No S failure

[JoshT]

Well, I'm not sure what happened. I started No S and shovelglove last August, and fell in love with both. Doing them together, I was feeling better than I had in a *long* time. I was losing weight quickly.

And then holidays came, and I started slipping. Then I slipped some more. And now I find myself *almost* back to the weight I started at, with a number of pairs of pants back to not fitting. And it sucks.

I've tried to get back on it, but it lasts maybe a day or two, and then I find myself snacking on something or other. I don't know what my problem is.

Argh.

[vmelo]

I'm sorry that you're having this issue. I know what you mean, though. It seems that mindset is the most important component to any eating plan. For me, sometimes I'm "in the mood" to monitor my eating and sometimes I'm not. It sounds like you're in the latter mood.

Perhaps you could start with just one "S." For example, maybe you could just commit to the no-snacking rule. Do that for a week or so. Then, when you're ready, add another "S." Also, what sometimes works for me is not to over-think something (not saying you do, but just trying to cover the bases). Exercise is a good example. If I get up in the morning to exercise, I can very easily talk myself out of it. I'm so tired, and I'll be thinking these things: "What's the use? It will take forever more me to lose this weight!" or "I'll go later on today" (never happens). Sometimes, I just completely shut off all thought. I put my gym clothes and sneakers on like a robot and just drive myself to the gym.

I hope some of that helps.

[wosnes]

So, you slipped. So what? You just resume the good habits as soon as you realize you've slipped.

I don't know anything about you except that you've slipped up on NoS. But I'll bet that there's no other role in your life that you do perfectly. You don't worry about it, you just keep working at it, hopefully doing your best. You might have to make an effort to do it. You do the same with No S.

Your problem is that you're normal. Just keep on aiming to get it right.

[~reneew]

I did the same thing... joined in October, lost 15 or so. December and Christmas came and I gained 20 or so. Hmm.. I felt like I lost "it". Then for the new year, I tried to get going again and it was hard to get "it". I'd do just a couple of days of good NO S. I started a challenge in April and another in May and it seems to be helping me a ton to get "it" going again. I've lost 16 so far. I suggest to get going again and in the right mindset, get stubborn and mad and set a goal, like a week or a month of strict no s. Just do it, then re-evaluate when you're able to do it. Reading posts also helps me quite a bit.

good luck!

[la_loser]

I'm copying this from a previous post (actually I've posted this on several threads!--It seems to keep coming up!)

From the sticky thread of No S Catch Phrase Glossary on the general No S discussion page, here are a few great lines that might help you accept failure and be able to "mark it and move on" as Vicki says:

Fall down seven times; get up eight. (from Iggy)

Just pick yourself up, dust off the crumbs and keep moving forward. (from HowFunIsThat)

And from the man himself-Reinhard says in the book and on the homepage:

Sometimes it takes a false start (or 12) . . . (see No S main page for rest of this passage). . .So quit dawdling and get some failures under your belt!

Or Try Winston Churchill: "Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."


Sounds like to me you're exhibiting human characteristics!

Most of us didn't just start doing No S and boom it was all good. We fell off and climbed back on multiple times. Hang in there!

[~reneew]

That was good! Thanks for the quotes. I hope I can find them again when I need them.

[winnie96]

I started a challenge in April and another in May and it seems to be helping me a ton to get "it" going again.

I, too, am re-finding my No-S motivation with ~reneew's May Challenge. (Thanks ~reneew!) I started No-S last August, but had recently gotten pretty lackadaisical about paying attention to it. (Fortunately, I haven't gained any weight back).

Being determined to have May's HabitCal show only greens and yellows, I am finding myself really focused on both No-S and Shovelglove, and am finding the same sense of satisfaction with both that I found when I first started.

I'm also doing a daily entry in the Daily Checkin board here, writing down how things are going so I can review my thoughts at the end of the month, and that seems to help with the re-focusing effort.

I don't know about you, but sometimes I just sort of "rebel" against everything: my schedule, my chores, my meal planning, etc. Something like the May Challenge was a great jump start to get out of that funk.

Hopefully, you will be able to find your own jump start (give the Challenge a try!), but I hope you won't spend to much time thinking about failure. As everyone says, "mark it and move on". As a former "guilty" person, I've found that to be good advice.

[mimi]

All of the above is excellent advice! We all have very similar stories, it seems...somehow that is comforting for me to know that it's not just me who has problems staying true with NoS and relearning behaviors. I'm not alone, it sounds, with how many times I have started and restarted NoS. I know this is my third serious attempt at it, with a few less than serious attempts in between - like you, Josh, able to maintain it for a day or two and then I mess up. It's my all-or-nothing thinking (stinkin' thinkin' is what it is!). I am not perfect and never will be, so I need to normalize my expectations for myself. Keep at it - we can all help each other!
Mimi

[la_loser]

Reneew,

The comments you said you hoped you could find again are in the No S Glossary Sticky Thread on the NO S General Discussion board. . . here's the link. I haven't been very good lately at updating catch phrases I see on here but hopefully others will add their "zingers" as we discover them!


http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=3883

[davestarbuck]

I subscribe to the F.I.D.O principle. That is F**K It Drive On". Sorry to be so vulgar


So what if you got off habit a little bit? Believe me, I've done the No S thing for a while, lost over 60 lbs, and I haven't been at all perfect. Your goal should be to become more and more consistent with the rules of the diet. That alone will work....

-dave

[bluebunny27]

Everybody's different ... some people fall multiple times,
others none. I know when I have my mind set on losing weight, I don't quit until I am done.

If the regular NO S is too hard, you might want to tweak it a lil' bit ... changing some of the rules as I did so you can handle it better ... You can benefit a little or a lot, depending what you can handle when it comes to your diet & exercise regime.

Cheers !

Marc

[~reneew]

Everybody's different ... some people fall multiple times,
others none. I know when I have my mind set on losing weight, I don't quit until I am done.

Alright Marc, Have you got a pill for that? Have you "fallen" yet or are you just on the non-stop fast track? What are you thinking when you have your mind set on loosing weight, so you don't quit until you're done. We need to know what your mind is thinking. ...so keep talkin' Marc!

[bluebunny27]

Hehe ! Well, all I know is I only tried twice to lose some weight and both times I did it on the first try, I don't quit once I have decided to do it. In the early 90's (1990 ? 1991 ?) I lost 35 pounds within 100 days and now I've lost around 61 pounds in 6 and a half months. My mistake after the initial weight loss was cutting down (quitting !) on the exercise a few years later around 2000-2001 after a bad break up with a girl I loved ... and then eating bad food quite regularly, something I'll try to avoid from now on.
I remember the very night this girl broke up with me
I was eating a whole container of ice cream, so
typical !! I probably put on 25-30 pounds in a year after that ... emotional eating ! It slowed down later but still adding a 10 pounds each year and eventually getting to 280 in late 2008.

Hopefully once I am done with this on nov. 1st 2009 it'll be the last time ever I have to lose a lot of weight like this, twice in a lifetime is enough... I'll just maintain my weight in the low to mid 190's most likely and it'll be fine.

A year is a long time to stay focused though, so I have already made plenty of big changes to make it, things I can stick with long term that will help me maintain my weight once I am done with this break neck pace.
HabitCal, No S'ing, shovelglove, cycling (summer), jumping jacks (winter) ... I have all sorts of programs I made, things to do to exercise, what to eat, the best food, all that ... things to make it easier to get through the year.

I just have a solid plan from the get go, the basic idea ... I decide how much I want to lose and how long it should take me to get there. I try to be 'reasonable' with my objectives although others might think it's really *crazy*.

I set the main objective, then the monthly objectives, then the weekly objectives (Well, 5-6 days really) and then I make a graph and I do what it takes to remain under the line as much as I can. This means watching my diet and exercising a lot of course.

Of course I change my objectives all the time depending how it is going, so I don't get too discouraged if I am not able to make it all the way ... but for the most part I am right on the money ... I just checked one of my first graphs I made way back and even in december 2008 I was predicting I would be around 219 pounds at this time, mid may 2009 ... my weight right now : 219.6 ... almost a bull's eye several months later.

You have to be really motivated and willing to work hard cos' it won't be easy of course. There are temptations everywhere but being motivated really helps. I think you have to motivate yourself first though, others can help you later on but the main motivation has to come from yourself.

Cheers !

Marc

[butterfly1000]

I agree with you Marc, that the support from others helps and that the real motivation needs to come from within ... I'm just having a really hard time finding it.... .... I'll just have to keep trying.

However, it does help to hear success stories, like your own -- it's proof that it works when you really put your mind to it.

[Blithe Morning]

The way I see it, there are only three options:
- unrestricted eating
- restrictive eating diets
- No S

Pick yourself, brush yourself off, start all over again.

I know, it's corny as Kansas in August, but that's just who I am.

[bluebunny27]

Thanks, Butterfly !

What I usually do to get started is select a date ... and that's the day I begin the program, no excuses, no
delays ... This time I picked nov. 1st 2008.

You have to be 100% motivated to do this on your own when you start though, then you stick it out ... I would find it depressing to always start and then quit over and over and over ... I prefer to set the date and then I get in gear, quitting is not even considered, it's not an option. If I am bad one day I live the life of a monk 2 days in a row after that to get back on the wagon.

Even if you have someone watching over you constantly it won't work, you can always find ways to cheat on your diet or to avoid exercising unless you are the one always pushing ... not somebody else, a friend, a personal trainer, etc. Sometimes you fail and have a bad day but then you get right back on the horse again and you are fine in no time. The idea is to avoid the long slides, those would lead to quitting possibly.

I suppose it's the same for every addiction, the problem with the food addiction is you have to eat sometimes of course, it's not like an alcoholic that can survive without drinking. You make the right choices (Diet and exercise) and in the end, you feel proud about what you accomplished.

You put on pants that used to be tight and now they are so loose they would drop around your ankles if you didn't have a belt !

Cheers !

Marc

[winnie96]

I subscribe to the F.I.D.O principle ...

Dave -- I am loving your FIDO principle! Now here's an acronym that I can really use! Thanks!

[FarmerHal]

Dave, you sound a lot like me. Got all befuddled around the holidays and I've been struggtling since, and the years is almost half over!

Hang in there, keep trying!