I just finished reading the No S diet webpage. I'm massively impressed (and it takes a lot to impress me -- I'm constitutionally inclined to doubt and debunk). The guy writes extremely well. He's witty, original, and steeped in "uncommon sense" -- a true breath of fresh air. I may well try his approach, which is fairly similar to my current maintenance approach, though a little more structured AND a little more intuitive. In any case, I highly recommend his site (www.nosdiet.com).
@freelance, I've seen his site, too. And I totally agree with you! His plan does make a lot of sense, and it would be simple for people to follow. I, like you, eat a similar way, but not exactly. I've told a lot of people about it because 1) it's healthy, 2) it's really easy to explain/understand and 3) it allows for "break" days, which I know lots of people need.
Thanks. That was really interesting. Oddly, the three meals a day with no snacks (apart from special occasions) is what my "diet" has evolved into naturally. It's working for me. It also seems a lifestyle change rather than a diet.
It's weird, I kind of eat like this already, and I love it. It's really good for my metal health. I think I'd go crazy without regular breaks. And I pick back up the next day.
The only thing is that I go have tiny snacks/graze. Like a few grapes when I need it.
Gonna read more.
EDIT: Upon further reading, this looks like more of what I did in my first month or so. Kind of. I think I like my plan (no real plan) just because I don't feel like answering to a "plan", albiet a pretty good one.
Last edited by coolacrity; 09-19-2012 at 09:26 AM.
When I was at my thinest as an adult was shortly after college... I wasn't sure what I "really" wanted to do, so I decided to go to a Zen Buddhist Monastery for an intro to Zen weekend.... well, I wound up staying for over a year... Anyway, my point here is that we only had 3 simple meals a day that lasted 30 minutes each (actually with all the chanting, praying, and clean up you only had about 20 minutes to "eat"),there were no "sweets", there were no "seconds", and there were no "snacks". We had one full day off from the monastic schedule a week, where you were free to eat as you chose...
Now I know that this might sound rather extreme to most people, but I found it incredibly liberating not having to expend so much mental energy on food throughout the day and in the process becoming much more "mindful" of not only what, but more importantly "why" I was eating... and to be much more appreciative of those "windows" of time that was devoted to our meals...
So simple really... but than again, sometimes the most simple things can have the most profound effects on us...
Last edited by TripSwitch; 09-19-2012 at 10:36 AM.
I really enjoyed reading his ideas. They make a lot of sense. I've always done better on 3 meals a day w/o snacks. The no seconds rule is great too. I don't think I want to give up my daily chocolate though--I am able to eat a small amount w/o any problem and it keeps me from feeling deprived. Maybe I could include that within a meal and not officially call it a sweet--save the sweets designation for desserts--cookies, cakes, pies, etc--they are a little more problematic for me. Anyway, thanks for the link. I think it will be helpful for me.
I found it incredibly liberating not having to expend so much mental energy on food throughout the day and in the process becoming much more "mindful" of not only what, but more importantly "why" I was eating... and to be much more appreciative of those "windows" of time that was devoted to our meals...
So simple really... but than again, sometimes the most simple things can have the most profound effects on us...
ITA. When I made what I ate LESS decision filled (I can't think of another term) and more "this is what I am eating and when" (give or take an hour) I've had MORE time and less space in my brain wasted with trying to figure out ways to get things into my diet that I shouldn't or going over and over and over what I would be eating next and when. It's been so freeing!
I do tend to eat a mid day snack and I used to always have a nightly one, not so much anymore. I think before I eat and if I'm eating out of habit (which generally was the nighttime thing) I opt for nothing or tea instead.
A few weeks back we had some spare time at my TOPS meeting, so I attempted to fill in the gap by talking about the S diet. I don't follow it to a tee, but I keep a lot of the basic principles in mind and it seems to be a very sensible guideline.
One of the ladies immediately rejected the entire concept because she *has* to have snacks and especially dessert every day.
While the framework is not a bad starting place, it ignores that obesity or even hunger are not the problem gutsy proms of underlying metabolic issues. Some of us gained thirty pounds from being gluttons, but those with atypical fat distribution, morbid obesity, and clearly diagnosed metabolic disorders have more going on than just eating too much and moving too little. Moderation is always key, even on diets like Atkins or the Zone. Overeating is not permitted by any diet his page mentions, and judging it by the lack of adherence of the dieter is a logical fallacy.
The patronizing tone and complete lack of science, aside, I'd recommend this to someone looking for a place to start with habit changes, or who already had a way of eating they liked, but wasn't getting results. It's a good check list, but fairly useless beyond that as far as I'm concerned. This wouldn't have shaved 95 pounds off my butt because overeating wasn't the real cause of the gain - it correlated, certainly, but reducing the equation to simply calories and habits isn't enough for folks with profoundly atypical energy regulation in their bodies (and that would be almost anyone who is not just overfilling the adipocytes they have, but growing new ones).
So eh, it gets my 'wins on common sense and as a starting point' support, just as the Hacker's Diet (and the superb software) does. For most folks it would work really well. But for a sick person, the composition of what they eat and how they manage their conditions requires a wee bit more tweaking than just 'no sugar'm especially if you can send yourself into the ravenous hunger/hypoglycemia spiral with a roll or bowl of oatmeal, or your intensifies start overproducing mucous and eating themselves because you keep flailing your undiagnosed crohns disease with your food choices and stress.
It just isn't quite as simple as he boils it down, but I think that formula is a part of almost any longer term healthstyle.
Last edited by Arctic Mama; 09-19-2012 at 12:46 PM.
Seems sensible and logical to me. (I admit having read fast and somewhat skimmed, but I think I still managed to take in the essential parts.) Like other posters here, I realize it's pretty much what I'm already doing. I can't even remember the last time I had seconds on any dish.
No S diet
