8 stones to go... I'm in for the long haul.

Suseka

Full Member
Well, I did it - joined my local SW group this morning after months of deliberating and trying to persuade myself that I can go it alone. I've been telling myself that for goodness knows how many years -as each stone has stealthy crept on until I've managed to become the heaviest I've ever been.

I can't pretend my start weight was a major surprise -but it didn't make it any easier stepping on those scales. I lost weight many moons ago with SW - back in the days of the good old 'red' and green' plans. Did it as many others do, to lose weight for my wedding and I was so happy when I got to target (a very distant memory). I even rejoined SW a little over a year ago - managed to stick it out for a couple of classes and used the excuse that I just couldn't get my head around the new 'extra easy' way of eating to drop out. The awful fact of this and all the other 'diets' (SW, WW, VLCD) I've dabbled with over the years is that I've regained weight plus some (oh dear, many pluses) because I've never really learned how to maintain - just viewed each new diet journey as just that - a diet with an end goal -whereas, of course, this has to be a way of life really.

Last year I hit a moment in my life when life itself was just too hard to face... that was a very dark time! I'm over that now and realise that if I carry on as I am now I'll just continue to get bigger and more unhealthy and we all know where that leads in later life (not that I'm a spring chicken as it is :) )

I don't for one minute imagine this is going to be a 'extra easy' (excuse the pun) and I'm sat now whilst typing wondering if I can really do this this, but I'm determined to give it my best shot. Nothing to lose and everything to gain (as long as its not 'gains' on the scales).

So, I'm starting a diary if only to force myself to face reality and hopefully so that I can keep on track -and besides that I'm someone who likes a natter and if my journey helps or inspires anyone else - that'll be a bonus.
 
Hi and welcome,

Good luck with your first week you will see fab losses. Make sure you write on here aswell
What you eat keeps me motivated
 
Welcome in! :D

I find keeping a diary on here really helps. :)
 
Thanks peeps for the welcome and kind words. I'll head over to read your diaries when I get a good spell of time to meander through them and imagine I'll get plenty of inspiration from you all.

I'm certainly expecting a weight-loss -but probably won't be a good as it could be in week 1 because I hate to throw food away and I've a few 'not so slimming-world' friendly foods to use. I just didn't want to wait a whole other week to join, but I'll keep myself as SW friendly as I can over the next day or two. I'll be adding lots of veg to my meals, whatever they may be, and from Monday I'll be full on.

Going to do a SW shop over the weekend and stock up on the cupboard staples, yogurts, fruit and things I can take to work for lunch. I like salads, but to neveryday - so I'll need to do some research on some hot food choices that are quick and easy to make (we don't have a microwave to reheat food in :( ) I've started to do some 'visualisation' -imagining how I'll look/feel just 1 stone lighter -and I'm off to visit family early Sept, which is motivation enough! They will be a little shocked, although mercifully too polite to say so, when they see how big I am. I've put on a good 2 stone since my last visit :(

Anyway today for my brekkie I'm going for weetabix and semi-skimmed milk and I've bought one of those small 'Chilly' bottles so I can keep nice cold water to hand. I'm going to watch Youtube videos made by SW'ders over the weekend too - there's one in particular (weigh-in time) that looks a bit of fun. They'll be plenty others I'm sure.
 
Well it seems I'm definitely in for the long haul... just back from my first weigh-in and I didn't even lose a pound, not one pound :( Now I admit that I didn't start properly until Monday, but I have stuck to it since then. Okay, so my consultant says I need to eat more food in general and more speed food each day. I realise I hadn't had much speed or much food on my plate for that matter - but part of that is a psychological thing I'll need to overcome. I know the whole food optimising methodology works (well it did back for me back in the 'old' red and green days), but I can't get my head around eating red (protein) and green (carbs) on the same plate :confused: Even with that taken into account - seriously... not one measly pound, so I scarpered and didn't stay to group. Couldn't face the round robin of whose done what and having to admit my first week was a washout.

I am pretty gutted - but I'm not throwing the towel in just yet (well, would be daft after just one week). As the saying goes - tomorrow is another day.
 
I am pretty gutted - but I'm not throwing the towel in just yet (well, would be daft after just one week). As the saying goes - tomorrow is another day.

I think it's likely due to the fact that you are used to the old red and green. Extra Easy is quite different. I reckon that once you get your head around this plan you'll be losing in no time. Do you write down all your food? Also, if you put your food on here daily, we might be able to offer a bit of advice. :)
 
Thanks Wolf. Your right of course and when I think about it, that's how I was raised -on meals (lunch/dinner) that was always meat, veg and potatoes. What I need to do is plan my meals better - which I tried to do last week, but wasn't that great at it. I'm going shopping for lots os SW friendly foods at the weekend and bought the 100 EE meals book from group yesterday, to give me some ideas. I've watched lots and lots of SW youtubers - a couple really stand out and they eat varied and very appetising food and their weight-losses are amazing.

I've gotten over my 'feeling sorry for myself moment' and so far today have had:-

Breakfast: muller light yogurt and banana (woke late, so no time for a proper brekkie before work)
Mid-morning snack: apple and satsuma
Lunch: ham salad (tbsp salad cream and I know I need to syn that)
So far no HEA or HEB

Plan on having rice, mixed veg and chicken for tea and will have dairylea light triangles with some ryvita for supper to get my HEA and HEB in.

Again I realise that's not much speed or syns but am working on it! Will do better over the weekend and into next week. I also need to up my water intake :)
 
That all looks really good! :) As far as syns go . . . I tend to use mine more often for "quality of life" improvements (mayo with spicy wedges, milk/flour for a white sauce, gravy etc) or for drinks (I have an addiction to apple juice so that's often a nightly treat for me). Syns can take all sorts of forms, from chocolate to salad dressing, but don't feel like you have to force them in there. :)
 
Thanks Wolf - I had a read of your diary thread and found it inspiring. You've done incredibly well and are proof that SW can be done without going to group. That's good to know if at some point I decide to go it alone. Also like how you lay out your menus, so hope you don't mind if I copy :)

So, my food choices for the day were:-

Breakfast
Scrambled egg and 2 slices of bread (HEB)

Lunch
Mugshot (Macaroni) 2 syns

Dinner
Chicken, dry fried green, red peppars and onions, pitta bread (7 1/2 syns) mayo (1 syn)
Small mixed salad

Snacks
Mullerlight
Apple, Satuma

Total syns = 10 1/2
 
Well done on picking yourself up after that weigh in. From the sounds of it you have your head in the game, I love the idea of visualisation of 1 stone lighter!

I'm in a similar boat with being a former Red/Green day SWer. Something I find is really good for sneaking in lots of speedy food is Bolognese/Chilli. Throwing lots of veg in :) it also helps if you have some veg nearing the end of it's best by date to make casserole.
 
Welcome back! x

Have you tried the naked noodles? I got fed up eating mugshots and have moved on to these haha. The singapore curry ones are free and full of flavour! :)

Naked-Noodle-Slimming-World-3.png
 
Thanks Claire, I'll keep that in mind and hi Dr C - nope, not tried them before but they look yummy so I'll have to check them out. Also remind me that I must have a good read through the Pinch of Nom blog, lots of great foodie ideas on there. I've also found a site called 'Slimming Eats' that I've bookmarked for later.

Just got back from a Sainsbury shop - stocked up on some cupboard staples, veg, fruit and various meats. Disappointingly they don't sell many varieties of mullerlights; was looking for the latte ones I saw someone use on a recipe vlog, so guess I'll have to start shopping around a little. I'm not near a Tesco, but can get to an Aldi fairly easily, so will have a nosey at what they stock. I have to admit lunches at work are a bit of a problem for me (so I will look for mugshot alternatives) and whilst I do like salads, for me its not an everyday thing. We used to have a microwave in the staff kitchen area but it was removed because people just wouldn't keep it clean (yuck) which is such a shame and limits my choices and I wont be able to take any leftovers to work.

Anyways had bacon, poached eggs (x2) and tinned tommies for breakfast and plan to have a nice bit of steak with mushrooms and peas, possibly SW chips for my tea. Have a massive headache right now, so I think its time for some water, pop a few pills and lie down for a bit. Hope everyone else is having a super SW Sunday.
 
I spoke too soon....

Not a good day on Sunday - not at all!

Started out with best intentions which got completely blown out of the water when I met up with some friends in a 'beer garden' - dammit! The one, or at the most two, glasses of wine I intended to allow myself became 4/5 -pretty much equivalent to a whole bottle. Really cross with myself today and woke (deservedly) with a headache. Am straight back on it today, but I think I've scuppered my chances for a good weigh-in on Thursday. I really need to come up with a strategy to avoid this in the future. I enjoy a relatively active social life and don't want to have to shut myself away because I don't have the willpower to turn down that little tipple or two. I think for the next few months I'll just knock wine on the head altogether and choose a spirit with mixer if I simply can't stick to soft drinks (but will just have to try harder).
 
Sticking with low syn alternatives sounds good when out. I struggle with finding low syn/syn free choices for meals when out, only so many jacket potatoes you can have before going crazy lol!

Try drinking plenty of water to offset the alcohol :) I've heard that's good for helping weight loss.
 
Thanks Claire - have been glugging water all day, so fingers crossed.

Am cooking for one again this week so I'm not going to be that creative with my food and it'll be fairly basic stuff.

Breakfast
2 x shredded wheat (HEA)
Soya almond milk (HEB) - tried soya milk for the first time and have got to say I do rather like it.

Lunch
Mugshots chicken and sweetcorn
Apple, nectarine and coconut Mullerlight greek style yogurt

Dinner
2 x egg omelette with ham, mushrooms, spring onion and peppers
Mixed salad - lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber
1 tbsp Hellmans light mayo (2 syns) - couldn't find the lighter than light version

I've had a bit of a chocolate craving today so will probably have an options hot chocolate this evening (2 1/2 syns)
 
Hi and well done on getting back on it, it's hard to stay focused sometimes but you can do it :)

I lost the weight and maintained for a year before starting to gain again... I even got married but due to lots of things going on before it I wasn't at my slimmest for it which really annoys me... by the time I decided to seriously do something and start slimming world again I was back to my start weight before I'd lost any (to the lb) I'm determined to stick to it now and lose the weight and more importantly keep it off.


You can do this :)
 
Suseka have you considered weekly syns? So you just use 5 a day maybe during the week and use your spares for a few drinks or something at the weekend? It works better that way for some people and you don't seem to be using many day to day anyway. Life is for living and if you feel you can't enjoy yourself in a beer garden on a nice day then it will be hard to stick to. Just a thought :)
 
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