Desperate and Disheartened...

Baileygirl

Baileygirl

Full Member
Cross posted from Struggling section...

I have been a member of Slimming World since 2007. I lost, in total, 5 stone by June 2010 for my wedding (Slow but steady). I then had a bit of a phase where I just didn't follow the plan properly or at least half heartedly but managed to maintain my weight. However, following a succession of holidays/xmas/birthdays over the last 18 months I have managed to regain over 2 stone :(
I am fully aware of when and how I gained weight but my problem is that I just can't lose it.
After Xmas, I decided enough was enough so the last 8 weeks I have been following the plan properly, counting syns, weighing all necessary foods and generally choosing the healthier options. I've also taken up more exercise and 4 weeks ago started using kettlebells. I work out 4 times per week for 30-60 mins using various dvd's and if I've slipped or gone over my syns I will add extra sessions. (I have a holiday in April so I am very focused)
I have become very frustrated, especially when others in my class (and at home) report eating all kinds and still lose.
I took drastic measures 2 weeks ago and had the whole week as a superfree week (Only fruit and vegetables plus healthy extra's and syns) and lost 4.5lbs which I was delighted with but obviously can't keep up so went back on the plan and gained 1.5 the next week?!
I was also a SW Consultant for 3 of my 5 years as a member but had to leave due to the commitments of my "day job" so the response I am getting from those around me is that I "know the plan better than anybody" and to "stick with it, it will sort itself out"
I have had blood tests to check my Thyroid and Hormones and they were all normal.
I'm really at a loss, I want to shut myself in the house with the curtains closed and eat myself silly but I know that won't help me. This is really affecting me :cry::cry:
 
I found when I started to exercise I have gains and STS for the first 4 weeks then its started coming off regularly.

You probably shocked your body by having week just superfree but then thats not the plan is it? Maybe the week after it jsut kept hold of everything cos it didn't get what it needed the week before.


IMO you need to ask if you are doing the plan or are you 'kind of' following the plan.

I found when I had a period of STS that by changing my hex bs from scan bran/hi fi to 2tbsp olive oil for a week that got me back on track.

Sorry if none of thats helpful x
 
Oh hun - how disheartening

The only thing I can think of is that you are doing such a lot of exercise that you aren't giving your body enough fuel to burn fat - but then I don't know how that ties in with the week you lost 4.5lbs (although if you had little to no protein then that could have been the equivalent of a crash diet)

You could also be building quite a lot of muscle and there are some interesting threads about water retention when you start intensive exercise. What are your measurements like - with that exercise you may be staying the same but losing body fat - have you had that measured?

Are you drinking plenty of water to flush everything through and keep yourself hydrated?

Are you doing Extra Easy - what about a return to red and green days or trying more red than green - or even trying the old Mix to Max - green lunch to get rid of the carbs in the day and then a red tea?

I'm no expert but just a few things I can think of
 
I don't really have much to offer as my weight loss is now 3lb off in 8 weeks. I was excercising more and wasn't seeing difference on the scales or inches but I think that put me off so i convinced myself I wouldn't excercise. Reading posts over past while, a lot of people have taken few weeks after excercise to see movement on scales so when I am over this illness I aim to start excercise again. Also try red and green days too. Stick at it and am sure it can happen again for you x
 
Thanks for the reply.
I'd "kind of" followed the plan for the last 2 years but since the middle of January, I have followed it properly.
I've been regularly exercising for 4 weeks now and sometimes I really feel like i've lost even when the scales don't agree, but my inches haven't changed either!
I've lost the plot the last few days and stopped counting syns but think I need to get it out of my system and refocus again.
I was never a big loser but it is so tiring working so hard, being so good and not getting the results.
The week I lost 4.5, I made sure I was getting my protien by eating eggs, either in omelette or boiled in a salad.
Going back to standard plans might be an option, though original never worked for me. I just loved EE from the word go. (I got to try it before it was launched and lost 8lbs the first week!!!!)
 
Have you taken measurements? If you're doing the plan and all that exercise you must be loosing something from somewhere.

How much have you lost in total since you restarted after xmas?
 
Ah crossed posts, I see you have taken measurements. Are you doing EE? Have you tried throwing in some Red and Green days?
 
I really really feel for you.
As I have said in previous posts I have a real issue with certain class members that give it the old ''oooh I have had 4 takeaways'' and still lose - last week, for example, I listened to 4 people say things along these lines and they all lost a pound and a hlf - the same as me and I had worked so hard for it!
I put on half a stone at Christmas and am still trying to shift it! What I can say is that I have changed form EE to original and have managed to get rid of 4 pounds in the last 3 weeks. Sometimes, even though we may be following the plan 100%, our bodies just need a change.

I truly hope it sorts itself out for you - I ( as most of us ) have been there, done that and got the t shirt. xxx
 
Every week that I did exercise my weight loss was less so I might be worth trying a couple of weeks with none to see if it helps.
 
Thanks Bilsat, that may be an option but with my hol only a few weeks away i've got to do something!!! Especially as I know that I will be coming home a lot heavier (it's a cruise so food 24 hours a day, buffets, a la carte dining, cocktails) and as much as i'll say i'll be good....I won't lol.

Decided to go green. Starting today. Food diary ready to be filled in, recipe hunts underway. Am increasing my exercise too. Something has to change!
 
Baileygirl said:
Thanks Bilsat, that may be an option but with my hol only a few weeks away i've got to do something!!! Especially as I know that I will be coming home a lot heavier (it's a cruise so food 24 hours a day, buffets, a la carte dining, cocktails) and as much as i'll say i'll be good....I won't lol.

Decided to go green. Starting today. Food diary ready to be filled in, recipe hunts underway. Am increasing my exercise too. Something has to change!
Click to expand...

Why don't you do a food diary on here, up in the diary section in the sub forums at the top of the site, people can have a look at what you are eating and maybe see if there are any changes you could make etc

It's so disheartening when things aren't happening the way you want them to but you've done it before so you know you can do it again! :) x
 
How many syns are you having a day? When I was doing the plan before I was usually eating my max of 15 syns, and my weight loss was really slow. The last few weeks since I've been back on plan I have been keeping my syns under 10 (usually having about 8 a day) and that seems to be working for the time being - although it is still early days.
 
so sorry you're struggling baileygirl.... Really don't have anything different to add, just want to wish you the best. xo
 
I am going to say something controversial and probs get shot down for it lol
However here goes......

So you know the plan inside out, but how much do you eat? I eat a lot, i need to eat a lot as i have a big appetite and if i am hungry it doesnt work for me....
Examples of a typical day (pre pregnancy for me):

2 weetabix and skimmed milk (HEA AND HEB)
snack - fruit
lunch - a proper sized lunch, am lucky i work from home a lot so example might be cooked breakfast of 2 sausages (1-2syn), 2 bacon, fried egg, sw chips, mushrooms and tomatoes
or
fish, chips and veg + ketchup (1-2 syn)
Stir fry frozen veg with few frozen chicken pieces in it and noodles or rice (with sweet chilli sauce) - 1-2 syn

dinner
syn free - curry, chilli con carne, bolognaise with appropriate pasta/rice
stir fry beef, prawns or chicken with noodles or rice + blue dragon sauce (3-4 syns for kinds i pick, black bean, hoi sin, the tomato one)
fish / chicken cooked in lemon foil with potatoes and veg
casseroles (beef, chicken mainly) with veg and pots....

and i just discovered some delicious trifles which are only 2.5 syns so had a fair few after dinner.
and then i have the rest of syns as prpoper treats (chocolate, cake, crisps etc) or i used to have glass wine.

so the controversial bit - out of interest tot up the calories

breakfast - with 350mls of milk + 2 weetabix (rest of milk used for coffees) = 230 cals
example lunch from yesterday (fish fillet (164), medium potato (110), brocolli (30), carrots (7) = 311
snacks yest - shape zero (78), apple (72), banana (90) = 240
dinner -yest was the slimming world meetball curry (made from last months mag) with some spicy spinach rice (i calculated the cals - curry (266), spinach rice (185) = 451)

so add that up = 230+311+240+451 = 1232
if you add 10 syns (200 cals) = 1432 total

Your body actually needs 1200 cals minimum to maintain. Are you having too few?
the shock you give your body with superfree week probs was was closer to 800-1000 which is fine and why you did well. However when u went to eat more your body probs thought it better store some extra whilst food is available.

I think the people who eat out and have takeaways and several times a week get a loss as they probs are on about 1000 cals or less a week. am amazed when people have something tiny for lunch and say they arent hungry. then when they have an indulgence they probs have 2000 cals that day (cutting back on other stuff) and hence letting there body know that food is available so need to store it - then get back to it the next day.

I hope this makes sense. Please dont shoot my down for counting calories - i have done slimming world for 10 years now (maybe even 11) and i dont normally count calories (i started last week as want to make sure the baby is getting enough and i downloaded an app that tracks cals, protrein, carbs and most importantly calcium and iron) I dont think you should however count calories on the plan as what i love about slimming world is its easy. However i think its worth having a rough idea to check your meeting your bodys needs. I have always had a rough idea of mine (more like breakfast 250, lunch 400, dinner 400, syns - 200, synfree snacks 150 = 1400 rather than precise numbers)
 
There was a womeat my group who was just eating the same things each day and kept maintaining, she tried just changing what she was eating to have a variety and she now loses every week again?
 
Thank you so much everyone for the support. I've been to class tonight and was gutted to have gained 3lbs. At least this time I know why and its IS deserved. Unfortunately it means that i'm going to have to work sooooo much harder the next two weeks!!

I fell at the first hurdle with Green so after having a long chat with a consultant friend we've decided that success express will be better.

I will post a food diary in a couple of days as i'm working the next few days, every little helps as they say.

One thing I have thought about is changing group as I still attend the group I ran and I "brought up" the new consultant so I'm still very active within the group. I need to stop being a consultant and be a member again but its a hard change to make.

Geordie-lass, you raise very good points and its been something i've thought about lots over the years. I also had an app for calories though used it to control intake. I wonder if perhaps I should have used it to see how many i do have! Incidently, SW tells consultants that "not eating enough" is not a reason to have sts or gained whereas i've always encouraged members to eat plenty (of free and superfree) and they had great results.
The weeks I stuffed myself silly, i lost good amounts.

(ps, The curry recipe is devine! We've had it 4 times since we got the mag)

Lumps, My syns vary and i tend to use them weekly rather than daily but they do average at around 15 a day. I've tried using 10/5/0 and it doesn't seem to help so I may aswell have them.

So, after a very long post... Thank you all again, so much. Will keep those intersted posted xSx
 
geordie_lass21 said:
I am going to say something controversial and probs get shot down for it lol
However here goes......

So you know the plan inside out, but how much do you eat? I eat a lot, i need to eat a lot as i have a big appetite and if i am hungry it doesnt work for me....
Examples of a typical day (pre pregnancy for me):

2 weetabix and skimmed milk (HEA AND HEB)
snack - fruit
lunch - a proper sized lunch, am lucky i work from home a lot so example might be cooked breakfast of 2 sausages (1-2syn), 2 bacon, fried egg, sw chips, mushrooms and tomatoes
or
fish, chips and veg + ketchup (1-2 syn)
Stir fry frozen veg with few frozen chicken pieces in it and noodles or rice (with sweet chilli sauce) - 1-2 syn

dinner
syn free - curry, chilli con carne, bolognaise with appropriate pasta/rice
stir fry beef, prawns or chicken with noodles or rice + blue dragon sauce (3-4 syns for kinds i pick, black bean, hoi sin, the tomato one)
fish / chicken cooked in lemon foil with potatoes and veg
casseroles (beef, chicken mainly) with veg and pots....

and i just discovered some delicious trifles which are only 2.5 syns so had a fair few after dinner.
and then i have the rest of syns as prpoper treats (chocolate, cake, crisps etc) or i used to have glass wine.

so the controversial bit - out of interest tot up the calories

breakfast - with 350mls of milk + 2 weetabix (rest of milk used for coffees) = 230 cals
example lunch from yesterday (fish fillet (164), medium potato (110), brocolli (30), carrots (7) = 311
snacks yest - shape zero (78), apple (72), banana (90) = 240
dinner -yest was the slimming world meetball curry (made from last months mag) with some spicy spinach rice (i calculated the cals - curry (266), spinach rice (185) = 451)

so add that up = 230+311+240+451 = 1232
if you add 10 syns (200 cals) = 1432 total

Your body actually needs 1200 cals minimum to maintain. Are you having too few?
the shock you give your body with superfree week probs was was closer to 800-1000 which is fine and why you did well. However when u went to eat more your body probs thought it better store some extra whilst food is available.

I think the people who eat out and have takeaways and several times a week get a loss as they probs are on about 1000 cals or less a week. am amazed when people have something tiny for lunch and say they arent hungry. then when they have an indulgence they probs have 2000 cals that day (cutting back on other stuff) and hence letting there body know that food is available so need to store it - then get back to it the next day.

I hope this makes sense. Please dont shoot my down for counting calories - i have done slimming world for 10 years now (maybe even 11) and i dont normally count calories (i started last week as want to make sure the baby is getting enough and i downloaded an app that tracks cals, protrein, carbs and most importantly calcium and iron) I dont think you should however count calories on the plan as what i love about slimming world is its easy. However i think its worth having a rough idea to check your meeting your bodys needs. I have always had a rough idea of mine (more like breakfast 250, lunch 400, dinner 400, syns - 200, synfree snacks 150 = 1400 rather than precise numbers)
Click to expand...

More info on the trifles please!

Great examples of meals by the way - I always eat lots too x
 
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