Everyday Systems

Hi all. I am a 42 year old male. My weight has been creeping up over the last five years from 175 to around 200. I would like to get my weight back down but I know that I need to make changes that I can stick to. My biggest problem has been after dinner snacking. I tend to eat healthy but it is easy for me to binge on ice cream and other junk. I want to be respectful to my future self so that I don't have to deal with weight related issues. I tend to be pretty disciplined about working out but need to improve eating habits. Any other guys out there that have had success with this diet?

Well, I'm not a guy, but our founder is.

I guess you didn't really want to hear from the girls, but you can ignore the post, if you like.

Actually, I can't remember the source I saw this in, but it said that men are more likely to lose weight just by cutting out/down on their highest calorie habits than women are. I don't know if that's because the majority of them have fewer emotional issues tied up with food and have an easier time just cutting the cord, or because their greater muscle mass just responds better to calorie reduction. But your prognosis is good.

If you are truly overeating when you binge outside of meal time, and are not unconsciously doing it to compensate for too small of meals, then if you stick to No S, it is almost impossible not to lose some weight.

I respectfully say instead of saying that your weight has been creeping up as if it happened by magic, you start saying that you've likely been eating more and moving less over the last five years. It really turns it more into a solvable problem with steps to take. And the willpower it takes to acquire those habits will pay off quite well.

I was a binger and am so happy for the changes that have happened with that, though it was a long slog even here. The 35-lb. weight loss (not all at once) is metaphoric icing on the cake- and not just on S days!

I am also not a guy -- but I have noticed that there are a number of daily check in threads maintained by guys who don't seem to post on the main board. You might want to visit them! I wish you success with No S!

My husband has always eaten three meals a day but lots of sweets most nights, like entire bags of cookies and quarts of ice cream. He lost 30 pounds just by only indulging on the weekend. He is active and plays soccer sometimes 3 times a week.

Guy, here, and I've just celebrated my fourth NoS anniversary. I lost about 20 pounds over the first year, and I've kept it off for the three years since then. I've found it very effective, and it actually gets easier to maintain as time goes on, rather than harder. Most diets get harder and harder until you finally crack under the strain of maintaining them -- but this isn't a diet, it's a way of teaching yourself moderation.

I hope you join us! (As cultish as that sounds )

(And I'm also 42, come to think of it.)

It turns out that there's this amazing solution to gaining weight through after-dinner snacking: stop doing that. Sorry to be glib: it's easy to state, but of course not always so easy to do in practice. I found that NoS had just enough structure to feel like you were actively "taking steps", while having enough freedom to feel comfortable. The "you can never eat ice cream again" diet is something I couldn't stick with for four years, but the "wait for your ice cream until the weekend" not-really-a-diet is working well for me. My big downfall was mid-afternoon snacks (usually on sweet things like chocolate bars), and I don't do that at all any more. (Except, sometimes, on days that start with S.)

One piece of advice we often give newcomers: don't confuse "simple" with "easy". Those three little rules are incredibly simple, but that doesn't mean that following them is going to be easy. Be braced for a bit of a slog at the start. But as it becomes a habit, it really does get easier, and eventually it can become a lifelong default. I'm certainly planning to keep this up from now on.

I'm a guy, last time I checked, and have been doing Nos for a couple of weeks, and already seeing big changes in habits. No longer going nuts with food after dinner. The idea that I can have a guilt-free sweet snack on the weekend makes no snacks on the normal days so easy, for me. And the empty plate really does make me feel full.

Rohlinger,

Welcome to No S. It is indeed a simple yet effective system to help you reign in your eating habits. I would urge you to peruse a couple of links that include No S Testimonials. Reinhard is pretty consistent in posting links. . . you can find lots of examples of both guys and gals who have found varying kinds of success with No S. I think these comments from those who KNOW it works is powerful stuff!

One is a separate board and the other is a sticky thread with links at the top of the on the general No S discussion board.

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewforum.php?f=13

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=4044

It's a great place to go, not only to learn how others have done, but for encouragement for those of us who may get impatient and want a quick fix and that diet head mentality gnaws at us. . . you can read some of these and think, "Oh, wow, this really will work-I CAN do this!"

Good luck. And be sure to read lots of old posts. New comers always have lots of questions and you can always ask them on the boards or do a search to find a key word and you'll find that most questions have been asked on prior threads-it's amazing the support you'll find here. . . even if a lot of it is estrogen heavy!