Tips for beginners?

[Grrarg]

I have never done sw and am off to my first meeting tomorrow with no idea what to expect. I've got about 3 stone or more to lose I recon. But it may well be me being optimistic to think low

Anyone got any advice for a 1st timer?

[KatharineClifton]

I'm just a stone from target on my second time round with SW, and the following is what I should of taken of heed of from the beginning.

Write everything down.

Ensure each meal is one third speed food. (I don't achieve this with breakfast though)

Check Syn values before you eat the food.

Make sure you use your syns each day, this stops you falling off the wagon.

Don't save your syns for a binge. Binge eating is what gets you overweight and it's a habit you need to break.

Exercise is important, they do say it's 80% diet but that 20% exercise does make the journey a lot easier.

If you fall off the wagon for one or two days don't say fuck it, I'm going to have a gain anyway so I'll carry on. Get straight back on it the next day.

Keep to class, especially in the weeks when you have a maintain or gain - which is when you feel least like staying to class!

Don't compare yourself with others who seem to be losing tons week after week. We are all different, my journey was incredibly slow, but as on all long journeys I've learnt a lot and it takes time to change your mindset to approach food.

Stay until you get to target. I left first time when I was happy with my body in comparison to the way I'd started. But I had no buffer and it was incredibly easy to start going the other way.

Reward yourself in different ways, food is such an easy reward, but not the best.

SW cookbooks have been incredibly helpful for me. Ditto the website.

Be kind to yourself. I've found that going to group has made me actually like myself a lot more making it easier to give my body decent food rather than punishing it with crap.

Sorry for the essay! We were asked in group this week what was our best advice for newbies, and I've been mulling it over since.

[Sirzy]

Katherine has covered it all, I would say that staying to the class is the most important part though

[Grrarg]

Thanks Kathryn! So much there to think about! I have dieted alone before and got this far but now I swing between 13 and 14 stone and have done for the last 3 years and I need to get a fair bit lower than that to be healthy.

What actually happens at a meeting is it like it seems from TV with a weigh in a chat and then a focused speech from the leader or am I totally off the mark?

[Grrarg]

Thanks Sirzy! I was told I could take DD (almost 4) but am thinking that it might not be productive to me staying for the whole meeting

[KatharineClifton]

Loads of kids at the meetings I go to, more than welcome they are.

All groups are different depending on the leader obviously.

[thatstoast]

Definitely stay to group. Kids are welcome in all groups I've been to. And they're always full of people rejoining because they haven't stayed and put all the weight back on.

The structure of the group is:
Half hour weigh in window. When you join you need to be there at the start to get your new member talk. Once you've done this you can come a bit later.
Then there's Image therapy. They allow up to an hour for this part. Mine never talks that long as the group isn't that big.
In image therapy, the consultant will talk about how people have done, ask if they need any help, get people to share tips. They won't call out your weight, only how much you've lost.

Find a group that works for you so that you want to keep going. I prefer smaller groups. I've been to one with 100 or so members and it was awful. My current group has around 15-20 people who stay for image therapy so it feels more personal.

[Grrarg]

Thanks everyone! Feeling a lot less nervous now!

I'm off to my first meeting without dd tomorrow but have found another 2 groups with different leaders near by so if I don't get on with this one I ca try the others.

Last question for today, do you get access to the app with group membership or is it extra?

[KatharineClifton]

Yes, you'll get a pin for the website on p88 of your black book. Very easy to set up.

Best of luck and come back with updates :)

[Grrarg]

Thanks everyone, first meeting was fab, it's slimmer of the year time so there were lots of stories of massive success and everyone was so nice!

I'm ready to start with bells on and already bought some fresh fruits etc today.

[KatharineClifton]

Nice one

[Sirzy]

Fantastic, good luck

[ShabbyNat]

Hi
How are you getting on??
Ive recently joined too, Im on week 4 with about 10 stone to lose, so far Ive lost 13 1/2 lb which Im really chuffed about
Hope you`re getting on ok