oolala53 wrote:
Rather than reading testimonials, I encourage you to read the thread on people who left and came back. They nearly all left because they felt they weren't losing fast enough and they nearly all come back heavier, regretting they ever left, and determined to make sane habits, not weight loss, their goals.
Totally agreeing with this. (I'm one who left and came back heavier! If I had stuck with No-S and lost NOTHING, I would still weigh less than I do now, after a year on No-S & having lost 23 lbs! Wish I could tell my younger self the years of yo-yo dieting that were ahead if I didn't stick with No-S!)
That said, I can tell you that I still get this fear that I'm going to hit some kind of plateau and not keep losing, that No-S will stop working for me, etc..., even after a year on the plan! I think that desire to lose weight is so deeply ingrained in our culture, it's just hard to shake. (And in my case, I am in the "obese" category still--getting closer to that threshold--so I really do need to lose a good chunk of weight for health reasons). Our culture focuses so much on "perfect bodies" etc... though, and that's really not healthy.
When I start to get wigged out, I think again about why I'm doing this:
I want to be healthier. I don't need a perfect-looking body. I need one that is as strong and healthy as it can reasonably be (without me putting in effort that I'm really not going to sustain long-term).
I don't want to be controlled by food. (I'm by no means an expert here, but I do like that I've gained the ability to say no on N days--and to
sometimes even say no on S days because I'd rather feel good that pig out. I'd like to gain more of this latter skill! But I recognize that No-S has helped me make great strides in this area).
I want to eat in a way that is long-term sustainable. I can lose on any old diet--but if I can't keep eating that way (counting calories, eliminating types of foods, having to think about food all the time to track a diet etc...), it's worse than useless, because when I stop, I gain it all back and more. So I'm specifically looking for changes I'm willing to maintain.
Some things I do that help:
I practice thankfulness in front of the mirror. You know how easy it is to get in front of the mirror and start picking apart your appearance? Sometimes it's subconscious almost, and then suddenly I'll realize the long train of negative thoughts streaming through my mind. So I try to practice thankfulness. I'm glad I have strong legs and arms that can accomplish daily tasks. I'm glad to be mobile so that I can get to places I want to go and do things I want to do. etc...
I pre-determined how to judge when I'm "not losing" and what I would do about it. In my case, I decided that I would have to lose nothing for 3 months straight before I would re-evaluate. When I re-evaluate, dropping No-S isn't an option--because I know I need long-term sustainable and this is it. However, things like considering smaller plates, considering the content of my plates (am I avoiding fruits/veggies), considering beverages (am I having too many caloric beverages each day), am I over-filling my plates (am I uncomfortably full more meals than not), etc...
Since I'm a year in, I would also consider S days, whether they were too far out of control and needed some boundaries etc... I think for most people, you may not want to look at S days that first year for the sake of establishing the good habits the rest of the time.
Anyway, hang in there! You're so early in the process and have some red days in the mix too--I'd really just focus on making strong habits and getting used to eating this way.
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
Respect Moderation