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Slimming World

Discuss Slimming World experiences, tips and success stories. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Original poster

Slimming world help please

26 replies

Confusedcubed · 07/07/2017 07:53

Hi all

Dw started slimming world about 4 weeks ago and is pretty much where she started.

She says the groups are very busy so doesn't get much feedback from the leader. We have tried to look through it all together and she seems to be following it..

She is feeling down about it so I really want to help, she was so excited to start it, it's really heartbreaking to see.

To give a rough idea of a typical day

Breakfast
Omelette or toast with fruit and maybe a yogurt.

Lunch
Pasta or salad

Dinner
Something from the magazine or books.

After dinner
biscuits (sins)
If needed fibre bar/cheese.

Any pointers would be hugely appreciated.

OP posts:
scarfaceace · 07/07/2017 09:55

What a lovely DH you are to be so supportive and want to help.

It really is disheartening when things don't go according to plan. The only thing I can think is...

(I found it useful to keep a food diary. So...)

Is she writing everything down that she eats? I mean absolutely everything, and making a note of incidental syns? For example, is she using Frylight instead of oil? What is she putting in the omelette? Does any of it need to be synned? Is she using butter or marge on her toast? Is she using the small brown loaf and limiting herself to two slices, or counting the syns? Are her yoghurts fat free? Does she syn the cheese if she has it or use it as HE? Is a third of each meal salad or veg?

I'm sure someone else will be along with other ideas, but wish her good luck.

OwlinaTree · 07/07/2017 10:00

Drinking loads of water helps.

Original poster
Confusedcubed · 07/07/2017 11:28

Aw thanks scarfaceace, we all try our best. :)

Yep everything is written down.

Her strategy is no sins throughout the day and then treats after dinner.

Thanks for the tips.

We use fry light, only free and speed foods the the omelette.

No butter etc on bread and measured. I think this was sinned as well... I will check.

Uses the cheese as a healthy option.

And is drinking sooo much water.

The third of every meal may be where it's going wrong. We have been following the ingredients in the book, which do contain a lot of vegetables. Maybe it's not enough?

OP posts:
ohhhhhshit · 07/07/2017 13:34

How kind of you to want to support her.

How much has she lost? The first four weeks should see some good losses so there is something going wrong if she's not seeing those numbers drop.

Are you getting the whole picture? I don't mean that horribly at all. Is every single biscuit being synned? Don't forget that SW encourages us to stop eating when full and listen to our appetite (HA!). Are the after-dinner syns really necessary? Is she actually hungry then?

ohhhhhshit · 07/07/2017 13:37

Just read your comment re 1/3.

One third of your plate should be speed food. Put this on the plate BEFORE you serve up the rest of your meal. For example if you are having a spag Bol, serve up 1/3 salad onto the plate. Then serve the spag Bol (even if it is crammed with veg). The 1/3 concept only works if you use it properly. It encourages you to fill up on speed food and therefore leaves less room for more calorific foods.

Hope that is helpful.

scarfaceace · 07/07/2017 14:33

Let us know how she gets on. Flowers

Original poster
Confusedcubed · 13/07/2017 18:31

So far the results have been

-2,+1,0,0

Really surprised, thought the 1/3 speed would make a difference. Could it be portion size?

Thanks again all.

OP posts:
getahellyeah · 13/07/2017 19:23

She's not being honest with you about what she's eating.

Original poster
Confusedcubed · 13/07/2017 21:12

getahellyeah - that's not what dw is like. She wants my help with it because she feels she must be doing something wrong.

The consultant just says everything looks good keep going.

OP posts:
Original poster
Confusedcubed · 13/07/2017 21:15

To add, she is shy and it is very hard for her to go to the meetings. Even more so when it's not good news as she feels embarrassed. So she wouldn't put herself through it if she wasn't going to try her hardest.

OP posts:
ilovepixie · 13/07/2017 21:32

The consultant should be helping her, is there another local group she can go to. If she is on social media there are loads of groups she can join. Facebook has some really good ones and they give you support and some good ideas. Also I find the slimming world app handy for finding syns and recording my food.

qwertyberty · 14/07/2017 08:15

Ok here is my take on SW. I been doing this for about 6 weeks now and only gained one very bad week.

The meeting is not as good as WW.
Every week my leader promotes Icelands SW meals, either telling the group whats coming up or whats going of sale.
There is not enough talk (for new members) about the plan, it seems very much 'you got the book, now read them'. try reading their website as much as i hate the SW website they do have hints and tips, unfortunately you got to sort through the crap to get what you need.

What not mentioned often is that you eat until you are satisfied, unfortunately a lot of people, like me, can not determine when they have had enough food. Don't think 'it's free, i can eat it'. You have to start working out how hungry you are and then while eating working out how full you are. I have done ww, in the past, Iunderstand about portion sizes so I still weigh my pasta out and my rice. While on SW there was once where I didnt weigh my pasta and forced myself to eat the whole lot because I didn't want to waste food. NOT good so make what you will eat and not what you think you can eat.
I don't fill my plate up with 1/3 speed food all the time, I am not one to put something on my plate if it doesn't belong with the food I am eating. However i have tried mixing things up now and then.
Sometime people dont lose weight for a few weeks then it all catches up with them and they lose a lot. She has to stick with it for a few more weeks. Also maybe go to another group (with different leader) as they maybe able to see straight away where the problem lies. Another thing you could ask to speak to leader after the meeting.

I have noticed that you never mentioned milk. Does she drink milk in tea and coffee?? this would be classed as a healthy extra or have to be sinned if she using cheese as her healthy extra.

I hope this helps and good luck.

Dippysnowoman · 14/07/2017 14:34

I plan my days food the night before and write it all down. If it helps here's my today's plan.
Breakfast overnight oats 40g (heb) fat free natural yoghurt. Raspberries strawberries (speed) blueberries (free)
Morning snack. Melon and kiwi
Lunch. Salad. (Lettuce cucumber tomato celery cucumber spring onion) all speed. Ham (free) mayo 1syn
Dinner. Spag bol (lean mince mushroom peppers onion courgettes ) all free
On a Baked potato. Side salad. Cheese on top (half my HEA)
175ml skimmed milk for tea
Treat tonight curly early 6 syns.

twotwofour · 14/07/2017 14:40

Right here's a quick brain dump, I hope this is helpful. I've been doing SW for four months and have lost 2.5 stone.

  • Despite what is preached at meetings, I believe you still have to watch portions and calorie intake on SW. It is so easy to over eat on this plan
  • Write down EVERYTHING that goes in your mouth
  • Things like mugshots and muller lights being 'free' is bullshit. They are 100 calories each. The only food that should be freely consumed is veg
  • It's ok and natural to be hungry
  • After dinner snacking is unnecessary

Some of that is probably a bit controversial, but I genuinely believe that there are elements of the SW plan that will make you fall off the wagon if you're not careful.

Has DW read this thread?

twotwofour · 14/07/2017 14:44

And YY to planning food the day / night before as dippy said.

A typical day for me:

B: Overnight oats (HEB) with fat free Greek yog and berries

L: Big chicken breast with huge salad or pile of mixed veg

D: Syn free chilli with salad or veg

Syns - sugar in tea, with milk as HEA.

The above keeps me at around 1200 calories per day and I steadily lose 1.5 to 2lbs per week.

(Sorry for multiple posts)

Oliversmumsarmy · 14/07/2017 14:47

I was on SW for 3 days and put on 6lbs, my stomach was distended to the point I thought it would burst and I was in great pain and I have never farted so much in all my life.

However friend is doing it and has lost nearly 4 stone since January. A relative of hers has lost nearly 5 stone. They joined together.

I think sometimes you have to find the right diet for you.

bandito · 14/07/2017 21:16

That is so weird Oliversmumsarmy this is my first week and I couldn't do my jeans up yesterday due to bloating and wind (tmi). I am thinking it's something in the mullerlights?? I am having 2 per day breakfast and after dinner. They are the only new thing I am eating. Perhaps it's the sweetener.

GoldenBlue · 14/07/2017 22:00

I've been on SW for over a year and at target since Xmas.

I don't eat mullerlites as they are too sweet. Stick with plane fat free yoghurt and fruit. I don't eat ready meals, everything is cooked fresh so I know what's in it.

I second the suggestion of tracking portions and calories when first starting slimming world. I recommend the my fitness pal app to track calories so that you have an idea of what you can eat for your calories. I tend to stick around 1200 calories to lose 1.5lb per week.

Using the app helps you to see how much more cauliflower you can eat for 100 cals than pasta. So I eat my mince with cauli instead of pasta :)

I use Syns for things like a tablespoon of oil on my salad, maybe sundried tomatoes. I don't feel like I need the sweeter food now.

Some people find that they do better with fewer carbs, edging towards SP, particularly if they struggle with portion control.

twotwofour · 14/07/2017 22:08

As one wise MNer once said, Mullerlights are 'a chemical shitstorm'. They contain SO much crap I don't even know where to start. I'm amazed that SW are so nutritionally behind on this one.

Migraleve · 14/07/2017 22:15

Use both my fitness pal AND the slimming world site to log the food for at least 4 weeks. This will give you a good idea of calorie intake and syns. It's possible she is not eating enough, but my fitness pal will help you work thatout

Oliversmumsarmy · 15/07/2017 00:46

Didn't touch the muller yogurt. I don't eat dairy.

My friend who has lost nearly 4 stone always feels bloated but she has skirts that were tight which are now baggy on her so she is losing inches. She says she feels her stomach is distended and she can't believe she has lost weight but the evidence is there that she is getting slimmer

OwlinaTree · 15/07/2017 07:11

It's quite a high fibre diet, that's why you need to drink lot.

GoldenBlue · 15/07/2017 10:54

Yes I second that, constipation is a common issue for members and water is essential to help with that.

Flax seeds mixed into over night oats help. 1.5 Syns for 10g

I use a tablespoon of oil in my salad (6 Syns) as that also helps you absorb nutrients

Original poster
Confusedcubed · 15/07/2017 13:53

Thanks again all. Have been going through it with DW.

We think we can spot why she isn't losing, she admits to trying to get the most for her money, so to speak!

So typically there will be no syns until the end of the day, and very often healthy options will not be part of the three traditional meals.

So calorie wise a typical day
HA: 150 (light cheese)
HB: 143 (hifi bars)
Syns: 270 (biscuits)

  • a "free" low fat yougurt of 99 calories.

So that's 660 ish calories before you've had breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The NHS suggests 1400 calories a day to lose between 1-2lb a week.

So that leaves aprx 740 calories for the three main meals..

This doesn't include fruit either.

OP posts:
Dippysnowoman · 15/07/2017 19:47

Not sure why you've worked out the calorie value of foods if you are following SW.
Did your dw get a new starter pack?
I would go through that and follow some of the meal suggestions til you get more familiar with it.