April 2013
Where am I now?
Weight: Well, I am about 3 lbs. above my highest suggested BMI which puts me at about 160.8. (66 yr. old at 5'7") I always thought that I needed to weigh much lower than this...at least as low as 150. Now I am just accepting what my body does. I am not in control of what the weight number on the scale reports. I have lost a little of 10 lbs. since January and I am about where I was a year ago. I have lost down from 204 in October 2010. I still weigh in every day. I never have let the number dictate my behavior. But I have found over many years of experimenting that if I don't weigh and weigh daily I gradually gain weight. I cannot use my clothes or how I feel as a guide. I have learned to use the Hackers Diet spreadsheet so that I can see the trendline and that probably helps me not to worry about the ups and downs that are normal depending on how much solid and liquid are in my body.
Eating Plan:
This is very personal for me. I have found what works I think. I have tracked calories and carbs enough to know that I do not need very many calories to maintain. I no longer count every day since I eat pretty much the same each day. If I have shown a trendline gain for a week, then I will count for awhile just to keep myself honest.
I feel better if I leave off wheat most of the time. I think I have a slight intolerance and it causes bloating and discomfort. I limit sugar to an occasional 1/4 cup of rich ice cream. I bring home a small pint of gourmet gelato and repackage it into 1/4 cup containers for the freezer or I might enjoy a special event dessert. I may have this little bit (the gelato) daily instead of waiting for S Days when I would probably give myself permission to eat the whole thing.
I do make all my meals at home except for Sunday dinner (most of the time). I do not snack except for maybe an orange in the middle of the morning if I have had a very light early breakfast and I no longer worry about a little nibbling or tasting as I am cooking. My biggest struggle is stopping the meal. I use the NoS one plate plan and then I have to tell myself at the end that the hunger I feel is not real.....that I have had enough to get to the next scheduled meal. Using some of Gillian Riley's ideas about choice and addressing addictive desire, I talk to myself about the fact that yes, I do have the choice to have a second helping, but I am also choosing the consequences that go with that. I know that I am not really hungry; it is just my addictive desire tempting me. Each time I can walk away from that I get stronger patterns set and feel better about myself. I already have an easy time now choosing not to eat junk because I do think I am making a good choice for my well being and I have practiced that choice for a couple of years. Where I have difficulty is in overeating the healthy, good stuff!
I buy a half a beef each year from a local farmer and I shop weekly at the farmer's market. I am trying to consciously eat more veggies. I used to do that back as a filler upper in weight watcher days. I think I rebelled against that, but now I am enjoying having at least half of my plate (usually 2/3) as vegetables again. I use butter, olive oil, rendered lard, coconut oil, but I do not use other industrial seed oils. I buy farm eggs and eat several each day. I also try to get in several salmon and/or sardine meals each week.
NoS modified?
I would not tell someone I am following NoS. I don't tell anyone that I am following a diet of any sort. But I do eat 2 or 3 meals a day. I don't snack or plan to eat seconds. I don't really observe S Days except that is when I will eat out and maybe eat a little bit more. Every so often, maybe 2 times a week, I will have a very light eating day...maybe 500 calories or so. I just go by how I feel and don't make any rigid rules about it. I think I probably need to do that to keep my weekly calorie average in check. I really do not get much exercise right now. That might change or not, but I am learning to eat less food. I think Gillian Riley's book, Eating Less, Say Goodbye to Overeating, works well with the NoS philosophy. She refers to Times (which would be setting the time you are going to eat next) and Plans (at each meal plan before you start eating how much you are going to eat). This sounds a lot like NoS.
I have had some challenging life events over the past few years, but don't we all. What I like about my way of eating and "dieting" now is that it is something I can do all the time...even if I am away from home, recovering from injury, moving, job changes, etc.
Older Posts:
No need to go into my history except to say that I have tried most every approach except surgery and therapy. I have lost 50 lbs. over and over again and never maintained more than 5 years. I am an "expert" on diets, nutrition, exercise, and behavior management, but I just now feel as if I have a solid plan for eating and managing my weight for the rest of my life.
On normal eating: After years of losing on “diets†I thought I could surely become a normal eater. Wrong. I should have realized that fact years ago watching my sister in law leave half a piece of pie on her plate. Never would I do that automatically.
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On weighing: I need to weigh every morning upon rising, sans clothes, and after visiting toilet! I know that there will be fluctuations but when I do this daily I can see the trend and the truth. I have always gained when I put away the scales. Never have I lost or maintained by not weighing. ETA I now have a very good scale that is consistent and I log into Hackers Diet to record weight daily on the spreadsheet which tracks the trendline. This also shows me my calorie deficit.
On body measurements: I don’t need to measure my body. It is too time consuming and it is not possible to be consistently accurate. It is a given that when fat is lost, less space is taken up. ETA: as I am closer to goal I may start measuring waistline and continue that at maintenance
On food rules: I don’t have any rules about what foods I should or should not eat. As Reinhard says, "All food is preapproved." As soon as I make a rule, I want to break it! My only rule is to record every bite I eat. I don’t want to think about food all the time and how many calories or points I have left. I count though so that I am not fooling myself. Name a food rule and I have probably tried it. I have tried other’s rules, and I have made up a host of my own. Now I just weigh daily and record my food and exercise with no starting over. I guess I should say that the NoS rules of no seconds and no snacking are now habits and I do not consider them food rules since all foods are acceptable. ETA: I now do not eat grains (except white rice), seed oils, or sugar but I am convinced of the health reasons for this so do not consider these "diet" rules for weight loss.
On sweets: I do best if I limit my sweets to special times when I am (usually) not eating at home. This does not always fall neatly on an official S Day. Since one cookie does not satisfy me, why would I have three dozen more in the house to call my name. I can enjoy a slice of cheesecake, or a scoop of ice cream outside the house and not have to engage in a mind battle. I did not get fat eating a small dessert ever so often. I got fat bingeing on many servings of sweets and snacks. And if a sweet indulgence happens in the middle of the week that is just fine as long as I record the calories. S Days are not for sugar/chocolate orgies. ETA: the only sweet I have now is the occasional 85% and sometimes 100% dark chocolate and ice cream or coconut macaroon maybe as a treat on S Days.
On wheat/gluten: I do better if I avoid or eliminate most gluten products. These foods seem to cause cravings even more than sugar. I do not want to give them up completely, but these are best limited. ETA: I have given up all wheat and gluten foods. I will on occasion have a slice of sprouted sour dough bread.
On protein: I am better satisfied and have fewer cravings if I am getting enough good protein at each meal. I try to have at least 4 oz. protein at lunch and supper and often have one or two eggs for breakfast. ETA: Now I have upped my breakfast to a high protein no carb breakfast and many days I am not hungry for lunch.
On snacks: This was a real problem area for me. Traditional snack foods such as chips, nuts, crackers, etc. have always been difficult to limit. As a teenager I can remember getting great pleasure from a good book and a box of Wheat Thins. Now I measure these items out and put them on my plate at meal time following the No Snacks rule. I try to limit crackers and chips and focus more on nuts. However, I do not count as having broken a rule having a snack of fruit, yogurt and/or cheese between meals if I am hungry and I count it. ETA: now I have no snacks at all even on S Days. I think it gets my leptin, insulin, and ghrelin levels out of balance.
On seconds: NoS has made me more aware of second helpings. Generally, I try to fix a plate or bowl that I think will satisfy me at the meal. However, if I underestimated and am still hungry, I do not consider it a failure to have another bowl of soup since I am accountable for it and am recording everything I eat in my software program. I know exactly how many calories I am averaging per week. ETA: I have taken breaks from calorie counting and each time I do, I gain weight. Now I am experimenting with calorie averaging and have up days and down days but my average to lose and be satisfied has been about 900 calories. Obviously I don't require a lot of food.
On free days: There is no such thing as far as my body is concerned. I never learned to handle my S Days. I can run up more calories on a free day than I could possibly burn up in a week of careful eating. Because I am aware of my calorie intake and am monitoring my weight, I can enjoy days where I can go over my budget for a day. No day is a license to binge or practice gluttony. Instead I want to choose carefully and enjoy and savor choices I make on special occasions.
On accounting diets: I could always lose counting calories, points, grams, etc. but I never could maintain for long and the bingeing got worse and worse because of the restrictions I had self imposed. I think it was not the accounting as much as it was the restricting and the rules. Now I realize that accounting is just that—accountability. I think of CC as I do weighing on the scale. Therefore my diet rule or habit to establish is to log into Diet Power what I eat each day, my exercise, and my weight. Calorie counting is not the controlling, obsessive, restricting way of life I remember from the past. New technology makes it quick and easy and mind freeing. ETA: I can also look at my records and see any trends or patterns while monitoring my percentages of proteins, fats, carbs. Now I do this if I have started to gain and want to check my portions. I do keep a daily food log and enter my food and exercises...without calorie counts.
On starting over: As far as I am concerned there is no starting over. Life is just what it is. It is not a rehearsal for the real thing. Every day counts. As long as I just keep recording my food and exercise I can try all sorts of approaches, I will have failures; I may be ashamed; but I will be honest with myself. I will not live on the isle of denial to quote another poster. The scale will tell the tale.
On aerobic exercise: I tend to have an all or nothing approach I have to fight against. I have found I don’t do well with a gym membership or classes at this time in my life. If I consistently average burning 200 calories a day I seem to be able to lose or maintain my weight as needed. If I can comfortably do more than that, good for me. Outdoor walking and indoor flywheel cycling work best for me. A pedometer is also motivating. I have seen the studies that say that the formerly obese need to get 60-90 minutes of exercise a day to maintain. I have never been able to do this much exercise consistently. If this means that my goal weight will have to be higher and my maintenance calories lower, I can live with that. I do not want to exercise 90 minutes daily. ETA: My goal now is to cycle on the recumbent bike and use the elliptical machine at the gym about 30 min. 5 X a week since I cannot walk for exercise any more due to permanent injury. I also lift heavy weights 2 X a week.
On strength and flexibility: I had success with yoga, but after an arm and shoulder injury on the ice last winter I cannot do much yoga. I do want to work on adding some stretching later when other habits are in place. My goal is to do a light workout with weights for strength building 2 or 3 times a week. ETA: I am slowly adding chair yoga into my routine.
SO WHAT IS MY PLAN (BEGINNING--OCT 15, 2010)
After trying NoS for nearly 2 years and gaining about 30 pounds I have had to make adjustments. I had many 21 day perfect stretches of N Days, but I needed a different mindset for my S Days. Therefore, my NoS plan is adjusted below:
I follow the NoS 3 plate rule and record what I eat in my software program. If I am still hungry I sometimes (not often) eat a second helping of foods and I record it. If I want a little something sweet, I eat a small piece of 85% dark chocolate. I don’t eat in between meals unless I am truly stomach hungry and then I might eat a piece of fruit and yogurt and/or coconut oil. Instead of having an S day on Saturday or Sunday, I have available calories that I can use for special or unexpected meals or treats. I work at averaging 300 calories burned each day. I try to make good choices getting enough protein and limiting some carbs. I also practice environmental control by keeping problem foods out of the house or out of sight. I agree with the principles of NoS but I have had to adapt them to fit me. I will continue to visit this website because I consider NoS my basic plan. I have found the board to be supportive, intelligent, and open to different opinions. I realize that many are attracted to NoS because they do not want to count calories and I appreciate individual differences.
February Update:
Have added my personal carbohydrate restrictions since January 1.
I am continuing to study Gary Taubes books and lectures, the Hyperlipid blog, Mark Sisson (Primal Blueprint) and Kurt Harris (PaNu blog) and applying what I think is true for me. I am finding it easy to eliminate sugar and gluten grains, to limit fruits and starches, and my carb count is averaging around 60 and my calorie count is averaging around 1200, with many days at 1000 WITHOUT HUNGER. I am steadily losing and feel great. I do not feel like I am being deprived of any food so I feel no need for an S Day. I still don't think in terms of Food Rules, but some foods have been eliminated just because I find them unappealing now that I know how damaging they are and how much better I feel without them. If I thought that sugar was only harmful because it was going to slow down weight loss, that would not be enough for me to give it up. Now I feel so much better abstaining that I can find no good reason for adding it back to my diet. I have had to deal with more stress during this time which would usually be a deal breaker and a reason to comfort with carbs. Absolutely no temptation...I am not ready to quit keeping a calorie count, but I am open to it. Right now I want records to verify my experiment.
March 23, 2011 Update
My way of eating has evolved into following the principles learned from Reinhard, Taubes, Sisson, and Harris. I guess I do have food rules, but they are not imposed from on high. It is different when one believes that some foods are damaging and are agents of disease. This is more than about weight loss. Here are the basics of my plan primarily based on Kurt Harris's NuPaleo:
1. I do not eat sugar and flour.
2. I use animal fats or coconut fat.
3. I have eliminated gluten grains.
4. I do not use grain and seed derived cooking oils (PUFAS)
5. I take 2 tsps Carlsons fish oil to adjust Omega 6's and 3's since grass fed beef and fish are not accessible.
6. I eat fruit in moderation, emphasizing berries and seasonal.
7. I do not eat legumes.
8. I limit hard cheeses to 4 oz. daily.
9. I record food in software to track calories and carbs. (average 1200 calories, 50 carb grams)
10. I eat 2 or 3 meals a day...No grazing.
11. I emphasize leafy greens.
12. I aim for proper exercise emphasizing resistance training.
MAY UPDATE
I am now 10 lbs. from my estimated goal weight and am very satisfied with my WOE. I have not worked in the resistance training as planned, but I am following the basic plan of no grains, no sugar, and no seed oils. My fat grams are about 100 a day and protein is about 80. My calories have been averaging a little over 1300. I am not trying to keep carbohydrates VL but it just happens with the grains and sugar eliminated. I have cut back on nuts and cheese and I have added in daily coconut oil..YUM. I am just now trying IF two days a week with a window from 2:00-8:00 p.m.
AUGUST UPDATE
I have been staying on plan through many of life's ups and downs. My weight plateaued the last three months, but now that I can add some exercise back in, I think I can lose the last 10 pounds. I am not trying to IF any more, because I think I need a high protein breakfast. When I do that, I am not hungry until mid afternoon and a light salad will hold me until dinner.
SEPTEMBER 19 UPDATE
Obviously, I am not going to make my yearly goal. Here is the data from the last year that I need to study as I plan my goals for the next year.
Oct 15, 2010 - March 31, 2011
calories averaged: 1318
pounds lost: 41
April 1, 2011-August 30, 2011
calories averaged: 1346
pounds lost: 0
June 19, 2011-Sept. 19, 2011
calories averaged: 1336
weight: 165 - 163 with dips down to 162 and up again
Sept. 13-October 12, 2011
calories averaged: 1300
weight: 162.5
I have to assume that I have been at maintenance since April 1 and that I will not lose weight at a calorie level above 1300. I have added exercise (heavy weights, HIIT, and low impact cardio) but haven't seen any difference in weight yet.
END OF ONE YEAR RESULTS:
I have kept track of my nutrition for one year and have learned a maintenance calorie range is 1250-1350.
I have stayed the same weight for over 6 months maintaining a loss of 42 pounds.
I do not think I can lower calories and be well nourished so this is where I will stay unless increased exercise changes my metabolism.
I do not snack, eat seconds, or eat sweets. (or grains or seed oils)
I do not change this way of eating on S Days, but I do plan more high calorie or high cost foods as treats.
I no longer binge or crave foods. My hunger/satiety seems to finally have found balance.
I eat a large protein, no carb breakfast and a very light lunch and supper. I try to include yogurt or sauerkraut each day and bone broth a few times a week. I eat a pound of salmon a week and 1/2 a pound of beef liver. I use coconut oil for cooking and butter for flavor and EVOO for salad dressing.
I try to eat about 200 calories in berries, potatoes daily.
UPDATE: December 9, 2011
I have stayed with the basic paleo plan: no sugar, no gluten, no seed oils, watching omega 3/6 ratio and have upped my resistant exercise. It seems that I have gradually lost about 4 more pounds. I have been eating on average two meals a day. My large protein breakfast holds me until the evening meal. I still consider myself to be at maintenance and will accept whatever my body decides is my best weight. My original goal was 8 pounds lighter than my present weight, but my clothes are loose so maybe the number doesn't matter!
August, 2012
I have gained 2 or 3 lbs. and am focusing on the NoS principles and working the daily exercise plan. I have cut back to 30 minutes of planned activity daily and am trying to establish that habit. After several years of working this plan I have found that it is much much easier for me to avoid foods that I know are not good for me instead of reducing portions or limiting those foods. I am much more satisfied without gluten grains and man made fats. I will have an occasional sweet without grains on S Days but I do not keep those things in the house (ice cream, dark chocolate, coconut macaroons). Decisions of degree seem to work for some people, but I am no longer willing to work on that. It requires too much mental energy and is just not worth it.
December 2012
I maintained my weight loss with 2 meals a day. I have gradually picked up weight (about a pound a month) eating 3 meals a day. I am now about 12 lbs. above a normal BMI. I have learned that I need to keep my calorie count around 1000 calories a day to lose. So I am back to 2 meals a day. The exercise is not going well at all. I am forcing it, but I will never have the exercise habit. It is a matter of Just Do It. I still must weigh every morning to stay focused. And for now, I need to record my food in My Fitness Pal to keep check on my calories. I still omit seed oils, sugars, and most grains. I do not binge any more, but obviously I will have to always watch my calorie count. Sorry but 3 plates a day can add up to over 1200 calories very easily which means weight gain. I am 5'7" and all the charts say I should be able to eat more, but that is not true for me.
JANUARY 2013 UPDATE
For the month of January I tried calorie averaging...sort of a modified up day/down day alternate day diet. I kept my calorie average under 900 calories and I lost close to 5 lbs. I will keep this going for February and see if I maintain or lose more. Any loss will be very slow from here on, but I think I have my groove back.
Beginning Weight: 204.5 October 15, 2010
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