Thread: SW working for anyone going it alone?

Hello everyone,

Just lost 9lbs in a month on a low carb diet and sadly put back on three already. I have done SW twice in the past years- both times going to group and best wt loss was 2 stone on first attempt (3 yrs ago now ).

I really don't enjoy the groups anymore.

My old consultant was a tad irritating and made a few (unintentionally- I'm sure) flip, patronising and even slightly hurtful comments- Perhaps I'm just too sensitive mind! But I left group after one of these sessions and never went back.

So , I don't want to go to group again and hers is the only local one available. I also don't want to join online as I think I have all the stuff here already- diaries, cookbooks and optomising books.

I did like the free foods aspect and have heard about Extra Easy on here but am not really sure what it entails. I generally liked green days reather than red in the past.

I'm also thinking about putting aside the weekly fee and saving it up - half for treats for me and half for charity ( I support the British Lung Foundation, the Motor Neurone Disease Association and The Dogs Trust). I would rather give money to them rather than to SW, I think.

Suppose what I really want to know is if there are any minimums people out there doing SW sucessfully on their own with out going to group and am I likely to be able to stick to it without the image therapy etc.

Any comments gratefully received.
Thanks Guys.
Jenny.

Hi Jenny,

Sorry you haven't had very good experiences with classes, I was lucky with my SW consultant although there were a few rubbish WW ones. I'm currently doing SW alone (only three days in mind you!) and I've found it easy so far, the only thing I will say is that you have to do a lot of homework and prepare lots of lists and things, buy the magazine to help you and of course ask anything on here. I brought a seperate notebook to write down all the food lists in. Do you have any of the magazines, leaflets, directory etc left over from last time? You can get directorys from ebay but they are a little more expensive than in class. You can do it on your own, but the thing is you do have to really, really want to do it, and be prepared to put that extra effort in with researching all the syn values of things that you like to eat, making menus, writing a food diary each day etc.

But if you are determined to do it, then you will xx

I am doing SW at home and I did last year as well. I have had mixed success. This time my head is firmly in dieting zone. These are tips which I have found useful;

1. Even though you are weighing on your own scales, choose a WI day and stick to it, dont get on the scales intermittently because your weight will fluctuate. SW Consultants only weight you once a week so adopt that approach at home.

2. Measure everything it is amazing if you have never done this, to see how big/small certain portions are.

3. Use all the resources you can, Minis is great for syn values, recipes, tips and tricks.

4. Write your food diary as you would if you went to class and count your syns properly. This time I am, last time when I did SW at home as I felt I could "get away" with it and this plagued my success. There is a forum on here for SW food diaries and you will find others doing SW will help and advice if needed.

5. SW is a change of lifestyle. you need to plan plan plan. Plan your meals, ensure yur home is packed with SW friendly food. Batch cook SW friendly meals for you and your family so you can defrost one and cook one like you would a convience meal etc..

6. Have a goal and focus on that. We are coming up to the hardest time of the year so keeping that goal is important to keep focus.

I believe that if your head is there then you can follow any diet any where. All you can do is try to see whether SW at home is an approach you can maintain.

Best of luck xx

I'm going it alone too. I started on Tuesday this week and so far it has been fine although I realise it's very early days. This forum is great and has been a great help this week (although i've spent far too much time online because of it)!!!!! Good luck!

Hiya

I don't have a class where I am, or I don't think so! So doing it alone. Been doing it since January and have lost 3 stone 4lb so far. Perhaps not such a big loss as anyone going to classes but I'm pleased with what I have achieved.

As I work strange and long hours in the summer I just ate sensibly (lost 7 pounds) and am now back on track again (until next summer!).

I do the recipes from books that I have bought and recipes that have been posted on here.

I'm really focused at losing weight and don't want to go back to being "huge" again, so keep plodding at home.

OH is supportive as well as the people on here.

Sue

Best of luck going alone - and as someone said you need to keep strict rules so you weigh in each week at the same time, keep food diaries!

Take care - xxx

I'm doing it alone too,cant afford to go to classes. with the help of a borrowed book,the help on here and the SW website . It can be done

Thank you all for these replies- very useful and I am going to take the planning aspect on board+++
You are all doing so well.
I made a really nice free soup today and plan to keep warm with this whenever over the next few days.

I have started today and seem to be fine (so far so good)

I too am really enjoying reading the posts and getting inspiration.

Thanks all. Jenny

Hey, i have been roughly following the slimming world diet throughout my pregnancy just to try to keep my weight down i was 212 when i fell pregnant, It really does work, i am due to give birth on the 24th of Nov and i have only gained 2 pounds in the whole of my pregnancy, the average woman is meant to gain 20 pounds during pregnancy, i truely believe if it wasnt for following my slimming world recipies and books etc i would be the average woman!!! I make huge bolognaises and shepards pie using quorn, i make my own pasta and curry sauces and enjoys eating lots of noodles and jacket potatos! I cant wait to give birth and see how much i now actually weigh, I think sticking to the plan over christmas is going to be hard but i think if we want it bad enough we can all do it! Good Luck ladies xx

i am losing weight without the group = i dont think it matters what you do, you have to be mentally ready to make a committement to yourself

I too am doing SW from home and doing well. I tried to do it from home before - stuck to it for a couple of weeks (and lost weight) then fell off the bandwagon, and put the little bit of weight I lost back on plus more! I totally agree with ilovelife about making a commitment to yourself, I know now that my heart wasn't really in it the first time round. This time however I'm very determined to get to target, also my OH is being very supportive and he knows that reaching my goal means a lot to me.
Good luck!

I too, dont like the classes. One aspect is the money (fab idea to give to charity instead) although I do understand that SW is a business and consultants are doing their job. My other aspect is the time.....there is alot of waiting around, queing etc and even then you might have a theme that night that you're not interested in (eg for me it was if the class talked about red days... not eating meat, I didnt want to spend a whole hour listening about it!). I've just started this time going it alone and I'm pleased to be doing it alone and not at a class. All the best, I'm sure you'll do well x

I've been going it alone since May, with the just the help of this forum and the lovely people on it, and I am losing weight so it can be done, so good luck to you.

Lots of people successfully follow SW alone, as long as your head is in the right place then it can be done, as can any plan.
I applaud anyone who can do it alone, I know I couldn't. I've gone to group every week without fail for 2.5 years now and I know if I didn't go then I would put the weight back on.
For me the benefit is twofold - I need the threat of the scales to keep me on the straight and narrow and also the social aspect, I love my group and have some fab friends there, I think you miss this if you don't go to group but it's each to their own and I know people have different reasons for not going to class.

When did you last do SW? It may be worth popping along to the group for one week, rejoining, paying a tenner and getting all the new and latest books and then following it on your own.

Good luck whatever you decide hun. xx

I go it alone as I cant afford the class at the moment. You really have to be focused as the others have said, as you wont have the threat of the scales each week looming over you and its all too easy to "miss" as weigh in!.
I miss the classes as I got a lot out of them and I feel for you that you havent had the experience of a class that so many of us here have or have had. Once I can afford to go again I will, but saying that, I will probably be at target before that happens!!! Lol
You can do it Hun.

xxx