WHICH SLIMMING PROGRAMME TO USE?

[MrsBigD]

I started my diet 1 week ago and so far just 'watch what I eat' (obviously eating some of the stuff I'm looking at

However, dh also needs to loose quite a bit of weight BUT dd (3) needs to put it on...

I went out and bought a few diet magazines. Rosemarie C doesn't look right to me due to the 'slim bread'. DD steals our toast and the last thing she needs is something calorie reduced

have any of you got any suggestions which programs are best suited for a 'variable' family?

Weightwatchers and Slimming World don't look too bad...

[SPARKLER1]

I do Slimming World. It's really good and you can eat loads. I started in May and had lost just under two stone before xmas. Then I slipped a bit over xmas and put on. Back on track now. I find it a fantastic social life too - made lots of friends at the group and we have been out for a xmas meal and planning more. Good luck with your weight loss. xx

[BubblesDeVere]

Hiya MrsBigD, I do weightwatchers and love it, if you do it online its only 10.00 a month and you get everything you could need, its really good. I did think about slimming world, but decided it was not good for me, my close friend lost 2 1/2 stone on slimming world and i lost 2 1/2 stone on weightwatchers.

Weightwatchers however, have started doing another plan call 'No Count' which I'm told is really like Slimming World.

[Demented]

I only started on Monday but have been blown away (especially when you take unlimited baked beans on a green day into consideration ) by the amount of food you can eat. So far have found it really easy to make family meals, pasta bakes (add extra cheese to your DD's portion), soup, baked potatoes, homemade hash browns with bacon and egg, beef casserole, also got roast chicken and chicken kebabs planned for the next couple of days. You get "Healthy Extras" to eat every day and these include milk, cheese, bread, nuts and seeds, meat (if you are on a green day), Pasta/Potatoes (if you are on a red day). The "Syns" seem fairly generous too.

All the best whatever you decide.

FWIW after I had my DS1 I lost 2 stone just doing my own thing/cutting down and after DS2 I lost a stone this way. IMO there's nothing wrong with doing this if it works for you.

[Demented]

I should say it's Slimming World I'm doing!

[MrsBigD]

better have another look at the slimming world mag. Going through the WW at the moment

Thanks for your feedback so far

[MrsBigD]

now I've seen everything!

Tescos are advertising their own GI diet website! www.edietsuk.com with 'earn clubcard points too!

Will have to check it out though, amazing what we do to get some extra points

[Gillian76]

I'm doing the ww no count. As far as I can see it's different from SW in that there are no "red" and "green" days. You can eat meats, fish, beans, pasta, rice, etc on either day. You also have a weekly points allowance for treats or other ingredients (eg oils, sauces, bread, etc) to make your meals more interesting.

I think also that with SW you can "graze" all day, whereas with WW No Count you are encouraged to eat 3 meals from the lists of NC food and then snack on fruit if you need to.

I am finding it great cooking family meals. As long as the food is on the NC list, you can serve yourself whatever you fancy. You don't have to stand and weigh portions whilst srving the rest of the family and inevitably end up with cold dinner!

HTH

[MrsBigD]

thanks gillian, will go have a look at it

[Stargazer]

Hi MrsBigD - I agree with Gillian - I'm doing the NOCOUNT bit from Weight Watchers - and so far have found it great. I think it's a case of finding what suits you and going for it. But I'm biased in favour of WW.

[Gillian76]

The WW message boards are very good too.

[BubblesDeVere]

Stargazer, do you find the no count ok? i've had a look at it and read the community boards and there seems to be alot of confusion as to what is no count and what isn't, there is a thread saying that one woman tried it and put on 5lb. I have been thinking of giving it a go but sticking to points for now.

What sort of things do you eat?

[SPARKLER1]

I don't know if you have ever done the SW diet. You can have meat and pasta on the same day but if green you have to weigh meat if red you have to weigh pasta. They have started a new plan (which I am still to get used to) where you can have red and green on the same day but at different meal times. I went to a WW meeting once and never went back again. I was very unimpressed. Found that all the WW consultant wanted to do was sell me loads of stuff and not genuinely help me with my weight loss. I have friends who are doing WW and are doing very well on it but I don't like the fact that even an apple is counted as points. SW you can eat and eat and eat!!!

[BubblesDeVere]

I have heard that and a close friend has lost alot of weight on it, must admit the ww leaders i've met aren;t very nice, but, isn't it alot of faffing about deciding which foods are free etc.

[happymerryberries]

I am a week into the GI diet, I have not cheated at all, amazing for me, and in fact I have been unable to finish some of the meals. There is lots of variety and it is very, very healthy, masses of fresh fruit and veg, and low fat. I have lost 5 pound in a week.

[SPARKLER1]

Bubbles - it doesn't take a while to get into the SW plan and even now I have to delve into the books just to check things. But a lot of it just comes to me naturally now.

[SPARKLER1]

mean to say DOES take a while

[BubblesDeVere]

hmmmmmmmmm, just had a look at the sw online site and its double what you pay for ww per month

[Demented]

Bubbles, does it have to be the on-line version? It's just that they have a promotion on just now where you can join a meeting for £5 membership and £3.95 a week thereafter. I have done this solely for the purpose of getting the books and some advice to get me going and after a few weeks am going to go it alone as I cannot afford the time nor the money for it every week.

[SPARKLER1]

That's a good idea Demented but I'm not sure if I could do it alone. I am getting a bit fed up with paying out all the time £3.95 for weigh-in, we have a raffle each week too 50p, hi-fi bars (I buy 3 packs £3 as dh eats them too) and we have a lady who brings in fresh farm eggs to buy too so that's another £1.60. It costs a fortune just to go out for an hour.

[Demented]

Mumsnet Mamas is always here for a good virtual kick up the bottom!

I think I've seen the hi-fi bars on e-Bay. What do they taste like?

[MrsBigD]

after long deliberations I've decided on a GI diet which I started today... feeling utterly stuffed! So that's a good start

[yoyo]

Saw the GI diet in The Times yesterday and I must say it looks rather good. Haven't had time to "digest" all the info yet but will attempt to today.

Happymerryberries and MrsBigD- are you following a plan or have you got a book with the GI values listed? Tesco are going to label some of their foods to make it easier so shopping should be ok. I'd be interested to have some feedback as it would be a different way of eating for me.

[MrsBigD]

yoyo, going to follow a plan for a couple of months until I get the hang of it and then go 'solo'

[MrsBigD]

p.s. yoyo I can send you a copy of my plan for this week if you want to see what you'd be allowed

I'm doing an on-line plan and the great thing is if you don't like their suggestions you can change it 'yumyum'

[yoyo]

I saw one on an on-line site too. Did the profile but didn't sign up! Have got a few plans as it was also featured in last month's (I think) Good Housekeeping (that makes me sound a bit sad) so I've got enough info to be getting on with thanks. Keep updating though as I don't know anyone who's followed this. Hope to join you soon!