Lily's Check In

[Lily x]

Evening everybody!

Well, it's evening here in the UK - late evening, in fact. I thought it was about time I came in here and introduced myself.

I've been on and off diets (obviously not all that successfully) for the last thirty odd years. If I tell you that I'm 41 years old now, you'll get the picture that I thought I was too heavy from a very young age. Unfortunately, so did my mother, who battled with her weight throughout her entire life and understandably didn't want me to have to do the same. The irony about that is that I suspect I wouldn't have the weight issues I have now had I not been put on a strict diet when I was 11 years old...

Anyway, all of that is ancient history. I currently weigh 210lbs (well, I did the last time I got on the scales about a month ago). I've been avoiding the scales for a couple of weeks now because I didn't want the inevitable fluctuations that might make me lose confidence in No S.

I'm proud to say that today marks Day 15 of my No S-ing life and so far I've had no failures (I'm sure that'll change soon enough but I can wait). Having tried every diet under the sun, from calorie counting, to carb counting to VLCDs, I've got to say that doing No S is the most liberating feeling in the world! To be able to eat what I want at mealtimes (so long as it fits on one plate) without having to be concerned about calories or fat or carbs or points is just the most wonderful thing. Okay, so it took a bit of a change in mindset not to allow myself to go back for seconds, and to accept the idea that eating fruit between meals would be a bad idea - but since the first couple of days it's been plain sailing.

I'm loving No S. I'm not planning to weigh until next Friday (the last day of the month) and I'm hoping that I'll be laid back about whatever the scales happen to tell me. I already feel so much more in control of my eating habits, rather than them controlling me.

So, as this is my daily check in post, all that remains to tell you is that today was a success - but you already knew that!

[Who Me?]

It is very nice to meet you. It sounds like you're doing well.

[gk]

I'm proud to say that today marks Day 15 of my No S-ing life and so far I've had no failures.

I already feel so much more in control of my eating habits, rather than them controlling me.

Welcome! It sounds like you are off to a great start!

I strongly believe that the good habits gained here are just as wonderful as the weight loss itself. (As you can see by my signature line, I'm obviously a "work in progress". )

Keep up the great work!

[Pangelsue2]

Hi and welcome. You will continue to love it here, I think. You are right. It is liberating. Best of luck.

[snapdragon]

Hi and welcome......we have so many people from the UK here!
I second GK's comments about the habits. I hope the best for you!!!!

[Lily x]

It is very nice to meet you. It sounds like you're doing well.

Thank you! It's lovely to meet you too!

Welcome! It sounds like you are off to a great start!

I strongly believe that the good habits gained here are just as wonderful as the weight loss itself. (As you can see by my signature line, I'm obviously a "work in progress". )

Keep up the great work!

Yes - I'm coming to realise that - the thing about the habit being just as important as the weight loss. Every other diet under the sun has the emphasis on pounds shed, ridiculously so in some cases. The slimming classes I've been to in the past where, if you've stayed the same or, shock horror, put a pound on, you're interrogated on 'what you think you might have done wrong'...

Hi and welcome. You will continue to love it here, I think. You are right. It is liberating. Best of luck.

It's wonderful, thanks Pangelsue2

Hi and welcome......we have so many people from the UK here!
I second GK's comments about the habits. I hope the best for you!!!!

Thank you! I just want to know why I've never happened across this WOE before. I'm pretty good with Google and I've read so much about so many other diets. Maybe now is just the right time for me to have found it, though???

Well, it's been a properly chaotic 'early days of No S-ing' weekend, with far too many goodies sliding down my gullet. Is it common to find yourself rather relieved that tomorrow's an N day?

I think I'm starting to get the hang of how much food I actually need at each meal time. I know I've been eating far too much so far, but I guess that's what happens when you happen across a plan that lets you eat your favourite foods without making you count calories or carbs.

I'm really looking forward to getting it right over the next weeks and months.

[gk]

I'm really looking forward to getting it right over the next weeks and months.

I've had one successful run with this diet a year ago......I lost about 10 lbs. in 2 months. The weight loss was great but even better was how I felt SO good with my new eating habits. I had been keeping steady in my new habits for long enough that it wasn't as difficult. I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders....no more struggle. Unfortunately, I got caught up in the holidays (I think I allowed myself too many S moments) and just couldn't get back those habits afterwards. My goal is to get that feeling back - it was SO liberating to know that food didn't have that power over me (even if it was just for a very short time). I guess my point is.....you're in for a wonderful ride. Once you hit the point where you don't need overfull plates at each meal and you're not constantly thinking about food......man, is it all worth it! Good luck on your journey!

[Sweetness]

Well, it's been a properly chaotic 'early days of No S-ing' weekend, with far too many goodies sliding down my gullet. Is it common to find yourself rather relieved that tomorrow's an N day?

I think I'm starting to get the hang of how much food I actually need at each meal time. I know I've been eating far too much so far, but I guess that's what happens when you happen across a plan that lets you eat your favourite foods without making you count calories or carbs.

I'm really looking forward to getting it right over the next weeks and months.

Hi Lily, welcome to no S. To answer your question: Every Monday I am so relieved and happy to be back to sanity!! This seems to be a common comment. This is the beauty of no S, enjoying the N days more than the S days. But you do need the S days as a safety valve. I'm able to pass on the sweets, knowing I can have them in a few days. Plus I'm finding that the weekends are calming down a bit. I don't really need all those goodies and snacks, and feel better without them.

I just read a post in the No S general discussion "Phases of No-S (as I see them)" Very helpful, you might want to check it out.

[Lily x]

Well, I was doing quite well... Until I made the mistake of stepping on the scale. Doh! Scale read higher than I wanted it to, so I tried reducing my calorie intake. Double doh - that led straight to me falling completely and utterly off the wagon, eating everything in sight and doing even more damage.

Oh, the lure of calorie counting. The lure of speedy weight loss regimes. Will I ever learn? Will I ever get to the point where I know - really know - that they're fool's gold, empty promises. If substance-accounting or forbidden foods diets were going to work for me - well, I wouldn't be here, would I?

Anyway. Lesson learned. I just need it to stay learned! And stay off my scale.

I've had three green days this week (since Monday) so that's a little better than I've managed lately. And I've decided to make Friday and Saturday my S days because I find myself eating on Sundays just for the sake of it. If it doesn't work out then I'll have to rethink but I think it's going to work well for me to do it that way. Does anyone else here use Friday as an S day?

[Sweetness]

Well, I was doing quite well... Until I made the mistake of stepping on the scale. Doh! Scale read higher than I wanted it to, so I tried reducing my calorie intake. Double doh - that led straight to me falling completely and utterly off the wagon, eating everything in sight and doing even more damage.

Oh, the lure of calorie counting. The lure of speedy weight loss regimes. Will I ever learn? Will I ever get to the point where I know - really know - that they're fool's gold, empty promises. If substance-accounting or forbidden foods diets were going to work for me - well, I wouldn't be here, would I?

Anyway. Lesson learned. I just need it to stay learned! And stay off my scale.

I've had three green days this week (since Monday) so that's a little better than I've managed lately. And I've decided to make Friday and Saturday my S days because I find myself eating on Sundays just for the sake of it. If it doesn't work out then I'll have to rethink but I think it's going to work well for me to do it that way. Does anyone else here use Friday as an S day?

There's a guy on the "annual check in" board that has been doing vanilla no s for years with only one modification. His S days are Friday and Sunday. It works good for him. I'll see if I can find the post for you.
Found it! Its on the "No S diet tesimonials" board and his name is DaveMc, the post is labeled "Second year" here's a quote:

July 2011 marks my two-year anniversary on NoS. (My NoS anniversary is the day after my wedding anniversary, so it's easy enough to remember.) To get the numbers out of the way: I lost 20 pounds in my first year, and after year 2, my weight is exactly the same as it was at the end of year 1. (So says the weigh-in at my annual physical in the doctor's office, a couple weeks ago.) This pleases me. I might like to try to lose another 5 or 10 pounds, eventually, but I'm in no rush: I seem to be at a weight that's reasonably healthy, my waist isn't large, my blood numbers (like cholesterol) are all good, my doctor is content.

NoS is now extremely well established as an entry on the list of eccentricities my family just has to accept about me. I suspect that they sometimes find it odd that I'll refuse to eat a dessert on Thursday evening with the full intention of eating it on Friday, but by now it's so commonplace that they're largely used to it. And they certainly can't deny its effectiveness!

"Wait, did he say *Friday*? That doesn't start with S!" Well, yeah, I'm continuing the mod I discussed in my year 1 update: I take S days on Friday and Sunday, and have Saturday as an N day. It seems to work better for me, for all the reasons I mentioned back then. It gives me one S day that overlaps with the standard work-week, and it breaks up the S days into two pieces rather than one right after the other. Also, I must admit that I enjoy the shorter gap between S days (just four days between Sunday and Friday, rather than five to Saturday). Whatever the reason, this pattern works better for me, and it's been sustainable. Your psychology may vary.