Feeling disheartened

Joolz1975

Member
Hiya,
I've been doing SW since 5th April and to be honest I am feeling totally disheartened. I started off ok in my 1st week, losing 4lbs, then 2lbs in my 2nd week. Week 3 I was on holiday from work and to be honest I didn't stick to it very well, but I didn't go mad and yet I still managed to gain 3lbs! Then last week I only lost 1lb despite expecting to at least lose what I had put on! I know some of you will be thinking that I should be happy with that but my sister has nearly lost a stone in the same time frame despite only doing slimming world for about 4 days out of the week if that. She has had takeaways and all sorts and I just don't understand why I am struggling to shift the weight. I am being really good apart from that off week, I am exercising too, which I never did much of before and I would expect that to help with the weight loss.

I read about all these people losing loads on SW and I really want it to work for me but I am worried that it won't. I am over 17 stone so I would expect that I should lose weight quite quickly. I am a vegetarian so do green days, do you think this could be why? I have a minor heart complaint (had it since birth) so really need to lose weight but I am beginning to lose faith. I feel better in myself, and I think that makes it worse I keep expecting to get on the scales and see a significant loss and when it doesn't live up to what I feel I am bitterly disappointed! I know I shouldn't compare myself to others but it is just so frustrating when my sister doesn't stick to the plan and still loses more than me!

Anyone got any advice? Thanks, Joolz
 
I am a veggie and only do green days too. I do however find that if I eat a lot of pasta or pasta n sauce then it does seem to make my losses slower that week so maybe you could play around with what you eat and see if that helps your losses.
I hope you stick with the plan because it does work. Good luck for the week ahead
 
There are people who come to my class who lose at least 2lbs a week and I used to wonder why I hadn't being doing that even though for the most part I stick to plan. The other week it dawned on me... I'm not them! My body doesn't behave the same way and my weight loss is personal to me.

The main thing is I'm losing weight... and no matter how slowly someday I will be at target.

How much excersise are you doing? There is a school of thought that your body needs to adjust to excersise and when you up it you will notice a slight leveling of the weight loss if that makes sense? Excersise is good though so don't stop.
 
... and of course, are you eating enough - plenty - lots! You should *never* feel hungry, the more you fill up on the free and superfree foods, the more the weight should come off.

It is very easy to subconsciously cut back on food as you are on a diet - but SW is not like any other diet. I hope you stick with it, you will get there - it does work :)
 
Hi Joolz

Sorry you feel so disheartened early on.

My view is that SW is not a quick fix diet. There are many diets out there which will help you lose weight quicker. If a quick drastic loss is what you are looking for, then you will always be disheartened with the SW programme.

If, however, you want a sustainable long term weight loss programme which will help you overcome any problem issues you have with food, then this is a perfect choice.

Competition is also a very destructive force when trying to lose weight, and however tempting, comparing ourselves with others will only lead to resentment and dissapointment.

I think it would help if you re-prioritised what exactly you want to achieve from following a controlled diet- short term AND long term goals. Once you have done this it may help you decide which eating programme is best for you.

If it helps, I only lose an average of 1lb a week- I have been doing SW for just over a year and have lost nearky 4.5 stone and ate like a king on the journey!- this worked for me, but you have to make your own choice on what is important to you

Good luck, mate
x
 
Once again, wise words from the Princess. This is your weight loss journey, not your sister's (sure about those takeaways?).

I worked out that in the time I'd lost 11lbs, someone else had lost 40 :eek: But I'm so happy with my 11lbs I really don't care. It's made a huge difference to me and that's all that counts.

SW is a way of viewing what you eat and changing it for the better. It's not a sudden weight loss system and I think it's all the better for that. Slowly and surely is a much stronger way of keeping the weight off in the long-term. Remember, doctors recommend 1-2lbs a week as a healthy weight loss.

Is your food diary up, Joolz? I lost hardly any weight to begin with and it was because I wasn't eating enough. I know! Go figure - a diet where you can actually eat too little to lose weight :D Give us an insight into what you're eating and perhaps we can help (whey-hey, I included myself amongst the Wise Women who helped me so much ;))

Good luck!
 
I agree with what everyone else has said to be honest.

Your journey is just that & everyone loses weight at different speeds, yes there are times when you feel like you are not getting the rewards for all your hard work but please persevere - it will be worth it in the end.

Make sure you are eating enough & also drinking plenty of water throughout the day. It may also be worth you filling in an SAS log, if you go to class you can ask your consultant for one. At one point I was struggling so gave one a go and within 3 days I had worked out what where I was going totally wrong, since then I have had regular losses & the weeks I have gained or maintained I know what I did wrong.

Good Luck & stick with it:)
 
I too have to agree with what everyone else has said. Everyone is different and the results we get at SW reflect that.

If you're doing exercise, you may inadvertently be putting a little bit of weight on each week - converting fat to muscle can result in weight gain, but will result in loss of inches! Rather than focusing on weight loss so much, have you measured yourself recently to see if your body shape is changing?

Also, exercise and the diet in general will make you a bit more hydrated than you probably were before - give your body time to adjust, and I think you'll see good results (although it all depends what you think is good I suppose!).

Good luck!
 
I have been doing SW since mid-Oct and lost 2 1/2 stone. There is a woman in my class who has been doing it since January and lost 4 STONE!!!:eek: It's quite bizarre to see someone lose weight that quickly and to be honest, I'm happy with my little bits of gradual loss. I can notice the drop each time in my clothes, etc. It's enough for me and I'm ecstatic just to be on the losing track... it's such a wonderful, positive thing that I've decided to do with my life, and the same goes for you. Don't be in a hurry. Let your body adjust as it goes along. Don't compare yourself to others and don't get obsessed with what the scales say (in fact, try not to weigh outside of class if you can). Your body shape will be changing, your metabolism, and your weight... there's all kinds of changes going on so to focus entirely on what the scales say is not giving yourself a fair trial. Stick with the plan and you WILL get there... who cares what everyone else is doing. You're doing this for YOU... :)
 
It is hard, but you know everyone's body works in different ways. It may help if you stop thinking of it as a diet, and more as a lifestyle change for good health for life with losing weight as a big bonus.

Easy to say though, I felt exactly the same as you at WI!!
 
We are all different and we all lose weight at different rates. There is a lady in my class who started the same time as me, and has lost over a stone and a half, and I am still struggling to lose 7lb.
I think its a lot better to take the scenic route, and lose weight at a slower pace, because the slower we lose it, the easier it is to keep off.
Even losing half a pound a week which I seem to be doing at the moment is a loss.
Don't give up. Watch your portion sizes, only snack between meals if you are hungry, not just for the sake of it. Sometimes we feel hungry when we are in fact thirsty.
 
You need to think about how much you have lost and not your sister. as others have said we all loose at different rates. you may find that your weight loss might be less to begin with and your sister's faster, but that might all change in a few weeks as your metabolisim changes. Plus i have been told that if you exercise, especially in the morning, it gets your metabolisim working and you will burn calories better.
 
Definitely do a food diary like a previous post has mentioned - will help you see where you might gone wrong, also be religious about measuring your Hex A's and B's otherwise you could be having extra syns without even realising...

I have taken nearly 7 months to lost 2 stone and a month or so ago I was close to throwing in the towel because the weight wasnt shifting as fast as I wanted... but I stuck at it and got my 2 stone award yesterday!

On the subject of exercise - don't suddenly do loads of exercise that you're body isnt used to - try and build up your stamina gradually so you're body doesnt get a shock... this is where I went wrong! I went from doing nothing to exercising for 3 - 4 hours a week!

The worst thing to do is compare yourself to others in your SW group- you are doing this for YOU and not to compete against others... the longer it takes to lose weight, the longer it will stay off - that's my mantra!
 
I am a slow loser. I could cut out lots of things and lose faster but I couldnt sustain it, I'd end out having a blow out and putting on again. So slowly but surely, I will get there in the end. in the last 2 weeks I have lost three pounds, sticking rigidly to the plan and excercising 3-4 times a week and I am 21 stone, so it's very slow. I do have medical conditions which make it harder to lose weight, PCOS and borderline thyroid function but it might slow me down but it wont stop me. Dont compare your weightloss with others, you are your own unique person!
 
Hi Joolz, Sorry to hear you are down. it is so hard when you don't feel you are getting the loss that you deserve. I have been doing this since the end of Jan, and at times have despaired as I seem to lose 1-1 1/2 lbs a week, and have stuck to it 100% I then see people who seem to be straying and still losing-and at times i have felt jealous!! (not a nice emotion! lol). But here I am just over 3 months later and have lost two stone! I started at just over 17 stone and I feel so much better. I am also a veggie, and eat loads! lol! Please don't give in, you will get there. If you want a slimming world buddy i would be only too glad-would keep me on the straight and narrow too!! Good luck x
 
Try to think back about yor reasons for losing weight in the first place, do you really want to be back there?
As others have said, this isn't yur typical "eat a lettuce leaf and lose 6 stone in 2 days" diet! It's an eating Plan for life, it's to help you adjust your bad eating habits to healthy ones.
And say "sod everyone else!" who cares how quick your friends/rellies lose weight? What's right for them, isn't right for you! After all, you wouldn't expect to wear their clothes/shoes and they would fit you perfectly, so why should your bodies be the same!
 
hope you're feeling better about things.

at the end of the day some are hares and some are tortoises but if we stick with it we will all get there.

posting your food diary is a good idea as you will get chance to see if you are miscalculating anything.

good luck for this week x
 
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