is this for me?

[ashesandfire]

I'm considering joining SW.... I'm 5'6 and weigh about 11st 4 (I think..) about dress size 14
I've never really dieted before, I've tried periods of trying to 'be good' but it's never got anywhere. I'm the heaviest I've ever been, used to be more like 9 1/2 - 10 st and dress size 10/12 but since having dd the weight has been creeping on. I would like to lose a stone so not a massive loss but I have no self motivation when it comes to food and think that maybe I need the motivation of a set of rules and a group to go to? Also just like the idea of learning how to eat a bit healthier.
Anyone got any thoughts about whether SW is for me? I feel like joining a group would probably benefit me but feel extremely nervous about going and will I be made to feel welcome especially as my target to lose isn't as much as some people's will be? I think I fear it will become like a competition which I don't deal well with. Or is the online membership recommended? It all seems to confusing I think I would benefit from having someone explain it to me.
Sorry for long post.

If you've only a few lbs to shed maybe the plan may help.
Post how your day usually looks. Include snacks etc be honest and a nice person will reply. Do you munch on biscuits/chocolate or snack on wine & crisps.?

Thank you Annie,
I have been thinking about it over the last day or so and am getting more and more inclined to think I will join, I just need to decide whether to join a group or go online

Usually breakfast is cereal, lunch is sandwich often cheese or chicken & a piece of fruit & chocolate bar. Snacks bananas or more chocolate or biscuits. Dinner usually something like pasta or chicken in a bought sauce with rice and a bit of veg or pizza and yoghurt for pudding. Often more biscuits in evening and basically no exercise. I have a real sweet tooth :(

Do you like planning meals and cooking from scratch?
SW works best when you cook from scratch, although they have recently introduced packet meals that are sold in Iceland. supermarket not country

OP - I could have written your post! I signed up to sw online today. I'm 5' 8" and 11.5st. Two kids along and thus is the heaviest I've been.

I am incredibly weak-willed when the biscuits come out at work. I never buy them at home because I know I'll keep on dipping in!

Breakfast and lunch are both bread-based at mo. Dinner is often chicken / fish with veg or salad, and I cook quite a bit of south east Asian food - could be worse I guess. Oh and wine - the hefty glass of white at night probably needs to stop ...

Sooo here we go .... never tried sw but I like the look of the menus. Good luck to us both!

I find I get a lot from going to group and i never thought I'd be a group person. It is nervracking the first time you go.

At group you hear about others ups and downs and it makes me feel more normal and less alone. I learn a lot about recipie ideas and ready food syns too that others have investigated.

Its never felt like a competition as you don't know anyone elses weight or target that is your information to share. I set my target a short while ago (just under 25BMI) for a diet break and there are members who join and one has chosen to share her weight and height she weighs less than me now at her start. It doesn't change how I feel about my loss or my target.

There are two things to remember everyone there is there because they love food and everyone there had to be the brave new member and walk through the door the first time. Two things in common straight away.

Thanks everyone! I went to a group yesterday and have signed up. I was nervous but it was ok. I'm finding it all a bit confusing atm and am not going to start properly until weekend as eating meals we have already decided on and need to do a big shop. Think I will need lots of ideas so this group will be really helpful as it's a bit of a lifestyle change for me to start cooking from scratch!

Iceland do a range of slimming world meals, sausages and meatballs that are syn free. All the meal packets have the recipe on the side so if you like it, you can cook up a batch and make your own freezer ready meals. Not a long term everyday thing but whilst your getting your head round it having a few don't have to think to hard meals is a bit of a diet saver.

Jacket potatos, omlet, all day breakfast (sliced canned potato, baked beans, bacon medalions, tomatos, mushrooms, egg) less than 1% fat mug shots, most muller light yogurts are a good basic shopping list starter along with lots of herbs, spices and stock, pasta, rice, potatos lots of fruit and veg.

Traditional meat and two veg type meals are another good go too. Steak (trimed of fat), slimming world chips and salad or grilled chicken/ gammon/ pork/ lamb boiled new potato and veg.

Fresh or frozen stir fry veg packs that you can add some meat/ prawns too and then some noodles or rice are great. Oyster sauce and soy sauce are syn free so if you like them good cupboard staples.

At group most consultants seam to have lots if class copy recipe books on the table. If you've got a camera phone have a flick through and take a few shots of things you fancy trying. If you can think of the sort of meal you want you can search for it on the slimming world website.

Lots of really good not official slimming world groups on facebook and other forums but just watch out for tweaks - use of a food in a way it wasn't designed to be used. For example using lasagne sheets cut up as tortilla chips (they're not bad) but they're not syn free in the way lasagne sheets would be when used as part of alasagne because the drying out process etc changes the way the body metabolises them and they don't satisfy your appetite in the way they would when used as intended.

Invest in freezer boxes if you've got a freezer or decent freezer bags, batch cook and for goodness sake label. All you'll end up serving veg curry with pasta and arribiatta with rice (actually thats not too bad).

Meal plan before you shop so you don't overbuy fruit and veg. If you like simple veg frozen is a good back up and doesn't go off as quickly as fresh.