SW newbie... please give me your top tips!

[Tobermory]

So, tonight I joined SW!
I’ve been putting it offf for a while but tonight I took the plunge. The group seemed nice and the leader lovely, though will have to get used to the clapping!
So I have my food diary ready to go, I know what I’m eating for breakfast and lunch tomorrow.

What are your top tips for weight loss and sticking to it?

[Dancingfairydreams]

Well done! First hurdle is always the hardest. I rejoined last week for the 4th time 🙈

Make sure you really read your book, be honest on your diary & join loads of groups on Facebook. I get loads of ideas from there. Pinch of nom. Two chubby cubs (they are a little blue though). Slim with Aldi. There are loads! I found they helped with ideas to avoid boring salads everyday. Good luck!!!

[Tobermory]

Thanks! I’d heard of pinch of nom but the other two are new to me and I’m adding them! The ‘sass’ from the cubs looks interesting!

I’d had visions of having to publicly announce your weight, quite glad that didn’t happen!!

[Groovee]

Planning is my best way and plan a shopping list.

Top up with lots of speed foods and I like quark with option sachets for a quick filling snack.

I also use Slimming eats. Cheeseburger pasta is one of my favourite meals.

[Godotsarrived]

Don’t lose sight of portion control. You don’t need to count calories as the free foods are in the main nutrient dense and calorie low but you do need calorific deficit to lose weight so don’t load your plate sky high with any food. Cut out all alcohol. Won’t bore you with the science but it compromises weight lose, remove it and you will lose fat.

[boomboo]

I joined yesterday too
I think keeping my diary is going to be so important. I have already downloaded the app which I think will be a great help. Going to try and do 30 mins exercise a day by pushing the pram more and not opting for the car every time.

[Tobermory]

I’ve just been out into the garden and picked some speed plums!
Agree re the diary, also need to make sure I plan ahead for meals.

[dizzydaisies]

Well done!
I joined last week, and I've got first weigh-in tonight. I'm really hoping for a loss, any at all!!

I've found it easy to follow, but agree with a pp about portion control - it's really tempting to think you can eat lots because it's free, but I doubt I'll lose much if I overload the plate each time.

[Gablexy]

Something I’m finding helpful at the moment is lots of drinks between meals. Tea, coffee, hot oxo, sparkling water. Seems to suppress my appetite a bit so less prone to snack. But when I do, I’ve found apples and kiwi fruits to be great. Oh and Tic Tacs :) Good luck for your first week!

[Tobermory]

dizzydaisies
How did your first weigh in go?

[Tobermory]

Gablexy hot oxo sounds pretty revolting! Just the idea of that as a drink is enough to put me off my food!

[Gablexy]

Haha! Well if it works for you :)
I’m into salty, savoury snacks so for me it’s perfect!

[dizzydaisies]

@Tobermory thanks for asking! I lost 2.5lb, which although encouraging, I can't help being a little disappointed with. The first week is usually when you see a bigger difference and I came away just feeling a bit underwhelmed.

My plan this morning is to get really organised with meal plans and shopping. I'm then going to try and have a few speed days, and minimise my syns over the week.

[MontanaSky]

I lost 2.5lb in my first week. Whilst I was discouraged I can only advise to stick with it.
I'm now on week 3 and my best advice is to plan and prep ahead.
Don't allow yourself to get hangry as that's when you might reach for syns.

I also find it easier to eat my b choice later in the day and have fruit and yoghurt for breakfast.

Good luck!

[Tobermory]

montana I think that might be a very top tip to save the b choice till later in the day. I’m going to remember that!

[Tobermory]

dizzy
2.5 off is better than 2.5 on though?
Well done on your loss!

[iamyourequal]

Hi All. I’ve just joined tonight. I will be perfectly happy if I lose 2.5 lb in the first week so don’t be disappointed Dizzy & Montana I think you both did really well! I’m off to bed early to read all the booklets and make a plan... I’m on diet lemonade instead of my usual Thursday night beer so feeling positive and ready to go!

[starryeyed19]

I'm due to start soon. What does using the diary actually entail? Do SW provide you with one?

[Tobermory]

Sheets of paper with sections for speed, free and synned food that you ate during the day.
I’ve found it hard to record this week so I’ve made up my own . I’ve recorded by meal but still indicated syns/speed and free

Weigh in tomorrow for me

[sunshineNdaisies]

Follow lots of people on Instagram, it's really helping me get recipe and treat ideas. Also instagram will tell you where you can buy low syn treats and extras like the skinny bakery, the skinny caffe, choco art, jd seasonings, spicentice etc

[honeyrider]

My top tips are to plan and prepare.

Write everything down even if you blow your syns big time but don't let it guilt you into quitting, just get back on plan as soon as you can. We're all human so will have days when all the best laid plans go out the window.

Stay to class if you can, that's where you'll get support and also where you can support others. Attend class even if you think or know you'll have a weight gain because it will help you to draw a line under the gain and get you back on track without feeling guilty and in a positive frame of mind for the new week.

Your consultant has a private facebook page for her members, it's where you'll get support between classes.

I personally don't like the SW diary pages that are given out in class, I used to just do my own with meals broken down into breakfast, lunch, dinner, free food snacks, syns and healthy extras. However I now use the SW online food and exercise diary that's under the weightloss planner. It's easy to use.

I'm on the social team and the members that have the biggest and consistent losses are those that use all their syns.

Try and have a few store cupboard ingredients as a standby for when you need something quick. Also worth freezing the occasional leftover meal that can go straight into the oven or microwave.

One thing I've found very handy for standbys and for when I'm short on time is to have bags of frozen veg such as sliced peppers, mushrooms, onions that I can just cook from frozen to make omelettes, add to dishes etc. or cauliflower or broccoli rice to serve with dishes instead of rice.