No S Diet - Anyone got quite a lot to lose and fancy trying a more longterm approach - no quick fixes!

[HenriettaHeffalump]

I have just discovered I've gone into the obese category. I am starting today doing something I have tried before and found great. I need something I can stick to longterm and which will improve my eating habits as well, so that when I do hopefully lose the weight, I can keep it off.

It is called the No S Diet.

Rules are:

No sweets
No snacks
No seconds

Except on days beginning with S! Sounds twee and gimmicky, but I swear it works if I stick to it.

Starting weight - 200 lbs
Height - 5'8"
BMI - 30.3 (obese category )

I will also be taking up more exercise. Not going at it hell for leather like I always do, which never works as I can't do that anymore. So, slow and steady with exercise too.

Would love some slow and steady weight loss / healthy living buddies!

@HenriettaHeffalumpI just us two for the first weigh in. Both no change. I think if next weigh in I'm still 65 I'll have to do something more... maybe excersize. I probably overdid it today as my first s day. Is pancake Day a special day for you on Tuesday?

Good plan @Bramblecrumble! I am doing dry lent 😬. And I'm starting early (tomorrow - I had one glass of wine this evening to finish the end of the bottle). So I do think the two to together might help, plus some exercise.

Yes, I'm making Tuesday an S Day, definitely, as it's something I have always celebrated since childhood. Don't think it's a pisstake, like making ANZAC day or my sister's colleague's birthday an S Day or something 🤣. How about you?

Sorry for not posting I stayed the same but I haven’t been keeping to the rules exactly so that’s probably a win. I love pancakes do that’s definitely an S day here so I will start being stricter from Wednesday. As it’s warming up a bit I will aim to get out for a daily walk as well as yoga and keep to the rules exactly for lent

Full disclosure... I also had few blips towards the end of last week. But we had one of those weeks at home. Hoping this week will be a bit calmer! I am determined to stick to the dry lent (starting today, so a bit early), which I think will really help in terms of calorie consumption and hopefully energy levels too, so I'm not flipped on the sofa thinking about food half the day.

Must stick to it this week 💪.

Hello!

So far, so good, but it is only 11 o'clock on a Monday 😂.

Anyway, I have done a decent workout; half an hour on spin bike, plus a half hour bum and ab workout. I'm just doing beginner stuff, but will hopefully work my way up. As well as gaining weight, I've lost a lot of fitness since lockdown 1! Used to do a lot of yoga and then gym classes, but even when they opened briefly last summer, I couldn't get a gym class, as they booked up immediately after they were released. I know, excuses, excuses and I was doing a lot of running until it got too cold (fairweather runner)! But anyway, onwards and upwards! But hopefully downward on the scales (arf).

Hello - I'm late to the game but please can I join?

I am 5'7 and weighed-in at 13 stone 2 this morning (182 lbs). Which isn't good. A stone heavier than I was last summer, which even then is a stone heavier than I wanted to be.

I am very much all-or-nothing. So I am going to lock-in for the next 6 (or 7?) weeks until Easter. No Sugar, no snacking, no seconds. I want to loose a stone initially. I'm v tempted to do Dry lent too, but may just be a step too far. I will def do no wine (but may allow myself a Gin n slimline friday & sat nights).

When I put my mind to it, I can do it - I too did Dry Jan, and also gave up sugar and snacking for the 1st two weeks & lost 5lbs. But got bored & gave up being good food-wise, and then went the other way & over-indulged on food to compensate for not drinking.

But being accountable to you all will really help me, and hopefully we can support each other?

As well as limiting food, I plan on doing 4 x workouts a week - 2 fitness classes online, and 2 jogs. I have the most enormous bottom & thighs, and running I find really does help tone them up, even though I am mortified with the wobble as I plod around the local park !!!!

It would be wonderful to start April at 12 stone, and then I stand a better chance of being 11stone by the summer, and actually fit into some nice summer clothes for a change. Small steps. Realistic goals. Healthy food. But no Sugar, Snacking or Seconds

Hello @buzzofthebumblebee the excersize too sounds good. I think that sounds realistic. I would like to start up jogging again and now the days are getting longer it's good. About 5 years ago I could run 10ks. The past few years though I keep trying to complete the c25k and haven't made it.

Welcome @buzzofthebumblebee!

Compression leggings are the thing for wobbly running!! But also, yes, I'm sure the running will eventually stop the wobble anyway and nobody should be judging you while you're exercising anyway!

Please can I join? I’m also 5’7” but horrifically weighed in this morning at 15st 2. The heaviest I have ever been and my first reaction was that drastic action is needed- but having calmed down slightly I need to be realistic. So I’m going to go as low carb as I can and fast for the morning. No refined sugar and I’m also going to stop drinking.

I lost 2st no S’ing over 18months in 2016/17. Since then I changed work place and ended up somewhere really stressful where the snack snuck back in and the weight crept back on. I started No S’ing again in January last year as I was in a place I could think about my weight, but you know pandemic!

Over the weekend I have felt unhappy about how I look and decided to start No S’ing again on Monday (today) Last time a Mumsnet thread really helped me stay focused. So hopefully we can do this together!

I will weigh in on Friday as I haven’t weighed myself since last year.

I have hit point in the day where i really want a cup of tea and a biscuit... hopefully I will last to dinner without a snack!

Thank you for the welcome everyone & encouragement with running. And hello why and good to hear no S'g worked so well for you elt. But of course, now that I've made the mental decision to cut back on my food, I can do nothing but think of it !!!

Thanks bumble. I am focusing on the fact it is 45 minutes till dinner time, and I can do this... doesn’t help kids are on half term this week and are currently eating crisps!

I find planning what I will eat on my S’days helps. The, I can have that on Saturday...

Oh hello why and elt! You are both very welcome !

Yes, I really need the accountability of the thread and the weekly weigh to stay focused.

So far, so good today! But again, you know...it's only monday!

So today I have had normal meals, normal portions. No snacks, no alcohol. I have managed, but it is very hard. Resisting temptation the whole time. I hope it gets easier. I am an emotional eater. With no off switch. Thank you very much for the thread Henri.

I know buzz! For me, it is something which should be easy enough to stick to, but I think I am so used to grazing all the time (and at the moment, I really mean ALL the time), that it is sometimes a bit harder than you'd think!

In the book it says not to worry too much about portion sizes to begin with, as long as it a normal enough looking plate (not a mountain with food piled on top of food) and one plate only. I think the point is that even reasonably big meals, with no snacking, should still have an effect over time. There is info in the book about how meals have not gotten bigger or more calorie laden since the pre-obesity crisis days. The difference seems to be snacks! So it says anyway. Also, the author is talking about America. I do need to dig it out and reread it actually.

I did ok yesterday- macaroni cheese abs garlic bread for dinner with the kids but less than normal and at 5 and no evening snacking. Breakfast at 9 was 100g greek yoghurt, 2 walnuts 5 raspberries and 2 strawberries. And a large coffee! Aiming for frittata for lunch and sausage and mash with the kids for dinner but I’ll skip the mash. 💪

I am on an S Day here, due to Shrove Tuesday! But not planning a free for all by any means. But I will have pancakes!

Yesterday was fine. I set my alarm this morning to get up and do exercise but switched it off and fell back to sleep 😬. Looking forward to the alcohol free energy burst I've been told about . Feeling quite the opposite at the moment. Did a good amount of exercise yesterday and normal meals, no snacks or pudding (even yogurts or whatever). Came home from a big walk with dd in the PM and fell asleep on the sofa 😂! Oh dear.

Yes, I enjoyed pancakes for breakfast!

I got through yesterday, with no snacks but only by drinking fruit juice diluted with hot water, and by going to bed at 8.59 to avoid the watching TV grazing. It’s sooooo hard to break the snacking habit.

I am making scotch pancakes for lunch so will plate my share up so I don’t have seconds and thirds...

You are right that the amount on your plate isn’t really important to start with. If you hit a point where you aren’t snacking but aren’t loosing weight you look at your portion size.

Yesterday was:
B: toast and marmite (1 slice)
L. Scotch broth and a slice of quiche
D: steak pie, chips and peas

weirdly (as I love most food) I'm not a big fan of pancakes . So I'm going to have spinach omelette for lunch instead. I had 1/2 gala melon for breakfast and then felt instantly guilty that fruit is classed as sugar. I'm hoping it doesn't? I don't eat that much. Max 1 piece / day. Think I will allow myself that. Too many forbidden foods becomes very restrictive, and unsustainable in the longer term.

I went out for a jog this morning, and managed a very slow 5km. Plus a dog walk after I've one my 10k steps already, and feel pleased I have actually achieved something rather than my usual procrastination. Hope that upping my exercise will help me sleep better too. I get v bad insomnia about 2.30 / 3am for a couple of hours.

Have a good day everyone, enjoy the pancakes, but don't go mad!

I'd like to join you, I've done the no S diet before, it does work but it's slow and I am normally a fan of the quick fix....however I tend to burn out on my quick fixes which has led to my current obesity. My scales have gone wonky and I'm not going to replace them as money is very tight round here, and I figure that my clothes getting loser will be a good initial sign of weight loss.

I agree with you 100% @MollyWindley. The slow change of habits which hopefully will stick with me, is much more important to me than the number on the scale each week. I do need to lose weight, don't get me wrong, and I think this will happen over time. The minute I decide I'm "going for it" hell for leather, I am liable to fall off the wagon and massively binge. It is classic and actually normal behaviour. Restrict your food severely enough and your body's natural reaction is to stuff in as much food as possible the next time you are allowed it.

So, easy does it, is my approach. Enjoying S Days is an important part of it. It is not meant to be a binge. There is no real enjoyment in bingeing anyway. It is quite a different thing.

I will re read the book again, as it is slowly coming back to me and makes a lot of sense. If anyone's interested in it, I got mine secondhand off amazon for pennies.

If anyone wants to do calorie counting or anything very restrictive, this might not be the thing for you, but it is the approach which I believe really works for me

@mollywindly my Scales I decided were Dodgy a while back as I stood on them three Times in a row and a different result.each time so I bought cheepest spring analog Scales....hard to read so I'm also doing a waist measurement as well....I do have scales at my work in the hospital but it weighs about 5kg heavier than I am.

I think I'll look into the book @HenriettaHeffalump to all those doing dry lent, I have had my first drink (s) of the year today as marking shrove Tuesday as a day of gluttony, really not great.