Everyday Systems

I've been lurking here for a while and doing No S for a few weeks on my own but wanted to say hi! I've toyed with the diet before but never committed for more a than a string of days here or there until now. I have a lifetime history of overweight (since childhood), on-off dieting (since childhood), and generally chaotic eating. But for the first time in....ever?...I feel a huge weight off my shoulders when it comes to food. The last few weeks have been glorious for me, as the constant mental chatter of "should I eat/what should I eat?" is quietly slipping away.

Funny enough, I'm also pregnant (just starting my 2nd trimester). I'm so much hungrier than I was before and my body is telling me to eat un-ladylike amounts of food at times (not overeating, just certainly not dainty portions). I'm also tall and very active and generally require a bit more calories anyway.

In the past, I probably would have used this increased hunger and pregnancy in general as an excuse to not try limiting my eating at all. Not snacking between meals is hard enough, let alone when you're pregnant! But as long as I eat a substantial enough amount at mealtime, I find I get just pleasantly hungry by the next meal time.

I think a big part of the freedom I'm feeling (hence my username) is that there is no pressure to lose weight right now, since I'm expecting. So I'm really focusing on just building the no-s habit and not worrying about the scale. I don't think I've ever given myself permission to focus on creating normal eating habits, without hoping there would be some dramatic weight loss associated with it. It's a nice change

Wow-that sounds like a wonderful idea. You've got 20+weeks to get those habits down pat! And wonderful that allowing yourself full plates can get you to the next meal!

My bet is that when you share your eating habits with your doctor, you will get a strong endorsement. Might be fun to share the guidelines without mentioning the word "diet" . . . then you could always spill the beans!

Welcome! Good luck and happy pregnancy!

Hi! It'll be good to have another No S baby. Nicest Baby will be a year on the 5th.

I did No S up to my last month of pregnancy and again starting two months after she was born. I didn't do No S for her first two months because I had read that dieting in the first two months of breastfeeding can affect your milk supply. Just something to be aware of, if you are planning to breastfeed.

No S is a good diet for a new parent because it doesn't require a lot of time or mental energy, two things in short supply for a lot of new parents.

When your baby gets older, No S will also help you model moderate eating habits for him or her. That's important.

Nicest of the Damned wrote:
I did No S up to my last month of pregnancy and again starting two months after she was born. I didn't do No S for her first two months because I had read that dieting in the first two months of breastfeeding can affect your milk supply. Just something to be aware of, if you are planning to breastfeed.

I have never thought of No-S as a "diet" in terms of calorie restriction. If I were to be pregnant (obviously something that is not going to happen), I'd continue following it through the pregnancy and breastfeeding.

wosnes wrote:

Nicest of the Damned wrote:
I did No S up to my last month of pregnancy and again starting two months after she was born. I didn't do No S for her first two months because I had read that dieting in the first two months of breastfeeding can affect your milk supply. Just something to be aware of, if you are planning to breastfeed.

I have never thought of No-S as a "diet" in terms of calorie restriction. If I were to be pregnant (obviously something that is not going to happen), I'd continue following it through the pregnancy and breastfeeding.

I didn't want to take any chances with not having enough milk, especially since Nicest Baby had some trouble getting the hang of nursing and wasn't getting enough to eat at first. I started back on No S after she was two months old, she has been beating the growth curve now (as of Monday, I have 19 pounds of baby- she started out at 5 lbs 13 oz), and I'm down 65 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight. Every individual case is going to be different, though.

Welcome! I did No-S through my pregnancy (off and on) and am currently breast feeding my 8-month-old and losing on No-S!! It's the most sane program! I did wait a few months to establish my milk supply.

welcome I did no s through 4 of my pregnancies and always gained the same 30 then lost the same 30lbs. This is a perfect pregnancy diet if you don't have major morning sickness.

It's great to hear about all of your experiences! I'm really encouraged by everyone on this board but especially the women, as our chemistry certainly gives us unique challenges when it comes to weight.

I think I've gotten off pretty lucky this pregnancy since I had fairly mild morning sickness early on but now that I'm leaving the 1st tri and feeling much, much better. That definitely makes it easier to stick with no-s.

Surprisingly (to me, at least) I'm finding the hardest thing is knowing how much to eat at each meal. Some days I'm ravenous and really need to fill up my plate with calorie dense foods, otherwise I'm hungry in 3 or 4 hours and the urge to snack is unbearable. Other days, a normal looking portion ends up being too much because I find I'm not even that hungry at the next meal time.

Because of my history of flat-out overfeeding myself for so long, I know what looks like a normal portion to me is almost always too much food, so I'm trying to gently cut back what's on my plate. But now that I'm not snacking between meals, the extra food feels a lot harder to let go of - there's a lot of "hey, I might need that or else I'm be starving at 4 pm!" I'm just trying to trust that over time I'll relax about it and find whatever is the right amount for me.

jellybeans01 wrote:welcome I did no s through 4 of my pregnancies and always gained the same 30 then lost the same 30lbs. This is a perfect pregnancy diet if you don't have major morning sickness.

I managed, even with morning sickness. I didn't count the candied ginger I took for nausea as food, since I was taking it as medicine (and didn't find it tempting enough to binge on). Ginger ale would be another option- as a beverage, it doesn't count as a sweet or a snack.

i am into my third week on noS and breastfeeding a 9 week old baby girl. I haven't seen any difference in my breastmilk at all. I would be surprised if noS would affect milk supply at all, since even mothers living during famines can make enough milk. If you are concerned about milk supply I would be sure to find a good lactation consultant. On noS we certainly eat enough calories if you are eating a plate full of food 3x a day.

This is good to see. I'd like to lose the last 10 lbs of pregnancy weight before I get pregnant again, but unlike previously, I'd like to stay on the No-S diet during the pregnancy. But they always advise eating small meals every few hours so you don't feel sick. So this time around (not pregnant yet, but next year) I was thinking of just keeping no s, but eating maybe half the plate at a time and then eating the rest a few hours later so I still have portion control. That would help keep the 'small frequent meals' from becoming large frequent ones.

Rea wrote:This is good to see. I'd like to lose the last 10 lbs of pregnancy weight before I get pregnant again, but unlike previously, I'd like to stay on the No-S diet during the pregnancy. But they always advise eating small meals every few hours so you don't feel sick. So this time around (not pregnant yet, but next year) I was thinking of just keeping no s, but eating maybe half the plate at a time and then eating the rest a few hours later so I still have portion control. That would help keep the 'small frequent meals' from becoming large frequent ones.

I'd wait and see if you feel sick! It's been a long time since I was pregnant, but I felt sicker when I ate frequently.