so confused and fed up!

[mousey141]

I just don't get it. What suits my lifestyle is what I am having now, on a typical day:

fruit and fibre, skimmed milk
cup a soup, two brown bread, low fat spread
ready meal from Tesco, typically fish pie, lasagne, cottage pie etc
one or two glasses of white wine

With all the talk of red and green, syns, EE, HEb I just want to throw it all in.

I don't get it! :cry: What could I do red and green with that? Please help. I've followed 1200 since xmas, and lost 2lb, then regained it, and didn't even cheat.

 

[Rkmriddell]

I just don't get it. What suits my lifestyle is what I am having now, on a typical day:

fruit and fibre, skimmed milk
cup a soup, two brown bread, low fat spread
ready meal from Tesco, typically fish pie, lasagne, cottage pie etc
one or two glasses of white wine

With all the talk of red and green, syns, EE, HEb I just want to throw it all in.

I don't get it! :cry: What could I do red and green with that? Please help. I've followed 1200 since xmas, and lost 2lb, then regained it, and didn't even cheat.

What about extra easy? You could certainly have the evening meal but tbh youre going to need to do more cooking and not so much convrenience food x

 

[mousey141]

Thanks for your reply Riddel, unfortunately my lifestyle doesn't allow for cooking, I'm barely home long enough to pack and go. I'm sure there are convenience foods which are the equivalent of standing at a cooker tbh.

Am I right in thinking that you can have 10 syns a day, and a syn is 20 cals? therefore 200 cals per day can be from something synless like salad?

 

[Rkmriddell]

Thanks for your reply Riddel, unfortunately my lifestyle doesn't allow for cooking, I'm barely home long enough to pack and go. I'm sure there are convenience foods which are the equivalent of standing at a cooker tbh.

Am I right in thinking that you can have 10 syns a day, and a syn is 20 cals? therefore 200 cals per day can be from something synless like salad?

You can have up to fifteen per day, one syn for 20 cals is right. But you only syn food that isn't free. Salad is all veg and so all free, dressings would need to be sunned though. There are convenience foods you can have, I just find you get more out of the plan if you cook (even if it's a big batch cook on the weekend) but understand that not everyone has the time or the inclination to do so. Is it just lunch times you struggle or evenings too?

Birds eye do a salmon in lemon sauce which is free and just goes in the oven, you could have things like that with veg and potatoes quite easily? If it needs to be more convenient than that youre probably best to look for low syn options.... Uncle ben's rice time, you could always add cooked chicken slices and a bag of steam veg?

 

[Jaq]

Are you sure slimming world is the right plan for you? If you're calorie counting as well then you're not really on the plan anyways, especially looking at your diet. Slimming world is much more about cooking your own food.

But to answer your questions I've broken down your average day in slimming world terms below:

• Fruit and fibre (30g = HexB)
• Skimmed milk (375ml = HexA)
• Cup a Soup (4+ syns on average)
• 2 Slices brown bread (needs to be wholemeal to count as a healthy extra so 3.5 syns per medium slice from an 800g loaf)
• Low fat spread (1syn per level teaspoon)
• Ready meal from tesco (depending on the meal could be anything from 1.5syns to 30 syns)
• One or two glasses of wine (9 syns per 250ml)

If you want to make your day more slimming world I would do the following:

• Swap brown bread for wholemeal then you can have your 2 slices as a HexB on red or green
• Make a massive pot of homemade soup at the weekend and take some with you in a flask every day instead of the cup a soup
• Look at syns online or on here for some low syn ready meals.
• Even better, make food yourself and freeze it so you can reheat when you need it or batch cook when you have free time and keep it in the fridge
• Save your syns for wine and you can have 375ml for your 15 syns
• Introduce some fruit or veg because at the moment you're eating none of your 5 a day
• You don't say what you're drinking but you probably also need to increase your water intake
• Increase your calorie intake. Your body is probably messing around with the same 2lbs because it thinks it's being starved. That doesn't mean eat more mars bars but eat more calorie dense food. Typically these will be free foods.

Hope this helps!

 

[choccybuttons]

Hi

I would have to change would be the ready meal as probably too many syns. You can have things like birds eye baked to perfection salmon with some microwave veg instead that would be free. Have a mug shot instead of a cuppa soup.

If you don't want to add fruit/veg to your meals then I would think red or green days would be better.

You can buy a wee book called free branded foods which I used to find convenience style foods that are free, as have kids and very little time. Such as:

pasta n sauce
chunky steak in gravey canned - most supermarkets
long grain micro rice m & s
stir fry veg with quorn chicken style peices
iceland veg and bean chilli hotpot
sainsburys frozen roasting veg
sainsburys whole chicken breast in gravey frozen

 

[kingleds]

I feel like this is my mantra at the moment, but if you always do,what you've always done, you always get what you've always got. It sounds like you've been calorie counting, which is not even remotely a SW thing. If you want to loose weight on SW you have to follow SW. There have been some good ideas already about how to do SW without being chained to your kitchen every day. I manage to do SW with a full time job, plenty of people on here have full time jobs & kids yet still manage to do it. Shirleen in particular manages with a job that means she works all sorts of shift patterns, overnights, 16 hour shifts etc. it's not impossible if you can really be bothered.

Please don't think I'm having a go, I'm just trying to point out that you can't continue doing the same thing, when it's been proven as an unsuccessful course of action & expect anything to change.

 

[mousey141]

Jaq that was really useful, how do you calculate it all? I will take that on board. Choccy, I can eat fruit and veg, I eat a fair amount of things like celery or bags of peeled carrots, which I failed to mention!

I manage to do SW with a full time job, plenty of people on here have full time jobs & kids yet still manage to do it. Shirleen in particular manages with a job that means she works all sorts of shift patterns, overnights, 16 hour shifts etc. it's not impossible if you can really be bothered.

Please don't think I'm having a go, I'm just trying to point out that you can't continue doing the same thing, when it's been proven as an unsuccessful course of action & expect anything to change.

Ok, its not just about working full time, it is a lot more complicated than that. I do work full time, long hours too. But, I live in one City, and work in another, and have a sick parent in another who needs a lot of my attention, not to mention having to retrain for my job at the same time.

Clearly I'm not expecting to do the same thing, or I wouldn't be wasting precious time posting here asking for advice as to what I can do.

Thanks though for your advice. Something I've always done is completely pleased myself. Something new is calorie counting, which I"ve done since just after xmas, not exactly years and years.

 

[Jaq]

Jaq that was really useful, how do you calculate it all?

Some of it, like what counts as a healthy extra or what you can have on red, green and ee just comes with time. I've been on sw since October but have dabbled with it once or twice before.

Syns I look up on syns online which you need to either be a sw member (either group or online) to access. If you need the odd syn value though, just start a thread in the syn values sub forum and people are happy to help. There are also loads on threads on low syn ready meals or make your own meals that keep well. I live off soup for lunch in the week and things like chilli, spag bol or frozen fish for dinner. Tesco also do lovely simply cook lamb shank in mint gravy that are free on red or ee and taste gorgeous!

Your life sounds very demanding so I'm not suprised that you find it hard to stick to plan. The key to sw really is in the planning and so if you do get some you time, it might be helpful to sit down and plan some meals and your shopping.

If you want cereal and bread in the same day, and to save your syns for wine, you'll be best off on red or green as then you get two HexB instead of just the one you get on ee.

 

[JezVonSavage]

I agree with Kingleds. I run a business and work 7 days a week. My days can start at 5am and finish at 2am, I spend a lot of time running in between events and appointments so most of my food has to be eaten on the go. I turn up at my jobs with a carrier bag full of snacks and invested in throwaway tupperware and plastic cutlery so I don't have to carry dishes about with me.

I still find time to pre-prepare meals (it would have been impossible without help from the wonderful ladies and gents on this forum) but nobody ever said it was going to be easy. If I don't take my time when I get home to sort out next days food I know I would stray- so I do it whatever time I get home, regardless of how tired I feel.

SW has laid out a plan and proven that it works- but it only works with 100% effort from you. If you can't see a way to do it then I'm afraid it might not be the diet plan for you. Why not have a mooch about the other forums and see if they appear any more suited to your lifestyle?

 

[Josiecat]

Have you tried weightwatchers? Based on your typical food consumption and the fact that you don't have time to cook, you would be able to eat those foods on weightwatchers.
On slimming world you can have a cereal for brekky as a healthy extra (you would need to weigh it though) the milk could come from another healthy extra.
Soup you can syn and bread can again be a healthy extra.
Your evening meal would be the problem, you can have convenience foods on slimming world but not ready meals. Things like pasta n sauce are free on extra easy or green.
You don't eat much junk on your normal diet, perhaps you could make some small changes such as weighing your breakfast cereal so you are not having too big a portion and for your evening meal choose a light or reduced calorie/fat version. Stick to 1 glass of wine a night and measure it as 175ml.
If you struggle to lose weight and eat very little, perhaps you could ask your GP to check for any possible medical conditions which may be preventing you from losing weight such as an underactive thyroid or type 2 diabetes.

 

[choccybuttons]

I eat quite a few jacket potatoes as they only take 5mins in the microwave

 

[mousey141]

Jaqs, thanks again, I am beginning to understand it now, although struggle with the difference between green, red and EE days.

Jez, sorry for not being superwoman and surviving on 3 hours sleep, but please don't judge my life, or compare it to how hard you work, as you really have no idea. I am dabbling and asking advice, not wanting judging or written off please! We are all in the same boat here surely?

Josie, it is the small changes there that I am seeking, so thank you for your suggestion of the low fat versions there.

Choccy, that would work, I never considered them!

 

[rachaeld82]

Its a bit more expensive than buying normal fruit, but I always have some pre packed chopped fruit in the fridge, the packs you buy from M&S etc, so that I can just grab them and go as a snack if I am in a hurry.

Also, I agree with choccybuttons - baked potatoes are really quick if done in the microwave, and there are loads of toppings you can have - beans only take a few minutes, or one of my favourites is a baked potato with a pot of extra light mini philladelphia spread on it, then tuna and kidney beans on the top. Its ready in only a few minutes, and is really filling.

Good luck!

 

[jaylou]

Have you been to an SW group and had the plan explained to you? It really would be worth it if you haven't.

I agree with the other girls, it's all about planning, it only takes 30 mins to whip up some soup which can last for a weeks lunches - jacket potatoes and beans/cheese/tuna with some salad leaves take no time if you microwave them and will be free food.

I don't think anyone on here will judge you, just offer you advice - SW does take planning and time, perhaps calorie counting might work well for you?

 

[JezVonSavage]

Jez, sorry for not being superwoman and surviving on 3 hours sleep, but please don't judge my life, or compare it to how hard you work, as you really have no idea. I am dabbling and asking advice, not wanting judging or written off please! We are all in the same boat here surely?

I havn't judged you and I certainly didn't compare your life to mine, I was making a point that SW only works for me with forward planning. A suggestion to peruse the other diet forums should not be taken as a personal slur, I don't see how that can be taken offensively, but if you consider cup-a-soup to be one of the main components of your diet you may aswell have a look at the Cambridge Diet.

 

[MrsScandude]

I agree that maybe something like WW would suit you a bit better. SW is an awful lot about pre planning and pre preparing and making your own meals etc from scratch and it doesn't seem like that's ideal for your lifestyle.
One thing I don't get though is why you feel you're bring judged? Some of your remarks back to people's advice has been sarcastic and really defensive. You said you were looking advice so why respond so negatively to answers you've received?

 

[jaylou]

I think calorie counting would be best for OP. I find I have to plan as much on WW as I do on SW, in fact even more so as there's all the weighing and tracking. Unless you live solely on pre packaged stuff which WW really do not advocate!

 

[kingleds]

OP - i appreciate that you are in a tough situation at present, but i know plenty of people following SW in horrendous circumstances. It is a mindset thing.
A lady @ my group is full time carer for her daughter. A daugther who needs extra calories in her meals so no way she eat the same foods. This woman gets
6 hours of respite care a week - she uses 4 of them to come to group
We had a talk from a lady who had lost
10 st the other week, despite the fact her youngest son had brain cancer & was in hospital for an entire year, whilst she husband was posted to belgium with RAF was away. She was doing her body magic by running up & down the stairs of the hospital at night.

It can be done, if you really really want it. If you are unwilling to change your lifestyle then you need to find a plan which suit ut better. Maybe slim fast? You don't need to worry about eating at all during the day, and then you could just have 600cal low fat ready meal in the evening.

 

[choccybuttons]

Hi

I do sw without much pre planning as a busy mum who works, I just don't have the time or energy. I tend to stick to ee as I can eat any free food I like as I chuck some veg or fruit in with it. As long as you have some staples in the house its pretty easy. I use bags of microwave frozen veg, tins of chopped toms quite a bit as my veggies. Jacket pots are a godsend esp with some baked beans or tuna with a bit of salad. Its doesn't have to be complicated. Iceland do some very sw friendly stuff that you can bung in the oven. Quorn products only take a few mins in the microwave. Cous cous is really quick and easy, as is pasta.