I don't know about any of you, but over the years I have tried many different things to lose weight. I've tried Weight Watcher's several times - both doing actual meetings and doing online only. I've tried ediets, WeighDown, and just simply counting calories through Sparkpeople or Fitday. A few times I tried taking some of those "miracle pills" that just left me jittery and sleep deprived.
All those diets and plans have several things in common: 1. They are complicated with lots of rules to remember or time spent entering information. 2. You develop the mentality of "Well I slipped up today, may as well totally fall off and start again Monday." 3. Most of them cost a lot of money. 4. They're not truly sustainable.
And .... although I lost weight on all of the various plans ... I eventually have always regained it.
So, what does all this have to do with anything?
This past July I was reading a blog on Sparkpeople of a person who has attempted more diet plans and styles than I have. 
In the post I was reading, she had just discovered the No-S Diet. I was completely intrigued, and so went looking to find out more about it.
It is simple. Not complicated. And completely free. And ... it saves me money on my groceries!!!
Here is the No-S Diet plan: No snacks, no sweets and no seconds, except for (sometimes) on days that begin with S.
So, that means that Monday through Friday I have three meals. Each meal fits on a plate. If a Special event comes up, such as my birthday or a family member's birthday, I can choose to make that day an S day.
S days can also occur when you are sick.
But usually, S days are only Saturdays and Sundays. No rules apply on S days except ... You can't mess up!
Do you see why I love the weekend now? 
This is NOT a plan that will help you lose 20 pounds in 8 weeks. You're more likely to lose 4 or 5 pounds in those 8 weeks. But ..... you also are more likely to KEEP those 4 or 5 pounds OFF Forever!
This is truly a plan which can be easily followed for life. It is essentially learning how to maintain an appropriate weight, while working on losing weight.
How does this save me money on my groceries? Well, that's pretty easy. I'm eating less! When it is a weekday (or what we call N days) I can drive home from work without stopping to get a snack.
Before, I would fight and fight with myself about stopping to get something, and would lose the fight more often than not. Now, it's not a question. If it's an N day, I just don't stop!
Believe me, I didn't think I would be able to manage 5 days in a row without chocolate. But so far, I have managed 6 sets of 5 days with NO Chocolate!!! The awesome part is, is that after making it through the 5 days, I can treat myself to a cookie or even a small Dairy Queen Blizzard with No Guilt!
I will have to warn you though -- you may find your tolerance level for sweets diminishing. A few weeks ago I bought a Peanut Buster Parfait and only managed to get 3/4 of the way through it. The chocolate was making me feel sick!!
I haven't followed it perfectly. There have been days where I backed my car into the wall (and a few times even drove over the cliff.) But when that happens, I am learning to say "Mark it* and move on."
*Mark It -- Reinhardt, an engineer and librarian, who developed this system, also developed something called "Habitcal." This is a simple way of marking your S days and your N days to show Success, Failure, or Exempt.
So, if you're looking for a simple (free) way to lose weight and keep it off for life, and probably save on your grocery bill too, check out No-S!
http://www.nosdiet.com
Let me know if you have any questions, I'd be more than happy to answer them.
Why I Love The Weekend (Or, No-S Love!)
October 4th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
October 4th, 2009 at 10:44 pm 1254696259
October 4th, 2009 at 10:55 pm 1254696952
October 5th, 2009 at 01:49 am 1254707373
October 5th, 2009 at 01:51 am 1254707467
October 5th, 2009 at 02:07 am 1254708474
There was a discussion quite similar to what you are saying - about how the No-S diet is similar to how other countries eat naturally --- and how our forefathers used to eat as well.
Boo,
I know! I totally amazed myself being able to go 5 days without chocolate, or any other sweets/junk.
October 5th, 2009 at 02:11 am 1254708709
October 5th, 2009 at 02:19 am 1254709142
Yes, it does sound kind of similar. However, I like having TWO days per week.
Was your husband able to keep the habits he learned?
October 5th, 2009 at 03:50 am 1254714627
October 5th, 2009 at 10:08 am 1254737311
October 5th, 2009 at 09:33 pm 1254778400
The beauty of it is its simplicity.
Dmontngrey,
That's too bad he got out of the habits. Getting to the gym can be hard to do (unless of course you work there!)
October 9th, 2009 at 03:18 pm 1255101485
October 9th, 2009 at 05:23 pm 1255109018