"No Spirits" and Spain-style mealtimes

[piratejenny]

Greetings all!

For years I've been using a similar diet of my own invention, which is "no snacks, no alcohol, no dessert" for concrete periods of time (e.g. 2 weeks). I don't follow this diet all the time, just to lose a few pounds now and then - though now that I'm 29 years old and my metabolism is slowing down, I may go full-time with it soon. Recently, someone told me, "That sounds just like the No S Diet!", so I had to Google this "No S" thing and check it out.

I added "No Spirits" as a "No S" for myself because, with my active social life, I'm constantly at bars and restaurants with my friends. Even though beer, for instance, is not one of the three S's, it has boatloads of calories. And let's not even talk about the White Russians, Long Island Iced Teas, and miscellaneous blender concoctions that I love to drink! LOL

I believe 100% that it's not WHAT you eat, it's WHEN you eat. My typical daytime schedule, which works extremely well for me diet-wise, is: wake up at 6:30 or 7:00, drive to work, drink a large coffee with milk/no sugar, eat breakfast at 9:30/10:00, eat lunch around 1:30/2:00, go to the gym after work (not every day), then eat dinner around 7:00-8:00. The advantages of this schedule are many. The milk or cream in the coffee puts enough substance in my stomach to tide me over until the late breakfast. The late lunch means that I'm still full at 3:00, which is the hour that I got my BIGGEST snack craving when I used to eat lunch at noon. And the late dinner means that I'm still full while sitting and watching TV in the evening, another prime time for snacking.

I got onto that meal schedule by accident a few years ago while spending 2 weeks backpacking in Spain. In addition to "doing as the Spanish do" as far as mealtimes, I was walking a lot every day, and I was also abstaining from alcohol due to being on antibiotics. When I got back to the States, I was shocked to discover that I'd lost 5 pounds. I've stuck as close to that schedule as possible ever since.

My biggest challenges are (1) saying no to alcohol when out with friends; and (2) finding polite ways to refuse food that's offered, such as when someone bakes a cheesecake and brings it to work. My sense of "oooh, look, it's delicious and homemade and free AND someone else cooked it!" poses a *powerful* threat to my willpower!

What do others think of my meal scheduling strategy?

Abstinence in moderation,
Jen

[gratefuldeb67]

Hey Jenny!
Welcome!
You sound like a fun gal! LOL...
The beer and mixed drinks are somewhat restricted here because most of them are, in fact sugar based...

I think beer and wine is okay if you stick to two or something...

Have fun!
ps... Doing NoS is really for life, not just for losing weight, but enjoyably maintaining your loss and staying healthy...

Peace and Love,
Deb

[navin]

My biggest challenges are (1) saying no to alcohol when out with friends; and (2) finding polite ways to refuse food that's offered, such as when someone bakes a cheesecake and brings it to work. My sense of "oooh, look, it's delicious and homemade and free AND someone else cooked it!" poses a *powerful* threat to my willpower!

Well, for the cheesecake thing, I have had pretty good success just taking it home and saving it for an S day. That won't work for things that spoil easily, though, but cheesecake does fine in the fridge for a few days. I've also found that, somewhat surprisingly to me, most people aren't offended if you turn down treats.

Now, depending on the frequency of the treats, you migiht want to give in occasoinally for special occasions... such as somebody got promoted or something and is bringing food in to celebrate.

Just my two cents. Good luck, regardless!

[Inge]

That meal schedule really sounds great to me. I like to exercise as soon as I get up in the early a.m., so am not hungry afterwards. A 9:30-10 a.m. breakfast would be perfect. I'm just used to thinking of food at this time as a "mid-morning snack", thus not good!!

My main barrier to adopting such a schedule long term is 4 kids who have gotten used to the normal U.S. hours, so I might get stuck dealing with food at both times, which I don't like.

Also, what kind of breakfast do you eat, since you're at work? Do you pack something or go out?

Thanks for the fresh idea!
Inge

[reinhard]

Welcome, piratejenny (and sorry for the long delay).

I'm not surprised that you've independently come up with something similar. One of the selling points of no-s is it's obviousness.

Social pressure is my big weakness too.... Step one I think is distinguishing social pressure from mere appetite. I've found that stuff that people bring to work can be safely ignored, without social ramifications. Someone else will eat it, there's not spotlight on you, it's relatively anonymous. Save your agonizing for when you're a dinner guest -- now that's a tough one.

"Erst kommt das Fressen, dann kommt die Moral."

Reinhard

[piratejenny]

Hi guys! Ain't logged on in a while, boy, the holiday season is nuts.

Inge, for breakfast I typically eat two muffins with a bit of peanut butter spread over the top. I make the muffins myself at home in normal-sized muffin tins. I make different recipes, but today I brought apple muffins. The ingredients include shredded apples, shredded carrots, shredded coconut, walnuts, raisins and cranberries, plus both whole-wheat and white flour, with a bit of cinnamon and cloves for kick.

They are quite hearty and filling. It's one of my favorite recipes, if you want the recipe, just ask!

And the beauty of bringing breakfast to work is the built-in portion control. Once they're gone, that's it, you can't go back for seconds!

Jen
(gonna follow No-S strictly this week, in anticipation of the Great Christmas Pig-Out next weekend. How cool is it that both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day fall on S days this year?!?!)

[Shameless Hussey]

It's one of my favorite recipes, if you want the recipe, just ask!

Please post the recipe, I want it!

How cool is it that both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day fall on S days this year?!?!

AND New Year's Eve and Day? Tres cool!

[gratefuldeb67]

Hi Ladies
Just for clarification... The Christmas and New Years holidays would be considered S days anyway.... Just an extra one...
They are "Special" days...

Peace and Love,
Deb

[piratejenny]

Hey all!
Here, at last, is that muffin recipe I alluded to earlier. I make these all the time and they freeze excellently. Two of them, with a little peanut butter, make a fantastic breakfast. They are slightly labor intensive, what with shredding 2 cups worth of apples, but they taste so healthy, they are worth it.
Enjoy. Happy New Year!
Jen


Golden Harvest Muffins
(from the Pillsbury Book of Baking)

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cloves
2 cups shredded peeled apples
½ cup shredded carrots
½ cup coconut
½ cup raisins
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
½ cup oil
¼ cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, beaten

Heat oven to 350ºF. Line with paper baking cups or grease bottoms and sides of 18 muffin cups. In large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and cloves. Add apples, carrots, coconut, raisins and walnuts; mix well. Add oil, milk, vanilla and eggs; stir just until moistened. Fill muffin cups ¾ full.

Bake at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately remove from pan. Serve warm. Yields: 18 muffins.

[gratefuldeb67]

That sounds delicious!!!
I would probably want to eat ten of these at once! LOL..

Happy New Year Pirate Jenny!

Peace and Love,
Deb

[Shameless Hussey]

Here, at last, is that muffin recipe I alluded to earlier.

I'm still off work today, so I think I'll whip up a batch! Thank you, Jen, for posting!