I have a history of yo-yo dieting, so maintenance is absolutely wonderful for me to achieve. The year wasn’t without a few bumps in the road, but I can happily say that No S is it for me. It’s what works for me.
No S has allowed me to enjoy all the other parts of my life that were neglected the years that I spent focused on food and weight. I am LIVING life and not allowing myself to be distracted by calorie counting or left exhausted from excessive exercise.
Some things have happened or that I've noticed/learned
1. The debate over food is gone. "Should I/Shouldn't I eat this" and "BUT I WANT IT" don't happen anymore. That makes me feel so much peace.
2. Hunger isn't going to hurt me. It's normal to be hungry for meal time.
3. Food is being enjoyed again. I don't dread what food does for me, I enjoy how it makes me feel, because on N days I'm never over full.
4. Negative self-talk is quiet unless I “overdo” an S day.
5. I’m not punishing my overeating with exercise because there isn’t any overeating.
6. I now use mild exercise, it’s what my body likes. T-Tapp and walking. Anything more intense it affects my sleep and energy levels.
7. I’ve become an audioaddict - I’ve listened to over 30 audio books in the past year. Every Jane Austen novel, 3 Outlander novels, most of the Anne of Green Gables series, and many many more. I am so thankful for finally taking the time to listen to these, they’ve brought such joy to my life.
8. My relationships are better. Husband is benefitting immensely from the lack of my negative self-talk. I FEEL good = better self image/no negative self-talk = transferring my good feelings to others.
9. I feel more present with my son. Huge for me!
10. I am saving money. No Snacking means my grocery bill has been cut by 2 mini-meals per day.
11. Good habits are transferring to others - just a few weeks ago my husband finally got on board. I didn’t push him, that never works. I actually didn’t even tell him I was doing No S until after a month or so into starting. He sees that it works.
12. I have feelings of gratitude when I eat. I have never been one to be thankful for food. It’s easy for me to acquire, easy to come by. Now that I am hungry for meals I am very thankful for the meal I am getting.
So that’s the good. The year hasn’t been all roses though! I went through a rough patch over the holidays where I went back to calorie counting. I am most likely to revert back to dieting behavior when stressed and the holidays will trigger that. Next year I will be ready for the urge to calorie count. I should mention that I didn’t lose a SINGLE POUND while restricting and actually gained weight from the “refeed” after stopping the counting. Biology is nothing to mess around with and restricting/counting will leave you heavier than before! I’m just finally starting to regulate down to my normal size and feeling great again.
Some of my words of wisdom would be to fill your plates when you first start. Also be aware of your triggers. I absolutely cannot read healthy living/lifestyle blogs, look at fitspo, etc. All these things make me want to calorie count, restrict, over-exercise, etc.
Thank you to Reinhard for developing No S. I am forever grateful for the amazing year I had living in moderation. I will update again next year.
