Frustrated with SW

[HironsBirons]

I just can't get it to work for me. I joined the week between Christmas and new year and have lost absolutely nothing between now and then, not a single pound. I lose a pound one week, and gain it back the next. I gained 2lbs this week and left in tears because the weigh woman sighed at me (must be hormonal because I wouldn't have that reaction usually!!) because of yet another gain. My leader is useless, she sits in the corner with new members every single week, she's never around for weigh in. Unfortunately she's got the monopoly on all the classes in my area so I can't even change Does anyone else struggle with it? I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I follow the books and always count my sins, weigh healthy extras etc.

Have you been giving food diaries to your consultant to look at? She may be able to spot something you're doing wrong. Otherwise, post a couple of typical days' food on here and we might be able to help.

To be fair to your consultant, her being with new members during weigh in is normal, that's how all the groups are structured.

That's strange I have to say, if you're following to the letter, you should be losing.
I can imagine how annoying and frustrating that would be.

Our consultant sees new members at weigh in too.

Maybe you should talk to her at the end, try and get to the bottom of what's happening.

Are you eating enough speed foods? I think it's easy to fall into the trap of eating too much pasta/rice etc at the expense of vegetables.

One of the reasons I joined online is the system of the leader being with new members during weigh in, I went to one class, had the new members talk and by the time the weigh in was done it was over an hour. It looked as though it would be very hard to ever speak to the consultant unless you stayed for the whole two hours which I couldn't do. I get most of my info from the MN instead (the SW website/app aren't very good IMO).

It's not for me. I put 4lbs on in my first week. I'm a binge eater who never feels full at the start of a diet as my stomach is massive. I need strict parameters from a diet. I'm much more suited to mfp as it tells me to stop eating when I've had enough.

All consultants are with new members at weigh in time...the bit after that is where they talk to you.

What kind of things are you eating? Could you post a typical day here? I find that if I eat all my syns then I don't lose and have to limit it to 5 a day. Have you tried a couple of SP days in the week?

How far are you willing to travel for a group? I travel to one 8 miles away because my mates goes there. Is that an option?

Yeah I've been giving her food diaries - she always just scribbles "v.good" on them and no further comments a bit like she doesn't actually read them!

I just find it so weird that she's got nothing to do with members during the weigh in. I did weight watchers previously and was always weighed by the leader, and she'd have a chat and ask how you're getting on - and then you'd get a text during the week with a bit of motivation or support.

I might need to try mfp again. I've done it previously and it always tries to put me on stupidly low calorie diets and I get too obsessed

What's an sp day? I would travel but most classes are at 5:30pm, and I finish work at 5:15, so I'm fairly limited to where I can get to in that time. My class is on a Saturday morning which is much better, but it's the only one on a weekend day for miles.

A typical day would be:

Breakfast: weetabix & semi skimmed milk (HexA & B)

Snack: apple or carrots & humous (1.5syns)

Lunch: homemade soup. Usually vegetable, sometimes with some chicken through it. Yoghurt

Snack: (only if really hungry) carrot & humous (1.5syns for 1tbsp), banana

Dinner: chicken, potato, vegetables (carrots, broccoli, sweetcorn, green beans)

Evening: this is where I end up using all my syns. Sometimes a pack of Oreo thins (12 syns), or a kinder bueno (12.5syns), or a fibre one bar (4syns) etc. Always stay at or around 15 syns.

I pretty much repeat this all week, changing the evening meal up with meatballs/pasta/pork medallions/turkey/steak etc. Maybe I don't eat enough variety? It does get quite repetitive. Feel like a bit of an idiot for only just realising.

I really struggle for meal ideas, I need stuff I can eat in the car on the go (I spend most of my working day in the car or with a baby and a toddler) and can't have any pork products (religious family)

Your meals seem to be ok but you might be exceeding your syns. Maybe 15 is too many for you - try a week with 10 syns max and see how it goes.

I do 5 max as struggle to lose on more than that, and that is on top on running 3 times a week and strength training with a personal trainer twice a week.

As above, your meals look ok. How are your portions?

SP days are days where you cut out a majority of carbs (your book has details) and you stick to lean protein, veggies, some fruit and your Healthy Extras. A couple of these a week boost loss.

Could you try mixing up your breakfasts? Have a different B choice every day or every couple of days.

Having a few different ones has made a difference to lots of people in our class. I don't know why but I guess variety is good.

If I ate 15 syns a day I would definitely gain. I know they say you can but it's too much for me. I've got a very sedentary job so I don't think I burn many calories throughout the day. Try cutting your syns to the bare minimum for a week and see how you get on.

I agree you might have an issue with your Syns.

I eat 15 a day but walk about 80,000 steps (35 Miles) a week.

Of my 15 Syns, 5 a day will be used for Chocolate, but the rest are used to supplement meals with things like Hummus, Flax, etc.

I still only lose half a pound or a pound a week and am 17.5lb away from target.

Not on SW though have looked into it. Am counting calories on mfp at the moment.

I wonder if you need more protein at breakfast and/or lunch? Eggs for breakfast, swap soup for tuna salad at lunch, that kind of thing? I find protein at lunch stops me snacking early evening.

I'm doing it and really loving it. Losing a steady 1/2 pound a day.

Breakfast I find is the hardest meal of the day as it easily uses up my HEa and then I can't have my milky coffee or tea.

I'm trying the overnight oat pots and they are lovely. If I'm at home I like re fried (with 2cal oil spray) potatoes, 1 syn quorn sausages and beans as it fills me up.

I'm a big snacker, I've stocked up on tasty fruit and leave a fruit salad in the fridge. Or a Greek salad without the cheese.

I think the secret seems to be to make everything you eat contain a minimum of half veg (Speed foods and normal).

Lunch I like jacket potato and last nights leftover, chilli, stew, bean (all stuffed full of hidden veg) etc.
Or smoked salmon frittata which can be cold and wrapped instead of sandwiches.
Or the pasta and sauce made up with extra chicken and mushrooms and left to go cold (syn free)

Evening meals can all be frozen ahead. Loving the tasty curries with extra rice and a poppadom (2 syns). Spray frying banana adds a sweet side to a curry which is nice.

I do a stifado beef which is lean beef cooked with passata and baby onions served with rice and green beans.

I've found Iceland online do slimming world products Syn free meals and sauces.

The haddock rolled in egg then raw smash and 'fried' is yummy. I serve it with mushy peas and oven syn free chips.

Another recent discovery was sweet potato, normal potato and onion hash browns. Cooked with spray oil and served with a fried egg.

I find I only need to use my syns in cooking, odd ingredient here and there. And in the flavoured yoghurt in the overnight oats.
I'm not overly active, my syns each day are between 3-6. I'm middle aged.

Chocolate fix is the Cadbury lites.

We have had the same meals twice but I do try to plan ahead so I'm excited about my food. There are good recipes online. All the Iceland foods for slimming world has the recipes on the back so you can make them again.

I think veg and variety is the key.
I didn't join a group as I found it tiresome and expensive. I have my 2014 books, a SW buddy and weigh in once a week.

Hoping your weight loss turns around, a few minor changes and you'll be losing lots.

Curvy I am loving your menu! And 1/2 a day enviable.... Well done!!

Thanks Zokra, it's really tasty.

Sorry to hear that you're struggling with it Hirons but it can be great , once you get into it.

I think that in most groups the consultant has someone else to weigh in and they sit with any new members. However, weigh in should only be around 30 minutes (although ours is more like 45!), then the consultant should do Image Therapy with the group - for around an hour. Your consultant should be supporting you though, and if you are not losing then she should be addressing it with you.

I've just had a look on the website to see if the SAS log is online, but it won't open on my PC at the moment. It may be worth asking for some from her. A lot of people at our group have tried them and found them useful when they are struggling to lose weight.

I forgot to ask, what do you drink during the day as you didn't mention this, and also what type of yoghurt are you having after your lunch?

Hang in there with it - it's well worth it. I started almost 4 years ago, and come July will have been at target for 3 years - although I am hoping that I can get back into target range this week so that I don't have to pay!!

OP you haven't any speed with your breakfast and speed should be one third of each meal. I find a good breakfast gets my metabolism going and keeps me full until lunchtime.

Also make sure you're drinking enough fluids.

Could you try using most of your syns in cooking instead of binge eating rubbish in the evening?

Going against the grain a bit here, a pp said about speed with breakfast. I hardly ever do, unless I'm having fruit salad with yogurt. Usually it's weetabix or beans on toast. But I have plenty of speed the rest of the day.
Up until the last few weeks I always used 15 syns a day and have lost 3+stone.
funnily enough, I'm experimenting with less syns (3-6) & my loss has slowed down. Don't know if that's a coincidence.
I would speak to your consultant after class or give her a text during the week.
Good luck.

There's no point at all in adding speed to cereal if it's just for the sake of it, it's not magic food that'll make you lose weight, its to change your portion size - which it's not going to do when you're using your healthy extras.

Oh and one bar of chocolate or whatever is hardly binge eating

I think you're right, that you need to shake up what you're having a bit and see what happens...

I'd also double check your measurements for things - I'm saying that because of your hummus, a level tablespoon is nothing, I don't see how you could even eat that with carrots, it's such a tiny amount.

Try having half a plate speed food at lunch and dinner. If portion size is an important thing for you then having nice big portions but of low calorie dense food is the objective.

I use my fitness pal alongside slimming world. This has been great at giving me visibility of the calories in each food and what I need to do to lose weight.

If I stick below 1200 per day I lose 1.5lb per week, above that then I lose less. But I can eat up to 1700 and maintain.

I know we are often told 2000 Calories a day for a woman but my job is sedentary and I'm 45 and my body doesn't use that many.

I'm 3 stone 9lb down and at target now.

I have kept my carbs low as I don't seem to lose weight well with bread or pasta. I tend to have a main meal with veg only, very occasionally a bit of brown rice but more often than not a huge portion of cauliflower or salad instead of potatoes or pasta.

Good luck with your journey x