Loving it but losing slowly

trf1960

Member
Hi everyone. I am doing SW online so don't have a consultant at a meeting to ask this question so hope someone might be able to give me a clue. I am losing weight but really really slowly. The first month was great and I lost 7 1/2 lbs but for the last 5 weeks or so I seem to lose say, 1lb or so one week, then the following week maintained, the next week lost 1.5lbs then maintained and so on. Its baffling me as I am keeping a food diary and keep within my syns. Am actually loving this form of dieting (which to be honest it really doesn't feel like a diet at all) but just don't understand why my body won't lose weight regularly ? Anyone else notice this same pattern or is it just me ??
 
Oh don't get me wrong - I am absolutely over the moon with SW and yes I know I am losing the weight it's just that when I hear others losing weight every week it just makes me wonder if I am doing something wrong. I have always been a big eater so my portion sizes are pretty generous :D. Maybe that is how my body is made and I will just have to get used to it and not get miffed when everybody else around me loses weight quicker.
 
Don't forget that a lb-2lb weight loss a week is the recommended weight loss for an adult. So, I wouldn't be too worried as your weight is heading in the right direction. I'd definitely write a food diary to make sure no syns are creeping in or unaccounted for on the weeks you are maintaining. And as others have said, up your speed food on your plate - make sure they're what you're going for first to pick at in between meals x
 
But that's just it, its not a 1 or 2lb loss every week, more like every other week with no change in between. I would be delighted even more so if that was the case. Anyway to give you an example of my food diary:

Today:
Tea twice a day using semi-milk allowance.
B: Oats so Simple original Porridge using 160ml skimmed milk from allowance and sweetener.
L: Spicy Arrabbiata Pasta n Sauce with added tomato, peppers, spring onion, cucumbers and chicken slices.
D: Chicken in mushroom sauce (using fat free fromage frais and taken from this site's recipe section) with Actifried potato wedges and mixed steam vegetables
Snacks: Banana, apple & 2 fat free yoghurts

Tomorrow:
Tea twice a day using semi-milk allowance.
B: 2 eggs scrambled with 2 slices of 400g bread toasted (2 tsps of Flora lighter than light spread) and baked beans
L: Salad of lettuce, tomato, peppers, spring onion, cucumber and Asda sweet chilli chicken slices (syn free) with fat free dressing
D: SW Diet Cola Chicken with mash potato (using fat free yoghurt)
Snacks: Banana, apple & FF yoghurt

Wednesday:
Tea using semi-skimmed milk allowance.
B: 2 Weatabix using 160ml skimmed milk from allowance with banana mashed in
L: Ainsley Harriot's Lemon & Coriander Couscous (1 syn) with added tomato, peppers, spring onion and BBQ chicken slices (syn free)
D: Birds Eye Inspirations Salmon in lemon & dill sauce (syn free) with mash potato and steam mixed vegetables
Snacks: Banana, apple & FF yoghurt

I am quite partial to a quick dessert in the evening of a FF Strawberry yoghurt over some (Aldi frozen) summer fruits and a crushed meringue case (Asda, 2.5 syns), delicious.

I work in an office so have to prepare my lunch every day and generally always take a piece of fruit and a yoghurt with me. I also only drink water throughout the day. My healthy extras are allocated every day as (A) Milk and (B) bread and/or cereal. As I mentioned, I don't scrimp on my portions but then given that the meals are all checked for their syn value, shouldn't be causing me a problem ?

Let me know what you think.

Thanks. Tx
 
Hiya! Sounds like you're doing really well honey so I wouldn't worry too much, but I can see why you might be a little frustrated.

My top tips for speeding up weight loss:

1) SP SP SP! I am a carb-lover so of course I really enjoy being able to eat pasta/rice/potatoes on slimming world but it's no secret that carbs are not as filling gram for gram as protein and fat. Additionally, depending on their glycemic index, they can cause insulin spikes and blood sugar crashes leading to increased feelings of hunger later on in the day. I don't know if you get access to this on the online version but you could try doing a week of SP. Basically half your plate must contain Speed 'S' foods and half must be Protein 'P' foods. You are allowed your Healthy A choice as usual and 2 Healthy B choices but only if you plan on following SP for a full 7 days. Our consultant recommends only having the one HeB if you're doing SP days here and there. On top of that you're allowed your 5-15 syns as per usual.

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So for example this morning for breakfast I had scrambled eggs with smoked trout and two mandarins. Perfect SP! Slimming world survival has a great 7 day extra easy SP plan here
Basically it's slimming world but low carb. You can snack on SP foods but the usual mullerlights/mugshots/couscous are out. Also high sugar fruits like bananas, kiwis, grapes etc are not allowed.

2) Body magic! Obviously I'm not sure how active you are but I found that making sure I did at least 30 minutes of exercise a day (even fast walking) also sped up my losses. My absolute faves are exercise classes - zumba and box-er-cise in particular but if you don't want to go to a gym/class then Youtube has hundreds of workouts you can do in the comfort of your own home!

3) Water intake. Another cliche but I drink TONS. Literally 3+ litres of water today and it really helps me because now I know when I get that hunger rumble it's true hunger, and not thirst in disguise. Also helps to drink ~500ml before a meal and another 500 throughout to maximise fullness.

I hope these helped some but looking at your food diary you're doing brilliantly anyway! How much do you have to lose? If it is only a moderate amount then it's natural it will come off at a slower pace.

(Warning: Calorie talk ahoy!)
When I was at my heaviest and losing an average 4/5lbs a week people at group asked me how I did it - it was mostly a case of being bigger and therefore burning more calories anyway! For example at 275lbs (my starting weight) my body burned around 2100 calories even with absolutely zero exercise (which is called your Basal Metabolic Rate). Therefore any semi-decent calorie deficit was bound to produce good results. However now that I'm 198lbs my BMR is 1740, which means my losses are becoming more moderate. You can apply a modifier to the BMR depending on how active you are to get your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) but in general as you lose weight the amount of calories you have to cut to achieve the same results increases.
Of course, some people hate calorie counting so feel free to ignore all this! It's just interesting to me haha :D

From the looks of your picture you are a slimmer lady and hence you might lose at a pace that seems slower than many people here. But realistically long-term weight loss with maintenance means making changes you can stick to! If you can see yourself eating like this for a long time, and the weight is coming off (even if it's only every other week) you're doing fab and shouldn't worry yourself.

xx
 
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Hey Lolly, thanks for your reply and what you are saying makes so much sense. I don't have a lot of weight to shift to be honest (probably just over a stone) and I also think my age (I am 56) doesn't help so like you say, losing even a small amount of weight even if it is every other week is probably just right for me. Then again, I am enjoying what I am eating on this supposed diet so much that I can see myself eating like this forever! LOL. What you have said about exercise is very true and I have noticed a difference in my weight loss when I do go more frequently. I might even try a few SP days or even a week to give myself a boost now and again. Well done you though...your awards are pretty impressive and it's people like you, who will share your advice and experience, that give everyone the inspiration to carry on. :winner:

T x
 
Hey Lolly, thanks for your reply and what you are saying makes so much sense. I don't have a lot of weight to shift to be honest (probably just over a stone) and I also think my age (I am 56) doesn't help so like you say, losing even a small amount of weight even if it is every other week is probably just right for me. Then again, I am enjoying what I am eating on this supposed diet so much that I can see myself eating like this forever! LOL. What you have said about exercise is very true and I have noticed a difference in my weight loss when I do go more frequently. I might even try a few SP days or even a week to give myself a boost now and again. Well done you though...your awards are pretty impressive and it's people like you, who will share your advice and experience, that give everyone the inspiration to carry on. :winner:

T x

Awww, shucks :rolleyes::D Thank you T.
Yeah, I've never found another plan I love as much as Slimming World. I've calorie counted, I've done weight watchers online, I've done keto but eventually they all became unsustainable for me. But you're right - slimming world is just a lovely, healthy, low-fat way to eat and live - and you can still have your treats!
Well I've got my fingers crossed for you honey, hopefully you'll see a more consistent loss on the scale but like we've said, it might take a little longer as you're already so close (even people in my group who've lost 5/10+ stones have said the last 1 or 2 are always the hardest and take aaaaages).
Look forward to hearing more from you! x
 
Lolly19to11 do you mind me asking how you calculate you BMR please? Im also loosing slowly (Im not complaining once its going in the right direction) and would be interested in maybe seeing if Im taking in too many calories while eating EE foods. Thanks :)
 
I also have a similar experience. I had decent lasses at the start but for some reason I have started losing every other week. I lost 4.5lb one week, then maintained, lost 3.5lb, then put on 0.5lb but I was doing nothing different! In the past I would have been demoralised and stopped the diet and put the weight back on returning to my old ways.
This time I have a totally different attitude. I make sure I stay to class. Before I used to get weighed and go home. I can't see the point as I can just weigh myself at home for free. I need the class as motivation. As the only bloke who stays to class it was hard at first but everyone is so encouraging.
I want to lose 3st 4.5lb and I really don't mind how long it takes me. After losing last week I am fully expecting to maintain this week but I really don't care. My body is changing shape as I am going the gym and I have thrown half my clothes away as they are too big.
I lost 7.5lb in my first week and overall I've lost 20lb in 7 weeks. I am only a pound away from my 1.5st award, and club 10. My half way point is also within touching distance. These weeks have flown by! I know things will slow down for me as I push forward and even if I only lose a pound a week from now on I will be at target in 6 months...this is not a long time.
I was also worried about social events as I hadn't drank alcohol since I started the diet. I had a family get together recently and went way over on the syns...I still lost 3.5lb.
Life goes on I just made sure the food I ate were the right choices.
Keep your chin up and please don't look at it as a sprint, be relaxed about it and you will get there soon I'm sure..
 
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