Starting SW Monday yay finally!- any tips on planning meals & getting organised plz?

Loopyleanne

Full Member
Hi all,

after delays and many weeks of waiting for our house refurb to be completed I finally am able to join SW As I now have a working kitchen yay!

I have have spent the past few weeks trying to get my head in the game as they say, so I brought the current and previous SW mags, been reading posts in here and have even cooked a few SW meals and stored some in the freezer.

so, as you can tell, I'm excited to be joining :), and want this time to be for good and not just last while the initial enthusiasm lasts

- so I was wondering if anyone has any tips for planning meals week to week and/or tips keeping on track?
Do you have Recipe folders? Do you Literally write down all meals for the week? was thinking of keeping a list of fav food syn values or is that just me being over the top lol? Food diarys all the time? Even after 4 weeks?

I have aver a lot to loose expecting to weigh in at about 25st :( so I'm in this for the long haul, I have done SW before but I think poor planning has been my downfall previously. Wat to avoid do the same again!

looking forward to hearing any tips and tricks xx
 
Hi Leanne.
Welcome to SW & this forum.
Best advice I can offer is to write a weekly menu of meals, only buy the ingredients for these meals, keep a diary so that you can check what you ate on good weight loss weeks.There are thousands of SW friendly food recipes on this forum, if you get stuck, just ask, someone will help you if they can.
Finely, get a pic of yourself now, place it somewhere to remind you of what you were, so when you finish your journey you will have a comparison pic, most people don't have a before one due to embarrassment!
Good luck.
Pete
 
My tip would be always have in store cupboard essentials. Chopped tinned tomatoes are amazing for me because I love tomato sauce with pasta and that's the base of every type of sauce I make. It's my base for curry as well.
Another would be basic frozen veg in case you run low, and keeping a stock of pasta and rice and other free items. Also other tinned veg, tinned potatoes (easy for making mash or "fried" spuds) and a stock of herbs and spices, and stock cubes. And frylight!

Also what are your favourite foods? Adjusting the recipes to SW friendly ways for cooking has been a huge life saver for me. (I doubt I can do a cheese fondue though! Haha.)

Another would be frozen "ready meals". Make extra food when you cook and freeze the rest in case you can't be bothered with cooking. :) (Soup is a fave of mine because you can just shove it in the microwave. Pasta goes horribly stodgy though.)

Next bit of advise is look up the syns for everything! If you don't have access to the website or app go by the 1 syn = 20 calories rule to be on the safe side. It's better to assume something is more syns than lower. :)

Also stick to small targets. Looking at the big picture can be really scary. :( (I started off at 25st 12lbs so I know how scary it can be!) And take a before photo from the front and side. It helps when you can't see the weight loss on yourself because you will be able to see it in photos. :)

And my last bit of advise would be create a food diary on here and follow other peoples as well. (I'll happily follow yours if you make one!) Building friendships and helping eachother is something that really helps me with my weight loss.
 
Thank you both for all your tips :)

getting very excited to be starting now. Will do a food diary on here when I start and I'll try and work out how to post a link here if you still want to follow, thanks :) I'll also do a diary keeping track of weight loss week to week.

Quite pleased with myself as I have SW ragu sauce for pasta and lamb curry in the freezer after some cooking this weekend. First proper from Scratch cooking in my new kitchen and honestly 1st cooking from scratch in quite a while- I really had forgotten how much I enjoy the cooking. Bit Tricky to do around my daughter(toddler 21 months) but she's all the more reason to be very organised and freeze meals for those hectic days.

Will set smaller goals this time too. Looking at the bigger pic is very frightening and I think partly where I have gone wrong before. 1st goal, to get my 1st sticker 1/2 stone bring it on!

thanks both and well done on your fab losses, it's very inspiring reading about them :) x
 
Oh no starting to feel sick with nerves now :-( hope the consultant is nice/ good. I am a worrier, v scared!

Xx
 
Hi all,

after delays and many weeks of waiting for our house refurb to be completed I finally am able to join SW As I now have a working kitchen yay!

I have have spent the past few weeks trying to get my head in the game as they say, so I brought the current and previous SW mags, been reading posts in here and have even cooked a few SW meals and stored some in the freezer.

so, as you can tell, I'm excited to be joining :), and want this time to be for good and not just last while the initial enthusiasm lasts

- so I was wondering if anyone has any tips for planning meals week to week and/or tips keeping on track?
Do you have Recipe folders? Do you Literally write down all meals for the week? was thinking of keeping a list of fav food syn values or is that just me being over the top lol? Food diarys all the time? Even after 4 weeks?

I have aver a lot to loose expecting to weigh in at about 25st :( so I'm in this for the long haul, I have done SW before but I think poor planning has been my downfall previously. Wat to avoid do the same again!

looking forward to hearing any tips and tricks xx

Hi loopyleanne, I also have a fair amount to lose (12 stone+) and it is a long haul but just take it one day at a time. I've done sw a couple of times and here are a few tips I picked up first time round.

When I buy stuff like treats I write the syn value on the box as it saves me time when I want to grab something. (Plus seeing it in black and white before I eat it is a good deterrent!)

I bulk cook and freeze as I work around 60 - 90 hours a week. I also pre chop certain fruits like pineapple and melon. Also my house is tupperware central. Everything gets put in boxes so I know to grab a couple of boxes (they have stuff like fruit and salad and soups in) all have syns written on the box if they have any in.

Being organised is key for me. I always have a mugshot/alpen lights in my handbag too and normally stick an orange or piece of fruit in there too.

I also write everything down. I have a note 2 phone and every day I open my note app and note down what I'm eating as I go.

I also never put anything in my mouth unless I know the syn value before. I would eat something before then work out the syn value to find I had gone over and then spiralled.

Just a couple of ideas, hope these help and good luck.
 
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The works,does a great slimming diary which is like a workbook for writing down what yo et and,scribbling,thoughts etc i love it
 
The works,does a great slimming diary which is like a workbook for writing down what yo et and,scribbling,thoughts etc i love it

am going to look for this also, thanks!

Thank you all for your tips and help. 2nd weigh in today and I lost 3.5 total 9lb and slimmer of the week :) got to keep it going but thrilled so far xx
 
The diary is £2.99 cant add pics from my ipad
 

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Oh good it worked

inside pages
 

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am going to look for this also, thanks!

Thank you all for your tips and help. 2nd weigh in today and I lost 3.5 total 9lb and slimmer of the week :) got to keep it going but thrilled so far xx



brilliant well done you...way to go girl
 
Thos doodle diaries look wonderful! Gutted I can't buy one from the works, they don't deliver to Ireland and they're over a tenner on ebay so it's not worth it!
 
Here to subscribe.. my journey has been up and down a bit, but im joining back to slimming world group near me soon, so that will be something :) xx
 
Thos doodle diaries look wonderful! Gutted I can't buy one from the works, they don't deliver to Ireland and they're over a tenner on ebay so it's not worth it!

Awww sorry had no idea they dont post to ireland what a bummer
 
It always seems mad when companies don't, we are so close you could just throw it over the sea haha!

Great to see you getting stuck in Bubbles!
 
Was getting stuck in, till i lost a family member recently, im joining back slimming world this monday though, i was thinking of starting a whole new account.. just starting fresh ... x
 
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