Slimming World 3rd attempt....support needed

[vlp]

Hi Guys,
I have been using your site to find out syn values for a while now and you seem a nice bunch so...I've joined up

Many moons ago I was 13 1/2 sone. I went to WW and got down to 9 1/2 stone and kept it off for ages. I got married, found a way orf working which really suits me, I live in a lovely place.... But being relaxed and happy tends to lead to pounds creeping on! I ried getting out my old WW books but I was left feeling hungry so someone suggested SW.
I prefer the supprt of a group but there aren't any locally at a time I can do so the online version appealed. I signed up, logged my food religously, lost half a stone then....nothing. I went through all the online support but nothing revelaed why I wasn't losing. So I gave up. A year later I thought; no, lets try again. I signed up online again and things went the same way. A year on and I'm trying again, but I don't see that the £5 a week for the online membership is worth it. There was nothing to suggest how many syns were right for me and no personalised back-up when things stalled.

I'm six weeks in and have lost 4kg. Every week I have lost....but golly is it slow! I'm currently 71 kg and want to be 63. It's not much but it seems like an impossible mountain at the moment! I eat 10-15syns a day, I'm active (heck, I have 3 spaniels how could I not be active?!), I eat only lean meat and TONNES of fruit/veg. I love to cook and cook most meals from scratch so know exacly what I'm eating. I don't restrict myself to tiny portions but hey.....on SW I'm not meant to have to! (And I do stop when I'm full!)

Any hints, tips, support? I am at the point where without more han 0.5kg off in the next week I'll quit again....help!

 

[vlp]

I weigh in at work (on the dog scales) on Fridays and was a bit down to see that 2weeks strict adherance to the plan had meant only a 400g loss. I wished I hadn't abstained from easter Eggs! This is the point where i usually get frustrated and throw in the towel, but instead I had a flexible day on Saturday (nothing too crazy, just a kit kat, a few spicy potato wedges, some low fat mayo and a glass of wine) and got back to the grindstone with a Red Sunday (Weetabix and milk, Tuna salad, walkers french fries and fruit for lunch and roast chicken with bombay veg followed by eton mess made with mullerlight). Planning the rest of the week now so I can go shopping and I'll be searching the site for inspiration.

What I'd love to know though is how you decide how many syns to have? Ideas seem to vary!

 

[laura2481]

Hi Vlp. Which plan are you following Extra Easy? Red? or Green? I found that when I did extra easy my losses were very slow 0.5lb per week with some weeks of random undeserved gain or maintains (I don't mind when it's deserved ) This time I have gone back to mostly Red/Green and my looses have been better and more consistent. I guess EE just didn't work for me.

As for syns- you are allowed between 5-15 a day, so it's just a matter of finding what works for you. Mine varies. I'll have some low syn days (these are usually around 7 syns) and sometimes I use the full 15 syns.

I guess if it's not workingfor you right now then it's a matter of experimenting... if you do EE, try mostly Red days. Have 15 syns a day and if that doesn't work, try 10. Don't be afraid to experiment within the plan

 

[vlp]

I joined this forum for clarity but after 2 days I'm more confused than ever. I find many of the things I believed to be free now aren't and that eat what you want so long as it's free is a bit of a lie. At least these dicoveries may explain why my weight loss has been slow.

Laura; I alternate between red and green on weekdays and only use EE at weekends as it really doesn't work for me but I like to be able to eat a proper meal (curry and rice, bolognese made with meat not quorn) as does my hubby.

I sat down last night with the red/green handbook to see what I'm doing wrong and I still don't know! Today would be a typical 'red' day...

Weetabix (B) and milk (A) and banana (SF)
Roll (B) egg (SF) and salad (SF) plus fruits (SF)
Salad (SF) Chicken (F) 10-15 syns to make caesar salad croutons and dressing. Parmesan (A)
Fruit and mullerlight (SF)

Actually, not so typical as my dinners are usually less than 5 syns with another 5-10 on wine, small chocolate biccies (like 2finger kit kats) or savoury snacks (french fries, quavers).

A typical 'green' might be

Toast (B) egg (SF) milk for tea(A)
Low fat supernoodles (1-F) with stir fry veg (SF)
Fruits (SF)
Mid afternoon kit kat (5.5)
Spinach canelloni (F and SF)
Fruit and mullerlight (SF)
a wee wine (5-6) and actually measured now!

It sounds so tempting and so easy and I'm never hungry...but I'm not getting the amazing weight loss others are.

I'll keep plugging on a bit longer!

 

[laura2481]

I joined this forum for clarity but after 2 days I'm more confused than ever. I find many of the things I believed to be free now aren't and that eat what you want so long as it's free is a bit of a lie. At least these dicoveries may explain why my weight loss has been slow.

The thing about slimming world is that it does tend to change it's rules fairly often, every couple of years or so. If your book is old (and by that I just mean not the new one that came out in January!) then it is probably is telling you something is free when it isn't any more or healthy extras are diff size now (bigger, so that's ok )

Your example diary looks fine to me. I don't see any particular reason why that shouldn't work.

If youhave any thing in particualr you are confused about let me know and I will try to give you one simple answer (rather than sometimes you get lots of conflicting- although well meaning answers- on the forum as everyone says what works for them )

 

[vlp]

Bigger healthy extras? I don't suppose I'm allowed a few more shreddies am I? Restricted breakfast cereal is probably the thing I find hardest (although I padded out my meagre Shreddie ration with 1/3 of a melon and some yoghurt today; surprisingly full until lunch!).

Thank you for your advice and support. I'm feeling better already.

 

[laura2481]

Bigger healthy extras? I don't suppose I'm allowed a few more shreddies am I? Restricted breakfast cereal is probably the thing I find hardest (although I padded out my meagre Shreddie ration with 1/3 of a melon and some yoghurt today; surprisingly full until lunch!).

Thank you for your advice and support. I'm feeling better already.

Shreddies is 30g for a HEB. It was probably 28g before. Not much more then.. maybe 1 shreddie?

 

[vlp]

LOL. But I'll treasure my extra Shreddie!

Anyone got any interesting (quick) breakfast ideas?


My current breakfasts include:


Weetabix/shreddies (B) Fruit (SF) and mullerlight (SF) or milk (a)
Eggs (SF) on toast (B)

Or if I'm feeling naughty my new favourite...

Toast (B) banana and....CHOCOLATE PHILLY (4.5 but so worth it!)

Winter I have porridge (A+B) plus jam (2)

 

[laura2481]

Try this thread for lots of breakfast ideas! http://www.minimins.com/slimming-world/174015-whats-breakfast.html

I'm a bit rubbish for breakfast as I tend to have fruit and yoghurt, and sometimes a hi-fi bar/alpen light. Bacon sandwich at weekends/ maybe a full grill up.. same few things really.

There is one thing I know which sounds a bit weird but good on a green day. Plain cous cous made up and stir in a mullerlight/activia fat free. I wasn't convinced but gave it a try and its nice

 

[vlp]

Cous cous and youghurt.....hmmmmm!

Well, I weighed in this morning and 0.9kg off only another 7.6kg to go

This weekend is going to be tough as I'm away on a training course and they hold it at....Nestle's Training Centre! There will be chocolate everywhere and the food is really good. My plan is to go EE as I do most weekends and to resist the chocolate (they do supply apples too!).

 

[laura2481]

Well done on your loss

 

[vlp]

Well. I didn't go too mad at chocolate HQ! But I did have puddings and a little wine. But that's what flexible syn days are all about isn't it? With other diets the sort of weekend away i've just had would have been a guilt nightmare but as it is I just ate as sensibly as I could, allowed myself a few treats and am back on the Slimming World wagon this morning.

I saw an interesting recipe for a rissotto type thing using pearl barley on the TV on Thursday....with less olive oil I think it could be a good new green day SW recipe. I'll post it if it works!

 

[vlp]

This is the recipe....A bit less oil and lean pork mince and I think this will be a good green recipe (with pork as HEXB) BBC - Food - Recipes : Pearl barley with spinach and pork mince

Today it's so wet and miserable I've had porridge with cinnamon and truvia (a stevia based sweetener which doesn't fluff up like most and is much more the texture of sugar). Lunch will probably be a mug shot with a cheese and salad sarnie and dinner is bean chilli and rice. With lots of fruit and a muller light in between. I don' find cold, wet, indoor days good for dieting.

 

[vlp]

Weigh in day....no change. I guess I shouldn't be dissapointed as I did have some puddings at the weekend but every static week is a bit disheartening (I kept to 5-8syns for the rest of the week. Maybe that was a mistake?). Right now I'd give anything to get below 70kg!

 

[laura2481]

I know a STS is dissapointing but so much better than gain! Think positive (which is hard I know. I hate STS or gain when I don't know where it's come from)

 

[vlp]

I made the pearl barley reipe last night (with SW adjustments) and I think it is amazing!

 

[vlp]

Well, I might have STS last week which is a bit BUT when I was geting dressed for dinner on Saturday I found I could get into a pair of trousers which really didn't do up before I re-started the diet

Yesterday was a funny day as my hubby was preparing to go off on his lands end to john o groats cycle ride....but I stuck to the plan: EE
Breakfast 2x boiled eggs with hexb toast, milk for tea hexa (oh yes, i drink that much tea!)
Lunch walkers french fries (4.5) and fruit (still full from eggs!)
Dinner bolognaise (homemade, all free or superfree) plus parmesan (3)
Pud meringue nests (4.5) frozen mixed berries and muller light.

Today Green
Weetabix (hexb) milk (hexa)
Couscous and salad and olives (1.5) fruit
kitkat and a tiny chocolate brownie square (11.5)
Spanish omlette and salad
fruit and mullerlight
babybels (hexb or a)

 

[laura2481]

Well, I might have STS last week which is a bit BUT when I was geting dressed for dinner on Saturday I found I could get into a pair of trousers which really didn't do up before I re-started the diet

There you go! It will move eventually!

 

[vlp]

another STS (well, I'm not counting -100g as a loss!) so sadly I don't get below 70kg before my holiday. I'm surprised it's not a bit of a gain as my mum has been staying which makes following SW 100% hard! I've tried to choose well when eating out but if you don't make soups or scrambled egg or quiche yourself you never know how many hidden syns there are. I'm glad I scoffed a vanilla slice on Wednesday though if it only made me STS!

At least my holiday will be an active one with my dogs (well 2 of the 3) in the New Forest....just need to stay strong around the home made cakes which i'm sure I'll encounter!

 

[laura2481]

Still look on the positive side- you haven't been 100% but you have still stayed the same. Before...it would probably have been a gain? So your sts is still a win!
I gained 2lb this week (over 2 weeks..) but I know I wasn't 100% either. Feeling really focussed this week. Maybe because I'm going on holiday in 3 weeks (city break to Venice. Couldn't cope with a beachy holiday feeling as fat as I do now )