HOW MANY TRIES DID IT TAKE YOU TO STICK WITH THIS?

lindamia · Post by **lindamia** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 3:08 am

Hi, I just started the No-S diet on Sept. 21st. Yesterday and today I have cheated by having chocolate. I know in the book he says it takes most people a few times to really stick with it and not cheat, but I need some encouragement so I'm hoping to hear from others who struggled in the beginning. How many attempts did it take for you? What finally made it stick?

Thanks all.

NoelFigart · Post by **NoelFigart** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 8:51 am

I have struggled a LOT.

My internal switch happened when I realized that no dramatic solution was going to work and if I couldn't cope with a moderate, daily solution, my maturity really needed examining. (If I can't deal with moderate dailyness at 40, that's just to embarrassing to face!)

carla70 · Post by **carla70** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 10:41 am

This is my upteenth time starting this. I think I have tried everydiet imaginable. But I am determined to make this work.

I am turning 40 in January and I feel like I have accomplished nothing in my life. So weight is something I can accomplish and I will and No S is going to help get me there.

guadopt1997 · Post by **guadopt1997** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 12:17 pm

This is my first time and I have been following no_S since January 28. That does not mean that every N day has been perfect. Plus I had a short derailment of a few days after Memorial Day weekend and one week off out of a three-week vacation.

I love no-S! Good luck to you.

NoelFigart · Post by **NoelFigart** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 12:34 pm

carla70 wrote:This is my upteenth time starting this. I think I have tried everydiet imaginable. But I am determined to make this work.

I am turning 40 in January and I feel like I have accomplished nothing in my life. So weight is something I can accomplish and I will and No S is going to help get me there.

Honestly? I'm willing to bet money that you've accomplished plenty and you're not giving yourself credit. Oh yes, clean up your eating habits! That's a great and worthwhile thing to do.

But think about it. I bet you know how to do things, have had experiences, have had your heart broken and survived and all kinds of OTHER cool stuff, too!

Blithe Morning · Post by **Blithe Morning** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 1:02 pm

I've been on No S since March 2008. There have been times I've been completely compliant and times I have completely ignored the rules. However, since I never intentionally adopted another style of No S, I still considered it my eating plan.

No S is for life, in every sense of the phrase.

carla70 · Post by **carla70** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 1:23 pm

Honestly? I'm willing to bet money that you've accomplished plenty and you're not giving yourself credit. Oh yes, clean up your eating habits! That's a great and worthwhile thing to do.

But think about it. I bet you know how to do things, have had experiences, have had your heart broken and survived and all kinds of OTHER cool stuff, too![/quote]

Thank you for those words of encouragement.

I guess considering that I once was 296 and lost to 168 that was accomplishment but now I am up almost 20 pounds and feel not so good about that and want to get back down and finally to goal.

Again, thanks

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 2:44 pm

NOTHING has made Vanilla No-S stick for me. I'm not at all worried about that. It works for Reinhard and lots of other people, but I'm not Reinhard OR those other people. I'm me -- and I've never done well following rules set by someone else that affect only my life/behavior.

It's more important to me to make this work for me -- instead of me working to follow the "rules" of No-S.

I usually eat 2-4 cookies daily. For me, by eating cookies daily I eat less than if I have them only on S days. If I decide not to have cookies on any given day, that's okay, too.

Late the other night I turned on the TV and found some infomercial about a diet plan. It didn't interest me, but one thing the author said stuck with me. He was implying that "diet" is a 4-letter-word. He said that if it's not something you can do for the rest of your life, it's a "diet." The ability to choose to have cookies daily is what keeps this from being a "diet" for me.

With daily cookies, I can do this for the rest of my life.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 2:53 pm

For me personally, I found that there's been a big difference in how I am doing now, than six months ago.. Same thing happened for me when I originally came to NoS for the first time.. Took me about six months to feel I really was living it without too many failures or major temptations to overeat or have sweets, and not have insane S days..
Good luck and stick with it because it does get better and easier with time!

Debs

bluebunny27 · Post by **bluebunny27** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 3:05 pm

Huh, just one try is enough for me ... when you are motivated you know nothing can stop you, no reason to quit ... you just fight through adversity. If it takes more than one time, it means you are not 100% ready to make the changes required to succeed.

If it gets tough it means you are doing something right anyway. You have to stress your body in order to lose weight, no discomfort at all means you aren't working hard enough (diet& exercise) A calorie deficit through diet&exercise is supposed to stress the body or else, no progress.

Instead of trying something and quitting I just go-go-go ... not giving up is a big part of the program. An occasional cheating is not the end of the world, just make sure it doesn't happen too often of course, but in my opinion if you are good at least 80-85% of the time it should work in the long run. Just make sure not to sabotage yourself by binge eating too often. Don't go off the deep end eating a whole bag of cookies, it might take a week to get back to where you were then ... so that's frustrating.

I don't understand why it's so hard for people and they quit, this is supposed to be hard, you have to be expecting this from the get go. If you expect it to be easy and not to have to make a lot of sacrifices, you better make new plans.

It's important not to set goals that are too hard to achieve as well of course - - 1-2 pounds per week, so you don't have to starve yourself or exercise for hours either. I usually eat 2,600-2,700 calories per day so it's not like I'm staring at nearly empty plates all the time - - but I exercise hard at least 30 minutes nearly every day too. Works for me.

You can make lil' changes here and there to make the program easier for you of course, I did that many times as Vanilla no-s was tough for me considering I am exercising a lot so I'm not training on an empty stomach to be able to perform and make it through the work out.

The main thing is to cut down on the calories you eat daily and increase your exercise as well to create the calorie deficit you need to lose weight. Good habits will produce awesome results after a while.

Cheers !

Marc

Nichole · Post by **Nichole** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 3:19 pm

I'm not doing No-S to a tee (I eat snacks), but I have made over my diet to be pretty healthy overall (though not perfect). I found it to be a very gradual process of trying different things, finding what works and lots of research. Just keep on going and find what works for you. I just try not to let slips become habits. Slips are inevitable, I think

BrightAngel · Post by **BrightAngel** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 3:35 pm

wosnes wrote:NOTHING has made Vanilla No-S stick for me.
It works for Reinhard and lots of other people,
but I'm not Reinhard OR those other people.
I'm me -- and I've never done well following rules set by someone else that affect only my life/behavior.

It's more important to me to make this work for me -- instead of me working to follow the "rules" of No-S.

"Diet" is a 4-letter-word.
If it's not something you can do for the rest of your life, it's a "diet."
With --(my modifications)--I can do this for the rest of my life.

Comment above is very similiar to my own position.

Nichole · Post by **Nichole** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 3:55 pm

BrightAngel wrote:
wosnes wrote:NOTHING has made Vanilla No-S stick for me.
It works for Reinhard and lots of other people,
but I'm not Reinhard OR those other people.
I'm me -- and I've never done well following rules set by someone else that affect only my life/behavior.

It's more important to me to make this work for me -- instead of me working to follow the "rules" of No-S.

"Diet" is a 4-letter-word.
If it's not something you can do for the rest of your life, it's a "diet."
With --(my modifications)--I can do this for the rest of my life.
Comment above is very similiar to my own position.

Me too, lol. While I try to eat mostly healthy, I do have a little something every other day or so. I know this doesn't work for everybody though, and would never try to convince people to eat like I eat. Everyone needs to find what works for them.

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 4:14 pm

bluebunny27 wrote:Huh, just one try is enough for me ... when you are motivated you know nothing can stop you, no reason to quit ... you just fight through adversity. If it takes more than one time, it means you are not 100% ready to make the changes required to succeed.

If it gets tough it means you are doing something right anyway. You have to stress your body in order to lose weight, no discomfort at all means you aren't working hard enough (diet& exercise) A calorie deficit through diet&exercise is supposed to stress the body or else, no progress.

Instead of trying something and quitting I just go-go-go ... not giving up is a big part of the program. An occasional cheating is not the end of the world, just make sure it doesn't happen too often of course, but in my opinion if you are good at least 80-85% of the time it should work in the long run. Just make sure not to sabotage yourself by binge eating too often. Don't go off the deep end eating a whole bag of cookies, it might take a week to get back to where you were then ... so that's frustrating.

I don't understand why it's so hard for people and they quit, this is supposed to be hard, you have to be expecting this from the get go. If you expect it to be easy and not to have to make a lot of sacrifices, you better make new plans.

You can make lil' changes here and there to make the program easier for you of course. The main thing is to cut down on the calories you eat daily and increase your exercise as well to create the calorie deficit you need to lose weight. Good habits will produce awesome results after a while.

Cheers !

Marc

I don't understand why it has to be hard!

A couple of weeks ago on the Today Show there was a segment about picking a diet that suited your personality. People do well with different things.

I've often quoted a statement Pam Anderson (no, not THAT Pam Anderson) made in her book The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great: â€œDiets are like trying to sell everyone the same style and size shoe. If this way of eating is forced and not really you, youâ€™ll revert to your old patterns every time. Better to find a way to eat for life.â€

That thought comes from Barbara Sher's Live the Life You Love in which she says to forget what you've read about what motivates or works for other people and build a life based on what motivates and works for you. Nothing is wrong with you if you don't succeed following "x" program; it's just not the right program for you. Sometimes one just needs to tweak the program a little to have it be right for you; sometimes one needs a totally different program (and probably tweak that as well). There is no one "right" method for doing anything.

Barbara Sher wrote:Our culture often equates the ability to endure punishment with excellence. We believe that if you donâ€™t have the guts to suffer, you donâ€™t deserve to win. For damaged, bitter characters...that philosophy may really be a lifesaver. But what about the rest of us? A lot of people with other kinds of genius get thrown on the trash heap when endurance is the main measure of worthiness. I wonder how many gifted people are walking around thinking they donâ€™t have what it takes because they couldnâ€™t make it through gym class. , or a punishing college experience, or some other endurance-based change model.

Funny thing is that I think Reinhard thought this was an easy, pretty painless way to lose weight.

kccc · Post by **kccc** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 4:18 pm

lindamia wrote:Hi, I just started the No-S diet on Sept. 21st. Yesterday and today I have cheated by having chocolate. I know in the book he says it takes most people a few times to really stick with it and not cheat, but I need some encouragement so I'm hoping to hear from others who struggled in the beginning. How many attempts did it take for you? What finally made it stick?

Thanks all.

I don't know that this question is really answerable. I've been following No-S for about two years, I think. During that time, there have been a lot of times when I haven't quite stuck to it for one reason or another. Do each of those count as an attempt? If so... I can't count them.

On the other hand...

1) With this diet, it's hardest at the beginning and gets easier later. Honest. And strictness at the beginning really pays off. (I very strongly recommend the Strictness podcast, btw.)

2) "Slips" don't last as long as they used to. I used to "blow it" by the week on other diets ("I'll start again Monday"). On No-S, I used to blow it by the day. ("It's already red, so..." Uh, that's like saying "I put a small dent in the car, guess I'll run it into a wall!"). Now, I may have something that's technically "red"... and I call it, but stay in compliance the rest of the day. ("Mark it and move on!")

So, don't beat yourself up, just start again from where ever you are. Over time, small changes add up, become habit, and are a foundation for new small changes.

Best wishes.

~reneew · Post by **~reneew** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 5:36 pm

I think it all depends on how stupidly stubborn and greedy I am. I'm healing from the inside.

guadopt1997 · Post by **guadopt1997** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 6:15 pm

"Slips" don't last as long as they used to. I used to "blow it" by the week on other diets ("I'll start again Monday"). Now, I may have something that's technically "red"... and I call it, but stay in compliance the rest of the day. ("Mark it and move on!")

This, to me, is at the very heart of why I am so sold on No-S.

Jammin' Jan · Post by **Jammin' Jan** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 6:40 pm

I've been at this since 2005 and I'm only just "getting" it. Whatever it takes!

mimi · Post by **mimi** » Fri Oct 02, 2009 9:40 pm

Hmmm...how many attempts? Don't know exactly - but there were many. I first discovered NoS back in 2007 from the owner of the local Curves where I was a member. I did well for several months and then was derailed after a vacation. I made multiple attempts after that, only to have all of them fail. Then I tried intuitive eating for awhile, but was very unsuccessful with that. I was never really sure if I was really hungry, and ate whenever my stomach made a noise. I wasn't successful determining fullness either. Last fall I joined WW once again after seeing some friends having success with it. I lost about 16 pounds, but all the *counting* and keeping track of everything that went into my mouth almost broke me. I was sitting at my kitchen table one day in tears, and through those tears I noticed my NoS magnet up on the refrigerator - and it was like an *a-ha* epiphany moment. That was on April 30 of this year and I have been following NoS ever since. Have I had slip-ups? Yes, many, but much like KCCC, I continue from where I am and don't *drive my car over the cliff* after a little dent! Recently I've had two major physical set-backs in my life and have continued with NoS. This has caused me to really believe that I've turned the corner this time...but, I will be cautiously optomistic all the same!
Keep trying and the habits will develop...weight loss will come too. I wish you the best in your NoS journey!

Mimi

kwonset · Post by **kwonset** » Sat Oct 03, 2009 1:56 am

Wosnes wrote:

Funny thing is that I think Reinhard thought this was an easy, pretty painless way to lose weight.

I have found No S to be just that---easy and painless and the weight is going. I just don't give in when I think "ummm, chips" or "yum. ice cream". I eat three meals, and seem able to make it to the next. Painlessly. I missed lunch today as my shop was too busy, but dinner was one plate, and very tasty.

I'm down about 9 pounds the first month; I can't make the exercise part be as easy and painless as the food part, but I definitely can make this the way I eat forever.

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 5:30 am

I'm still working on this. I started in July. Like a few other people have mentioned, I just don't think I can do Vanilla No S. What works for me (when I stick with it), is to still eat three meals, but to allow myself a dessert with lunch or dinner -- as long as it fits on my plate. I've been really slipping the past few days, because my husband's birthday was on Wednesday and my sister's birthday was on Friday, so my sweets cravings have kicked up again big time. I'm going on vacation for a couple of days, and I'll try not to let my eating get too wild and crazy, and then I'll get back to my eating plan on Wednesday.

Dandelion · Post by **Dandelion** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 3:50 pm

I don't find this difficult at all - but this fits *me* rather than the other way around.

I have long been a believer in 'real, traditional food' and learning from the evidence of human history is important to me. The modern practice of sweets is one example. It's not 'normal' throughout human history for us to have huge amounts of sweets on a daily basis and I do not want to have them every day, nor do I want to raise my child to think that is 'normal'. I have also never liked eating junk food*, feeling overfull or eating food that I do not enjoy.

This is how I feel, this is what I want, this is what I strive to do. How could I not fall right into NoS? It's so sane and so simple. For me it's not about new ideas, rather it's a new *method* to help me live according to ideas and beliefs I already had, and achieve the goals I already set for myself.

It just helps that the ideas of NoS are so similar to my own

I know that there will be days that don't work so easily and that's normal. I also know that there is not 'quitting' - I couldn't quit on this anymore than I could quit being who I am. There is only adapting.

* For 'junk food I mean those concocted in labs, 'fake' foods, altered foods, chemicals and additives, 'junk oils' like canola, cottonseed and soybean, low-fat/skimmed milk (or any low-fat/fat-free foods unless that is their natural state), soy substitutes, etc

http://www.westonaprice.org/basicnutrit ... lines.html

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 4:06 pm

clarinetgal wrote:I'm still working on this. I started in July. Like a few other people have mentioned, I just don't think I can do Vanilla No S. What works for me (when I stick with it), is to still eat three meals, but to allow myself a dessert with lunch or dinner -- as long as it fits on my plate. I've been really slipping the past few days, because my husband's birthday was on Wednesday and my sister's birthday was on Friday, so my sweets cravings have kicked up again big time. I'm going on vacation for a couple of days, and I'll try not to let my eating get too wild and crazy, and then I'll get back to my eating plan on Wednesday.

Oh, the one plate "rule" is something I didn't realize existed for about the first year I followed No-S. I still don't follow it. I allow myself one reasonable serving of whatever is being served at a meal and don't worry about whether or not it fits on one plate. Generally the extra things are vegetable-based (soup, salads) so it's not a ton of extra calories.

About the only time I don't follow my "one-serving" rule is Thanksgiving. It's pretty rare for me to have more than one serving of anything.

BrightAngel · Post by **BrightAngel** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 4:07 pm

Dandelion wrote:I don't find this difficult at all..
I have also never liked eating junk food, or feeling overfull..
It helps that the ideas of NoS are so similar to my own.

This is exactly On Point as to WHY "vanilla" NoS works really well for Reinhard,
and for Others with a strong Foundation that 3 daily meals-no sweets is "Normal".
That Foundation seems to usually be based on one's past and values.
It appears to me that
for those without such a Foundation, Vanilla No S is Almost Impossible.
This is why the ability to make personal Modifications is Very Important.

Dandelion · Post by **Dandelion** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 5:10 pm

I think it may be difficult, but as you say, not impossible. As someone who did not have this foundation for the majority of my life - decades I don't even like to talk about filled with diet pills, uncontrolled binges and weeks of near starvation, I know first hand it is possible.

I choose this way as other people have before me and others will continue to do, because the other way was wasting my life, and destroying my health. I believe NoS can actually help others who want to find that 'normal' to achieve it - but I think the mods are hugely important in this effort. I think health or sanity around food is far more important than whether one is ever 'vanilla' or not. And in fact, trying to be 'vanilla' may hinder that.

One goal at a time. One victory at a time - and any step in the right direction is a victory no matter how small and whether one is *ever* vanilla or not.

(I hope that's not sacrilege)

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 6:18 pm

clarinetgal wrote:I'm still working on this. I started in July. Like a few other people have mentioned, I just don't think I can do Vanilla No S. What works for me (when I stick with it), is to still eat three meals, but to allow myself a dessert with lunch or dinner -- as long as it fits on my plate. I've been really slipping the past few days, because my husband's birthday was on Wednesday and my sister's birthday was on Friday, so my sweets cravings have kicked up again big time. I'm going on vacation for a couple of days, and I'll try not to let my eating get too wild and crazy, and then I'll get back to my eating plan on Wednesday.

Oh, the one plate "rule" is something I didn't realize existed for about the first year I followed No-S. I still don't follow it. I allow myself one reasonable serving of whatever is being served at a meal and don't worry about whether or not it fits on one plate. Generally the extra things are vegetable-based (soup, salads) so it's not a ton of extra calories.

About the only time I don't follow my "one-serving" rule is Thanksgiving. It's pretty rare for me to have more than one serving of anything.

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 6:46 pm

Wosnes, One of the main reasons why I'm trying to be so strict with myself about the one plate rule right now is I've been obsessed with the scale for a long time, and using the one plate rule as a structure for myself helps make it so that I don't have to weigh myself every day. If I don't have a way like this to keep my eating in check, then I tend to overeat. I was fortunately blessed with a fast enough metabolism so that I burn most of my calories off, but I've become really conscious lately about trying to eat more moderately (thanks to Reinhard and others on here), and the one plate rule definitely helps me to eat more moderately.

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 8:57 pm

Like I said, I didn't realize that rule existed for the first year I did this, then I couldn't see why I should change what I was doing. Also, since "extra" plates always seem to be vegetable-based, they're not something I'm worried about.

buttercreampillow · Post by **buttercreampillow** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 9:21 pm

I have never been very good at following my own chain of self-command, to use Reinhard's phrase. My own attempts to lose weight by following rules of my own, even rules culled from other diets, have been abysmal failures. When the rubber met the road and I had to obey one of my own rules, I always thought, "Well, who cares? It's nobody's diet but my own, so I can do whatever I want." I am perfectly capable of following somebody else's program, especially one that is well thought out and has supporting structures (website, groups, classes, books, etc). That's why I've been able to follow Weight Watchers, at least for a time, but unable to come up with and follow a diet that exactly suits my tastes, temperment, life situation, etc. If it were my own idea, the best diet in the world wouldn't work for me.

That's why I have to follow No S. It's somebody else's plan, and so it seems to have some authority outside myself that I can follow. That's also why I haven't tried, and probably won't try, any modifications. They would probably fail, and the whole No S structure would probably fail for me soon after. For me, it's total vanilla. Sad, but true.

oliviamanda · Post by **oliviamanda** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 2:24 pm

When you are ready, you are ready. Okay, so you had chocolate 2 days in a row. Modify that. Are you eating a whole candy bar? I've said this before on the message boards... if I had trouble with chocolate cravings, I'd buy Lindt 85% chocolate, 4 g of sugar for 4 squares, and the stuff is so rich and tastes like baking chocolate almost that you really can't eat more than one square and that's like 1 g of sugar, right? It kills the choc craving... it has never led to eating more of the bad chocolate, if anything it paired down my choc cravings til I didn't want to have it anymore.

No S is habit changing, and that takes time. When you start seeing results and you like it, you'll keep sticking with it. I'm on No S for the rest of my life. I will have red days, but every day is not going to be red. And I feel good about it.

TunaFishKid · Post by **TunaFishKid** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 2:40 pm

I can't really answer the question "how many tries" because I screw up all the time. I never tried to get 21 perfect days in a row so I never had the concept of starting over, KWIM? I just decided that this is the way I'm going to eat forever, so if I mess up now and then I just go right back to No S without a lot of drama or guilt. And I have messed up! Examples? Well, I went back to lowcarb dieting for a very short time last spring (I lost a quick five pounds and regained six when I went off it, lol), and had a two week vacation in August that amounted to fourteen "S" days in a row!

Despite all this, I am still losing about 3 pounds a month. I'm down 15 pounds since the end of April.

Writer110 · Post by **Writer110** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 6:08 pm

I echo what wosnes and some others said. I tried for YEARS to do vanilla NoS and just could not stick to it. I don't have a struggle with not snacking but as soon as I forbid sweets I binge on them. This time I have allowed myself to have sweets on NDays as long as they are decided on before the meal and plated. I have not had a single Fail on an NDay since making that decision.

And funnily enough- I have not had a single sweet on an NDay either.

By allowing myself to have them if I needed them, I found I didn't.

ksbrowne · Post by **ksbrowne** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 12:51 pm

I'm not an all-or-nothing person, so I don't do the succeed or fail thing. What works for me is gradually and gently molding my eating habits toward Vanilla No-S. It's working, too. I've lost 23 pounds and am holding steady.

Some parts come easy - No seconds has become second nature. I'm not tempted, even on weekends. Some come harder - I do love sweets!

I'm not perfect yet, but I'm waaaaaaay better than I was a few months ago.

If you're feeling discouraged, try making gradual changes instead. Anything you can cut without feeling deprived, go ahead and cut. The stuff you really enjoy, pare back more gradually.

And most importantly, don't beat up on yourself!!!!!

Kathy

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 1:53 pm

TunaFishKid wrote:I can't really answer the question "how many tries" because I screw up all the time. I never tried to get 21 perfect days in a row so I never had the concept of starting over, KWIM? I just decided that this is the way I'm going to eat forever, so if I mess up now and then I just go right back to No S without a lot of drama or guilt. And I have messed up! Examples? Well, I went back to lowcarb dieting for a very short time last spring (I lost a quick five pounds and regained six when I went off it, lol), and had a two week vacation in August that amounted to fourteen "S" days in a row!

Despite all this, I am still losing about 3 pounds a month. I'm down 15 pounds since the end of April.

I think that people who don't/have never dieted (but maintain a "healthy" weight) aren't perfect in how they eat. Their habits have been developed over a lifetime -- or longer. I mean, it's how their parents and grandparents ate and it's what they learned at their knees. It's just what they do and if they vary from that now and again, so be it. They don't obsess over slip-ups and get back to the regular habits quickly. In fact, I'm not at all sure that they see variations from normal as slip-ups -- just variations from what they normally do.

Dandelion · Post by **Dandelion** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 10:02 pm

wosnes wrote: I think that people who don't/have never dieted (but maintain a "healthy" weight) aren't perfect in how they eat. Their habits have been developed over a lifetime -- or longer. I mean, it's how their parents and grandparents ate and it's what they learned at their knees. It's just what they do and if they vary from that now and again, so be it. They don't obsess over slip-ups and get back to the regular habits quickly. In fact, I'm not at all sure that they see variations from normal as slip-ups -- just variations from what they normally do.

I live with one of those - and yep, that's how it is. There is no such thing as a 'slip-up' - it's just normal variation in mood, energy level, activity, season - whatever. He (and his family) doesn't even think about what or how much he 'should' eat. There is no 'I ate a lot yesterday so today I'll eat less' It just happens naturally because the next day he'll feel like eating less. Some of his family snack - he does not. He isn't even tempted to 'pick' at leftovers (something I never could understand

)

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 12:04 am

Dandelion wrote:
wosnes wrote: I think that people who don't/have never dieted (but maintain a "healthy" weight) aren't perfect in how they eat. Their habits have been developed over a lifetime -- or longer. I mean, it's how their parents and grandparents ate and it's what they learned at their knees. It's just what they do and if they vary from that now and again, so be it. They don't obsess over slip-ups and get back to the regular habits quickly. In fact, I'm not at all sure that they see variations from normal as slip-ups -- just variations from what they normally do.
I live with one of those - and yep, that's how it is. There is no such thing as a 'slip-up' - it's just normal variation in mood, energy level, activity, season - whatever. He (and his family) doesn't even think about what or how much he 'should' eat. There is no 'I ate a lot yesterday so today I'll eat less' It just happens naturally because the next day he'll feel like eating less. Some of his family snack - he does not. He isn't even tempted to 'pick' at leftovers (something I never could understand )

Sounds almost exactly like my ex-husband (I wasn't even thinking about him when I wrote the above), who has never had a problem with weight. Neither has most of his family, though one sister has thought she has for years and years. They do snack on occasion, but it's alway either popcorn or ice cream.

I used to want to try appetizer or dessert recipes, but gave up because no one would eat them at family gatherings.

LoriLifts · Post by **LoriLifts** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 3:59 am

I am also one of the "baby steps to No S" people.

I bet I've tried at least 20 times over the last couple years to do a 21 day Vanilla challenge. I'd last 2-3 days then fail.

Instead of giving up and buying another "diet" book, I worked on 1 S at a time. I started with the easiest ones first, no seconds and no snacks.

I have a very active and aggressive sweet tooth. My compromise has been allowing 1 small dessert that fits on my dinner plate, on N days.

I feel comfortable with this modification, now I'm going to try to do it for 21 days in a row.

Lori

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 4:44 am

Walkerlori, It sounds like we're eating almost the same way. I'm allowing myself a small dessert that fits onto either my lunch or dinner plate, depending on how my day is going. Since you eat like this, do you treat S days like S days? I'm still figuring this part out. So far, I've mostly been treating my S days like my N days, except I might allow myself some extra treats, or eat something sweet for breakfast instead of cereal. I'm trying not to be too piggish on weekends right now.

MerryKat · Post by **MerryKat** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 11:12 am

I have struggled a lot over the last 4 years. However, my struggle is not with No S it is with re-training my brain.

Every time No S works, I decide to tweak (restrict food groups, restrict certain amounts of certain foods) it to make it 'more effective (ie. Faster losses) and then bang I fall off the wagon because it is now too complicated.

I think (and pray) that the message has finally gotten through my thick skull and I will just relax and let the wonder of No S do it's thing.

Thanks Reinhard for such a wonderfully simple system which works precisely because it is simple and as such can become a fixed habit - if I just allow it to!

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 11:37 am

ksbrowne wrote:I'm not an all-or-nothing person, so I don't do the succeed or fail thing.

Some parts come easy - No seconds has become second nature. I'm not tempted, even on weekends. Some come harder - I do love sweets!

I'm not perfect yet, but I'm waaaaaaay better than I was a few months ago.

Kathy

I'm also not an all or nothing person and I also don't strive for perfection. I don't believe that Reinhard (or anyone else) can create something that's right for me. However, I can take parts of this and parts of something else and create something that is just right for me. This happens to be closest to what works for me -- very close, in fact.

BrightAngel · Post by **BrightAngel** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 12:34 pm

wosnes wrote:I'm also not an all or nothing person and I also don't strive for perfection.
I don't believe that Reinhard (or anyone else) can create something that's right for me.
However, I can take parts of this and parts of something else
and create something that is just right for me.

This is also my Truth.

alihikes · Post by **alihikes** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 8:45 pm

I started NoS approx 3 weeks ago. Like lindamia, I wasn't perfect -- I had a red day (where I overindulged at a dinner party at a friends house on an N day). Unlike her, I don't see it as failing and needing to start over again. I think I did pretty darn well, and I'm proud of my success. I've lost 8 pounds and am down one dress size. So for me, even though I'm not perfect, I track my successes and failures using the green/yellow/red system. When something goes wrong, I try to analyze what tempted me and how I could use an alternate strategy to stay on track.

Dandelion · Post by **Dandelion** » Thu Oct 08, 2009 9:35 pm

wosnes wrote: I'm also not an all or nothing person and I also don't strive for perfection. I don't believe that Reinhard (or anyone else) can create something that's right for me. However, I can take parts of this and parts of something else and create something that is just right for me. This happens to be closest to what works for me -- very close, in fact.

I am so with you on this one. Although I *used* to be a terrible perfectionist and learned a hard lesson that forced me to change.

harpista · Post by **harpista** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 2:19 am

Still trying after about, hmm, 3 years or so.

I can be a bit contrarian about orders, and don't like anyone telling me what to do, including me. Now add a healthy dose of perfectionism

Everyday Systems

HOW MANY TRIES DID IT TAKE YOU TO STICK WITH THIS?

HOW MANY TRIES DID IT TAKE YOU TO STICK WITH THIS?

Re: HOW MANY TRIES DID IT TAKE YOU TO STICK WITH THIS?

Re: HOW MANY TRIES DID IT TAKE YOU TO STICK WITH THIS?

Doing well -- but not perfect!