to think i can do my own slimming world?

[meladeso]

I was going to start going, as I've about 2 stone to lose. I was thinking I could do with the structure, to keep me on track. But honestly, I just don't really want to join.

I don't find eating healthy that hard, but I eat too much (portions) and snack too much. And definitely drink way too much.
So I'm struggling to be consistent. I do do some exercise, but that's not enough on its own to shift this!

So I wanted to ask whether anyone has successfully managed their weight off their own back, without using a club / programme? And whether you'd share your ideas with me please?

I'm thinking I'll buy some good scales, set myself a weekly reminder for a weigh in, and write things down in some sort of book - calories/fat whatever, and weight lost.

I was planning to use MFP to track myself, and maybe do a sweep of the better healthy chefs to get an assortment of ideas for recipes and snacks.

I'd be very grateful for any more suggestions.

Mfp is good

I eat lots of "processed crap" such as WW fromage frais... I find stuff like that keeps me on track and ok as a dessert.

I scratch cook pretty much every day but only eat a tiny portion.

I'm lazy and easily tempted so I limit the amount of time I spend around good, otherwise I pick at it. Hence a lot of low-calorie stuff like sushi. I try to spend no more than 400calories on a meal.

I eat two 400 cal meals a day and use the remainder for treats and tea/coffee. Total: 1200 cals.

I never drink alcohol or eat sweets (my demons!).

I aim for 10k steps a day.

Overall, if I have a 500 cal deficit I'm happy. I'm not too bothered how I get to it. .

I'm old though and it's hard. I've lost around a stone and a half over 18 months and it's stayed off.

I'm normal weight now, but not "slim" ikwim.

Oh yes, everything goes on MFP! Wouldn't be without it.

There's a voucher in one of the magazines just now. You could get your book and things and then do it yourself.

I lost 5 stone using a food diary and limiting my calories plus doing 11k steps a day with my fitbit. My Fitness Pal is a good one as you can scan barcodes on things and it allows you to record your own recipes if you cook a lot yourself.

If you're used to eating large portions, reduce the portion size and drink water every second or third mouthful, that will fill you up quicker.

You can eat greek yoghurt with berries though! I have it every morning. I agree that the fat free dairy needs looking at and maybe needs to be made an additional healthy extra but you can have full fat dairy and oil as long as you measure it out.

10,000 steps a day isn't gonna burn calories unless you're running/jogging jumping up n down

Need to get the heart rate up!!

Evening all.
Some absolutely brilliant posts and ideas and inspiring people thank you so much. Am reading and heeding!
I weighed in... 73.5kg. Which is about 11st 6 I think.
Not great at 5'4" but not insurmountable right?

On the breakfast smoothie front to respond to a PP -

We used to have big fistful of spinach, banana and then frozen fruit. Too sugary and not filling enough.

So now I'm doing a few from the juice man book? With ingredients such as seeds, dates, avocado, carrots, kale, almond milk (bleugh) and so on.

Much more filling and nutritious I think.

I used WW succesfully in the past to lose 1.5 stones, however I always thought the support I got on the MN boards was probably as effective as the WW meetings ( and a lot cheaper)

I am in the same position as you, ( sameish height and just a bit heavier) and am not joining WW or SW, but am planning to get weighed once a week in Boots, and maintain my enthusiasm via the Weight Loss chat boards on here.

Cant tell you how succesful it is yet because I am only 5 days in!

There are a lot of people who are starting to lose weight this week so
a fair few threads with like minded people!

I've been doing slimming world without doing slimming world. A small group of us at work weigh in at home on a set day and report back. We pay if we gain, but it is still cheaper than slimming world. Im the only one doing slimming world, the others calorie count. I nicked the books off a friend who has done slimming world a few times. The main thing I've found is that bread is fattening for me because I can't just have a little bit, I binge on it. So I've found alternatives which are harder to binge on (lentil bake with soup is so filling, the portion size is bigger than I expected! Cous cous - I'd have to go to the hassle of making another portion).
If you just make a third of your plate veggies it is a great start!

I love when people who have never been to slimming world spew the common misconceptions of slimming world all over the place.

Yes potatoes, pasta, rice, egg noodles etc are all free but it's not s free for all.

The whole idea behind it is food optimising, you're encouraged to eat mainly speed foods and protein along side your "free foods" and syn anything that's not free.

Speed foods are fruit and vegetables (not all fruit and vegetables but there's quite an extensive list) and they say for all meals you should have one third speed food and you should eat speed food for your snacks before reaching for something else.

As well as this you also get a healthy extra a which is dairy and a healthy extra b which is cereal/whole meal/nut based.

I lost 3 stone with SW. I hate Muller lights and fry light with a passion! What I did learn was how to eat a more balanced diet, recipes I could easily cook from scratch. I gained a stone back - because I had health problems that meant I comfort ate. I have an amazing group that give me loads of support. I couldn’t go when I was ill and really missed it!

OP one thing I’ve found is that I’m a sugar addict. Even on SW I found ways to still get my refined carb fix. I read the ‘No S diet’ book over Christmas and it’s really opened my eyes to my bad habits and how much I ate in general! The principles are “No sweets, no snacks, no seconds..except on ‘S’ days (Saturday, Sunday and two special days a month like birthdays). I’ve managed 4 days, only snacked once but I realised I was constantly grazing before (on junk initially then on ‘free foods’ with SW). I started on Tuesday and have been shocked at how often I’ve gone to eat before remembering I’m not snacking. I’m really looking forward to my S days this weekend. I’ve bought in treats especially for it but haven’t even been tempted to break the rules and eat them. 4 days cold turkey for a sugar addict is pretty good going! I’ll see how I go but so far this has been pretty good for me.

You don’t have to eat those junk yoghurts, snack bars etc on slimming world, or pasta..ugh, it’s only for those who can’t give up everything sweet, or their favourite foods, that can do so in moderation, so a little pasta, and horrible diet yoghurts etc, if they are careful with them. Weight watchers and slimming world, both espouse cooking higher protein, less carb, cooking from fresh with less ready made garbage food now. Even though they both produce ready meal type food, at meetings you are encouraged to cook from scratch...lots of soups, vegetables etc, lean proteins.

Hi op, i’m a similar height and weight as you and also want to lose 2 stone. Years ago I followed WW online with a lot of success but i don’t get on with the new points system. I signed up to SW two years ago but I didn’t get on with the eat as much as you want (which really meant eat until you’re no longer hungry) idea because it is my potion control that is the problem.

I have dabbled with MFP and i’m going to try to commit to filling in my diary every day. It is shocking how excessive my portions can be sometimes and MFP applies positive pressure. Before Christmas I had been doing a lot of walking, I plan to return to that and to throw the odd jog and you tube workout into the mix.

A lot of pp have been inspirational with their good weight loss following sensible programmes. One of my issues is that I don’t believe that I can do it so I need to use these real life experiences as proof that it can be done.

I've done SW and WW before and I'm not hugely keen on either tbh. IMO neither teach you terribly good habits to take forward. I use MFP and sync it with my Fitbit. I am more conscious of the type of food I am eating because I see the full nutrients etc. It's definitely changed my habits more than any diet company plan.

I've lost weight on my own. Calorie counting (my fitness pal) and gym.

SW is one of the biggest cons going.

I did SW before and lost loads but put it back on. I don't eat yoghurt or much fruit so I found it hard work. The discipline of the weekly weigh in did spur me on though.

I need to lose a lot of weight now, but am struggling, every post I see on MN extols the virtues of fitbits and my fitness pal. But I don't have a fitbit and am saving for a holiday so can't really afford one. And I can't get the MFP app for my phone!

I agree Theintrovertedmum It may differ per group, but almost every week at our group we are told to put 1/3 of vegetables on the plate before adding the protein and carbs. The SW ready meals are a bit bleugh, but they have the recipes on the box so you can make them better at home. It's not really a con- it's a calorie controlled low fat diet, just like any other low fat calorie controlled diet. There are just some things you don't have to bother weighing because it is much more difficult to eat 500 calories of pasta or apples in one day than it is to eat 500 calories of cheese. There's a lot wrong with it, the terminology is stupid and they are somewhat out of date with regards to healthy fats ( but so is the NHS) but it is the same as any diet. Stick to it and you'll lose weight, don't and you won't. The groups make it easier to stick to it for some. I've tried doing LC bootcamp here, Ive tried My Fitness pal. I don't stick to it, or I fall off the wagon and don't bother getting back on.

I'm the same as you @Raisedbyguineapigs I can't stick to my fitness pal or anything like that cause there's no accountability (for me at least)

I'm more likely to stick to being good if at the end of the week I've to get weighed and everyone knows if if lost or gained.

if you struggle with portion sizes but otherwise eat helathily, i don't the SW is for you. Their ethos is structured around a preponderance of (often quite bizarre) "free" foods that you are encouraged to effectively binge on if you need to even things that should be eaten moderately, like pasta. They also strongly encourage you to eat very processed "diet" products like Muller Light yoghurts heavy on sweetener, additives like gelatin (yuck) and not a lot of protein or things that will actually encourage satiety. If portion control is your aim, SW won't help you get there.

Second this, having done it myself many (15) years ago and gained all the weight back (3st).
Any diet that has 'free foods' is not going to help you learn portion control.

I hate processed foods and I'm just doing SW for 6 weeks to lose for a holiday. It's pretty easy to not eat processed foods. I don't eat cow dairy either or meat and finding it really easy

I don't like slimming world. Hate the meetings and not keen on the diet. I was thinking of giving WW a go since they've advertise some new scheme which will most likely be same old same old.

I was also going to try three meals per day. No snacks. And no trigger foods such as cheese, crisps biscuits. And more fruit and veg. I've got a fit bit cheap version for Christmas. but haven't used it yet.

Portion control was my issue, I would eat so much pasta it was ridiculous. I planned my own diet using my fitness pal. I swam 3 to 5 miles a week (just breast stroke), cut out pasta and bread and tried to stick to the 16:8 plan by missing breakfast. Cutting out orange juice in the morning made quite a difference. At 5 foot 6 I was obese at 93kg, in 3 months I got to 75kg and reached 67.5kg a few months later. I've maintained at 69kg for 12 months, swimming once a week and keeping an eye on my weight and what I'm eating, but not particularly limiting myself. My whole attitude to food is different now, when I have pasta I eat much less and I no longer drink juice. I've also started drinking coffee, which may not be a good thing (I never touched it before).

I'd like to get to 65kg, so have started more regular swimming and am going to cut out simple carbs on weekdays (pizza for tea tonight though!)

I did really well with mfp until I became complacent. I knew what I was eating so I didn’t need to log it all. Soon I started slipping and put a stone back on.

Like everything it depends on the individual and what works for them. SW works for lots of people when they are willing (and able) to make the lifestyle changes to allow it to work.

Whatever you do you have to realise that that has to be your new way of eating for life not just until you reach your taget weight or get bored. so be realistic!