12 days in

alice2002 · Post by **alice2002** » Mon Nov 25, 2013 6:25 pm

Today is day 12 for me on No S. Having had my second weekend, I noticed a couple things. One, I did more snacking on Sunday and decided that I actually prefer the 3 meals no snacking on my N days. I also realized that I'm more thoughtful about what I eat on N days. I'm more purposeful, not the stressed "what can I / can't I eat" normally associated with dieting.
Granted...I'm so new at this still, but I am really enjoying it!

So far I have found this a very doable way if eating. I have had a couple red days, but nothing that was a huge deal. Anyone else have a pretty "easy" start to this diet? Don't know if or when I'll have a major fall, but I'm enjoying it for now.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Mon Nov 25, 2013 7:21 pm

I had a perfect three months, though wild S days, then wobbled a lot for months, then... Well, it's nearly 4 years later. I wailed about wild S days for over two years. Many, many green N days helped keep me sane. I've lost each year. If I were retired, I could imagine eating only two meals a day, mid-morning and evening, but until then, I can't imagine doing anything else consistently.

After the honeymoon comes the marriage- even for happy marriages.

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Mon Nov 25, 2013 8:27 pm

I celebrate 3 months of NoS today. And it hasn't been horrendously hard. It was easy at first, and has gotten harder for me.

But I am still green and still very committed.

vmsurbat · Post by **vmsurbat** » Mon Nov 25, 2013 9:55 pm

I am one who found NoS very doable* right from the start. It may have helped that I didn't have a long history of crazy diets/binging/calorie counting. Even though I'd been overweight for years, whenever I got serious about my weight, I'd always opted for "just eating less". Which worked as long as I paid attention.

NoS gave me the structure I needed to "just eat less" along with the everyday ups and downs of life, without so much conscious effort.

*Note: Doable doesn't mean perfect. Not by a long shot. Rather, doable means "the way I want to eat which I can actually do." Now, I can honestly say that NoS perfectly describes my eating habits most of the time...

Cassie · Post by **Cassie** » Mon Nov 25, 2013 10:41 pm

I have gone through ups & downs. I always come back to NoS (after a few years since I first discovered it) as I find it by far the most sane, healthy (for mental health as well as physical health) way of being around food.

That doesn't mean it's easy. As with anything, it takes getting used to and accepting 'good enough' rather than aiming for 'perfect' helps, otherwise it's tempting to just give up altogether with the first difficulty.

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Tue Nov 26, 2013 9:56 am

I go through phases. I found it easy in the beginning, then ridiculously tough and then easy again. Overall, it is the most doable lifestyle I've found but I have months where it is particularly hard and months where I don't get why I would ever struggle at all with NoS. I found it hardest when the season is changing as I always feel I need a lot of sleep and instead of sleep I want to opt for chocolate.

I'm nearly a year and a half in and while I sometimes struggle, it's absolutely nothing against the self-loathing I develop when I constantly overeat nor against the effort and self-harm some crazy diets have caused me in the past. This is it. I'm lovingly committed for life!

Good luck

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Tue Nov 26, 2013 2:07 pm

Eschano, is the season still changing now?! Because I am needing a lot of sleep, not getting it, and wanting to eat burgers and fries everyday. Or maybe I'm pregnant. Ha, just kidding.

finallyfull · Post by **finallyfull** » Tue Nov 26, 2013 2:37 pm

I have long stretches of easy. Also, riding out the occasional very hard N day without going red has become easier. Does that make sense? The hard days are easier! Not because they are less hard, but because I have enough experience to know that it will most definitely pass and will be forgotten, and that little green dot on my calendar will make me happy tomorrow. I also always promise myself, during hard stretches, that my next meal can be really big if I want it to be.

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Tue Nov 26, 2013 5:06 pm

Automatedeating, just put the burger and fries on a plate, eat, and wait for the next meal.

Blithe Morning · Post by **Blithe Morning** » Tue Nov 26, 2013 7:55 pm

I'm what? Four or five years into this? I'm 49. My BMI is normal and my other numbers are good except for cholesterol (I'm blaming perimenopause but have started taking flax seed supplements).

My weight is steady and right where I like it, probably about 5 lbs less than when I first started. It's nice that I can keep it there with only 45-60 minutes of walking most days of the week and I still get a glass of wine most nights for dinner.

I notice that I am ridiculously pulled off course even now by the junk food, the stuff that is engineered to be hyper-palatable. Funny, I never binge on homemade stuff or even the better quality store bought treats. But give me an Oreo and I'm gone girl.

My family is sorta starting to get it.

Quite honestly, I don't pay much attention to No S anymore. It just ... is.

worth it · Post by **worth it** » Wed Nov 27, 2013 1:48 am

Dear Alice 2002:

I have been at this for over 2 months now. It was VERY easy at first (6 weeks), but now, with no significant weight loss, it is now seemingly VERY hard. I am just coming off of another red-day today (now 3 in a row: Fri, Mon and Tues) and have seriously thought about turning to low-carb to try and get my weight down. Many people on this site say, "as long as you are building the habit, don't worry," but as a human being that wants a reward for my hard work, I am getting frustrated. My S days are wild, which probably contributes to my lack of weight loss, but honestly, it makes this all seem like another diet that's just not working. I don't mean to be a debbie downer, but I want to make sure there is a realistic voice in all this sea of "happiness" and success. I am not quitting however, and have committed to a 6 month period. I hope by then I can write posts that say, "as long as you are building the habit, don't worry." I hope even more that this continues to go easy for you! Best of luck-

alice2002 · Post by **alice2002** » Wed Nov 27, 2013 1:51 pm

Thanks for all the responses! I'll take a super slow weight loss with less stress over food any day! This is the only diet that I can say I can honestly live with forever.

Curious...those of you who say it started easy, but then got hard. Why do you think that is? What about the habit aspect of it? Isn't it supposed to get easier because of the habit?

automatedeating · Post by **automatedeating** » Wed Nov 27, 2013 2:32 pm

I am one of those. I suspect I am facing my food issues more now..... My desire to eat to deal with emotions is pushing at me harder than when I was in the "honeymoon" phase of the first couple months.

jw · Post by jw » Wed Nov 27, 2013 2:47 pm

I have to say, it started easy because I really focused and it has kept on being easy with less and less focus as time goes on (I am almost 5 months in). But there are certain days when it takes more effort, who knows why? Anybody who has ever used food as a reward or a way to relax and forget your troubles will experience this, I think. And that's pretty much everybody!
Just keep on going!

Aprilsparrow · Post by **Aprilsparrow** » Wed Nov 27, 2013 3:40 pm

I had a harder time getting started but now I am really understanding how the program works and having success. After I read the chapter from Reinhard book about snacks. I am not having snacks on S Days either.

Keep up the great work!

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Thu Nov 28, 2013 12:28 pm

I think for me too it was easy at first because I lost weight but then I plateaued for a little which made it harder in terms of motivation. But I just stuck to it and funnily enough it became easier again and just like that I lost weight again.
Also, I'm not a machine. I go through cycles, it's like any other commitment in my life. Mostly it's easier but sometimes it's hard. That doesn't mean it's not the best thing for me or not worth committing to. Mostly it's easy but I can say a 100% it's always easier than any other diet I have ever tried. Even on the hard days.

Cassie · Post by **Cassie** » Fri Nov 29, 2013 3:51 pm

I agree completely with eschano: the idea that there is any diet out there that 'works well' is a complete illusion. Nothing 'works well' on its own: it's what we put into a diet, any diet, what we do with it, that makes it work better or less well.

Taking that into account, NoS compared to all other diets I've come across is in my view much better--not becuase it's inherently a diet that 'works well' or 'will work for everyone' (and no diet can ever promise that anyway) but just because it focuses on things that matter:
--moderation
--putting food gradually in its proper place, rather than at centre stage of life (ie gaining perspective)
--gradually building healthier eating habits, based on increasing awareness of needs & what 'feels right' rather than through imposing it via a diet.

Well at least these are the things I've found useful about NoS and even though I don't always come regularly to this forum (although recently I have done so), these principles are always on my mind--even, paradoxically, when I'm not following them!