Everyday Systems

Hi Everyone,

I've been on the no-s plan for two weeks now and I haven't lost any weight that I can tell (I don't weigh myself, I just try on tight clothes to see if they are any looser) and I'm worried that I'm just maintaining my weight instead of losing.

I should probably give you some background before I ask my questions and hopefully someone can hep me because because I'm feeling very frustrated and aggitated by this plan.

I'm just about to turn 40 and I have 10 lbs to lose from my last pregnancy 20 months ago. I have been in a horrible binge eating cycle (due to constant dieting ---diet 2 or 3 days, binge for 2-3 days etc. etc.).

I LOVE the no-S diet because I love the structure and I love that I can eat carbs and the lack of snacking eliminates my urge to binge. In that sense it has been the best thing that ever happened to me!

My meals are sensible/healthy at about 400-450 calories each meal. BUT I have noticed that to ward off hunger I've been resorting to drinking about 2 cups of coffee a day with cream and an additional 2-3 cups of tea throughout the day with milk which is probably another 200 calories right there.

I've tried the S weekends before this past two weeks but I could never do it because it led to binges so for me I need to be NO-S every day. After 15 No-S days I tried having a snack today and it led to me being even hungrier, so I had another snack and then another and then I felt like giving up or looking for a new plan and before I knew it I was in full binge mode.... so I'm happy to not have S days until I feel the habits are fully formed.

I know that I should be excercising (aside from pushing the kids in the stroller) and I know that I should give it more than 2 weeks, but I am constantly calorie counting and checking over what I ate and I know that the only way for me to lose weight is to have 1200 calories but I am hungry betwen meals and so I've been having caloric drinks.... now for my questions..

1. How do I know that if I don't count my calories, this plan will work for me. In other words, what if the 3 meals a day add up to more than most diet plans and therefore I just maintain?

2. Should I be weighing myself? Maybe I did lose .2 lb and gave up because I couldn't see that weight loss in my clothes.

3. Can drinking all this coffee/tea be limiting my success on this plan?

I know this is a very, very long post but I am just so stressed out with this not losing that I just really need some support and feedback.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

Nicole

First, take some deep breaths.

It usually takes people a while to settle in to No-S - that's why there's the "21 day club." Try that, and then at the end of 21 days take stock and see where you are. (You may want to weigh as a baseline, but only if it won't freak you out.)

Weight loss is slow on No-S, but it tends to last better than weight lost on quickie diets. You've already noticed how much saner it feels, right? And if you ARE maintaining and were gaining before or eating insanely, that's progress.

There is sometimes a "rebound effect" at the beginning, if people have been on strict diets. That should fade as habits take hold. Again, give it 21 days and see how you're doing.

If, after 21 days, you need to make "tweaks," you'll have a better idea of what you need to do and a more stable set of habits from which to make changes. For now, one day at a time. Just follow the program.

If you read the website, there will be a lot of "rough beginning" stories. Unlike other diets, No-S is hardest at the beginning but gets easier as you go (with other ones, it's easy to start gung-ho but hard to maintain over time).

So be gentle with yourself, take it slow, and work on HABITS first. Results will follow - perhaps not as fast as you would like, but they will.

(And congrats on your new little one, and welcome!)

Welcome, Nicole! You've joined a very lovely and supportive group!

First, just breathe. You need to learn to relax a little and listen to your body. It will tell you what it really needs, you just need to learn to tell its "demands" from its "wants".

For you, I'd recommend purchasing the book. Most of the information available in the book is available scattered throughout the website, but the format of the book makes it MUCH easier to find the sections and information that you may want.

The book specifically addresses all of your concerns, and I know it helped me A LOT to read it, and it sounds like it may help you as well.

That being said, from everything I've seen on this board, initial weight loss is sometimes fairly slow, especially when you have a relatively smaller amount of weight to loose. It's because you're forming new habits, and a new relationship with food. You're getting your body used to a more natural way of eating, instead of forcing it to lose weight unnaturally, which then just comes right back when you revert back to your regular eating habits.

Good luck! The people on these boards are really knowledgeable, and will help you through this. Just stick with it!

Laura L.

Thank you to both of you for replying to me.

I got so worked up about this that I binged yesterday. I started again today but I found myself counting calories to make sure that if I do this I will indeed lose weight and I think I went mad because I ended up binge eating like crazy again today. SO, I am going to start again tomorrow and I am going to give it 100% because I know that this is very sane and ultimately it will work... I just need to trust, don't listen to others about metabolism and snacking and stop counting calories and get through my first 21 days.. day by day.

Again, thanks for listening!

Nicole

That's a great attitude. It says somewhere in the book (I don't have it with me right now) that it takes an average of 12 tries to change your way of eating. Just think of yesterday and the day before as 2 of your 12 tries.

Good luck, don't give up!