Not eating enough to lose weight?? Really?

[bandito]

So I have just started SW and in my first week lost 1 pound. To be honest, I was a bit narked because everyone telling me "oh, the first week will be the most you lose etc etc". I have been very strict, filled in food diary, have had between 0-5 syns except yesterday when I had 9. My dear mother is SW evangelist and told me that she would be very cross if I told her that that I had only eaten that few syns. That I should be getting up to 15 every day. So I said, "Are you telling me that eating 2 packets of crisps extra every day this week would have meant a bigger weight loss?" and she said "Yes". I asked how and she said no idea but it does work. I only have 1.5 stones to lose and I honestly think that if I ate all the free food plus 15 syns, I woudn't have lost anything at all. What do you think, SW people?

[Migraleve]

Yes the 20 calorie to a syn thing is a good guide. Often though you can eat sat a prepared salad from an eaterie with 4-500 calories but the syn value will be 5 or so because part of the meal contains free food.

[GoldenBlue]

Equivalent to 20 calories if the food you eat is not a free food.

[IwannaBeDelgadaEnMiPrada]

What's a syn? I gather it's a treat, but is it a certain number of calories?

[IwannaBeDelgadaEnMiPrada]

What's a syn? I gather it's a treat, but is it a certain number of calories?

[Migraleve]

stormy it is calculated on weight. Over 16 stone you get up to 20 and men get even more. I would question your consultant on the reducing syns in 6 months when you have lost to continue losing. 5-15 is applicable for target members also so your consultant should not be recommending people reduce

[InfiniteSheldon]

Men get more syns anyone over 20 stone gets more syns everyone else 5 to 15

[laGrosellaEspinosa]

We all know what to do, it's just doing it.

[StormyLovesOdd]

Yes - this is from my SW consultant. I was told the amount of syns you get is calculated on your weight. Saying that I've lost nearly 4 stone and my consultant has never told me to lower my syns 🤔. I'm still loosing weight so I've never queried it

[Migraleve]

You are supposed to eat all your syns so that in say 6 months time when you have lost a few stone you can cut the amount of syns you have back a bit and carry on losing weight.

Is this SW advice? I have never heard that before

[StormyLovesOdd]

The 10-15 syns is so that you don't deprive yourself too much because if you do you won't stick to the diet plan for very long before you "give in".

You are supposed to eat all your syns so that in say 6 months time when you have lost a few stone you can cut the amount of syns you have back a bit and carry on losing weight.

I agree that this probably works best for the very overweight but it does work. I have been doing SW for a year, I started off a size 22 and I'm now a 16, still have about 3 stone to loose but I'm loosing an average of 1-2 pounds a week.

Stick with it.

[Groovee]

I had a surprise gain a few weeks back. Changed my healthy extras around and upped my syns. It was a bit like depriving myself from crisps etc seemed to slow things down. I lost 3.5lb the following week. So I deduced that you do need to use your syns. Wether that is crisps, oils, avocado. Then so be it. I now aim for 10 syns a day x

[vlooby]

I find my best losses come when I use my sons for 'healthy' things like avocado in my salad, olive pile, extra cheese etc, rather than junk.

[bandito]

Off topic - when I went to my first meeting last week, knew nothing about SW, I sat down and as they started, the consultant said to the top weightloss person - "what's been your secret weapon this week?" and she announced "loads of speed!". I nearly fell off my chair and was very disappointed when I found out that that was mostly green leafy vegetables.

[bandito]

Thanks, I've only done a week, so I'm not giving up that easily. I will try to drink more and eat more on the speed list and see what happens next week.

[titchy]

All diets work by calorie controlling. Grosella at 157cm your daily maintenance requirement is probably 1500 cals so not surprising you don't lose weight eating this much and you do by having some days when you eat less.

Seriously folks it ain't rocket science. Eat less than you use. Even the high protein variations work the same way.

[Furball]

There are lots of 'rules' to sw and you have to adhere to them for it to work.

you need your healthy extras a + b, and you need 1/3 or your plate to be 'speed' food every meal.

and then you are allowed upto 15 syns a day

You also have to drink lots of water

It;s very sensitive - and alot of people find it doesn't quite work if all the rules aren't used.

Did you fill in a food diary to give to your consultant, she will check it and make sure that you are on the right lines.

I lost 2 stone in 5 months so am quite a fan

[laGrosellaEspinosa]

ps, i have no experience of SW, I just count the calories of (mostly) healthy food myself.

[laGrosellaEspinosa]

yes if we effectively starve ourselves we get slimmer and slimmer but that's hard and joyless. Also, however much some may dispute it I remained a curvy size 10 for about five years of being on a diet until I shook things up a bit. It may be bollix but my body seems to get used to 1500 calories a day and I just could not get under 57 kilos no matter how hard I tried (i'm only about 157cm) but switch to zig zag and the body doesn't get used to anything. About 800 cals one day and 1500 the next day. Stick to that as best as you can. I find it so much more effective.

[AwaywiththePixies27]

Have you been drinking lots this week OP? Try aiming to drink plenty of water this week when you feel peckish and see if it makes a difference.

[Dragonbait]

I personally think SW only works if you are either very overweight to start or you are overweight because of large portion sizes. I lost some on it but it stopped working and I was forever being told to eat more! There's nothing worse than eating for the sake of eating even if you're full and I think the eating too little thing is bollocks! I counted up the calories I was eating while following SW to the letter and it was clearly too many - maybe try following the SW principles but checking the calories alongside.

[AwaywiththePixies27]

Are you telling me that eating 2 packets of crisps extra every day this week would have meant a bigger weight loss?" and she said "Yes".

Well no. Eating 2 bags of crisps a day wouldn't have given you a bigger weight loss .

If you're going to eat more remember to do it for the right reasons. Eat the right stuff and always remember food is fuel.

[IfYouGoDownToTheWoodsToday]

Its just nonsense.

I know several people who 'I'm not eating enough so I'm not losing weight'

However they never seem to lose any weight.

I know, when I am dieting, the times I eat the least amount of calories, the more weight I lose.

[Nancy91]

Starvation mode is bullshit. It makes me cringe hearing people talk about it.

[CuriosityDoor]

SW doesn't work for me personally, but if you use your syns for healthy fats, rather than crisps that can only be a good thing for your body and weight loss. Avocado springs to mind, so much healthy fat but a lot of syns but if you have controlled portions you get the best of both worlds.

[JustMumNowNotMe]

Jeez, sorry for the typos!