Everyday Systems

Hi Fellow No-S'ers!

No-S Diet: I could just hug you right now. So smart. So perfect. I love you.

Yesterday I finished reading "The No-S Diet" and finished my first week as a No-S'er. Without a doubt, "The No-S Diet" is the most useful and life changing book I will read all year! I read the website before I read the book and as Reinhard says, all the information you need is in the title. If you love the website, you will love the book even more. The No-S Diet pretty much describes how I used to eat when I was thin. I was effortlessly thin for a very long time.

So, how in the world did I get fat? Well, I got fat by developing some extremely terrible eating habits. I started snacking at work. It got worse. I started eating when I was bored, stressed, anxious, ... and it continued and became my normal way of eating. I started to eat even when I wasn't hungry. Not good! I also stayed fat for way too long. Even worse! Then I decided that I wanted to fix it quickly so I did calorie counting and lost a lot of weight. Yay! But, my calorie deficit was too extreme. I didn't care though because I wanted results. I got results and then I went nuts eating. I ate like I was a starving animal and I did what I'd feared all along I would do: I gained it all back. Very sad. It's super demoralizing to have to re-lose what I'd previously lost, but here we are.

Also, a note on counting calories. It's a major pain in the butt. Aside from the restriction, the actual counting of calories is very annoying. Even if you could eat infinite food but had to count the calories, I still wouldn't want to do it. I worked out that there are about 60 calories in "zero calorie" cooking spray if you spray for about 3 seconds. I don't know how much of that marinade will make it into my body so maybe I shouldn't cook that. On and on with the endless nonsense! Calorie counting made it convenient for me to eat food that I knew to be worse for me. I would pass over healthier food and eat worse food because I knew the calorie count. That's just stupid! We can all do arithmetic; calorie counting isn't the answer.

After maintaining my too fat weight for a while and wanting to lose it in a smarter and sustainable way, I learned about the No-S Diet and I love it! I absolutely am in love with this. It's information we shouldn't need to be told because it's common sense. It's how we're supposed to eat. As I said, it's pretty much how I used to eat when I was thin and never thought about calories back then and didn't own a scale. I never "exercised" back then either, but I biked a lot and was active in general. I just didn't think of it as exercise back then.

I share a couple of similarities with the author. I also develop software and at the start of my No-S Diet I am at the top end of the BMI Overweight range.

Here are my observations one week in:

* Starting on a Friday was fun. one day of rules. two days off. Easy introduction. Friday just happened to be the day after I learned about it. Didn't plan it that way, but it was fun.
* The book is SO right. I am enjoying food SO MUCH MORE now. Oh.My.God! SO much more! You have only three daily opportunities to eat so I want them to be spectacular. Last night I enjoyed the most amazing spinach salad made from locally sourced, organic spinach (my garden! highly encourage gardening for healthy eating!) with strawberries, and other awesome stuff. I want my meals to be amazing.
* I'm looking forward to making cupcakes on Saturday and eating one. It's going to be so cute and delicious. Boyfriend can eat as many as he wants. Whatever's left on Sunday evening goes to the neighbors.
* Tonight I'm going to make an awesome lentil soup.
* I'm down 1.8 pounds -- but not obsessing on this; I'm focusing on eating properly and being active and having fun. I am confident my weight will be a far better number on the 1 year anniversary of starting the No-S Diet.
* Sometimes I want to eat when I'm hungry and I struggle not to because I've developed a bad snacking habit.
* Sometimes I want to eat when I'm not hungry because I'd, evidently, developed a bad habit of emotional eating.
* I feel better and very happy about taking in all my food through meals. I feel stronger and more in control of my life. I didn't see that coming, but it's awesome!
* Hunger is great. It won't kill you. Get used to it. Don't spoil your appetite! I certainly didn't experience hunger while I was gaining weight. Pretty gross now that I'm thinking about it. I am happy to get reacquainted with hunger.
* I'm looking forward to the weekend to be free of rules but I also plan to not eat like an idiot.
* I added the No-S Diet to my habit matrix before I learned about the "stop light". I use a paper planner and love it. (A software developer using a paper planner? Hahahhaa. I know. I know. What can I say. I like it. I get a visceral satisfaction from checking things off on paper that I don't get in an app.) I'm now using the "stop light" and I love it.

I do not intend to check in daily. I'll check in whenever the mood strikes. I'm looking forward to conversing with others.

Start weight: 179.8

Hey we have similar stories! I really agree with "I would pass over healthier food and eat worse food because I knew the calorie count", I feel like CICO is only easy if you eat mainly pre-packaged food. I'd even do stuff like pass up on side vegetables or salad because I've save up my calories for something I REALLY wanted and felt like I wasted something if I ate vegetables over my arbitrary limit. Now I eat ALL the vegetables and fruit, On top of scratch made and locally sourced things I'd avoided because it didn't have a calorie label but now I feel free to do whatever. I find with no S I'm naturally gravitating to eating very healthy without much forethought other than it tastes good and makes me feel good.

I wish you luck! I'm 3 weeks into my No S and it's working out quite well, I've lost 2ish pounds but I started at an already healthy weight so that's pretty remarkable to me

Welcome, sounds like you have got this.

Jx

Hey ThisIsNotABadIdea!

I know right? There I was passing up a piece of pear at a cooking class because I didn't know the calorie count but eating frozen pizza because I did. Stupid! I did not get fat by eating pear samples at cooking classes. What in the world was I thinking?

Of course we have to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight; that's the only way to do it. But, it's so annoying. If one insists on calorie counting, I'm thinking the only reasonable way to do that is to do the arithmetic ONCE and then eat the same thing every single day.

Three weeks in! That's awesome! You've hit a terrific milestone. Does it feel like a habit now?

Thanks Soprano!

BackToThin wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 22, 2019 7:53 pm

Hey ThisIsNotABadIdea!

I know right? There I was passing up a piece of pear at a cooking class because I didn't know the calorie count but eating frozen pizza because I did. Stupid! I did not get fat by eating pear samples at cooking classes. What in the world was I thinking?

Of course we have to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight; that's the only way to do it. But, it's so annoying. If one insists on calorie counting, I'm thinking the only reasonable way to do that is to do the arithmetic ONCE and then eat the same thing every single day.

Three weeks in! That's awesome! You've hit a terrific milestone. Does it feel like a habit now?

Yeah I relate to that mentality, it was more of a fear of unknown and control. I honestly felt like if I ate something I didn't know the calories of I'd somehow gain 10 pounds!

I use to do that! I'd eat basically the same breakfast, lunch every single day for awhile until I swapped it to something else. But family meals were always stressful because they love a huge variety and trying out new recipes while weighing every single ingredient was a PIA. Now I just cook all day instead

It does! I found it somewhat easy to transition into it because my habits were basically already leaning towards no S just from finding what worked and trying to get out of under counting every single crumb. But the last week or so it's felt pretty natural. I'm just changing my food schedule a little now so it's thrown me somewhat off but I'll get back to it!

Welcome! So many things about your original post make this seem like a really great fit for you!
Here's to moderation and great conversation!

Thisisnotabadidea- wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 22, 2019 11:14 pm

Three weeks in! That's awesome! You've hit a terrific milestone. Does it feel like a habit now?

It does! I found it somewhat easy to transition into it because my habits were basically already leaning towards no S just from finding what worked and trying to get out of under counting every single crumb. But the last week or so it's felt pretty natural. I'm just changing my food schedule a little now so it's thrown me somewhat off but I'll get back to it!
[/quote]

That's awesome! I can't wait till it's a habit for me as well.

Keep going till anything else feels weird.

automatedeating wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 23, 2019 1:44 am

Welcome! So many things about your original post make this seem like a really great fit for you!
Here's to moderation and great conversation!

Thanks for the nice welcome! Looking forward to lots of sensible eating and great conversation.

Welcome! I also hate calorie counting. Luckily for me I hate it so much, I never did it for more than one week. I did not have the brain space for it with a demanding job and a kid. I have to do plenty of counting (money) at work. I cannot be wasting time on what exactly is in this creme fraiche and how big is this dollop?

jenji wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 23, 2019 11:19 pm

Welcome! I also hate calorie counting. Luckily for me I hate it so much, I never did it for more than one week. I did not have the brain space for it with a demanding job and a kid. I have to do plenty of counting (money) at work. I cannot be wasting time on what exactly is in this creme fraiche and how big is this dollop?

Thanks for the nice welcome!

Yes, it is a huge pain.

I think calorie counting is good for a short time because it gives you a sense of how many calories are in the different things that we eat. And we do need to be in a sustained calorie deficit to lose weight. Some of the calorie information was surprising. But, I think it's a terrible long term strategy. Heck, it's practically an eating disorder.

Welcome

Whilst to a point I agree a calorie deficit is a requirement to lose weight I don't believe all calories are created equal. The impact of what you eat and how often and how that affects your insulin response plays a big part.

Jx

I agree and don’t think CICO ( calories in/ calories out) is straightforward . If it was true, no one would have a weight problem, but we are not simple machines.

Read some of Dr. Jason Fung’s books on this to learn more. “The Obesity Code” is very informative. In my own experiments with intermittent fasting I found that I could eat as much or more than my supposed maintenance level of calories and still lose because my insulin would be low much of my day.

And as Soprano said, 100 calories of broccoli is way different than 100 calories of twizzlers.

I have not re-read the No S book but I don’t recall Reinhard clearly explaining if he considers the lowering of our insulin between meals and over night to be a major factor in weight loss. No S is written in a simple, easy to understand way so maybe it doesn’t, but from my other research and reading this is the way I see it.

Welcome! Sorry to hijack your journal

Thanks Soprano and Staff Assistant III for your responses!

I do actually believe that all calories are created equal -- at least from a high level weight loss perspective.

I think there is evidence to support the idea that that the 100 calories of Twizzlers will be processed differently than the 100 calories of broccoli and that it matters from a nutrition standpoint. I remain unconvinced that this information can be practically applied to weight loss. There was a professor who lost 27 pounds eating nothing but junk food. It's anecdotal of course, but it makes the point that weight loss is all about the calorie deficit. I think it supports the idea that all calories are created equal from a weight loss point of view.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/tw ... index.html

Weight loss aside, we shouldn't eat like that because it's bad for us. Most of the time, we should choose the broccoli over the Twizzlers.

For me, calorie counting is too much of a pain to continue long term. I also chose a deficit that was too large because I was impatient. Unlike the No-S Diet, calorie counting doesn't get at the heart of the problem and doesn't teach you to unlearn your bad habits or learn correct habits. That's why I'm such a fan of the No-S diet.

Having said all that, I think that most of the world agrees with you two on CICO.

BackToThin wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 25, 2019 7:01 pm

Thanks Soprano and Staff Assistant III for your responses!

I do actually believe that all calories are created equal -- at least from a high level weight loss perspective.

I think there is evidence to support the idea that that the 100 calories of Twizzlers will be processed differently than the 100 calories of broccoli and that it matters from a nutrition standpoint. I remain unconvinced that this information can be practically applied to weight loss. There was a professor who lost 27 pounds eating nothing but junk food. It's anecdotal of course, but it makes the point that weight loss is all about the calorie deficit. I think it supports the idea that all calories are created equal from a weight loss point of view.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/11/08/tw ... index.html

Weight loss aside, we shouldn't eat like that because it's bad for us. Most of the time, we should choose the broccoli over the Twizzlers.

For me, calorie counting is too much of a pain to continue long term. I also chose a deficit that was too large because I was impatient. Unlike the No-S Diet, calorie counting doesn't get at the heart of the problem and doesn't teach you to unlearn your bad habits or learn correct habits. That's why I'm such a fan of the No-S diet.

Having said all that, I think that most of the world agrees with you two on CICO.

I believe that a calorie is a calorie as well from my personal experience. I went 6 months without ANY sugar, Mostly had fibrous vegtables, Cottage cheese, Lean meats and healthy fats, No fruit even! I lost weight, yes. But then the second time where i purposely tried to lose weight by just counting calories I ate all the fruit, Sugar in moderate amounts, I did have candy a few times, refined carbs ANYTHING I wanted as long as it fit into the day....andddd I lost weight at basically the same rate as before.

So yeah, Health standpoint also goes for mental health, if you need fruit like me then eat fruit and be merry :p

[/quote]

I believe that a calorie is a calorie as well from my personal experience. I went 6 months without ANY sugar, Mostly had fibrous vegtables, Cottage cheese, Lean meats and healthy fats, No fruit even! I lost weight, yes. But then the second time where i purposely tried to lose weight by just counting calories I ate all the fruit, Sugar in moderate amounts, I did have candy a few times, refined carbs ANYTHING I wanted as long as it fit into the day....andddd I lost weight at basically the same rate as before.

So yeah, Health standpoint also goes for mental health, if you need fruit like me then eat fruit and be merry :p
[/quote]

Thanks for the info. Cool data and a very nice experiment! You also make a good point about mental health and I agree with you on that.

I like fruit as well; I had strawberries and blueberries in tonight's dinner salad. I also had citrus with my lunch. If I had to go 6 months without fruit, I'd be pretty unhappy. I do draw the line at orange juice. It's delicious and I love it but the calories are crazy high. Orange juice is an S-Day treat.

-=-=-=-

At this very moment, it is evening. My brain wants a snack because it's expecting one. I'm not hungry and I'm not going to snack. I can't wait for this "want to snack when not hungry" feeling to go away. It will. It has to. It's also the cause of all evil.

I have two dogs. They are not fat. In fact, at the vet''s office someone commented that my dog's weight was "perfect". Of course it is. I scoop out their food in the right amount and I feed it to them. I also looked for a good, nutritious brand of dog food. They eat it. That's all there is too it. My dogs don't snack. I'm now doing for myself what I do for my dogs: I'm giving myself the right amount of nutritious food -- only I get to eat three times a day instead of once.

This is the first time in my life I've actually been really interested in cooking. I want my meals to count. I want them to be good for me and taste good. I made lentil soup over the weekend and it's really good. The boyfriend said, "I didn't expect it to be this good.". (He never cooks). It also reheats really well. I gave myself too much and I stopped when I was full. Perfect. Isn't this how it's supposed to work?

About one hour since last post. Desire to eat (while not hungry) described in last post has passed. Yeah! Take that destructive habit! At some point, this desire will no longer present itself. At least not on a routine basis.

Reinhard warned us that the beginning is the hardest. So good. I'm doing it right.

Nice avatar!

Re: dogs - I have one. He was always pretty skinny and then he got this weird autoimmune disease last summer (long story) and he was on very high prednisone for a few months. He gained 10 pounds!!! He was jumping on the table, getting into the cat's stuff, begging more successfully from the kids, eating dead rabbits that the cats caught - it was insane to see the behavioral change brought on by the steroids. Made me reflect a lot on stress-eating in humans. Anyway. He's still a little overweight all these months later, but we've slowly brought his weight down. And - good luck making sure the dogs never eat anything extra if there are kids in the house. You can bet HappyHerder is always near them when they are eating.

BackToThin wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 26, 2019 4:20 am

About one hour since last post. Desire to eat (while not hungry) described in last post has passed. Yeah! Take that destructive habit! At some point, this desire will no longer present itself. At least not on a routine basis.

Reinhard warned us that the beginning is the hardest. So good. I'm doing it right.

This happens to me too still, I'll get this thought of "I could eat?" and then I either ignore it or get some tea and then I'm good again some time afterward. Sometimes you just got to distract yourself from your old habits, I actually watch way more tv at night now so I won't eat out of boredom

Thanks on the avatar.

I hope your dog is okay now. Yes, prednisone causes bloating and increased appetite.

Now that I think about it, my dogs are on the No-S Diet. I give them a small piece of turkey on Thanksgiving, but no "permasnacking".

Thanks for the feedback ThisIsNotABadIdea. It sounds like it will be a tough habit to break, but since I know how harmful it is I'll be working against it to stop it. Maybe if I feel like snacking I should go for a run.

NoSDiet.com says: "I think the trouble is that even full no-s is slow in terms of yielding measurable results, and lack of patience is an even bigger problem for most people than lack of short term willpower."

YUP. I HAVE ZERO PATIENCE.

I started with wild enthusiasm, but in less than two weeks I'm already out. I'm going to calorie count for the next month so I can see some damn results.

I won't over-restrict during calorie counting month so I won't be a glutton at the end.

See y'all on April Fool's Day 2019 to re-evaluate! I foresee some alternating between No-S'ing and calorie counting until I get back to my proper weight. Then some version of No-S for the rest of my life.

I'm checking in a wee bit early; it's not April 1st yet, but we're close.

I'm going to stick with calorie counting for all of 2nd quarter. Then I'll be back to No-S (or something very close to it) for maintenance. I hate calorie counting but it works and I don't want to be fat.

Good luck all you No-S'ers. I wish I could No-S just like it's described in the book but I'm just not very patient.

Keep us posted, and good luck!

Thanks LiveItUp! I hope your summer is going awesome!

I'm still calorie counting -- but I often think lovingly of the No-S Diet and I will return for "maintenance" once I get where I need to be.

I've been doing Invisilign now for more than a month and I'm going to be doing it till mid January 2020. Invisilign makes snacking completely not worth it. So I'm doing the No Snacking part of the No-S. Still calorie counting though. My BMI is back in the normal range! (barely) I'm planning to lose a minimum of another 20 pounds. Then slowly move from calorie counting to a modified No-S Diet to keep my weight where it belongs.

I miss you No-S. I think of you often. I will return to you for maintenance.

30 lbs. in 7 months! That's great. If something's working don't mess with it. Congrats.

Whosonfirst wrote: ↑

Sat Sep 28, 2019 11:43 am

30 lbs. in 7 months! That's great. If something's working don't mess with it. Congrats.

Thank you Whosonfirst!

Yes congrats!

automatedeating wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 02, 2019 2:22 pm

Yes congrats!

Thank you automatedeating!
Your BMI is nice! I'm working toward the same.

I did a "calorie counting vacation" last Sunday and I still lost weight that week! Yes. I'm still counting calories and still have weight to lose. I'm planning on having a "calorie count vacation" day once every six weeks till I'm happy with my weight. Then slowly move to "maintenance" -- and do a sort of modified No-S Diet. Slowly. Slowly. Sneak up on it. No sudden moves -- or I might get fat again.

My next calorie count vacation, but don't eat like an idiot day is November 24th. A Sunday. And there will be cake. Sunday is an "S" day. Cake!

I've taken a few gymnastics for adults classes and it's pretty fun. And really good exercise. I was sore all the next day, but in a good way. I am, by far, the oldest, slowest, weakest, and worst performing in the class. But -- I am going to keep going till I can do backflips.

Tomorrow I'm going to wear the jeans that I've had in storage for what feels like eternity. Yes! And I am going to feel amazing in them. And happy beyond belief. My butt in those jeans!!!! They are not too tight. I feel like a weight loss god.

What a lovely post well done

Jx

Bwahahaha! Your butt god comment has me LMAO - get it?

Soprano wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 19, 2019 6:25 am

What a lovely post well done

Jx

Thank you Soprano. That's a lovely reply.

automatedeating wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 19, 2019 1:59 pm

Bwahahaha! Your butt god comment has me LMAO - get it?

AO -- literally. Hahahah.
Thanks for your comment.

Saw my doctor this week. She used the following words to describe me: "healthy" and "thin". I am pleased. I am showing off here.

I'm starting to think about moving to a life where I'm not counting calories. I'm going to take a "calorie count vacation" every Sunday in November -- provided that I continue to lose weight. I'd like to lose another 10 pounds by the end of the year, but we'll see. I know it gets harder as you get closer to your proper weight and I'm happy as long as I'm losing at least half a pound a week from here on in.

Sunday is an "S" day -- so my plan is not not count calories on Sunday but not eat like an idiot.

I've been counting calories for nearly six months and I'm not going to live the rest of my life this way. I love the calorie counting results; I'm at a healthy weight now. I love the No-S Diet because it formalizes "don't eat like an idiot", but I'm not yet ready to go full No-S. I'll get there. This is the beginning of the transition.

Edit: I know I said I was going to take my next calorie count vacation on 11/24/19, but I decided to do it this way because I've been counting calories for 6 months now and I think that's a good enough amount of time.

Well done and good luck with the transition

Jx

Congrats on a great doc visit! How satisfying and some much-deserved validation of your hard work!

Soprano wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 02, 2019 7:27 am

Well done and good luck with the transition

Jx

Thanks Soprano! I had the same breakfast today -- just without the weighing of everything to the nearest gram and without the math problems.
Hope the rest of the day goes as well.

automatedeating wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 02, 2019 1:58 pm

Congrats on a great doc visit! How satisfying and some much-deserved validation of your hard work!

Thanks automatedeating! It felt terrific to be at the doctor -- when I used to fear the doctor and be ashamed of myself for having gained weight! I feel good now.

I tried on clothes yesterday and do you know what fit me perfectly? A size 4 dress. NO, this is NOT an accomplishment. This is sad.

I'll explain why.

I'm 5'6" and 145 pounds. I should NOT be a size 4. When I was 117/120 pounds in the 80's I could not fit into a 4. I was a size 6. So, with an additional 25 pounds on me today, I am certainly not a size 4. I'm more like a size 10 at the moment. Yet, as I am going clothes shopping recently, I'm fitting into size 4 - size 8. The sizes are being redone because everyone is getting fatter.

This makes me sad.

In fact, the sizes of the 80's were increased from the sizes of the 50's because everyone was getting fatter even back then. It's at the point where 72% of Americans are fat and the much of the rest of the world is not doing much better in this area. Heart attacks and type II diabetes are on the rise in people under age 40.

This is bad for everyone. For our entire species!

As I'm working on getting my body from 145 to 120 and staying there without a struggle - on today, Sunday the first No-S Day of Sunday, what can we do to help everyone else lose weight? I am looking for ideas.

At 5'6" and 145 pounds, I have NO BUSINESS in a size 4 dress!!!

I ate like an idiot yesterday. As such, the rest of November's Sunday "calorie count vacation" days are cancelled and I'm back to calorie counting.

I will try again on Sunday, December 15th, 2019.

No frowns allowed! You did an experiment, you didn't like the results, and you have modified accordingly. I can almost see you in your lab coat, analyzing results.

automatedeating wrote: ↑

Tue Nov 05, 2019 1:37 pm

No frowns allowed! You did an experiment, you didn't like the results, and you have modified accordingly. I can almost see you in your lab coat, analyzing results.

Great comment automated eating! You're right. I think I'm overthinking this.

I didn't actually eat like an idiot; I had some cake. I'm overreacting. Although I hate being indecisive, I'm going to stick with one day a week of no calorie counting, see how it goes, and move slowly back to No-S (or a version of No-S).

Edit: the cake was terrible, not very good supermarket cake. I should have at least eaten delicious and worth it bakery cake.

Interesting what you said about the cake. Often I'll eat something that is regarded as a treat and find I don't really like the taste. Definitely worth investing in quality.

Jx

Completely agree Soprano!

I think that is one of the important lessons of No-S: to make your food count!

I'm back. and

After calorie counting my way from 181.4 to 143 in 2019, I have regained most of that weight. I was 173.2 this morning. And I'm officially a yo-yo dieter. That's the part.

Of course calorie counting works in the short run. It's arithmetic. I did it because I wanted results NOW and I didn't have patience for the No-S Diet. Well, I spent more than 6 months of weighing every single thing that I ate, putting every single calorie I ate into a spreadsheet, and doing a multitude of stupid arithmetic problems every time I wanted to eat something. In many ways this habit actually encouraged unhealthy eating because I'd often eat something I knew to be worse for me just to make the accounting easier.

More than half a year of that wore me down. Finally, I drove face first into a giant slice of cheesecake.

I swore I would go back to calorie counting if I ever hit 148. I did hit 148. And I thought -- Oh I can't go back to calorie counting. It's too awful. But, basically, I wasn't eating enough healthy food. I was eating convenient food to make the accounting easier. And I was left hungry most of the time.

I went wild like a wild animal and eating too much. In my mind, I saw weight loss and weight maintenance as two separate tasks.

1. get the weight off
2. re-learn how to eat like a normal person again

In the long run, I would say that calorie counting (recommended by my doctor) was a waste of time and pointless suffering because here I am again -- fat as hell. It made me super food focused. My application of calorie counting encouraged unhealthy and inconvenient eating. It made me see food as the enemy.

So -- I'm back. And that's the part. I want to enjoy food and eat mostly healthy food. I have slightly over 20 pounds to lose to get my weight back into the healthy BMI range. And a little over 40 pounds to be at a weight where I will be happy and feel good. Who'd have thought that a software engineer would have better weight loss advice than my doctor? "Premature optimization is the root of all evil." quoted by Reinhard and applied to diet is so true!

I'm glad to be back because this time I want to lose weight and keep it off. I want good health, not just GET THE WEIGHT OFF NOW.

I'm on Day 2 of the No-S Diet and very happy to be here. Last night I actually had fun cooking. I chopped up a bunch of vegetables to eat for dinner and I didn't weigh any of them. I feel free. I'm looking forward to learning how to cook well.

I love the NO-S diet because it describes how to eat like a normal person again.

After dinner last night, I wanted to eat more food SO BADLY. And I was happy not to do it because I know that this is the key bad habit that got me fat in the first place. I'm looking forward to getting rid of the bad habits I've developed and replacing them with good ones -- eating like a normal, healthy person again. And having the weight and body composition of a normal, healthy person.

When I'm back to 133 pounds, it will be easy to stay there.

My first S day is coming up in two days.

I will not eat like an idiot.
I will not eat like an idiot.
I will not eat like an idiot.

Hi BackToThin!

Just wanted to say welcome and I can relate to your posts. I have lost and regained several times. Calorie counting has been the only thing I have been able to use to lose weight quickly but eventually, I rebound and snap back up. I lost weight last time with a combination of No S, IF, and being calorie aware. I got down to a good weight for me. 153 and stayed there for a while but then the holidays got me and I gained about 3 pounds. Seems small but they stayed and wouldn't go away. I finally realized I was tired of obsessing over 3 pounds and I was going to just follow No S with being body aware. For example, 3 meals a day but make sure I am hungry for those meals. I added some dark chocolate to the end of dinner because it helps me not have seconds and keeps me from being an idiot on S days. Things like that.

I decided to stop weighing myself and just focus on the habits because weighing seems to lead to an unconscious restriction which then rebounds into overeating over time. So, that's where I am on this journey. Just really focusing on the habits of No S.

Anyway, welcome back! Enjoy your S day tomorrow!

Welcome back back to thin!! I’m a former calorie counter too!! It really disconnected me from hunger & fullness & created an unhealthy relationship with food. I’d eat because I had calories left even if I wasn’t hungry & white knuckle when I was starving if I didn’t have calories left that lead to bingeing. I used to avoid fruits & veggies because I didn’t want to “waste” calories on them Good luck with No S!!

Thanks for your reply Jen! I 100% get what you said.

I actually stood in front of the fridge and thought to myself, "I have 20 calories left today. What can I eat? I can eat this olive!" And then I ate the olive.Then, I logged it as a successful day.

In retrospect, that sounds insane. But, I didn't see it at the time.

BackToThin wrote: ↑

Thu Apr 08, 2021 5:29 pm

I"Premature optimization is the root of all evil." quoted by Reinhard and applied to diet is so true!

That's a good quote for me to remember

Hi pinkhippie. Thanks for your message and nice welcome! Here's to good habit building! It's not an easy thing to do, but well worth it.

Like you, I eat 3 meals a day. Sometimes I skip breakfast, but I usually eat breakfast.

Hi ladybird30. Yes, I heard him say that in an interview about the No-S diet. It's a well known quote in the software world, but it really and truly does apply to diet.

So glad you found your way back to NoS. I just started doing nos again every other day and it’s so nice. I realized it’s the only way of eating that let’s me forget about eating for awhile. It’s so nice to have that brain space for something else.

Hi lpearlmom. Wow. Whatever you're doing is working wonderfully! Excellent! Thank you for the nice welcome as well.

Today is my first S Day and I will not eat like an idiot!

Monday - 4/12/21 175 pounds

* This is the start of my first full week

My favorite part from the website:

What about healthy snacks?
Eat healthy meals.

-=-=-

For me, the "no snacks" part is the most difficult. I've spent time developing this bad habit, so I don't expect it to go away with a few days of effort. As difficult as it is, I'm really enjoying eating like a normal person. I also think that snacking is how I got fat.

Today: 3 meals and light exercise.
Effort to suppress snacking tendencies: low/medium.

Sounds like a good day!

Good luck for today!

I'm currently working on the eliminating the mindless snacking, too. It usually takes a few weeks, but we can get back in that saddle!

Thanks pinkhippie!

I'm still learning this site. I think I need to reply on your Checkin if I want you to see this?

Yes automatedeating!

It took some time to develop those bad snacking habits and it will take some time to get rid of them!

*** Wed - a RED day on the calendar. I snacked after dinner. I ate graham crackers.

Going forward, brush and floss teeth and get the Invisilign retainers in right after dinner -- a nice tool to help build my no-snacking habit.

*** Thurs - One meal a day (OMAD) day. Not my usual habit. I usually eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

*** Friday - Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner -- all pretty sensible

So far I'm really happy with the No-S Diet because I'm eating less. It has to work because I'm fat as hell and I'd have to lose some weight by eating less -- or eating like a normal person.

I gained weight by being on the "eat whatever the hell I want" diet.

Tomorrow's an S-Day. I will snack and I will eat sweets -- but I will not eat like an idiot or like a starving animal who's just discovered a big pile of food. I'm not gonna lie; I've been craving a frozen custard sundae all week. But, I will get it in the child size and I will enjoy every single bit of it.

Thanks BTT! Unfortunately, i lost most of that weight a few years ago and have been struggling to get the rest off since. Im determined to do it by next year though so im hoping i can finally get there.

As far as responding to others, you can just respond in your thread like you did to me. Most of the regulars will check their own thread as well as other ppl that post regularly to keep updated and help support one another. It’s a great community.

Thanks lpearlmom. I appreciate your help with how to use the website. I read your entry for today and I'm sorry you're going through a stressful adjustment as your daughter (I'm assuming sweetpea is a daughter) has gone off to college and I hope it settles out soon.

I really like your idea of starting a small business. People do actually pay other people to organize for them. I looked it up and found Yelp reviews for several where I live. It could be fun as well because I can't stand clutter and I love seeing things cleaned up and organized.

Monday - 4/19/21 173.6 pounds

It's around 4:00 pm and I want to eat but I'm not going to do it. In the past, I would have had a snack. Now, I'm waiting for dinner. Building new habits is difficult, but I really love the feeling of eating three meals a day M - F. I feel like my life is more structured, I'm in control, and it simply feels great.

I haven't been doing the No-S Diet for even two weeks yet, but I think that it is the greatest.

Stopping bad habits and building new habits is difficult. Not only am I a huge fan of The No-S Diet, but I also really like the book Atomic Habits by James Clear.

*** Tue - a green day on the calendar
Effort required to suppress snacking tendencies: medium.

*** Wed - a green day on the calendar
Effort required to suppress snacking tendencies: low.

Wednesday was a good day for you!

BackToThin wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 19, 2021 4:45 pm

Monday - 4/19/21 173.6 pounds

Building new habits is difficult, but I really love the feeling of eating three meals a day M - F. I feel like my life is more structured, I'm in control, and it simply feels great.

I feel the same way! It's part of my motivation for sticking with no S beyond weight. I just feel better eating in a more structured but not burdensome structured way. Glad you are having a good week!

Thanks automatedeating! Yes! Wed was a good day! I hope yours was as well.

Hi pinkhippie.
Yes. It's good to hear from you. It's good to know that others feel the same way. It's a really important change and not only do I feel as if I could do this for the rest of my life, I want to do this for the rest of my life. I certainly never felt that way about calorie counting -- quite the opposite actually.

*** Thurs - a red day on the calendar
I ate graham crackers after dinner/before bed.

Friday morning's weight was down slightly compared to Wednesday morning's weight.

Observation #1: This is why if you weigh daily and your weight going up on a given day frustrates you, you should stop weighing daily. Wednesday was a fail because I didn't stick to the habits I'm working to develop regardless of what the scale says.

Observation #2: Nothing good ever comes from late night eating. I've failed twice so far and both times it was graham crackers after dinner. I seriously doubt there is a person alive that has ever said to themselves, "I'm going to have a late night snack. I think I"ll run to the kitchen and steam some broccoli.".

As the weekend draws to a close, I can say that I ate like kind of an idiot. Not a complete idiot, but certainly not like a person who wants to lose weight and keep it off.

Tomorrow: no snacks, no sweets, and no seconds.

Monday - 4/26/21 174 pounds

This is actually a slight gain over last Monday. So, this week I will eat like a person who wants to lose weight on my weekend.

Monday - 5/3/21 175.6 pounds

So, bad habits are hard to break. After about a week of eating like an idiot, I should be happy my weight is up by only this much.

My goal for this week is to:

1. not eat like an idiot
2. do not eat after dinner and floss and brush my teeth and put in retainers.

Maybe this baby step will help? I hope so. It's not even a baby step. This habit is probably my worst eating habit and it's really important to correct it. The dental care is a good tool to help establish that habit. It is a building block toward No-S eating because it's one part of No Snacks. And for me, the most important part. So, this week -- that's what I'm going to prioritize.

As for not eating like an idiot, that's obvious. It's obvious when I'm eating like an idiot. This does not need to be defined.

Clearly, I need a healthier way to manage the stress that exists in life.
-=-=-=-

Edit: End of day. I think I overreacted. I messed up. I messed up for an entire week, but just get back on track. I don't need to baby step this thing. I'll just do straight No-S tomorrow.