Background: I’m a 47 year old woman, 5’8â€, and maintained my weight between 150 and 155 for about 10 years. I’ve exercised consistently for over 15 years since I quit smoking (I didn’t want to gain weight, so I started exercising when I quit). I run 25 – 30 miles a week, and have run 10 marathons. The last few years I’ve been watching the number on the scale creep up, and it kept getting harder to lose it. I love food, and it was frustrating to not be able to eat whatever I wanted, increase exercise a little, and either maintain or lose. I bought the No S book in 2009, tried it a couple of times in 2010 with no success, and had pretty much resigned myself to the fact I was going to gain weight.
I had lots of excuses for gaining/snacking……I was getting older and my metabolism was slowing down, I exercised a lot so I NEEDED to snack, my snacks were healthy (usually popcorn), all the other “diets†said snacks were good, my weight/BMI was still in the normal range, etc. I usually did okay for breakfast and lunch, but I’d eat dinner and then snack until I went to bed. I’d also have a snack at work if it was available, or a couple of pieces of chocolate, or cookies, or chips, (you get the idea).
Then I went over 160 for the first time and pretty much freaked out. The clothes I’d been wearing for 10 years were getting snug, and I knew I had to do something or I’d just keep gaining.
On September 18, 2011 I restarted No S with a starting weight of 164. I did okay…Oct Fridays were red, one red day in November, then in December I pretty much fell off the wagon….only 10 green days. I managed to lose 5 pounds though, and on January 7 I weighed 159. Better, but my clothes still didn’t fit. I stuck with Vanilla No S, but my S days were out of control for the most part. I told myself I was building a habit and kept plodding along. I tried to only weigh myself once a month, and by September 10 I weighed 156.5. I decided I needed to modify my habits a little, smaller plates on N days with more awareness of what I was putting on the plate, and better control on S days, no mindless eating, snacks/sweets occasionally, not nonstop until Monday morning. It worked, by October 5th I was down to 150, and today I weighed in at 146.5. I’ve also lost a total of 8 inches.
The Stats: Starting weight 164, current weight 146.5. This year (2012) I had a total of 14 red days, and 8 NWS days. Eight of the red days were during vacations, I didn’t completely fall off the wagon, but I didn’t follow Vanilla No S either.
Lessons Learned: The “fence around the diet†was key for me. No mods at all. If I blew it I marked it and moved on. Sometimes my red day consisted of a piece of chocolate, a single french fry, or a couple of chips. Friends would tell me I was being too strict, the french fry/chips would’ve fit on my plate, but I knew if I made an exception I’d slide back down into old habits.
Intelligent defaults were also helpful. I eat the same breakfast every day and pretty much the same lunch too. I have a bowl of cereal, toast with peanut butter, and a banana for breakfast. Lunch is a sandwich, carrots sticks, cheese stick, and fruit. Dinner varies, but I’ve reduced my portions over the year.
Timing my meals helped. Breakfast between 7:00 and 7:30, lunch between 12:30 and 1:00, and dinner between 7:00 and 7:30. I started eating later in the evening to try to prevent wanting to snack after dinner, and it seems to be working. If I get hungry between meals I drink water or chew gum.
Being hungry isn’t a bad thing. I do get hungry, but now it’s usually a half hour or so before my next meal. I seem to get full faster, and I’ve learned to slow down and enjoy what I’m eating.
Summary: This way of eating/diet has changed my life. Sounds dramatic I know, but it’s true. I’ve learned to control my eating, something I’d never been able to do. When I was younger it didn’t matter so much, but getting closer to menopause meant I needed to do something or live with the inevitable weight gain. For those who are just starting, stick with it. I also wanted a quick fix, to see improvement after the first 21 days. As you can see, that didn’t happen! This was definitely more a lifestyle/habit change than a diet. I don't feel deprived, and I didn't have to give up any of the food I like, I just had to change how/when I ate it. I doubt if I'll lose any more weight, but more importantly, I'm fairly confident if I stick with this I won't gain any either.
One Year Down…..
Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating
Thanks for sharing your success story. I think you really nailed the essence of NoS here:
Congrats again for your success.
Like you, I've followed Vanilla NoS ("mods" always derailed me) *and* I've implemented better, more conscious choices about what and how much to put on my plate over time. Also, like you, those choices were fueled by what I wanted: to feel good, enjoy my meals, be at a healthy weight. I've come to really love moderate, mindful indulgence this year (after 4 years of NoS)--it doesn't feel the least bit restrictive to me. I'm now at the place where I prefer to choose between, say, Hot Buttered Rum or Christmas cookies after dinner, rather than enjoy both (and feel slightly sick later)....This was definitely more a lifestyle/habit change than a diet. I don't feel deprived, and I didn't have to give up any of the food I like, I just had to change how/when I ate it. I doubt if I'll lose any more weight, but more importantly, I'm fairly confident if I stick with this I won't gain any either.
Congrats again for your success.
Vicki in MNE
7! Yrs. with Vanilla NoS, down 55+lb, happily maintaining and still loving it!
7! Yrs. with Vanilla NoS, down 55+lb, happily maintaining and still loving it!
Thank you for posting this description. BTW, I input your stats on a cool site and determined that you weigh less than 85% of your peers. I know it's probably not what motivates you but thought it might be interesting.
It's so great to hear that people who are probably relatively naturally slim also get good results with No S and reasonable choices.
It's so great to hear that people who are probably relatively naturally slim also get good results with No S and reasonable choices.
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)
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)
Congratulations! It's great to see no-s working for very athletic people as well. 10 marathons? My IT band hurts just thinking about it.
Thanks so much for all the detail and bigger picture thoughts about why it's been effective for you.
Reinhard
Friends are so helpful like that, aren't they?Friends would tell me I was being too strict
Thanks so much for all the detail and bigger picture thoughts about why it's been effective for you.
Reinhard