Slow and Steady Wins The Race

soshbfly

Silver Member
I have decided to start a SW diary. I had been reluctant to do so publicly as I log everything I eat, exercise and weigh on a daily basis anyway. But my logging isn’t giving the support I think I need.

I have had a sort of revelation recently. Because I log my weight (and fluctuations with suppositions as to why the change – up or down), I have been able to go back a few years to look for a trend. I found one.

I. LOSE. WEIGHT…

VERY. SLOWLY…

I did not only use my own musings to come to this conclusion. I have a lovely chum who is 5’ 7’’ and usually weighs in around the 10 stone mark. Sometimes she goes over and aims to be down to 9 ½ stone where she feels best. Being the great chum she is she has joined me on my SW challenge with a goal of losing just under a stone of weight.

In two weeks, she lost 7.5lbs.

I lost 2.5lbs.

She is a few years older than me and we eat nearly the exact same thing (though she eats boiled eggs for snacks and I have broiled chicken bites). I also exercise ~3/4 times a week pretty rigorously.

Oh, I forgot to mention – I weigh over 3 stone more than her as well.

This is not the first time this has happened. I had a spell early last year when I tried to lose a few pounds on Dukan again (lost before and kept most of it off). I fluctuated like crazy for the few weeks I was on it (perfectly mind you as I can be quite determined when I set my mind to it!). At one point 4 weeks in, I was down only 5.5lbs. TOTAL. This is remarkable considering my size.

I should mention too that I’m further in (2 ½ weeks as I write) and I’m no further along in shedding actual lbs – in fact, this morning I weigh 3lbs heavier than I did the end of my 1st week despite a 100% week (that’s 13 ½ absolutely perfect days and 3 not-so-perfect but nothing major like sweets).

So, rather than research the reasons why obsessively (yes, I do that), type in all caps screaming at my lack of progress in my daily diary (do that too), and generally get so completely discouraged that I want to pack it in and say screw it “I’m having a glass of wine and crisps” (have done that a LOT)… I’m going to make a concerted effort to have time and success goals rather than lbs on the scales goals.

I’m asking you guys to help as I know how encouraging it can be to keep going with a bit of support.

I thank you in advance.
 
So, here's yesterday's food. Have put breaks on all the exercise this week as I wanted to see if that had a positive impact on the scale movement. So far it hasn’t. Think I will break and go to my boot camp & combat classes Saturday a.m. I miss them!!

Tuesday
  • Breakfast: 200ml Egg White, Ham & Quark, Coffee 150ml Unsweetened Almond Milk 2 x Dark Rye Ryvita, 3 syns - 2 tbs sugar-free Coffee Mate Hazelnut Creamer
  • Lunch: Lettuce, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, onions, eggplant, Chicken, beans, 5 syns - unknown prep method
  • Dinner: Onion, peas, Smoked fish, cod, boiled eggs, 1/2 cup brown rice, 100mls skimmed milk
  • In-Between: Pickles 5% mince, chicken breast bites, chicken leg, squash
8 syns

Wednesday
  • Breakfast: Tomatoes, onions, peppers 200ml Egg White, Ham & f/f Polish Cheese (Twarog) Coffee 150ml Unsweetened Almond Milk 3 syns - 2 tbs sugar-free Coffee Mate Hazelnut Creamer
  • Lunch: Spinach, red peppers, tomato, cabbage, jalapeno Steamed chicken, herring & 1 boiled egg
  • Dinner: Onion, peas Smoked fish, cod, boiled eggs, 1/2 cup brown rice, sweetcorn 100mls skimmed milk
  • In-Between: Spinach, kale, carrot, parsley, juice 1/2 lemon (water and splenda to juice) Pickle, chicken drumstick (no skin) no-sugar added squash.
3 syns

Welcome any feedback! Away to change my signature and goals!!
 
Here to follow along on your journey :) slow and steady is better than not at all! It can be disheartening when others lose much quicker but as long as its coming off you'll reach your goal :) I don't think stopping exercise will affect your loses. If you enjoy them stick with them :p
 
Here to follow along on your journey :) slow and steady is better than not at all! It can be disheartening when others lose much quicker but as long as its coming off you'll reach your goal :) I don't think stopping exercise will affect your loses. If you enjoy them stick with them :p

Thanks for the encouragement MilliesMummy! I am of the same mind - as long as there is a loss, that's better than the alternative :D
 
Hare and tortoise springs to mind :) slowly off forever off!

I'll be here to follow and offer any support! Xx
 
Thanks Sam! Yes I tried to find a turtle smiley bit nothing. Appreciate the support!

Went walking with another chum I've recruited to join SW (there are 5 others in this with me! Not ideal that they are losing quicker but happy it is working for them esp since my recommendation).

We walked 5 miles & a considerable amounts of time was discussing recipes. Made me hungry but came home & showered & straight to bed without a bite of anything. 2 pluses for me tonight :)
 
Happy Friday all. Today is my usual "weigh-day" and what I use to benchmark and measure success. Now that I'm in SW that day is Monday so not officially reporting a thing.

The scale is creeping down again (albeit at a snails' pace) but I will latch on to the DOWN bit. That is better than the alternative. I have wondered if because I ate relatively healthy before (I am still eating a lot of the same exact things) and therefore the only real difference has been cutting out wine, no snacking at night, reducing carbs and cutting out cheese that I haven't jolted the system enough to make a huge bump. I have a few ideas in my back pocket as to how I may jump start again if needed but I'll save those for another day.

In the meantime, I've spent a lot of time thinking about my lack of speed when it comes to weight loss and more importantly how to remain focused and positive. So, as you will see from my original goals, my plan was to be down a stone by month-end. In order to achieve that, I need to lose nearly 10lbs in the next 2 and a bit weeks... that doesn't sound very likely I will now have to admit. So I need a new mantra. here it is
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Blame it on me being American and not at all comfortable with using stones to measure weight. Just back from my weigh-in today and while reading the book in queue, I realised that I actually LOST weight last week, not gained as I thought! I was actually down a 1/2lb not up... add another 1.5lb loss this week and that makes 3 weeks of steady losses (phew)... and 4 weeks if you count the 1st week I did SW on my own. Feeling very encouraged :)
 
Well that's a lovely bonus!!

Sounds like you are doing fantastically!! I've hit another week where I don't think it's coming off. I need to get my head straight.

X
 
I need to get my head straight.
I think our heads can be our worst enemy especially when we're held accountable to a weekly weigh-in. Another chum of mine joined and had her 1 week weigh-in... 7lbs down in her first week! I'm 3 weeks in and only 5lbs down. If I listened to my head, I'd be totally disheartened. Instead I'm trying to listen to my gut which says this is my best option and whilst it may take a long while, this is something I can stick with and lose on (eventually :confused::confused::confused:).

If I'm honest my only concern is that I'll become obsessed with it (my nature isn't to do anything at half-measures). I have (legitimately) been doing SW perfectly - had 70 syns for the week but that was with ~45 on one day - gin and sushi but no food slips). I am very conscientious of portion sizes. I only have a carb (potato or rice) at one meal a day if that. I work out (hard!) at least 3 times a week and even started walking loads in the evenings. Yet I'm only seeing 1/2lb-1lb move on the scale. So that says to me that I need to do more. I already had two "fast evenings" where I didn't eat anything from 7.30pm - noon the next day.

We shall see - I have 7 weeks until my Vegas trip. That's really my marker in the sand. If I get 4 weeks out and not seeing more progress, then I may incorporate eating very low calories and skipping my evening meal altogether. Not long term but the month leading up to trip.
 
I am also confused that I have given up wine entirely.
I used to drink fairly regularly through the week (and even more on the weekend).
That alone should demonstrate more results but its not.
Not making excuses, but I suspect I just ate fairly healthy before SW (just too much of it) and this isn't have the jolt needed to see big losses.

Right, I get very verbose on my weigh-in Mondays!! ;-)
 
Its Sunday only but coming on to make an entry... and this time with great news to report! I have been hesitant to come on any earlier this week as sometimes I drop a few pounds in a day and then pop right back up the next day. This week has been different and I have just kept going down :) This will sound very bizarre (but true as I log my weight every day) but I am more than 1/2 stone lighter than a week ago (hesitant to say exact number as I have the strangest fluctuating day-to-day weight and its pretty high).

I am sooooooo happy as I originally had goal to lose one stone by end of May which I revised as weight was creeping off and I didn't want to set myself up for disappointment. But amazingly I can actually see that stone goal well within my reach!! I'm nearly there for my morning weigh-ins and not far behind with my official Monday 7.3opm weigh-in.

Yay - happy Sunday for me!! :D:D:D:D:D

Wish me luck I get a register a good weigh in tomorrow.
 
Last post promise...

I just updated my own log and as of this morning I'm only 8.8lbs away from my goal weight for Vegas. As I'm leaving in 6 1/2weeks, that means I only need to average 1.4lbs a week! That seems sooooooooooooo doable and a huge motivation to keep with it.

Gosh I just love SW. I said to hubby yesterday (when I was regaling about this past week's loss) that its amazing that I'm more than 10lbs down in less than 4 weeks - particularly when I haven't felt like I was on a diet for 4 weeks! The only willpower required has been when socialising and staying away from too much drink and syn-heavy food stuff.

No wonder folks are so successful with big losses as they are able to stay on it fairly easily.

It SERIOUSLY makes me really believe that there is a chance that I will get to my 11stone goal (or maybe less?!) in the next year. I have never ever ever been less than 12plus stone in my entire adult life (and I say that loosely - probably since I was ~13 years old??!) No wonder I'm on cloud 9 just now. I'm delighted that something I have thought about my entire life (and I do mean my entire life as I have ALWAYS been heavy) may materialise.

Watch this space...
 
Congrats on your weight loss doing fantastic, I'm aiming to lose 18 lb by the end of July for my holiday 8 weeks so cross fingers, i was 15 stone 9 back in 2010 and got to target 19 months later getting to 9 stone 9 I've put on over stone in the last year new house new job so need to get on track
 
Congrats on getting to 9 stone @Missy conway! I can't even fathom what that would be like. 12 1/2 stone is about my lightest ever.

Fab photo and on the cover of Slimming World Magazine as well! Ace. I bought my 1st SW magazine this weekend and love it. Very inspirational and lots of great recipes. Think I'm hooked...

You will be on holiday after me - wish you all the best getting to goal! I'm sure you know better than most how to do it - would appreciate any advice to stay on track. I'm 6 weeks and 2 days away from holiday and 8lbs away from original ("ambitious") goal - thinking I need to revise that to aim for 13lbs (that would get me to 169lb which of course I've never seen as an adult). I shudder to think of my excitement of getting on the plane to Vegas being that size!! :D:cool::cool::cool:
 
:sw007:View media item 4752So, yes - you've read that right!! Slow and steady with patience has paid off. I can't believe this but I have lost 8 1/2lbs this past week... I know my weight has been going down but very much expected that it wouldn't present at weigh-in. Well guess what folks - it did!! :D:D:D:D

I don't normally stay for the group but I was very keen to stay just to say that I really haven't done much different this week - I'm just a different loser than my friends as we all are to each other. I had friends with great losses week 1 and then nothing for a couple of weeks. Me, I started VERY slow and was rewarded for staying focused and on plan. So happy. Got 1/2 stone award tonight and could possibly get stone award next week. Will definitely stay motivated for that!
 
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