25 stone to 19 stone in 8 months.

[ladyfelsham]

Good to see you here, Helena Livingstone Seagull!

I have to say, I love SW - yes it is low fat low sugar, but you can still have treats - and because I'm over 20 stone, I can have quite a lot of them each day, should I want to.

All fruit and veg are free, ditto fat free yogurt and most flavours of Muller Light, ditto protein, pasta and eggs, then you have a small allowance of milk or cheese; and the same for bread or cereal or pulses, etc - and then syn the rest. And you can have fish and chips! But done the SW way - so no breading for the fish (unless you syn it) and hand made chips done in the oven using Frylight.

So it's all about cooking from scratch and it takes time to make meals, plus you have to have at least 30% of your meal as speed foods (fruit or veg) - but batch cooking helps, as does adding spinach to virtually everything. Plus they are releasing a range of syn free ready meals via Iceland from 18 Feb, so that might help ease you in if you don't fancy cooking every day?

I've been eating so well - and losing weight - so out of all the eating plans I've tried (and I've tried nearly all of them) I'm the happiest on SW.

 

[Bigbear]

Happy to read you're feeling more positive Helena.
Perhaps just a 15min boring excercise vid would be good though, because it's something you can commit to doing everyday??

Sounds like you're making lots of healthy choices for meals, and so I'm sure you will be rewarded for these in inches and pounds x

 

[PrincessSparklePants]

As proven by our wonderful Queenie Tracy, you don't have to do exercise to still lose weight so don't beat yourself up about it Yes it helps - and it DEFINITELY helps with maintenance but it is possible.

I do (on a personal opinion) think it's a good idea for you to do some sort of exercise, even just a walk around the block if only to get a bit of fresh air to try and help with your depression and a change of scenery.

The SW et al plan sounds like it could be perfect for you. Maybe even the little bit of "rules" might help you too? Might be worth looking into an actual plan? Would a group work for you? Particularly because of the weekly weigh in?

You have to do what is right for you. YOU are the person who this is for. YOU are the person who will be benefiting from your weight loss. YOU are the one who you are cheating either way. You CAN do it, you've proven it before - you just have to find out what works for you x

 

[TracyGWill]

As proven by our wonderful Queenie Tracy, you don't have to do exercise to still lose weight so don't beat yourself up about it Yes it helps - and it DEFINITELY helps with maintenance but it is possible.

I do (on a personal opinion) think it's a good idea for you to do some sort of exercise, even just a walk around the block if only to get a bit of fresh air to try and help with your depression and a change of scenery.

The SW et al plan sounds like it could be perfect for you. Maybe even the little bit of "rules" might help you too? Might be worth looking into an actual plan? Would a group work for you? Particularly because of the weekly weigh in?

You have to do what is right for you. YOU are the person who this is for. YOU are the person who will be benefiting from your weight loss. YOU are the one who you are cheating either way. You CAN do it, you've proven it before - you just have to find out what works for you x

Lol, that's very true Kym. It's dietary control that makes the difference for weight loss. Exercise is great for toning and general health, so if you can do both that's great, but you absolutely do not need to exercise to lose weight, so don't worry about that side of it if it's a problem, Helena. xx

 

[366to266]

how many bfs do you have you saucy lady?!!!

Four. But I only have s*x with one of them. I did do it (once, a year ago) with one of the others, but I found it/him mediocre at best, so we've gone back to being platonic mates now.

H x

 

[366to266]

All fruit and veg are free, ditto fat free yogurt and most flavours of Muller Light, ditto protein, pasta and eggs, then you have a small allowance of milk or cheese; and the same for bread or cereal or pulses, etc - and then syn the rest. And you can have fish and chips! But done the SW way - so no breading for the fish (unless you syn it) and hand made chips done in the oven using Frylight.


I've been eating so well - and losing weight - so out of all the eating plans I've tried (and I've tried nearly all of them) I'm the happiest on SW.

I must confess, my Lady, when I read that list my kneejerk reaction is, how can you lose weight on unlimited pasta? However, you say you are happy and losing on SW. If it works for you then surely it must work for me? Is there a plan all laid out on a webpage somewhere or do I have to buy a book? Don't ask me to join a club as I can't bear the thought, sorry :-(

I did OK today:

Breakfast: diced mixed fruits with live bio plain yoghurt. Pint of fruit tea.
Pint of Indian tea
Lunch: Big bowl of organic wholewheat pasta, topped with two chopped-up chicken breasts and 6oz spinach, cooked in a Homepride carbonara sauce (half a jar)
Pint of Fruit tea
Dinner: three rounds of ham sandwiches (made with half-size slices of wholemeal bread)
Pint of Indian tea
One Slimfast choccie bar

Helena

 

[366to266]

Thanks also to "Queen" Tracy and Kym and Claire... all lovely ladies :wave_cry:

Honestly, I found the only thing that isn't a total chore is dancing to music. It also lifts the spirits generally.

I will stick a Post It on my monitor to remind myself. It can be done in a chair to Youtube music videos whilst reading the news online. It can be done standing up for 3 minutes. And it can be done in the swimming pool, using the waterproof MP3 players.

i WILL get back to the pool. I feel obliged to go a few times before my membership runs out on 8th Feb. I am thinking of going tomorrow, in fact. Either than or sit in my cossie all day again .... :sigh:

I'm sure when the weather warms up it won't be such a struggle. I might be overeating partly because my body is just cold all the time, and as I said before, I hate being cold and that prevents me from feeling in the mood to go out of the house let alone strip off and get in the pool.

Let's see how good I can be in the week.

Thank you all once again.

xxx

 

[TracyGWill]

You can buy the Slimming World books online, Helena, on eBay. Or you can take out an online membership - you don't need to go to a group. You may find that it would suit you. I've never tried it myself, but have read a lot about it on here over the years. xx

 

[hershey]

Heres a free 7 day menu for slimming world http://www.slimmingworld.com/healthy-eating/non-vegetarian/day-1.aspx

 

[PrincessSparklePants]

I wonder if the library might have something similar too?

 

[kayleigh.rebecca]

Hi Helena. Iv never actually posted on your thread but I have read the entire thing and see how you struggle.
I'm doing weight watchers at the minute and I find it is going ok for me, but as I have been to slimming world umpteen times before I do agree with the others that it is something that could possibly work for u.
I have a spare book from the last time I went to class last year, if u want to message me your address I will gladly send it to u. People sell them on eBay for stupid amounts of money it's silly really when it costs 10 for the whole thing. Well It's gathering dust here and it could be the right thing for u! So just thought I would offer. Good luck with whatever u decide to do.
Kayleigh x

 

[ladyfelsham]

I must confess, my Lady, when I read that list my kneejerk reaction is, how can you lose weight on unlimited pasta? However, you say you are happy and losing on SW. If it works for you then surely it must work for me? Is there a plan all laid out on a webpage somewhere or do I have to buy a book? Don't ask me to join a club as I can't bear the thought, sorry :-(

Hi love - SW gets cranky with people posting the full eating plan on the forum, so google Slimming World Extra Easy and you will find stuff online, or take up Kayleigh's fab offer. I can understand you not wanting to go to a club (although I've been lucky, my club has a really nice bunch of people) but you can join online or just follow the basic principles and try it out.

And you're right of course - if you eat 42 huge platters of pasta every day you won't lose weight - but I've had extra helpings along the way and it hasn't been a problem. I really like it as an eating plan because nothing is off limits - want bread? Have some, just less of it (and you are given amounts - eg, one bread roll or 2 pieces of Nimble a day). Want chocolate? Fine - but keep to your syn limits. I worked out last night that I could have 8 HiFi bars (the SW variety - the Rocky Road is to die for) and still be within my syns - which are bigger than usual because I'm over 20 stone. I didn't have all 8 lol - but it was nice to know that I could!

Tell me what your favourite stuff is and I'll work out the syn values for you.

And you know what, your eating plan today is bang on SW Extra Easy, synning the extra four pieces of bread . So you're doing it already

 

[kayleigh.rebecca]

I find that a lot of people who just tend to be healthy actually do slimming world without realising.
And also, I just read my last reply to sound like I'm charging £10 for the book, I meant it only cost that for the whole pack and class and weigh in, so I wouldn't sell it on. I will send it just because I think it could help u more than it's helping me by being on the shelf. Kay x

 

[366to266]

Thank you lovely ladies for all the messages. I have sent Kayleigh a PM.

I've done OK the past two days with the meals, but I stupidly ordered a bag of treat sized chocolates with my Tesco order, that were meant to be one-a-day or at most 2-a-day treats, for about 80 calories each. However, they are so yummy, so of course I ended up eating 2, then another 2 a couple of hours later, then another 2 just before bed. SO, again 500 calories taken up with chocolate.

I have told myself that if I am tempted to eat a third after having two in a day, I have to throw the rest in the bin.

This morning I woke at 6am but stayed in bed, listening to Louise Hay on Youtube. (I recommend her audiobooks to EVERYONE!) And drifted in and out of sleep till noon. That means I have 1800 calories to spend over shorter amount of "awake-time".

I must confess I do get mentally confused about these different diets; apart from the ketogenic ones, surely it all comes down to calorie counting in the end? I'm interested in SW in order to get ideas for which foods to buy, what goes with what, and ways to cook things without fat or sugar, yet keep them tasty.

My plan for this coming week is to eat a main meal that is heavy on vegetables, with a ladle-ful of home made bolognaise sauce on top, with a sprinkling of low fat mature cheddar. I have in stock fresh onions and Brussels; frozen cauliflower, frozen mushrooms, frozen spinach, frozen broccoli.

My second meal will be chicken, served either on a a bed of salad vegetables, or diced into chicken soup, or diced and dry-fried and served with brown rice or wholewheat spaghetti and some Homepride carbonara sauce.

Third meal is a bowl of live organic plain yogurt with mixed fresh fruits diced up into it.

Treats are a pint of strong tea, and one or two Slimfast or Special K Chewy bars.

Non food things ... drink more water, listen to Louise Hay every night in bed, take my vitamins, go to bed earlier.

That's it for now.

Thanks for your continued support.

Helena xxx

 

[TracyGWill]

You're right, of course, Helena. All these diet plans have to eventually come down to creating a deficit in the calories you eat compared with those you burn. They just go about it in different ways. With SW, it adopts an approach of food optimising, where you're encouraged to eat as much as you like of certain types of food whilst limiting higher calorie items. So, for example, you could eat as much pasta as you fancy, but you can't smother it in loads of creamy sauce without using up or exceeding your "syn" allowance. Or you can eat certain types of bread, in limited quantities, as a "healthy extra", but if you want white bread, or a larger amount, it has to be "synned". Am I right here, SW users?! So it is basically calorie control under another name, but also focuses on getting you to eat more healthy stuff by means of the rules it imposes. It wouldn't work for me, because I don't cook, and won't give up chocolate and other naughty things! But I know it works for lots of people. xx

 

[366to266]

All these diet plans have to eventually come down to creating a deficit in the calories you eat

Hello Tracy

Well it would certainly be useful to me, as a source of ideas for low calorie foods.

I am still staggered by your amazing weight loss. You are an inspiration to so many people. If it wasn't for women like you, we could easily fall into the belief that this thing we are trying to do isn't actually possible. You make it possible. Please, never leave these boards. Mwah!


Helena

 

[366to266]

Yesterday was mixed.

Bad: I ate all the rest of the treat bars, after saying I would not. I think there were 4 and so that's 500c, plus I also had two Special K Chewies so that's 600c wasted on chocolate.

Good: There are now no more treat bars left. So that's that.

Good: Because I got up at noon and went to bed at 830pm, I only had two meals. One of green veg and brown rice with bolognaise sauce; the other was yoghurt and fresh fruit. So, even with the chocolate I kept to under 1,800 calories.

I also feel VERY much better in myself for spending so long in bed.

Also, last night I had a bit of a "spa treat" in my own bedroom, having a long, hot shower, expensive conditioning hair treatments, shaved my legs, done my hard heel skin, coddled myself with big fluffy towels and wrapped myself in a big white towelling robe. Sprayed my pillowcase with a special relaxing lavender spray, and snuggled into bed and listened to Louise Hay on Youtube. One good thing about a laptop is, if you unplug it, it switches off when the battery dies (in the case of mine, about two hours).

My plan for today is to drink more water (well, fruit tea), and split the usual huge portion into two smaller. Have already done this... just had a half portion for breakfast (cauliflower, broccoli, brown rice, topped with bolognaise sauce and a sprinkling of cheddar). Avoid stress, and have another early night with lavender pillows and Louise Hay.

Helena

 

[hershey]

Yesterday was mixed. Bad: I ate all the rest of the treat bars, after saying I would not. I think there were 4 and so that's 500c, plus I also had two Special K Chewies so that's 600c wasted on chocolate. Good: There are now no more treat bars left. So that's that. Good: Because I got up at noon and went to bed at 830pm, I only had two meals. One of green veg and brown rice with bolognaise sauce; the other was yoghurt and fresh fruit. So, even with the chocolate I kept to under 1,800 calories. I also feel VERY much better in myself for spending so long in bed. Also, last night I had a bit of a "spa treat" in my own bedroom, having a long, hot shower, expensive conditioning hair treatments, shaved my legs, done my hard heel skin, coddled myself with big fluffy towels and wrapped myself in a big white towelling robe. Sprayed my pillowcase with a special relaxing lavender spray, and snuggled into bed and listened to Louise Hay on Youtube. One good thing about a laptop is, if you unplug it, it switches off when the battery dies (in the case of mine, about two hours). My plan for today is to drink more water (well, fruit tea), and split the usual huge portion into two smaller. Have already done this... just had a half portion for breakfast (cauliflower, broccoli, brown rice, topped with bolognaise sauce and a sprinkling of cheddar). Avoid stress, and have another early night with lavender pillows and Louise Hay. Helena

That's all sounding very positive!!

Best thing with treat bars of crisps is not to buy them I make joe hide the crisps in the car so I can't get at them!!!

Your self-spa sounds amazing!! No wonder you feel better!!

You are one for eating all sorts at breakfast! I know I couldn't eat that but then in the past ive eaten left over takeaway so I don't know what the difference is!

I'm glad you are feeling in control again xx

 

[TracyGWill]

Hello Tracy

Well it would certainly be useful to me, as a source of ideas for low calorie foods.

I am still staggered by your amazing weight loss. You are an inspiration to so many people. If it wasn't for women like you, we could easily fall into the belief that this thing we are trying to do isn't actually possible. You make it possible. Please, never leave these boards. Mwah!

Helena

Thank you, Helena. I really appreciate that. my weight seems to have settled now at just over 10 stone, a figure which I could never, ever have imagined I would see on the scales , so please keep believing that it can be done! I wish I could tell you what it was that made me transition from thinking that I might as well give in to be morbidly obese and middle aged, to making the decision to take one more crack at my weight, but it's difficult to pinpoint. I keep expecting it to end, to go back to the old me who lived for eating huge quantities of calorie-laden goodies, but 3.5 years in, it doesn't seem to be - fingers and everything else crossed!!

You CAN do this, Helena. Take it one day at a time, don't set unrealistic targets, don't try to change everything at once, still allow yourself to enjoy your food. Eventually the new eating regime will gain momentum and become the norm - at least that what I've found. The way I've done it may not suit you, maybe something like Slimming World would be better, it really is a matter of finding the best way for you. xx

 

[366to266]

Tracy I would sooo change places with you if I could! You are my heroine. If you have any before and after photos I could have, I'd love to print them out and put them on my wall.

Because I write and publish books, a few weeks ago, when I had lost altogether 3 stone, it crossed my mind that maybe, one day, if I could lose half my bodyweight, I'd write a book about it. I spent a few minutes daydreaming what I might write in such a book, and then I forgot all about it.

Then, 5 minutes ago, I read your message and immediately thought "There is no need to write a book at all, Tracy has summed up the "secret" to dieting in one short phrase that I could print on a tee shirt or a drinks coaster for my desk":

"Take it one day at a time, don't set unrealistic targets, don't try to change everything at once, still allow yourself to enjoy your food."