I’ve been following NT for eight years. I am convinced it doesn’t work for everyone, at least as far as weight loss is concerned. I gained 11 pounds the first year, three the next, five the next, etc. until I gained a total of 40 pounds. Since I was quite over weight to begin with, this has been very discouraging. I have already worn out all the clothes I bought as I went up in weight, and now have to buy more. I have been a part of this message board since it began, and was part of another one run by Lani,(another NT success story, who doesn’t mention NT anymore on her boards and is now kind of diety again)long before this one. I have been counseled by Lani, and by Jean. I have followed all the advise, and I am now convinced that my body will not let go of the weight, no matter what I do. So, given no real alternative,(because I will not ever diet again) I have decided to accept my obesity. I am still healthy,I have a truly wonderful and supportive family, I exercise, I have nice clothes, and I’m content. It’s not so bad being obese. In fact I don’t really notice it until I look in a mirror. I hope all you ladies much success with NT. I know it works for some, just not for everyone.

shanshan, something you said about “eating so much but being at your NT weight” ... You do know that when your body is out of the F/F cycle, your appetite will be LESS and then the weight loss will come because you EAT LESS? You can’t keep eating MORE forever and expect to lose weight. Read Jean’s recent posts where she stresses the need to eat lighter foods and less in the evenings. You can always eat enough but what is ENOUGH will be less when you are off the cycle. Then and only then will the weight loss come.

People hear what they want to hear, and they don’t stick with it because they don’t really “get it” how much perserverance is required to do this way.

Perseverance is right!  I’ve been at this for two years, but the first year I wasn’t really following the principles.  The past year I have, and I have watched my appetite and my food interests change, especially in the last few months.  I’ve lost five or so pounds over the past couple of months, and feel much more comfortable in my pants, so that’s a good thing.  I can relate to Kelcy’s remark about being comfortable until I look in the mirror.  Who IS that person?  But then I go on and live my life and things are good.

My husband says he misses my thinner self.  I wish I could give him a date when she would be back, but I can’t.  (I also wish he would read the book and be supportive, but that’s not happening either!)  All you I can do is follow to the best of my understanding and learn as I go.

It’s happening for you Annual, and I’m happy. One day, your DH will understand.

It was good to hear all the comments, thanks for that!

Hi Noel, yes, I do understand about the eating less to have the body use up it’s stored fat.  Maybe I should have said so often instead of so much.  And what I meant was, it is embarrassing to be eating SO often at this higher weight (because in society it is frowned upon, being fat and eating often…)  I not only have copied and saved Jean’s most recent posts (and older ones too), but am constantly rereading HTBTBEM.  I pick up something “new” each time I read it.  I really appreciate your comments and think I will copy your’s too to keep with my NT info.  Thanks!

And Kelcy, I think you have mastered a very important life lesson~be happy no matter what the “outside” looks like.  I will try and do that too!

Keep up the good NT work and have a great day.

Kelcy, are you on medications?

Just synthroid, fish pills and glucosamine.

I’m still here Shan et al.  I just have been busy and absent.  I guess I’ve sort of leveled off after regaining some of the weight I lost in China.  I recently recycled the F/F cycle…and realized it stank and that I needed to get more serious about taking care of hunger.  SO!  I have made it a goal this month to simply feed myself when I’m hungry.  Not push it off, not make excuses, not be so involved in what I’m doing that I push it off.  Not neglect to plan. 

All of this is forcing me to face issues around whether or not it’s okay to take care of myself.  But in the end, I just need to DO IT!  So far this week, I have done it.  Yay me.

I gained and lost pounds during my first two years of NT too. Now here I am eight years later and still very heavy. Learn your lessons now, don’t put off hunger, really pay attention. Otherwise you may end up like me.

Thanks to everyone who posted on this thread!  I relate to everyone in some way.  The weight gain for me when I was already at a top weight when I began was one of the hardest things I have ever had to accept.  And yet like others have shared, I don’t really notice my size a lot of the time now.  I feel better and have more peace with my body than I had the last time I reached and was able to maintain my “goal weight” (for a very short time before it went up past its former top!)  Eating well, on time, and enough is a gift to my body that I hadn’t given it consistently for many, many years until NT.  I was swinging back and forth from legalistic rules to out of control eating tantrums followed by confusion, guilt, shame, and fear. 
LIke others, I have become willing to accept whatever form my body takes as I continue to pay attention to its signals of hunger and satisfaction.  It is not as easy as following a food plan which wasn’t easy either, but I had many years of practice in ignoring the body’s hunger/satisfaction signals in order to follow the food plans.  Paying attention to the signals requires an alertness and a tender, loving, caring attitude toward my body that I am still in the beginner stages of learning.  I need all the support I can get!

Thanks again to everyone who comes to this website to share your NT adventures.

Many blessings!
Ela