The No S Diet

[PosiePootlePerkins]

Shiny new thread!
Support, advice and general chat for those who are following the NoS diet. We're all about good habits and moderation in our eating!

[TossDaily]

I have a question. I'm trying to up my fruit and veg intake, so I have a dish of tinned fruit or a piece of fresh fruit after my breakfast and dinner. I find this helps keep sugar cravings at bay, too.

But now I realise I'm not sticking to the 'one plate' rule.

Does anyone else do this and have you still lost weight? Or am I scuppering my weight loss?

[Mrsmartell08]

I'm re joining if I May?
I've been almost permanently ill since i last posted.
Also lots of family occasions and a holiday.
I'm planning to get back on track - and Have started my exercises again
I'm hoping to lose 20lbs.

[Inthetropics]

Hi, can I join? Just registered so i can participate! I'm the user "Marina" from the Everyday Systems forum. English is not my first nor second language, is that ok?

[twofloorsup]

Yay well done bowbear

[PosiePootlePerkins]

Thanks bowbear

[bowbear]

I've just created a new thread, and hopefully linked it back to this one too. I'm not the most technical person on the planet!!

Fingers crossed this works.....

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weight_loss_chat/2971372-The-No-S-Diet

[twofloorsup]

I don't weigh myself a lot but I think I'm a stone to a stone and a half lighter since January.

Again echoing the mindset thing.

My attitude towards food is much healthier and I'm not so terrified of being hungry now I know how it feels

[beela]

I have averaged 1lb per week since I started in January. Not dramatic but I would rather lose slowly and keep it off than lose loads but gain it all back.

I'm thinking of it as a marathon, not a sprint!

[bowbear]

I've lost two stone in about 9 months. It is definitely a slow and steady diet but as Posie says, it is about a permanent change of mindset and approach to food which is what makes it so good. I could probably have done that in 3 months with WW but I guarantee I'd have put it all back on by now.

[PosiePootlePerkins]

I have lost 1 stone 12lbs so far, not loads and it has been slow, but more importantly I have changed my whole mindset towards food and dieting. I actually feel so much better about myself in general

[MyCatSydney]

Thank you guys for all your words of wisdom. I am going to get back on it and do my Leslie Sansome beginners mile every day. I will also make housework and gardening opportunities to be more active as opposed to sitting watching Netflix all day. Thanks to each and every one of you that replied, I value your advice greatly. I have the No S book somewhere, I will dig it out and read it. Out of interest, has anyone lost a lot of weight on No S?

[TooExtraImmatureCheddar]

Could you maybe set smaller goals to work towards No S, Sydney? Maybe have 2 days on habit (Mon & Tues), an S day on Wed, then 2 more days on habit? Try that for 21 days and then try dropping the Wed S day?

I do think the best thing you could do for yourself is accept that you're in for a long journey. That's going to apply no matter which diet you choose. So it needs to be something you can handle doing for a long time. The thing that throws me every time is the idea of 'if I do something else (5:2, low carb etc), I might lose faster!', which fails to take into account the fact that I can't stick to anything else for more than 3 weeks, and I'm not learning about sustainable choices. It's the tortoise and the hare!

[beela]

Sydney could you set some mini goals so that it doesn't feel too overwhelming? My mini goal for this week is not picking from my dc's leftovers at tea time as that was creeping back in, but you could pick a weight related one.... work towards the next stone down for example.

One thing I have found really helpful about no-s, especially to start with, is that it's only ever a few days from an S day. So if you are really really craving, say, chocolate, then you can plan to have some (guilt free) as a treat on an S day and look forward to that.

I do echo what posie has said - think about sustainable eating habits rather than quick fixes.

[PosiePootlePerkins]

Sydney sorry you are struggling I would urge you to have a look at the NoS website and forum, there are some really good threads on there when people are struggling. If you are feeling brave you could post your own thread, I have found it takes a while to get replies (I think the time difference has something to do with it as people post from all over) but there's a lot of support and advice. Regarding WeightWatchers I would think about whether that is something you feel can can do forever. To quote from the NoS book:
"Ask yourself if you can imagine staying on a particular diet for the rest of your life. If not, don’t bother starting; it’s a waste of time and will. "
Also
"You will lose weight on pretty much any diet if you stick with it; the problem is, you won’t."
This sums up why all other diets have failed for me and why NoS is the only way of eating I have managed to stick with for so long. Consider the alternatives and how appealing they seem in the long term.
The other thing about NoS is that it is a truly forgiving way of eating. If you fail one day you just get back on it. Believe me I've had plenty of fails along the way but I'm still here 9 months later because I just 'mark it and move on' (I am always banging on about this!)
I don't know if any of that helps. I can see you feel you have a huge mountain to climb. And years of bad eating habits won't be fixed overnight. I would just encourage you to keep trying, one day at a time.

[bowbear]

Oh sydney it is hard isn't it. I have done WW in the past but found that I spent a fortune and tried to eat substitue cakes/biscuits etc that were just full of chemicals and so much sugar rather than trying to change my habit to a healthy diet. WW didn't set me up to have control over my choices once I stopped following their plans to the letter.
Have you seen your GP? Perhaps they could offer some extra support as it is going to be a long journey ahead. Also, it can be overwhelming to try to change everything at once, maybe make some small changes for the first couple of weeks and then build from there. Another thing I find really helpful is to 'out' myself to friends and family, it makes me feel more accountable and helps keep me on track. Perhaps enlist a friend to help with meal planning/shopping, arrange to go for a walk, if I've roped someone else in I feel like I can't back out.
The brilliant thing is that you're here which is a great start x

[MyCatSydney]

Thanks BowBear. I just feel so overwhelmed at times, at size 24 and weighing over 19st. It feels like so mammoth a task, so long a journey. When I can't stick to anything because I have rubbish willpower, I feel doomed.

[bowbear]

Hi Sydney
When I've had bad week I try to look back over what was happening, see if I can identified what triggered me to lose track..stress, too busy, nights out, not planning ahead etc and see what I can do to address it for the next week. It's important not to give yourself a hard time, you're still here and giving it your best. It takes a long time to change our habits.
Good luck x

[MyCatSydney]

Hi guys, I have had a huge fall off the wagon. BOO!

Really lacking motivation and unsure whether to try again/go back to Weightwatchers blah blah blah.

How do you cope with a relapse?

[bowbear]

Morning all,

I'm having a little moment of glory. I had breakfast around 8 ish - 2 weetabix and half a banana and since about 10 my stomach has been rumbling like crazy. I actually seem to have reached a point where I can handle being hungry and not automatically grabbing the nearest edible item. It's a whole new sensation being in control of my eating and it feels great! I used to eat so mindlessly before I don't think I ever gave myself a chance to feel hungry!
Can't say I'm not looking forward to lunch tho
I hope everyone else is having a good day x

[beela]

cheddar I know what you mean. I went out for the day with dd today and nearly talked myself into having a bit of cake because I was on holiday. I wasn't at all?! But it was a lovely day out and it felt like a holiday. (I stuck with a cup of tea).

Pre no-s there was always an excuse, or a shit way to justify eating a treat.

[PosiePootlePerkins]

Ah in which case apologies cheddar,** sounds as if you're aware of your potential stumbling blocks and planning around them, I misread your post.

[TooExtraImmatureCheddar]

Just to clarify, I meant that pre-No S, it was any excuse for a lavishly well-fed bingey day. I didn't mean I would have that many now, just that my head starts saying to me "you've had a bad day, have some chocolate!" or "it's the third Thursday in the month, time for a celebratory cake!" with very little provocation. In the past I would have given in and deceived myself that it was a special day. No S points out that you can't do that.

July S days - Sunday 9th, DS's birthday. That's it.

[Giddyaunt18]

If you have that many S days you won't lose weight or it will be very slow, simple as that. There is no magic about this, it works because you change your eating habits, if you eat the same, you stay the same. The harsh truth i'm afraid cheddar

[PosiePootlePerkins]

Giddyaunt fantastic! Thanks for checking in with your positive story.

[PosiePootlePerkins]

I think the official line is two non weekend S days a month, planned in advance wherever possible. Just saying Cheddar