Introduction: suggestions for first mod

No Snacks, no sweets, no seconds. Except on Days that start with S. Too simple for you? Simple is why it works. Look here for questions, introductions, support, success stories.

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tinygreyhound
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Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2010 9:07 pm

Introduction: suggestions for first mod

Post by tinygreyhound » Wed Apr 13, 2011 1:52 pm

Hi,

I've been doing No-S for six weeks now. I'm lucky in the sense that other than getting some strange comments from co-workers (snacks are essential!) my husband was raised to eat this way, so it's actually been easy to implement at home. (His family never ate between meals, and he's not really one for sweets, though he occasionally has a beer in the evening or servings of seconds at dinner.)

I'm 36, female, and over my ideal weight. Five years ago I was at a healthy weight, but my job--which I love--is stressful, and it's shown in my increased body weight. I have gained about 30 lbs in the past five years and it's put me into the "overweight" range for my height.

After six weeks, I am about 98% on track with No-S --I travel a lot for work and entertain a lot for work as well, which can make the "sweets" part hard (alcohol is not an issue for me, I rarely drink and when I do for work events I stop at 2 quite naturally and also because I don't think more than 2 is professional).

However, I have gained about 3 lbs since starting No-S. It's not really weight I could afford to gain.

Those who have had to modify no-S, what's the first mod you did to increase the chances of losing weight? I'm already back into exercise for the year (I am a triathlete though find that this doesn't reduce my weight much, certainly not back to a healthy weight).

I hate to count calories, and I make sure to include a fruit with both breakfast and lunch, and a vegetable with lunch and dinner.

I only want to do one mod at a time, and would really appreciate some suggestions.

Meredith

Kevin
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Location: Maryland, USA

Post by Kevin » Wed Apr 13, 2011 2:39 pm

More vegetables, less starch of all sorts (bread, potatoes, rice, pasta).
Kevin
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."

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BrightAngel
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Re: Introduction: suggestions for first mod

Post by BrightAngel » Wed Apr 13, 2011 2:39 pm

tinygreyhound wrote:Hi,

I've been doing No-S for six weeks now. I'm lucky in the sense that other than getting some strange comments from co-workers (snacks are essential!) my husband was raised to eat this way, so it's actually been easy to implement at home. (His family never ate between meals, and he's not really one for sweets, though he occasionally has a beer in the evening or servings of seconds at dinner.)

I'm 36, female, and over my ideal weight. Five years ago I was at a healthy weight, but my job--which I love--is stressful, and it's shown in my increased body weight. I have gained about 30 lbs in the past five years and it's put me into the "overweight" range for my height.

After six weeks, I am about 98% on track with No-S --I travel a lot for work and entertain a lot for work as well, which can make the "sweets" part hard (alcohol is not an issue for me, I rarely drink and when I do for work events I stop at 2 quite naturally and also because I don't think more than 2 is professional).

However, I have gained about 3 lbs since starting No-S. It's not really weight I could afford to gain.

Those who have had to modify no-S, what's the first mod you did to increase the chances of losing weight? I'm already back into exercise for the year (I am a triathlete though find that this doesn't reduce my weight much, certainly not back to a healthy weight).

I hate to count calories, and I make sure to include a fruit with both breakfast and lunch, and a vegetable with lunch and dinner.

I only want to do one mod at a time, and would really appreciate some suggestions.

Meredith
Image Meredith,
What is most vital to me is Tracking my food.
Making myself Accountable for what I choose to eat is key.
Tracking food has value even if you choose NOT to count calories.

The one-plate rule isn't the same for everyone.
Smaller people must have smaller portions
BrightAngel - (Dr. Collins)
See: DietHobby. com

Nicest of the Damned
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Joined: Wed Aug 11, 2010 4:26 pm

Post by Nicest of the Damned » Wed Apr 13, 2011 3:23 pm

How big are your plates? I do the Nine Inch Mod, in which I use 9" diameter plates for meals on N days.

Are you eating out a lot? Would limiting eating out possibly work for you?

Are you eating a lot at casual chain restaurants (Applebee's, TGI Fridays, or similar)? If you are, you might want to check their nutrition facts online. You don't have to memorize it or take it with you to the restaurant every time, but you should have a general idea of what at that restaurant is relatively low-calorie and can be ordered often, and what should be an occasional treat. You can't rely on your intuition here, as some dishes that seem like they should be low in calories are not. Appetizers at these restaurants are particularly likely to be high in calories and come in large portions. An "appetizer" sounds like it should be smaller and lower in calories than a regular entree, but often it is not. Salads at these restaurants can be gotchas, too.

Kevin
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Location: Maryland, USA

Post by Kevin » Wed Apr 13, 2011 3:33 pm

True about restaurants. They are a killer.
Kevin
1/13/2011-189# :: 4/21/2011-177# :: Goal-165#
"Respecting the 4th S: sometimes."

tinygreyhound
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2010 9:07 pm

Post by tinygreyhound » Wed Apr 13, 2011 3:58 pm

I use my fiestaware plates--are they too big? Any suggestions as to what kind of plates are 9" (is this measurement diameter?)

I eat out once a week with my husband, other than that, I don't eat out at all EXCEPT when I travel, which is about twice a month right now. I'm really stuck on that one, because a big part of my job is entertaining clients and making them feel comfortable (aka if they want dessert, we get it, if they want appetizers, we get them too). I try to avoid eating too much at these meals but I'm sure it adds up. I had one work friend who always ordered the exact same thing at every work meal (grilled scallops with vegetables) and while I don't like scallops, maybe that would work? Eliminating choice at meals eaten out for work?

tinygreyhound
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Post by tinygreyhound » Wed Apr 13, 2011 3:59 pm

Brightangel, when you track, do you write down amounts as well? Measure things out? I'm worried that might sent me into disordered eating habits if I have to measure.

Nicest of the Damned
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Post by Nicest of the Damned » Wed Apr 13, 2011 4:10 pm

Kevin wrote:True about restaurants. They are a killer.
They certainly can be, but they don't have to be. Lots of restaurants have healthier options, it just isn't always obvious what's healthy and what's not.

Fast food restaurants can be better for you than other restaurants. This is a huge irony to me, who grew up in the 80's and remembers hearing "fast food is bad for you", "fast food is junk food", and the like. But fast food restaurants often have stuff in reasonable portion sizes, unlike the casual chain restaurants. Fast food is not the devil, like many dieters think it is.

Fast food Mexican, though, is something to watch out for. I used to like eating at Chipotle and Qdoba. Then I looked at the nutrition facts on the burritos I would get there, and I found that they are something that should be an occasional treat, not an everyday lunch (the burritos at those places are of order 1000 calories). So I made a rule for myself that I couldn't eat at Chipotle or Qdoba more often than once every two weeks. Intuitively, I thought that a non-fried burrito with vegetables should be healthier than a regular cheeseburger and small fries from McDonald's. It may be, in certain ways, but "lower in calories" isn't one of those ways.

CPK gives an example of how a food that some of us think of as junk food can be lower in calories than a salad. CPK's Field Greens Salad, full portion, with no meat or cheese, has 900-some calories (I don't know how it does, but I can't think of any reason why they would over-report calories on their nutrition site). Two slices (1/3 of a pie) of their Meat Craver's pizza has 492 calories. Two slices of the pizza is much lower in calories than the salad.
tinygreyhound wrote:I use my fiestaware plates--are they too big? Any suggestions as to what kind of plates are 9" (is this measurement diameter?)
The measurement is diameter. My Fiestaware plates are 10.5" in diameter. You can buy 9" Fiestaware plates- they call them "luncheon" plates. Amazon has them, that's where I got mine.
I don't eat out at all EXCEPT when I travel, which is about twice a month right now. I'm really stuck on that one, because a big part of my job is entertaining clients and making them feel comfortable (aka if they want dessert, we get it, if they want appetizers, we get them too). I try to avoid eating too much at these meals but I'm sure it adds up. I had one work friend who always ordered the exact same thing at every work meal (grilled scallops with vegetables) and while I don't like scallops, maybe that would work? Eliminating choice at meals eaten out for work?
I have made some rules for myself at restaurants. I can order an entree, but that's it- no sides, no appetizers, no dessert. Do you think your clients would be uncomfortable if you didn't partake of the appetizers or dessert? You could tell them you just weren't that hungry, if you didn't want to talk about your diet with them. Try it. A lot of people think others notice and care what and how much they eat more than the others actually do notice or care.

Do you go to restaurants where there is free bread or chips and salsa served before the meal? My personal restaurant rules say that, if I want bread or chips, I have to wait till my entree comes and put them on the plate with it before I can eat any. The idea is just to keep me from nibbling my way through a basket of chips or bread (which I can do at a rate that would put a Hoover to shame, if I let myself).

Is there a candy dish at your office? We had an article about those posted here today. If you don't avoid it already, you probably want to start. Same goes for food at meetings or in the break room, unless it's not a sweet and you make that your breakfast or lunch.

Muffins are sweets, unless they're homemade and small. They're a food that people think is healthier than it generally is (and they are common in break rooms and meetings).

wosnes
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Post by wosnes » Wed Apr 13, 2011 4:36 pm

I don't consider this a modification and I was doing it before I started No-S and continued it: make sure half your plate is 1/2 vegetables, 1/4 protein, 1/4 starch. I've seen Ellie Krieger mention this in Fine Cooking, but I originally found it here.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

jellybeans01
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Post by jellybeans01 » Wed Apr 13, 2011 4:42 pm

I'm a 36 year old female and I have found especially after turning 35 that things just really changed for me concerning weightloss. It is so very much harder and I workout everyday. My mod for losing weight on the no S may be a little hard, but I give myself one free s day instead of 2. I also try to listen to my body and stop eating when I'm comfortably full.

milliem
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Post by milliem » Wed Apr 13, 2011 4:49 pm

It might be worth tracking what you are actually eating for a while to see what your food choices are like - not counting calories or measuring, just food diary stuff. Do you find that your S days are pretty wild or quite tame?

I've also read that people tend to focus on fruit as their '5 a day' but actually vegetables are MUCH better for you and should comprise the bulk of your fruit/veg intake. Maybe try carrot sticks, sugar snap peas or cucumber alongside your lunches rather than fruit (or as well if it all fits on a plate!)

Maybe you could plan for entertaining days to be S days and take one of your weekend days as an N day? That way it wouldn't be 'extra' to the S days.

tinygreyhound
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Post by tinygreyhound » Wed Apr 13, 2011 5:21 pm

I think I will try tracking for a while. Honestly, my S days are pretty normal; the only difference is that I splurge on breakfast and then dinner (my S days are Friday and Saturday) on Friday. Saturday I might allow myself to snack if we go to the movies.

I'm also going to order the smaller Fiestaware plates since that's an easy change and I don't even have to think about it.

I'll post my results next month and hopefully will have lost a pound or two.

Meredith

clarinetgal
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Post by clarinetgal » Thu Apr 14, 2011 5:55 am

You could just focus on ordering lower-carb entrees when you go out, for example a grilled chicken or fish with steamed veggies and a salad, instead of a pasta dish, or something else that's carb-heavy. You could also have the wait person box up half of your entree right away, so you don't eat as much (plus, you get a great meal for the next day!).

Thalia
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Location: Southern California

Post by Thalia » Thu Apr 14, 2011 4:26 pm

Soups are usually good choices at restaurants, if you avoid cream-based soups. At CPK I usually get the "smashed pea" soup.

I find that eating three meals a day with no snacks gives me an excellent sense of what and how much I eat, WITHOUT keeping a food diary or tracking in any way. I came to No S precisely because for me, that kind of behavior induces disordered eating.

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Sat Apr 16, 2011 3:20 pm

With all due respect to the few faithful No S-ers who eventually calorie count, tracking my food calories would be my absolute last resort. We've just had too many successes here without it.

No S doesn't mean you can eat any amount on a plate forever and lose weight. It's meant to get you more aware of how much you really need to feel satisfied AND get hungry for the next meal. It will likely mean smaller portions after awhile. We have to be very honest about this and be very committed to understanding what moderation is for each of our bodies.

I guess the plate thing works for some people. I find it just makes me think I didn't eat dinner to eat it off a plate smaller than 10 inches. Breakfast and lunch, no prob. I'd feel funny filling a 10-inch plate for those meals. Just me. And you can't choose the size of the plate in a restaurant.

Besides, the plate doesn't actually determine my portions. My hand does, but I do like seeing it all on a plate.

I second or third the emphasis on more veggies, less dense food. BTW, rumor has it when French women are feeling that they've indulged a bit too much, they cut back--not cut out- bread and stick to one glass of wine. And their portions, even in restaurants, are small to start. Okay to see plenty of the pretty plate.

To find out, try eating even more slowly--you are eating slowly and savoring every bite, right?- and stopping after about 3/4 of the food is eaten. Find a reason to dawdle and then see, do I really have to finish this? If you realize you're actually full enough, don't finish. If you do this a few times and realize it happens over and over, decrease your portions before you start.

I found out by accident at work that the piece of fruit I had made sure I had at lunch because I wasn't having it as a snack with cottage cheese later often wasn't necessary. As a teacher, I get 35 minutes for lunch. Sometimes I was so rushed, I couldn't finish and it turned out it didn't matter. I could still wait the same amount of time for dinner. But now I'm more likely to eat a little less entree and carb and keep the fruit.

I am definitely a critic of restaurant portions sizes and offerings, but let's face it. Plenty of slim people eat in restaurants all the time. They don't seem to feel any obligation to eat because of someone else's expectations. And as for business, look at the most successful people in your company. Are they all chunky? I bet not, and they got there with the same pressures. Have your one plate, experiment with lighter choices, eat slowly, savor your food, and don't finish just because it's there.

One way I deflect the pressure from others to eat more in social situations is to say things like, "Gosh, I wish I were hungrier!" "I guess I ate too much at **previous meal**." Or "I want to be hungry later for **next meal*" as needed. I also comment a lot on the wonderfulness of the food in the first few bites.

Lastly, could you possibly be thinking you need to eat a fair amount at meals because you are a triathlete? I'm just an armchair athlete, but I hang out on some fitness sites, and I'm hearing that a lot of athletes are now questioning the idea that they need a lot of food often to be as fit as they want. Some of them even fast while getting great results during and after their workouts. But you are a long way from needing to try THAT mod.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

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