Diary of a Newbie - I need your help!

indiebabe

Full Member
Hi All

I just thought I'd introduce myself as I joined Slimming World last night and although was extremely excited (and nervous) about going I was hugely disappointed with my group! :cry:

No-one at all friendly, leader was a bit vague and talked more about herself than really helping anyone, just not what I expected!:sigh:

Anyway, I have decided that as I am someone who REALLY needs some help and support if I'm going to get this weight off then some online help might be my best bet...so here I am!

So far, having read up on the plan I am excited about it and think it is going to be achievable - as long as it works? I am a total exercise-a-phobe, does the plan still work without a good dose of physical activity?

Just to tell you a little about me I am 25 and live with my very very fit 'I-can-eat-anything-and-never-put-any-weight-on' boyfriend. My weight has always been an issue for me but sadly when I look back at photos of the 20 year old size 10 me, I realise a lot of it was in my head. However, due to overeating since moving in with the bf and feeling far too comfortable right now I am about a stone and a half heavier than I should be for my height and am in a 12/14. I would LOVE to get back down to a size 10 and to weigh under 10 stone!! I work in health and just think it looks awful to be telling people to lose weight when I'm carrying extra.

I would just like to have a few years of my twenties, before we start a family, to just feel slim and attractive and not like a heffalump in my underwear!!

Anyway, that's all for now - any tips/words of advice/warnings on what I'm going to struggle with/just friendly hello's would be really appreciated.

Claire x
 
Hiya Claire

Sorry your group wasn't what you hoped for, I think a lot of it is pot luck. My group isn't the best, everyone is very cliquey, for a lot of them I think it's a social thing, but for me, I go to get weighed and stay for image therapy cos I'm paying 5 quid for it!! That said our consultant is pretty good. It helps that she is the mum of a childhood friend of mine, so she tries to keep me in the loop!!

This forum is definitely a good way to keep yourself in check. I find it's like talking aloud, writing your diary, no holds barred. If you read mine, you will find that most of what I write has nothing whatsoever to do with food, and more about whatever drama is going on in my life!!

Your goal seems pretty similar to mine, not a massive amount of weight to lose, just wanting to be comfortable in your own skin again. It's def not too much to ask!!

Good luck, and keep posting on here, I promise it will keep you going xx
 
Thanks for replying so quickly - it's good to know that I am not the only one who felt that my group was some kind of social event for some quite cliquey people! I imagine if the group is good it's a great support. Never mind though - as long as I have support I'm not sure it will matter what form it comes in!

I think you're right about the diaries and will definitely check yours out - it's just good to have a way of offloading, plus I don't want to bore my bf or friends by being one of those people who has nothing to talk about other than my diet!!

It's good to know that the diet works even for people who don't have a huge amount to lose...although it's funny, at the moment every pound feels like a massive mountain to climb. I hope that if I've lost at first weigh in then the whole goal will feel much more achievable. At the moment I'm finding it hard to visualise myself as a slim person again!

Good luck with your weight loss - hope you keep losing! :D

Claire x x
 
Day 2 and things are good, although was supposed to be going to zumba tonight but have been struck down by a kidney infection ( a recurrent problem). Weird to think that I'm on day 2 of a journey which could last for the next 6 months at least! Scary!!

Just need to work on changing my frame of mind, definitely have the wrong mentality about weight loss and am hoping that this will help - I need to get my head around the fact that losing weight doesn't have to be instant results or you've failed, but that it can take months or years to get there. I think I know that, but actually doing it and sticking to the plan if I don't have huge losses is going to be my test. I'm sure many others are in the same boat...
 
Hiya Claire

Have just come back from my second WI and my first week I lost 2lb and another 2lb tonight so if I can carry on like this I will be happy. I am just taking it a day at a time at the mo but have been told that planning is the key to this diet. My group I must say is really friendly and I get a lot out of staying, after all it has cost me a fiver lol

My C told me I was not eating enough syns so may have to up these - probably have around 8/9 and apparently having these helps with the weight loss lol.

Keep at it xxx
 
Hi Claire

I joined SW two weeks ago, along with a friend so that makes it bit easier for me, but we also found that the group is not friendly - what is that all about!! There is also a couple of people who go and stay to image therapy and talk to each other all the way through - how rude! I'm bordering on standing up and clicking my fingers and pointing at them and telling them to shush! Don't let the people in your group put you off though, its only an hour a week and will be invaluable to your diet. Any other support you can get from all the lovelies on here :)

Have a good week.

xxx
 
Hi Claire

I joined SW two weeks ago, along with a friend so that makes it bit easier for me, but we also found that the group is not friendly - what is that all about!! There is also a couple of people who go and stay to image therapy and talk to each other all the way through - how rude! I'm bordering on standing up and clicking my fingers and pointing at them and telling them to shush! Don't let the people in your group put you off though, its only an hour a week and will be invaluable to your diet. Any other support you can get from all the lovelies on here :)

Have a good week.

xxx

This is exactly how it is in my group - it really irritates me, since I'm not there for a social outing. I'm a relatively shy person, so even going to the class on my own is a bit daunting, but it's always a bit worse when there are a group of women cackling over the other side of the class all night long!!
xx
 
Hi ladies!

Suki meg, well done on your weight loss. It's so inspiring to hear that it works and this is worth doing! That's really interesting about your syns...I wonder if anyone else had had that said to them? Ive had 4.5 syns a day the last two days, not coz I was purposely trying too - that's just how it fell. Will def work hard to up them though if that's the advice!

Maverick and saddle bags, such a shame about some groups not being what you expect, do you think image therapy is useful even in a less then helpful group? I didn't totally take to my group leader either which didn't help. I am planning to stay to image therapy for my first couple of weeks at least but I found it a little patronising. Is it like that in your groups or do you have good group leaders?

Also (sorry,rambling now!) I think group was hard coz I was the only one there alone, I wonder if it makes it harder/easier to do it by yourself?

Thanks again for your advice and chat ladies, it's really helpful! x x
 
Hiya

Well I do stay to image therapy as I'm paying for it so will stay - that's the tight Yorkshire coming out in me!! When I joined I paid for 12 weeks up front - you get 12 for the price of 10 - so I'm staying. Plus our Consultant is good, she does a raffle too for slimmer of week and just a general raffle. It's only 50p for a strip of tickets and she really does give a good prize - last week SOW got full ingredients to do a stir fry. She has been in the same boat as the rest of us so always says she wants to help us reach our goals which is nice. I think she just gets fed up with people in class, and I do too, when she is going round everyone on their weight loss and asks what they want for next weeks loss. A lot of them say just to maintain cos I'm out Fri, Sat blah blah blah. I feel like saying you're happy to maintain every week don't bother coming cos it's same ones everyweek that say it. Don't know why it bothers me but it does!!

I would try and find a different group if you're not confident with your consultant as she is going to be a big part of your journey really if you're staying to class. Have a look on SW website, you don't need to register or anything, put your post code in and it will bring up classes in your area. I bet you'll be surprised as there is bound to be more than the one you attend. Good luck xxxxxxxxx
 
I go on my own, not really sure if image therapy works, other than everyone clapping when you lose i don't get that much out of it. There are always soo many people in our group it takes ages to go round everyone, so nobody ever talks about new recipes etc... I want to keep going to image therapy for a couple of months, but will prob give it up eventually, maybe take up some exercise instead lol xx
 
I know what you mean Maverick there are loads in our class too and it does take ages to go round the class. She is doing two classes on the same night from next month. One at 5 and one at 7 which should make a difference - I hope!

It does make my and my mate laugh though when we all clap, it feels like we should be at an AA meeting, stand up say your name and sit down and everyone claps you. We also laugh cos one of the girls is called Lisa-Marie so when she says her name we turn to each other and whisper Presley and another girl Donna - we say kebab! Sad I know, but these little chuckles get us through our image therapy meeting. But like you say you don't really get much out of them do you which is a shame. :D
 
I'm not sure about the clapping when you lose thing, I think I'm a bit uncomfortable with the whole clapping concept - does def feel a bit like an aa meeting!

Am having a weird diet today - didn't eat much this morning and then got busy at work and ate really late so was starving! Made sure I ate off the plan though but was so tempted to just have cheesy chips!! Now am totally stuffed and am going out for a drink with a mate at 7pm, need to eat before I go but not sure what to have that will fill me up without just making me feel bloated!!

Just a random question but do you know I we count supplement as syns? I take 400mg of cranberry a day due to a stupid bladder thats always got an infection and am not sure if I should be syn counting these? x x
 
Hi Claire, I've just joined on here today but been on SW for 5 weeks and lost 9.5lbs, also not a massive amount to loose started 165 and goal 133 ... I go to group with my cousin so have somebody to sit with between weigh in and image therapy, but would have been daunted on my own. But believe staying to group does help
 
Hi Claire

I just wanted to say don't judge your whole group by your first night!

When you first join, you really don't know what to expect, and you're bound to feel a bit like a fish out of water.
Also, when you have been sitting in the "New Member" talk, everybody else has already been sitting and chatting, so they're kind of mid-conversation by the time you want to join in.
That can make you feel as though they're a clique and you're an outsider.
I certainly did. And I thought the people weren't friendly.
But I didn't know them, cos they'd been going for a while, and it was my first time.
Maybe when you go next week, when you just weigh in like a regular member, and then sit around waiting for Image Therapy to start, you might get chatting to somebody.
And the next week it might be somebody else.
Before you know it, you'll find you know lots of them, cos we really are all in the same boat, and all want to encourage each other.

I have to say not all the groups are great. Mine isn't, and I'm not impressed with my Consultant, but it really is the only one locally that's at a good time for me, so I've kept going. And as I've got to know some of the people there, it's made a big difference to how I feel about it.

I'll bear in mind what you said though, and try to be deliberately friendly to new members.
The trouble is (and it's unfortunate, but true) that quite a lot of people turn up, come for a week or two and give up. So maybe people don't always talk to the newbies until they know whether they are stayers!
And I'm not very good at being sociable, I'm afraid, and find it quite difficult to talk to new people, so I often don't do it until I've seen them there quite a few times.

So - give it a few weeks, please, before you judge!
 
Hi JimofTroy

Thank you for your message, I'm sure that you are right about other people not maybe having the confidence to chat to new people. Im a very chatty and friendly person and made an effort with a few people but got little back - you are probably right though about the fact that they are so used to new people coming and going that they just don't see the need to make much effort!

I think it was more the group leader I felt disappointed in bur she may have been having an off week! I will certainly stick with it and try not to judge too fast, thanks for putting me in my place :)

Sorry to hear that your group isn't great though, I guess as long as you have the support from somewhere that still helps even if it isnt from the group

Hope your weight loss is going well

Claire x x
 
n0n1x said:
Hi Claire, I've just joined on here today but been on SW for 5 weeks and lost 9.5lbs, also not a massive amount to loose started 165 and goal 133 ... I go to group with my cousin so have somebody to sit with between weigh in and image therapy, but would have been daunted on my own. But believe staying to group does help

Thats good to know - well done you!! 9.5lbs in 5 weeks is great! Are you enjoying the diet? And are you finding it easy? x x
 
Where is your group?
If you put your location in your details, you might find there are people here local to you who can recommend which groups are better than others.
 
JimofTroy said:
Where is your group?

In Birmingham. There are others I could attend but like you the time and location really suit me x
 
Hi there, Sorry to hear about your experiences in group. I used to go to S W many years ago, got to target and thought I could go it alone, piled on loads of weight back to where I was before plus interest! Enough is enough I said and started back with a different group this January. My c is fantastic, loads of support, very chatty and friendly and texts us all every week with support and encouragement. She told us to text her or call anytime if we need her!! It does take courage to walk into a room full of strangers but and I go on my own and started talking to others who joined with me. Yes there does tend to be a bit of a clique with members who have been there a long time but they seem friendly enough and I do try to engage with them. We had a tasting and Mr and Mrs quiz ( well couples quiz) last week. The c put in a lot of effort and the cheesecake one member made was delish!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think Image Therapy is essential really, well thats my feeling because you get so much feedback and support and knowledge about supermarked syns and recipes etc. Also handy hints about various foods and little tips to help along the slimming journey. I am sure you will find the longer you are there the more comfortable you will feel. And yes I feel too that as I paid for a 6 week countdown I am going to get my moneys worth, not just going to get weighed which I could do at home. My c also has lots of files with recipes in which we can take. Cant praise her enough. You will get a lot of info and support on here too. Good luck, hope this helps:wavey::wavey::wavey:
 
Hollysnan, your c sounds amazing!! I am in the early days so maybe I will be pleasantly surprised by the support if I stick with it!

It must be hard to know that you have done all this before - I am worried about that, I want to lose weight but I know how easy it will be to put it back on once it's gone! I have seen my mum yo yo diet ever since she had a hysterectomy (for medical reasons) about 10 years ago and it's really disheartening for her. I've got some lovely sw recipe books all from mums previous experiences with it!

I am def going to stick with my group and image therapy for now, I just hope it improves :) x x
 
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