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No Snacks, no sweets, no seconds. Except on Days that start with S. Too simple for you? Simple is why it works. Look here for questions, introductions, support, success stories.

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purpletix
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help

Post by purpletix » Wed Nov 16, 2016 5:26 am

I recently had a general checkup and got a routine blood test done. The doctor asked me to come in to get the results (never a good sign - if they're normal I just don't hear anymore about it). She said that everything else is normal but that my insulin is high. It has previously been slightly elevated but now it is just high. She has asked me to go back in and see the dietician.

I don't really need to see the dietician. I know how to eat well. And I know exactly why it is high.

I am bingeing like I have never binged before. Every. Single. Day. Chocolate. Biscuits. Chips. Biscuits. More chocolate.

I did No S years ago for a few months and had great results. Lost a few pounds and felt good. I didn't really improve my relationship with food though like everyone else says they did. I still thought about food all the time and struggled not to binge. I certainly never got to the stage where I was on automatic pilot and didn't have to think about not snacking. It was hard work. But worth it.

Then I got pregnant. There was no way I could do No S pregnant. I was so sick for months and months that I just had to eat what I could when I could. Mostly processed white crackers because even wholemeal things made me feel ill. Crackers and pickles for about seven months. I didn't put on much weight as I was barely eating. Then I had my baby and mostly just tried to eat healthy. I walked absolutely everywhere and that combined with breastfeeding meant I lost any excess baby weight and kept it off. I wasn't super slim... but I wasn't overweight. Then I went back to work after a year off and things started to go pear-shaped. Literally.

I got back into bad habits at work and started snacking on chocolate. Then I got pregnant with my second baby. I wasn't as sick this time and I just ate crap the whole time. I would try and have mostly healthy meals but the snacks were all sugar. And then a lady started at my work who was a sugar addict. She had become prediabetic years before and it freaked her out and she had quit all sugar immediately. Her health improved drastically and she was told she was no longer prediabetic. But it started her on a years long cycle of bingeing, then when her blood sugar got high she would go cold turkey for a few months. When she started at my work she was in a bingeing phase. And she dragged me into it. She would leave chocolate on my desk most days. Or hide it in my plants and in my drawer. And I would eat all of it. One or two bars a day. It was insane.

I'm now on maternity leave with my second baby. My diet is the worst it has ever been. I am heavier than I have ever been before in my life. I'm not obese - just flabby around the middle and it feels uncomfortable. I don't like looking this way, but it is my blood sugar/insulin result that has freaked me out.

After I got home from the doctors yesterday I was really upset. How could I have done this to myself blah blah blah. Then I decided it was time to come back to No S. The thought of it freaked me out a bit, as I am so used to bingeing on chocolate all day. But when I woke up today (Wednesday) I decided to just do it. I figured I only have three days to get through and then I get some chocolate. Actually, I used to start the weekend at 5pm Friday when I did No S years ago so really, two and three quarter days.

So I started. I lasted till lunchtime. And then I binged. I have just eaten an entire packet of chocolate biscuits by myself. In about twenty minutes. I feel sick.

I don't know what to do. I think with the state my diet/bingeing I need to maybe approach this more slowly. If it had been Monday today I wouldn't have even tried to start. The thought of not having any treats for five days in a row freaks me right out. I know I can't do it. I know people will think that's ridiculous and that anyone can get through five days, but it's hard to describe how bad my bingeing is right now.

I am so ashamed to admit this but I feel like I need to put it here if I am going to get real. A packet of chocolate biscuits wouldn't even be close to my worst day. In fact, I do that most days. A bad day would be two packets. By myself. The worst days would be three packets. In addition to some chocolate. I've never heard of anyone else being this bad.

I know I am out of control. But every time I think of cutting back or doing something to curb it I get that crazed feeling of 'Well if I'm going on a diet I better binge now'. Even the thought of No S gives me that feeling. I should add that I have had food issues all my life. I've been on diets since I was about 11. I was bulimic in high school. I feel so messed up.

I want to try No S again. From reading what everyone says here I feel like it could be a good way to try and heal some of this craziness. But I don't feel like I can just do it straight off. I would like to phase it in somehow... Like I said, the thought of doing five days straight makes me want to run to the pantry and get more chocolate in case it gets taken off me.

I think for starters I just want to focus on the one rule right now - no sweets. Seconds have never really been a big issue - or at least right now they are not even closer to the main issue. The weird thing is - my meals are really healthy. Because I love healthy food. Lunch is nearly always salad with tuna and beans for protein. Dinner is always a bit of chicken/fish/beef and lots of veggies. That's what I enjoy eating. So it isn't the meals that are the problem. It is the snacks - which are always sweets. I don't snack on anything else right now. I feel like if I try to implement all the rules at once I'll have that same backlash reaction. I don't have the willpower for it all right now. So I want to just try and start with no sweets.

But even that seems too hard. Like I can't just go from where I am right now to nothing for five days. I'm thinking of maybe every second day? Or allowing myself something after dinner? Obviously I want to eventually cut them out completely during the week but I don't know where to start.

I know that most obvious thing to do is just start No S and stop being so weak but I really don't think I can go five days right now.. not from the starting point I'm at. The amount of chocolate/sugar I'm consuming is out of control. I don't want to end up with diabetes. Any advice on where/how to start would be appreciated. I am feeling pretty low right now.

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Merry
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Post by Merry » Wed Nov 16, 2016 6:05 am

I'm sorry you are feeling so out of control. I'm praying for you, that you can find a good way to make this transition.

Congratulations on your new baby! What a wonderful blessing.

My husband was prediabetic several years ago, and we did go to the dietician--not because he didn't know what "healthy eating" was, but just to get good info on how to manage things. It really was helpful, and he actually got his numbers down to the point where he's no longer considered prediabetic. You might consider talking with the dietician for help trying to transition to not bingeing.

Do you think it's possible that you're dealing with post partum depression at all? You might consider whether that could be playing a roll in the bingeing or the fear of giving it up. Does your doctor know about the bulimia in your history? There may be support for you locally that could help.

I know some others on here have dealt more with this, and hopefully they'll see and be able to post some helpful ideas. I think I would start by writing down the reasons why you want to do No-S and how it can help you, and reading that each day. When I am tempted by snacks or sweets, it often helps me to remember what I'm really trying to achieve. Take it one day (one moment!) at a time.
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

osoniye
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Post by osoniye » Wed Nov 16, 2016 9:59 am

Personally, I found that giving up added sugar made the biggest difference. I can enjoy seconds on the weekends, very occasional snacks, and even some fried foods, without running into problems. I figure I've eaten my personal quota of sweets for this lifetime already.
That is the single most significant thing since starting No S 6 yeas ago, that has brought my eating to a reasonable condition. I still might eat a sweet thing very, very rarely and because I've adjusted so much it tastes too sweet and I don't even like it that much. I imagine I could reverse everything if I gave in too often.
Diabetes runs in my family, and that was an added motivation for me. Cold Turkey is what I recommend. Rather than telling yourself that you just can't stop and should taper off, it might be better to tell yourself each morning that no matter what, that day you will avoid all sweets. Then repeat the next day. That's my $.02.
-Sonya
No Sweets, No Snacks and No Seconds, Except (Sometimes) on days that start with "S".

Jen1974
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Post by Jen1974 » Wed Nov 16, 2016 5:36 pm

Jen's tips for using No S to help with binges (:

1. Plan 3 awesome meals to look forward to. I think of food all the time too, so now I use that to be excited for what is next. I LOVE LOVE LOVE what I eat.

2. Start with bigger meals. Allow yourself to plan meals that seem too big. This teaches you that you aren't depriving yourself & calms down that inner part of yout that freaks out when you feel deprived.

3. DO NOT keep bingey foods in your house. Don't use your kids as excuse to have those types of food around either. They don't need the crap either (: It's a lot easier to binge on oreos than string cheese!!

4. Most binge type foods are high glycemic & I think that is something that people who binge don't handle well. Add protein, fat, & fiber to every meal to keep the glycemic load down.

5. Have a plan for inbetween meal hunger. Walking is a huge one for me. Flavored sparkling water & tea help too.

6. NEVER NEVER make up for a binge. Accept it & move on, right back into No S. When you make up for it, you can sort of make it okay when it is happening & all that happens is a cycle when you restrict & binge. Stop the cycle at restrict.

These tools have turned me into someone who is usually in control. With No S I have taken it a step further where even in my moments of less control, I don't feel completely out of control, although I was never the type to go on a multi day binge or anyone would see & think I needed help for or anything.

There is great support here!! Hoping the best for you!!

Bluebell
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Post by Bluebell » Wed Nov 16, 2016 6:32 pm

even in my moments of less control, I don't feel completely out of control
This is a great way to sum up where I hope to be soon! I feel like I am getting there and it feels wonderful.
Good luck purpletix and hang on in there!

noni
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Post by noni » Fri Nov 18, 2016 1:01 pm

When my favorite chocolates are in the house, that is all I can think about. Even if my weekdays are kept on plan, the whole bag of chocolates will be gone by Sat/Sunday.

When I don't keep chocolates in the house, I don't think about them.
"Never go back for seconds. Get it all the first time." - Garfield

MaggieMae
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Post by MaggieMae » Fri Nov 18, 2016 4:27 pm

Thanks for being so honest and sharing your story! There are several things you said that I can relate to, including being bulimic in high school. I think just doing' no sweets'or every other day is a fine place to start. baby steps. Don't say you need to stop being weak.... It's not weakness. It's years and years of bad habits and psychological issues with food that you are battling! I'm no where near perfect at no s, but I keep getting back on the wagon. Even a few green days a week is better than how I used to be! Good luck! keep us updated. Lots if good advice on here .

purpletix
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Post by purpletix » Wed Nov 23, 2016 4:07 am

Thank you so much for all your replies and encouraging words. I was kind of nervous to log back in and see the responses... I don't know why. I think I was just feeling so down and horrid that I was scared I'd get nasty remarks about what a disgusting pig I was being.

Merry - thank you for your kind words. When I first read them I actually burst into tears. I'm not sure if I have ppd or just feeling really hormonal but I made another appointment with my doctor again for next week to discuss.

After reading the responses I wasn't sure what to do - just plunge right in and focus on one day at a time as some of you suggested, or doing my baby steps idea. I am such a perfectionist/all or nothing thinker that I knew if I thought about it too long I would just end up over-analysing and do nothing at all as I couldn't work out the perfect plan.

In the end I decided I needed to just start and stop telling myself I couldn't do it. So I woke up on Thursday and gave it another go. I lasted until lunchtime and binged again. Badly.

On Friday I realised I am not strong enough to do this yet. So I set the goal of just getting to 5pm and then I could have chocolate. And I made it! I know that doesn't seem much - but it was huge for me. It meant I didn't eat as much junk that day as I had dinner with the babies at 5.30 and there just wasn't that much time to binge. But even bigger, I made a goal and stuck to it!!

Over the weekend I ate whatever I wanted and then decided I would try a bigger goal on Monday. I decided to do the whole day without sweets. I told myself it was only one day and that I could break on Tuesday. I made sure I didn't buy too much junk so that it was all gone by Sunday night. And then I just did it. A whole day without sweets! I wouldn't have done that in over a year. I am so proud of myself.

I tried to do it again Tuesday but I knew I was pushing it doing two days in a row. And of course, I broke.

So I gave myself today (Wednesday) off. And I am going to aim for another sweets free day tomorrow.

What I have figured out so far is this.

1. I am going to do this in baby steps. I absolutely know if I try to institute it all at once right now I will crack. As soon as I woke up on Tuesday with that panicked feeling I should have given myself the day off and aimed for a sweets free day Wednesday instead. But instead I pushed forward and binged. So, to keep that crazy panic monster at bay I am going to try just setting mini goals through the week. Even if I can do half days or to 5pm like on Friday. It's all reducing the amount of junk I am putting in my body. And it is building up my willpower. (I also started reading a book on willpower and how it gets depleted and how to increase it).

2. I am only focusing on no sweets right now. On Monday, which is my first and only successful day, I was ravenous in between meals. I was this way when I breastfed my first baby too and I just don't think during these early days of feeding that it is worth trying to work on snacks and seconds when breastfeeding makes my appetite crazy and I already know it is the sweets that are doing the major damage - not the celery sticks and hommus I ate mid morning on Monday. I can work on these rules once I have the no sweets thing under control and I am not feeding 8-10 times a day.

3. You guys are right re not having junk in the house. On Monday I had nothing here and because I had both babies with me, it was too much of a hassle to pack them both in the car and drive to the supermarket for a chocolate fix. It made it much easier. On Tuesday I probably would have made it for the same reason (inconvenience) except that I had to go to the supermarket to get morning tea for playgroup today and I broke while I was there in the biscuit aisle.

4. I am going to be gentle with myself and feel proud of myself for even the tiniest of achievements (like one day with no sweets). I recently overcame another personal issue by using the baby steps mentality. I praised myself for even the smallest of achievements and felt good about it. Pretty soon those small achievements started to string together and made a big impact. Two years later I had conquered that particular demon and have never looked back.

Thanks once again for your kind words and advice :)

Bluebell
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Post by Bluebell » Wed Nov 23, 2016 6:38 am

Sounds like you have a plan purpletix! Good for you. At the end of the day this is your story and you are the only one who can work out how it goes. If one way isn't working for you then there's not much point beating yourself up over it, much better to do what you are doing and find a way ahead that is manageable for you and your circumstances.
There are some great words of wisdom on these boards and I would encourage you to keep on posting even when its going wrong, there will always be support.
Take care and good luck. :D

MaggieMae
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Post by MaggieMae » Wed Nov 23, 2016 12:19 pm

Yay for making it all day Monday with no sweets! That's my hardest part of no S. Sounds like you have a good plan in place. Little by little, one step at a time, you'll reach your goals. I think I remember there being a thread about binge eating disorder, not too long ago actually. Perhaps you could find it and reach out to some of those members who've been where you are. Never feel like you're going to log on and see nasty comments telling you that you're a " disgusting pig". The people on this board are real gems. We won't throw you out of the club for not being perfect. Haha. Trust me, if that were a possibility , they would have kicked me out a loooonnnnggg time ago. :lol:

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Merry
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Post by Merry » Tue Nov 29, 2016 4:19 am

Oh my goodness, I think all of us have had some crazy days, even those of us for whom binge-eating isn't a serious issue. You can post here, and we'll understand.

That said, WAY TO GO on setting some small achievable goals, and then ACHIEVING! This is awesome! You are building up your self-control muscles and seeing what you can do. I find that successes like these are something you can build on--you start to see what you can do, and then you start to see what more you can do, bit by bit. Sometimes there are set-backs like Tuesday, but I love your attitude and your willingness to get right back in there. You can do this! So proud of you!
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

purpletix
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Post by purpletix » Tue Nov 29, 2016 4:47 am

Well, I got through Thursday! It was hard in the afternoon when I was tired and the kids were crazy but I stuck to it. It's very easy to keep the panic monster at bay doing just one day and telling myself I can have some chocolate the next day. So this week I am going to do every second day - Monday - Wednesday - Friday. I'll give myself Tuesday and Thursday off so that I don't freak out, panic at the deprivation and binge.

naeman
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Post by naeman » Tue Nov 29, 2016 2:25 pm

Congratulations on feeling up to doing three N days this week! Having good N days has made me feel so much better about myself, even when the S days are hard. I'm sure the gradual pace you're starting at will help you build a strong habit so that you''ll really have those N days down once you start going at full speed. Good luck this week!

Brocky
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Well done

Post by Brocky » Tue Nov 29, 2016 8:51 pm

Reading your post made me feel for you. I only found this site yesterday. I have struggled with disordered eating in a variety of ways since I was ten so over forty years, I admitted on here yesterday that I had eaten over half a pack of shortbread ( a massive box that was meant for Christmas). And this was after I had binged all day. I will share what I actually ate-if I can remember. I was totally disgusted with myself, guilty, ashamed, almost suicidal -my son is getting married next year and I really thought that would motivate me as it is in Thailand so away for two weeks (lots of beach days)
We had been out for the weekend so there wasn't much food in the house. I have been trying to sort the binge eating for a while now so try to follow the rules of not having a lot of binge foods in the house but I amaze myself with what I can find to binge on,
Here goes- 6 cream crackers with cheese and butter, avocado pear with olive oil, half tub of humus with about 10 crackers, black pudding fritter, half a shepherds pie, cauliflower cheese, cabbage, chocolate and salted caramel pudding, large packet of haribo, large packet of peanut m & m's, (caved in and went to shop) slab of pate and another 10 or more crackers, and about 20 shortbread. This is what I can actually recall. I just wanted to share this with you not to talk about myself but really just to say I empathise with you. When my children were small and I spent a lot of time on my own my eating was worse than it is now. I work all day with people and I do not like to overeat when others are around as ashamed. So I suppose one thing I would say if you can is spend time with others when possible. I find keeping busy and being with family/friends help-boredom and loneliness always leads to a binge for me. I like what you are trying to do just one day at a time and allowing yourself planned days-the longest I have ever gone without a full scale binge is two weeks. So I do not have the answers but just wanted to really say hi and wish you loads of luck. I have decided I am going to try to post everyday so I can log and share my progress with people out there as there seems to be lots of help and support. Good luck

Bullisaba
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Post by Bullisaba » Wed Nov 30, 2016 3:42 am

Alternating days sounds like a solid strategy.

:D

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lpearlmom
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Post by lpearlmom » Wed Nov 30, 2016 5:02 am

Yay! You should feel very proud of yourself! I love that you're meeting yourself where you are right now and taking baby steps instead of just throwing in the towel. So smart!

Also none of us would ever judge you for your eating. Eating a lot is not morally wrong (although society makes it seem like it sometimes). It's only a problem if it's causing a problem for you which it sounds like it is. But we've all been there with the bingeing, sneaking & out of control behavior.

Keep chipping away and you will get there--little by little.

Linda :)
:twisted: SW: 210 lbs
CW: 172
GW:160

purpletix
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Post by purpletix » Wed Dec 07, 2016 2:01 am

Thanks so much for the support everyone. I am honestly a bit shocked that people are so nice here. Not sure what I expected!

I did pretty great last week! I did Monday, Wednesday and Friday and only had one small slip up. On Wednesday I ate a shortbread biscuit which had the back dipped in chocolate. I was visiting a friend I hadn't seen in a long time and she offered them with tea and I caved. But it was weird - it wasn't like an out of control moment. I consciously decided to have just one as I don't see her much anymore and I was enjoying the chat and the tea and decided to indulge. And then when she offered more I said no! Not really sure what that all says but it felt like I was in control even though I broke No S? Normally I would feel like I had ruined the day so would then just go nuts for the rest of it.

I also stopped at 5pm on Friday as that was always my modification on Fridays. When I did No S originally, I included alcohol as part of the deal - so could only have a wine on S days. But Friday night is my absolute favourite part of the week. And I just loved ending the working week with a glass of wine and cheese or something. So I decided to start the weekend (and end NoS) when I got home from work on Fridays as I didn't want to ruin my most favourite part of the week.

Even though I currently can't have any alcohol (still feeding) and am not working, Friday night is still my most favourite part of the week. Mr Purpletix comes home, it's the start of the weekend, and you still have two full days in front of you to hang out with the family. Anyway, I've decided to keep Friday nights as Special.

What was cool was that even though I could have what I wanted after 5, all I had was a little bit of chocolate and left it at that. Because I knew the rest of the weekend was coming!

Interestingly, the whole weekend I didn't really binge at all either. It was my little boy's third birthday and I don't know if it was being so busy with the party or what, but I didn't eat that much junk?

Don't get me wrong, I definitely ate whatever I wanted - I just didn't feel the urge to binge take over me...

I think it is all about the outlets for me. Knowing I have those extra planned outlet days means the binge monster never gets too crazy.

So this week I am going to do Mon, Wed, Fri again and maybe add in a half day Thursday? I can tell myself I only have to get through to Friday at 5pm which should make it easier.

Brocky - thanks so much for your post and your words of support. I think you are absolutely right about getting out and about and being with people. It is so much easier the days I get out and get the kids to playgroup or the park or something. The initial burst of effort to wrangle two kids and a giant nappy bag into the car is always worth the effort as we have a better day in general and I don't have time to think about food. Thanks for the reminder :) And good luck to you too - I will be following your progress!

MaggieMae
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Post by MaggieMae » Wed Dec 07, 2016 10:01 am

Way to go purple tix! I love that you enjoyed a biscuit with tea but got right back on track and didn't feel out of control. A victory, indeed!

purpletix
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Post by purpletix » Mon Feb 13, 2017 11:28 am

It's been awhile since I updated this but I've come a long way. Over the Christmas holiday I abandoned the no s diet. I was staying with family for a month and we only get together once a year. There's lots of food and drink and craziness and I just knew it wasn't the time to try to create new habits. I figured my best option was to limit the damage as best I could and start again when we got home.

In the end, it was actually kind of good. Although I ate lots of cheese and chocolate and creamy potato salad etc, I didn't actually binge like I had been doing on my own at home. So it was kind of good circuit breaker in that way.

I've now been home for about a month and have been working on introducing the no sweets rule. I had to start at the beginning again because it had been so long. I started again with two days and I've now worked my way up to four days. If I screwed up a week I had to go back and do it again. I'm now pretty easily doing Monday Tuesday - Thursday Friday. I let myself have sweets on Wednesday but it's nowhere near as crazy as it was.

I've now decided to leave that rule for the moment and focus on the other ones. I'm not quite ready to go five full days without sweets (it still freaks me out) and it will give me a chance to solidify the four day sweets free habit. Even though I'm only doing four days it's amazing how much less chocolate and junk I'm eating. I was eating anywhere between 10 and 15 packets of biscuits a week. I also ate chocolate balls - 250g bags. I was having at least two of those a day. So, about three and a half kilos of chocolate! These days I might have two bags a week and maybe two packets of biscuits on the weekend. Huge improvement. I've lost a bit over a kilo, just making that change!

I'd now like to introduce the other two rules but I can't decide whether it would be better to introduce one and then the other, or try and do both at once? It sort of feels like if I take away snacks but allow myself to have seconds I might compensate and vice versa? But I don't know if I'm ready to do both at once... Any thoughts or advice from someone who's done this would be appreciated :)

ironchef
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Post by ironchef » Wed Feb 15, 2017 4:07 am

hey, congratulations on your little ones, and on your great progress so far.

I'm a mother of two little ones as well, and can definitely relate to feeling overwhelmed and tired and like sugar is the only pick me up available to me! My youngest is 20 months now, and it definitely gets easier all the time.

My 2 cents would be to start with snacking, because most of my less healthy choices are snacks, not meals on plates. And having all my food in just 3 plates makes it easier for me to know the reality of exactly what I'm eating, without "forgetting" the little extras. But that's just me.

Hang in there! The habits you're working on now will eventually become second nature, and make you a great role model of moderation for your kids. And in a few years, our little ones will be big boys and girls, and everything will get a lot easier (and hopefully less tiring). At least, that's what I'm hoping ;)

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Merry
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Post by Merry » Thu Feb 16, 2017 3:50 pm

I think I'd drop snacking first too. Yes, you might compensate with more seconds, but it will get your body used to eating 3 times a day. Plus, you'll feel uncomfortable more readily if you are overeating with seconds than when food just trickles in all day, you know? Hang in there!
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

purpletix
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Post by purpletix » Sat Feb 18, 2017 12:00 am

Thanks ironchef and Merry! I think you both make good points and I am going to follow your advice. I'm going to tackle snacks next and I this will stop me replacing the junk food snacks I was having with 'healthy' snacks that are still unneeded calories. I'll leave the seconds rule for last...

And ironchef, I can honestly say that at this point it doesn't feel like things will ever get easier! I'm too far into the forest to see any trees :)

purpletix
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Baby steps

Post by purpletix » Sat Mar 04, 2017 10:31 pm

Quick update: I have slowly introduced the no snacking rule (at least for four days) and this week I'm going to start on no seconds. No snacking has made a huge difference - I am positive that's where a huge amount of my calories came from even when they were 'healthy' snacks. It's hard though. Omg the hunger! But I'm getting used to it slowly. The best part is not having to figure out what to eat for healthy snacks. It's amazing how much of a relief that is :)

In exciting news, I've lost another kilo. That's over three since I started (about 7 pounds). And I haven't even introduced the third rule yet!

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Merry
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Post by Merry » Sun Mar 05, 2017 4:21 am

That's awesome! Keep up the good work!
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

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Sun Mar 05, 2017 5:43 am

Awesome news! I think you're the first I've heard of with the patience to phase the S's out. What a boon to have weight loss. And yes, the freedom in not depending on snacks of any kind. I'm fond of saying the best snack is my body's stores. But it can take it awhile to get good at mobilizing them.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

purpletix
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 12:53 am

Post by purpletix » Mon Mar 27, 2017 1:18 am

Well, I have slowly introduced the no seconds rule and I am now up to 4 days of full no-sing! The only hill left to conquer is Wednesdays. This week I'm going to bring the no seconds and no snacks rules in together for Wednesday. So I'll be doing a full week of each of those rules. And then all that will be left to do is cut out sweets on Wednesdays...

Although this might sound painfully slow to some of you, it's actually been amazingly easy introducing the rules this slowly. I think this is why I like changing habits in baby steps. There is very little room to fail when you're making such incremental changes. You don't have a chance to miss much when the change is creeping up on you so slowly!

I've also lost another two pounds - and I'm not even full time yet! Which just goes to show how much crap I was previously eating...

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Mon Mar 27, 2017 3:11 am

I think it's brilliant. Brian Wansink says the best diet is the one you don't know you're on. This sounds as close as it gets.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

purpletix
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 12:53 am

Post by purpletix » Mon Mar 27, 2017 5:32 am

I agree oolala - I'm like a frog in cold water slowly being boiled alive?!! :lol:

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Mon Mar 27, 2017 3:54 pm

Well, not the most benign metaphor... :shock:

But I can't think of its opposite.

Maybe a little like Michelangelo saying he saw the angel in the marble and carved until he set it free? But it doesn't connote the pleasure all the way there.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

purpletix
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2014 12:53 am

Post by purpletix » Sun May 21, 2017 1:36 am

It's been awhile since I checked in - life has been insanely busy! But I would like to report that I am officially full time NoS-ing! I got up to four days of No S and only had Wednesdays to tackle. Feeling confident, I introduced the snacks and seconds rule for this day in one go. So my last remaining hurdle was sweets on Wednesdays.

Because it was the last part of the puzzle (and because sweets were the hardest part of the No S rules for me), I decided to introduce the no sweets rule slowly into Wednesdays - just like I did for the other days. This might sound crazy but the first week I did no sweets till lunchtime. The next week it was no sweets till 5 pm. Then no sweets till after dinner. I was supposed to then do no sweets at all but I still wasn't ready to let go of my safety blanket! The thought of no sweets for five whole days still scared me so I added another step. I moved my safety valve to Thursday (so did three days in a row and then had an outlet) and then moved it to Friday. I finish No S on Friday after work anyway and plan to keep this mod so that was it! I was NoS-ing!

I decided to go this slowly as I was really nervous bringing in this final rule on the final day. The key to my success so far has been having outlets for my binge monster. I've been slowly cutting down on those but being respectful of how powerful the bingeing urge is for me, and thinking long term, has meant that I haven’t had any catastrophes. And with each baby step that I introduced - or each small delaying of sweets - I was slowly cutting down anyway. So I figured it was all progress. I was only having a tiny bit of chocolate as my outlet valve by the end anyway, which really isn't much and certainly wasn't preventing weight loss. I have now officially lost 8 kilos ( about 17-18 pounds)!!

I suppose now that I am officially NoS-ing I might start a habit cal - to make sure I can stick to this long term... and now that I have successfully phased this in, it's time to think about some exercise...

User avatar
Merry
Posts: 1658
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2008 2:14 am

Post by Merry » Sun May 21, 2017 5:08 am

Awesome job, congratulations!
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

Skycat
Posts: 189
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2017 4:52 am
Location: Germany

Post by Skycat » Sun May 21, 2017 6:26 am

:D :D Well done. Seems like such a long journey for you, what a real achievement.
I CAN do this.

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Tue May 23, 2017 1:51 am

I think that is a very reasonable way to wean yourself off those S's. I had to wean myself off wild S days. It took a long time! But what was my alternative? Nothing better appeared. Water under the bridge now.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

ironchef
Posts: 1630
Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2012 10:12 am
Location: Australia

Post by ironchef » Thu May 25, 2017 7:10 am

Wow, what an inspiring update! Well done :)

3squaremeals
Posts: 291
Joined: Sun Oct 23, 2016 11:03 pm
Location: Australia

Post by 3squaremeals » Sun May 28, 2017 12:18 pm

So glad to have found this post as I have been on a month long binge. Pretty much binging daily consuming blocks of chocolate and other crap food. I was doing really well on No S and was feeling great then after 3 S days I spiralled out of control and the binging began causing me to gain 7kg! I have successfully stuck to No S for 2 days now which is great considering I usually binge daily. I'm hoping I can stick this out and get back to normal eating again and enjoying food, not hating it and feeling guilty over it.

oolala53
Posts: 10059
Joined: Mon Oct 06, 2008 1:46 am
Location: San Diego, CA USA

Post by oolala53 » Sun May 28, 2017 2:33 pm

I have been there. Amp up the desire NOT to be hating food and feeling guilty over it and the desire to really enjoy it. See deviating as being in the way of those important desires, of being free. Being free doesn't mean not having desire to binge. It means knowing desire is not in control. Let yourself become convinced that it's worth tolerating ANY discomfort of wanting to binge (or even start on those random bites ) to get to that next delicious meal. It's just a few hours. You can do it!
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

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