
phosphorus,
very elegantly put!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Blueskighs
www.nosdiet.blogspot.com Where I blog daily about my No S journey