Thread: tips for a newbie

Hi there,
i have joined body optimise today as i did SW a year ago and lost 1.5st,
i have put half a stone back on and would like to lose about 3.5st in total.
I am really bad with the whol 'will power' thing and i just wondered if anyone had any tips for motivation.

Thanks a lot
Anna

hi anna *waves* im not very good with willpower, only on my 2nd week of slimming world but i am so surprised with how much u can eat and its tasty food aswell, i personally just take 1 day at a time and think of that day otherwise i think i would go a bit mad, thinkin of all the things i cant have, good luck to u x

I'm fairly new to SW but here are some things I've found useful.

I think the most important thing is to make sure you have your syns each day, it's been really helpful for me to have the daily treat. I don't feel like I'm depriving myself and I've started to get used to controlling my snack food habit!

Set yourself small goals between now and your target. There are lots of challenges on this forum to help with this, I joined the Countdown to Christmas challenge where I'm hoping to lose at least 30lb before Christmas. It's these small goals that help you keep focussed.

Be creative with food! If you get bored with your meals then you're likely to give up on healthy eating. I like to cook 1-2 new recipes a week just to shake things up a bit.

I hope this helps! Good luck

I find keeping a food diary on here really helps me stay on track. I think twice about diving into the fridge when I know I'll have to confess to the internet what a piggy I've been !

Hey Anna, best of luck with your journey

Some tips:

- Don't let one slip up ruin your day. So what if you had a slice of cake at a birthday party? Go home, work out the approximate weight, find roughly the relevant points in your book, and syn it. Pull back on syns over the rest of the week. Don't delve into the extra piece they packed up for you!

- Don't let one slip up ruin your week. Same rules apply!

- Keep a food diary, on paper if you want but definitely online. Others will notice things you take for granted - maybe you're synning a 4 finger Kit Kat as 5.5, when it's 2 fingers at 5.5.

- Join a challenge (there's one in my signature) and keep up with the posts on the thread - you'll see the willpower and motivation of others and you won't want to let the side down.

- Take before and during pictures. I upload a front shot and a side shot every Sunday night and it's good to go back to look at the changes. Sometimes I see no change, sometimes I notice my arms are slimmer - every little really does help. Put up a 'fat pic' somewhere you will see it every day. Or write 'minimins' on a piece of paper and leave at your desk. Even if no one else knows what it means, you will, and it will motivate you.

- Stock up on superfree and low syn food items, and don't even think of bringing anything naughty into the house. If someone else buys the naughty food, don't let it get into your tummy. It's theirs, it's not there to tempt you, it's there to satisfy their wants and needs. However, if you can change their way of eating even ever so slightly (Fry Light instead of oil), you'll feel a whole lot better, and so will they.

- At the top of the screen, there are three blue bars. In the middle of the middle blue bar, there is a link: 'Inspiration Slide Show'. Click this link, watch this slide show, and be amazed at the transformation of these people. They have reached target, and so will you. They had willpower, motivation, and the support of Minimins. You will reach your goal, you have done it before, you will feel miles better in yourself, your confidence will soar, and you will have the body you have always wanted.

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Hi and welcome I would always make sure that I am organised and having SW friendly stuff to munch on for when you are feeling naughty

Thank you everyone,
i love all your tips and will be trying them out
will let you know if they work
thanks again
x

I plan my meals a week ahead and make sure I have plenty of free foods in the house to snack on - it keeps me on track x

like clair said I like to plan too, make sure I have my meals planned a week ahead, make sure you have plenty of fruit and low syned snacks.
Don't beat urself up if you have any slip ups, everyday is different!

Good luck

Helen x