Everyday Systems

I try to time my three daily meals at around 7:00 AM for breakfast, noon for lunch and 6:00 PM for dinner.

Yesterday, due to unforeseen circumstances, I missed lunch.

I had dinner and was planning on eating an additional meal later at night but I was not hungry, so I didn't.

Since NOS is about establishing habit, should I have given myself a red for missing a meal?

Or, if I had my meal out of my designated time, breaking my habit, should I have given myself a red?

How long have you been at it and how compliant have you been?

oolala53 wrote:How long have you been at it and how compliant have you been?

NOS since Nov 2010
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As per my HabitCal, NOS compliance rate is 73.4%.

I would say don't worry about it. Nowhere does it say that No-S consists of 3 meals daily. There are several of us who routinely eat two meals daily -- I'm one of them. I usually don't eat breakfast, but occasionally I do. I don't consider it a failure if I eat breakfast.

Reinhard wrote:...If you look closely at the site, you'll notice that nowhere does it specify the actual *number* of meals. Now most people will make a certain assumption, and most people had better stick with that assumption.

Things happen that are beyond our control and they shouldn't add up to a dietary failure. Don't try to make it more difficult than it is.

I agree with Wosnes. I think reds should be reserved for those times when you snack, have seconds, or have sweets. If an unusual quirk in your schedule means you don't get a meal that's not being non-compliant. It's a a quirk beyond your control.

Think of failures in terms of excess.

You said you have about 74% compliance. What are the failures over? I assume they're not this, since you were asking.

This sounds minor. I agree with wosnes and Blithe Morning. Shoot for compliance on the major offenders.

Brad Pilon, the big guns on intermittent fasting, says the most important thing is to just eat regularly the rest of the time. No big meals afterwards. So if you weren't hungry after dinner, no need to have another meal.


BTW, I asked Reinhard once what he did if for some reason he couldn't have lunch until much later. Did he just skip it and wait for dinner? He said he could not remember ever having that happen or skipping a meal!

oolala53 wrote:You said you have about 74% compliance. What are the failures over? I assume they're not this, since you were asking.

60% of the 26% non-compliance was snacking, 30% seconds and 10% sweets.

oolala53 wrote:Brad Pilon, the big guns on intermittent fasting, says the most important thing is to just eat regularly the rest of the time. No big meals afterwards. So if you weren't hungry after dinner, no need to have another meal.

I've been convinced by you and the other posters that occasionally missing a meal will not derail NOS compliance and that if I wanted, I could incorporate IF into NOS . However, I disagree with the benefits Pilon claims for IF.

Research performed on Muslim athletes during Ramadan, showed that athletic performance suffered during the fast:

1. Faye J, et al. [Effects of Ramadan fast on weight, performance and glycemia during training for resistance]. Dakar Médical, 2005; 50 (3): 146-151.

2. Stannard SR, Thompson MW. The effect of participation in Ramadan on substrate selection during submaximal cycling exercise. Journal of Science in Medicine and Sport, 2008; 11: 510–517.

3. Zerguini Y, et al. Impact of Ramadan on physical performance in professional soccer players. British Journal of Sports Medicine, Jun, 2007; 41 (6): 398-400.

4. Aziz AR, et al. Effects of Ramadan fasting on 60 min of trained men endurance running performance in moderately trained men. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2010; 44: 516-521.

5. Karaagaoglu N, Yücecan S. Some behavioural changes observed among fasting subjects, their nutritional habits and energy expenditure in Ramadan. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 2000; 51: 125–134.

6. Roky R, et al. Daytime alertness, mood, psychomotor performances, and oral temperature during Ramadan intermittent fasting. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism, 2000; 44 (3): 101-107.

7. Roky R, et al. Daytime sleepiness during Ramadan intermittent fasting: polysomnographic and quantitative waking EEG study. Journal of Sleep Research, 2003; 12: 95–101.

8. Kadri N, et al. Irritability during the month of Ramadan. Psychosomatic Medicine, Mar-Apr, 2000; 62 (2): 280-285.

Since I always want to be at my best, no intentional IF for me.

However, if someone is happy with IF and it works for her/him, you have my blessings.

Oh, I don't recommend IF. Every time I think about it, it's because I've eaten a lot and feel food hung over. It's usually on a Sunday or Monday. When I try, I hardly ever make it to 24 hours. But it helps me wait to get hungry.

Keep up the good work! You're doing better than a large percentage of the country.

I don't think it's so much missing a meal as what happens after you miss one. Do you overeat at the next meal? Snack? If missing the meal causes you to break a no s rule in the future that is bad. Those who practice IF should be aware. To each his own. Some seem to have great success. Others not so. For instance many Muslims gain weight during Ramadan.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_n ... ramad.html

No s is a system for eating less calories by simply monitoring how and when you eat so you eat less. If deviations are sustainable and do not cause increased consumption good, if they do bad.

All of you have provided great points and tips!

I eat 2 meals most days. Legal. Works better actually.

You don't break NoS by missing a meal, especially if it's inadvertantly, and especially if you did not overeat on the next meal as a consequence of it. It can happen, and it is a sign that you're getting healthy habits. Just don't keep "skip lunch" as a beneficial thing to do consciously. Keep your green and have three meals as usual on the following days. The green you get with two meals is just no greener that the one you get with three.

Don't EVER force yourself to eat.

I'm a no ser for years now and I don't eat 3 meals a day, it is usually 2.

Jethro wrote:I try to time my three daily meals at around 7:00 AM for breakfast, noon for lunch and 6:00 PM for dinner.

Yesterday, due to unforeseen circumstances, I missed lunch.

I had dinner and was planning on eating an additional meal later at night but I was not hungry, so I didn't.

Since NOS is about establishing habit, should I have given myself a red for missing a meal?

Or, if I had my meal out of my designated time, breaking my habit, should I have given myself a red?

If I miss a meal and don't want to add something later in the evening, I don't consider it a fail. Fails for me are snacking, sweets or seconds.

In practice, I might skip a meal on N days twice a year or so. Statistically insignificant compared to my other habits. S-days it is more common because I am more likely to have brunch instead of breakfast and lunch. It evens out.

As somebody who had fair success with NoS last year and ever growing conformity this year I’d like to give my 2 cents’ worth. (I've practiced the 2-3 meals/day before No-essing)

The NoS way of eating was invented to support US.
We are not here to support the NoS diet. (forgive my wording; just trying to make a point)
Although strictness is very important with NoS for habit forming/keeping purposes, we cannot allow ourselves to become slaves to the plan or to anything else, for that matter...and I'm keeping in mind, Reinhard agrees 3 meals +/- are ok under certain circumstances...
For example, when I get up late (9-11 a.m.) I usually don’t eat 3 meals that day, just to be 3-meal compliant. It would feel unnatural to me to force down an extra meal (not hungry) i.t. afternoon or later evening hours. Besides, it’d possibly open the door to future afternoon/eve meals...This door I don’t want to open unless I start to feel weak, sick or due to unforeseen urgent matters.

So, if I don’t eat BF I usually eat LN around 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and DN around 6:30-7:30 p.m. Other missed meals on other days I treat similar. If I am a little hungrier than usual and eat a little more during these 2 meals, so be it.
This pattern has developed naturally in my body; I didn’t force it and one day decided, “today I only eat 2 meals.†That would cause overeating in my body/mind. Keeping the mealtime pattern in this way is also strengthening the NoS habit, in my humble opinion. If someone disagrees with this, please chime in.

If a little hungry in between, examples of drinks to choose from: milk (not too low-fat), hot or cold low-sugar chocolate/carob drinks, refreshing juice schorles (60% mineral water, 40% juice with a spritzer lemon or lime juice), drinkable thin veget.soups (careful here), spicy veget.juices with ice, hot or cold tea/coffee with crushed ice, etc.

resident0063 wrote:I don't think it's so much missing a meal as what happens after you miss one. Do you overeat at the next meal? Snack? If missing the meal causes you to break a no s rule in the future that is bad. Those who practice IF should be aware. To each his own. Some seem to have great success. Others not so. For instance many Muslims gain weight during Ramadan...No s is a system for eating less calories by simply monitoring how and when you eat so you eat less. If deviations are sustainable and do not cause increased consumption good, if they do bad.

resident, I totally agree. If I’d say, “tomorrow I’ll start IF and only eat 1 or 2 meals per day,†my mind would scream “diet, diet!†and I’d fail sooner or later, probably sooner, LOL.
My occasional 2-meal pattern has developed slowly and naturally over months; I feel comfortable with it.
DIET-HEAD OWNERS BEWARE OF IF - just be careful.

2 1/2 days till weekend, we can do this!
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Hedster