Any older folk been successful? Hoping 60 not too old to noS

Tessytwinkle · Post by **Tessytwinkle** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 10:17 pm

Hi there. I have not posted for a bit. Failed badly last year. Since then been ill and had a bereavement. I am out of hospital now and hoping to use my 6 weeks sick leave to establish No S. but wondered if I have left it too late. I am 60 next year. Feel I might be too late to change my bad eating habits. Anyone my age been successful? I am starting my own 21 day challenge to see if I can get going and change my lifetime of dieting and failing badly I am very anxious and feel I will not even make it through the first day. I think i have just lost confidence in myself and my ability to make this kind of change. But i really need to do it for my health and well being so fingers crossed. ..

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Mon Jul 29, 2013 11:33 pm

I started when I was 57 and am now 64. I think progress is slower for many reasons, but it's never too late.

musiclvr02 · Post by **musiclvr02** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 12:02 am

I'm 58, never heard of No S until a few months back, read the book and wanted to try it. diets + me = :.(

jw · Post by jw » Tue Jul 30, 2013 1:38 am

I will be 62 soon, started No-S exactly one month ago and have seen good success so far: 8 pounds lost, and an increasingly calm attitude toward food. I also had doubts when I started, but many successful No-S posters seem to be in the late 50's - early 60's, which gave me a lot of courage! Just jump in and try it!

la_loser · Post by **la_loser** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 1:52 am

No worries-- it seems a lot of us around hovering around 60--shall we agree that 60 is the new 40?

I'm 63 and have decided that I'm finally to the point in my life that I'm "mature" enough to be patient and let this thing continue to work its magic. It does take time but as a veteran of many of those diets that many have listed in the other thread, I have been down those roads before and KNOW that I will not stick with any of those counting or deprivation diets--so I'm just eating my three meals and staying away from the snacks and the sweets in between. And not being an idiot on the weekends. (as in remembering the "sometimes" in the No S rules. -- except SOMETIMES on days that start with S.

I had my share of medical and bereavement this last year too but thankfully did manage to mostly maintain-Without NO S, I'm sure I would have piled on even more pounds.

Using your six weeks of recovery time to establish habits sounds good, unless you are not feeling enough to do it. But it seems like eating three regular meals a day, staying away from junk in between, would be a healthy thing to do to help recovery from most any medical issue. Just be gentle on yourself and when you do mess up-and we all do--don't beat yourself up and fall into the "I just can't do this" mindset. You know the saying-Patience IS a virtue!

Welcome back!

BrightAngel · Post by **BrightAngel** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 2:09 am

LA_Loser wrote:No worries-- it seems a lot of us around hovering around 60--shall we agree that 60 is the new 40?

No, personally I disagree with that particular, recently-made-popular, concept.

I've been 40... been there, done that.
It was fine, but
NOW I'm over 65, and I love the benefits of being this age.

Aging is a natural process.
We're born, we age, we die.
Our bodies are designed to wear out.

I continue to work to maintain my body at a normal weight,
However it is time for me to be in my 60s, and I love it here.
I refuse to allow modern Culture to cheat me out of my old age.
I wouldn't be 40 again for anything. It's good to be past that.

la_loser · Post by **la_loser** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 2:22 am

Ha Ha Bright Angel, I do hear you on that. We HAVE earned it, haven't we? Really, I guess my point is that I don't really feel OLD yet, intellectually, despite the fact that my body certainly can't do what it used to! I've joked before that I may be old, but I'm immature for my age so it's ok! And I'm certainly not ready to lay down and quit living. But I'm confident you're not either!

I like this time in my life as well. I think it's not too late to teach an old dog new tricks though! . . . if the tricks are the No S rules!

I do intend to enjoy this time; I'm just glad that I feel like I still have many years ahead of me as well.

Cheers!

Tessytwinkle · Post by **Tessytwinkle** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 8:22 am

How wonderful to wake up this morning. Feeling a bit scared but very determined to give NoS a real good try and find such warm and wise comments. Thank you all for taking the time to encourage me and lift my spirits. I too have had a lifetime of failed diets. And sometimes rage at myself for failing so badly when others around me seem so sorted with food. I really think that NoS offers me a different pattern. A life change and 60 is a great time to seize the day and make changes. I have a lovely young granddaughter. She is such fun. I really want to stay in her life. I have high blood pressure, gout and other health problems. I am truly hoping that I can loss weight as I need to for my joints. But also importantly improve my overall health and fitness. I am starting my 21 day challenge now. Will keep you posted. But also no doubt call out if I am stumbling badly. Bless you all for being so kind.

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 11:10 am

Tessytwinkle wrote: Feeling a bit scared but very determined to give NoS a real good try.

Don't be scared! No-S is similar to the way those of us "of a certain age" ate when we were growing up -- before weight problems were common. It is also similar to the way the French, Italians and many other large groups of people without chronic weight problems eat.

Look at this video about the school lunch program in 1966. In particular, look at the people -- both the adults and children. NO ONE is seriously overweight. At that time most of our eating habits were similar to No-S, we didn't go to gyms and exercise regularly, "diet foods" were pretty much unheard of (as were SuperFoods) and diet books and programs were uncommon (though Weight Watchers was already around). I don't remember studies appearing nearly daily telling us how and what to eat.

Recently I read that more diet books are published weekly now than were published between 1950 and 1960! I can't remember how many were published then, but it was less than 10. All the information, programs, plans and books haven't helped.

BrightAngel · Post by **BrightAngel** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 1:47 pm

wosnes wrote: in 1966... (though Weight Watchers was already around).

In my teens, before age 20, (and my first pregnancy),
my body maintained in the "overweight" BMI range,
sometimes at the low border, and other times nearer the high border.
This was not "NATURAL" but was due to my ongoing conscious EFFORTS
to cut back on food, and eat small amounts of "nonfattening" foods the majority of of the time.
Early on, I realized that I needed to eat far less than everyone around me
in order to keep my body size out of the "really fat" area.

As a short, curvy (bottom-heavy hourglass) female I did not look good in the popular "sheath" look.
At that time I was "plump"... not considered ACTUALLY fat,
but I was often clearly the fattest one in the room or the area.
Desipte the fact that I dressed carefully to accent my positives and look slimmer,
I was OFTEN the victim of rude and unkind fat-biased comments and behaviors from others.

Nowadays, there are so MANY heavy people everywhere.
It was unusual when I first noticed it, ... I remember thinking..
"Where were all these fat people when I was young,
I was merely overweight, how come I was usually the fattest one?"

I never heard of any weight-loss organizations before 1965,
until after the birth of my daughter, when I joined TOPS.
This was in southern California, and I attended TOPS for a few years even after I moved to Portland, Oregon.

Interestingly,
Although Weight-watchers was founded in 1963 on the east coast, by a rather enterprising woman,
it took awhile to establish itself in the west.
The first time I joined Weight Watchers, (1973) after the birth of my 2nd child,
it was just becoming popular here in the Central California area.
The WW organizaion became a REALLY big business
after 1978 when it was purchased by Heinz. - a food company.

Jammin' Jan · Post by **Jammin' Jan** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 2:12 pm

I have been in and out of No-S for years, now at 61 I am finally sticking with it. No such thing as "too old."

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 2:27 pm

Whether you lose a lot or not, it's definitely possible to establish new eating habits. If you really do need to do it for your health, then.... do it. Keep reminding yourself of how you would like to live rather than how you've been living with food. I started a bit earlier, at age 56, but the incentive not to live my last years in the clutches of food was and is a continuing motivation. You will have moments when you think, ah, the heck with it, but those are the moments when you have to make the choice to ignore those thoughts, or at least get better at it. Another idea that helped me was thinking I just didn't have that much time left to afford to keep slipping up.

Just hang on through those tough hours. That's all we're talking about. A few hours of waiting until the next meal. Do whatever it takes to get through those hours.

IT IS WORTH IT!

Tessytwinkle · Post by **Tessytwinkle** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 9:37 pm

Thank you for all your kind encouragement. Today - my first public noS day I have failed. I was cooking in the afternoon for dinner later and thought I had made the food too salty. So I tasted it. Did not think twice!!! I am a cook and cooks taste their food! Then I was still not sure. Had 3 spoonfuls then realised I had therefore had a snack. I was so horrified as I has been at a friends earlier and denied myself cake. Felt so downhearted. Then later ate two cakes as if i did not care for myself at all any more. I hate this type of behaviour. But I think I have actually totally lost confidence in myself. I think maybe I just cannot do this even with everything at stake. I just don't seem to be able even start noS diet if I am honest with you all . I have been trying for a week or more now. I just can't even get one day right. I thought if I joined up properly again and was more public I could make myself do it. But even now I cannot get one good day Under my belt. How can I ever hope to get 21. . I am crying now as I write this because I really feel I will not be able to even start. But when I opened up this page and found such thoughtful. Kind responses from everyone it has lifted me so much. Thank you. Is there anything else I can do except try again tomorrow? I am not even sure I can do that. Feel very low. Sorry cannot be more upbeat. I really want to be able to do this. Why is it so hard.
Sorry for rambling. Just needed to talk to someone. Will try again tomorrow.

wosnes · Post by **wosnes** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 11:10 pm

Tessytwinkle wrote:Thank you for all your kind encouragement. Today - my first public noS day I have failed. I was cooking in the afternoon for dinner later and thought I had made the food too salty. So I tasted it. Did not think twice!!! I am a cook and cooks taste their food! Then I was still not sure. Had 3 spoonfuls then realised I had therefore had a snack. I was so horrified as I has been at a friends earlier and denied myself cake. Felt so downhearted. Then later ate two cakes as if i did not care for myself at all any more. I hate this type of behaviour. But I think I have actually totally lost confidence in myself. I think maybe I just cannot do this even with everything at stake. I just don't seem to be able even start noS diet if I am honest with you all . I have been trying for a week or more now. I just can't even get one day right. I thought if I joined up properly again and was more public I could make myself do it. But even now I cannot get one good day Under my belt. How can I ever hope to get 21. . I am crying now as I write this because I really feel I will not be able to even start. But when I opened up this page and found such thoughtful. Kind responses from everyone it has lifted me so much. Thank you. Is there anything else I can do except try again tomorrow? I am not even sure I can do that. Feel very low. Sorry cannot be more upbeat. I really want to be able to do this. Why is it so hard.
Sorry for rambling. Just needed to talk to someone. Will try again tomorrow.

Tasting is NOT snacking. This has come up numerous times previously. As long as you're not eating a serving of whatever and your spoonfuls weren't serving spoons, you're okay.

I take my clue from the French. on this The authors I've read who write about food often mention that the French don't snack. But the French women usually taste while cooking.

So, don't get your knickers in a knot about tasting. Also you're new -- you're GOING to make mistakes. Don''t worry about it and don't aim for perfection. 1) Good enough is good enough, and 2) Go for progress, not perfection.

Kittykat150 · Post by **Kittykat150** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 11:49 pm

Tessy,
Please don't give up! Look at what you accomplished that was positive. You passed up cake, a positive CHANGE in eating behavior. You tasted as a cook, but you did not sit down and binge on something. Do you notice that it was only after you thought you failed that you had the cake and sealed the deal?Maybe you should not focus on perfect days. Maybe you should start with one meal at a time. If you don't snack between breakfast and lunch: that is a SUCCESS. Then go for no snacking between lunch and dinner, etc. Steady progress is all that matters. You did NOT fail all day today. You had one setback due to a misunderstanding. Perfectionist thinking is self sabotage. If your child or grandchild had made such a small mistake, what would you say to them.? That they failed? Of course not. You would give them a hug and say that's okay. You did your best and you can try again tomorrow.
So I am sending you a big hug and telling you that it is okay....you will do better tomorrow, one meal at a time. No more bullying yourself!
Peace,
Kat

Tessytwinkle · Post by **Tessytwinkle** » Wed Jul 31, 2013 5:08 am

Thank you Wosnes for your wise thoughts. I am a cook and I will always automatically taste food, it is good to know that is not snacking. I shall try to make sure tasting does not become covert eating. I will know the difference in my heart! I will try not to aim for perfection but aim instead for persistence!!
Dear kittykat. Your kind words have really comforted me thank you. I lay awake last night thinking about this. I have never really tried anything quite like this. Weightloss with support. It has always been a rather lonely battle. Mixed up with all the tortuous thoughts that go round in my head. But I think that maybe this time I might stand a much better chance. I want and need to lose weight. But actually being able to establish some kind of food relationship which is under my control may be by far the greater gift that noS can give me. I will try again today. Aim for progress and not perfection and take it one meal at a time as suggested.
Thank you.

finallyfull · Post by **finallyfull** » Wed Jul 31, 2013 12:39 pm

I think expecting lots of falling down and lots of getting back up is very normal. It's like learning to roller skate -- it takes time and trial!

You will definitely get this and you will enjoy the blessings of sanity and moderation. Just try to relax yourself when you hit those bumps.

I agree that if you "cheat" you will "know it in your heart" -- in other words, if I accidentally take a bite of something (like I took a swig of my daughter's chocolate milk last week -- delicious!!) you will come to notice it, recognize it, and move on. If you PURPOSELY go eat something, that's a whole different thing.

For what it's worth, I had to stop tracking "failures" because they caused me to think I was on a diet and therefore to rebel, just as you did, by eating more once I "blew it." I haven't tracked for months (not that I'm unaware of it) and it changed everything. Now I'm green 98% of the time with hardly any effort (usually no effort).

vmsurbat · Post by **vmsurbat** » Wed Jul 31, 2013 12:52 pm

Tessytwinkle,

This:

I am crying now as I write this because I really feel I will not be able to even start.

was me 5 years ago. Not because I had tried NoS and failed (yet), but because I was finally properly diagnosed with hypothyroidism, on meds for six months, carefully "watching" what I ate, and still gaining weight. Everything I read had suggested that when properly controlled, I'd be able to lose weight when really trying--and I was really trying. And when despite my very best efforts, I was gaining, I felt defeated before I got started.

In a last-minute search fueled by desperation, I googled diets and looked at everything under the sun--see my first year testimonial. I knew none were sustainable (or even doable--we live overseas) until I clicked the very last diet on my list: NoS. WOW! Sanity at last.

Please check out the testimonial boards--you can do it if I did, with the cards stacked against me. I've never, ever had a perfect row of 21 days. Ever--in five years. But, I've built "good enough" habits to lose 55+ pounds when the odds were completely against me.

Tessytwinkle wrote:I shall try to make sure tasting does not become covert eating. I will know the difference in my heart! I will try not to aim for perfection but aim instead for persistence!!

Yes, every meal is a chance for success. And since I'm chief cook and I cook for a LOT of people, I've found that I can taste with my smallest spoon--not the biggest.

Tessytwinkle wrote: I have never really tried anything quite like this. Weightloss with support. It has always been a rather lonely battle. Mixed up with all the tortuous thoughts that go round in my head. But I think that maybe this time I might stand a much better chance. I want and need to lose weight. But actually being able to establish some kind of food relationship which is under my control may be by far the greater gift that noS can give me. I will try again today. Aim for progress and not perfection and take it one meal at a time as suggested.

We are all here for you. As someone else wrote in another post: we're here for you; we've got your back. You CAN build a better relationship with food. You CAN beat "diethead." You CAN do this day by day, meal by meal.

And if you haven't, or not lately, go check out the sticky at the top of this forum: NoS Catchphrase glossary--lots of mental ammunition for beating diethead. And then check out the testimonial pages, and you'll see that success comes from building NoS habits, not letting the failures derail, but rather continuing on--NO one (not even Reinhard) has perfectly followed NoS 100% of the time....

Tessytwinkle · Post by **Tessytwinkle** » Wed Jul 31, 2013 8:49 pm

My first successful green day. I am delighted. Thank you thank you everyone. I have learned so much in the last couple of days and I know I will have many things to learn in the weeks, months ( years!) ahead. Thank you Finallyfull I shall bear in mind what you say about marking failures. Although I have to say that getting a green box on my habitcal was very uplifting. I felt proud - crazy but true. It s only one day yet that noS day had proved beyond me for some time. I know I will have ups and downs but I really feel so much more determined now.
Dear Vicki. I cannot put into words how important your response has been to me. To think that people have my back. That you all might care enough to pick me up when I fall is so so special. I have also done as you suggested and read the stickys and also read all of your yearly testimonials. I am in awe of your progress and achievement. Thank you for sharing. I really really want to be able to achieve some peace and balance in my life, and you give me the strength to do so and the example to follow. No tears tonight only good feelings. It feels like here is the potential for profound change in my life. I hope I can hold this thought. It's all a bit scary really I have been so long failing and getting ever fatter and more hopeless the thought that I may have found the key to life changing habits is really quite profound. I know early days but hey I feel good!!! Thank you Reinhard you are a genius!

jellybeans01 · Post by **jellybeans01** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 12:12 am

as I am nearing my latter 30's I have to eat from smaller plates. I have not changed the diet just my plate size.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 4:38 am

What you've done in this area is no proof of what you will do. Even if you have had a history of not sticking to programs, you can stick to this one. Please try to think in terms of changing your habits instead of losing weight. Losing weight comes with reduced eating and you must get used to reduced eating. Just because you want to doesn't mean all your urges will cooperate right away.

Like most of us were, you're very prone right now to the WTH effect, meaning giving up as soon as you slip at all. I think the fact that No S recommends not letting that take over is as valuable a lesson as the three-meal structure.

Okay, no getting discouraged allowed until you've failed 100 times.

Kittykat150 · Post by **Kittykat150** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 11:57 am

Yay Tessie! I know you can do this.
Have you considered setting up a daily thread for yourself? I find it very helpful and the nicest people pop in to give you encouragement along the way.
Keep the faith!
Kat

Tessytwinkle · Post by **Tessytwinkle** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 1:00 pm

Hi there. Thanks for all the encouragement. This is such an exciting time for me really as I feel something new is happening to me. Thank you for all your support. Ooolala you are so spot on i am very prone to WTF actions. They have always been my undoing. I shall watch that. Kat, thanks for your post - you are so right. I think it would be a good idea to set up a daily thread. Feels a bit exposed. But having read so many posts now I realise that for me to stand a good chance of lasting change then I need to be publicly accountable. So will set up a daily thread - ooooh scary!!!!
I hope you will all drop by every now and again.
Many thanks.
Tessy

r.jean · Post by **r.jean** » Thu Aug 01, 2013 2:32 pm

It sounds like you are getting it! Good luck!

Everyday Systems

Any older folk been successful? Hoping 60 not too old to noS

Any older folk been successful? Hoping 60 not too old to noS

Never too late!

Re: Never too late!

Old dog-new tricks!

Thank you Thank you.

Re: Thank you Thank you.

Re: Thank you Thank you.

Already fallen down! Help

Re: Already fallen down! Help

New day new start

Re: New day new start

Hooray!!

Good thinking!