The No S Diet

[bowbear]

A friendly, supportive thread for anyone following a diet of moderation
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weight_loss_chat/2873838-the-no-s-diet?pg=40

Wow well done beala and cheddar. I got on the scales. I’ve lost a pound. Good start, I think now just need to follow your examples. Also that banana bread recipe looks amazing - am going to try it at the weekend.

Hi. I've been following the No-s thread for about the last year after reading the book but annoyingly have never really persevered with it. As a result, a year later, I weigh exactly the same as I did. One of my concerns is that I've read so much about how dieting ultimately causes about 90% of people to regain the weight (and often more) so I am really reluctant to go on a 'diet'. It is not the dieting that worries me but the long term - I don't want to spend the rest of my life obsessing about food just to stay slim. I really want a way of life where my eating becomes second nature rather than to struggle with mr weight forever.

Beela, (and any other long term no-s-ers) can I ask how you are finding maintenance of your weight? Is it getting easier or are you still having to really focus hard to keep your weight stable? I would imagine that losing weight slowly has helped but do you feel like if you relaxed your attitude the weight would go straight back on or has your approach to eating changed so much that you can't imagine that happening?

Sorry for all the questions, I am just trying to work out whether this would be worth sticking to or not.

Well done mrsf! Great start.

Hi summer. I'll start by saying that I've never done any other diet, but my understanding of the stuff about diets causing weight gain is that once you 'finish' the diet and go back to your old ways of eating, or get to eat all the things you have been denying yourself, that is when weight piles back on. No-s is more about habits than the food itself so is not a traditional diet in that respect. Also, you get to relax the rules at the weekends, so you can have a blow out and it's fine, there's no feeling that you have failed or ruined your diet. And if you do slip up during the week you can always 'mark it and move on'. So I don't think the same risk applies here.

I've relaxed a little since I got to where I wanted to be, but a lot of the habits have stuck and I don't think I'll go back to the mindless grazing that I was doing. So my weight has maintained for the last 3 months without masses of effort. But I've got used to eating more healthily, by which I mean that I prioritise food that is filling and nourishing because I know from experience that junk food will only make me feel good in the short term. I do still think about it, but I have learnt that I can say no, even if I would like to say yes, and it's fine.

Sorry if that was a bit long winded... Hope it helped. Happy to answer any other qns you have.

Thanks Beela. Not too long winded at all and completely answers any questions I have. I did try and follow no s a few times but got frustrated because the weight loss was so slow. Silly really, as a year later, I still weigh the same and if I had been making slow, steady progress I would be a healthy weight by now and would have much better eating habits too. Hearing what you have to say about long term eating habits and maintaining your weight makes me think it is worth sticking with.

Oh god, I weighed myself on the new scales and I’m a good 6 lbs heavier than I thought. Grr! I do feel thinner, though, so I was presumably even fatter a month ago. Onwards and downwards...via more exercise...

How's everyone getting on? I've just had a lovely lentil & ham salad for lunch and am now trying to avoid the cake tin. Does anyone else still get the craving for something sweet after a meal? I know it's just habit and I don't need anything!

I do! Just finished lunch (salad with chickpeas, red peppers, roast veg, hummus, sauerkraut and a packet of crisps) and had that feeling of oooh, I could go for a cake! I'm not going to, though. I'll have a cup of tea instead.

Grr, a colleague just literally handed me half of a cake after I said I didn't want to share one! I got a bit sharp and said I had said I didn't want it - she has form for feeding me randomly - she goes out to Costa and comes back in with something for me. I think she's decided that it's ok for her to have cake so long as I'm eating it too. The difference is, she is very slim and I am not! Anyway, she's taken it away again and I have apologised for snapping at her.

cheddar how annoying! Well done for getting her to take it away though.

So I timed it today and it took an hour, plus 2 tiny bits of dd's dried mango, but after that the cake feeling had passed. Obviously the mango wasn't ideal but better than a big slab of cake! I might make an experiment of timing how long the craving lasts.... anything to avoid giving in to it!

Timing the cravings is a good idea!

I am still having a hate-hate relationship with my new scales. This morning they added another 0.9lbs to my previously shocking weight. AF is here, though, so I am trying to ignore them. I need to know whether I am still over-eating - I might need to tweak my portion sizes. On the plus side the scales have shamed DH into joining me, finally! He did claim he would last year, and lasted about a day and then said that he just liked snacking and he refused to give it up. I want him onside so he doesn't buy snacks and keep them in the house.

Hello! First week at new job down. Bit of a mixed bag this week to be honest. Getting home in time to put kids to bed but then not eating myself till 8.30 ish isn’t ideal and I cracked and had snack around 6.30 twice this week (healthy - oatcake and cheese) but not ideal. Also have had a glass of wine to unwind a couple of evenings (allowed but have been trying to avoid). On the upside haven’t had chocolate despite reaching for it after lunch today. And my commute means I have been walking a bit more. Hmm, I think I’ll be happy if I haven’t put weight on this week. Also I have massive cravings around pmt time - literally feel like a bottomless pit. Does anyone have any tips or does anyone use an s day? Xx

Not sure yet about PMT - I personally don't want to use an S day for it because I have plenty of S days as it is. Would bigger meals/less healthy ones hit the spot on those days, do you think?

No weight loss this week so far for either me or DH. We have had a number of meals involving pre-prepared bread products, though (one dinner was supposed to be steak baguette, but the local Co-op was out of baguettes, so I got some tomato and olive sourdough and a garlic flatbread, and we wound up having fried sourdough steak sandwiches with a bit of flatbread each. Yesterday we had homemade chicken curry with bought naan bread and poppadoms). I think I'm still overeating at meals, but I am really surprised that DH hasn't lost now he's cut out snacking. This was his first week on No S so I thought he would see some loss.

Today breakfast was a latte and a pain aux raisins - Costa was out of porridge! Are pain aux raisins an S? It tasted more bready than sweet...

Friday was a fail - got into holiday mode a bit early and scoffed lemon meringue pie. Mark it and move on!

I am at home with the kids today (non-pupil day at school) and I am thinking about food a lot more than usual! I don't exactly want to go and eat any, but it is definitely on my mind. DH is away tonight and tomorrow and I have a very difficult week ahead at work and I'm just feeling a bit nervous about it and DH isn't here to take over the kids if I need to work in the evenings. I have made bolognese sauce so dinner is sorted for tonight and tomorrow.

Hello!

Just wondering if I can join you please?

I hope this isn’t a hijack, but I’m breastfeeding at the moment, but think this sounds perfectly sensible as a weight loss plan to use while feeding. If anyone else is / has been in the same boat then it would be great to hear how it’s been going.

Anywho, I am starting right now. I had another morning of stupid grazing, (albeit on fairly healthy things, just far too much of it), and feel crap about it. Will have a good, healthy lunch and dinner but nothing else now.

Hello Steviebuns*. I’m new here too. I think I got away with a few snacks last week as I haven’t gained any weight but I need to be on it a bit more. Good point about not using s days for pmt, I think it would be massively easy to go ott. However am going on hols on Saturday for a week, am going to try not to have s days every day!

Hello Stevie, welcome! I think No S would be good with breastfeeding - not too draconian but still moderate. Good luck!

I have been very busy and stressed at work and therefore yesterday was a write-off and I’ve had a can of Coke and some crisps this evening. Am torn between marking it and moving on versus eating the last 3 biscuits in the cupboard. I need to tidy the kitchen before the cleaner comes tomorrow, though, so proximity may be my downfall!

Hello everyone.

I'm so happy.... We've been away over half term and despite staying at an all inclusive resort with really lovely food I've managed not to gain any weight

I made sure I had plenty of veg and salad with my meals, stuck to no seconds and no snacks apart from the occasional ice lolly, but had some lovely desserts and cocktails so I was expecting to gain a few lb.

I was a bit worried about unlocking my sugar monster again but, although I enjoyed it, I am now looking forward to getting back to normal (no-s) eating again.

Hello Beela! Just back from a half board hol and haven’t weighed myself yet, will tomorrow. Don’t think I’ve been as good as you though. I started ok but then discovered a yummy gluten free breakfast thing (rare as hens teeth) and indulged. Minimum snacking and no ice creams (they weren’t nice enough - that wouldn’t have stopped me before - I would have eaten them anyway because we were somewhere nice) and some booze but not more than two glasses a day so I feel like some progress in my attitude to food even if the delicious breakfast buffet got to me in the end. Am
Also looking forward to going back to no s eating. Sorry am rambling. Hope everyone is well x

I LOVE a breakfast buffet! Hope you had a lovely holiday.

It was brill beela, I had been dreaming about it for ages, having booked it last August, so I’m partly thrilled it went well and that I didn’t build my hopes up too high. Hope you had a fab time too. Well first day back on no s - has been fine, although am missing the rose sangria, which was a lovely discovery. Also being back at work has kept me busy. Inspired by cheddar I have ordered new scales because I suspect my ones (old fashioned with a dial you can adjust) were being a bit too kind. Breathe in enough and it knocks a pound or two off. After all I do want to know whether I’m losing weight or not. Although I am a bit scared of getting on them now they’ve arrived, with their accurate digital read out bit. Am tempted to switch the measurements to kilos and just try to get the numbers down for a bit before converting...

By the way cheddar how are you getting on with your scales? And is your husband sticking to no s?

Hello! Is this the most recent thread and is it still running?

I’m just starting No S (again) today. I’ve had a few previous attempts but haven’t managed to make it stick!

I had my second dc 5 months ago and have lost some weight since then, but would love to lose another stone to get me back to my fighting weight.

Hi rhubarb I’m very happy to keep it going - I’m struggling a bit at the moment. Very impressed that at five months after having a baby you are being so disciplined! I had an ok week until Friday when I ate too much, made homemade granola, snacked extensively on said granola. My weight (once I realised what I actually weighed as opposed to what my kinder scales had said) has gone up this week. I will have to be more strict next week and I slightly hopeful some of the gain is PMT. hope everyone else had a better week x

Hi @MsFL!

Great! Glad I’ve got some company.
Although sorry to hear you’ve been struggling.

I’m doing ok, but that’s because we’ve just had a weekend .

I had breakfast quite late on this morning, so lasting till lunch won’t be a problem. My bigger issue is lasting from lunch till the evening as I always get peckish in the late afternoon. Maybe that’s when I should have my evening meal though..? Then I’d get to bed a bit earlier too. I may try that.

We’re also technically “on holiday” although not actually leaving our house - it’s a long story. So I might have some planned treats with the family this week. Just trying to break the habit of very unplanned kitchen raids I’ve been doing. I’m bfing my baby, so that does make me hungrier, so I’m very much playing this WOE by ear. I’m hoping it will fit well into family life and also good role modelling for my older child so she doesn’t see me constantly snacking!

I wouldn’t say I’m being terribly disciplined, but the spirit is willing etc etc. Thank you for saying so though .