Everyday Systems

So I'm on day 16, or 20something counting the first attempt. I was feeling pretty good, but I got on the scales last night and I've not lost any weight in the past 15 days.

I'm shovelgloving, and walking 3-4 miles a day and being pretty aggressive on the No-S and portion size. Any suggestions?

How tall are you? How much do you weigh?

Were you used to resistance training before shovelglove? If not, you may be exchanging fat for muscle. Do your pants feel loose? Is your appearance different in the mirror?

David

5'9", 242 lbs, 52 chest

I was a slug beforehand. I am starting to notice some development in the arms and shoulders. No apparent change in waist size nor potbelly size

I could cut way back to a 1000 calorie diet, but that's always ended up rebounding on me in the past.

Hi Guy

I'm not sure whether you lost some weight the first week at all..
Everyone is different... I lost about 3 lbs or 4 in the first two weeks, and then I lost about seven more over the next three months..
So I am a slow loser, and it was frustrating at first.. But, all deceptions aside, real long lasting, *non reverting* weight loss is slow..
15 days is two weeks right? Well if you just stick with this for a few more weeks, I'm sure you will drop your weight little by little... Continue your terrific exercise regimen, and perhaps you just need to saturate yourself more with fluids... more water might help...
You are still in the mind set that you should be dropping weight at some unrealistic rate... I bet you expected to see 5 pounds or more by now, but at that rate it would be like 3 lbs a week... That only happens with severely restricted calorie diets... Now.. That said.. If you want to try to do NoS, in that manner, by restricting your calories and keeping all the rest in place, ie: exercise, you will probably lose faster.. But there's a great risk there... You could gain it back just as easily once you stop "dietieng"... It's up to you.. Maybe you could make that work and then use normal *non restricted* NoS as your maintenance plan...

Keep on plugging and don't get disheartened...
Reinhard didn't even step on a scale for the first two months he did this himself...
I am really impressed by your exercise!
Things will improve! Try that water... And try not to eat past 8 pm...
Those tweaks are general diet ideas, not NoS, but they might turn things in your favor!

Peace and Love,
Deb

That guy,

If you are like me the belly fat is the last to go. Because, you know, everything except my spare tire is ripped!

I wouldn't drop your calories or even tweak anything else. My first two No-S weeks I didn't lose much at all then it started coming off. Don't bail on the plan before you even reach day 21!

I'm pulling for you!

David

If you are SGing and walking you might actually changing muscle faster than you can lose fat. Do you feel like you are fitter, leaner?

How accurate is your scale?

I woudn't worry about it a bit. I've been doing a lot of resistance training and my weight shot up even though my No-S diet didn't change.

If you're ready for an exercise break, take a few days off. I'll bet you lose a couple of pounds. I track my weight carefully and when I exercise a lot, I get heavier. It can't be new muscle mass in just a couple of days, but I think that well trained muscles hold extra water or something.

Hi That Guy,
I am having your experience almost exactly. I have been faithfully No S-ing for exactly one month today. I am walking 2 miles most mornings, but no shovelgloving!! Anyway, in the first 2 weeks I dropped 2-3 pounds, but they came back on Day 21!!! I dropped the same two again, but now after a full month I am right back up to where I started on Day 1. I swear to being faithful to the plan, not overdoing my plate, and not going hog-wild on S days.

But here's the weird thing: I am not overly discouraged!! I feel so much better eating this way. I feel thinner. I have utmost confidence that OVER TIME it will slowly come off. I probably have 30 lbs to lose, which is significant, but may tend to come off more slowly than someone who has more to lose.

Anyway, I am sticking to it, and if I could, I would follow the advice of many who say not to weigh in too much. If I could stand to do it just once a month I would. Good luck to you, and try to stick it out. MJ

I think one thing to understand about oneself before committing to any diet plan is, what caused me to put on weight in the first place? Usually it's some combination of a)poor nutrition b)too much food and c)not enough exercise.

No-S is primarily a means to attack b) above. You're on your own for a) and c). Sounds like in your case c) is coming along, though I agree it could be muscle mass. How you feel, and are your pants loose are both good questions.

I generally do 2 meals on my no-s days, european-style. It works for me. But I'm unusual in that regard.

Thanks all for the perspective. I guess I'm a bit disappointed, but I must remember that it took years to go from 160 to 240, and I suppose it will take a while to get back there. I was expecting more by now, but I'll just keep plugging.

Hi Guy:

I can relate to your experience. I thought, in the beginning, since I was being "so good" by not consuming cookies and exercising, that the weight should just be falling off of me. It should happen, and fast. But, alas, that was not the case. Normally, I would have thrown in the towel and just signed up for Weight Watchers again. But, instead, I stuck with No S. I think it was probably the support of all the great people here that kept me on track. Anyway, the weight has come off and is still coming off. But, it is slow. So, I say to you: don't give up. I am encouraged by the fact that I'm not gaining and stressing about what I'm gonna wear. I'm not having to squeeze myself into clothes that don't fit. You are correct in saying that your weight gain didn't happen overnight and it will not go away overnight. Just remember that. I do believe (to quote Mick Jagger) that time is on my (your) side while doing No S.

Dru

You know....
I think Mick Jagger is actually on NoS!

LOL...

I've been doing No S for a month and I don't think I've lost much weight yet (maybe a few kg), but I'm eating so much less crap that I don't mind the lack of weight loss so much.

Most of us have two problems here: the behavior of gluttony and the condition of being overweight. They are related, but they are not the same.

Most diets do not consider gluttony a problem. It's so unflattering and archaic. They focus exclusively on the condition of being overweight. In fact, they generally make an appeal to gluttony (unlimited food from certain categories, etc.). But gluttony (for most people) is the cause of being overweight. If you fix the result but not the cause you'll get a brief respite (long enough to sell millions of diet books) but eventually the same result will just be caused again -- with interest, since you've propped up the cause as part of your quick fix.

No-s on the other hand focuses directly on the long term cause. This is slow, and unsexy, but it's sure. You fix the broken pipe instead of merely plastering over the wall. And here's another surprise benefit: gluttony, even apart from it's physical results, is an evil in itself. I'm not speaking in some exalted metaphysical sense, but in a "hedonistic" one: it's unpleasant. Eating in moderation is far more pleasurable than gorging. I would never have believed this until I tried it. But now I see that it's profoundly, obviously true. Frankly, this is a greater benefit that the mere physical (and I don't say this lightly). If I had to choose, I think I'd choose this. But the great thing is you don't have to choose, you get both. There's no tradeoff here. It's just better.

Now that I've preached my sermon, here's some practical advice:

1) are you following the literal rules? It sounds like you are. If so, this is a good in itself, even if you're eating the same number of calories, because you've put the structures in place for easy monitoring and control.

2) are you eating less? The spotlight of your limited opportunities should make this obvious. If yes, be patient (and optimistic!). If no, you've got the culprits in plain view. Don't be overzealous, picking off one or two should be enough. Identify the biggest one (mountainous platefuls at dinner? Roman orgies of eating every S-day?). Just seeing the problem clearly might be all the pressure you need to crush it. If not, post here and we'll bombard you with more suggestions.

Reinhard

Gluttony, thy name is Peetie!!!

That is exactly why I came to NoS. I wanted to learn how to have a normal, moderate relationship with food. All the years of bingeing and starving had made me totally out of touch with true hunger and satiety. So, although I didn't want to diet in the strict sense of the word any longer, I DID need some guidelines.

I also decided that I was going to accept whatever weight my body landed at in doing this. When I started, I was midway between my highest and lowest weights (a 65 pound range). I just wanted to stay where I was, if I could, and enjoy food, but put it in its proper place in my life. Well, lo and behold, I lost 5 lbs. And I appear to be maintaining it effortlessly. For those of you who want numbers, I am 5'4" and 120 lbs.

So, looks like I'm going to just have to have fun with the other 6 deadly sins!

Peetie

Peetie!!! Thou art skinny!!!!!!!!
LOL...

Have a great day and good luck with not sinning!
Love,
Deb

Hey, Deb, I thought if my luck holds out I WILL be sinning!!!

Peetie

Heh heh heh!!!!

Well good luck then!!!
LOL...

Deb