5 weeks in....and no weight loss

No Snacks, no sweets, no seconds. Except on Days that start with S. Too simple for you? Simple is why it works. Look here for questions, introductions, support, success stories.

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weebly
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5 weeks in....and no weight loss

Post by weebly » Tue Apr 15, 2014 3:20 am

Well, this is my 5th week of No S. I have actually been pretty good with all green days during the week. I do enjoy myself on the S days and cut right back when Monday arrives. However, I haven't lost any weight. Is 5 weeks too soon to see any change?

I think I just need someone to remind me that this isn't a quick fix and to just hang in there. It's tempting to try something drastic (i.e. cut out carbs etc) just to get the weight shifting, but I don't want to slip down that path.
:(

alice2002
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Post by alice2002 » Tue Apr 15, 2014 3:44 am

Are you exercising at all? I ask, because between Thanksgiving and today, I've gone down one clothing size, but according to the scale I've lost less than 5 lbs! I've been walking at least 2 miles, 2x a week on average. And I'm guessing I must be gaining some muscle for the scale to stay as high as it is.

automatedeating
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Post by automatedeating » Tue Apr 15, 2014 4:30 am

Hi Weebly,
I only lost one pound in my first month, then 2 pounds in my second month. So very slow. I also believe that we try to kid ourselves about our starting weight sometimes.....maybe we think it's 2 or 3 pounds less than it really is. If we do this, then we think we haven't lost weight when actually we have lost a little! :)

NoS is slow, slow, slow....which makes it last, last, last. Hang in there! I recommend committing to a certain number of weeks before you let yourself seriously consider trying anything else. I committed to 12 weeks, after which I had lost 3 or 4 pounds. Then I committed to 12 more weeks, at the end of which I had lost 6 or 7 pounds. I am now nearing the end of my third set of 12 weeks, and it looks like my total weight loss so far will be 9 or 10 pounds.

So not a lot of fast weight loss, but I don't feel at all scared that I will gain it back. Gradual weight loss is best for our body and for our mind.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

eschano
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Post by eschano » Tue Apr 15, 2014 8:23 am

My answer would be: It all depends. What is your starting weight and height (the less you have to lose the slower and the smaller you are the harder if you have 11" plates) and are you sticking to one plate per meal?

If you have a lot to lose and you have been sticking to NoS properly than weight loss will automatically follow. Just keep faith and enjoy not counting calories or cutting out food.

Also, have you thought that maintenance might already be a massive step forward? I don't know about you but for me the status quo pre-NoS was to gain not to maintain.
eschano - Vanilla rocks!

July 2012- January 2016
Started again January 2021

mestahl
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Post by mestahl » Tue Apr 15, 2014 12:45 pm

Please don't get discouraged - hang in there - it is a slow weight loss and I'm going to assume that you've started some diet in the past and for a while the weight zoomed off and then if you're like me you say hallelujah while eating a whole cake and then there goes the weight back on.

I try to look at the bigger picture - I'm nowhere near as bad a binger as I used to be, I'm less crazy about food, I'm finally hungry now when I eat, and I barely have any heartburn. A huge difference from the begining of this year.

weebly
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Post by weebly » Wed Apr 16, 2014 1:33 am

Thanks all,

I have had an injury so I'm not able to go to the gym or play sports. However, I do walk a lot now. I've pretty much given up on the car or public transport. I also have about 20 pounds to lose.

I haven't snucked in any additional servings during the week. You're right eveninglightwriter, I drop weight very very quickly when I do no carbs, so it's so tempting to do that again, but I know I won't be able to sustain it long term.

automatedeating, I'll do what you suggest and give it 12 weeks. Let's see if anything changes.

I'm so sick of counting anything, and this 3 plates a day rule is fabulous, I feel so much more relaxed over meal times. I hope it finally works though, I would like to eat this way forever.

automatedeating
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Post by automatedeating » Wed Apr 16, 2014 5:01 am

Weebly, just to give credit: it was Oolala that challenged me to give NoS 12 weeks before deciding it didn't work for me. I had posted something similar to you and I got a lot of encouraging replies -- just like you did!:)

Go for it!
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

eschano
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Post by eschano » Wed Apr 16, 2014 9:52 am

To give you an idea: 20 pounds is roughly what I had to lose to be in a healthy BMI. 1 2/3 years in I have now lost 30 pounds. So it's slow but definitely worked. In the meantime, I loved every week on it!

Delighted you are doing the 12 weeks.
eschano - Vanilla rocks!

July 2012- January 2016
Started again January 2021

weebly
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Joined: Mon Mar 17, 2014 1:21 am

Post by weebly » Wed Apr 16, 2014 1:15 pm

Thanks automatedeating (and Oolala!), really appreciate the encouragement.

Also, thanks eschano, it's good to know it can be done, well done on your effort! Can I just ask what sort of exercise you did to get that result? I have upped my walking a lot, but I don't know if it's enough.

I am limited in what I can do, so if I need to do more than the walking, I'll need to perhaps engage a personal trainer to work with me so I don't injure myself further (an additional cost I would prefer to avoid).

Many thanks again all! I love this forum!

eschano
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Post by eschano » Wed Apr 16, 2014 1:21 pm

Hi weebly,

I'm a bit on and off with exercise, probably averaging one half-hour exercise per week. It only recently increased a bit. I do, however, walk nearly everywhere and walk about one hour per day just to get to and from the train station.

So in my books walking is definitely enough. I do walk quite fast and do it spontaneously as well so I probably average 1 1/2-2 hours a day.

I hope that helps!
eschano - Vanilla rocks!

July 2012- January 2016
Started again January 2021

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Wed Apr 16, 2014 9:59 pm

The less of an S-er you were, the longer it will take. I of the try 12-week minimum recommendation say that I did have loss in the beginning but I had more to lose and I was a big binger. I still binged on weekends for a long time. My weight loss stabilized for quite awhile after those first three months and many times thereafter. I've never seriously considered divorcing the plan, though. The odds of finding a better partner are just too low!
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

Simpless
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Post by Simpless » Thu Apr 17, 2014 9:05 pm

Hi weebly,

Thanks for starting this thread. I've been feeling the same way, I'm sure because I've lost faster on other diets, but of course gained it all back plus more. Like you, I'm sick of counting, tracking and thinking about how I can lose weight. I told my husband at lunch, that No S is such a freedom to me. No S makes sense to him and he's happy for me. He has been suffering long enough with my ups and downs. Let's hang in there :)

weebly
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Post by weebly » Mon Apr 28, 2014 1:15 pm

Hi Simpless, happy to hear I'm not alone! I think a big part of the non weight loss is because I'm having too much fun with the treats on the weekends!

Oolala, I didn't quite get your post, what do you mean by the less of an S-er? Sorry!

I'm going to have to cut back on s days, but otherwise this is the way I would like to eat for the rest of my life :)

automatedeating
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Post by automatedeating » Mon Apr 28, 2014 1:26 pm

Hi Weebly,
I would just encourage you to not make any modifications to your weekend S Days until you have been NoSing for a predetermined length of time. Whether it's 12 weeks, 6 months, a year, whatever--longer of course is better but a shorter amount of time may be easier to stick with it despite frustrations.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

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Jibaholic
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Post by Jibaholic » Mon Apr 28, 2014 8:03 pm

I know other people have already made this point but it bears restating:

No S is not a diet but a lifestyle. (This really is true in the case of No S). It lowers your setpoint by breaking you of the habit of mindless eating. However, because it is not a diet it will not generally result in quick weight loss. In fact, you might even gain weight initially on No S! If you were on a traditional diet and lost five pounds by force of will, and then switched to No S, then your body will be fighting to regain the lost weight. At the same time, you are forming new and healthy habits. Those two factors could easily offset each other. Or alternately, the body's battle to defend it's initial setpoint may be stronger than your relatively new habits and you could gain weight.

But in the long run you should trust the new habits you are forming. I've made the mistake of looking for the secret sauce to make weight loss go faster, and all it does is result in me working against my setpoint, which is ultimately self-defeating.

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BrightAngel
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Post by BrightAngel » Mon Apr 28, 2014 9:41 pm

Jibaholic wrote:the body's battle to defend it's initial setpoint
may be stronger than your relatively new habits ....
..result in me working against my setpoint, which is ultimately self-defeating.
Working against your set-point doesn't HAVE to be ultimately self-defeating...
...as long as one consistently continues the struggle.

I've learned that after your set point has racheted up to an unreasonable level,
there's no way to maintain a reasonable weight without constantly fighting your own body.
As a "reduced obese" person, my body's set point is around 270.

Despite my long-term maintenance of a normal weight, my set point is still up there.
I remain determined to continue working against returning to Morbid or Super Obesity.
BUT ... it does take more than "vanilla" No S to accomplish this.
BrightAngel - (Dr. Collins)
See: DietHobby. com

heatherhikes
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Post by heatherhikes » Wed Apr 30, 2014 2:09 pm

BrightAngel wrote: Working against your set-point doesn't HAVE to be ultimately self-defeating...
...as long as one consistently continues the struggle.
I've learned that after your set point has racheted up to an unreasonable level,
there's no way to maintain a reasonable weight without constantly fighting your own body.
As a "reduced obese" person, my body's set point is around 270.
Despite my long-term maintenance of a normal weight, my set point is still up there.
I remain determined to continue working against returning to Morbid or Super Obesity.
BUT ... it does take more than "vanilla" No S to accomplish this.
BA, as someone who has not (?) and does not practice NoS, I believe you aren't qualified to state the above. It may apply to your personal situation but cannot/shouldn't be generalized.
In German the proverb "die Pferde scheu machen" would fit here, with regards to the people who come to the forum for encouragement and, may I say, hope.
Best wishes for the future :) :D
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BrightAngel
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Post by BrightAngel » Wed Apr 30, 2014 2:44 pm

heatherhikes wrote: BA, as someone who has not (?) and does not practice NoS,
I believe you aren't qualified to state the above.
It may apply to your personal situation but cannot/shouldn't be generalized.
heatherhikes...
You misunderstand and mis-state my No S position.
I am a long-time user of No S.
I've been here on the forum continually, since March of 2008,
During all of those 6 years I've been using No S concepts,
especially the Habit and Moderation concepts, together with the tracking of all my food intake.

During those years, many times, I've "practiced" vanilla No S;
....that's how I learned that "vanilla" does not personally work for me.
However, most of that time I've practiced No S together with various personal modifications,
a practice with which, Reinhard in his book, specifically states is an appropriate No S use.

During all those 6 years, I've also watched a great many people using No S,
and I've learned a great deal from this.
Although we are not ALL alike, there are many, many people who are like me.
Not only am I am qualified to speak about No S, doing so is a service to those people.
BrightAngel - (Dr. Collins)
See: DietHobby. com

heatherhikes
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Post by heatherhikes » Wed Apr 30, 2014 3:42 pm

BA, I know from experience (having a long diet history) that practicing the NoS principles eventually becomes habit, then a livestyle -- if I don't give up. Even when I (slowly) incorporate a mod or 2 and then stick with that modified NoS, it also becomes habit/lifestyle over time. I'm still working on solidifying the habits...to granit...

After a period of stressful life changes and (stomach)-sickness I let go of the 2-3 meals, but my body/mind remembers the principles and it has been relatively easy to return. I didn't have to start at zero. And, I know from reading the boards for years, that many people have experienced similar things with NoS.

The most important point is to keep on trucking, to NEVER give up. If we keep on modifying, switching forth and back, it doesn't stick. (not saying that you do that)

Greetings from the Uetliberg (near Zuerich)
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BrightAngel
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Post by BrightAngel » Thu May 01, 2014 4:58 am

heatherhikes wrote:BA, I know from experience (having a long diet history)
that practicing the NoS principles eventually becomes habit, then a lifestyle --
if I don't give up.
It is great you've been able to create a habit out of the basic, "vanilla" No S.
I congratulation you on your success.

It is not a one-size-fits-all-world, and people have many differences.
Every type of behavior cannot become a positive habit for Every person.
Here at No S, there is room for many different modifications to the basic "vanilla" No S diet,
and, Reinhard is supportive of that modification concept, both in his book and here on the forum.

It is not up to me to say which modifications are appropriate for other people,
or how much time should pass before they modify their plan.
My own preferences and opinions are due to my own experiences
and observations of the experiences of others.
All I know for certain, is that people are different,
and there is more than one one right way.
BrightAngel - (Dr. Collins)
See: DietHobby. com

heatherhikes
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Post by heatherhikes » Thu May 01, 2014 8:49 pm

BrightAngel wrote: It is great you've been able to create a habit out of the basic, "vanilla" No S.

It is not a one-size-fits-all-world, and people have many differences.
Every type of behavior cannot become a positive habit for Every person.
Here at No S, there is room for many different modifications to the basic "vanilla" No S diet.
BA, I am using Vanilla NoS with a few slight modification, applying those mods consistently. I agree with you on the freedom we have at the forum...and hallelujah for diversity...
However, I do disagree with your following statement with regard to setpoint:

"...there's no way to maintain a reasonable weight without constantly fighting your own body..."

And, as herbsgirl stated on another post, "habits are a powerful thing."

Forgive me if I don't take the time to illustrate/explain more.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend
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BrightAngel
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Post by BrightAngel » Thu May 01, 2014 11:43 pm

heatherhikes wrote: I disagree with your following statement with regard to setpoint:

"...there's no way to maintain a reasonable weight without constantly fighting your own body..."

heatherhikes, your quote leaves out the Very Important qualifier in my statement.
My statement was:
BrightAngel wrote: I've learned that after your set point has racheted up to an unreasonable level,
there's no way to maintain a reasonable weight without constantly fighting your own body.
As a "reduced obese" person, my body's set point is (still) around 270.

There's a great deal of scientific research that supports my statement.
However, you are you, I am me,
and there is plenty or room here at No S, for both of our positions.

I won't be responding further on this Thread,
if you wish further discussion about this matter,
please do so via personal message.
BrightAngel - (Dr. Collins)
See: DietHobby. com

heatherhikes
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Post by heatherhikes » Sun May 04, 2014 8:22 pm

:)
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MerryKat
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Post by MerryKat » Mon May 05, 2014 1:42 pm

Bright Angel Thank you for the time you have taken to respond.

I am interested in your statement that your set point is still at around 270 due to your past weight history.

Do you feel that this will never lower? I have always wondered if our bodies would keep the highest set point or if after a number of years at a significantly lower level if they would start to settle at a lower set point.
Hugs from Sunny South Africa
Vanilla No S with no Sugar due to Health issues - 11 yrs No S - September 2016 (some good, some bad (my own doing) but always the right thing for me!)

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BrightAngel
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Post by BrightAngel » Mon May 05, 2014 6:10 pm

MerryKat wrote:Bright Angel Thank you for the time you have taken to respond.

I am interested in your statement that your set point is still at around 270
due to your past weight history.

Do you feel that this will never lower?
I have always wondered if our bodies would keep the highest set point
or if after a number of years at a significantly lower level
if they would start to settle at a lower set point.
Merry Kat, I no longer have hope that my set point will go down.
It has been 22 years since I weighed 270,
and it has been 10 years since weighed 190.
I've been a "normal" weight for the past 9 years,
But I've had to fight every day to keep from returning to those high weights.

I've done a lot of research on that issue.
Although there are many unqualified trainer-type-Guru's online who say the Set Point will drop ...
This appears to be merely based on magic, or wishful thinking.

Over time when a person gets really fat, their fat cells fill up and then divide. Although fat cells can shrink, they never disappear.
This process rachets up a person's set point, and once it goes beyond each rachet, there is no going back.

Our bodies work well to help us survive famines
but the reverse is not true.
This backfires on us when we live in a culture of overabundance which has an anti-fat-bias.


http://www.diethobby.com/blog.php?ax=v&nid=730

http://www.diethobby.com/blog.php?ax=v&nid=402

http://www.diethobby.com/blog.php?ax=v&nid=875
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MerryKat
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Post by MerryKat » Tue May 06, 2014 11:46 am

Hi Bright Angel

As I posted on your thread, thank you for taking the time to answer me.

I am enjoying exploring the Diet Hobby!
Hugs from Sunny South Africa
Vanilla No S with no Sugar due to Health issues - 11 yrs No S - September 2016 (some good, some bad (my own doing) but always the right thing for me!)

r.jean
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Post by r.jean » Tue May 06, 2014 2:40 pm

For what it is worth, I believe that my set point is different than it was before No S. I am strictly Vanilla No S. I have also increased my exercise and become much more consistent with daily exercise. I continue to be an indulgent eater but indulge less frequently than before. Also, I enjoy eating more now because I have learned to moderate my eating through No S.

In year one I lost 45 lbs, and I easily maintained that loss for the next two years by sticking to 30 minutes minimum exercise and Vanilla No S most of the time. I am still overweight but not in the obese range. I would argue that I have a new set point based on gradual behavioral and physiological changes.

This year I reverted to some old habits and began to feel my clothes get tight. I realized I needed to get back to the strictness I had in the first year in order to continue maintenance and perhaps start chipping away at the extra pounds I have left. So does this mean the change is strictly behavioral? Maybe, but I think not. We will see on July 1 when I weigh again. I did very poorly late in the year 2013 but still weighed within a pound of my new set point on January 1. I continued to do poorly through mid April but I am back on track now. We will see what I weigh on July 1.
The journey is the reward.
Maintenance is progress.

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BrightAngel
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Post by BrightAngel » Tue May 06, 2014 3:44 pm

r.jean wrote:I believe that my set point is different than it was before No S.
In year one I lost 45 lbs, and I easily maintained that loss for the next two years .
I am still overweight but not in the obese range.
I would argue that I have a new set point based on gradual behavioral and physiological changes.
r.jean, I don't know your personal specifics, but
It MIGHT be that your weight-gain and weight-loss was inside the range of your current Set Point.

People are often confused about the Set Point concept,
because it doesn't necessarily rachet up or down with every weight-gain or weight-loss.
A large weight-range exists, both above and below one's Set Point, which could easily be 50 lbs or more.
To increase Set Point, one has to gain a great deal of weight OVER the top of one's Set Point,
AND keep that weight on for a long time period, probably at least a few years.

For more information, see the links I posted above.
BrightAngel - (Dr. Collins)
See: DietHobby. com

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