Everyday Systems

Hi -
I'm on day 2 of trying for a 21 day vanilla no s and I need advice. I did great today but had a tennis match in the evening and was very hungry after the match. So, I decided that a bowl of cheerios would be okay -- technically it's a 4th meal but I knew I would have a really hard time going to bed so hungry. Is it okay to have 4 meals on some days (say when you are exercising quite a bit) and 3 on others? Or is it better to just set a certain amount and always stay consistent? Normally, I would have had a dessert so I'm happy that I at least had a healthy 'meal' but wasn't sure if this is in the spirit of vanilla No S. I should also mention that I don't need to really lose any weight. I am doing No S for better habits and to free myself from the diet/good/bad food mentality that has plagued me all my life!! But I want to be as true to the spirit of it for the first 3 weeks.

Thanks!

I think it's fine -- especially since it sounds like you're really active. As long as it's a meal and not junk food, it should be okay. I know Reinhard says in the book that you don't 'have' to have 3 meals a day. That's just the number that works the best for most people.

I recommend trying to use beverages in the same situation instead of eating. Don't be afraid to drink a whole cup of milk, but take your time doing it. Maybe put a drop of vanilla in for fun. If you know you're going play, maybe you should try to eat a bit more, esp. some fat, at the meal beforehand. If you find after half an hour after drinking the milk that you are actually still hungry, maybe you do need to eat. But don't assume it.

ljk2009 wrote: So, I decided that a bowl of cheerios would be okay Normally, I would have had a dessert so I'm happy that I at least had a healthy 'meal' I am doing No S for better habits and to free myself from the diet/good/bad food mentality that has plagued me all my life!! !

I'm just a little curious here - I wonder how many would think a bowl of cheerios was "a healthy meal"? Processed cereals seem to me to be more like biscuits or confections than healthy food.

Myself I'd go along with oolala53's suggestion of drinking milk, but again, the least processed kind you can get - I use organic - it is pasteurised but it isn't homogenised and has its full fat content, certainly helps me avoid snacking.

Thanks for the idea on milk with a little vanilla. That is a great idea and I never would have thought about it!

Yes, I see the point on processed cereals. However, plain cheerios only contain 1g of sugar per cup. I think I'd be hard pressed to find another cereal that has less. Maybe I should have had half a sandwich and some fruit...but I was a bit tired and lazy and found the cereal option the easiest!

Thanks for all the helpful comments!

Although a lot of people here have high standards for the food they eat, No S doesn't limit the kinds of foods people choose except for avoiding obviously sweetened foods on N days. If participants start trying to implement a lot many limitations too soon, the program could feel too hard. I'd say that 3 meals a day of foods that a person enjoys even if they're processed is a good start and even beyond, possibly beyond. Let's not get too far afield. Regular moderate eating is the first goal. When that is established, it's easier to tweak. If a person starts noticing that s/he feels familiar processed foods promote overeating or aren't satisfying, etc., then changes can be made. Just my opinion.

I'd agree with everything oolala53 says. All I wondered was who, apart from people who work in advertising, would call any processed cereal "a healthy meal".

As for the dessert it supplanted, without knowing what the dessert consisted of, I wouldn't know whether it was any worse in nutritional terms than a processed cereal. I do have dessert sometimes (only as big as would fit on the one plate along with the rest of my meal) - but it would be something like fried banana, or fruit compote with yoghourt - and I would say either of those would be superior nutritionally to a processed cereal.

As oolala53 says, No S isn't primarily concerned with what you eat, the whole quality thing is something that might be thought about later, if at all.