Everyday Systems

Hello
I have used No S in the past and like it because it gives me rest about food. I do not have to cut out food groups but can simply eat a plate, be thankful and move on. There is so much confusion in diets and I don't want to spend time worrying about it. So here's to the journey ahead.

Hi, Welcome and I hope you find the peace around food that you are seeking.

Yes, it's so awesome that way!

I am about 200# and nursing almost 1 year old twins. I find if I eat 3 meals with the option for a snack because of nursing I seem to do fine.
I usually have a lot of extra weight to lose after my babies are born. I have 10 children. I have used Fit for Life and McDougall programs. I have also used this No S method a couple times.

B- breakfast casserole- ham, potatoes, eggs, milk, cheese
with a couple low sugar gingerbread cookies and peanut butter.
L-oatmeal w/ peanut butter, chocolate chips and a large marshmallow melted in, apple
Snack-mac n cheese from yesterday
Supper- real Mexican tamale and chili rellenos. Vanilla bean cake

Because of reading TunaFishKid's check in thread I went to Facebook and unfollowed certain diet groups I keep reading about. Now I can figure out my real interests in life.

I must say I really prefer N days. While the treats on Saturday may seem fun at the time, they leave me unsatisfied at day's end.

Welcome! Love that you are finding a way to make No-S work while nursing .

I suppose it was technically a Green Day. I kept to my rules but I just feel like I eat too much and I need to work on this. I get discouraged that I'll never lose weight but then I make a full plate. Its this fear of not making it through to the next meal. It has bound me so long. But I could just get a snack on account of the babies and make my plate a little less. Its something to work on.

Wow...your last set of children make 10 for you! Sounds like a lot of work, but you have a lot of experience, too! Congratulations!

Thank you for your kind remarks. Today was our 19th anniversary. We went out for supper to The Bayou. Having visited Louisiana on our honeymoon it was fun to have some food from that area.

Happy Anniversary!

Good day. The cookies were tempting but I did not eat them. Good bowl of soup for supper. I really enjoy soup.

Got extra projects accomplished besides homeschooling the children. Was amazing to have a good day after a very disrupted night with a sick baby who thankfully was fine today.

Azalealilac wrote:Good day. The cookies were tempting but I did not eat them. Good bowl of soup for supper. I really enjoy soup.

Got extra projects accomplished besides homeschooling the children. Was amazing to have a good day after a very disrupted night with a sick baby who thankfully was fine today.

Wow, I'm impressed--great eating day, homeschooling, extra projects, and all on low sleep...you da woman! Awesome job!

I'm glad your baby is feeling better today!

Thanks, Merry!

I am walking 10 minutes most days having gradually increased from 8 and then 9. I like the fresh air between breakfast and schooltime.

Meals were good. Especially enjoyed homemade pizza tonight and fresh milk from our friend's cow. We are keeping it while they travel for a couple weeks.

Today was fun. I had peanut butter oatmeal cookies, peanut butter m&ms, and eggnog.

My husband and I took a trail this afternoon that was about 2 1/2 miles of walking. Loved it but I am definitely not used to that distance. The good part is this trail is not far from my house and maybe I could take the kids and strollers there sometime.

This is a doable plan for you. Please try not to fret about weight. Habits of moderation are more important right now. These will see you in good stead no matter what. Try not to be in a hurry! You have just started. Though research does show that people who lose weight up front do tend to do better in the long run (since they feel motivated to stay with it), it's suspected that is because the ones it takes longer for don't have the patience to keep going. There is little reinforcement from the world without that weight loss. We will hold your hand while you learn to experience the value of this sane way of living.

Been doing great here. Scale numbers shifted downward! It's fairly easy for me to keep to mealtimes and one snack. I've adjusted a bit what type of food I'm eating. I'm still very satisfied. And my twins are 1 year old today!

Celebration all around!

Anytime the scale drops numbers so fast I eat more, and can't hold on to the new numbers.

Plan to travel for a full week. I wish I'd keep a bit of No S at least. I feel less happy after the extra sweets today. What if I let go for a full week? I'll be back at 200 or worse.

I can't help what foods are available, so I just hope I retain a bit of sense.

Being out of control over what food we're exposed to is one of the major problems. That's why it's so vital to commit to a way to manage it all, one that doesn't have you constantly deciding in the moment whether it's worth eating or not. If you really see this as your best bet to stem the tide, it will make it easier to stick to your meals.

You really will enjoy your food more when you're eating less of it and less often. But the benefit follows the effort down the line, so early individual days can feel hard. Hang in there!

Thanks, that is encouraging!

My vacation to see my family went great. Only up 1/2# after trip. Been mostly on track since. Just not that hard to keep the rules with my mod of a snack because of nursing. If I skip that snack after a bit I'm eating at night to catch up so I'd rather just have that snack at 4 or 5:00.

3 kids birthdays last month and 3 this month.

Oh, my word on the birthdays. Are they all YOUR kids?

I sounded so preachy above but I can't resist this:for the parties, summon your inner French woman but without the cigarette. Can you see some casually graceful Parisian woman taking cake every time she's offered it? Zat is for ze cheeldren! Of if she did, it would probably be a slice we would call a mistake we made cutting it, an attempt to even out the angles or something.

Yup, all mine plus 4 more! Love it!

Im doing okay so far today. Yesterday was a flop. I mean with the snow and cold seemed we needed cookies and hot chocolate. I've always had a problem with cookies not the hot chocolate. Well I will keep on going.

Wonderful snow! -10 degrees this morning. Rare for here. Went sledding with my 18 year old son!

Today was good. I feel peaceful about it. Breakfast was a piece of sausage and one egg and a bowl of oatmeal with butter and salt.

Lunch: ground venison/ vegetable soup: carrots, squash, onion, garlic. One piece whole wheat bread with peanut butter.

Snack: 1/2 grapefruit, tablespoon peanut butter w/cayenne pepper

Supper: fresh made Multigrain bread and chili soup

Played in the snow and completed some important tasks.

Refreshed my memory looking over these few posts. So I set out for a brief walk before school. I feel I have not gotten anywhere with the weight loss for months. I will be inspired and work hard at it for about a week lose a couple pounds get sidetracked and go back to where I was. so with my husband's encouragement I'm trying again to mind my portions.

Hey welcome back!
Here's to some great habit-building weeks ahead for you!

Thank you!

I did well today except my supper was a bit too big it did not seem to be a meal I could put on one plate and I just kinda forgot to think straight. But hey I had a great afternoon planning my homeschool for the coming week and drinking a big cup of coffee. So much fun just didn't quite think straight at supper.

One victory at a time. No snacks is a huge step for most of us at first. I still remember having the eureka that before NoS I literally picked at food all day long.

Somehow I do reasonably well earlier in the day and overeat in the evening. Not sure how to conquer this. It is Saturday and I had a tea party with my girls. All might have been well if I'd have stopped then but no, I ate more cookies, then I ate supper of course, though I tried to cut back. Ending up with the overfull feeling which is so depressingly familiar.

Azalealilac wrote:Somehow I do reasonably well earlier in the day and overeat in the evening. Not sure how to conquer this. It is Saturday and I had a tea party with my girls. All might have been well if I'd have stopped then but no, I ate more cookies, then I ate supper of course, though I tried to cut back. Ending up with the overfull feeling which is so depressingly familiar.

If you are following the rules Mon-Fri, go easy on yourself over the weekend, once you have full permission with no guilt to eat what you want at weekends they will slowly moderate themselves....

I finally feel better about my eating tonight. I had some lovely chocolate after a good Sunday lunch. I enjoyed my meal tonight with friends and I'm done without overdoing it.

I had at least a 10 minute brisk walk.

Good day. I walked briskly and did not have the afternoon snack. I was hungry and glad for supper. Though I have not quite mastered the one plate only, I didn't overeat and I only had 3 meals.

I can't call it Green day by No S but I am feeling better about my overall eating. I'll probably get there eventually. I finally feel like my head is in a better place like I could go with less food.

One method of eating promotes plant foods and no fat, and great health and improvement from disease. A complete opposite approach says lots of fat and protein and limited plants, and great health and improvement from disease. Some days I feel confused which food I'm allowed to eat.

Almost the only thing that makes sense is moderation.

No wonder you are confused. Most ways of eating do limit processed food. Apart from that, and medical issues, IMHO food choices should mainly be governed by taste and digestion. Personally I eat a wide variety of plant foods, meat and any other unprocessed/traditional food that takes my fancy. Most of it is home cooked.

I have always enjoyed baking. And it has always been my slippery slope. Today we made pans of cinnamon rolls for friends who have a death in the family. The caramel icing was so good. But later I feel let down like why can't I just have one tomorrow like planned instead of tasting icing tonight.

Someone else mentioned saving the S day treat for afternoon/evening. I like to start out my S days normally but have my extra treats later on. Just seems more satisfying.

But I haven't been keeping sweets to the weekend. My husband wants to lower his sugar intake and neither the kids nor I need that stuff. Why then do we keep making it during the week? I really want to lower the amount of food I am eating. I could do a lot better than I am. Automatedeating is writing so many inspiring posts.

Thank you ladybird, I think too it is the cutting out of the processed food more than it is exactly which food group is eaten. I just followed a certain plant based diet so long I have trouble thinking it's truly best to go ahead and eat meat and fat.

I was listening to a podcast the other day that was talking about the benefits of keto but they said some people do really well on low-fat higher carb. I guess we all just have to figure out what works best for us. I think everyone can agree on low sugar and minimum processed foods at least.

Hi Azalea! Don't be too discouraged; we all have to find our way (and then OMG we have to find it again, and then find it again...... -- your title of "journey" is so true!)

I noticed that you return to the theme of being a bit confused about the best eating style (you even mentioned in your very first post back in December!). 100 years ago none of us would have to ever stress about "which" foods are OK to eat, or not. It's a modern-life stress, unfortunately. Sort of the flip to not having enough food to satisfy, we have TOO much food to satisfy. Weird!

Anyway, I think you should settle on what you can live with for, say, the next year. Vanilla NoS is pretty awesome for most of us for the first year or two, definitely (in my case, 4 years). Have you seen the crap I was eating 5 years ago? I was definitely eating like a teenager, as was pretty apparent to all. I refused to make adjustments until I could do it without being resentful. So....all that to say you should figure out what YOU are willing to do long-term on your N Days (and of course leave your S Days for wild abandon until you have N Days straightened out). Try that out for a few weeks, and see how it feels. We are all here to support whatever you choose. This forum is amazing for me, whether I'm eating McDonald's every other day, or trying to avoid processed foods. So. Baby steps. Just do what you feel confident you can stick to right now. Not what you think you SHOULD be able to stick to. Ya know?

automatedeating wrote: Just do what you feel confident you can stick to right now. Not what you think you SHOULD be able to stick to. Ya know?

I agree, it is better to start where you are than where you would like to be.

Right now the goal is to eat a bit less and lose 1# a week, checked on Sunday morning. And I did this week!

I do try to watch how much sugar I have.

I don't know what to say. Think I'm being reasonable with food but not getting results. So I guess one thing is keep on, next thing notice a bit what is out of hand.

I haven't followed your whole story, but may I ask what kind of results you are expecting?

It can be shocking how much less food any particular person might need to eat if weight loss is a goal. I didn't do this to lose, even though I was at the low end of obesity when I started- though I didn't grow up overweight-, but I did lose over time. I sometimes ate very small meals or had very light S days just because my hunger had receded. I'm sure I had and have days under 1,200 calories at times, or even lower. It was and is not always easy because I can still have the desire to eat more than I'm truly hungry for, but I don't often feel good later.

Unless people are very active or naturally have fast metabolisms, which is not that common, they often need less than they think.

Perhaps for a short time, you could track your calories just to see.

If some or all of this flies in the face of posts you've already made, please ignore and forgive me!

I want to lose a # a week. Not 3 this week and then gain it right back.

I want to gradually get rid of about 20#.

I am nursing a 21 month old. I'm sure this factors in to how much food I think I need. I wish I could gradually take a little less and realize I am okay and did not suffer to much to be a bit hungry.

I have had panic about food for so long. I hardly know a sensible way to think. My friend keeps reminding me of how hungry she always is when she nurses. I know that I can't be too extreme. It just seems I could learn to do with a bit less.

No matter what all the stuff on the net says about what is theoretically possible, it is actually not common to consistently lose a pound a week in a steady way on any diet. Weight goes down and up and down, etc. Eventually there are standstills until a sustainable balance between eating and expenditure is reached and this may not be at a weight that fits the media standard.

The best advice I can give is to try to eat rather similar amounts of food a day for a few weeks and then see what dense food you might be willing to cut back on. I know I could weigh less by restricting the amount and type of food I do, but I know I'm not willing to live that way, so I live with the result.

No matter what, the No S foundation is a good way to manage the excessive availability of food in our culture!

Thank you for your encouragement!

If you read the posts from other nursing mothers, you will see that being hungry a lot is quite common.

How fast we lose weight is not really under our conscious control for most people, except perhaps in the very short term. If our weight was under our conscious control, none of us would be here. But we can exert some control over our behaviour. And if we focus on cutting out excess food rather than restricting to achieve some arbitrary goal, our body will settle to the weight that is right for it. At least, that is the belief I try to live by.

In fact, our weight is controlled about 70% by mechanisms in the body beyond our control. (I wish I could find the reference for that. It was in the book The Hungry Brain.

Even if we stopped eating completely, we would have no control over how fast the body burned up its fuels. It would at some point slow way down to prolong life, and it would likely FEEL even longer!

Let's hope finding the eating balance you need is more fun than that.

Yesterday afternoon we needed to go for some furniture. Our crockpot of food was not ready so we went for the furniture and then ate when we got back 2 hours later. At first I thought we would need to buy some lunch but then we had eaten out often lately and husband said we can just eat when we get back. I was very happy afterwards that we got the beautiful furniture and I could actually survive just fine to eat at 2:45 instead of 12:30. It was a very good experience because when you live in panic for so long that if you don't eat you'll have low blood sugar and not survive. I just can't wait to eat, etc. Then here and there your meal is delayed for various reasons and you actually make out fine and feel good and you know that it's just anxiety and not true need. It's so helpful to see that I can do it.

If humans truly needed to eat every few hours, none of us would be here, because our ancestors wouldn’t have survived. I figure I have a veritable snacks store on the inside especially around my hips and thighs. The ultimate convenience store!

That is good thinking, Oolala!

I'm back. Still really believe this is the best plan. I hope to work at staying with it.

Well, hello and welcome to 2020!

Thank you! I really need to focus on the 5 normal days. I 'think' I do fairly well. I would like to just eat what I enjoy eating and get the habits in place. Then see what needs changed. Instead of stressing which food is healthy for me.

Focusing on what's on your plate, three times a day, kind of leads you to eat better eventually. I think you're right - just eat whatever you want for those three meals, five days a week - and watch what happens. As you say, you've done it before.

I started here five years' ago now! And it's only in the past 6 months or so that I've started to not be terrible interested and excited about a Saturday!

But I didn't force it - it's been a gradual and natural change.

Interesting experiment this morning. I deliberately ate a smaller breakfast because of so often feeling so pitiful after breakfast. I don't know if it was the type of food or the lesser amount or something else but I had energy to work for longer than usual. However I could barely make it to lunch. So hungry which is good, because I often don't have true hunger, just exhaustion. I then ate a fairly big meal. Tonight being Saturday I had several helpings instead of one plate. Naturally feel more yucky. Really reinforces the love for the one plate meal.

Some fresh air and exercise out with the goats. Love being out with the animals.

My daughter had dental surgery yesterday. I was a bundle of nerves. But we got through.

Still need some improvement on the no s rules but I'm sure I'll get there. Have done this often and really like it.

What fun to be out with the goats! I am reading a book "The other end of the leash" and the author describes these Barbados sheep that are extremely "pressure sensitive" and particularly hard for for novice herders (handlers and dogs) to work with. Anyway, glad you were out with the animals!

Today my eating is better so far. Remembering to choose my whole amount first. Then eat.

We have sheep too. I really am not used to them. They are wild. But the goats, they are therapeutic

Outside for fresh air and exercise.

Three plates/ bowls of food for sensible eating. An afternoon snack because of the nursing baby.

Iron pills to combat exhaustion.

Mental health- "I am a happy person."

***Evaluate after 3 months***

Ok supper was RED.

Enjoyed being outside twice.

I have had so many RED suppers in the past 2 weeks I've lost track.

I need to get outside right now!

Belated happy 2020. Keep doing your best! Try not to fear going longer without food. Our bodies can get much better at breaking into their stores of glycogen and fat if they get practice! Apparently, it takes about three to five weeks to adjust to longer times, though I'm sure there are limits to that. But most Westerners have enough fat on their bodies to be a long time away from that.

The body will send many signals, both subtle and strong, to eat more after fat loss or what it perceives as threats to intake. They do NOT signal a real need for food at that moment!

I humbly suggest that when you do eat what you consider a reasonable meal, give some attention to how you actually do feel satisfied, at least awhile after you finish and for several hours. This helps develop parts of the brain that over time can override the lower brain signals.

At the same time, be very compassionate with yourself. It is no fun to constantly be expecting yourself to meet a standard that you end up not meeting.

Have a delightful S day, which may mean having fewer S's than we can! (I myself have never regretted passing up an S that I wanted just because I could have it...)

It's good to be reminded that we aren't in desperate need for food the instant we get tired. That's why I keep coming back to this way of eating. I want to keep food where it belongs and not allow it to control me.

As for the weekend bridal shower treats were yummy. But I like normal days better where I know the boundaries.

Good Monday. Enjoyed walking. I really want to increase the walking. My sleep was bad, in part because of my leg feeling uncomfortable and I'm just sure that more walking will loosen the tightness and strengthen the muscles. Meals were perfect.

Hope your leg feels better and that you can sleep better and walk pain-free.

Agreed re: your healing. Kudos for perfect meals, in your words.

Weight is at 215. I get no where on that issue. Some special days this week. I feel that I am trying what is so impossible. To lose weight while nursing a baby.

Otherwise I have been outside for a bit of fresh air and exercise most days.

I am trying to address the horrible slump after breakfast. I drink coffee when I get up, change my little ones, out for fresh air, and then a big breakfast which afterwards I feel so worn out. I would like to change the breakfast food or the timing of breakfast or coffee. I'd like a smaller breakfast but then it's so hard to last till lunch time. So I hope to be experimenting with this.

What do you eat for breakfast?

A higher protein content might help you go longer

Jx

A lot of times oatmeal and peanut butter. Or pancakes and peanut butter.

I love porridge but it doesn't fill me for as long as bacon and or eggs.

Have been known to put an egg in it though

Jx

For 2 days now I skipped breakfast entirely, per my sister in law's encouragement. She had the same bad feelings after breakfast and starting skipping it with good results so I am trying it. For me it really brings out the chance to fight off anxiety. I think that is good because I have eaten from fear way too long. I am happy to finally skip a meal and survive, when I have not skipped a meal in years. On this second afternoon I feel very good about it.

Day 3 of no breakfast. I Really enjoy my lunch, of which I make extra effort to have something delicious.
Brown rice, pork and beans, tilapia with lime, bacon and mayo. There is only this desire to have something delicious and healthy and hearty. Like no temptation for sweets.
A lot of mental adjustment though that I will be okay to delay my breakfast 3 hours.

Great that you are enjoying the meals you DO have. I think that is the anchor point for sustainable eating (for me, anyway).

Down a couple pounds. Still skipping breakfast. It's getting easier. Today we worked at a big organizing project. I am amazed how extremely delicious my lunch is

Have a great weekend!

Thank you same to you