My MOD, if you're interested

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 5:41 am

Hi My NO-S friends!

It has only been a week since I re-visited NO-S. I did it over a year ago, and then got caught back up in my old erratic eating habits.

I'm not looking really to lose weight, but to re-establish good eating patterns.
I'm currently 5'5'', about 120-125, enjoy exercise, but have a crazy mental love/hate relationship with food.

With a background in disordered eating (bulimia/binge eating/anorexia), good eating habits are my main goal!

This week, I've found that "happy spot" again.

Now many of you wouldn't "approve" of my mod, but it's working for me at this time. Maybe I'll tweak it once it doesn't:

3 plated meals/day
I LOVE veggies and salads, so most of these meals include tons of veggies, a good quality dressing, hummus, protein, whole wheat bread. cheese. Not a lot of work, just chopping up and using really good stuff. I try to get the most out of my plate with sweet potatoes, spinach, and lean meats.

No Snacking
not too hard for me, except for when my boys don't finish their food....

No "S" days

I know, I know, that's weird but it's because...

A plated SWEET each night.
This is my sanity, I've realized. And probably why I struggled a bit with "NO-S" a couple years ago. See, I would go hog-wild on Sat/Sun because I was so excited to eat sweets. Like crazy wild.

Now, since I eat quite healthy (but lots) during the day, and follow the 3 plates, I allow one more SMALL dessert plate once I get my 3 young boys to bed.
I look forward to it each night. And I sit and savor on the couch something.
Like tonight, I just had two Reese hearts from Valentines on a china plate. Kinda silly. Reese on a china plate....

But it was tasty.

It's interesting because I remember on Valentines having several of those hearts, standing up, or while emailing or secretly stashing more while watching TV. Trying to pretend I wasn't over-doing it...

But now I just accept my craving. Plate it. Enjoy it and done.
Now I don't go crazy on "S" days, but enjoy a small dessert each night.

Anyways, I'm happy. It's only been a week. But this "freedom within boundaries" is SO freeing. I'm grateful I re-found NO-S.

I have many a diet books I need to re-shelf that have been sitting on my bedside: Intuitive Eating, Paleo, Warrior Diet, Eat Stop Eat, etc.
I [i]only[/i] need my small little NO-S'er and I'm good.

Thanks for all your testimonials and support!

[/b]

ksbrowne · Post by **ksbrowne** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 1:33 pm

That's a very good mod! I do the same thing. One or two very small cookies, or 2 Hershey's chocolate kisses after supper. No S days. I think there are a couple of other people here who do the same thing.

I don't have any problem with snacking or no seconds, but the no sweets thing was a bit of a challenge for me.

I've noticed that my sweet tooth has really diminished by following this plan. I think that eventually I won't even need a sweet once a day. Maybe twice a week will be enough. But I'm not going to force it.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 1:41 pm

IF the basic concept of No S has helped you be more sane, yay! However, from my experience and reading those of others on other sites, I can say that it was a lot harder to be moderate about my sweets when having them often. But you're right that the secret is to be committed to a small amount. I can tell you that for most of my life, putting two Reese's hearts on a plate would have been a joke. I can get a lot of sweets on even a small plate! That is the problem with sweets. They're concentrated. I think you have another metric in your mind about the size of the sweet you can have, a volume that you have allowed yourself and no more. Watch yourself over the next week and see if it isn't true. I'd be interested in your sharing it.

I know after two years of No S, there is an approximate volume of dense foods that I can eat at my meals and not be overdoing it. I'm betting you have a subconscious limit, too. But for most heavy people, this would be a slippery slope.

Glad you feel you're getting the best of both worlds. Hope you'll check in monthly.

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 3:09 pm

Thanks, oolala53 for your reply and support. I agree completely with what you're saying about sweets.
Eventually I would like to get to "that place" where they don't have such a "hold" on me.
But for now, and this may sound pathetic, but being home with my kids, I have this little sacred time after I put them to bed. Get in a bubble bath, enjoy a treat, and maybe watch an episode of something. The treat by no means is NECESSARY right now and is a BAD habit. I'm hoping that slowly I'll realize..."oh tonight I don't need that".
I kinda felt that way last night because I had had such healthy fulfilling meals all day, but I think it was like a subconscious worry of over-doing it another night because I hadn't allowed myself a little that night.
Weird mental stuff, eh?
I'll def keep ya posted. Girl scout cookie boxes just arrived. That could be trouble, I tell ya.

Have a happy weekend and we'll "talk" sooN!

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 3:24 pm

I actually don't think the treat is a bad habit as it is. If you consistently eat only what you've been having, I think that's fine and is what many slip people do. My slim ex-boyfriend routinely ate a bowl of ice cream every night and had two cookies at lunch every weekday. If you know that's your limit and stick to it, mazel tov! And you are already at a very healthy weight. I was just being cautionary for the heavier people who might be reading-- ones who are convinced they'll die if they don't have something sweet every day. I was one of them and I doubt very much I'll ever go back to having sweets more often. I don't want to eat less of what I do have, so it's not worth the tradeoff. It sounds as if you have more leeway. Just keep up with us!

dmarie710 · Post by **dmarie710** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 5:06 pm

lbb, is that you Liz? If so, welcome back. I'm glad you found a way to make NoS work for you, which is what it's all about.
Denise

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Sun Feb 26, 2012 7:19 am

That's an awesome mod! I've fallen way off of the wagon in terms of good eating habits when I was pregnant (and the 6 months that I've had my baby), but I am ready to FINALLY get back on track, so I may be keeping your mod in mind -- until I can get to that place within me where I don't have to have something sweet every day. I'm a SAHM, also, to two boys ( a 4 year old and my 6 month old), so I TOTALLY understand where you're coming from.

BeingGreen · Post by **BeingGreen** » Sun Feb 26, 2012 3:50 pm

An excellent mod, and one which I have toyed with off and on. The trick is the "1 and done" mentality. Good luck!

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Mon Feb 27, 2012 5:54 am

Thanks for your comments and support, all!

So checking in: hard to judge the past two days since we went on a little overnighter with the boys and hubby. I did stick to 3 meals but at one point, since we were eating dinner so late and on the go, I had a protein bar.

That night was a little trouble too. In the hotel room, once the 3 boys finally fell asleep my husband pulled out some Easter candy ( the best). Those darn Cadbury mini eggs. Wishes I had taken a napkin or mug and pulled out a bit and then indulged.

Because I had one handful. Then another! And another!
You're right about the "one and done" being tough. Plus when others are totally enjoying, you wanna join in the fun.

I'm over it and tomorrow is Monday. I think it would be another goodie to not keep the tempting treats in the house. They don't tempt me at all till about 8pm. But if they weren't there and I had to go buy them, maybe I'd think twice.
Why I'm so scared of no treats thru the week is really weird. It's like I'll be losing any fun. Maybe that says something about our routine life and that I need to do something else fun when the kids go to bed! Haha.

Thanks for the support! Always leaning, growing, and changing!

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Mon Feb 27, 2012 10:36 pm

The fact that the candy plays the role of fun seems like one of the reasons not to have it on a daily basis, though I guess it could take over the role that booze plays in some people's lives. I don't drink, but sometimes I know it would be nice to relax with a glass of wine. Some of my teacher friends say it makes it easier to sit and read papers at night. They feel less bothered by terrible work and they don't feel so much that their life is ruled by work. But both substances have limited nutritional value and are concentrated calories with chemicals in them that are practically designed to fool the appestat. And I don't mean that food shouldn't be fun, as I'll try to explain.

Just want to say as someone who binged on sweets for years and thought I would never be able to go all week, I've found out that NOT doing without them made me miss out on things, too. I think I value my savory foods more and I value fruits more because I don't have sweets in competition with them every day. I had a serving of chicken pot pie at lunch and I'm telling you, that felt like fun! I started realizing that many foods have wonderful aspects to them that I never fully appreciated before. I really believe that if I ate sweets every day, my warm whole wheat artisan bread or a serving of rye berries, or some cheese shavings would not seem as fantastic as they do now. (It may also be because I have cut down the number and size of those portions as time has gone on, so they seem even more precious, but not because I'm skimping. It's just that it's more obvious these days that there are diminishing returns with eating larger amounts.)

yada yada yada

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 3:32 am

Thanks, oolala53 for your insight. You are wise!

I can totally see how if used in the wrong way (dessert), to relax, that it's maybe not ideal. Because what happens on a manic Monday like tonight when that little plate "didn't suffice". Didn't quite do it for me?
I had more.
Yep! I had to get rid of all that chocolate so that it's not even a temptation and in the house. Yuck.
But I'm learning.
My struggle, I think, is that I have a hard time giving up calorie counting. I had planned out 3 healthy meals today (totaling about 1000 calories) leaving about 500 for a treat (I had also done the treadmill 65 minutes).
Too much planning and too much in my head=overboard.
I love calculating and equaling things out. It's perhaps like "getting a steal of a deal" at TJ Maxx..I paid only $10 when it was typically $30! (I got dessert, too and still stayed under 1500 calories!).
But alas, i don't think it's healthy. It's a tough thing for me to give up.
But I think if I trust in NO S only, I can do it.

I totally agree about sweets taking on a whole new taste when spare. And how other things taste even better. Thanks for your beautiful words, support, and wisdom.

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Fri Mar 02, 2012 8:52 pm

Lbb, I'm where you are right now. I'm counting calories and trying to budget enough for a sweet each day, but I don't know how sustainable that is long term. However, I still have about 30 pounds to lose, and I'm nervous about giving up calorie counting at this point, because I really do want to lose the rest of this baby weight. Plus, it seems to work better for me to eat 4-5 meals right now, instead of 3. I definitely want to get back to No S at some point, because I do NOT want to track my calories for the rest of my life.

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 5:11 am

I hear ya! Counting calories is not sustainable but I've noticed for my neurotic self that it helps me feel in control.
Today I did the three meals, exercise, and dessert all within my caloric range. I have weird rules that I cannot allow the dessert until I have already eaten the three plated meals for which I was extremely hungry. U ate at about 8, 1, and 7 and then some chocolate during a movie. It was tasty. I didn't calculate calories until post dinner because I worried I didn't have enough for a treat. But I did so I enjoyed it.
I've noticed there are times where counting is so not convenient so I give it up. But right now I have the ability and time to (with iPhone apps its almost too easy).
Stick with your personal strict rules that make you feel comfortable. I so get the baby weight thing. I have 3 and it's so hard to feel "normal" again. But oh so worth it!
Keep in touch!

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Sat Mar 03, 2012 7:29 am

Yes, my Ipad app makes it easy for me to track my calories -- except I don't always remember/want to do it, which is why I will be heading back to No S. Thanks!

lbb (Liz) · Post by **lbb (Liz)** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 5:25 am

Thanks clarinet gal for the support.
I'm pretty sure after tonight, Sunday that I can rightfully say no "sweet" will tempt me till' Friday.
I had some people over for dinner and made a moist banana cake and mint chocolate brownies with ice cream of course. Along with dinner.
Was doing great till' cleaning up and completely over-did it.
All-the-while thinking "what the hell"! EEK
I'm going to go vanilla this week. Thankfully there is nothing left as tempting in the home to even binge out on.
Also, I'm going to not calorie count (at least not outside my head!).
Yay.

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Mon Mar 05, 2012 7:14 am

Good for you! I think I'm going to try going 'vanilla' as well. I'm actually part of a 60 day No Sugar Challenge on Facebook (there's one cheat day per week), and I haven't done very well, but I would like to change that. I will probably still count calories for now, because I'm also part of a 'Dollar a Day' challenge on Facebook, to basically force my hand to eat better (you set two goals for yourself and if you don't meet both goals, it costs you $1. One of my goals is staying within my calorie budget). Anyway, if I do well with this No Sugar and Dollar a Day challenge, then I think next month, I might try the Vanilla No S Challenge.

3-0-7 girl · Post by **3-0-7 girl** » Wed Mar 07, 2012 6:12 pm

In my case being Type 1 (juvenile) diabetic it's sooooo much easier to control my blood sugar at good levels and not need extra insulin when I eat 3 meals a day no snacks and have a bite of dessert foods after a meal, and I mean a bite or two or three.

It has become very evident to me that snacks wreck havoc on my blood sugar and require extra insulin and I don't want that.

Works really well for me to do the 3 meals no snacks 7 days a week and keep desserts small and broke up thru the week. I can eat the foods I like don't have to do any counting or measuring (other than my BS that is)