Everyday Systems

Hello - I am new and had a question for those who have been NoS ing for awhile, do cravings for sugar during the week start to subside? I guess I'm still having sort of excessive S day's and that may be the problem. I tend to crave and then eat a lot of chocolate, ice cream, sugary stuff in general and then deal with withdrawl all week. I've only been able to last 2 full weeks and then this last week I broke down and ate sweets on Thursday...So, anyway I guess my question is will this really naturally resolve itself - or do I really have a problem with sugar and have to quit it entirely...
Thanks!
Sierra

Well, remember it's not sugar, it's "sweets."

What I do doesn't follow the letter of the No-S law, but I two cookies daily. I find it keeps me from going crazy on S days and I probably eat fewer sweets by doing that than if I eat them on S days only.

It's not vanilla No-S, but it works for me.

How long does it take you to get the cravings out of your system?

Prior to No-S, I used to do what I called "sugar detoxes" regularly, when I noticed my consumption had gotten really over-the-top. I would quit, cold-turkey, not only sugar but as many refined flours as I could get rid of.

It usually took 3 days for the cravings to subside. Then I'd eat at reasonable levels for a while, then consumption would creep up... lather, rinse, repeat.

With No-S, I tend to stay "de-toxed." Because N-days are the default, two S-days don't push me over the edge.

So, while I don't know how it works for you, give it a while. I bet that it will get easier over time.

(Note - there's a LOT of diabetes in my family, so I think I'm rather pre-disposed to sugar sensitivity - one reason I really want to keep my weight under control.)

Sierra,

I'm sure everyone is different, but I've had a HUGE change in how much I crave sweets during the week. Type II diabetes runs rampant in my family so I'm sure I'm very sensitive to it...of course that never stopped me from eating far too much of it before NoS!

If you are ready to give up in the middle of the week, try to put some raisins on your plate...or try a yogurt smoothie (1 yogurt container, 1 banana, a handful of frozen strawberries, one equal, and about 5 ice cubes...this will serve 2)...or freeze some Capri Suns and eat one as a slushie (they needs to sit out of the freezer for about 30 minutes, then they are wonderful).

Try very hard not to give in and eat refined sugar...the cravings WILL subside, but the more you feed them, the longer it will take.

Hang in there!!!
janie

I'm still fairly new to No S myself, and I'm finding that my cravings for sweets have dramatically gone down over the past two months. I'll disclose that I'm not doing Vanilla No S, either. I do allow myself a small portion of sweets on my lunch plate when there's something in my house that I really want, but if there's not, I'm now able to skip sweets for that day.
Actually, I'm at the point now where if I eat too many sweets like today (went to a birthday party), I get a huge blood sugar crash, so it's not worth it to me to eat a lot of sweets anymore.

Hi Wosnes, KCCC, Janie and Clarinetgal,

Thank you all for your input!
I was really starting to feel discouraged and thought maybe No S was great if you didn't have a problem with sweets, but now I'm realizing it may just resolve itself on its own, which would be wonderful! Actually on the weeks when I had no slip ups (all green N days) on Saturday I would have lost my desire to have whatever sugary concoction I had fantasized about during the week...but I stubbornly insisted on eating way too many sweets anyway, and then Sunday's I would have full on cravings again and eat way too much sugar, so that would probably explain basically going through 'detox' every week.

Anyway thanks for all the advice/encouragement, I will keep going and see what happens (p.s. Other then the sugar obsession I love this plan...I call it my 'Good Food Hygiene' plan because just like 'good sleep hygiene' it is a set of simple rules that really makes eating and not eating pleasurable, and does lead to effortless weight loss.)

Sierra

Sierra,

I do hope all these suggestions help...

I think the really unusual characteristic of this plan is that the longer you adhere to it, the more you'll see internal changes. Instead of learning to count points or fat grams or avoid foods forever, your body will adjust to not wanting to eat snacks, sweets or seconds during the week. It starts to become a natural way of eating...and the weekends start being an extension of that.

I have miles to go before I can consider this adventure accomplished, but I've been working on this for long enough to realize that instead of this getting harder & harder to stick with, as with so many diets, No S can become more & more of a lifestyle. Someone here once said that it's as if we're learning how to maintain with this before we're even done losing...and I think that was exactly right. The changes are internal and that is not necessarily easy, but far more permanent.

Hang in there Sierra!
janie

howfunisthat wrote:
I think the really unusual characteristic of this plan is that the longer you adhere to it, the more you'll see internal changes. Instead of learning to count points or fat grams or avoid foods forever, your body will adjust to not wanting to eat snacks, sweets or seconds during the week. It starts to become a natural way of eating...and the weekends start being an extension of that.

I've definitely noticed this -- even though yesterday was an S day, I didn't snack because I had no *desire* to snack. Unheard-of in the past!

jbettin...isn't it weird to NOT want to snack? This whole adventure is amazing!

janie
BTW...I'm a mom of 4 too!

Hi Sierra, I also have a HUGE sweet tooth! Over the years I gradually and gently reduced my sugar consumption and now I'm doing the No S Diet and am doing fine with only eating sweets a little on weekends. Just a small dish of ice cream on Saturday and another one on Sunday. That's it. If you'd told me 10 years ago that that's all the sweets I'd be eating I'd have said you were crazy!!!

So, yes, your cravings will go away.

But going cold turkey on sweets is really hard. If I were you, I'd give it some time. For right now, I'd cut out what you can, but keep the indulgences that are really important to you. Just by doing that, your cravings will start to reduce. And then, later, when you've begun to lose weight and you see how good you look, you will feel encouraged and will be able to cut out more sweets without pain.

Eventually you will be able to do "Vanilla No S" and not feel deprived. But, for now, be gentle with yourself and give it time. You'll get there!

Kathy B.