Here is a post I made to the NoS site last November after I had been working the plan for nearly two years. It explains a little of my history and my approach now that I have found NoS. This is the only eating plan I know of that simply lays out the base or framework and assumes that an intelligent, independent person can take it from there.
Yesterday I made a list of all the diets I could remember that I had tried over the past 4 decades. It was amusing and instructive. Young folks could not identify, but it was like an archeological dig starting with Ayds candy and Debbie Drake LP workout records! When I think of all the books, magazines, and notebooks that I have bought and put together over the years it would fill a library!
The analogy of love affairs (not that this is my lifestyle or morality) comes to mind. I had several long term relationships, some short flings, some one night stands, and others never got to first base! Weight Watchers was the longest relationship off and on several times beginning with the original 5 fish meals, 1 liver, etc. Then there were various forms of low carb and low fat and meal replacement. I even tried very strict diets like Pritikin. I can see the appeal of intuitive eating for those of us who have spent years working all the other plans and are just tired of it and hope for normalcy. But as others have said it was a disaster and I tried several forms for 3 years as a maintenance plan. Result: more weight gain.
However, after a lifetime of working on this, I think I can say that I learned something from each approach. It may have damaged me in some way, but I choose to look at the positive. I have learned many types of foods and I would rather cook my own food than eat out. I know a lot about nutrition and exercise. I really have trained myself to prefer healthy, filling foods and many "bad" foods are just disgusting to me now.
The analogy of love affairs (not that this is my lifestyle or morality) comes to mind. I had several long term relationships, some short flings, some one night stands, and others never got to first base! Weight Watchers was the longest relationship off and on several times beginning with the original 5 fish meals, 1 liver, etc. Then there were various forms of low carb and low fat and meal replacement. I even tried very strict diets like Pritikin. I can see the appeal of intuitive eating for those of us who have spent years working all the other plans and are just tired of it and hope for normalcy. But as others have said it was a disaster and I tried several forms for 3 years as a maintenance plan. Result: more weight gain.
However, after a lifetime of working on this, I think I can say that I learned something from each approach. It may have damaged me in some way, but I choose to look at the positive. I have learned many types of foods and I would rather cook my own food than eat out. I know a lot about nutrition and exercise. I really have trained myself to prefer healthy, filling foods and many "bad" foods are just disgusting to me now.
And technology has finally come to my rescue. The ease of counting calories and all the nutrition labeling did not exist before as well as all the online support from groups such as this board. So I have no regrets.
It is a relief to know that I have settled on what I need to do from now on and the search is over. That doesn't mean that there is not more to learn, but the framework is there for me and I will not veer off course any more chasing the impossible.
It is a relief to know that I have settled on what I need to do from now on and the search is over. That doesn't mean that there is not more to learn, but the framework is there for me and I will not veer off course any more chasing the impossible.
I remember Ayds candies! My mom and her friends all used to have them. :)
ReplyDeleteI too am so happy to find NoS! I didn't gain weight until the birth of my kids and i was so used to being able to eat anything any time and not gain an ounce that the change came as quite a shock to me! I really didn't know where to start. then I fell into the "you must have x servings of veggies and x serving of meat and x servings of fruits..i added that to the things I wanted to be eating! that didn't work at all. Any diet I tried, I tried for a very short time.. except Weigh Watchers which i found to be helpful. The only time I really lost weight was when I was getting a divorce and lived on Oreo cookies and milk for 4 months! That is all that sounded good to me. Once I got my life in order, I began eating without any plan in mind and slowly put the weight back on. In the last 10 years, I have bought all the diet books and given everything a try..but not for long.. I'd just move on to something else. This is the first plan that makes sense to me and that I feel I can make my own. I think I've found my eating-plan home!
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