Drscottie's 2016 check in

drscottie · Post by **drscottie** » Tue Jan 19, 2016 8:24 pm

Pull up a chair, this could take some time.

When I first heard about No S in 2009, I was at the top of my weight, carrying 224lbs on a 5ft 3" sturdy frame. I needed to lose weight as my weight was restricting my life and decided that I didn't want to diet because dieting made me crazy. I made a commitment to myself to do 'No S' and never diet again. I think I posted a couple of times but have mainly the years mainly lurked on the site reading everyone's stories and taking a lot of wisdom in from others. Oolala and Noel have been particularly inspiring to me.

The only mod I made was to limit myself to one S day a week - Saturday. This is my most social day. I figured that as a wee middle aged woman one S day was probably enough, rather than overly monitor and limit what I ate on an S day, I decided I would just focus on the habit. I don't overly worry about what I eat at meals and eat carbs, butter, cheese, use oil in cooking. But I also eat a lot of vegetables and a variety of food.

Over 4 years I lost 50lbs, slowly and steadily. No S helped me get through a messy divorce and non coeliac gluten and lactose intolerance. All was well until last year.

Last year was a brutal year, I was diagnosed with Ménière's disease in June having been virtually housebound for two months. It's a chronic condition that I have to manage with a low salt and caffeine free diet and meds. At this time my lovely Mum was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which brought an awful 6 months until she passed away in November. I stopped exercising and one S day became three S days per week as I struggled to care for her, look after my own health along and work full time.

The result is that by the end of 2015, 25lbs of homeless fat reunited itself with my butt and other willing areas... I dallied with the idea of other diets, but all that happens is that I eat more in rebellion at even the thought. I also don't want to break the promise to myself of never dieting, I have enough limitations on my diet without adding any more.

My conclusion was to recommit to Vanilla with one S day per week for a solid year and see what happens. My 'experiment' in S days tells me with one S day I lose weight, two I maintain at a heavier weight and with three I gain. So far it's going well, I've slipped back into the old habit and my holiday gains have gone.

This brings me to why I'm posting. I want to give back to No S, hopefully someone will find some of the things I have to say useful or interesting as I have from others. It struck me that it isn't really about weight loss at all for me anymore, yeah I want to be 20lb lighter again, but mainly I want the sanity of moderation.

Best wishes to all

Eil

Queenie · Post by **Queenie** » Tue Jan 19, 2016 8:31 pm

Welcome, Eil.

Thanks for sharing your story. Hope that life stays on a more even keel now.

Interesting to hear about your mod of one S-day a week.

Although I'm just starting, my intention is to do this for 6 months then probably renew for the rest of the year (and hopefully ongoing as well).

Regards,
[Hiding my name!]

drscottie · Post by **drscottie** » Tue Jan 19, 2016 8:55 pm

Thanks Queenie

I hope it is going well for you and that you aren't too worried about wild S days. Mine are more moderate than they once were but still not very moderate even after all this time. It just means the progress is a bit slower.

It is worth it though

Eil

Queenie · Post by **Queenie** » Tue Jan 19, 2016 9:01 pm

Thank, Eil.

No-S has been so easy for me that I'm half-wondering what I'm doing wrong!

Oops -- didn't realize I signed my name. Wanted to keep that off the boards here.

Queenie

drscottie · Post by **drscottie** » Tue Jan 19, 2016 9:12 pm

Yes, I find it easy now. For me the biggest temptation was to start adding more and more mods and rules to get faster results. But I also know I'm rule averse so I start looking for loopholes...

No worries, have amended my response too, so you continue to have glorious anonymity

E

eschano · Post by **eschano** » Thu Jan 21, 2016 11:21 am

Sorry to hear you had such a hard time.

Best of luck with vanilla NoS. It must be nice to already know you can do it from past experience

drscottie · Post by **drscottie** » Thu Jan 21, 2016 11:07 pm

Thanks Eschano, that's what's keeping me on the straight and narrow. I know it works, if I behave.

Today has been a breadtastic day. I've found the most amazing gluten free bread that tastes like real bread. It is, apparently, the bread equivalent of crack, I had cheese on toast for breakfast; bacon eggs and toast for lunch and a chicken sandwich for dinner. It may not be the most sensible days food intake, but I have enjoyed every single bite.

I went to belly dance on Monday for the first time since early December, it was brutal. My dance teacher, who is awesome, gave us a 'kids from fame' lecture, this was the intermediate/advanced class and she was not letting us off lightly. She kept her word

I'm one of the biggest woman in the class, but what I love about belly dance is that doesn't matter - it helps to have jiggly bits.

I'm looking forward to Saturday. I may bake cake.

Queenie · Post by **Queenie** » Fri Jan 22, 2016 2:46 am

drscottie wrote:
Today has been a breadtastic day.

I can feel your joy.

drscottie · Post by **drscottie** » Tue Jan 26, 2016 11:14 pm

Joy is the right word Queenie

My S day involved a board game day with friends, it also involved an obscene amount of candy. Oh and maybe some home-made lemon blondes. My teeth feel fuzzy even at the thought. But it was an S day and whilst I wouldn't say eating that amount of sweets is ever a good thing, I'm okay with it. Board game days only happen every couple of months and everyone always eats too much crap. They are such fun days.

The rest of the week has been busy at work, along with one trip to the gym and belly dance class last night. I am proud of myself for making really nice salads for lunch this week, my work canteen is awful. Because of my gluten intolerance, the only thing I can eat there is chips (French fries). I work in public health, the irony is not lost.

Im down 3lbs so far. I usually weigh myself in kg, I don't really understand it so it never has the same emotional impact as stones and pounds. I know it's heading in the right way though.

wahine · Post by **wahine** » Wed Jan 27, 2016 8:22 am

Board game day sounds like a lot of fun.

Well done on the salads. We are quite lucky at my work that we are 2 blocks away from the hospital cafeteria and no other shops nearby. So everyone brings their lunch. There is a salad in a jar trend going at the moment. I can tell you with authority that you can leave them in the fridge at work over the weekend by accident and they are still fine on Monday. So the internet thing that you can make them for the week on Sunday night is probably true. I only have two jars so haven't tested.

Queenie · Post by **Queenie** » Wed Jan 27, 2016 1:29 pm

I think Noel has a "mason jar salad" thread on the main discussion page, and I believe she makes a week's worth at a time.

+1 on Board Game Day. Scrabble is my favorite.