Best weight loss plan for veggies/pescies?

Tinsel81

Full Member
Hi everyone! Was hoping someone might be able to give me some advice. I'm currently a weightwatchers member but can't get on with the new ProPoints plan. I enjoyed doing it, but only lost 1lb over four weeks: not sure if this is because I'm pescetarian (eat no meat except fish, though don't have it very often as partner is properly veggie) and wasn't eating enough protein. So then switched to the weightwatchers Simply Filling technique, which is better but quite restrictive and it is working out very expensive as a lot of the "free" foods have to be specific brands.

So I was considering switching to SW in the new year, but I have heard that those who only do green days find it harder to lose weight, and as a mostly veggie I won't be having any red days. Have dipped in and out of SW before, but never stuck with it long enough to see how my weight loss worked out. Do you think it is any good for vegetarians? I'd hate to leave my WW meeting only to have to go back cap in hand if I can't lose weight with SW!
 
Hi Tinsel

I think SW green days are perfect for veggies! You don't need to eat any branded food, it's cheap and the variety is enormous.

I have heard that those who only do green days find it harder to lose weight

I have not heard that to be honest and it is not my personal experience. I have never done WW so cannot advise you about chucking it, but I would recommend SW to anyone :)
 
Thanks silly sausage: if your losses are anything to go by I would do very well on greens! I suppose the thing is not to go mad with carb-heavy stuff just because it is free. I have less to lose as well, want to get down from 11 and a half stone (pre-Xmas weight: too cowardly to get on the scales this week!) to somewhere around 10, not sure if that will make a difference to my rate of loss.

I have an evil plan - I might try SW for a couple of weeks using the free 7-day plan from their site but still go to WW to be weighed, then if it is working jump ship, mwahahaha!
 
When I did the WW simply filling a couple of years ago it said you could use own brand versions of products.
 
Tinsel - my loss averages out at 2 pounds a week. The plan is great as long as you remember to stop eating when your are stuffed LOL

I am curious about the WW simply filling branded foods. On SW you do a lot of cooking from scratch. Using brands would suggest to me convenience foods. Is that right?
 
When I did the WW simply filling a couple of years ago it said you could use own brand versions of products.

Yes, I did it a couple of years ago when it was Core and lost a stone, but when they brought in ProPoints the SF option changed too. It is more restricted now: only wholemeal pasta (which I don't like) is free, not white; some bread products are now free but mostly WW-branded ones only; baked beans are no longer free unless they are Heinz, and various other things. Plus since it changed from Core to Simply Filling, WW have stopped offering proper support for it: it still exists as an option within their primary plan, but isn't discussed in meetings or included in recipe books, so I feel a bit lost.

There are two reasons I preferred WW Core to SW: firstly that I could always work out points for non-free foods using a calculator rather than having to look them up in a book, and secondly that I could earn excercise points which kept me on track if I had a night out planned. But since the support was withdrawn in meetings, I've found it hard to stick to.
 
Thanks silly sausage: I would be very happy with 2lbs a week! I am normally quite good at stopping eating when I am full, except when it comes to bananas so I limit those to one a day.

I cook most meals from scratch on Simply Filling, but some things I might use as meal ingredients only allow specific brands: beans and bread, for example. And while I know getting more fibre is good for me, there is really only so much wholewheat pasta, couscous and brown rice I can eat!

One thing I really miss after the changes to SF is pearl barley, which is no longer free. I often used that as the "meat" in stews etc. Also you are now supposed to point for stock, herbs and spices. I don't bother personally though, it's too much hassle to measure each teaspoon of dried thyme or whatever on a supposedly no-count option.
 
I found myself following the SF plan as I prefer being able to eat unlimited amounts of foods, so when I could get back to a class I switched back to SW as it allows a lot more flexibility for 'free foods', although I do miss earning extra points!
 
do you eat eggs? great source of protein...
I don't know how that fits into your "nothing must die for me to eat, except fish" personal view though.. technically nothing has died because the eggs are never fertilized..
 
I like eggs, partner can't stand them (says the smell makes him gag!). Not really an ethical veggie, it's more for convenience. Partner's been veggie for 20 years, he hates the taste of meat, and I keep him company, except for the occasional fish supper from the chippy. I feel healthier being veggie, as it forces me to get more fruit and veg in my diet. If I was worried about not eating any animal products I'd give fish, egg, milk, honey and cheese the push as well (become vegan, in other words).
 
Not that I wish to discourage you from coming over to the "light side" :D (waits for a slap from Starlight!! :D:D:D:D) but if you knew the original WW plan and that worked for you, is it worth you sticking with that?
SW is genius, it has certainly worked for me - but I just thought if you have all the original WW materials and that previously worked for you, it might be useful for you to just stick to the plan as was.
 
Thanks for the advice MadameLaMinx - I could stick with old WW Core, it certainly worked, and that is what I tried to do when WW stopped supporting it, but the truth is without the support of meetings I am a bit rubbish: partly my will power but also just generally feeling a bit lost and alone with no-one to share recipe ideas and successes with. When I tried going it along I plateaued and no longer had steady losses. I need the social aspect of the slimming clubs to motivate me I think, and I don't really get that when everyone else at meetings is following a completely different plan to me. I know, I'm rubbish! I think I will try a couple of weeks of SW and see how I like it before deciding to definitely make the switch. I'd do it right away based on what everyone here has said but I'm worried this is sub-consciously just another excuse to veer off track by making excuses about whatever diet I'm supposed to be following and going from plan to plan: my new year's resolution is to choose a diet plan and stick with it, for better or worse, so I want to be 100% sure SW suits me best in terms of livability and weight loss before making the commitment to it.

One question: can you count syns weekly instead of daily on SW if you prefer (ie 70 a week instead of 10 a day)? Or would that affect weight loss?
 
One question: can you count syns weekly instead of daily on SW if you prefer (ie 70 a week instead of 10 a day)? Or would that affect weight loss?

Some people do weekly and some do daily. It is whatever works for you. Personally, it doesn't work if I save them for a pig out at the weekend, but that's just me. It works well for loads of other people. See how it goes. Trial and error.

SW is a healthy eating plan you can do for the rest of your life if you fancy. Could be the last "diet" you ever go on. Good luck, Tinsel :)
 
Thanks for all your encouragement silly sausage, can't wait to start now! Going to switch right away, as everything I've eaten today has been fine for an SW green day anyway. Think I'll make chips, Quorn and mushy peas for tea, yum!
 
I am a pescie and did lose 17.5lb on mostly Green Days before my 5.5lb gain over Christmas!! I have been doing SW since November and tbh if I had stuck to the plan to the letter I could have been at target but I like my weekend drink too much lol!!

I have got all of my diaries in the link below, I have flirted with Red Days (using Quorn & fish instead of meat) and had fab losses on them and the occasional EE day although I like my extra HE's and I did a month on WW but prefer SW.

Good luck whatever you try! SW is fab and allows me to have a normal life too!
 
Thanks SaraC, that's really useful for inspiration! Going to start planning some meals now. Last time I did SW years ago I lasted 2 weeks, mainly because at that time I had a long daily commute and found it difficult to plan and cook my meals from scratch (still lost 3lbs though). However, I work from home now and never have ready meals anymore, plus drink less wine than I used to so think I will do well this time - scratch that, know I will do well! I will try a mix of green and original and see how I get on. Thanks again!
 
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