Extra Easy I really, really need your help

[ktpumps]

I honestly don't know where I'm going wrong and am starting to think there's something wrong with me medically

I have been on SW for about 6 weeks, first few weeks online and the last 2 I've gone to my local meetings. At my first meeting I was horrified to weigh more than 8lbs more than my scales at home were measuring me, but once I got over the shock I was even more determined to push on!

So I followed the plan religiously, and at my 2nd weigh-in I was hopeful for a couple of lbs loss - I'd GAINED 1.5lb :cry:

I have NO idea what's going on.

A typical day is :

42g allbran (hex b) with muller light and chopped fruit

baked potato with tuna and salad using 2 tbsp light salad cream (2 syns) and ff salad dressing (1 syn)

snack: mug shot, or fruit

dinner: recipe from SW handbook, eg chicken tikka (yum) with boiled rice

muller light with frozen fruit

other syns used are just the agave sweetener in my tea/coffee (1/2 syn tsp per cup, so about 4 syns a day)

so my total syns are usually about 8, sometimes more or less but it balances out over the course of the week

I have had NO junk, no crisps, chocolate, biscuits

I have had glasses of wine over the course of the week

If someone can tell me where I'm going wrong I'd really, really appreciate it. I feel like giving up. Should I be reducing my portion sizes? They're not huge but I suppose they could be a bit smaller....but I thought you could have unlimited free foods????

Thanks for reading! And please help! Has anyone else ever struggled lose even a pound a week?

I'm 11.9st and want to be 9.7st (5'3'')

 

[Mummy_Helen]

Did you count the glasses of wine into your syns? and were they measured out to the correct measures for the syns?

That's the only thing I can think of. Your menu sounds ok to me, although on EE you need to have 1/3 of the plate SF foods (veg, fruit, salad) and I'm not sure that fruit in your yogurt would be 1/3 of what the main meal would have been.

 

[cmcewn]

Hi honey, are you doing a food diary every day? All I can suggest is that you make sure that you write down every single thing that passes your lips and go over it with your consultant as they are the best qualified to give you guidance on this. Also, are you actually measuring your dressings etc or are you guessing this can problem as we perhaps think we are taking less than we actually are.

 

[ktpumps]

Hi, thanks for replying!

I do measure out the wine and count it in my syns - I save up for it!

I also measure the salad cream etc

I'm going to up my water intake and also make sure that every meal I have def has the 2/3 superfree foods included. I'll also reduce the portion size of pasta/rice whatever I have.

Today I have had 2 eggs scrambled with wafer thin ham and tomatoes (fry lighted!) and 1 slice of wholemeal bread (hex b)

my hex a is skimmed milk that I use in my tea

I will have a salad with tuna for lunch

quorn bolognese for dinner with a small amount of wholewheat pasta and lots of salad, or maybe just raw carrots, peppers, celery chopped up on the side

fruit for snacks.

sounds ok, right?

 

[Circes]

Don't worry it could be any number of things.

Are you drinking even water?

• Is it time of the month?
• Have you suddenly increased your activity levels?
• What plan are you doing? EE? You don't seem to be having your one third superfreeat all your meals
• Are you weighing and measuring everything that you should be, as you seem a bit unsure of the syns on some things?
• How many glasses of wine and how big were they? Wine is high in syns and if you're just pouring a glass it's easy to underestimate how much you are having.

ETA: sorry you've already answered most of these questions while i've been faffing around. Most important thing is not to give up!

 

[aliflower]

Out of interest what were your losses for the first couple of weeks? And have you been eating exactly the same (amount wise) since you started doing SW at home or do you think you've eaten more this week perhaps?

 

[ktpumps]

right, have decided I really need to tighten up wrt measuring stuff and making sure I have my 1/3 superfree at EVERY meal. For bfast, is it alright to have fruit after my 'main' bfast, eg, if I have eggs etc I should then follow it with fruit?

My first few weeks have been very slow, and anything I had last (which was only ever 1lb at the most) has gone back on.

I am on EE, Circes!

And will do more exercise!

Feeling more positive!

 

[Mummy_Helen]

You could add the fruit after breakfast, but you could also add mushrooms and tomatoes to your eggs to make up 1/3. Although having fruit is ok, a variety of SF foods is better. For starters you won't get bored having the same stuff every day. It can be difficult sometimes to add 1/3 into the meal, but if that's the case, I either have a salad first or fruit afterwards. If you want a boost, try super speed foods, like strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and grapefruit. That can help boost your weight loss.

 

[Lonestitcher]

Don't panic!!!!

You say that you HAD been losing, weighing yourself at home. Just because the numbers increased by 8 lbs at group, you have still LOST all the actual WEIGHT !!!!!

It's 1 1/2 lb gain. Obviously you want to lose each week, but very few people actually do, even when they are on-plan all the time. You have done the plan and know that it works, the 1 1/2 lb will go soon enough.

As far as I know, most people have the 7/8/9 (ish) week gain. My theory is that it's my body going 'So we've been doing the healthy eating thing.... Are you done yet...? No?.... Oh! Ok then'. Usually the following week I have a loss. Sometimes good enough to be more than the gain, but at least a good part of it!!

Our bodies are strange, wonderful and unique things. They manage to do amazing things, but are a complete mystery and NEVER do what you ALWAYS want them to do. I'd only be REALLY concerned if you were gaining EVERY week for a month.

Good luck for next week.

 

[Brightonrosie]

You could add the fruit after breakfast,afterwards

Having a third SF foods after a meal is pointless and defeats the object of having it in the first place.Think of your plate size, if you fill that with pasta and have your superfree after you would be consuming far more pasta than if you first filled the same plate with 1/3 superfree and then fitted the pasta in the gaps. it does say somewhere if you are having mounds of one food then perhaps you should consider having the appropriate red or green day instead. Our consultant said if you are having your meal and it's a healthy extra eg breakfast cereal then you don't have to have the 1/3 free at that meal. hope this all makes sense xx
__________________

 

[Angela1]

Remember that wine and all alchohol slows down your calorie burning. The body will seek to get rid of the wine calories first before it can use up your food cals. Best to have 1 glass x1 a week to minimise that process.

 

[10st10lbs]

Hey hun, I agree with the things mentioned above. And also think it probably would be a good idea to reduce portion sizes, we don't know how much you eat but you do and you suggested it. I wouldn't use home scales if I were you, they're really dodgy and demotivating. Stick to weighing once a week, at group or on scales in a chemist or at Boots. Also, what are you wearing to WI? Try and keep the same outfit on each week, with as little jewellery as possible and ensuring pockets are empty. Anything you can lose, do!

Don't beat yourself up about it - maybe your body just needs a little while longer to adjust to SW and accept that eating everything in moderation is OK! Try to incorporate some body magic - just even a 20 min brisk walk a day can really make a difference. Another tip - try super speed foods, maybe even search for the super speed soup and make a big batch to have a bit of every day. Other than that, a daily food & drink diary, and measuring everything properly. Mix up EE, Green and Red days - I do mostly EE but a few Green during the week when I think I could do with it (and the day before WI as number twos are then easier and I lose a bit like that ) - I feel it has really helped!

Let us know how you go, I really hope it works out... *hugs* xxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[F4ye]

my weight loss has been similar with a start weight a lot lower on my own brand new weight watcher scales than the in group sw ones too just to add insult to injury!!! i lost an amazing 21/2 lbs in week one - however i don't think this was totally true as it was cold for 1st weigh in and i had heavy jeans and belt etc on in week 2 i had gained 1/2 a pound despite being in lighter clothes, being 100% on plan and upping my exercise and i was gutted! due week 3 weigh on on tuesday so will see what has happened then.....not feeling any lighter mind you! i am on green as veggie so i have been told it can be a bit slower - i have upped water intake this week too.

 

[ktpumps]

thanks so much everyone for all your advice, I really appreciate it!

changed my mind re lunch and had made a big batch of lentil soup for the dcs (with red lentils, carrots, celery, onions and ham stock) so had a bowl of that with some chopped ham on top - figure that MUST count as some kind of super free soup! And that incorporates more than 1/3 free too so should be great for me!

Dinner is going to be leftovers from last night, which is 1/2 packet of bachelors savoury rice, lean chicken breast, red peppers, onions and lots of cauliflower. It's all mixed in together in the pan with garlic, ginger, chilli and tikka curry powder. I guess the veg element makes up the free/super free part of the plate.

I've just had a mini corn on the cob as a snack!

If I have anything after dinner it will be a bowl of cherries, maybe some grapes.

That's a pretty healthy day, really....also have had about 8 glasses of water.

I haven't been exercising per se lately as I wanted to get the food bit sorted out, but I do walk a lot with the pram so I'm not inactive. Am planning to get back to the gym though - but I'm moving house in a week so it won't be for a wee while!

 

[Harry'sMom07]

Don't even think in terms of 'portion sizes'. Just put what looks like the right amount on your plate and eat consciously. If you really think you want some more, have it (remembering the 1/3 rule applies to seconds too!) and STOP when you're COMFORTABLY full.

I eat absolutely loads on EE and am one of those rare people that has lost EVERY WEEK since starting. I actually think you have to eat plenty to lose on SW.

Many people seem to have a sticky period, and it could be that this is yours, but stick at it and you'll soon be losing again!

 

[blissfulbabe]

I finally sussed out EE!

The trick is to put the 1/3 SF on your plate/ in your bowl before putting the rest of my meal on the plate - before I was serving up my meal then moving things over to make room for veg/ salad! Now I put the salad on the plate and then serve up the rest of my dinner - this automatically reduces portion size and you don't notice the difference.

 

[ktpumps]

lol at 'finally sussing' it out - that's what I've been feeling like, like I'm missing something important!

But, the tip of putting the SF foods onto my plate first is a good one, and I will def be doing that for every meal, from today onwards!

thanks again for everyone's advice, it has really helped.

 

[F4ye]

Hey KTpumps how is it going since this post started? i maintained this week so appreciate the slowness feeling, hope all is moving for you now x