Secret Weapon!

HarmonicaLady · Post by **HarmonicaLady** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:19 pm

Hi Everyone!

I have been on every diet under the sun and have no credibility whatsoever left.

This time my secret weapon is going to be that I'm not telling anyone that I am trying something new. Not even my spouse. With this plan I think I can get away with not telling anyone except you guys!

I have bored my friends and family enough over the years with all my crazy plans. But No S doesn't seem that crazy to me.

Everyone will just think I have finally got my act together!

Wish me luck!

Harmonica Lady[/b]

Nicest of the Damned · Post by **Nicest of the Damned** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:48 pm

One of the great things about No S is that you can keep people from finding out about it, if you want. I didn't tell Nicest Husband until I had been on No S for a couple of months. He had noticed that I was eating less, but hadn't figured out the specifics.

Keeping your diet a secret is a lot easier when you're not having to avoid entire food groups, or weigh or measure your portions every time you eat.

You don't have to bore anybody with the details of your latest diet, and you don't have to tell anybody who might not be supportive of you. You don't have to tell people who have their own diet hobbyhorses to ride, either. We all know people like that, who are just sure they know the perfect diet for you. You may have tried this diet and not succeeded, or you may know some good reasons why it probably wouldn't work for you, but that doesn't stop them from telling you that you should do it.

Or maybe you're the kind of person who finds talking about other people's diets to be boring. You don't have to tell people you're on a diet, so you don't have to bring up diets as a topic of conversation. That could be handy if you don't enjoy conversations about diets.

HarmonicaLady · Post by **HarmonicaLady** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:12 pm

Thanks for your support. I'm actually looking forward to surprising everyone when I lose weight. Maybe then I'll tell them about No S. (Maybe...if they're nice!)

HL

Nicest of the Damned · Post by **Nicest of the Damned** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:30 pm

HarmonicaLady wrote:Thanks for your support. I'm actually looking forward to surprising everyone when I lose weight. Maybe then I'll tell them about No S. (Maybe...if they're nice!)

You should know, though, that the weight loss on No S is almost always gradual. That's the inevitable result of going on a diet that is sustainable for the long term. People are less likely to notice gradual changes than they are to notice sudden changes. Some people might not notice you've lost weight until you tell them, because the change will be gradual. Don't be discouraged if this happens to you. It's just the way people are.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:32 pm

I think this is a great idea. Having been the perpetrator, I, too, have my eyes glaze over when people talk about theory and not long-term praxis. They live on the excitement of the "sales pitch" of the diet book, which is all promises of how fast you'll lose or how you won't be hungry or how you'll be able to keep the weight off because this is a diet for life, etc. Some goal experts say to make it public, but I say let the habits do the talkin'.

HarmonicaLady · Post by **HarmonicaLady** » Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:39 pm

I know what you mean! It might not be for a while....but people that i don't see very often might be surprised. I feel like I'm on a secret mission!

BrightAngel · Post by **BrightAngel** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 1:48 am

oolala53 wrote: I say let the habits do the talkin'.

Good Thinking.

TUK · Post by **TUK** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 5:05 am

Good luck

I have trouble hiding that I'm on a diet when I'm on one. I actually don't have the skill to sensibly refuse forbidden foods (sweets in the case of NoS). Go for it, and if you could share your secret agent refusal tricks with us, this could help !

Blithe Morning · Post by **Blithe Morning** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 12:03 pm

To paraphrase a fortune cookie: diets are like children, there are none so wonderful as your own.

One of the reasons I participate in this board is because most of the conversation is about habit and behavior and changing our thinking to what is reasonable and sustainable, resisting the social expectation pressed upon by marketing. These are things that are interesting to me. Far more interesting than droning on about points or calories or fat grams.

Also, be aware of the power of novelty. Novelty is a powerful force. I think diet plans play a lot on this ingrained desire for something new to capture our attention. I call this desire our inner raven, always looking for the new sparkly thing to pick up. The trick is to distract our inner ravens with something not related to diet and weight.

Blithe Morning · Post by **Blithe Morning** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 12:09 pm

TUK wrote:Good luck I have trouble hiding that I'm on a diet when I'm on one. I actually don't have the skill to sensibly refuse forbidden foods (sweets in the case of NoS). Go for it, and if you could share your secret agent refusal tricks with us, this could help !

In thinking about this answer, I realize that most sweets I encounter are rarely offered to me in No S situations. I think the last time I was offered a sweet was about three weeks ago when a colleague was going to make an ice cream run and offered to bring me back one. I can't remember the time before that...

Most sweets I encounter are passive, there for the taking if I want with no one noticing one way or the other. I hadn't realized that until just now.

Most of the times when I'm offered a treat it is usually part of an S event, i.e. a birthday of a loved one or holiday. I always partake then.

The standard advice is "No thank you, I'm full." Or "Perhaps later. May I take one with me?" I don't know if either of these violate some huge cultural norm in France so your mileage (kilometer-age?) may vary.

vmsurbat · Post by **vmsurbat** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 4:38 pm

HarmonicaLady wrote:Thanks for your support. I'm actually looking forward to surprising everyone when I lose weight. Maybe then I'll tell them about No S. (Maybe...if they're nice!)

HL

You'll love the sanity of NoS habits. (I do--I am about to write my 4th year testimonial!!). But just so you know, I lost 30 pounds the first year, approx. 15 pounds the second, and 5 pounds this past third year, and THIS YEAR is the first year that people other than my family and those I saw only like once a year noticed I lost weight. With NoS, you lose weight slowly, sensibly, sustainably, so people just might not notice right away.... BUT YOU WILL so do NoS for yourself whether anybody else notices or not.

Best wishes!

HarmonicaLady · Post by **HarmonicaLady** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 9:17 pm

vmsurbat wrote:
HarmonicaLady wrote:Thanks for your support. I'm actually looking forward to surprising everyone when I lose weight. Maybe then I'll tell them about No S. (Maybe...if they're nice!)

HL
You'll love the sanity of NoS habits. (I do--I am about to write my 4th year testimonial!!). But just so you know, I lost 30 pounds the first year, approx. 15 pounds the second, and 5 pounds this past third year, and THIS YEAR is the first year that people other than my family and those I saw only like once a year noticed I lost weight. With NoS, you lose weight slowly, sensibly, sustainably, so people just might not notice right away.... BUT YOU WILL so do NoS for yourself whether anybody else notices or not.

Best wishes!

Thank you all for your insight and wisdom. I don't want all that my kids to remember about me was that I was for ever talking about diets.

Slow and sure is better. Besides, I can't afford to replace all my clothes straight away. This way I can gradually get to a smaller size.

Paula Wylma · Post by **Paula Wylma** » Wed Jul 18, 2012 11:27 pm

TUK wrote:Good luck I have trouble hiding that I'm on a diet when I'm on one. I actually don't have the skill to sensibly refuse forbidden foods (sweets in the case of NoS). Go for it, and if you could share your secret agent refusal tricks with us, this could help !

I was listening to a book today and when talking about restraining spending, it said that we have limited willpower. So it you know you are going to be tempted in the afternoon, then you should spend the morning doing something pleasurable so that you don't use up your willpower before the temptation.

One time I did the last time I was on No S that worked well is that when I was offered a sweet during the week, I put it in the freezer until the next s day. I had a special container in the freezer marked "treasure chest" for candy and other small treats. This way I wasn't denying myself pleasure, I was just saving the pleasure for when I had the time to fully appreciate it.

ZippaDee · Post by **ZippaDee** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 10:22 am

The trick is to distract our inner ravens with something not related to diet and weight.

YES!! So true! I think my house will be more organized than ever by the time the summer is over!

kristine · Post by **kristine** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:32 pm

Great thread!

Everyday Systems

Secret Weapon!

Secret Weapon!

Limited willpower is normal