Slimming world - no scale loss in 4 weeks :S

Hi. I've just signed up to Minimins but often read the forums here for help!

I've been following slimming world for a while now and have had some great losses. I got really serious about it about a month ago and watched what I was eating over the festive period with the aim of losing 1-2lb's by 4th January. I didn't lose this so thought fine, fair enough, water weight, pmt etc.

It's now 2 weeks since then and I'm the SAME weight ;( I'm meticulous with what I eat and count my calories to ensure I'm not under eating. I totally understand that people can get complacent but I'm not one of those people. I also gym 2-3 times a week!

The only explaination I can come up with is anti biotics. I'm on Doxycycline for 6 months to get rid of mild acne (despite being 25 years old!). But surely anti biotics wouldn't cause me to hold on to this weight aka lose virtually nothing in 4 weeks? I've also thought about thyroid but that's quite serious. HELP! I'm doing so well yet feeling discouraged by the lack of weight loss.

Any suggestions or solutions?
 
If you have been working out it could be you have gained muscle and lost fat ? Do you notice you clothes any looser also if you keep a food diary for a week and even someone to double checked there isn't any hidden syns could be something simple your over looking
 
If you have been working out it could be you have gained muscle and lost fat ? Do you notice you clothes any looser also if you keep a food diary for a week and even someone to double checked there isn't any hidden syns could be something simple your over looking

It's a possibility but I don't feel my clothes are as loose as they should be considering the work and effort I have put in. I've noticed my face is very puffy also which is really annoying. I'm so careful with my syynage and calories so it can't be that - if I thought for a second that I was becoming complacent, I'd be putting it right rather than posting about it. I just find it disheartening. Considering heading for the docs to ask about my anti biotics. I've noticed people complaining of weight gain on the anti biotics which I take, so perhaps it's that.
 
Are you able to post an example food diary on here as someone might be able to spot something that you might not have picked up on?

Also, what's the reason for counting calories if you're doing Slimming World? Are you getting enough variety in your diet or are you eating similar things every day? Do you find that you eat until you're satisfied or do you eat until you're stuffed? I'm terrible with that and am in the habit of clearing my plate and that's when I notice my losses slow. Are you making sure that each meal has one third speed food with it?

What is it you're doing at the gym? If it's a lot of weight training that could have an impact but you should be noticing your clothes fit better even if you're not losing the pounds.

Have you been doing SW for a long time now and have you lost a lot of weight already? Many people find that if they have really good losses week on week, there will be a period of time over which they plateau while their body adjusts, despite them being on plan. This has happened to a lot of the ladies at my group. Two things some of them have tried that have worked are firstly to follow one of the SW weekly plans to the letter to help get them back into the swing of things (these can be found on the SW website) and second to throw in 2-3 SP days each week as these days seem to boost losses really well. The ladies that have managed to do this tend to lose about 2lbs the following week. Is this something that you could try? Have you talked to your consultant about it? He/she might be able to offer some advice.
 
Have you read the side effects for the anti-biotics? They may cause weight gain/water retention.
I stopped taking some pain killers I had been prescribed for nerve pain as one of the major side effects was weight gain and another was pneumonia (something I have had four times in the last eight years) so decided to live without them. Sometimes doctors prescribe without checking whether the side effects might apply to you.
 
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Are you able to post an example food diary on here as someone might be able to spot something that you might not have picked up on?

Also, what's the reason for counting calories if you're doing Slimming World? Are you getting enough variety in your diet or are you eating similar things every day? Do you find that you eat until you're satisfied or do you eat until you're stuffed? I'm terrible with that and am in the habit of clearing my plate and that's when I notice my losses slow. Are you making sure that each meal has one third speed food with it?

What is it you're doing at the gym? If it's a lot of weight training that could have an impact but you should be noticing your clothes fit better even if you're not losing the pounds.

Have you been doing SW for a long time now and have you lost a lot of weight already? Many people find that if they have really good losses week on week, there will be a period of time over which they plateau while their body adjusts, despite them being on plan. This has happened to a lot of the ladies at my group. Two things some of them have tried that have worked are firstly to follow one of the SW weekly plans to the letter to help get them back into the swing of things (these can be found on the SW website) and second to throw in 2-3 SP days each week as these days seem to boost losses really well. The ladies that have managed to do this tend to lose about 2lbs the following week. Is this something that you could try? Have you talked to your consultant about it? He/she might be able to offer some advice.

GL, Example day might be:

Breakfast - Bacon medallion toasted sandwich with 1/2 syn ketchup and rocket/ banana

Lunch - Pasta and sauce with 80ml semi milk with spinach mixed in OR baked potato with beans and cherry tomatoes

Snack - Apple/orange/ grapes

Dinner - chicken, mushroom, peppers and onion with measured Philadelphia and a tbsp red pepper pesto

Syns - any chocolate available in the house according to syns throughout the day.

It's just a snapshot and I measure out my portions and calories because I'd rather be aware of portion size and calorie intake rather than just eating limitless amounts of food.

I don't do any weight training but spend ten minutes on elliptical trainer and 30 minutes running on treadmill 2-3 times a week.

I've been 'trying' to lose on SW for around a year and would lose 2lb's a week but I was more out of the zone than in it so was in a terrible rut with eating and alcohol intake but this is me full effort and thinking of it as a lifestyle rather than temporary. This is rather like the beginning so shouldn't be any plateauing. The weight stalling seems to correlate with me starting the anti biotics which is making me suspicious but water retention isn't stated as a side effect - despite people claiming this on forums.

I have looked at SP but I don't believe in cutting food groups out for any period of time as you just gain it back in the end anyway and I don't plan on spending the rest of my life having a carb free day so it wouldn't make sense. I don't have a consultant as I do it online. Really pants :(
 
Have you read the side effects for the anti-biopics? They may cause weight gain/water retention.
I stopped taking some pain killers I had been prescribed for nerve pain as one of the major side effects was weight gain and another was pneumonia (something I have had four times in the last eight years) so decided to live without them. Sometimes doctors prescribe without checking whether the side effects might apply to you.

Pootle, that's interesting. Was water retention listed as a side effect? I can't see it for Doxycycline but have read forums where people are gaining 5-10lb's which is a lot. I'm convinced that they are playing a part in my weight stalling.
 
It didn't say water retention specifically for my tablets but my mum was on some tablets that caused water retention.
The trouble is, if you need them to get better, you'll have to keep going and hopefully your body will recognise that it should be losing fat stores eventually.
I'm sure you must be really frustrated though so it can't be easy. Just don't give up!
 
I'd really recommend keeping a diary on here for a couple of weeks for people to see and offer you some help/suggestions with.

Just some thoughts on the sample diary you've posted. You've had milk and philadelphia, have these portions been measured fit with one healthy extra 'a' or have they been synned? You've also got your pasta and sauce, is this one free or does it have syns? There was a few points I saw that could have been syns and then having chocolate as well could take you over the syns.

From my own personal perspective I would suggest either doing sw or counting calories, not both together. The two concepts felt at odds to me and would be far too confusing. Either commit to one or the other. I've done both and understand it's a matter of finding out what works best, so I'm not going to bore you with my preferences.
 
Also do you have plenty of speed foods with every meal. I don't always have the recommended 1/3 with my breakfast, but lunch and dinner are usually 50% speed food veg for me.
 
I'd really recommend keeping a diary on here for a couple of weeks for people to see and offer you some help/suggestions with.

Just some thoughts on the sample diary you've posted. You've had milk and philadelphia, have these portions been measured fit with one healthy extra 'a' or have they been synned? You've also got your pasta and sauce, is this one free or does it have syns? There was a few points I saw that could have been syns and then having chocolate as well could take you over the syns.

From my own personal perspective I would suggest either doing sw or counting calories, not both together. The two concepts felt at odds to me and would be far too confusing. Either commit to one or the other. I've done both and understand it's a matter of finding out what works best, so I'm not going to bore you with my preferences.

Caroline. I measure out all my syns and count my syns throughout the day so I know how many syns are in everything I eat. For example, the pasta and sauce could be Cheese leek and ham (1 syn) or cheese and broccoli (1/2). Chocolate is obviously synned but again, I count my syns and know how many I've had throughout the day and always look up the syn values of everything I eat. I have 2 1/2 stone to lose to reach the top end of my healthy weight.

I don't find it confusing to count my calories because I'm used to it and prefer doing that as I'm counting everything that goes into my body. I also feel I can ovoid the eating too little, eating too much calories thing which can also stall weight loss. I average around 10 syns a day.
 
This is why I'm suggesting it would be more beneficial for us to see your actual food diaries for a few days/weeks if you'd like some help and suggestions from other members.

How many calories are you having a day? Are you weighing and measuring to fit in with that?
 
Sorry I keep hitting post before I'm finished!

If you genuinely are concerned about your medication having these side effects on your weight loss, then this is a matter better addressed with your GP.
 
Some suggestions:

As suggested above put some actual food diaries on here. Sample diaries are all very well, but they really don't show things like the extra choccy bar you forgot you ate and the squirt of mayo you didn't syn :) Sample diaries are what you think you are eating. Real diaries are what you are really eating.
Are you having enough syns? Sometimes not having enough syns can stall weight loss.
Are you having enough speed foods?
Are you drinking enough water?

If you are worried about the meds definitely worth a chat with your GP.

Keep going though. It's so easy to be disheartened. If it is your meds you could have even saved yourself from massive gains which has to be a positive :)
 
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