downplaying success on this plan

aGAgirl1 · Post by **aGAgirl1** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:44 am

Hi! I've been contemplating making no s a lifestyle for me for a few months now. I try it and then fail, go back to weight watchers, become obsessed with food, back to no s , etc. The longest I did no s was 2 weeks and heres what happened. First week down 4.5! Yeah I thought I finally found a wonderful eating plan I could live with but week 2 I was up 4. So I shopped around and joined wwonline again monday. Now I feel this empty feeling inside that I can't describe its like lightheaded low blood sugar feeling all the freaking time! I've had great success with ww in the past but I always have that obsession/light empty head feel with it. Soooo, long story short one of the reasons I switched from no s even though i love it is because everyone on this board always downplays its effectiveness and/or speed of losing. You want to believe it works but you check the boards here and it seems like you might or might not lose ya know? And the thing is I need to lose 15 to 20 pounds and I want to lose it so I need something that works for sure! Does no s work? Maybe or yes? I think thats why I go back to ww is because its proven to work but I love no s ! Sorry for rambling. Please help me I'm starting to feel hopeless.

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 1:19 am

No-S works, but you really do have to pay some attention to what you eat. I mean, if you are doing three one-plate meals a day from McDonalds (or even one), you are not going to lose weight. There's no magic. If you are trying to get to 120 pounds, then you have to consume the calories that a 120 pound person would consume. No-S will help you do that in a reasonable way. More vegetables. Less refined starch. But you know this, right?

A caution about weighing yourself. Last night, just for grins, I checked my weight. 190. This morning, before I left the house, 186. No kidding. If you are going to weigh yourself, you need to do it under the same conditions every day. Like everyday just before you put your clothes on. That's the best time, I find.

So here's what won't work: what you are doing now. You know this too, right?

So make a commitment for a month. Do the research into the number of calories you should be eating and approximate that (don't fret about it, just approximate it). Don't measure, don't buy special food, don't fret over whether you need a half a cup or three-quarters of a cup of pasta... just get near where you need to be.

Take a walk every day, too, or do some other form of exercise.

Keep in touch.

aGAgirl1 wrote:Hi! I've been contemplating making no s a lifestyle for me for a few months now. I try it and then fail, go back to weight watchers, become obsessed with food, back to no s , etc. The longest I did no s was 2 weeks and heres what happened. First week down 4.5! Yeah I thought I finally found a wonderful eating plan I could live with but week 2 I was up 4. So I shopped around and joined wwonline again monday. Now I feel this empty feeling inside that I can't describe its like lightheaded low blood sugar feeling all the freaking time! I've had great success with ww in the past but I always have that obsession/light empty head feel with it. Soooo, long story short one of the reasons I switched from no s even though i love it is because everyone on this board always downplays its effectiveness and/or speed of losing. You want to believe it works but you check the boards here and it seems like you might or might not lose ya know? And the thing is I need to lose 15 to 20 pounds and I want to lose it so I need something that works for sure! Does no s work? Maybe or yes? I think thats why I go back to ww is because its proven to work but I love no s ! Sorry for rambling. Please help me I'm starting to feel hopeless.

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 6:17 am

So how do you approximate the calories you're counting without counting calories? I've done great at maintaining on No S, just by eating the 3 meals a day. I'm at the point where I don't 'need' to lose weight, but if I decide I do want to lose those 'last 5 pounds,' I'm still not sure how to do it on No S without counting calories.

aoc · Post by **aoc** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 7:01 am

I go back and forth a lot with No S. When I start to feel hungry, or when I am craving sweets, that is when I get discouraged. Sometimes it does seem like the weight loss on No S is really slow (based on the numbers some people here have posted), and for someone like me who has quite a bit more than 20 lbs to lose, I feel like I don't want it to take 5 years just to get to the high end of the healthy weight range. And often times, I think about going to Weight Watchers, especially at this time of year. I think, Hey, I might be better off with a more rigid food plan and weekly meetings with other big people who are strugging like me; I could lose weight faster. But I have yet to have a second green day since I heard about No S. And just as I am on the verge of looking up the meeting times of the local Weight Watchers group, I remember that if I can't even do something as simple as eating just 3 meals a day with no snacks in between and saving sweets for the weekends, how in the world am I going to spend every day counting points and weighing food and doing all the other "diet" things.

I think No S is more about giving up the diet mentality than losing lots of weight. And even though I would really really like to lose lots of weight (preferably quickly too) I know logically that I would rather lose the diet mentality. I don't want to spend every day feeling guilty about what I eat. I do not want to obsess about food all the time. I don't want to be one of those dieters who talks about food all the time ("Oh, I can't have that. Do you know how many calories are in that?"). I want to be one of those people who says "no thanks" to dessert and doesn't give it a second thought. I want to eat broccoli with my dinner because I want to eat broccoli with my dinner, not because I am on a diet and I should eat broccoli. I want to go walking because it feels good to move not because I have to calculate activity points or reach my target heart rate.

I think (well, I hope) that if I really commited to No S that I could tame my obsession with food. And that down the line, as the habit becomes more ingrained, I will veer towards the more healthy food choices and the more strenuous exercise, not because I "have to," but because it feels good and I want to.

Uh-oh, I think I have strayed off the topic. I am not even sure if my reply is relevant to aGAgirl1's original post. But I just wanted to share what I was thinking.

kccc · Post by **kccc** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 12:58 pm

People do lose. Just check the testimonials page.

However, the rate varies, and is slower than other diets. You're essentially teaching yourself to eat normally. If you've been over-eating, that means you're creating a calorie deficit that will lead to loss. (Maintaining at overweight is still overeating.)

My advice is to try it for a month - and do it like you mean it! Keep the green days green! Then re-evaluate and see where you are.

There are cases where people can still take in too many calories on No-S. Reasons may include not knowing much about nutrition so the one-plate is always highly caloric, eating out a lot, or just having a personal metabolism that reqires less food. Until you try for at least a month, you won't know if you genuinely fall into this category. But even if you do, No-S can be "layered" with WW or something else...and will help you pinpoint where your excess lies.

I honestly believe the good eating habits it supports make it worth doing, regardless of pounds lost. But yes, loss is the norm.

Starla · Post by **Starla** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 2:24 pm

OK, here's an unambiguous reply for you - yes, it works. Tomorrow will be my two-month anniversary of doing this. I take my "official" weight once a month, so that will be tomorrow, but I weighed myself this morning because I'm going out to dinner tonight, and I want to inspire myself to stick to an N Day. As of this morning, I have lost 17 pounds. Now granted, that's more than most people because I have so much weight to lose, and the fatter you are, the faster the weight comes off. But I have also followed No S strictly for those two months. I have no failures. I have no non-weekend S days. My eating HAS become much more healthy. I've added exercise.

So all I can say from my own experience is this - do it. Commit to it. Accept that you will be hungry at times, but you can handle that. Stick to the spirit of the plan. Don't waste your meals on foods you don't like because you think you should be eating them on a diet. Enjoy your food and don't feel guilty about it. Give yourself REAL treats on S days.

Maybe you'll find that vanilla No S does not work for you, and you'll have to make some modifications. But give it a good chance - give YOURSELF a good chance to make it through the tough times that are much more common at the beginning.

Good luck!

Mounted Ranger! · Post by **Mounted Ranger!** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 5:09 pm

Works for me! I couldn't be more happy about it and recommend it to everyone!

I think of myself as a strictly vanilla no s but I guess others wouldn't. I follow No S as written but also eat high protein meals and healthy meals at that. I think that strictly no s means what it says: no snacks, seconds, sweets except for S days. Technically, you could eat snack/junk food for every meal -- just one plate and no sweets. I dont' do that. I follow strictly and also strive for healthy. I never, ever, ever, eat low fat, non fat, fat free, or diet. I need some buttermilk for a recipe but the local grocery only has fat free and 1%. I didn't buy it and am still looking. However, I keep to my three meals, allow myself to enjoy sweets, et c on the weekend, and am losing slowly but surely.

My first milestone was that I lost as all.
My second milestone was that I noticed that my shoes were roomier.
My third milestone was that some skirts fell longer on my leg.
My fourth milestone was that my feet reach the floor more comfortably in our church pew.

Can't wait for my 5th milestone!

I wouldn't trade No S for anything. As a person who has had much success with vanilla no s, that is what I recommend.

Kathleen · Post by **Kathleen** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 5:29 pm

I've lost 14 pounds in 14 months. Am I tempted to return to WW or Weigh Down Diet or Cabbage Soup Diet or Intuitive Eating?

NO!

I now go several hours without even thinking about food.

I am learning to eat food that is better for me -- a lot better for me!

I am exercising.

I feel better.

Here are some positives for this program:

1. Sense of control over eating.
2. Ability to prioritize family and friends over food.
3. A sense of calm with regard to eating decisions -- with something like WW, one slip can be over a cliff. Not here. Slips (as in S Days) are built into the program.

My now 15 year old daughter has seen me careen from one diet to another for all of her life. She decided to go on this diet. For the other diets, she was clever at giving them names.

Kathleen

hilly6000 · Post by **hilly6000** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 8:05 pm

In my own experience, life goes on regardless of the diet you're on. It's better in the long run to learn moderation and learn to trust yourself, than to drive yourself crazy with points and numbers... especially around the holidays. I blogged something last night that goes with this. I'll copy and paste it.

"You can meticulously plan, reason, and prepare for your obstacles... pressuring yourself for perfection and FAIL.

OR you can take things as they come, use common sense, and deal with what ACTUALLY happens. And WIN."

I've pressured myself to lose weight for 5+ years. And no matter how many plans and how many times I do it with varying degrees of willpower... I don't feel in power with myself until I stopped writing things down and just go with the day. I want to enjoy my life... and it's easier to eat moderately than to deprive myself until I crack and binge.

Just my two cents.

Dandelion · Post by **Dandelion** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 8:37 pm

My measly opinion is it all comes down to what you want you life to be about. if you are happy with it being about one diet after another, counting points or grams or carbs or calories. If you're happy with wondering what you should/shouldn't/will/won't/ eat or feeling guilty if you do something as *gasp* sinful as eating. If you don't mind worrying about whether the restaurant or party you are invited to will have food you are 'allowed' to eat. And possibly doing this for the rest.of.your.life. Then you'll do fine dieting.

I prefer this sane, sensible, simple system

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 11:01 pm

I could be wrong about this, but I think that all buttermilk is fairly low fat, becuase it started off as what's left over when butter is churned.. most of what you get now is cultured milk, but I think the low-fatness is traditional. Like I said, I could be wrong.

Mounted Ranger! wrote: ... I need some buttermilk for a recipe but the local grocery only has fat free and 1%. I didn't buy it and am still looking....

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 1:04 am

Kevin wrote:I could be wrong about this, but I think that all buttermilk is fairly low fat, becuase it started off as what's left over when butter is churned.. most of what you get now is cultured milk, but I think the low-fatness is traditional. Like I said, I could be wrong.

Mounted Ranger! wrote: ... I need some buttermilk for a recipe but the local grocery only has fat free and 1%. I didn't buy it and am still looking....

Unless you're going to use all the buttermilk, don't bother buying it. Use regular milk, just a little short of the amount needed. Replace the rest with distilled white vinegar -- for each cup of buttermilk needed use about 1T less milk, 1T white vinegar and stir). Or, you can also use plain yogurt or sour cream instead of buttermilk.

aGAgirl1 · Post by **aGAgirl1** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 5:40 am

Thank you for all your thoughtful posts. I do like no s and as long as i can lose weight doing it I will put in the hard work. ( its not that hard) I just wanted to know that it won't take me 12 years to lose 20 pounds or that i will end up heavier by stopping the point counting. Thanks again!

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Sat Nov 07, 2009 5:14 pm

aGAgirl1 wrote:Thank you for all your thoughtful posts. I do like no s and as long as i can lose weight doing it I will put in the hard work. ( its not that hard) I just wanted to know that it won't take me 12 years to lose 20 pounds or that i will end up heavier by stopping the point counting. Thanks again!

Yesterday I heard that as we age, we should cut 100 calories/day from our diet each decade after 40 (I think). I was thinking that if we cut 100 calories/day from what we eat and added 100 calories worth of exercise each day, over the course of a year we'd lose 20 pounds almost without trying.

Dandelion · Post by **Dandelion** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 4:09 pm

Back to the buttermilk...

I make fil mjolk, which is similar to yogurt, though less tart, and it cultures at room temperature. I use it in place of buttermilk and I think it improves the recipe - plus I never have to buy yogurt

Kevin · Post by **Kevin** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 4:53 pm

There's this stuff they sell at Trader Joe's called Kefir. It pours like buttermilk but has more active cultures. Is that like fil mjolk?

Dandelion wrote:Back to the buttermilk...

I make fil mjolk, which is similar to yogurt, though less tart, and it cultures at room temperature. I use it in place of buttermilk and I think it improves the recipe - plus I never have to buy yogurt :)

nubiennelady · Post by **nubiennelady** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 6:30 pm

I totally relate to your post GAgirl. I have the same back and forth issues with No-S and WW. I went back to WW honestly because I wanted to snack. That's been the biggest challenge for me on No-S. I am an emotional eater and I usually snack when my husband goes to bed. Sad but true. I remember not snacking on No-S and while I'd often lose a pound or two when I didn't snack, I felt like a drug addict looking for her next hit (sorry if that visual is offensive to anyone). I struggled mentally to make it to an S-Day. I figure if I had pushed myself for a few more weeks of No-S, the urge to snack esp. at night would have gradually gone away.

WW allowed me to snack and my weight loss has been just as slow on WW as it was on No-S. There was no appreciable difference in the rate of scale weight loss. But mentally, I feel imprisoned by my urge to snack. WW cannot help me with that per se. No-S forced me to face my obsession with snacking and that is why I'm planning to go back. Fortunately, for me, I'm pretty much used to slower weight loss since I tend to drop inches faster than pounds anyway (I do workout alot). What I want is a healthy relationship with food and to get my emotional house in order without the need to snack.

Good luck to you,
DJ

aGAgirl1 wrote:Hi! I've been contemplating making no s a lifestyle for me for a few months now. I try it and then fail, go back to weight watchers, become obsessed with food, back to no s , etc. The longest I did no s was 2 weeks and heres what happened. First week down 4.5! Yeah I thought I finally found a wonderful eating plan I could live with but week 2 I was up 4. So I shopped around and joined wwonline again monday. Now I feel this empty feeling inside that I can't describe its like lightheaded low blood sugar feeling all the freaking time! I've had great success with ww in the past but I always have that obsession/light empty head feel with it. Soooo, long story short one of the reasons I switched from no s even though i love it is because everyone on this board always downplays its effectiveness and/or speed of losing. You want to believe it works but you check the boards here and it seems like you might or might not lose ya know? And the thing is I need to lose 15 to 20 pounds and I want to lose it so I need something that works for sure! Does no s work? Maybe or yes? I think thats why I go back to ww is because its proven to work but I love no s ! Sorry for rambling. Please help me I'm starting to feel hopeless.

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Sun Nov 15, 2009 2:01 pm

I just wanted to congratulate Starla on her weight loss here.
I looked for your own thread to do that, but wasn't able to find it Starla..
That is wonderful news!!
17 pounds in 2 months is amazing!!!
Good work!!

Debs

skaldmaer · Post by **skaldmaer** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 11:07 pm

Hi everyone!

Putting on my food-geek hat for a moment....

Kevin wrote:I could be wrong about this, but I think that all buttermilk is fairly low fat, becuase it started off as what's left over when butter is churned.. most of what you get now is cultured milk, but I think the low-fatness is traditional. Like I said, I could be wrong.

Yep, that's right - traditionally, cream is churned (or otherwise shaken up) until the fat comes together into butter, and what gets poured off is buttermilk, so it should be very low fat. I don't know (and probably don't want to) how it's made by the modern food industry.

For purposes of baking, if you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can also use plain yogurt thinned out with a bit of milk; the yogurt is acid enough to activate baking soda.

Everyday Systems

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