Am I doing it wrong??

[Kaz18]

I tried slimming world about a year ago and started off well (4lb loss first week) which, after about 6 weeks, then whittled down to only losing 0.5lb, maintaining or gaining each week so I ended up giving up after about 3 or 4 months. Decided to try again, starting 3 weeks ago. Thought I probably wasn't eating enough speed last time I tried so made a conscious effort to increase. Lost 2lb my first week, 1lb last week and this week I've lost a measly 0.25lb! I've not had any cheat days, stay within my syns etc so am wondering if I'm still not eating enough?

A typical day would be either weetabix or oat cheerios for breakfast as my HEB with milk for my HEA. I'll then have a snack mid morning of usually a muller light, an apple and an orange. Lunch is usually a salad consisting of lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, beetroot along with chicken breast or ham and occasionally a couple of boiled eggs. Snack again in the afternoon is something like a mug shot and an apple. Tea is usually something along the lines of Cajun chicken pasta packed with onions and peppers for speed or meat with potatoes and mixed veg. We do sometimes have sausages or gammon with homemade chips and beans/mushy peas or something so I know I'm missing my speed there but thought this would be ok since I snack on mainly speed throughout the day.

I always drink at least 1.5 litres of water but try and have 2 litres every day. I use my syns on salad cream, sometimes hot chocolate, some ice lollies and usually use between 10-15 per day.

I'm just not sure where I'm going wrong? Am I really not eating enough?

[Shamoffour]

It doesn't look too bad. What are your portions like?
I find to have good losses I must follow the third of a plate speed food to the letter.
If you have a meal with out speed it doesn't balance out with speed snacks I'm afraid because you are eating the snacks in addition to a meal. The point of the third of a plate of speed is it reduces the amount of other food you put on your plate.
Try swapping your breakfast around a bit there is no speed there. Try not to add speed though the idea is to replace so wouldn't really work with cereal. Do you have time to make anything different in the morning? Say an omelette with lots of speed in?
It's so horrible when your not getting the losses you want.

[Kaz18]

Ok so I made an omelette with onion, peppers and tomatoes for breakfast. I never understand it with the healthy extras though because I've still got to eat them in some other way so by changing what I have for breakfast I'm going to be eating more once I have my healthy extras at some point too? There's only so many things you can use them on and you can't replace them with speed so technically eating more, no? I'll probably have to have toast/cereal/cereal bars or something later on to use them and can't have a third speed with them so I feel like it doesn't make a difference if I use them for breakfast with no speed?! Maybe I'm missing the point though.

My best friend has some kind of cereal for breakfast every day with a banana which isn't speed but still loses about 2lb a week so just can't work out where I'm going wrong. I lost over 3 stone with weight watchers about 4 years ago but I'm wondering if that's because I had to weigh pasta/potatoes etc as they weren't free. Not that I eat any more of them now than I did then.

[floraeasy]

I think Slimming World can let you eat too much, especially if your metabolism is on the slow side or you are post-menopause.

Just out of interest accurately track the calories you've been eating. You may be surprised. There is no such thing as "free" food. Even lettuce contains calories.

Next put your details into this calculator to find out your daily energy expenditure.

www.iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

Once you know your TDEE using the TDEE Calculator, subtract 20% from that number and split your diet calories up in to macros.

That should get things moving for you.

Good luck

[Kaz18]

Hi Flora, yes I'm thinking that may be the case. I really struggle with carbs and the fact they're "free" on slimming world doesn't help. I did try cutting them out but it didn't make much difference either. I'm thinking of possibly going back to weight watchers if they still do the portion control thing but will need to look into it.

I'll have a look at those things you mentioned too, thank you :)

[Expellibramus]

I would carry on doing what you're doing and see what you lose next week. It's not unusual to have the odd maintain and then a larger amount the week following that.

[Groovee]

I try to change my HE's daily and what I have every day different.

Yesterday I had scrambled eggs, turkey rashers, spinach and mushrooms. Then lentil soup for lunch and dinner was SW burgers on a W/M roll and cheese with salad, corn on the cob and wedges.

Today was 40g of porridge with water and yoghurt and fruit. Lunch will be sweet Potato Pakora salad. Then risotto for tea.

Breakfasts for me is: porridge oats made into porridge or overnight oats. Omelette, weetabix, fruit and yoghurt or blueberry wheats from Aldi with yoghurt and fruit.

Lunches vary between omelette, BLT's, beans on toast, soup, salads, pasta.

Dinners this week are Risotto, beef stirfry, turkey burgers, chicken Jambalaya, fish and chips, Donner Kebab and full Sunday roast.

Maybe post photos of your food and we can see if you are doing ok.

I had a few weeks of little losses then some huge losses which I didn't expect.

[Expellibramus]

I would carry on doing what you're doing and see what you lose next week. It's not unusual to have the odd maintain and then a larger amount the week following that.

[GoldenBlue]

For lunch and tea the speed food should go on the plate first, ensuring at least a third of the plate is speed before adding anything else. If you've put speed in the good such as chilli with peppers, onions, mushrooms, ignore that speed and put a separate portion of speed on the plate.
Snacks are best if either speed or protein. My group did a test and confirmed protein snacks appear to increase weight loss if all else in the menu stays the same.
Avoid eating any free food that is not explicitly in your book. Mug shots are fine in emergencies but they will impact on weight loss.
Personally I find fast carbs impact on my weight loss so I have very small portions of rice or pasta and still to brown.
I know fruit is free but apples and oranges are higher calorie than berries and melon, so maybe try a swap?
Some people lose weight slower than others, depending on age, starting weight, exercise etc.
My fitness pal app is great for tracking calories in and that might provide an insight into your own personal optimum consumption. I lose 1.5lb if I stick to 1200 calories or less, another woman can eat 1700 per day and have similar losses but her activity levels are higher than mine.
Good luck, it's a flexible plan, you just need to find what works well for you x