Everyday Systems

Started 25th November. Had mostly green days so far. It's helped significantly with controlling emotional urge to eat. I've lost baby weight this year by following diet plans but was slowly putting the weight on again and it caused me to have uncontrollable binges. More so that usual. I've read the book and have felt confident in following it.

Ironically today was the first day i questioned the plan for no reason. Well actually I was craving chocolate all day and found the plan ridiculously hard for the first time.

I plan to weigh in on the 25th of December. Exactly one month after I've started. My weight initially went down by 3 pounds then back up and I was super stressed. Hence only deciding to weight myself once a month.

21/12/16 green day as was yesterday. So many urges to eat Ferraro Rocher!! Several times I had the instant - I need to eat as I was anxious about little things. Kept thinking well I just can't eat sweet as its a N day and the urge passed very quickly.

Previously I would convince myself to have just a small amount which would lead to more and more. Then afterwards the guilt would start. I would feel well I'm not going to lose weight now. What diet plan shall I follow.

Tomorrow is an S day and so far they have been erratic and I hope to be calmer tomorrow.

S day for me today. I take Thursday and Saturdays.
I always look forward to an S day. Eating sweets but I'm always glad when the day ends and although I try to control the amount of sweet I eat I always fail. . This is something I can definately work towards over the coming weeks/ months.

Awful day today. Felt strong urge to eat marshmallows and gave in. Then decided it would be an S day today instead of Saturday ( tomorrow). So I basically ended up eating on and off all day. Felt uncomfortable and out of control. Technically it would be a red day but I convinced myself I shouldn't take 2 S days apart like I do. ( Thursday and Sat) - So as I already started eating sweets I changed it.

Lesson learned. From next week I will follow vanilla No S. Take Saturday and Sunday as S days so that way when I have an urge to binge on sweets I won't talk myself into changing the plan.

The mind can be a manipulative thing.

babybird wrote:21/12/16 green day as was yesterday. So many urges to eat Ferraro Rocher!! Several times I had the instant - I need to eat as I was anxious about little things. Kept thinking well I just can't eat sweet as its a N day and the urge passed very quickly.

Previously I would convince myself to have just a small amount which would lead to more and more. Then afterwards the guilt would start. I would feel well I'm not going to lose weight now. What diet plan shall I follow.

Tomorrow is an S day and so far they have been erratic and I hope to be calmer tomorrow.

Good for you! I have a box of Ferrero Rocher to divide into our stockings, and I haven't dared open it! Will have to try not to smell them when I do tomorrow night!

babybird wrote: The mind can be a manipulative thing.

It sure can! Sorry you had a rough day, but at least you're looking at it and learning from it.

Hang in there!

Thanks for your support Merry.
Yesterday was a green day. Very easy to follow, no urges to eat between meals and didn't think much about food all day.

Today is the day I have been following no S for one month. Did I lose weight.NO! Should I be surprised, NO!

Having evaluated this past month, I had around 6 red days and all S days were out of control. I thought I was doing well with green days but when I analysed it I realised just because I eat a cookie or two and don't binge this does not technically make a green day.

So this month I will be strict in marking green days only if I follow vanilla No S.

Yes I am disappointed not to have lost a couple of pounds but it's a wake up call too.

I will have to apply some mods to S days until I have my eating under control. It's insane how I can eat 3 meals and nothing in between and then on an S day I feel out of control, eat non stop and will the day to end. It's all psychological with me.

The positives I take away from following the plan are that I CAN control urges to eat sweets and occasionally it's not difficult. I look forward to meals which is something I've never felt before. My plate always has one quarter portion of fruit or veg which i enjoy. If weight loss doesn't happen over the coming months I can increase it to a third portion of my plate.

I still get anxious about eating bread / wheat as we have all heard how this increases weight. I don't know how true this is. Currently I'm eating a varied diet, including some pure butter. My mind does still question whether this will allow me to lose weight but I guess time will tell. I have the evidence from how well other posters have done.

Tips for the coming month- build habits. Be honest with green/ red days. Now for the 21 day challenge. I'm currently on day 4!!

This first month has been useful for you to learn about yourself. Your forward plan is good. You'll be fine. My body definitely holds onto fluid/weight when I eat bread/wheat, so I have to keep an eye on how much of it I eat.

I hope you have enjoyed a nice Christmas Day.

Thanks you rawcookie- . your words are kind. And I hope you enjoyed those mince pies!

Today was a red day for me. Wasn't able to follow the structure after lunch felt an instant sugar craving ( emotional urge) and gave into it. Feels like I'm always battling those urges. If I abstain for even 5-10 mins the urge passes and I no longer think of wanting to eat something sweet. But those few minutes are so tough and I end up like a possesed zombie.

The positive is I ate a lot less during the urge that I would have done prior to NO S. Everyday is a learning curve. Onwards and upwards.

Tomorrow marks hopefully day 1 of the 21 day target

babybird wrote:
Lesson learned. From next week I will follow vanilla No S. Take Saturday and Sunday as S days

Didn't you take Sunday (Xmas Day) as an S day?

Raw cookie- no I didn't- It was a regular day for me.

This week because I had red days during the week I didn't allow it. I'm starting it from next week raw cookie. I posted this Friday

babybird wrote:This week because I had red days during the week I didn't allow it. I'm starting it from next week raw cookie. I posted this Friday

I'm not SUPER experienced at this, having been at it for less than a year, but I've seen advice to others, not to cancel S days because you had red days in the week. It puts you in a Credit vs Debt mindset, (I had a red day so I "owe" a day) which is very diet-y. Keep your S days.

keep on going. I trust that this works, but it does take time, a lot more than dieting...but this is permanent, not a diet that ends and you gain it back. At least that's what I hear.

Bunsof/ thankyou for posting. Ur right it is a dieter mentality. But currentky my S days are chaotic and stressful so I wouldn't yet be able to add S days on top of red days. It is something to think about in the future though. I will be looking for mods for S days until my eating is under better control.

Monday- was a good green day for me. Slightly spaced out mealtimes- over 6 hours between breakfast and lunch and then a large gap with dinner. I was super busy today. It meant I was a lot hungrier so I filled my plate up a big higher than normal, still keeping with a quarter portion of fruit/ veg. A positive day. Day 1 of 21 day challenge completed

babybird wrote:Bunsof/ thankyou for posting. Ur right it is a dieter mentality. But currentky my S days are chaotic and stressful so I wouldn't yet be able to add S days on top of red days. It is something to think about in the future though. I will be looking for mods for S days until my eating is under better control.

The encouragement in the No-S book is to focus harder on green days rather than worrying about S days for awhile. Get solid on the habits first (that's the thing that helps you have less wild S days.) Hang in there!

Red day yesterday, red day today. Gutted. Today I initially marked it down as green as if was.

To explain what happed today. Family were over and I made wraps. I put one in a plate. It was not a full plate of food as I was busy feeding the baby. I was full enough but was too busy to eat properly and load my plate up once.
Two hours later I convinced myslef to have another wrap- I justified it to myself saying I didn't eat a full plate full before. Actually I wasn't hungry but I was stressed out by comments a family member made when she came. But I managed to convince myself I wanted a second helping. Then after I thought well I overate and il have marshmallows as I was still feeling stressed. That led to more junk. I tried to stop but couldn't.

Lesson learned today- I only have 1 attempt to pile my plate up. No virtual playing techniques for me yet.

It's my babies first birthday soon and as we r having party I have some sweet foods like marshmallows I don't normally purchase. These r trigger foods for me when stressed so I'm hoping once their gone I won't eat them. I was close to throwing them out.

Still enjoying my one plate meals and relaxed during non binge moments. Don't feel as overwhelmed at breaking this 'diet' as I would if I followed WW, SW or MFP.

If I continue having red days I might not lose weight. I need to stay focused. Yes. I'm building habits!!!

babybird wrote:
Lesson learned today- I only have 1 attempt to pile my plate up. No virtual playing techniques for me yet.

this is a valuable noS lesson for me too... still no virtual plating for me and i think there never will be, unless an absolute emergency - but even then marking it red seems more honest to myself...

hang in there, you can do it...

Green day on Thursday. My first one on a Thursday as I previously took my S day then. Positive and eat green day!!

Another green day. The third one this week. I would love to make it 4 but it's an s day tomorrow. I will aim for a green day though. Sunday I have a party so plan to enjoy it fully!! I really hope to type my progress tomorrow and say I managed a green day!!!

You're in my radar now!

Following you through 2017!
Cynthia aka threewhales

Thanks for the support guys!! Yellow day yesterday and today. Looking forward to a week of green

We can do it!!

Saw your post on Non-scale victories. Good stuff!

A member of another site I participate on went through an official BED program in Holland. There, they were prescribed a rather rigid plan, but generous. The member questioned it immensely but later wrote a blog about how important it was that she find out that she could stick to a regular routine of eating. She was so vulnerable to her whims before. I had told her that years before, but I'm nobody. (I think they're doing her a disservice by making her think she has to eat six times a day or she'll be too tempted and go back to bingeing. Eating fewer times a day has been key for me, not to mention that there are very good health reasons not to do it.)

Though No S doesn't demand slower eating, it seems like an advantage to me, too.

Took some effort for me to post my update. I'm just so disappointed and embarrassed. Have been having too many red days. Eating meals during the day is easy, but I'm craving sweets in the evening. It's all emotionally connected when I get anxious I can't resist eating rubbish to suppress how I feel. One sweet leads to two which leads to full on binges. Bulimia tendencies have returned since last week. I was doing reasonably well up until now and No S was helping me to stop acting on the binge urges. I would think well I can't eat sweet as its a N day and within a few seconds the craving would dissapear. I really, really don't know what's changed. I'm still fully committed to this way of eating.

I've had good advice on steps to take when I feel emotionally overwhelmed and stressed but at that moment nothing else matters. It's always the same time in the evening the negative thinking strikes and I need sugar.

Two strategies I aim to use:

Remove all sweets from the house.
Use a healthy meal replacement in the evenings. It's high in protein and fat. . Ive decided on Purition having researched it. It's made of whole foods.

As its not really a slimming product and its high in nutrients hopefully this will make me less likely to act on a binge knowing I've consumed something calorific and fatty.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

I'm still unsure why the sudden change. I did think it could be hormonal but It would only last a couple of days not several.

Green day today. Feels great after so many red. Felt the urge to overeat in the evenings but tried to ignore it and it went away.
Also instead of the 21 day challenge I will aim for 5 green days in a row
Something I havent yet managed.

I gently recommend against the meal replacement. Have real food that you chew well and take your time eating. It's okay if some of it's calorific and fatty for now.

One of my spiritual teachers in talking about the difficulties of a spiritual path said once not to wish for ease but to wish for strength. It is surely convenient not to be plagued by desires to eat, but if we depend on that, we are extremely vulnerable. That's why I'm not in favor of avoiding all triggers, though I think your idea of not having sweets around is smart, and I don't believe in forcing them on myself. There is no shame in wanting to limit access of what is basically not even a food.

Just try to think BEFORE you crack that whatever you do is likely what your future habit will be. (Paradoxically, if you DO crack, it's better to think that the past is the past and is no indication that you will always crack!)

No matter what, it's usually just a matter of a few hours. Have you ever had to live through a few hours of a headache or toothache? You get through it. You can with this, too.

I'm back!!
What a difficult month it's been.
I became complacent at hardly losing weight and slowly my mindset adjusted to reducing calories. It's was all subconscious at first. Replace breakfast with a high protein shake etc etc. The positive pattern that I had developed eating 3 daily meals soon stopped as binges became much more frequent. I guess I was hungrier and desperate to lose weight.
I bought slim sip to control appetite and decided to follow No s whilst on a packaged meal diet- Diet chef here in the U.k.

I've realised all my shortcomings and am back on vanilla no s.

It's surprising how the mind can make excuses to change without realising. I still thought I was fully following no S but with tweeks but it was taking me further away from the plan.

It's been only a couple of months. Maybe it's good you got it out of your system...

glad that you are back, babybird!
noS's beauty is in what it does with the mind if we give it a real chance... and the body naturally follows... it works from the inside-out, i feel...
that is why by far the most of the succes here is just doing it the vanilla way...

Just a quick update. I havent managed to lose any weight in 4 months but then again, i havent gained any- not even a single pound. Despite all those binges.

Im still struggling with bing eating and with following no s im aware of my triggers- any negative emotion no matter how big or small.

Having had blood tests recently, it transpires my hormone levels are abnormal. Not really a surprise as i always knew i had PCOS. Im wondering if this contributes to binging. Im unsure.

One modification im trying is to eat fruit in between meals only if hungry. The second is no sugar - ever - unless its out of the house ( restaurant/ party). My main issue was always controlling my sweet intake. I can never stop once ive started so hopefully this will help me with better eating habits at home.

Congrats on still trying to work the habits! May I ask what you mean by "struggling to follow No S?" Does that mean you aren't actually compliant a lot of the time, or that you have to use some effort not to eat between meals to stay compliant? Also, what are you bingeing on now, if not sweets?

How often per week do you think you could accept having to deal with strong urges? Is "never" the only answer you consider worth holding out for?

If you think you could hear some more on this, please let me know. I know I wasn't always ready to hear options, so I won't go on and on. Don't be afraid to be honest. I know before No S, I couldn't imagine that I was going to be able to do anything anything to stop the nearly daily gorging. I had given up for awhile trying because I was so sick of failing at it. I didn't want to hear what anyone had to say.

I have total faith in your ability to manage this issue over time.

Sure wish we'd hear from you.

Im a few days in sticking to vanilla No s. Y did my brain ever tempt me back to diet mentaility/ meal replacements etc. .... i know because i became impatient and wanted instant weight loss.

I completely forgot how much more relaxed i feel about food when sticking to 3 meals a day. Its much easier to distinguish emptional eating as if i have an instant hunger pang i can just ignore it and move on. Rather than have that conversation in my head which says its okay to have a little snack / sweet.

If i eat emotionally, no amount of food will fill me up, hence calorific binges.

Another positive i found is i have more headspace to get on with living my life. Im not constantly counting/ evaluating food i should eat/ have eaten etc etc.

I have been quite hungry during the day so will maybe increase whats on my plate.

Todays plates
1- 1 toast with butter and jam/ half banana/ some cashew nuts
2- sweetcorn and batchelors macaroni cheese
My mum offered me some m and m's and insisted. I should have said no but didint. Never mind. Lesson learned. Dont feel bad. Next time just refuse
3- dinner to come.

babybird wrote:Im a few days in sticking to vanilla No s. Y did my brain ever tempt me back to diet mentaility/ meal replacements etc. .... i know because i became impatient and wanted instant weight loss.

I completely forgot how much more relaxed i feel about food when sticking to 3 meals a day. Its much easier to distinguish emptional eating as if i have an instant hunger pang i can just ignore it and move on. Rather than have that conversation in my head which says its okay to have a little snack / sweet.

If i eat emotionally, no amount of food will fill me up, hence calorific binges.

Another positive i found is i have more headspace to get on with living my life. Im not constantly counting/ evaluating food i should eat/ have eaten etc etc.

I have been quite hungry during the day so will maybe increase whats on my plate.

Todays plates
1- 1 toast with butter and jam/ half banana/ some cashew nuts
2- sweetcorn and batchelors macaroni cheese
My mum offered me some m and m's and insisted. I should have said no but didint. Never mind. Lesson learned. Dont feel bad. Next time just refuse
3- dinner to come.

I have discovered all those benefits too. It is so much easier to deal with emotional eating when you have an eating structure and a habit in place and don't need to spend time rationalizing or arguing if you should eat. It sounds like you should definitely increase the amount on your plate, I have been still tweaking that as well, hopefully one of these days it will become much more effortless.

That is also really good that you are not feeling bad about the M&M's. I think its important to not beat yourself up, just look at it as a learning experience and move on. Sounds like you are doing great!

Hope the relaxation with food will continue through Indian summer and fall right into the holiday season. Come visit Team 2017!

Back on it!!

Still believe 100% in this plan but find compulsive overeating when stressed difficult to control. Still!!

My plan is to get to 21 days with all green days.

Past few weeks continued with 3 daily meals but had low calorie high protein shakes to try loose some lbs. However ended up binging a few days after so lesson learnt!

Will post here daily to make myslef accountanle and try get back on track.

Still weighing 11 stone 9 pounds so not lost any weight as of yet and its been a year.

My primary goal was to lose weight but enough is enough. As the experienced posters have stated. Its important to get the habit of 3 daily meals ingrained first. So thats my aim.

Weight loss can come after. X

Hi babybird, nice to see you back. 21 days is a fine goal . I hope it goes well for you. Perhaps it will help to realize that you can't know what 21 days of success feels like until you allow yourself to be successful.

Best of luck to you this week.

If you've been at it a year but not had a lot of time green, it's hard to tell what the issue is. If your intent is to lose weight, see if you can "put a fence around the law," and see what happens. It's only then that you'll know if you have to make some purposeful mods.

The hard truth is that some bodies will defend against weight/fat loss more than others.

Also, bingeing is the habit of taking seriously thoughts and sensations that eating is "needed." They usually come when you've already eaten recently. They are completely mistaken messages that can have been paired with countless stimuli from the past. They are NOT comfortable, but neither is being at the beck and call of food. Take a stand to grow those connections in the prefrontal cortex by holding out against them. Be willing to go through hell or high water, and ironically, you probably won't have to. But it may feel like it sometimes... you can't know it's worth it until you do it. Vow to find out!

Thanks oolala. I do appreciate ur advice and know it makes sense.

A little update. There is a definite pattern to my binge eating pre- menstrually. I become famished and no amount of food seems to curb the hunger.

Secondly I’ve started anti - depressants to help with the binge eating. Fluoxetine also known as Prozac. It’s been a year and some thing just doesn’t make sense. How can I NOT seem to control binge urges when the majority of posters/ dieters can. Having seen the doctor I discussed my thought process behind it and she said it could be an OCD type behaviour which the medication can help with.

I did have OCD when I was 18 until about my mid twenties. It was the intrusive repetitive thoughts one brought on by anxiety.
I’m wondering if it is linked to having had a baby as I also had PND after my first and although I’m nowhere near as overwhelmed with my second child, I do find some days a struggle just doing basic things like motivating myself to get out of bed/ get changed/ etc.

I can’t speak to anyone in real life about this, not even my partner. I don’t want to disappoint him or for him to worry. I feel it could all be linked but I’ve bitten the bullet and started a small dose of medication to solely curb the binge eating. I have no regrets as I can’t live with the constant emotions of binge eating.

First, please be more compassionate with yourself about your bingeing. There are plenty of people who don't make it past their first weekend because they binge, think it isn't working, and quit, never to be heard from again. Or they try this without showing up here and never report in because the magic didn't happen. We have no idea of the failures because no one is keeping track. But since Reinhard is not out there aggressively selling this as the be all and end all, I'd say there's a ton more integrity here. But I digress.

And my S days were wild, at least one of them, for two years. I kept waiting for them to go away on their own. Never happened. I may not even be the kind of spokesperson Reinhard loves because my journey has been so much more thought-and-effort involved. But I still can't imagine anything else having saved me, or at least my being open to believing there was some program that was going to make it all easy and carefree forever.

I don't mean to nitpick but I would not call the urges I used to have premenstrually being famished or even hunger. They were full on jonesing, and yes it could feel like I would die if I didn't eat, and it had to be mostly sweet fatty carby food. But to me, that's not hunger. The important point for me at least was that when I finally understood what it was years later, and it hadn't gone away when periods weren't the issue, I saw that it was very similar to an OCD urge. It was not a sign that I needed to accomplish the behavior- in this case, eat. It was a brain mistake, and I needed to stop reinforcing it, as supremely uncomfortable as that might be. It was never like an alcohol detox, to be sure, though, and I could rest assured that I would not harm myself by not giving in, unlike some alcoholics who could die with abstinence and no medical help.

I've been on some regimen of meds for years. They are anti-anxiety and anti-depressants that also affect sleep. If I had had a benefactor who would pay me for life not to work, it's possible I wouldn't have needed them, but we'll never know. Hey, if you have brain imbalances that can be helped by some meds, take them. Food can make us think crazy things; why shouldn't some chemical help us think better thoughts?

If they don't work for what you want, you can work with your doc to stop, right? No dishonor in that.

And this facet of you does not define you nor diminish you. You are so much more than your eating, or your mothering, or you wifing, or your working, etc.

Okay, sermon done.

Oolala i have slowly are carefully read through your advice trying to process it all.

In terms of saying i shouldnt feel like a failure as this doesnt define me- my husband often says im too harsh on myslef being my own worse critic and i do need to be kinder to my soul. The fact that im still posting updates trying to get the 3 meal a day habit ingrained confirms i do believe in this plan and want to succeed.

Your quote,"I saw that it was very similar to an OCD urge. It was not a sign that I needed to accomplish the behavior- in this case, eat. It was a brain mistake, and I needed to stop reinforcing it, as supremely uncomfortable as that might be." I will try my utmost to remeber this each and evvery time the urge happens. This year i have given in most times to binge urges resulting in feeling weaker and less able to control them. I need to be strong and see it a a brain fault and not hunger. Lets see where this year takes me.

B- 1 slice bread of bread with peanut butter with banana & small bowl of mini fruit shredded wheat
L- rice lentils and sweetcorn
D- 2 slices of margharita pizza and 2 portions of fruit.

Evening- tiny bit of anxiety while shopping online , panicking if my purchase would arrive on time, felt flustered and ate 1.5 bags crisps very quickly , didn't enjoy them , ate then extremely quickly.


NOTE TO SELF- review daily diary to notice a pattern of poor dietary habits which cause me to snack which is outwith the NO S plan.

I gently say, nothing but true starvation can MAKE us snack. Situations can only make us WANT to snack, and that is not always a burden. It is always our freedom to do follow the urge- and our freedom not to. It doesn't FEEL like freedom at first!

You had a great day with a teeny deviation. Praise yourself for not eating all of the second bag of crisps!

Hi babybird, from a fellow U.K. NO-S follower. (Yes it's late, I should be asleep. Too many darn presents to wrap. Watching too much Vikings on TV.)

Just wanted to send you good wishes. I think Oolala gave sound advice. The idea of certain things being cues for snacking, rather than making you snack. But one thing I've learnt recently, from a book by Jean Antonello, is that feeding yourself slightly too little will make the urges worse (seems obvious, but I needed to have it pointed out!) Feeding yourself really well, on No S type meals, will help you overcome urges. Jean Antonello even goes as far as to suggest that our urges are almost ALL based on physical reasons, mostly brought on by attempting to eat less than our bodies need, or being a bit careless about the quality and regularity of our meals. I've certainly found that I can only comply with No S while eating plenty and not worrying about the calories. It still works out as fewer calories than when I was constantly trying to eat below 1800 cals (and ending up eating way more). This is the book Naturally Thin: Lasting Weight Loss without Dieting https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0998947709/ ... oAbW83AGH5.

I think it's quite compatible with NoS, especially in the early phases when you're breaking entrenched habits. You might find it interesting, anyway.

Good luck with the online shopping! If all else fails, buy them inflatable wigs from Amazon...😉

...I just wanted to add, sending you loads of sympathy too, with your anxiety struggles. Sorry I didn't read your whole thread before. Anxiety is horrible - I've had it badly for long periods in my life - and I think doctors struggle to understand it. I found Claire Weekes's books helpful - they're really old fashioned, but she understands all the horrible nuances of it far better than many more modern books. She also writes very interestingly about OCD, and explains it in the context of anxiety. I'll hunt down the name of the book with the good OCD chapter if you're interested. She has a brilliant, healing technique called 'glimpsing' - a sort of mental trick - I can fish out the details if you like. One thing she does emphasise, is that the tired brain will throw up repetitive thoughts. I still notice this now. It's just a sign that you're a bit depleted.

The horrible thing is feeling so alone with these troubles. It's so hard to explain them to people. Impossible, actually.

I was quite bad when I had my baby, and I felt exactly like you describe - no motivation to get up (which made me frightened). But to be honest, I think much of this misery is entirely rational. What is there to look forward to in a new mum's day? (Not sure how old your second one is, though). I used to think 'I go through all the rigmarole of getting her up, clean and dressed, then I go downstairs and sit down again.' I thought I'd be all cosy, watching daytime TV, but often a baby won't let you do that. You can't read a paper or a book, can't drink a cup of tea. Mine would barely let me have a conversation, so getting together with other mums was just a massive stress. When I look back (my daughter is now 15) I often wonder why I didn't let myself just eat for comfort. But like you, I didn't want to give in to it. Anyway, as you're onto your second baby, you're probably way more competent that I ever was. But I think it's a rare person who'll feel motivated by a day of trying to deal with a baby or toddler. Even though I'm sure your babes are gorgeous!

Hope you have a good day.


X

Though I don't want to get too far into nutrition stuff, I gently say if you are going to eat a bit more at meals to help quell later urges, please do it with the least manufactured foods you can. Refined foods take more to produce real satiety at the time and at later meals and can just keep the urges going. But it's not usually something that responds right away. Besides, it sounds like you are actually doing pretty well.

I’ve been away for a very long time!! A quick update. I’ve been battling binge eating disorder that was quite severe after I began dieting after my second child was born. After being on medication, anti- depressants which did much more harm than good, I am now seeing a psychologist who is making me understand the disorder and how I use food as a Coping mechanism.

She basically says it’s a combination of things which has worsened the condition for me. A variety of factors, chemical/ hormonal factors, emotional which is obvious but also psychological.

I’m thankfully coming out the other side. When I first posted on here I was 11 stone 7. I sit here today at 13 stone 7.

I’m not going to put too much pressure on myself. Following No s is more than losing weight, it’s about being well mentally and being kind to myself. It’s been a really long and tough journey and looking back at my previous posts I see the urges where just getting overwhelming.

I plan to use strategies my psychologist has discussed with me to stop binge eating and use NO S to help me on my way.

So sorry to hear you have had a bad time, sounds like you have learnt a lot and know how to progress. Be gentle on yourself. NoS is a great tool but take it slowly and perhaps use the habitcal to help you see how well you are doing, I'm sure you'll crack it this time

Jx

Good luck Babybird. It’s great that you’ve got some proper help for the difficulties you’ve been through. You’re absolutely right about No S being about much more than losing weight. It’s so helpful for providing routines, structure, and a sense of normality. I hope it will fit in well with the advice from your psychologist.wishing you all the best. Keep checking in with us if you can.

Bingeing/compulsive eating was my downfall. It didn't matter to me that I knew what the emotional problems were that were driving me. And tehre were plenty of times I couldn't pin it down to anything. Emotional eating is NOT the only reason people feel compelled to eat.

It wasn't until I said I don't care WHAT the reason is that I want to eat, I'm not going to do it on N days unless it's breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

I only say this because I've been on other sites where people keep thinking they would never overeat if they could handle their emotions or wrack their brains trying to figure out why they wanted to eat at this or that time. Sometimes, you just don't know. Still have to wait for dinner!

We're on your side!

Welcome back babybird and good luck with the BED. I found not eating between meals, and dishing out all the meal at the start (no seconds) the key to stopping binges before they started. At the start I did have to do a lot of clock watching while I waited out the urges and cravings, but it was worth it. My meals were pretty substantial at the start, but they are smaller now.

Another thing that helped was whenever I started to have pre binge thoughts or behaviours was to have bigger meals of nourishing (not treat) foods for a few days. I believe that this has helped to stop the rebound eating that has derailed my past attempts at weight loss.

My previous post didn't mean I wasn't also working on mental issues. It's just that so many problems were the chronic grapplings of life that weren't going to go away easily, or even ever. That dang serenity prayer is so relevant. I still dicker over the wisdom to know the difference.

Heartfelt wishes for healing coming from here.

I appreciate each and everyone of you supporting and encouraging me.

From today I want to start a challenge and be consistent and hopefully post daily in this forum
.
My aim, 3 meals a day. 1- small treat daily. That’s the modification. Around when my period is due I crave sugar and rather than constantly fight the urge which I have failed at since I started No S, I will have one small treat. All fruit to be eaten during meal times. I have to make space on my plate.

Good luck with the challenge and the mod Babybird.

I’m back!!

Have taken several months out to evaluate what is actually going on with me.
I have concluded I am a sugar addict. Have done a lot of research on this field and learnt how it can effect the brains chemistry. Went sugar free for several days. This has happens twice. My skin cleared up, the urge binge cravings reduced massively. But both times I allowed myself to have one bit of this and one bit of that as I had conquered this demon. One week later I was out of control and back to square one.

Reading over my posts over the last 2-3 years it’s evident that sugar controls me. It has a chemical reaction which I physically can’t stop.
Today was day 1 of sugar free again. Tomorrow I return to the NO S WAY OF EATING. No guilt just 3 heathy and delicious meals and no eating in between.

Welcome back!

Welcome!

Welcome back, I can relate to the sugar problem. Just keep trying you will conquer it.

One thing that helped me. Give yourself permission to eat it, then when eating sugar things sit and eat it slowly really tasting it, you will get to a point when your body says enough. So stop eating it. Knowing if you really want it you can have more later.

What I found over time was most of the stuff I actually don't even like and now for the most part can say no and walk away from it without feeling deprived...

Jx

How ironic it always seems to be yearly in December that I check in.

I currently weight 11stone 8 pound and still struggling with abstaining from sugar.

Had half a box of deterring rocher.

Currently I’m skipping breakfast and I find this easy, having a satisfying lunch and then a large dinner with a small healthy snack after.

My meals are generally very healthy. Some IGE blood tests I had this year showed some intolerances so I ache cut those foods out of my diet. Mostly I cook from
Scratch and no longer rely on convenience foods.

My little on is going to turn 4 in a few days.
Sad that I’ve been posting in this forum for 3 years and I still battle sugar addiction and weight issues.
Having PCOS does make it hard to lose weight, And maintain.

2 days ago I started taking Orlistat to give me a boost. I want to be completely honest on this forum. After eating so many hereto rochers I took a double dose of the pill. I want to be around 10 stone 7 which is a weight I look and feel good I’m. So I have around 7 kilos to lose.

I have only managed to lose around 1.5 kilos since summer. That’s right since around July!! That’s how hard I don’t losing weight

I’m trying to focus on
Better eating habits and not let it mentally effect me
When I do give in
To eating sweets.

Hi babybird! I always love your username. So cute.

I liked Soprano's comments from last year:

Give yourself permission to eat it, then when eating sugar things sit and eat it slowly really tasting it, you will get to a point when your body says enough.

It made me think of a strategy I regularly employ when confronted with sugar. I think, "I know what that tastes like. I've had it before. And I am just fine without it."

That's amazing that you cook everything from scratch. I always find that impressive.

Happy Holidays!

My yearly updates that I usually feel the urge to post in December.
Little one turning 8 in a few days. She is full of beans, a happy soul.

Felt quite sad at how I’ve lived with weight and eating issues and it’s taken a huge chunk out of just living life.
I currently weight 12 stone 1 and am at 38% body fat.
For the last 6 months I’ve been walking consistently which has worked wonders for my mental health. I don’t take any medication at all.

I’ve realised all the binge issues and sugar cravings are because I’m insulin resistant. I have PCOS and looking at the foods I would eat during the day I can 100% understand how it’s been spiking my sugar levels and then dropping and then that been the cycle all day leading to constant binging.

I now eat less carbs now , I actually dislike wheat/ bread.
I eat higher protein, higher healthier fats like nuts and seeds and I’m so happy to say I have finally conquered the lifetime battle I’ve had with binge eating.

There was a medical reason all along combined with emotional factors.

I skip breakfast most days as I am just not hungry and I’ve become accustomed to doing light interment fasting. This changes nearer my cycle.
I mostly practise intuitive eating and no food is bad and off limits.

I have such a happier relationship around food and no longer panic.

Foods such as toast and oats make me feel wretched as I’m ravenous within hours of eating them and so I feel
Better avoiding them.
I have made swaps which are absolutely delicious like quinoa porridge instead of oatmeal.

I do occasionally still make mistakes. One example is recently I had breadsticks and a variety of dips in replacement of dinner. ( no protein/ very high carbs)

At midnight I was so hungry so I’ve realised I need to add higher proteins to meals.

I’ve also been having therapy for 2-3 years for complex ptsd caused by systemic childhood abuse and have significantly reduced ties( but am on amicable terms but mostly no contact) with the immediate family and it’s been the making of me. I’m no longer surrounded by toxic, manipulative and cruel people who drag me down and I feel like I can breathe and not only live life but enjoy it on my terms.
This has made parenting and married life much happier

Yes im 7 pounds overweight but if I do what I’ve been doing eating moderately healthy, enjoying occasional junk
Food and being active then the weight will come off and I will lose body fat as I have done. Slowly by surely.

My weight no longer defines me and my intention for losing now is to be healthier as I am 41 years old and need to think of nourishing my body pre- menopause.

Hi Babybird! It sounds like you have moved forward in a lot of ways this past year! I think getting older does help shift our focus to the importance of health, both physical and mental, not just outward appearance, and getting better at taking good care of ourselves. Keep up the great work!

Keep up the great work, babybird! Wishing you all the best as we head into 2024. WINhappy