Nose clipping ditto foods to extinguish cravings

[Heidi 555]

Hi good SLD folks,

I stumbled (fortunately and gratefully) across Seth’s book about 3 weeks ago.  I intuitively sensed that his discoveries were the magic key to weight loss and freedom from eating compulsions.   

I’ve eaten a pretty healthy diet for a long time now, so I’ve been struggling somewhat with ingesting sugar and oil.  First, I started with sugar water and varying the flavors of the food I eat.  However, I had a hard time drinking enough sugar water to get good appetite suppression. 

Next, I tried oil.  I had a hard time swallowing straight oil.  But then I read on the forum about someone mixing the oil with the sugar to make a “frosting” (although my mix has been more of an oily sweet syrup).  I’ve been taking avocado oil (that oil muscle tested the best for me).  I mix approximately 1½ tablespoons of avocado oil with about a teaspoon of powdered sugar, and drink plenty of warm water with it.  After a number of days of taking it, I got good appetite suppression on this relatively small amount.  At first this combo seemed delicious and easy to take.  But now I’ve been finding it harder and harder to stomach the oil.  This morning I had to force myself to take it and felt extremely nauseous afterwards.  (I’ve been tending to have mild queasiness as a facet of the appetite suppression, which I don’t mind.)  I also now feel repulsed by avocados, which were previously one of my favorite foods.  Also, I think the oil might be making me tired.  I just don’t feel well after taking it. 

So, now that I finally got a good routine established, I’m thinking I need to change it again.  (And I’ve read enough to know that changing oils or routines can be like starting over again.)  Then I had an eureka moment when I thought why not use the repulsion to my advantage.  How about if I nose clip and eat ditto foods.  So I nose clipped and ate some cheese and bread with some cooked vegetables for lunch today.  Cheese and bread are some ditto foods that I would love to extinguish my cravings for. 

So here are my questions:
1. Has anyone tried nose clipping and eating their ditto foods as a way to extinguish the craving for them? 

2. I noticed that I could still taste the cheese and bread a bit, even with my nose clipped. (I couldn’t taste the vegies at all.) Have you found nose clipping strong flavors to be a problem?  Is it best to just nose clip more bland foods?

3. Has anyone experimented with some kind of flavorless starch or thickener such as agar, gelatin, kudzu, cornstarch etc.?  I wanted to thicken the oil with something in addition to sugar.  Or perhaps just try consuming some starchy tasteless paste. 

If any of these specific questions have been discussed elsewhere, I would appreciate links to the threads.  I’ve been trying to read enough to thoroughly educate myself about the theory and techniques that others have tried. 

I’m 45 years old and maybe about 10 pounds overweight.  However, I’ve worked way too hard to maintain my current weight, and have found it next to impossible to lose those last 10 pounds.  I think I’ve maybe lost a pound so far from SLD.  I don’t have a scale, so I don’t know for sure.  But more than losing weight, I am thrilled to have finally found a way to eat less, feel thoroughly satisfied, and free myself from food obsessions and cravings.  (Although SLD has become a bit of an obsession. )  The freedom and peace of mind seem far more beneficial than the actual weight loss.  But I wouldn’t mind losing a bit, too.

Many thanks to you Seth, for writing about and sharing your discovery so freely.  And thanks to everyone else for sharing your experiences.  Reading the posts I’ve been touched by how supportive you are to each other.

Heidi

[Heidi 555]

Okay, I’ve been paying close attention to taste when I nose clip.  I think that I’m “tasting” certain foods because I have a strong memory of their taste.  Basically there are sensations of texture, and tastes of sweet, sour, and salty.  Then my memory of a familiar food fills in the rest.  If I don’t have a clear memory of how something should taste, then it seems "tasteless" when eaten with nose clips.  So far nose clipping my ditto or comfort foods seems just as satisfying as eating them without nose clips.  It seems so easy.  Not sure if it will give me good appetite suppression, though.  Do foods need to be psychologically tasteless in order to work?  I’m interested to find out. 

[Seth Roberts]

This is a fascinating idea. I hope someone tries it. There aren't any foods I crave or I'd try it.

When you "taste" foods with your nose clipped could you be just tasting their salty, sweet, bitter, etc. aspects -- which you detect with your tongue not your nose? Those tongue-detected sensations shouldn't matter.

[Maychi]

I once tried a NC biscuit and had good AS from it and didn't feel I have to have a whole packet. Shouldn't be encouraged, though.

[Magpie]

.......But more than losing weight, I am thrilled to have finally found a way to eat less, feel thoroughly satisfied, and free myself from food obsessions and cravings.  (Although SLD has become a bit of an obsession. )  The freedom and peace of mind seem far more beneficial than the actual weight loss......... 

Nyah ha ha Heidi......you know what this means.....you've become one of US......yes, I say, one of US, one of US!!!

No, in all seriousness, while some of us do become a bit like cult members of some crazy oil swilling religion - it's great to see the enthusiasm of new members as they discover the wonders and benefits of SLD.  Welcome to the forum and best of luck in reaching your goal.  Keep posting -  it's fun and it helps too!

[Heidi 555]

This is a fascinating idea. I hope someone tries it. There aren't any foods I crave or I'd try it.

I was hoping it had already been tried.  But I guess part of the "fun" of this "diet" is that we're all guinea pigs!

When you "taste" foods with your nose clipped could you be just tasting their salty, sweet, bitter, etc. aspects -- which you detect with your tongue not your nose? Those tongue-detected sensations shouldn't matter.

Yes, I am definitely only tasting the salty, sweet, bitter, etc. aspects -- which you detect with your tongue not your nose.  But so far with the foods I've tried, if I have a clear memory of what it tastes like, then I "feel" as though I'm really tasting the flavor of it.  It's been interesting and surprising to discover which foods "I think" I can taste and which foods seem absolutely tasteless. 

So far, by my very short and very new experience, it seems to be working.  If I drink a lot of sugar water, then it turns off my cravings for sweet.  My body developed a repulsion for oil, so I'm cutting back on that. 

When I nose clipped the ditto foods -- I didn't want to eat them later.  But my cravings for good wholesome food have been exceptionally strong.  My dinner last night of kale, wild rice, and chestnuts seemed like one of the best meals I'd ever had!

Nyah ha ha Heidi......you know what this means.....you've become one of US......yes, I say, one of US, one of US!!!

No, in all seriousness, while some of us do become a bit like cult members of some crazy oil swilling religion - it's great to see the enthusiasm of new members as they discover the wonders and benefits of SLD.  Welcome to the forum and best of luck in reaching your goal.  Keep posting -  it's fun and it helps too!

Thank you so much Magpie, for your warm and inclusive welcome.

[Pinkmug]

Heidi, last Thursday I noseclipped ALL my foods, dittos included.
I tried to do it again the next days, but Friday evening had to give up (I didn't want to go about noseclipped with my stepson in the house... just like the rest of the weekend).
So, it's been more than a week now having NC protein breakfast, and I can tell you for sure: the day I ate everything noseclipped was my best AS day.
i even ate chocolate NC, as well as cookies, wine... yes wine... I tasted nothing but a warmth in my mouth...
I didn't get the taste of chocolate or cookies. just a sweetness. That's all I can feel NCd: sweet, salty, bitter, hot. All the rest is texture.
However, on one occasion I was eating soup NC's I found myself reminding the taste of it, and I instantly got hungrier.
My suggestion is, eat your NC foods mechanically without focusing on its taste, not reminding it, not imagining it. If need be watch TV, read the paper as you do it.
My other observation is, the longer the flavor free window after a NC neal, the better the AS.
Keep us updated on your interesting experience! 

[Heidi 555]

Pingmug - thanks for your input.  I was also thinking about nose clipping all my food for awhile, but I think for now I'll stick with just the ditto foods and see what happens.  Have you tried eating a strong cheese nose clipped?  That seems to be my trickiest ditto food and the one I most seem to "taste" when nose clipped.  I was wondering if others get a strong cheese taste, too.  I'll be curious to know how the nose clipping all foods continues to go for you, when you go back to it.  Keep me posted and good luck with it.

[Heidi 555]

Here are the specifics of my approach, in case someone else is interesting in trying it.  It feels like I'm reconditioning or reprogramming myself.   I've been thinking of it as the SLD reconditioning approach.

1.  First identity all the ditto food cravings that you want to eliminate. 

2.  Eat as much of those foods as you want, but always nose clip and observe the 2 hour window (though more is better).

3.  Eat at least 1 meal a day that consists of only healthy, wholesome, non-ditto foods.

4.  Continue to take sugar water or oil separately if you want, or just consume some oil and sweetening with your ditto foods.


My current ditto foods that I’m hoping to eliminate my cravings for are:
cheese (especially cheddar)
multi grain bread
cereal and milk
sweet things in general
peanut butter
possibly chocolate (though I haven’t had any recent cravings for it)

In the past, I worked hard to only eat a relatively healthy diet.  I managed to condition myself to crave healthier things.  But I wasn’t able to eliminate the feeling of craving and addiction.  I’m hopeful that this approach might free me from lifelong food addiction.

I decided to stop the oil and sugar water for now, though I might have an occasional glass of sugar water. 

My husband is a bee keeper so we have tons of raw honey.  I’m eating honey with my ditto foods to help keep my cravings for sweetness in check.

So far this approach has felt too easy.  I feel satisfied because I can eat as much as I want.  Also, I know that the more ditto foods I eat, the greater my appetite suppression.  It’s safe to indulge in them.  If I crave a ditto food while eating my wholesome meal, I just wait a couple of hours and eat the ditto food as a nose clipped snack.  I allow myself to really enjoy the texture, sensation, and any remaining tastes of the ditto food.  I find them comforting to eat even though their flavor isn’t as strong.  I don’t feel deprived in any way.  I love this diet.  I never loved a diet before.  Diets were always something that I forced myself to do.

[Pinkmug]

Pingmug - thanks for your input.  I was also thinking about nose clipping all my food for awhile, but I think for now I'll stick with just the ditto foods and see what happens.  Have you tried eating a strong cheese nose clipped?  That seems to be my trickiest ditto food and the one I most seem to "taste" when nose clipped.  I was wondering if others get a strong cheese taste, too.  I'll be curious to know how the nose clipping all foods continues to go for you, when you go back to it.  Keep me posted and good luck with it.

I don't think I chanced upon strong cheese that day. I can only remember fruit cake, trail mix, 2 or 3 different kinds of cookies, bread with butter, soup, but no cheese. (Maybe because I keep it in the fridge and due to temp being cooler now I'm more attracted to the pantry than the fridge) 

But now I've read your and Peter's posts, count me in, tomorrow morning I will tell you how it felt! 

I won't be able to noseclip everyday; on week days I sometimes have lunch out with hubby and coworkers (like today); on weekends I have my stepson and sometimes my mom and siblings at my house. But I'm planning to noseclip all I eat on all other days (except sampling my cookings of course, or when I cook something special that I really want to enjoy).

[Pinkmug]

  I feel satisfied because I can eat as much as I want.

That's what felt so good the day I noseclipped everything. I didn't taste the chocolate, but I was happy because I had it - psychologically it works like a charm for me! 
Your experience is very similar to mine. Just feeling the texture of your fave treat and knowing you're eating it is very satisfying, and it counters the deprivation effect!
Also your dittos list is very similar to mine! 
I'm loving this new approach, really. It opens so many possibilities! I just don't think I can indulge "big time" at least in the beginning, after all it's still calories, and I could go up a little - or a lot - before going down!

[Heidi 555]

Yes Pinkmug, just in reading some of your posts I felt a lot of similarity with you, too.  Plus, I like your user name.  Is there meaning or story behind it?

[Pinkmug]

Yes Pinkmug, just in reading some of your posts I felt a lot of similarity with you, too. Plus, I like your user name. Is there meaning or story behind it?

Well, how nice  A real pal!  My user name does have a meaning, it's from the times I subscribed to the rosacea forum... my mug was real pink  I have some rosacea on my face, and it was worse some years ago. Today it's under control and theleast of my problems! But I was very active in that forum and I got used to the name, so I carried it to other forums, especially health-related. I have other usernames for other different subject forums, but my real name is Eunice. Ha ha, who could have guessed  Funny huh!!  OK Heidi, my news are not so good, because I'm suspecting just the simpler version of NCP with cottage cheese, water, oil and protein powder doesn't give me as much AS as the one with oatflakes, but I'm waiting a few days before tweaking. I didn't have a chance of noseclipping everything again yet. 

[karky]

Eunice is a perfectly NICE name!

[Heidi 555]

Hey Pinkmug, I have rosacea, too.  And mine is not under control.  I just gave up because so many things I tried didn't work.  I always had rosy cheeks -- just like the Heidi in the alps story that my mother named me for.  But when I turned 40 the rosy turned rashy.  I kept picturing you drinking coffee or tea from a pink mug.  What got your rosacea under control?  Perhaps I should check out the rosacea forum.  But I think I can only focus on one issue at a time, and diet seems more important to my health and self esteem than my redmug.

Do you have a nickname or do people call you Eunice?  It's great that you have a good sense of humor towards yourself.  

Why is it bad news?  I'm hoping that nose clipping ditto foods gives me better AS than just the oil.  But so far the oil gave me much better AS.  Today I had some nose clipped yogurt and flax because I feel as though my AS needs a boost.  It definitely takes time and patience to figure out what works.