A month in, and here's how things have gone.

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.

Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating

Post Reply
Cassie
Posts: 213
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 4:17 pm
Location: London

A month in, and here's how things have gone.

Post by Cassie » Mon Jun 08, 2009 1:36 pm

Hi everyone.

Well, I've been on the NoS diet on & off since March, but I only seriously started it (and complied well) since the beginning of May. Since then, I've been recording everything in my HabitCal, so I have a pretty good idea of how this month went. At the beginning, it started wobbly, and then I had a couple of 'bad' days when we moved house in the middle of the month (I actually should have given myself a couple of S-days for the move, but I didn't). But other than that, I don't think I have a serious compliance problem, but I do have a results problem.

Here's what's been happening, in bullet points so that it won't be overlong:

--Generally compliance has been good, as I said with only a couple of very minor slip-ups. I think, a month in, I've gotten the 'hang' of how NoS works and it now feels even more comfortable & easy to follow it.
--I love how I've already gotten used to the 'NoS' rules, and I've now reached a point, a month in, when I really don't think about the rules much, just go about my day normally & follow them. This feels like a breath of fresh air, or a good dose of sanity around eating, which I much needed.
--However: I've been recording my weight since I seriously started NoS, and what I've managed is to maintain my weight. So you could say that for me, so far, the way I've been following NoS is a perfect maintainance diet (not a small thing in its own right) but- so far at least- not a weight loss diet.
--I think I do have a problem with S days which go slightly wild, to be honest.
--I've decided to continue with vanilla NoS until July 1, just to give it a bit more time & to establish the habits better. But after that, if I'm still not losing weight, what do you think I should do? I want to start thinking about adding an exercise regime and / or adding a mod, but I want to be VERY conservative & gradual in what I add, so as not to mess things up.

To be honest, I'm feeling slightly disappointed, on the one hand, because I haven't lost weight. On the other hand, I feel like a have a very good structure to build on, just by having got used to the basic NoS rules... and there's something to be said about that. But still, it would have been nice to have shifted those first few kilos, it would have given me some incentive to continue.

User avatar
la_loser
Posts: 629
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2008 2:43 pm
Location: Deep in the Heart. . .land

New podcasts?

Post by la_loser » Mon Jun 08, 2009 3:22 pm

Cassie, Have you had a chance to listen to Reinhard's new podcasts? You can find them at http://everydaysystems.com/podcast/

Episode 35: The Mods and Tweaks Trilogy Part I: To Tweak Or Not To Tweak
Episode 36: The Mods and Tweaks Trilogy Part II: How To Tweak

You can listen online or read the transcript or download to your iPod or other MP3 player. He's doing a third soon as well. He shares some good direction on what you may (or may not!) want to try as a mod.

Good luck!
LA Loser. . . well on my way to becoming an LA Winner. :lol:

kccc
Posts: 3957
Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:12 am

Post by kccc » Mon Jun 08, 2009 4:03 pm

I think your plan to wait a bit is good. Especially at first, the habit-establishment is key. Then you will see more clearly what might need changing. So, use this time to reflect on what you're doing now, and I bet something will jump out.

Also, this is a very moderate diet, so a few missed N-days can really matter. So, I'd also suggest working on FULL compliance on N-days before adding more mods.

I'd also start with "positive mods." Here are mine for S days:
- I will retain the basic three-meal structure of the day (keeps me from perma-snacking the whole day, and I just FEEL better with it)
- I will remember to drink enough (I do better at work on this one, and sometimes confuse thirst with hunger)
- I will plan One Special Thing (Not that I can't have more S's, but if I proactively plan something that is wonderful, I tend to eat less junk-that-just-happens-to-cross-my-path.)

Hope this is useful!

StrawberryRoan
Posts: 461
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2009 1:39 pm
Location: United States

Post by StrawberryRoan » Mon Jun 08, 2009 4:09 pm

How strange, just this morning I was thinking that No S would probably be the perfect maintenance plan if a person was at or near their goal.

As our bodies are designed to eat when they are hungry, it seems that one would not lose a whole lot of weight eating three healthy meals a day unless they did a fair bit of exercise. Probably explains why, in past decades - people that had access to food and ate normally were a normal weight. One certainly did not see so many people suffering from either obesity or eating disorders on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Food was just, well food to sustain us. Then on special days like birthdays, holidays, family reunions, etc. - we splurged.

Crazy concept, but it works.

Good luck to you. I think if you stay the course, adding in some movement, you will see a gradual weight loss. And the best news is, now you know how to maintain it.

SR :wink:

User avatar
Nichole
Posts: 1154
Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:37 pm
Location: PENNSYLVANIA
Contact:

Post by Nichole » Mon Jun 08, 2009 4:12 pm

StrawberryRoan wrote: Food was just, well food to sustain us. Then on special days like birthdays, holidays, family reunions, etc. - we splurged.
I'm trying to get back to that!

My Weekends are definitely like my weekdays ("N Days"). That's the only way I could see to stick to this diet with results. My mods are:

--1 snack if needed, between lunch and dinner (I exercise every day - I need energy)
--Weekends are like weekdays, maybe one delicious treat
--Sometimes I'll have a teaspoon of ice cream at the end of the day to satisfy my cravings. This is potentially dangerous for some people, though, b/c it can lead to a binge.

I've been losing a little over a lb per week like this. I don't recommend it for all, but I thought I'd share the changes I've made.
"Anyone can cook." ~ Chef Gusteau, Ratatouille

User avatar
butterfly1000
Posts: 303
Joined: Wed Mar 25, 2009 1:37 pm

Post by butterfly1000 » Mon Jun 08, 2009 4:32 pm

Nichole wrote:My Weekends are definitely like my weekdays ("N Days"). That's the only way I could see to stick to this diet with results.--Weekends are like weekdays, maybe one delicious treat
I've been thinking about treating weekends like weekdays also, unless there is something special. I know we're not supposed to make too many changes, or at least make a change and stick to it for a while before making another one -- the objective is to make changes that will last, but I do get a little discouraged when I don't see a change on the scale. I guess we have to be persistent and patient.

User avatar
Nichole
Posts: 1154
Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2008 12:37 pm
Location: PENNSYLVANIA
Contact:

Post by Nichole » Mon Jun 08, 2009 4:39 pm

The psychology of an S day didn't work for me. I'd wake up feeling like I could eat anything and everything. So I had to set rules... Now they're much better :)
"Anyone can cook." ~ Chef Gusteau, Ratatouille

guadopt1997
Posts: 339
Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:10 pm
Location: Arlington, VA

Post by guadopt1997 » Mon Jun 08, 2009 5:22 pm

I'd recommend listening to the podcast S days gone wild.

User avatar
ams09
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2009 8:55 pm
Location: North Texas

Post by ams09 » Mon Jun 08, 2009 9:26 pm

My first weekend in (this past one) looked like my regular days before No S. In other words, small meals plus several snacks. I think I did okay. I can't ever stuff myself, thank goodness. It just doesn't feel good and no matter how good the food tastes, just isn't worth it. Except that for lunch on Saturday and for breakfast on Sunday I had pastry. :oops: It was quite filling so luckily I didn't overdo it.

But what I really want to do is what others have mentioned and that is to try and make the 3 squares a habit on the weekends but at the same time not deny myself a treat on those days.

User avatar
Hunter Gatherer
Posts: 317
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2006 2:30 am
Location: Texas

Post by Hunter Gatherer » Tue Jun 09, 2009 2:34 am

You have to remember that No-S is a moderate diet. Waiting one month or even two is a SMALL span of time, even if those months are perfect (keep to the rules on N-days, reasonable S-days).

I would recommend using the main rules for a year before modifying anything. This may sound like an overly long time.

Remember that this is a life-diet, not something that you put on to achieve results and take off once you have reached your goal. In the remaining span of your life (insert disclaimer having to do with man not knowing the number of his own days) what's a year? Best to give yourself a good strong foundation. I know that I didn't have the same attitude/compliance when I first started as I do now, or even at the midpoint. This diet evolves with you, and your life, freely, and without modification. My food choices are healthier now, and while I still say my S-days are wild, the current definition of wild is different than the one I used back in the early days.

I understand your frustration at not losing any weight. Plateaus come to us all - yours just has the unfortunate timing to arrive right at the beginning. Be of good cheer! We can tell you that they pass! You will start to lose weight. It may take a while if you are already close to optimal.

Obligatory advice section (feel free to skip! :lol: ):

*Drink more water! Very few people drink too much water. Especially if you are in an air-conditioned environment, you are losing more water than you think!

*Add exercise before any other modification, and stick with it at least a month or three before expecting results.

In fact, forget all about weight-loss-related results. Aim for gain-goals - "I want to gain strength/speed/stamina!"

Slip it in where you won't even notice it - exercise while you brush your teeth, while you're watching TV (if you do), by using the door that you push, not the one that opens itself, by parking one space further than you had to (leave that closer one for someone else - charity and exercise in one!), take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Make mini-goals/start small. "I will do 1 squat hanging on to the foot of the bed every night." Then slowly increase them.

*Remember that small amounts of weight come and go. Give yourself a range instead of a hard number.
"You've been reading about arctic explorers," I accused him. "If a man's starving he'll eat anything, but when he's just ordinarily hungry he doesn't want to clutter up his stomach with a lot of candy."
Dashiell Hammett

Cassie
Posts: 213
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 4:17 pm
Location: London

Post by Cassie » Sat Jun 20, 2009 12:36 pm

A couple of weeks down the line, and my weight is still completely stuck. I also feel disappointed because I had a couple of 'failure' days (during holiday). This happened not because of any special event / celebration etc at the holiday. But simply because the days of airplane travel felt chaotic, particularly because we had our 10 month old- fidgety!!- son with us.

Anyway. In general the basic rules of NoS have become second nature to me, so that's something important to hang on to.

However, July 1 is fast approaching. And after 2 months of 'vanilla NoS' (which I haven't achieved perfectly but did fairly well on) I'm wondering what I should do in July, taking into account that my weight is completely, stubbornly stuck. Here's some options:

1) Should I add one monthly challenge, having to do with exercise? Currently I'm doing no exercise whatsoever. Should I add shovelglove? I've been playing with the idea for a while but haven't gotten round to it, so maybe deciding that July 1 is the day it starts will help me get organized until that day & prepare myself to start it.

2) Should I just continue with vanilla NoS risking further failure days (hopefully none, but it's a possibility) & also risking my weight staying the same again?

3) Should I add one modification to NoS? The ones I'm thinking of are: just 1 S day (instead of 2). Or smaller plates (when at home). Or eat 2-3 veg with lunch & dinner. Any other ideas? Or should I not modify yet?

What I'm feeling is that, on the one hand, I'm very enthusiastic about NoS & I really believe it's one of the most sensible, healthy things I've done for myself. On the other hand though, I really am discouraged & tired by not seeing results. I know I've improved my eating habits immensely- and importantly, I'm not putting on weight. But, shallow as it may seem, I do seem to need those results at this point just to spur me on a bit.

Any suggestions?
Restarting NoS (after going back & forth over the last 4 years) in November 2013.

GOAL: to lose 10 kilos.
HAVE ACHIEVED SO FAR: 1.6 kilo

User avatar
la_loser
Posts: 629
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2008 2:43 pm
Location: Deep in the Heart. . .land

From my experience. . .

Post by la_loser » Sat Jun 20, 2009 2:54 pm

Cassie,
It's important that your habits have begun to "take" although you haven't had "perfect" compliance. That's OK--few people do. That what makes us HUMAN!

I can tell you from experience that the first thing that will make a big difference is the amount of movement you do each day. Adding at least moderate exercise to your habits should be a priority right now. . . and that's not really a modification from Vanilla No S. Exercise is just vital, especially with a program of moderation. The word modification only applies to changes you make to the diet itself.

I know I mentioned this to you a few weeks ago, but if you haven't had to do so yet, be sure to listen to Reinhard's two new podcasts that are all about modifications--to do or not to do.

Of the "mods" you suggested though, most are not so much mods but just make sense:
1. Exercise--absolutely-even if it's 14 minutes a day of SOMETHING. It's more than you're doing now, right?
2. just 1 S day (instead of 2)--Very risky in my opinion-that's a real mod
3. smaller plates (when at home)-not a bad idea--or instead of using different plates, just make an imaginary line inside your plate and don't fill it past that --it won't seem like such a change and you can use the same plates as every one else does.
4. eat 2-3 veg with lunch & dinner. Always a good idea-if you're not doing that, your plates are probably full of heavier foods. Doing that you can probably stay with the regular size plates!

I honestly think (because this was true for me) that it's important to be really patient and let your body figure out its time table. I don't remember how much you're trying to lose but try to think of it this way--how many months or years did it take for you to add this weight. . .why should it be that quick and simple to take it off? Even if it's just baby weight-that took a while too.

Here's a story for you to follow: Strawberry Roan has done really well in the last few months by following (if I remember correctly) Vanilla No S but her check-in is always referencing her walking/gliding/working in the garden, mowing the lawn etc. activities. And it would stand to reason that she would probably have a bit more problems losing since she a "mature lady"--I can say that SR because I'm close to 60 myself! So Cassie, I'm guessing that with a little one, you're MUCH younger than Strawberry and I!. Now she didn't have a whole lot to lose like some of the rest of us but she did find success.

I know my loss really slows down when I don't get in my exercise such as it is.

I would advise, like Reinhard says in the podcasts, that messing with the rules is dangerous and tricky and should only be done after you've really given it a substantial time to work. But much of what you suggested don't really count as mods. . . just smart choices that don't have to do with the rules. I know that some of the members have had really good success with some mods. . . but I'd sure give it more time. Just remember that the farther you stray from the original plan, the more chances you give yourself to be in a restrictive plan that you'll stray from then where would you be. . . back to square one. We have lots of people who post regarding that as well.

Your HabitCal rules would stay the same for Vanilla No S. You could make another HabitCal for exercise and one for Veggies; keeping separate tabs on those will help you track your progress and the reason behind the progress.

So all of this to say -- don't limit your number of S days--make sure you're not 'Being an Idiot' on them however and hang in there. Be the turtle-slow and steady wins the race.
LA Loser. . . well on my way to becoming an LA Winner. :lol:

Cassie
Posts: 213
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 4:17 pm
Location: London

Post by Cassie » Sat Jun 20, 2009 3:12 pm

Thanks LA Loser! :D As always, you're really helpful.

OK so I think I'll add some moderate exercise & I'll do it on a 'have to do' basis (i.e. everyday minus S days). One option would be shovelglove just because those 14 mins sound really doable! One other option would be to use my pedometer again & just start adding those steps (but with a baby it's kind of hard to predict which days I can take long walks on).

As for the veggies, to be honest, I don't think that's actually a good mod for me because I already eat plenty of veg with most meals as it is. Maybe keeping an eye on that (i.e. 'success' being when I've had veg for both meals, 'failure' when I've had only for one or none) on HabitCal might make sense... but not as a mod. And I take your point that patience is needed & that adding an exercise regime might help on its own.

Thanks again.
If anyone else has further suggestions, especially about people who've been 'stuck' with their weight & then did things which helped... I'd be happy to hear!

By the way: I'm 36, and I need to lose about 30 pounds (14 kilos). And even then I won't be actually thin, merely average BMI ranger. Ideally I'd like to lose more, about 17 kilos (about 38 pounds). My BMI now is in the 'overweight' range.
Restarting NoS (after going back & forth over the last 4 years) in November 2013.

GOAL: to lose 10 kilos.
HAVE ACHIEVED SO FAR: 1.6 kilo

vmsurbat
Posts: 499
Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2008 6:12 am
Location: Montenegro

Post by vmsurbat » Sat Jun 20, 2009 6:14 pm

Cassie wrote:
Thanks again.
If anyone else has further suggestions, especially about people who've been 'stuck' with their weight & then did things which helped... I'd be happy to hear!
Cassie,

I've been NoSing for almost a year. Woohoo! During that time, there have been several occasions when my weightloss plateaued.

Here's what I've found to help me:

1. Being *very* strict about keeping Green on Ndays. The stricter I am, the fewer red days I have, the more weightloss (slowly) occurs. And I am not one to typically have one or two red days a week, more like two or three per month (and often *very* minor infractions). So, keeping my good habits up is very important for me.

2. Adding exercise as part of my Nday routine. It sounds like you are planning to do this--I added a 15 minute "toner" routine to my mornings in February (after a six week or so plateau) and this has really helped me. First, I am gradually getting some defined muscles under the flab. Second, the exercises themselves use up a small amount of calories. Third, increased muscle means increased metabolism. Adding moderate exercise is a win-win situation health and weight-wise.

I also use my pedometer as an encouragement to move more (and not always have the kids climb up and down the stairs to get something!). When I first used one, I averaged a paltry 3000 steps a day. Now (10 months later), I average 6000-7000 steps a day mainly by increasing my awareness to get moving more....

3. When I am following NoS eating habits and not losing, that means that I am eating a maintenance diet for my current (over) weight body. I've challenged myself to eat just a tiny bit less at one or two meals. I am NOT talking about smaller plates, eliminating food groups, or anything like that. No, just a *slightly* smaller serving of bread or a few cherries less or a thinner slice of cheese on a sandwich or filling my glass of milk/juice 1/4" lower than previously.

As I said, I saw it as a challenge--could I eat just a little bit less, finishing my meal feeling satisfied, and able to not get hungry until the next meal time. I found that I could at lunch (our main meal), not all at breakfast (I don't skimp here--it backfires on me), and sometimes at dinner (a lighter, more lunch-y meal for us).

I once read that the average "bite" of food is 25 calories. So, eliminating one or two "bites" per meal (hardly noticeable) adds up to a 100 calories a day and OVER TIME (along with moderate exercise) can add up to a couple of pounds a month.

I hope you find something useful in here. Getting the NoS Habits is the MAIN thing and it sounds like you are doing well. That's great. You now have an excellent foundation in your pursuit of health. I would encourage you to make exercise the next "habit" to build.

Best wishes,
Vicki in MNE
7! Yrs. with Vanilla NoS, down 55+lb, happily maintaining and still loving it!

wosnes
Posts: 4168
Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2006 3:38 pm
Location: Indianapolis, IN, USA

Post by wosnes » Sun Jun 21, 2009 3:30 pm

Cassie, I don't think the importance of exercise can be underestimated. It doesn't need to be a formal, go to the gym exercise program -- just MOVE more. Take your baby for a walk, take the dog for a walk (no dog? Pretend there is and it needs to be walked daily. Even 2-3 times daily). Make life a little less convenient. Pace when you're talking on the telephone. March in place for a minute or two at a time. It all counts and it all adds up.

I've read that you can't expect to lose weight without exercise. If you want to lose 2 lbs weekly (as a for instance), you need to create a calorie deficit of 7,000 calories. If you're counting on diet alone to do that, you need to eliminate 1,000 calories daily. That's nearly impossible for most of us. It's easier to create the deficit by combining a decrease in food intake and an increase in exercise.

I do think that initially many of us eat more at meals in an attempt to keep hunger at bay since we're not going to be snacking. It's probably not necessary.

http://zenhabits.net/2009/06/the-simple-fitness-rules/
"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."

User avatar
~reneew
Posts: 2190
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:20 pm
Location: midwest US

Post by ~reneew » Sun Jun 21, 2009 4:23 pm

vmsurbat wrote:

I once read that the average "bite" of food is 25 calories.
Wow... Great new concept for me! I'll give that one some thought! It puts it into perspective, and I'm sure it will save me a few bites. :wink: Thank you!!!
I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

User avatar
ams09
Posts: 21
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2009 8:55 pm
Location: North Texas

Post by ams09 » Sun Jun 21, 2009 6:03 pm

Great stuff here! That IS a good concept of leaving a couple bites of food. I started plateauing before I began No S less than a month ago and I still am. I realized I needed to up my exercise quotient. I hate that I'm stuck behind a desk all day at work and that most of the time I have to take the initiative to get up and move around because my job doesn't afford much opportunity to do that. I have begun going outside for a walk during the week as soon as I wake up and before showering and going to work. It's not as hard as I thought it would be. Can't walk after work. Texas + summer = heat index typically over 100 degrees.

So, I'm going to work on incorporating these two things into my daily routine - leave some bites on my plate and get moving like wosnes said.

Thanks for the ideas, everyone!

vmsurbat
Posts: 499
Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2008 6:12 am
Location: Montenegro

Post by vmsurbat » Mon Jun 22, 2009 5:35 am

~reneew wrote:
vmsurbat wrote:

I once read that the average "bite" of food is 25 calories.
Wow... Great new concept for me! I'll give that one some thought! It puts it into perspective, and I'm sure it will save me a few bites. :wink: Thank you!!!
This was mind-opening for me as well, and I've found it to be TRUE. Which is why I immediately began to lose some weight when I first started following NoS priniciples--I wasn't a chips-and-junk-food snacker, but I did snitch here and there while fixing dinner or cleaning up. All those "invisible" bites probably added up to several hundred calories a day. Yikes!

Also, just to clarify, I don't actually *leave* a few bites on my plate, I just try to take a *bit* less of a serving, seeing if I will be satisfied with less. I do it this way because I am (still, even after 11 months) fine-tuning eating the right amount at each meal. I'm MUCH better at this than before, but still have a slight tendency to take more than I really need. It's definitely a process to learn the difference between satisfied and sustained vs. overly full and stuffed. But a GREAT SKILL to acquire....(and makes NoS easy to follow longterm....)
Vicki in MNE
7! Yrs. with Vanilla NoS, down 55+lb, happily maintaining and still loving it!

User avatar
~reneew
Posts: 2190
Joined: Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:20 pm
Location: midwest US

Post by ~reneew » Mon Jun 22, 2009 9:01 pm

vmsurbat wrote: All those "invisible" bites probably added up to several hundred calories a day. Yikes!
Around the end of March (it's written on my daily check-in if you want to see) when I "thought" I was doing good and not loosing, I realized that I had been snitching a bit, so I sat down and calculated the day... I had snitched over 2000 calories that day! Honestly! From that day on, I don't let a bite pass my lips without thinking about it.
I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me

Cassie
Posts: 213
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 4:17 pm
Location: London

Post by Cassie » Tue Jun 30, 2009 10:20 am

I just wanted to update everyone who so kindly wrote their thoughts & ideas in this thread last week. So, I've made a huge decision (well, huge for me anyway!!) to gradually build up to 20 mins jogging a day which hopefully will help trigger weight loss at last. For many reasons (which I could discuss if you want) I thought 20 mins jogging a day would be doable since it doesn't involve anything really complex like going to a gym etc. My partner has agreed to take over anything to do with our baby in the early morning (or evening, depending on when I will jog on each day) so I have his full support.

Given that I'm completely unfit & out of shape (but COMPLETELY!!) I am at the moment alternating jogging for half a minute ( :oops: ) with 1 min walking, & keeping this up for 20 mins. Hopefully, by doing this every day, I'll gradually increase my stamina & the jogging time will end up being 20 mins (my aim is to achieve this in 2-3 months, I'm not in a hurry).

Thanks to everyone who underlined the importance of exercise, it feels a momentous step for me to start exercising, I'm 36 & haven't exercised for years & years & YEARS. Will let you know how it goes.
Restarting NoS (after going back & forth over the last 4 years) in November 2013.

GOAL: to lose 10 kilos.
HAVE ACHIEVED SO FAR: 1.6 kilo

kccc
Posts: 3957
Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:12 am

Post by kccc » Tue Jun 30, 2009 1:17 pm

Cassie, good for you!! I promise that if you get the exercise habit at your age, by the time you reach mine you will be SO GRATEFUL that you made that choice! :) The impact on quality of life is quite dramatic.

I've just started running too, and am doing a program called "Couch to 5K" (couch = couch potato). You can google it. It's a graduated program that starts with intervals and builds up. I've found a podcast that keeps the time for me. You run 3x/week, with a recovery day between each run (I do my usual yoga/Pilates on recovery days, which helps with stiffness).

I'm really impressed that you're sticking with this - it's hard when you don't see immediate success. I bet adding exercise will be just the catalyst you need.

Best wishes!

Cassie
Posts: 213
Joined: Wed Mar 04, 2009 4:17 pm
Location: London

Post by Cassie » Sun Jul 05, 2009 7:56 am

KCCC- the 'couch to 5K' program sounds good!

So: I've been doing the walking / jogging every morning for 20-30 minutes before breakfast for the last 10 days. I've also now got a lovely pair of running shoes. Its been going great, I love being out in the cool air around 7 in the morning :) . It's also a much-needed time alone, without my baby (partner looks after him).

BUT BUT BUT....

I still haven't lost anything. Not a thing. Not a gram. Zilch. :( :( :(

I'm really disappointed. I have very very few reds on my HabitCal (and those I have are not because of huge slip-ups, just the occasional starter when out with a friend). I know I need to work on no reds at all. That's one thing. The other thing is that on september 1 I think I'll decide on a moderation (not sure which one, still). I say september 1 because in august we'll go on holiday & my goal will be just to do NoS & continue with my jogging. But in september (by which point I'll be following vanilla NoS for 4 months) I'll be ready to decide on a mild moderation to see if that helps.

I'm really keen to lose some weight & I cannot believe I'm having this endless plateau...
Restarting NoS (after going back & forth over the last 4 years) in November 2013.

GOAL: to lose 10 kilos.
HAVE ACHIEVED SO FAR: 1.6 kilo

kccc
Posts: 3957
Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:12 am

Post by kccc » Sun Jul 05, 2009 2:32 pm

Cassie, I'm impressed that you've stuck with it when you've seen such disappointing results!

Hopefully, the exercise will make a difference. I think your approach to try that and see (and wait until the holidays are over, etc.) is very smart.

In the fall, here are some ideas...
- Take a hard look at your plates, and what's on them. Are there "easy improvements" you could make? More whole-grains/veggies, less processed stuff? Are they stacked higher than they need to be?
- Take a look at other metrics, like measurements. A friend of mine just dropped two sizes without losing a pound!
- Take a hard look at S-days. I can easily lose on N-days and gain it back on S-days. Do they need (some) attention?

But until then, just focus on keeping your N-days green and not having too many NWS days, and keeping up with your new exercise program. And hang on!

(We're rooting for you!)

Post Reply