A lot of people (including Reinhard) have mentioned that S days become more moderate over time. So, I was just wondering how long it has taken some veteran No S-ers to have moderate S days. I've been on the diet for about a month, and my S days are still very excessive. I don't even have my N days down or anything, but I just want to know more about how long it has taken other No S-ers to become more moderate in their S days. It's obviously very frustrating to find that the week's (typically) good behavior is undone by indulgences and bingeing during the weekend.
So, I have a few questions for old-time No S-ers. First of all, how long did it take for you to feel like you had a sense of control on your S days? Do you ever binge any more (if so, how often)? What does a typical S day look like for you? Do you count S events or do vanilla no s? If you count S events, how many events do you have per S day?
Thanks so much for any input. Also, if you have any other advice about the S day issue, let me know! I listened to Reinhard's podcast concerning this issue and found it very helpful, but I was hoping for even more clarification. I'm so frustrated because I want to enjoy my S days and instead I dread them and the loss of control I feel around food during the weekend.
Moderate S Days
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gratefuldeb67
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It took me and my Son a few years for this to happen fully.
These days, on average, we have two to three S treats per weekend, each.
But don't worry about S days. Really, just focus you attention on N days and you will be ahead of the game and let your S days be times to relax.
Debs
These days, on average, we have two to three S treats per weekend, each.
But don't worry about S days. Really, just focus you attention on N days and you will be ahead of the game and let your S days be times to relax.
DebsThere is no Wisdom greater than Kindness
Well, take first things first. Don't worry about the S days until you've got the N days under control.
I've been doing this nearly 3 years, and I'd guess that it took me a good year not to overdo or want to overdo on every S day. Now the majority of my S days look a lot like my N days with the exception of the fact that I allow myself an extra treat. If I happen to be doing something on an S day where food can be involved (like going to a sporting event or a bridal shower or just out for dinner), I indulge and don't worry about it -- possibly, no, probably, in addition to having my regular treat.
About "S events": To me, S days are Saturday, Sunday and religious or national holidays. S events are occasions -- events or celebrations where I want to indulge, but not a whole day of indulging. So, like some have a book club they attend monthly and there's a snack or dessert served -- they have the snack or dessert. Birthdays -- my own, family or close friends -- I can have cake or whatever else is being served. A special friend comes to town and we're going to dinner -- I can have appetizer, meal and dessert. But the point is, those events aren't license to go crazy all day.
I think the problem initially for most folks is that they see S days as license to go wild or binge -- and they're not! They are license to relax a little with what/how you eat. Have the snack, have the dessert, maybe have seconds of your favorite dish. I think that there are no more than a handful of days annually when it's okay to really throw caution to the wind: the national and religious holidays. But not 104+ days to go wild!
The point of No-S is to learn moderation in eating habits. In the "How to Get Fat Without Really Trying" videos on YouTube that Bushranger linked to, Marion Nestle said something about making it more convenient to eat larger amounts of food at more different eating occasions being at the root of the problem (and making it socially acceptable, to boot). That's what we want to get away from. That's not been acceptable until very recently. Every family had slightly different habits -- but generally eating as much as you wanted whenever you wanted it was NOT acceptable. To add insult to injury, we stopped moving. Instead of being out moving around, we're planted in front of our computers or televisions or various video games.
As time has gone by, I've relaxed some about being vigilant on N days. For example, some friends own a cafe and I usually eat lunch or dinner there sometime during the week. They make some wonderful desserts. Sometimes I have one -- sometimes I don't. It's no big deal now.
Actually, I've learned which ones are worth splurging on!
I've been doing this nearly 3 years, and I'd guess that it took me a good year not to overdo or want to overdo on every S day. Now the majority of my S days look a lot like my N days with the exception of the fact that I allow myself an extra treat. If I happen to be doing something on an S day where food can be involved (like going to a sporting event or a bridal shower or just out for dinner), I indulge and don't worry about it -- possibly, no, probably, in addition to having my regular treat.
About "S events": To me, S days are Saturday, Sunday and religious or national holidays. S events are occasions -- events or celebrations where I want to indulge, but not a whole day of indulging. So, like some have a book club they attend monthly and there's a snack or dessert served -- they have the snack or dessert. Birthdays -- my own, family or close friends -- I can have cake or whatever else is being served. A special friend comes to town and we're going to dinner -- I can have appetizer, meal and dessert. But the point is, those events aren't license to go crazy all day.
I think the problem initially for most folks is that they see S days as license to go wild or binge -- and they're not! They are license to relax a little with what/how you eat. Have the snack, have the dessert, maybe have seconds of your favorite dish. I think that there are no more than a handful of days annually when it's okay to really throw caution to the wind: the national and religious holidays. But not 104+ days to go wild!
The point of No-S is to learn moderation in eating habits. In the "How to Get Fat Without Really Trying" videos on YouTube that Bushranger linked to, Marion Nestle said something about making it more convenient to eat larger amounts of food at more different eating occasions being at the root of the problem (and making it socially acceptable, to boot). That's what we want to get away from. That's not been acceptable until very recently. Every family had slightly different habits -- but generally eating as much as you wanted whenever you wanted it was NOT acceptable. To add insult to injury, we stopped moving. Instead of being out moving around, we're planted in front of our computers or televisions or various video games.
As time has gone by, I've relaxed some about being vigilant on N days. For example, some friends own a cafe and I usually eat lunch or dinner there sometime during the week. They make some wonderful desserts. Sometimes I have one -- sometimes I don't. It's no big deal now.
Actually, I've learned which ones are worth splurging on!
"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."
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oliviamanda
- Posts: 299
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- Location: South Jersey, NJ
I agree that you need to get the N days down first. Yesterday, I said yes to certain S day treats and no to others. I told my mom I am not wasting my S day on some old cupcakes or loaded ice cream that I thought I was in the mood for, instead I SHARED a piece of PB pie a the diner with a friend last night, I had a small creme caramel for tea time, and for breakfast I had a 1/2 choc croissant. Now the creme caramel wasn't that good, but I ate it anyway because it was small. I wish I would've stopped when I realized I wasn't enjoying it as much as I would've liked.
During the week I say no to the sweets and think about what I really want on the weekend. I don't want to undo all my progress by eating lots of sweets all in 2 days because then I might as well have spaced them out over the whole week (and that's not going to work). Good luck!
During the week I say no to the sweets and think about what I really want on the weekend. I don't want to undo all my progress by eating lots of sweets all in 2 days because then I might as well have spaced them out over the whole week (and that's not going to work). Good luck!
Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time.--- Mark Twain
I like the idea, but how do you record it on habitcal? I wish there was an orange.wosnes wrote: About "S events": To me, S days are Saturday, Sunday and religious or national holidays. S events are occasions -- events or celebrations where I want to indulge, but not a whole day of indulging. So, like some have a book club they attend monthly and there's a snack or dessert served -- they have the snack or dessert. Birthdays -- my own, family or close friends -- I can have cake or whatever else is being served. A special friend comes to town and we're going to dinner -- I can have appetizer, meal and dessert. But the point is, those events aren't license to go crazy all day.
I guess this doesn't work unless you actually do it.
Please pray for me
Please pray for me
The key for me was to get to the point where I didn't want to overdo on S-Days, and I think it took me about 3 months to get there. I started feeling so terrific on N-Days that I didn't want that feeling to end just because it was an S-Day. Most of my S-Day indulgences just weren't worth it when contrasted with how I felt on N-Days. I agree with focusing on your N-Days, in a really positive way -- think about how you feel and if you're not feeling fabulous, figure out what you need to do to make your N-Days really compelling. I think it's important to get the N-Days to the point where you are enjoying them so much that you will want to make your S-Days sort of N-ish.wosnes wrote:... it took me a good year not to overdo or want to overdo on every S day. Now the majority of my S days look a lot like my N days ...
I don't use habitcal, but isn't there a yellow for S days/events?~reneew wrote:I like the idea, but how do you record it on habitcal? I wish there was an orange.wosnes wrote: About "S events": To me, S days are Saturday, Sunday and religious or national holidays. S events are occasions -- events or celebrations where I want to indulge, but not a whole day of indulging. So, like some have a book club they attend monthly and there's a snack or dessert served -- they have the snack or dessert. Birthdays -- my own, family or close friends -- I can have cake or whatever else is being served. A special friend comes to town and we're going to dinner -- I can have appetizer, meal and dessert. But the point is, those events aren't license to go crazy all day.
"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."
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Vigilant2010
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Hmmm, I LIKE the idea of marking days with just 1 S event as orange! That would feel like an accomplishment.
Blogging my way to a healthier lifestyle at http://www.21days-at-a-time.blogspot.com
Well, 10 months in following this diet, and my S Days are still way over the top. I am not sure why, but I am not trying to control them at all. There is some need I have to eat a lot, and I find it easy to follow N Day rules if I know there is an S Day in the future.
I decided to go to one S Day per week plus two floaters per month, and now I'm cutting the number of S Days to 1 per month plus two floaters. When I was explaining to my husband what I was doing and why, he just did not understand at all. Is it really necessary to spend $5 on a caramel apple?
We all have finanical and caloric budgets, and I think I am a person who likes the every once in a while splurge rather than the constant daily treat. I am starting to think that my S Days will always be over the top.
As for S events, I think the weekday exceptions serve a different purpose than the weekend S days. The exceptions are more about enjoying others when food is part of socializing, and I decided just to have S events for those.
I've been listening to podcasts by the Yale University Center for Food Policy and Obesity, and I just heard one which was an interview of the professor who wrote Mindless Eating. He said something very interesting. He said he thought a realistic goal is to have mindless eating without overeating rather than to have a goal of mindful eating. To me, that is what this diet is all about. You have to experiment a little to figure out what works for you. I suspect I will never get to the point where I can have an S event without counting it and not fall right off a cliff into overeating. I need the structure that comes with perfect accounting for the days. That's OK. Wosnes has been following this diet for three years, so maybe this is something I can also do in a couple of years. For right now, however, I know I cannot do it because I tried it unlimited exception events last month!
I think it's great that Reinhard encourages people to test out different modifications to the diet. You just have to figure out your own. That may take some time. As others have advised, don't worry about S Day eating until N Day eating becomes what is natural and normal for you.
Kathleen
I decided to go to one S Day per week plus two floaters per month, and now I'm cutting the number of S Days to 1 per month plus two floaters. When I was explaining to my husband what I was doing and why, he just did not understand at all. Is it really necessary to spend $5 on a caramel apple?
We all have finanical and caloric budgets, and I think I am a person who likes the every once in a while splurge rather than the constant daily treat. I am starting to think that my S Days will always be over the top.
As for S events, I think the weekday exceptions serve a different purpose than the weekend S days. The exceptions are more about enjoying others when food is part of socializing, and I decided just to have S events for those.
I've been listening to podcasts by the Yale University Center for Food Policy and Obesity, and I just heard one which was an interview of the professor who wrote Mindless Eating. He said something very interesting. He said he thought a realistic goal is to have mindless eating without overeating rather than to have a goal of mindful eating. To me, that is what this diet is all about. You have to experiment a little to figure out what works for you. I suspect I will never get to the point where I can have an S event without counting it and not fall right off a cliff into overeating. I need the structure that comes with perfect accounting for the days. That's OK. Wosnes has been following this diet for three years, so maybe this is something I can also do in a couple of years. For right now, however, I know I cannot do it because I tried it unlimited exception events last month!
I think it's great that Reinhard encourages people to test out different modifications to the diet. You just have to figure out your own. That may take some time. As others have advised, don't worry about S Day eating until N Day eating becomes what is natural and normal for you.
Kathleen
It's like Pam Anderson (the cookbook author) said in The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great: “Diets are like trying to sell everyone the same style and size shoe. If this way of eating is forced and not really you, you’ll revert to your old patterns every time. Better to find a way to eat for life.â€Kathleen wrote:
I think it's great that Reinhard encourages people to test out different modifications to the diet. You just have to figure out your own. That may take some time. As others have advised, don't worry about S Day eating until N Day eating becomes what is natural and normal for you.
Kathleen
"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."
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guadopt1997
- Posts: 339
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- Location: Arlington, VA
Tweaks vs. loopholes! :)
I too agree that making this work for each of us individually is key and that it's great that Reinhard approves of people figuring that out for themselves. . . however, it's always critical to remember that before we try creating our own solutions that we give the Vanilla No S a really solid effort then we can work backward--way after getting our green days green and having good habits firmly established. The trilogy (or soon to be trilogy-it's still a duo!) about tweaks/mods, etc. speak to this very strongly.
I know that for me, stubbon gal that I am who has always tried to find a loophole, it would have been easy early on to find all sorts of my own little twists on this diet and I would have been right back at square one with nothing to show for it.
Kathleen IS finding success with No S but she has evaluated carefully what tweaks she has made and did not do those quickly. From what I think I'm seeing you do Kathleen, is that you are still being really really strict on N days, limiting your number of S days, but when you DO have an S day, there are no limits on what you eat. Sounds like a variation on a theme that is working for you.
So yes--we are free to make our own choices and adjustments--but as others have said, I would just be very careful doing that relatively early on.
I know that for me, stubbon gal that I am who has always tried to find a loophole, it would have been easy early on to find all sorts of my own little twists on this diet and I would have been right back at square one with nothing to show for it.
Kathleen IS finding success with No S but she has evaluated carefully what tweaks she has made and did not do those quickly. From what I think I'm seeing you do Kathleen, is that you are still being really really strict on N days, limiting your number of S days, but when you DO have an S day, there are no limits on what you eat. Sounds like a variation on a theme that is working for you.
So yes--we are free to make our own choices and adjustments--but as others have said, I would just be very careful doing that relatively early on.
LA Loser. . . well on my way to becoming an LA Winner. 