how to stick at it

[ladyofthehouse]

How do you manage to stay on the diet when you have a large amount of weight to lose ? I need to lose 6 stone. I've yo yo dieted for the past 15 years. My most successful weight loss was with Slimming World , but every time I give up I put 1/2 a stone back on. I've just been offered a gastric band on the NHS. In some respects is seem really drastic when "all'" I've got to do is to stick to a diet. But as anyone knows, its just not that simple. I'm scared witless and just want to see if I can gain some inspiration to have one last attempt at the diet before I take the plunge. Has anyone any tips or advice , please ? I'd REALLY appreciate the input . Thank you :wave_cry:

 

[Blaze]

I don't have any advice, but I couldn't read and not post something. :hug99:

 

[x.squiggy.x]

If you have the determination to do it the SW way i would do that..personally. But you really need to think what is best for you. Do some research which includes opinions of other people that have had a gastric band and weigh up the pros and cons! good luck whichever you decide x

 

[IanH]

I second the idea of doing the pro's and con's list - but do it for both the band and rejoining Slimming World.

How many of the "cons" can be converted into pros with just a bit of thought.

As to how to stick with it - firstly (and this takes time) - remember that Slimming World/Food Optimising is not a diet but a lifestyle change. You are changing your life for the better.

Always keep in mind what you want to achieve out of loosing the weight as well.

Maybe keep a journal as you go along - of the changes you start noticing in yourself - confidence, energy, clothes size, anything that you attribute to loosing weight (just as a reminder when things maybe get tough).

Set yourself realistic goals - you didn't put the weight on overnight, and it's not going to come off over night - work towards the little targets rather then thinking about the larger one from the get-go. It makes it easier to think "I'm only 5lb away from my next award" then to think "I'm 5st9lb away from my target". One is achievable in possibly a month, one is achievable maybe in a year - which ones makes more sense to aim for right now?

 

[daisykins]

Sorry I cant give any good advice. I would love to know how to stick with a healthy eating plan.
It seems to me once you have a problem with weight its a life long battle to keep it under control!
I think for me my weight and eating become a problem when I stop weighing myself, because the moment I do means facing up to the weight I put on. Then doing something about it
Best of luck whatever choice you make x x

 

[lazergun]

i have a total of 6st to loose also and i just keep thinking of what i will be able do with the weight off and what i cant do now. my back is really bad and even getting my club 10 helped with that so i just imagine what i will be able to do when i get to target. also i find when i dont eat healthily ive no energy and as moody as can be!! i quit sw last year and in 5 mths had my 3st weight loss all back on and i rejoined at my original starting weight...mortified!
im with the pros and cons also, and dont set a target in group just take it stone by stone and when your getting near where you feel comfortable then set the target that way your targets are only ever 14lbs away!

 

[ladyofthehouse]

Hi to everyone and thank you so much for the replies ! I like the idea of the pros and cons suggestions. The ultimate "pro" of doing Slimming World as opposed to surgery is the lack of risk ! last year, I tried the Extra Easy plan for a couple of weeks .I just couldn't get my head around the 1a box and 1 b box bit. I'm a tea-a-holic and have always used milk for tea during the day and on weetabix for breakfast . I also like a butty at lunch time - really traditional ! So , weirdly , I found E.E. restrictive ! ( cant face a cooked breakfast in the mornings and more than one piece of fruit at a time makes my gastritis kick off) . Done Mix and Match , which I had a fair amount of success with ( lost 1st 9lb about 4 years ago) . I seem to be fine during the day , but once I've had my evening meal its as if a starting gun goes off and I crave loads of sweet stuff. Was once told by an SW area manager that , because I have such a hell of a lot of weight to lose , I could have 20 syns a day and still lose weight . What I don't understand is the changes in syn values over the years. I can only think that the ingredients must have changed . I still have the big Food Directory from years ago ( a dark red colour) and things like heinz tinned macaroni were "free" , as was corned beef. Sadly , when I joined originally- some 16 years ago - my weight was 12 stone 8lbs . I lost lost 1 stone 8 lbs then and devoured the macaroni and still lost the wieght ! Now I weight 18 stone 8 ...so iv'e gained 6 stones in 16 years from my original overweight starting point .Arghhhhhh

 

[mistysmummy]

Hiya Lady
I know its possible I had a total of 6.5st to lose and thought to myself right I've had enough, thought it would be impossible. started sw in august last year and thought I can't possibly lose weight eating like this but its working I have lost 3.5st so far and feel one hell of a lot better about myself Good luck with whatever you decide xxx

 

[MandiNKel]

I know 2 people 1 who has lost 15st the SW way and the other lost 8st with a gastric band.
The fella I know who lost it with SW was offered a gastric band and opted to have ago with SW, once he had lost the weight he went to see if he could have anything done about the loose skin he was left with on the NHS and was told NO. If he had taken the gastric band then they would of been able to help him.
The other guy who had the gastric band gradually over time began to eat exactly the way he ate before he had it done and within 3yrs of having it done had gained all the weight again, so even if you have a gastric band fitted you still have to make that lifestyle change.

 

[Nemesis82]

Hi there,

I have roughly 7.5/8 stone to lose until i am at a weight i'll be happy with. I guess what i realised is that it will be more than just losing weight that will make me happy: i need to change my whole outlook in life. I started SW and have had a couple of off days already. What i think is important is not to dwell too much on these but just move on the next day.

I find evenings hard too especially if i am on late shift and making my way home. Theres always a temptation to drive by a takeaway. I just make sure theres something quick to hand when i get in. Doing extra easy can be more complicated with having to ensure you eat enough fruit & veg so i alternate this with Green days and find they help a lot. I love browsing the recipe section of this site and finding new things, its inspired me to follow the diet more as i get a satisfaction out of making new and yummy food! What i would say is give this a try and if its not working too well a few months down the line then consider gastric surgery. You may well surprise yourself x

 

[ladyofthehouse]

I'm going to give it a go. I work nights as well. I leave home at 5.30 and don't get it in till 10 . I don't eat anything at work - just have a cuppa at about 8. By the time I get home I'm ravenous . I found in the past that the best way forward was to prepare food in advance , e.g. I'd boil a few eggs and keep them in the fridge or have baked potatoes already cut into wedges , then chuck them in the oven with a load of spices. Part of the problem is I allow myself to blow a diet completely with the first "blip" . If I'd got back on the diet every time instead of saying to hell with it , I would definitely be a lot lighter. Strangely, I always end up back on Slimming World as its the only diet I don't feel hungry on and seems to be near my normal eating habits. In fact, all the main meals are the same diet or no . Its the sweet stuff I shove down my face that's my downfall . If its 7.30 at night and Corries on, then that'll be 2 small bags of butterkist and a mug of tea while i watch ! I wish I could maintain the level of determination I have when I start to try to lose the weight (

 

[-Tally-]

You can have two HExA's and two HExB's with Green or Red...which means you can have milk for your tea/coffee & milk for your cereal plus cereal and bread as B's.

 

[laurab53]

In fact, all the main meals are the same diet or no . Its the sweet stuff I shove down my face that's my downfall . (

I'm exactly the same - the weeks that I put on I can guarantee that all my meals have been SW friendly, it's the snacking in between that puts the weight on! I tackled this last week by having a treat tin - I filled a big tupperware tub with 56 syns worth of treat size chocolate bars which I ate over the week. That left me with 7 syns a day. I didn't count the chocolate as I ate it as it was already accounted for, I just counted any other syns as part of my 7 a day. Anyway, it worked for me and I lost 2.5lb last week (which is a really good loss for me). I haven't done it this week, but have found myself not craving it as much. So I'm thinking that if I have a 'blip' again and start stuffing my face with chocolate, I will try this again and hopefully get similar results

 

[jaylou]

How do you manage to stay on the diet when you have a large amount of weight to lose ?

I think the question really is, how do you manage to stay on the diet when you have any amount of weight to lose!

There have been some good answers posted, here's my advice:

Go to group and STAY to group, every week, whether it's a good or bad week.
Plan and cook a good variety of meals, have lots of free and superfree snacks available.
Don't tell yourself you can't have anything. You can have anything on SW, just within limits.
If you want this, it will work.

Daisykins said "It seems to me once you have a problem with weight its a life long battle to keep it under control!" - this is true. It is a lifelong battle. If you stop SW it goes back on again. You can't ever stop, but you can keep it under control.

Take it a week at a time, one bad meal does not make a bad day and one bad day does not make a bad week.

Good luck.

 

[ladyofthehouse]

Thanks again for the replies. Like the idea of the 56 syns worth in a bowl. A friend lost 3 1/5 stone doing s.w. I'm trying to gather as many recipes - particularly lunch time stuff and snack type stuff - as I can. Any suggestion would be great. My daughter toild me about a lunch she does for herself - cooks rice peas and sweetcorn and adds a boil in the bag cod in butter sauce. The fish used to be free years ago . Not sure about now, though. But this is the kind of stuff I mean . Thanks to everyone for all your help !

 

[jaylou]

There's a huge array of recipes in the recipes sub forums, you should be able to get the magazine from group (cheaper than shops) and there's some great stuff in there. Lots of books available from group too.

 

[Violetwind]

I think the other thing to try to get into your head (easier said than done) is that the weight didn't go on over night. I personally want a magic wand. I want 3 ~ 4lb off a week whereas if I settled myself and aimed for 1 lb a week in a year I would have 4 stone off with only a bit more to go.

I think the while diet thing is 1% in the stomach and 99% in our heads.

Good luck whatever you decide

 

[ladyofthehouse]

 

[Freaky Deaky]

I'm exactly the same - the weeks that I put on I can guarantee that all my meals have been SW friendly, it's the snacking in between that puts the weight on! I tackled this last week by having a treat tin - I filled a big tupperware tub with 56 syns worth of treat size chocolate bars which I ate over the week. That left me with 7 syns a day. I didn't count the chocolate as I ate it as it was already accounted for, I just counted any other syns as part of my 7 a day. Anyway, it worked for me and I lost 2.5lb last week (which is a really good loss for me). I haven't done it this week, but have found myself not craving it as much. So I'm thinking that if I have a 'blip' again and start stuffing my face with chocolate, I will try this again and hopefully get similar results

What a fantastic idea!!

 

[PurpleSky]

Hey there i have just under 7 stone to loose to get to my FINAL target. My first is my 10% which is 8 lbs away and then 13stone then 10stone then 9st7lb. I just take it half a stone at a time tbh and jsut keep to plan and also i put a pound or two in real money in a seal money jar so that when i get to target i will have some money to spend one some cloths which fit and i feel confident in.