For all of us, maybe clergy especially, forbidden food diets or the time-consuming calorie counting diets might be good enough for a while, but what happens when we are late to our board meetings, attend potluck number seven, or forced to eat out as we travel? We need new eating habits that are simpler, natural, and hopefully sustainable.
I’ve stumbled upon a diet that I can’t really call “new” because I think many people have been doing it their whole lives. The “rules” for the No S Diet can actually be found on the cover of the book: “No Snacks, No Sweets, No Seconds. Except on days that start with S.” For a weight loss program, those guidelines seem pretty straightforward and simple.
But does it work?
The author and creator, software engineer Reinhard Engels tells the website CalorieLab during an interview, “I admit it does seem suspiciously cute, but I actually lost 40lbs and found that I was able to keep it off over time.” Other encouraging and inspiring reviews can be found at the No S Diet free website.
Unlike many other diet books, the reasonably priced slim paperback is packed with practical advice, with chapters that explore each of the three S’s in depth instead of focusing on nutritional content and research data. Although good research is important, I appreciated Engel’s direct approach and acknowledgement that he isn’t an expert. He gives simple advice that has worked for him and many others.
This is week number four for me on the No S Diet. The S’s are simple to remember, but I’ve been surprised what hard work it is to reform my habits. In my favorite chapter – Building the No S Habit – authors Engels and Kallen paint this picture: “Your rational self is like an animal trainer locked in a cage with a fearsome beast” (p 115). My tiger is addicted to sugar. It’s going to take a lot of retraining to tame this wild habit of mine!
If you read the book or try the diet, let us know. Share your feedback in the comments.
Find The No S Diet on Amazon.com
— Kelli Christianson
If you can cut out the snacks between meals then this is certainly going to help. I find that by having a few vegetable snacks available can help you get through the first few days of a diet when those feelings of hunger start. I cut up raw carrot and celery so I have something to munch as this seems to help.
I could never stay with a diet. As the book says, you eventually fall off of them because you just get tired of them and you just crave some real food. Been on it for a couple of months solid and went from 193 to 179lbs this morning. I’ve developed the habbits and now I don’t even realize i’m on it anymore and I think that is the key. I beg to differ but you really don’t need snacks. Just eat one normal plate of food and you will have enough to make it till the next meal without snacking. Oh, and when your S days get there, you can treat yourself. Last weekend it was pancakes baby , yum! but now I’m right back on track.
This works. I highly reccommend it.