WINhappy's Check-in Thread

ladybird30 · Post by **ladybird30** » Sun Oct 01, 2023 10:23 am

I remember the anxiety about getting too hungry during my early days of NoS. In the end I decided to not worry about the one plate rule. Instead, I decided to dish all my food out at once, and accept that sometimes I might eat too much.

I am not that strict now, and often have seconds if I think I won't last til the next meal, but I did need to be consistent when I was establishing good eating habits.

While I did a lot of clock watching also, I have come to trust myself enough to have snacks when my hunger really demands it. I too get extra hungry with exercise, but would rather be fit and eat a bit more.
Nowadays after a lot of practice and attention, I am much better at not overloading my stomach at mealtimes, and can leave food on my plate.

If you are not losing weight, and going overhungry some times, you may be unconsciously overcompensating for the hunger at other times.

Personally, I find that balanced meals with a mix of protein, carbs and enough fat to keep me going to the next meal suit me best. Also enough veg and fruit to get that nice feeling of having had a decent meal.

nettee · Post by **nettee** » Mon Oct 02, 2023 7:31 pm

Well done WINhappy. It is hard being hungry between meals and this is a strict eating plan. Think of it as fasting between meals. Drink tea and water. Have an early supper.

I agree with you about the ease of fitting this plan in with life and meals out. From that point of view it is the best eating plan out there.

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Thu Oct 05, 2023 11:06 pm

Hi all,

To update last week's status....

Week of 09/24/2023 (80% green):
Sunday: S day
Monday: Red (doughnut)
Tuesday: Green
Wednesday: Green
Thursday: Green
Friday: Green
Saturday: S day

Soprano, Pinkhippie, Ladybird, and Nettee - thank you for responding to my post and for providing suggestions to help. I sound like a broken record but your support really does mean a lot to me.

Soprano - Here is an example of a day's worth of meals for me (as I said in an earlier post, I don't enjoy cooking and eat basically the same things over and over):
Breakfast: 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats, 2 tbsp flax meal, 1 tbsp peanut butter, 1 banana, unsweetened soy milk.

Lunch: 1/4 cup barley or brown rice, approx. 1/3 cup sodium-free canned beans, approx. 2 cups of vegetables (usually a combination of broccoli, brussels sprouts, and green peas), palmful of nuts or seeds (the limit I use for this portion is that all four fingers must touch the bulge at the base of my thumb when I close my fingers over the nuts), 1 tablespoon canola oil. Unsweetened iced black tea.

Supper: Usually half a bag of pre-washed salad greens with baked tofu (1/4 of a standard package), palmful of nuts or seeds, 5 unsalted saltine crackers, homemade dressing of balsamic vinegar and canola oil.
*Friday night suppers are a single, weighed-out serving of whole wheat pasta, low sodium pasta sauce, lentils, beans, or green peas, palmful of nuts or seeds, 1 (sometimes 2

) light beers.

Other:
- I drink several cups of decaf coffee during the day. 2 mugs in the morning are standard for me; 1 always black, and the other with unsweetened soy milk.

-I've been lucky enough not to have any wild S days so far. The differences between my weekday and weekend eating is that I usually eat out for lunch on both days. Perhaps not coincidentally given the calorie density of most restaurant meals, I struggle the least with afternoon hunger on weekends!

-2 squares of dark chocolate after supper (72% cacao)

Pinkhippie and ladybird - I appreciate your take on the No S rules and how you've approached them in the past.

Netee - Hi! Thanks for checking in on my check-in. It's nice to "meet" you!

I have been pondering my status and my No S experience to date since my last check-in and am beginning to conclude that I'm overthinking this. And by overthinking it, I'm creating more anxiety and stress than necessary for myself. I am actually doing great in several respects (aren't I so humble?!!

). Since starting No S, I've stopped snacking after supper and between breakfast and lunch, I've not gone wild with S days, and my portions aren't larger than they've ever been. If I think about my status logically (which is easy to do in this moment because I just finished a wonderful dinner and am not hungry), I really only have one problem that needs solving - getting really hungry mid-afternoon. Surely, this is a solvable problem.

I've brainstormed some ideas and would love your thoughts, if I haven't already bored you to tears.
- Drink some milk or 100% juice approximately 2 hours after lunch BEFORE I start feeling hungry.
- Split my lunch into two portions; have the first at lunch and the second mid-afternoon (must avoid increasing the quantity with this option but I already measure out my ingredients so think I could manage to avoid this pitfall).
- Allow myself to snack on a serving of fruit mid-afternoon. I am particularly fond of dried apricots and fresh apples, and wonder if the natural sugar might tamp down hunger since I always found them satisfying pre-No S.

I also bought some vegetable broth that I can heat up and drink as well. I saw this suggestion on one of the General Discussion posts and thought it was intriguing. It's something I haven't tried yet anyway.

Anyway, this has turned into quite the novel. But I think you can see how much getting so hungry mid-afternoon is bothering me. I'm not used to failing or being undisciplined, so I'm willing to put some effort into solving this challenge. Thank you for "listening"!

I hope everyone is having a happy and successful week so far!

Best regards,
WIN

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Sat Oct 07, 2023 1:30 pm

Hi all,

Just a quick check-in to report that I forgot to include an excellent suggestion that pinkhippie gave me a while ago (thank you again!) and that is to push my lunch back so as to shorten the time between lunch and dinner. I tried this on Friday and it was a great success. MUCH easier to last until dinner. So I think I'm going to focus on this as my primary strategy whenever possible. It may not always be possible because when I can eat lunch is often dictated by external factors but in those cases, I will try some of the other tactics.

I'm also going to focus a bit more on self-talk. I am perfectly capable of waiting a few hours to eat, even if my stomach is growling. No harm and many benefits will come to me for doing so. Also, one thing among many that attracted me to No S was the enticing prospect of NOT spending every waking minute berating myself for eating too much, eating the wrong thing, not eating enough of the right thing, eating when I'm not really hungry, eating by the clock, allowing myself to be guilted into eating (and on and on and on). Surely enduring an hour or two of hunger would be a small price to pay.

I have been over-emphasizing mild, short-term discomfort (hunger) and under-emphasizing the significant, long-term benefits of sticking with No S should bring (peace, freedom, relaxation, enjoying real meals with my loved ones, and on and on and on

). So, I will work on flipping that script. Starting today, even though it's an S day and I don't HAVE to. Practice makes perfect.

Best regards,
WINhappy

Ellis · Post by **Ellis** » Sun Oct 08, 2023 3:05 pm

Maybe this isn't helpful at all, but I was hungry so often at the start of no-S. After so many failed attempts I am finally able to deal with hunger cues, and I don't even have them often anymore, except around my regular meal times. It took me a long time, I think the body needs to adjust especially if you are used to bigger portions and more meals in a day. You got this!

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Wed Oct 18, 2023 11:40 pm

Hi Ellis, hearing your experience with hunger (and especially that it got better over time!) is very helpful. Thank you for sharing! That gives me some hope.

I am still really struggling with hunger in the mid-afternoon, although less so on days when I can really push my lunchtime much later in the day. I see many posts on this board where people talk about not feeling hungry at all for meals, experiencing a drastic decline in their appetite after only a few green days on No S, or expressing their delight that No S feels effortless. I am delighted for everyone who has that experience but it hasn't been mine - at least so far - and I feel a bit discouraged sometimes. But I remain optimistic and will pursue the No S habit/way of eating because it is both logical and intuitive. But boy, don't I look forward to the day when I can accept my growling stomach with equanimity!

The days since my last check-in have been a blur (haven't QUITE gotten my work-life balance dialed in yet but still a worthy goal!) and I honestly can't say how many green vs. red days I've had. I suspect I averaged about how I've been doing since joining the boards - probably a 60 - 80% green rate per week. Not bad, but there's still room for improvement.

Therefore, I'm just going to start tracking again from the start of this week:
Week of 10/15/2023 (so far):
Sunday: S day
Monday: Green
Tuesday: Green
Wednesday: Green (as long as I go to bed without a snack)

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Sun Oct 22, 2023 6:54 pm

Final for week of 10/15/2023:
Sunday: S day
Monday: Green
Tuesday: Green
Wednesday: Green
Thursday: Red
Friday: Green
Saturday: S day
80% green

Week of 10/22/2023 (so far)
Sunday: S day

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Mon Oct 23, 2023 5:39 am

Looks like a solid week - well done!

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Thu Oct 26, 2023 4:58 pm

Thanks, amy3010.

Week of 10/22/2023 (so far)
Sunday: S day
Monday: Green
Tuesday: Green
Wednesday: Green
Thursday: Red (Totally all my own doing. Just didn't feel like being "good" for even one more minute longer. But I've had my fun and will get back on track for this afternoon and the rest of the day to avoid "complete blow-out" territory).

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Sun Oct 29, 2023 3:46 pm

Week of 10/22/2023: 80% green
Sunday: S day
Monday: Green
Tuesday: Green
Wednesday: Green
Thursday: Red
Friday: Green
Saturday: S day

Week of 10/29/2023 (current):
Sunday: S day

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Tue Oct 31, 2023 1:23 am

Week of 10/29/2023 (so far):
Sunday: S day
Monday: Green

amerie · Post by **amerie** » Tue Oct 31, 2023 8:27 am

Hey WINhappy, thanks for your cheers - looks like you‘re doing well, too!

It’s nice to see that being consistent seems to become easier over time - I imagine, also having the occasional red day does not completely push you off the wagon after learning that NoS life goes on - kind regards to you - have a good week! <3

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Fri Nov 10, 2023 5:18 pm

Thanks, amerie!

I've been consistent in having about 1 red day per week for the last year! LOL. That track record really annoys my perfectionist soul but my S days have never been wild and crazy, so that saves me somewhat. I do feel like my version of No S is becoming my default, rather than something I have to white-knuckle from dawn to dawn. For me, that's real progress. Who wants to white-knuckle food? Life can be tough enough without THAT!

Probably my biggest challenge continues to be my stressful work environment and long hours, combined with a (let's face it) party-girl mentality. My inner party girl wants to cut loose and celebrate every time I get a break. Over the last year, I've been working hard to find other ways to celebrate my belief that "life is for the living" besides great food and plenty of it.

It's definitely a work in progress, but it's work that I feel good about doing so I keep plugging away.

Week of 10/29/2023: 80% green
Sunday: S day
Monday: Green
Tuesday: Green
Wednesday: Green
Thursday: Green
Friday: RED (party-girl reigned as of quitting time)
Saturday: S day

Week of 11/05/2023 (so far):
Sunday: S day
Monday: Green
Tuesday: Green
Wednesday: RED (finished a big project and got to leave early - my good intentions had no chance

)
Thursday: Green
Friday: Green so far (note to self - it better stay this way or there will be heck to pay!

)

Wishing everyone a happy weekend! WINhappy

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Sat Nov 11, 2023 6:38 am

That really is progress, to be able to have that kind of consistency, not having to white knuckle every single minute of the day, and still have space for your inner party girl to cut loose and celebrate from time to time!

Have a great weekend!

amerie · Post by **amerie** » Sat Nov 11, 2023 7:40 am

WIN, that sounds so great - consistency is everything! I think you should not record the red day as "a failure" but maybe instead look at it as your way of doing NoS/life: you are the girl that eats three meals a day, parties on Fridays and has moderate S days - period? Looking at it that way, you probably had a mostly green past year, right?

Where would that take you weight and feeling wise?

Best,

amerie

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Sun Nov 12, 2023 1:37 am

Amerie, I like the way you think! That really makes me feel positive about my progress. Thank you for that perspective tweak!

Amy3010, thanks for thinking I'm making progress! Looking back over the last few months, I really do feel like I'm strengthening my discipline (ever so slowly but still!). I just need to avoid the "Oh woe, I'm just so DEPRIIIIIIVED" feeling as much as possible- that trail leads to total disaster.

I really like how my slightly modified version of No S fits with my personality and my life, even when I'm not as perfect as I'd like to be. I never tried any traditional calorie-accounting or substance-accounting diet because I just knew attempting such extreme changes would stress me into rebellion. No So starts out reasonable and stays that way. To me, that is a huge and valuable difference!

Week of 11/05/2023: 80% green
Sunday: S day
Monday: Green
Tuesday: Green
Wednesday: RED (finished a big project and got to leave early - my good intentions had no chance

)
Thursday: Green
Friday: Green
Saturday: S day

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy weekend! WINhappy

Ellis · Post by **Ellis** » Sun Nov 12, 2023 2:20 pm

I think you are doing great, Winhappy!

It makes me think though... When I start to feel hungry or deprived it's usually because I didn't eat enough at mealtime. Maybe you need to put some more on your plates?

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Tue Nov 14, 2023 2:42 am

Hi ellis,
It's funny that you ask this. I've been cutting down on my portions because I feel too indulgent and it hasn't strengthened my adherence. I think you are on to a better solution. Doubling down on the exact thing I'm struggling with is unlikely to help. After all, if I can't lift 100 pounds today, what sense would it make to think I can lift 500 pounds tomorrow? Thank you for the insight!
Wishing you the best, WIN

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Fri Nov 24, 2023 11:36 pm

Week of 11/12/2023: 60% Green
Sunday: S day
Monday: Red
Tuesday: Red
Wednesday: Green
Thursday: Green
Friday: Green
Saturday: S day

Week of 11/19/2023: So far...
Sunday: S day
Monday: Green
Tuesday: Green
Wednesday: Green
Thursday: S day (Happy Thanksgiving!)
Friday: Red

Ellis · Post by **Ellis** » Fri Dec 01, 2023 3:00 pm

Did you increase your portions, Win?

Hope you are doing better!

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Sat Dec 02, 2023 2:13 am

Hi Ellis! Yep, boy, did I ever increase my portions!

But it's all good and has actually really helped me a lot. I haven't pigged out but I've let myself off the hook about trying to cut down. Good enough is good enough, and "good enough" at this point is eating three plates per day and enjoying that freedom. You gave me really good advice and I appreciate it! Thanks for checking in with me!

I am pleased with how I did over the Thanksgiving holiday, even with a red day on Friday (my husband is a great baker and there was leftover apple pie). I didn't go crazy on any day and really enjoyed the holiday (which is what holidays are for!) so consider that a real win. With today being the first day of a new month (always a motivating time for me), I'm re-focusing my commitment. I'd like to build some solid momentum on my habits as I approach Christmas.

Wishing everyone the best! WIN

Week of 11/19/2023: 80% green with an extra allowed holiday S day
Sunday: S day
Monday: Green
Tuesday: Green
Wednesday: Green
Thursday: S day (Happy Thanksgiving!)
Friday: Red
Saturday: S day

Week of 11/26/2023: 80% green
Sunday: S day
Monday: Green
Tuesday: Green
Wednesday: Green
Thursday: Red
Friday: Green
Saturday: S day

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Sat Dec 02, 2023 6:44 am

It sounds like you are doing really well in finding a place of balance!

I am with you in wanting to refocus this month - I find it really helps to not let December take me on a wild food ride!

pinkhippie · Post by **pinkhippie** » Tue Dec 05, 2023 8:30 pm

Hi Win! I really relate to that mid-afternoon hunger. ( I just had a handful of almonds 2 hours after lunch) I was hungry!

It's always been my biggest downfall. In today's case though, I just wasn't full after lunch. I need to make sure my lunch meals are very substantial which is challenging.

I'm glad you had a good Thanksgiving holiday!

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Sat Dec 09, 2023 11:41 am

Week of 12/03/2023: 40% green
Sunday: S Day
Monday: Red
Tuesday: Red
Wednesday: Green
Thursday: Green
Friday: Red
Saturday: S Day

Hi all, I did badly this week. I'm not going to dwell on my failures because I feel low enough already. Instead, I'm going to make today a happy day (she says with teeth gritted and fists clenched - LOL!). I hope everyone has a great weekend. WINhappy

Soprano · Post by **Soprano** » Sat Dec 09, 2023 6:10 pm

Put the past behind you and just pick up again from the next meal.

Have a great weekend

Jx

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Sun Dec 10, 2023 6:12 am

Yep - just mark it and move on!

pinkhippie · Post by **pinkhippie** » Thu Dec 21, 2023 7:33 pm

How has it been going, Win? I have been struggling as well after and leading up to the holidays. I am marking it and moving on but it's tough!

Hope you are doing well!

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Fri Dec 29, 2023 10:19 pm

Hi pinkhippie, Thanks for checking in with me. I know I disappeared from the boards for a while. It is a great feeling to come back to a message from someone who is wishing me well.

I'm sorry to hear that you have been struggling. I have too so empathize!

I've been running amok and partying heartily. There's really no better way to describe it. I totally own up to the reality of how I've been eating and recognize that I've really been pushing the limits of what my body is willing to tolerate before the pounds start piling on. And the longer I indulge, the harder it will be to return to my version of No S.

The only positive spin I can think of is that I've been so indulgent, I am SO ready for the New Year. I plan to use the next 2 S days to gently practice my No S habits so that my next N Day doesn't come as quite such a shock.

We'll see how disciplined I can actually be! Regardless, I am looking forward to the New Year and all that I plan to accomplish in 2024 - including a dedicated focus on No S!

Wishing everyone well as we head into 2024! WINhappy

Amy3010 · Post by **Amy3010** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 7:09 am

Welcome back, WIN! Happy New Year and onwards and upwards with good habits in 2024!

Soprano · Post by **Soprano** » Sat Dec 30, 2023 9:41 am

Hi Win

I am sure you will pick it up again. I look back to how I used to over indulge at Christmas and can honestly say those urges have gone. It has taken some time though

Jx

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Sun Dec 31, 2023 12:04 pm

Hi all!

I am not a middle-of-the-road person, although I strive towards that goal. My mind goes from "Yeeeee-HAW, let's PAR-TEE!" to "You'd better straighten up and fly right, missy, RIGHT THIS INSTANT. No shenanigans, tomfoolery, or excuses will be tolerated. Try them and heads will ROLL!" with no intervening happy medium at all.

Thanks to that tendency, I've pondered diets, plans, approaches, strategies, techniques, mental tricks, goals, and on and on and on almost constantly since deciding to clean up my act in the New Year. But after mentally spinning out in all directions ("I'm going to eat a pound of kale EVERY DAY!!", "NEVER shall a french fry pass my lips again FOR THE REST OF TIME!!"), I've realized (again!) that I don't need to go that far. My jeans still fit so I haven't gone too far off the rails, and I know there is NO WAY I can sustain any kind of approach that doesn't let me live a pretty free life, so why am I wasting my time?

So..... deep breath. And another..... And a third one for good luck.... No S is the best approach. I know it is. It is CALMING and that's always a wonderful thing.

Wishing everyone a great final S day of 2023 and Happy New Year! WINhappy

pinkhippie · Post by **pinkhippie** » Tue Jan 02, 2024 9:00 pm

Hi WIN!

Yes, running amok is a great way to describe it! Phew! Happy New Year and I hope we both can ease into our N days with minimal difficulty!

I agree, I had some crazy ideas about diet in the new year but I am just going to try to continue(go back to) No S. Moderation and sustainability really is the key I believe.

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Wed Jan 03, 2024 1:26 pm

Hi pinkhippie, Thanks for the reply!

Week so far:
Sunday: S day
Monday: S day (New Years Day)
Tuesday: Green
Wednesday: In progress, wish me luck!

Ellis · Post by **Ellis** » Sat Jan 06, 2024 1:32 pm

Hi WIN, those opposite thoughts are pretty familiar to me, sadly. I call it the diet brain.

It can make you diet hop as well. An active social life can be hard to combine with any kind of diet, even the no-S diet. It is still the most fair and sane way of eating though.

We had a new years lunch at work and it was so much food and a lot of different kinds, so it was some sort of a buffet style. And it's so hard to virtual plate it while being social and making sure you don't have food on your face, so I massivly overate. Sorry for the rambling, just wanted to let you know you are not alone.

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Sun Jan 14, 2024 12:25 am

Hi Ellis, Thanks for the reassurance that I'm not alone in this challenge!

12/31/2023 - 01/06/2024:
Sunday: S day
Monday: S day (New Years Day)
Tuesday: Green
Wednesday: Green
Thursday: Red
Friday: Red
Saturday: S day

01/07/2024 - 01/13/2024:
Sunday: S day
Monday: Green
Tuesday: Green
Wednesday: Green
Thursday: Red
Friday: Red
Saturday: S day

I am going to look closer at Thursdays and Fridays, as I've had Ss on both those days for the last 2 weeks. I didn't fail big on those days but I'm being very strict with what I'm considering a "green" day, and I indulged just enough that I must reluctantly call them "red".

One of my goals for 2024 is to check in here more regularly. I really enjoy this board and am so grateful for the chance to receive and give support. A demanding job- with accompanying work stress and long hours- really takes the wind out of my sails much of the time but I hope to do better.

I hope everyone is doing well! Best to you all, WIN

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Sun Jan 28, 2024 10:47 pm

A short and sweet Check-in: Fails across the board for the the last 2 weeks. I think I might have had a few green days in there but can't swear to it, so I'm writing the whole period off and focusing on this week as a fresh start.

I actually tried to check-in several times but kept getting "404 - page not found" errors, which made me worry that the site had been decommissioned. I hope that isn't the case because I am still committed to committing to No S (

), and I really like hearing from others who are working towards the same goals.

My goal for this week (beyond sticking with the No S habits, of course) is to take each day in chunks. Breakfast to lunch. Lunch to supper. Supper to bedtime. Thinking in terms of "days" sometimes just feels too overwhelming- an onerous burden along with everything else I have to juggle and one that is too easily avoided. Maybe if I concentrate on "later" and celebrate the greens I accumulate in chunks, I can avoid thinking "I have to wait 5 more DAYS to have this? Says WHO?!" and rebelling against my better self. Wish me luck!

I hope everyone had a good week and is looking forward to a great one. WINhappy

lpearlmom · Post by **lpearlmom** » Tue Jan 30, 2024 6:49 pm

Hi Win!

I’m restarting to although I’ve been off track for much longer. I like your plan. Whenever I’m feeling very overwhelmed (which is often), I like to break things down to the smallest units possible so I can get some wins and build off of that. Does seem much less overwhelming!

Hope your day goes well. We got this!

L 🤎🩶

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Thu Feb 08, 2024 12:05 am

Hi lpearlmom, Thanks for taking the time to respond! I hope your re-start is going well.

I am pleased with how I've been doing since my last check-in. I've had one red day since my last check-in. Last Friday, I started my weekend a few hours too early.

As planned, I've been focusing on chunks of time every day, rather than thinking in terms of "days". I've also been focusing hard-core on stress management, relaxation, and self-care. (An aside: I realize that sounds odd. I mean, how can one go "hard-core" on relaxing? Sort of defeats the purpose, really. But, that's just how I roll. Why fight it?

).

This mind-trick seems to work for me, so I plan to continue. I really love the simplicity and clarity of No S. And "doing it right" has felt easier lately.

I hope everyone is doing well! WINhappy

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Sun Feb 11, 2024 9:55 pm

Quick Check-in: Last Week: Green through Saturday morning. Yee-haw, I might be on a roll! (hopefully these aren't famous last words but I'm thinking positive!) WINhappy

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Tue Feb 20, 2024 11:13 pm

Week of 02/18/2024:
Sunday: S day
Monday: Green
Tuesday: In progress. Will be green as long as I go to bed without a snack.

Soprano · Post by **Soprano** » Wed Feb 21, 2024 5:06 am

Congratulations on your green days

Jx

pinkhippie · Post by **pinkhippie** » Tue Feb 27, 2024 5:09 pm

Hi WIN!

It looks like you are doing great! It sounds like focusing on taking care of you in a hardcore way is really helping! Congratulations on all your green days!

I hope you are having a good start to your week!

WINhappy · Post by **WINhappy** » Thu Mar 07, 2024 12:01 am

Thank you, pinkhippie and soprano.

I've been doing rather well sticking with No S since my last check-in. I'm not sure what happened or why but I continue to manage the three meals per day structure more easily than in the past. I'm rebelling less against the structure so relying less on willpower and good stern talking-tos. I've settled into a natural breakfast-lunch-dinner pattern without a lot of angst or debate in between. It's very suspicious.....

I really appreciate how inconspicuous this way of eating is. As Reinhard discusses in his (truly excellent) book, the breakfast-lunch-dinner pattern is ingrained in my culture (American here - Hi to all international friends!). Whereas no one notices when I don't eat snacks, EVERYONE notices if I try to skip meals (fasting) or make finicky food choices (today it's no grain, no wait, it's no dry carbs, are you sure? I thought today was bacon and a stick of butter melted into my coffee and DROP THAT CARROT!!!). I seem to have found a groove and I'm so grateful.

I really love the No S Diet book and have read it cover-to-cover several times. I've thought a few times about Reinhard's point that this way of eating is not all that unusual. It just seems unusual because of today's "eat anything at any time" approach. The 3 meal a day structure with treats reserved for special occasions is really a return to how most people ate a few decades ago - even me. Does anyone else remember being told a snack would spoil your appetite for supper? Or that if you didn't stop back-talking your mother, you'd be sent to bed without supper?

It seems so quaint now but my appreciation for the structure that used to surround food and dining is increasing the longer I stick with No S. To my memory, I was never sent to bed without supper or even threatened with it, but the words have a familiar ring from my youth.

I hope everyone is doing well! Take care, Win

oolala53 · Post by **oolala53** » Fri Apr 12, 2024 10:01 pm

I hope you had a good March and are having a good April. I think you are so right that this is a rather natural way to deal with the ubiquitousness of food and nourish our bodies and spirits.

When I look back on my childhood and teen years, I knew in my teen years, I fretted about my weight because I was not at the low end of the BMI scale as a lot of the girls I went to high school were. And also it was the age of the model Twiggy. But I first went on a diet when I was taking a gymnastics class at age 18 and that’s what really set the whole thing off. But a lot of it was over body dysmorphia, and if that were not such a huge pressure and logical link to worth and Life‘s goodies, I just think so much of this would be avoided, but it sounds like it’s even worse these days. I think if I had eaten three meals most days maybe some pizza after a football game and been more active, I might’ve actually only weighed about 5 pounds less, but I had a lot more muscle than. I would’ve been fine but that’s not the way our eyes see our bodies . I definitely lacked confidence with men and it turned out. It wasn’t the body that was the issue and that realm. Gosh, I wish there was a way to help girls avoid this mess, but the adoration for beauty is just overwhelming. I love Taylor Swift’s talent, but I saw her movie of her tour, and the emphasis on glitz and glamour is just a little frightening to me. She’s not the only one of course Taking advantage of that, but she’s the one I saw and I know she’s just credibly admired. I do like that. She’s also admired for being outspoken against the male domination in the business.