Question

Aprilsparrow · Post by **Aprilsparrow** » Wed Apr 10, 2013 1:58 am

So.. I have been trying the NO S Diet for awhile and I'm still struggling with snacks. I give up and end up eating snack plus something else because i feel bad.

Honestly, I used to eat one snack a day at 3:00 p.m. I was never a eat snacks all through out your day kind of girl.

So..is there anyway I can get an exemption and still have my 3 p.m. snack? Honestly when I don't eat a snack it feels like my blood sugar is getting lower and I feel more grumpy.

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Wed Apr 10, 2013 5:44 am

You don't 'have' to stick to 3 meals. Even Reinhard says that in the book. The problem with having the planned snack is it can lead to a slippery slope-- so for example, you might start out with having something like carrots and hummus for a snack, but you might eventually justify having junk food for the snack (I'm not saying you specifically, I'm paraphrasing what Reinhard wrote in the book). If you feel like the snack will help you with blood sugar issues, however, then definitely have a snack. Also, make sure you're eating enough fat and protein with your meals. I sometimes have a small snack like a Trio bar (made with nuts, fruit, and seeds) late in the morning, if I do an intense workout that day.

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Wed Apr 10, 2013 9:31 am

Before I added a snack, I think I'd try to make lunch more substantial. Like clarinetgal says, make sure there is enough protein and fat in your meals.

Aprilsparrow · Post by **Aprilsparrow** » Wed Apr 10, 2013 11:54 am

My husband who has lost a lot of weight suggested at 3 P.M. that I drink a bottle of water and that should help. Plus I am going to move my lunch from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m..

AndreaRN9 · Post by **AndreaRN9** » Wed Apr 10, 2013 12:38 pm

Aprilsparrow wrote:My husband who has lost a lot of weight suggested at 3 P.M. that I drink a bottle of water and that should help. Plus I am going to move my lunch from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m..

This is a very good idea. You may notice that, at the beginning, you have a craving or a strong impulse to eat that hits like clockwork at 3:00 pm. It's helpful to note that this craving or urge (a) will NOT continue to get stronger or build in intensity unless you eat something, and (b) will NOT last long. Cravings are like waves. They build and then subside, even if you don't don't feed them. They go away. It can be very helpful if, when the craving hits, you take a moment, sit in a chair, relax and start some deep breathing exercises. Breathing deeply and slowly, holding it for a count of four, then exhaling fully is very relaxing and calming. You will notice your craving starts to subside. Within 10 minutes or so it will be fully gone.

You do not have to answer or honor every single impulse to eat. The impulse/urge will pass. Make sure you are eating enough at your three meals to last you to your next.

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Wed Apr 10, 2013 2:03 pm

AndreaRN9 wrote:Cravings are like waves.

I've found that hunger comes in waves. I'll feel very hungry, but it passes. I also find that if it doesn't pass quickly, a glass of water will help.

maryashley · Post by **maryashley** » Wed Apr 10, 2013 8:16 pm

Funnily enough, I am responding at ~ 3 PM CST, and yes, this is my Moment of Daily Hunger. Taking gulps from a pricier-than-average bottle of water, and trying some of those deep-breathing exercises. I also tend to be loitering around my computer at this point of the day and my mind is wandering and belly rumbling. May try and get out more at this hour, because as soon as I start moving, the hunger subsides.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Wed Apr 10, 2013 10:18 pm

Water never helps me for more than a few minutes, but other beverages such as milky coffee does.

Your other adaptations sound good, too.

Aprilsparrow · Post by **Aprilsparrow** » Thu Apr 11, 2013 1:53 am

I did it! I went through one whole day only eating 3 meals. No snacks and no sweets. Realizing that the cravings would pass and drinking water really helped. Plus I made sure to have some protein at breakfast.

Thanks for the encouragement everyone!

iamtami · Post by **iamtami** » Thu Apr 11, 2013 2:48 am

Glad you made it!

I used to always have an afternoon snack as well. I would get migraines if I didn't eat in timely fashion. I was really worried about being able to do No-S. So, in the beginning, I just planned to have a glass of milk in the afternoon. That helped me get through. I don't do that too often now, but it is my go-to when I get the munchies in the afternoon or late nights. I also try to drink plenty of water ... I keep a water bottle with me all the time now.

I haven't really had the migraines since doing No-S, so that's been great. And the only time I really get ravenous between meals is after my weekly afternoon swim.

Good luck sticking with it!

AndreaRN9 · Post by **AndreaRN9** » Thu Apr 11, 2013 11:35 am

Congratulations!

finallyfull · Post by **finallyfull** » Thu Apr 11, 2013 2:30 pm

Congratulations!

I used to have an everyday at 3ish snack habit.... a very strong one. Among other things, I have killed it with: a good breakfast, a later lunch -- moved it to about 1:30 since I'm not hungry at noon after a big breakfast, and a cup of tea around 3. It's been months now and I no longer even have the automatic thought on S days!

I love that I just typed "it's been months now."

Nicest of the Damned · Post by **Nicest of the Damned** » Fri Apr 12, 2013 1:50 am

Cravings are like thoughts, because cravings are thoughts. That's all they are. They aren't a sign that you've got some sort of nutritional deficiency (if they were, First Worlders wouldn't crave sweet and salty snacks with almost no other nutritional value). They aren't a sign that you're doing something wrong on your diet. They aren't a sign that you are unusually weak-willed in some way. They aren't a sign that your metabolism is screeching to a halt, the way some other diets might claim. It is normal and OK to have cravings, and it is not going to harm you to not fulfill the cravings. It might feel a little unpleasant, like any other time you don't get something you want, but that's all that will happen.

Of course, if you've been eating around the same time every day, you're going to want to eat then. It's a habit. But people do change their meal times. People who move from the East Coast to California don't always eat their meals three hours early. It takes a little while, but they adjust. So can you.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Fri Apr 12, 2013 2:18 am

Hear, hear, Nicest.

leafy_greens · Post by **leafy_greens** » Fri Apr 12, 2013 1:46 pm

Nicest of the Damned wrote:They aren't a sign that your metabolism is screeching to a halt, the way some other diets might claim. It is normal and OK to have cravings, and it is not going to harm you to not fulfill the cravings.

I wish the fitness magazines would admit this, rather than saying you should have a yogurt, a string cheese, and a handful of almonds to "keep your metabolism revving." Feeling unpleasant is just your body throwing a tantrum. It's no different than parents placating their screeching children with cheerios to get them to be quiet.

Over43 · Post by **Over43** » Fri Apr 12, 2013 1:46 pm

Do what you want, if you are eating three meals a day, with a 3:00 PM snack, and losing weight, then hats off. I can't do that because a snack becomes a meal, or two.

Make the No S yours. Think of your 3:00 snack as a fourth meal.

Good luck.

Nicest of the Damned · Post by **Nicest of the Damned** » Fri Apr 12, 2013 2:53 pm

leafy_greens wrote:
Nicest of the Damned wrote:They aren't a sign that your metabolism is screeching to a halt, the way some other diets might claim. It is normal and OK to have cravings, and it is not going to harm you to not fulfill the cravings.
I wish the fitness magazines would admit this, rather than saying you should have a yogurt, a string cheese, and a handful of almonds to "keep your metabolism revving." Feeling unpleasant is just your body throwing a tantrum. It's no different than parents placating their screeching children with cheerios to get them to be quiet.

In my less charitable moments, I suspect they don't do this because they have a business relationship with the snack food companies. They want to sell yogurt, string cheese, and whatnot, so they tell people to eat them. As Reinhard says, "you can't sell 'no snacks'".

leafy_greens · Post by **leafy_greens** » Fri Apr 12, 2013 2:56 pm

Good point. You also can't sell No S as a diet system, because it's free!

Aprilsparrow · Post by **Aprilsparrow** » Fri Apr 12, 2013 3:56 pm

finallyfull wrote:Congratulations!

I used to have an everyday at 3ish snack habit.... a very strong one. Among other things, I have killed it with: a good breakfast, a later lunch -- moved it to about 1:30 since I'm not hungry at noon after a big breakfast, and a cup of tea around 3. It's been months now and I no longer even have the automatic thought on S days!

I love that I just typed "it's been months now."

This has helped me too! A better breakfast, and later lunch. I'm glad it has been months now for you congrats!

AndreaRN9 · Post by **AndreaRN9** » Sat Apr 13, 2013 12:55 pm

leafy_greens wrote:
Nicest of the Damned wrote:They aren't a sign that your metabolism is screeching to a halt, the way some other diets might claim. It is normal and OK to have cravings, and it is not going to harm you to not fulfill the cravings.
I wish the fitness magazines would admit this, rather than saying you should have a yogurt, a string cheese, and a handful of almonds to "keep your metabolism revving." Feeling unpleasant is just your body throwing a tantrum. It's no different than parents placating their screeching children with cheerios to get them to be quiet.

This! A thousand times this!!

I failed at maintenance after losing 23lbs. on another diet because I thought it was OK to follow fitness magazine's/guru's advice and snack on almonds, or unsweetened Greek yogurt with blueberries, or string cheese between meals when I felt the urge to eat.

It didn't stoke my metabolism. It didn't make me eat less at meals. It didn't "fuel" (whatever the heck that really means) my workouts. It was just additional calories that ended up on my butt. And worst of all, it acclimated me to frequent eating and easily giving in to urges. It got to a point where there was no "NO" in my life. As long as the snack was deemed "healthy" (and it legitimately was) -- Green Light! -- I ate it. And gained. Then I felt victimized because all those other people got to eat healthy snacks and keep fit and trim while I (poor me

) expanded and expanded and expanded. Lot of self-pity going on.

The best thing about No-S for me is the power of No. It's not a forever No so there's no rebellion that takes place (although I'm not really a rebel). It's a very reasonable and sane no. But the NO, in a relatively short period of time, actually extinguishes the cravings. Giving into between meal urges to eat just kept them alive.

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