Joyfully celebrating 6!!!! years of NoS Satisfaction

(New!) Read (or post) about people who have stuck with No-S for 10 or more months, lost 10 or more pounds, or 10 or more percent for their starting weight. Periodic updates strongly encouraged -- you can think of it as "Yearly Check In."

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vmsurbat
Posts: 499
Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2008 6:12 am
Location: Montenegro

Joyfully celebrating 6!!!! years of NoS Satisfaction

Post by vmsurbat » Wed Oct 08, 2014 4:57 pm

Greetings, Fellow NoS-ers!

This past summer, I passed my 6th year mark of discovering and implementing NoS habits. I still love it and find its simple, livable "structure without too much structure" great through all the seasons of life. We flex between being just two of us at home (kids grown and flown) and dozens (re: hospitality ministry). NoS fits all these situations in a way that I could never have managed if I also had to be mindful of carbs, fats, points, GI, fiber, etc., etc., etc.

For those who want the whole story, here are the links to past testimonials--all those insights still hold true today (including never once making it into the 21-day club. Perfection not required for long-term success!), so I won't repeat.

Year 1: http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=5306
Year 2: http://www.everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=6629
Year 3: http://www.everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=7858
Year 4: http://www.everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=8821
Year 5: http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=9529

New Insights in Year 6:

*All the tales of needing less food as one grows older (I'm nearing mid-50's now) are true. But the good news, with ingrained NoS habits, is that I don't like feeling "too full" so have naturally (in a zig-zaggy way) cut back on the amount I want to eat. Sometimes, I can feel sorry for myself because what I eat seems small in comparison to (oversized) standard American portions, but honestly, I am now eating about the same amounts of food that my mother and aunts (who never had a weight problem) did at my current age.

*To feel satisfied with my current delicious meals, I've found that my new SOS mantra helps tremendously: SOS= Serve, Observe, Savor.

Serve--mindfully, particularly not too-large portions even if they fit on a single plate. (I've started to feel stuffed when eating my "normal" amounts due to dratted hormone changes).

Observe--training myself to notice what is on the plate, how yummy it looks, how abundant and nourishing. This helps me to not feel deprived by my current need to reduce portion sizes as mentioned above!

Savor: I semi-pretend to be a food critic and concentrate on all the flavors and textures, ie. savor my food. I try to remember to put my fork down occasionally. All this helps me to really enjoy my meal.

Now, the honest truth is that usually only one meal a day gets the SOS treatment because life is busy. But, especially when I've put effort into prepping a delicious meal, I like to follow my new SOS habits (which do trickle over) and make the meal the centerpiece of my dining experience.

With my gained understanding of these two insights, I know that NoS will carry me through 20 years more, Lord willing, of good health and enjoyable meals.

So let me just say once again, a BIG THANK YOU to Reinhard for sharing NoS with the world.
Last edited by vmsurbat on Thu Oct 09, 2014 2:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Vicki in MNE
7! Yrs. with Vanilla NoS, down 55+lb, happily maintaining and still loving it!

Bean&Sprout
Posts: 132
Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2014 1:47 pm
Location: Michigan

Post by Bean&Sprout » Wed Oct 08, 2014 6:28 pm

Congratulations! Thank you for sharing your experiences.

aspencer27
Posts: 298
Joined: Fri Sep 16, 2011 8:26 pm

Post by aspencer27 » Wed Oct 08, 2014 7:44 pm

6 years! Congrats to the long-term success. Glad to hear about the 21 day club... I haven't made it there, either. I also really like your insights around savoring your food, that's another big thing that I am trying to work on, too.

Congrats with your success and keep up the great work!

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

Post by ironchef » Thu Oct 09, 2014 4:16 am

Thank you for checking in and sharing these insights. You are such an inspiration, and I only hope to be telling half such a great story in 4 years time.

eschano
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Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:20 pm

Post by eschano » Thu Oct 09, 2014 8:22 am

Ah Vicki, as always you are a brilliantly inspirational testimony to NoS. When I read your testimonials and comments on threads I always remember to stop overcomplicating NoS (such as desperately trying for the 21 day club) and just enjoy it. Wonderful to hear you are doing so well!
eschano - Vanilla rocks!

July 2012- January 2016
Started again January 2021

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reinhard
Site Admin
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Post by reinhard » Fri Oct 10, 2014 12:22 am

Vicki,

Congratulations on another successful year! Once again, I can't tell you how happy these "more of the same" testimonials make me.

Though of course, as you point out, it's not quite "more of the same." I love how you've layered some gentle "systematic mindfulness" on top of the vanilla No-S rules to help deal with that inevitable needing less food. And "SOS No-S" has a rather nice ring to it...

Thanks also for the links to previous years testimonials -- it's actually quite fascinating to see all the attitudinal adjustments you've made around the edges and self-knowledge you've gained about what does and doesn't work for you with the through line of sticking to the basics of No-s.

Looking forward to many more!

Reinhard

joasia
Posts: 1105
Joined: Tue Aug 22, 2006 3:22 pm
Location: California

Post by joasia » Wed Nov 05, 2014 4:06 pm

would you be willing to post a sample menu for an N day breakfast, lunch dinner?
The destiny of nations depends on the manner in which they feed themselves. Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

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

Post by oolala53 » Sun Nov 16, 2014 10:45 pm

So great to hear. I've had my wobblings this year, but I hope to be posting something similar around the end of 2015, which will be my 6-year anniversary. (It's especially sobering to hear of your reduced food needs, as that is what I'm bumping up against. I haven't quite come to peace with it as you have, so it's good to hear it's possible.)
Last edited by oolala53 on Sat Nov 22, 2014 4:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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)

automatedeating
Posts: 5305
Joined: Sat Aug 31, 2013 2:16 pm

Post by automatedeating » Mon Nov 17, 2014 12:20 am

Vicki--thank you SOOOOOOOOOO much for posting your continued SOS NoS journey. I appreciate it more than you can ever imagine.
Month/Year-BMI
8/13-26.3
8/14-24.5
5/15-26.2
1/16-26.9; 9/16-25.6
8/17-25.8; 11/17-26.9
3/18-25.6; 8/18-24.5; 10/18-23.8;
3/19-22.1; 10/19-21.8
6/20-22.5; 7/20-23.0; 9/20-23.6
4/21 - 25.2

vmsurbat
Posts: 499
Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2008 6:12 am
Location: Montenegro

Post by vmsurbat » Mon Nov 17, 2014 2:53 am

Thank you, everyone, for your well-wishes. We've been travelling and I am now just checking in.

For Joasia, here is a typical menu:

B: Toast with bit of butter, 1 egg, some veggies (often sauteed), small glass of juice (like 4 oz). This combo is my favorite breakfast because I can easily mix it up with different veggies, it satisfies for hours, and I love toast! Alternates include granola or oatmeal with yogurt, fruit, and nuts. And occasionally muffins and/or pancakes. I don't save those for S days but have them much less often now that we are empty-nesters....

L: (our mid-day meal is our largest meal...we live in Europe):
pork chop with pan-sauce, polenta (or other starch), salad (simple greens), roasted veggies. In other words, the famed 1/4 protein, 1/4 starch, 1/2 veggies plate. We often have a piece of fruit as dessert. And I try to make extra veggies to enjoy later with breakfast or dinner on another day.

D: A lighter meal: bread with cheese, smoked meats, fruit. Or banana spread with peanut accompanied by a glass of milk. Easy pasta with leftover veggies. Over the years, this meal is getting lighter and lighter.

Pretty normal food. The key seems to be keeping proportions in line with my actual needs. And, since my actual needs have changed over time both because of losing weight and growing older, there are definite periods of not losing or small creeps upward of weight (like 2-3 pounds). Until I get re-attuned to the need to downsize ever-so-slightly my meals...

HTH,

Vicki
Vicki in MNE
7! Yrs. with Vanilla NoS, down 55+lb, happily maintaining and still loving it!

r.jean
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Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 7:47 pm
Location: Midwest

Post by r.jean » Mon Nov 17, 2014 2:08 pm

It is good to see you still doing well. I started at the end of 2010 and remember reading your posts early on. They were very helpful!
The journey is the reward.
Maintenance is progress.

joasia
Posts: 1105
Joined: Tue Aug 22, 2006 3:22 pm
Location: California

Post by joasia » Sat Nov 22, 2014 3:28 pm

thank you for posting your daily menu=) I appreciate
The destiny of nations depends on the manner in which they feed themselves. Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

joasia
Posts: 1105
Joined: Tue Aug 22, 2006 3:22 pm
Location: California

Post by joasia » Sat Nov 22, 2014 3:30 pm

I use to live in Poland, always lost weight. Lots of walking and home cooking. what part of Europe do you live?
The destiny of nations depends on the manner in which they feed themselves. Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

kccc
Posts: 3957
Joined: Fri Oct 27, 2006 1:12 am

Post by kccc » Sat Nov 22, 2014 3:49 pm

Vickie, how wonderful to see you still doing so well! I love your "SOS" plan. I have noticed that when I need a "habit boost," making my meals MORE satisfying always helps - not so much in terms of quantity, but in terms of quality, so that I appreciate them and feel satisfied. So I like your appreciative model very much!

No S is really a wonderful long-term plan. :)

Best wishes,

KCCC

vmsurbat
Posts: 499
Joined: Sat Jul 19, 2008 6:12 am
Location: Montenegro

Post by vmsurbat » Sun Nov 23, 2014 3:27 pm

joasia wrote:I use to live in Poland, always lost weight. Lots of walking and home cooking. what part of Europe do you live?
We live down in Montenegro, currently in the States for two months. I miss all the walking!
Vicki in MNE
7! Yrs. with Vanilla NoS, down 55+lb, happily maintaining and still loving it!

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