Everyday Systems

I once heard that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again while gaining the same results. Or maybe it was doing something over and over again, failing, and doing it again. Anyway, that is dieting for me. I did Weight Watchers, for a year, lost 50 pounds, and it was really really hard, then gained it all back. Signed up for Jenny Craig and NutriSystem and quit or resigned. So why do I keep dieting when I can't stick to it? All the diets work for me, but they are harder than anything to stick to. Why can't I just give nos an honest try. Nothing else works. Why do I keep stressing that nos won't work because I will try to eat too much. Maybe I am insane.

Maybe we all are. Maybe that's what the diet gurus are counting on.

Or maybe continuing to start over after repeated failures is called "perseverance" or "tenacity" or "determination" or "courage" and it's actually a virtue, to be desired and cultivated no matter the cost.

No-S is a very reasonable course of action. Please don't give up!

Hey there. I am a former WW-er too, and I have to say that, while it's a good program if you can stick to it, that such rigid diet plans teach us to be total control freaks, which then lets most of us talk ourselves out of succeeding. I mean, when you have specific numbers to worry about EVERY SINGLE DAY even on your frigging birthday...that's a LOT of pressure! So it's really easy to talk yourself into giving up or just half-assing it, because you pretty much know you're going to slip anyway.

The reason No-S appeals to me so much is that it really isn't a diet. It seems to focus more on habit-building and learning to trust your body & common sense than on crazy rules. And it seems to me that the focus is more on consistency than perfection.

The fact that you say you're already stressing because No-S won't work makes me suspect you're a perfectionist like me, and maybe that you worry too much.

Weight loss and changing your habits is NOT easy. It takes almost everyone several tries to figure out what will work for them. The important thing is to look back at what didn't work for you and pinpoint WHY. Make every sucky diet plan be a learning experience. This isn't a race, and you deserve to give something an honest try, and to give yourself a break and not be stressed about whether it will "work" or not.

I mean, I still haven't figured out what works for me. I have done No-S for two days, so I can't say for sure that No-S will work. But after doing WW and South Beach and then WW again ... I know what didn't work, and No-S at least is something different. So I'm looking at it as an excuse to learn something new about myself. If it works for me, great! If not, then I will have to figure out why so I can regroup.

milczar - the sheer freedom from all the counting, planning, weighing, measuring and all other dieting rules is well worth it. Make this lifestyle your own - and own the guidlelines you follow. Be kind to yourself and stop telling yourself what you can't do. Begin to recognize what you can - one small thing at a time. You'll be surprised - I am! Give it an honest try, come on - we're rooting for you!!
mimi

milczar - the sheer freedom from all the counting, planning, weighing, measuring and all other dieting rules is well worth it. Make this lifestyle your own - and own the guidlelines you follow. Be kind to yourself and stop telling yourself what you can't do. Begin to recognize what you can - one small thing at a time. You'll be surprised - I am! Give it an honest try, come on - we're rooting for you!!
mimi

Beautifully put, Jan.

Jammin' Jan wrote:Maybe we all are. Maybe that's what the diet gurus are counting on.

Or maybe continuing to start over after repeated failures is called "perseverance" or "tenacity" or "determination" or "courage" and it's actually a virtue, to be desired and cultivated no matter the cost.

No-S is a very reasonable course of action. Please don't give up!

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If you want something different, you have to do something different.

No-S IS different because it concentrates more on your habits than on weighing or measuring, counting calories or points, restriction portions and so on. In a word, it's sensible.