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!

@Bramblecrumble, I'm a bit rusty on the no S diet ins and outs, but if you celebrate Shrove Tuesday could you call this a S ( special day) and then start again tomorrow - we'll check on you then!

Thanks for the scales advice, I'll muse on what to do about it. For now I will measure myself via the smaller size jeans that I can currently zip up but not do up the button of, so if I keep going well this week I'll try them on on Saturday and see if I've made any progress.

Excellent, yes, shrove Tuesday is a planned s day, I was good yesterday and I've just bought the book on the kindle, allthough it's not nessersaly ill try and get in the mindset for tommorow.

And there aren't any birthdays in my family this time of year so Easter will be my next s day.... however it's also a Sunday...how about good Friday and Easter Monday....... what about maunday Thursday? Haha

😂😂 yes that classic celebration...maundy Thursday!

Shrove Tuesday has absolutely been a planned S Day for me. Next S Day (other than Saturdays and Sundays) will also be Easter I think...but it's a Sunday, so would be an S Day anyway! We have a household birthday later in April too.

Had my pancakes and only got one family birthday before Easter so apart from that no real excuse not to stick to it now. @buzzofthebumblebee I’ve got terrible sleep too at the moment so planning to up the exercise to see if it helps. I’ll look the book up thanks for the nudge as I think it would help

I managed no pancakes and avoided post dinner snacking by washing the kitchen floor! Have made myself a herbal tea and doing a bit more work before bed. I am hungry but that’s not surprising because I have been massively over eating for ages so I need to power through and let my body adjust. Im hoping for a decent loss this week to spur me on. Well done everyone, powering through to Easter now!

I took yesterday as an S-day in the end too. But mindfully. I was in the car quite a lot, and whereas I would normally stop at a service station to buy snacks, I resisted. And meant that I really enjoyed my dinner too.

Slept really well last night - so I do think the exercise helps new. Here's to another snack and sugar-free day.

Morning!

I have got straight into my running clothes this morning, so I don't get that "ugh I can't be bothered to go and change" feeling later! I can't get out till DH lunchtime, but I'm ready at least.

Ready for a non S Day! Starting with a homemade smoothie, which obviously I won't be able to get on a plate, but hey ho. I'm having it, as it's a good way to get in fruit and veg first thing. If I don't snack, I feel like I do miss out on some fruit and veg, so need to be mindful of that.

Good luck today! Don't fixate on the scales. This is not a quick fix. If you want that, there are MANY other threads.

Good job on the running plan. We got a puppy in May last year (planned before the pandemic). My husband has found walking her has helped him loose weight but I haven’t! I think it helped me not put any more on though.

I really miss being in the classroom as it’s much easier not snacking in my lab.

Yesterday was ok but i did eat 3 packets of crisps with lunch, but at least I had them with the meal rather than as a snack. I also had a slightly bigger portion of my dinner which made it easier not to snack later.

B: rice crispies and milk and a teaspoon of sugar
L: 5 scotch pancakes with butter or lemon curd and 3 packets of crisps
D: Cheesy pasta with bacon and broccoli.

So while not a great menu I didn’t snack, but I suppose had seconds and thirds of crisps.

Looking at what i am eating I really need to up my fruit and veg intake.

@eltsihTv - Scotch pancakes with lemon curd, sound really lovely!

Yesterday was my first day and I stuck it out, even though I took one family member to the dentist and my dh to have his first covid jab ( normally I eat under medical appt stress, but I managed not to. So this is what I ate:

1. Cornflakes/soya milk/banana
2. 2 leftover veggie sausage rolls with salad and crisps
3. Meat and veg pie, potato waffles, cauliflower, carrots and peas

It was kind of pastry heavy and I've yet to get exercising, but it's a good enough start for me!

Ah how annoying for you @eltsihT! My DH seems to keep his weight down with apparently no effort at all! There's no justice I tell you! I want a puppy too, for the walks. Maybe I should just do the walks though tbf.

@MollyWindley, that sounds good and well done for not giving in when you were under stress 💪. That is an achievement in itself frankly!

Today has been fine:

B: kale and avocado smoothie (#millenialbreakfast)
L: smoked salmon and cream cheese roll, a banana, an orange and a handful of crisps
D: DH is going to the shops just now, so I don't actually know yet 😂. Usually, I would be panic grazing, in case dinner wasn't coming soon enough , but I really feel fine, now that I know there is no question of a snack before dinner. This is progress!

After eating too much yesterday I wasn't hungry at breakfast so had brunch at 11, was surprisingly not hungry at 5 but just had dinner and felt hungry as soon as I've sat down. So just two meals because I wasn't hungry, and 3 pombears from my child's bag at about 1. I did get close to eating a bisicuit with my coffee, not because I was hungry but because it would be enjoyable.
(Br-)Lunch wrap with rice, sausage and half an avacardo.
Dinner:cheesy tuna pasta with carrots and broloci. Because I have cut down on sugar, my carrots tasted really sweet!

Failed at the last hurdle today but won’t throw in the towel abs give up as I usually do. A more active day today with lots of walking.

Breakfast: Greek yoghurt, walnuts and berries
Lunch: spring veg frittata
Dinner: slow cooked pulled pork in burger buns with wedges kale coleslaw and sweet corn - had two buns plus wedges so heavy on the carbs but was nice and I’m really full now! Resisted ice cream and went for a walk instead

I don't think you've fallen there @Whynow2020! Was it three plates of food over the day and no more? I think it's fine for No S

Well, we've made it to bedtime(ish) again. No snacks, sweets or seconds here and no ! I am having a small elderflower and rose cordial with sugar free tonic as a treat (dh has wine, that bastard ). Then I'm off to bed.

Dinner was garlic mushroom and fresh spinach pizza from Waitrose in the end. Not the healthiest but could be worse. I didn't have an entire pizza as I do probably a bit too often .

Good day here. Stuck to 3 meals and no snacks so pleased with that and did my steps and some yoga.

I've made it, B = muesli + apple, L = Salmon salad, D = roast veg & sausage whole-wheat pasta. No snacks, sugar or seconds. Haven't done my steps as out with work all day, but will have run in the morning.
Tempted to snack at so many times, but resisted. This is going to be hard ...

Yesterday was
B: rice crispies, milk, 1 teaspoon sugar
L: tuna abs sweet sandwich, apple and 1 packet of crisps
D: half a portion of beef and green peppers and black bean sauce with fried rice from the Chinese takeaway.
No snack and no seconds!

Just realised DS2 goes back to school on Monday I was thinking ugh! I have to do the 7am walk and then walk to school at 8.40. But that’s the wrong attitude isn’t it, 2 walks are better than 1!

Walking is so underrated as an exercise! I say this as I'm gearing up to an icky sweaty session on my stinky spin bike 😂. Yes, I'm using juvenile insults against my spin bike. Such are my feelings about exercise! Can't think why I'm so fat 🤣.

But I digress; I used to do two big walks up hill and then downhill to work every day and I honestly was so fit and slim. We went on a walking holiday with family in the lakes and I was whizzing up the mountains! I had become quite fit without even trying. I hated exercise in my twenties, but had managed to do it without noticing!

No breakfast yet. Will have some eggs after my spin session.

Good luck all! Stay strong! The weekend is in sight!

Hope you had a good bike sesh Henri. I managed another 5k jog wobble this morning. Harder than tuesday. Regretted every step as I was out, but v glad and strangely energised for doing it now I'm back, showered, and procrastinating working.

2 walks are better than 1. Especially the walk on your own, when you can pick-up pace, and feel the wobble toning.

Dreading the weekend. Well not dreading it. But very aware that I could so easily undo all my good work this week and go the other way & binge. I think I need to have sufficiently nice and exciting dinners planned (take away?!) that I feel like I'm having a weekend treat, without sugar & snacking.

Hope everyone has a good day

I honestly think, once you're in the habit, you just don't feel like bingeing. Well, I found this last time. Eating for me is so much more to do with the emotional / psychological than the physical and something about this just seems to help me get into a zone where food isn't my escape! I really hope that happens again this time. I didn't stick to it last week, so really feel I'm starting afresh again this week and feel good for it.

I have to admit, not drinking is helping too! I wouldn't say I drink a lot, but it does make a difference to my sleep and energy levels. I can stay up till 1 with a glass of wine in my hand, but without, I get to bed early and therefore feel a lot better. But that won't be the case for everyone obviously.

And actually, avoiding bingeing is why the S Days are so important. I always think bingeing happens when you feel guilty about eating something. So you don't stick to a diet, eat one biscuit and then fall into a shame spiral, end up stuffing in food because;

A) I've broken my diet anyway, might as well stuff myself
B) I feel sad i broke my diet and this makes me feel happier for a brief moment
C) i feel shitty for breaking my diet, and this is a punishment for it - I feel like a twat so I punish myself with overeating!

But, on S Days, treats are allowed. No failure. No need to binge!

I am struggling right now, I am marking pupils work on teams and know there are fake Mars bars in the cupboard... hopefully temptation won’t win... I have got myself a cup of tea instead...

No sugary snacks today eltshiT. Keep strong, and plod on through the marking. The relief of having got through it will by far outweigh the temporary hit from chocolate.

Wise words Henri. Think you are right too on the need for S-days. Loosing weight is in the head, and having a positive mindset.

Just had a big lunch - enormous bowl veg soup and two slices toast. I feel full and satisfied.

YY @eltsihT, tea with 1 tsp of sugar in it often knocks my sugar cravings on the head! It isn't perfect, but it's a damn sight better than half a packet of biscuits or something.

I had my lunch late. Went for a very retro prawn and avocado salad with a piece of brown bread and butter! Dinner will be salmon fillet, mashed potatoes and asparagus.

Last night, because I wasn't lounging on the sofa hoovering up crisps and gin, I did a face mask. I've got all the stuff to do a home pedicure this evening, so that is how I will keep my hands busy.

Ugh - was feeling happy that I've finally got some exercise in having walked for an hour with youngest ds - but I forgot that exercise makes me hungry! Currently trying to stop the cravings with a cup of herbal tea and an internet browse!!!