Daisybell's collection of top tips to success.

[daisybell18]

Just over a month into my Slimming World existence and I have decided to start a diary of my own. I live in Austria and don't attend a group which left me in a bit of a vacuum even though I have joined SW online. There is quite a lot to take in all at once so I have found the advice on here invaluable, with so many people willing to share their experiences of what works and what doesn't. I can't keep track of who has said what, so plan to list the top tips I have gathered in my diary every week, so that I stay focused. I would love it if others would share what has helped them the most too.

The Most useful piece of advice I have received so far is:

"Eat plenty of free foods" which was given in the context of "surely I won't lose weight eating this much!" because as a newbie it goes against everything I believed about diets. This has worked for me every time, so far

? Eat plenty of free foods
?
?
?
?

 

[esmet]

If you cut the crusts off your whole grain bread you can usually have two slices as your healthy extra instead of one

 

[daisybell18]

If you cut the crusts off your whole grain bread you can usually have two slices as your healthy extra instead of one

Thanks Esmet. Great idea if you are a sandwich fan!

 

[daisybell18]

Another piece of advice is to commit to a challenge so that you are held to account. Personally, if I go public with a target I am far more motivated to work at it than something I decide to do on my own. This month I have walked more miles than I probably did in the last 6 months - even year if I am honest! And yesterday I gained the blisters to prove it! Who said exercise was good for you?????

? eat plenty of free foods
? make a public commitment to achieve a goal
? find crafty ways to cook and eat (Esmet suggests cutting the crusts off one slice of bread and double up)

 

[daisybell18]

Trying to heed the advice I've been given so far and ensure I have plenty "free foods". So far today I've had half a melon for breakfast, Tuscan bean soup for lunch followed by raspberry icecream ( handful of frozen raspberries mixed with fat free Greek yogurt and hey presto - instant icecream) tonight might be a bit more tricky as I am housebound by two horrendous blisters on my heels! Cant get my shoes on to go shopping. Omelette it is then.

 

[daisybell18]

Been thinking overnight about other things that I've been told that have helped my weight loss so far.

As you know I was getting frustrated by my slow weight loss ( I know any loss is better than none but I just needed a boost) . So I was getting on the dreaded scales everyday to check my progress. If I had lost I was more relaxed about my food intake that day and if I gained or stayed the same, I got miserable. In other words, being with SW was creating unnatural mood swings. The advice I was given was to STAY OFF THE SCALES. Easier said than done but it makes a huge difference to how I feel and my weight loss if I do. The scales are in effect my addiction!

 

[daisybell18]

Tips do far

Eat plenty of free foods
Make a public commitment to an exercise target
Find innovative ways to prepare your favorite foods
Stay off the scales between weigh ins.

 

[daisybell18]

Another day on my "no diet " journey. I find that keeping busy is a double edged sword. If I keep my mind occupied I don't think about food all the time but the downside is that it is easy to get absorbed in something and not eat proper meals. This in turn leads me to grab whatever is to hand and to crave quick sugar boost foods.

My solution to this problem is to plan what I intend to eat at least the day before. I find this way I know if I will be on green or original although I occasionally opt for extra easy when I want to combine carbs and protein. I use the online diary facility not as a log of what I have eaten but as a planner for what I will eat. I know what I need to buy and only get that (good for the budget too)

Does anyone else plan ahead r an I some sort of control freak!

 

[daisybell18]

]Tips do far

Eat plenty of free foods
Make a public commitment to an exercise target
Find innovative ways to prepare your favorite foods
Stay off the scales between weigh ins.
Use a food diary to plan ahead

 

[daisybell18]

I haven't been at this too long really and I know that at some point in the future I am going to fall off the wagon. Reading on this forum. I am begining to realize that if you are not careful one "bad" meal can lead to a bad day, week, month and worse. So what can. I do to protect myself? Will think about this one today.

 

[daisybell18]

Been thinking about how I will prevent myself falling off the wagon. First one is to eat foods I enjoy so that I don't feel hard done to by my efforts to lose weight. Second is to allow myself a blow out every so often if I want it. Not sure how often that would be. Once a month? Thoughts.....

I have found a way to make whippy raspberry icecream that is free food. I absolutely love this and it feels very decadent especially if I put it in a wafer cone.

 

[daisybell18]

Wanted to share with you how I indulge my chocolate fix. I am a confirmed chocoholic!

Every day I use my milk allowance to make myself a hot chocolate drink. I heat a mug of milk and add one square of very dark chocolate (at least 75% cocoa) and a sweetener. I think it works for me because I get a hit of chocolate that lasts longer than the second it would take to eat a square of chocolate. One second - who am I kidding! Nano second, more like!!

 

[daisybell18]

Today I am going to complete my revised exercise target of 15 hours. I originally committed to 10 hours as I joined the challenge mid month but reached that within two weeks.

I haven't been focused on my walking commitment though. Can't even remember what it was! That doesn't mean I don't walk but I haven't been wearing the pedometer. Live in city centre with no car so use public transport but also walk quite a lot. My excuse is the blistersI gained at the weekend which are still really painful and no amount of padding or special plasters is helping. Hopefully this weekend I will be fit again.

Thera band class today.

 

[daisybell18]

Sorry about the typos above. I use my ipad and it auto corrects, usually making nonsense of anything sensible that I try to say!

Should have read : " but use public transport" no idea where the spouse came from!

 

[daisybell18]

Haven't been taking notice of my own tips! Weighed myself three (or four or five) times during the week and was confident of at least a 2 lb loss and overnight I have gained a pound. I think it makes me complacent and I start to tuck into few more bits and pieces than I should. For example yesterday I had two handfuls of raisins. Didn't check the syns or add them to my total. Same with the spoonful of lime chutney I had with syn free curry ( or the poppadums). Still, reached my stone this week which means I can go and celebrate with a day at the local health spa.

 

[daisybell18]

Day at Therme Oberlaa in Vienna. The place was fantastic with hot pools inside and out and massage water jets dotted around all over the place. Don't know what it was but I was exhausted when I got home and I didn't even do any swimming! Was so hungry when I came out that I had to eat - the best thing I could find on the menu was a ham toasted sandwich (no cheese) so back to the gym today to work it off.

 

[daisybell18]

Haven't been on this thread for a while. I was staying with family for 10 days and it was all I could do to keep up with weigh in.

I still managed to lose weight whilst away in spite of a lack of exercise and a father who was hell bent on drowning my food in oil! Quiet persistence paid off on that one as I insisted on making my own version of the family meals. Mum and Dad lost 3lbs each the week I left and Dad is now wedded to the fry light bottle!

 

[daisybell18]

Lessons learned in last few weeks.

My free gym trial finished at the end of Feb and my best intentions to replace the activity with walking and DVD classes has not had the desired effect. I need variety and the wide range of classes at the gym gives me that. I miss the feel good factor that I got after a workout and even an hours power walk just doesn't do it.

 

[daisybell18]

Top tip. Make time for structured exercise.

 

[Ally89]

I'm subscribing to your diary to make sure you don't get on those scales