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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.

Can you still do green and red days?

235 replies

lris · 18/02/2021 23:38

Hello. I lost a couple of stone doing red and green days about 15 years ago. My weight has fluctuated in the meantime, and I now find myself back where I started, due to snacking and general bad habits.

I don't want to rejoin, never enjoyed the classes (image therapy, ugh), all the happy clappy nonsense. But I did do well on the plan.

Would I be successful going it alone, based on the information I can find online?

Typically, I would use HEXAs for milk in cereal, tea and coffee. HEXB for all bran or oats with fruit for breakfast. Lots of fish, lean meats and veg for lunch / dinner and syn alpen bars and muller lights if I needed a snack.

Does that sound okay? Is it within the current rules, as I know things have changed a lot over the years. I just don't want to be bothered with extra easy, as I never got my head around it. I need something quick and easy to follow for a few months to get me on track and back into better habits.

I do cook from scratch, and I don't drink alcohol, please tell me it's feasible.

OP posts:
diege · 04/04/2021 10:19

Happy Easter red and green day-ers! 🐣🐣🐣
Well the descent continued and ended with crisps, but will try and keep things under control with the Easter chocolate and then get back onto the wagon properly tomorrow.
Breakfast- pancake (HEB, tea, coffee)
Lunch- mushroom burger, possibly some hotel choc offerings...
Tea- vegetable curry, half a naan, choc...

diege · 04/04/2021 10:20

Ps. I must try these alpen bars that always feature on menus! Do they count as a HE then?

lris · 04/04/2021 10:32

@diege, yes, one or two Alpen light bars are a HEXB on both red and green. But they must be the 60-70 calorie ones. They are the supermarket HEXB equivalent of the Hi-fi bars that you can only buy in group.

OP posts:
NancyDrawed · 04/04/2021 18:41

I used to like the summer fruits Alpen light bars, I might follow your lead, Iris and get some on my next shopping delivery, along with some salted caramel ones.

It looks like you can also buy some flavours of SW Hifi bars at Iceland (I think they started to do SW friendly ready meals last time I was at group - admittedly some years ago, no idea if they still do! Amazon also have Hifi bars if you are happy to buy in quantity.

Ended up being a red day for me in the end. With additional chocolate

lris · 04/04/2021 18:47

I like all the flavours, have one most days as a 'treat' with a cup of tea and it helps keep me on track.

I don't get to Iceland much, but I will look out for the Hi-fi bars @NancyDrawed, thank you.

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NancyDrawed · 04/04/2021 18:56

I try to avoid going shopping at all! But I think you might be able to get them delivered - not sure whether there's a minimum spend though, I don't go to Iceland much either.

lris · 05/04/2021 07:23

Day 43 Green.

Weight loss this week 1lb
Total weight loss so far 12lbs

I'm very pleased with that. I won't be doing much different this week. A pound every week would get me to target by the end of June.

Today
Allbran HEXB with milk HEXA and blueberries. Tea with milk.

Alpen light bar HEXB, more tea, water, apple, mullerlight.

Leftover lamb from yesterday (6 syns), sweet potato mash, broccoli, carrots, green beans.

Hope everyone is motivated for this week. Remember, every day is Day 1 and if you can't stick to it 100%, then 80% is good enough.

OP posts:
NancyDrawed · 05/04/2021 07:40

Almost a stone off Iris, that's fab!

Day 43
69.8kg
Weekly change 0

Breakfast: HEA milk in coffees, muller light or fruit
Lunch/Supper: Pasta pesto, JP beans and cott cheese

lris · 05/04/2021 08:03

Has all the Easter chocolate gone now Nancy?

If you still have some left, put it in the freezer. Then there's no temptation to sneak a bit here and there.

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diege · 05/04/2021 08:20

Im in awe of the weight loss/maintenance on this thread during Easter! I have predictably put on a pound, a bit galling as on Friday id dropped a pound (weigh daily) BUT I have been an absolute pig since then chocolate-wise and am fully owning the poundage. 100% back on it this morning, though have no idea what ill be eating. Will need an Aldi run I think!

NancyDrawed · 05/04/2021 08:30

I've still got a bit of chocolate left, freezing is a good tip. I'll weigh it before any more goes, too, so I know the syn value.

I get food deliveries from Morrisons and disappointingly the Alpen light bars available are all chocolate based flavours which from memory I don't like. So it's either going to have to be a bulk buy online or waiting until next term and I'll go actual real life shopping in a supermarket.

I also weigh daily diege and the swings from day to day can be quite discouraging, but as Monday is weigh in day, that's what I have to stick to. It all evens out in the end though!

lris · 06/04/2021 07:21

Day 44 Green.

Yogurt and berries. Tea with milk HEXA.

Banana, Alpen light bar HEXB, more tea, water.

Omelette with onion and pepper, done in frylight. Salad leaves, tomatoes, cucumber.

Jacket potato and chilli beans.

OP posts:
lris · 07/04/2021 06:52

Day 45 Red.

Allbran HEXB with milk HEXA and blueberries. Tea with milk.

More tea, water, apple, mullerlight, Alpen light bar HEXB.

Spanish omelette with ham, mushroom, red pepper and onion.

Homemade burger and salad. Diet coke.

OP posts:
lris · 07/04/2021 15:55

I'm in no way qualified to offer advice here, but I've documented all the different eating plans I've tried over the years, and whether they have been effective for me short or long term.

In no particular order:

'Supplements'
Ayds, remember them? Chewy toffee sweets that suppressed the appetite. No effect.
Sugar free chewing gum or sugar free boiled sweets, to curb hunger pangs. No effect.
Tablets that contained chilli extract, to supposedly speed up the metabolism. No effect.

'Physical activity'
Gym. Joined for a year. Did swimming at lunchtime two or three times a week, alternating with step or aerobics. Used rowing machine, treadmill or cross trainer on other days. Took 2-3 rest days. End result, knackered and no weight loss. I would come back from the gym ravenous and eat loads.
Golf. Two to three times a week over summer. 14k steps every time. Stopped me putting weight on, but no losses. A partial success.

'Whole 30'
Lasted three weeks. Totally unsustainable. No dairy whatsoever. No carbs. No sugar. No processed foods in any form. No alcohol. No sugar substitutes (so no diet drinks). So boring. But you can lose up to 1lb a day. Until you stop, and it all goes straight back on.

'Weight Watchers'
Never tried. But I've heard stories about fat shaming in their groups.

'Calorie Counting / MFP App'
In principle it works, it's what all weight loss plans are based on. But it doesn't promote healthy eating. In theory, you could eat nothing but crisps and chocolate, and drink nothing but wine, as long as you were within your calorie allowance. Short term losses possible, but long term the weight will creep back on, unless you learn healthy eating habits and portion control.

'Mindful Eating / 16:8 / Fast800'
I just want cake and biscuits, I can't drool over a salad. No willpower. Doesn't work for me.

'Low Carbing'
Like Whole 30 but you can add cream and cheese. I love my carbs. Enough said.

'Slimming World'
Strip out the happy clappy nonsense and it's just sensible eating. The structure around red and green naturally limits your bad choices, but there's still enough room to enjoy a treat (syns) and you don't feel deprived. All food groups are allowed. Limited weighing and measuring. You are encouraged to cook from scratch. There's some motivational support in group, and (there should be) no judgement.
Losses can be impressive, if slow, but it takes a long term commitment in order for the losses to be sustainable. The flexibility of the plan makes that easier to do than many other weight loss systems. Definitely not a quick fix. It works, but you have to work for every pound lost.

I'd be interested to know of your experiences, and any other methods (and whether they've worked or not).

OP posts:
NancyDrawed · 07/04/2021 21:02

I've stepped back a bit over the Easter holidays and will probably start afresh on April 19th, with willpower this time, perhaps!

I'll add to your list:

Weight Watchers - various plans over the years. No fat shaming at the groups I went to. They went down a 'points' route, taking calories and grammes of fat per portion to give a points value of any food or drink and you were given a points limit based on your weight (as your weight decreased, so did your points allowance.) They then went to 'pro points' taking the protein into account as well. Fruit went from being 'pointed' to being a 0 point food, making it more in line with SW. Activity would earn you extra points. I am sure it has changed again since I last went (2010/11). Looked at critically it is a very low calorie diet, but you can eat anything as long as you keep to the points allowance, but that did mean lots of weighing and measuring. I did particularly well the last time I went because I was exclusively breastfeeding twins which gave me double the extra allowance for breastfeeding mothers! This gave me something like 40 points instead of 20 every day which meant I could eat plenty and still have chocolate and other treats daily and still lose weight. So not necessarily great for teaching healthy choices, but good for portion control.

The Harcombe Diet - this works. Strict for 5 days (phase one) with no fruit or dairy except natural live yoghurt and limited carbs, but plenty of other foods including eggs, fish, meat and most veg. Phase two is food combining and phase three is maintenance. She is very much about real food rather than processed saying it's what you eat (and what your body does with it) rather than quantity. Good for a kick start and not a million miles from SW.

Atkins. Didn't really get on with it.

See you after the Easter holidays!

lris · 07/04/2021 21:33

Enjoy the break @NancyDrawed, hope to see you back soon. You are in control, and you don't have to explain yourself here. A warm welcome awaits whenever you are ready. Smile

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lris · 08/04/2021 08:06

Day 46 Green.

Yogurt, grapes and blueberries. Tea with milk HEXA.

More tea, water Alpen light bar HEXB, apple, banana.

Quorn pepper steak with broccoli and green beans.

Jacket potato and chilli beans.

OP posts:
diege · 08/04/2021 08:36

Good morning! Ive loved reading through your diet histories nancy and iris and will add mine below:
I'm lucky enough to have been blessed with (in my youth) a fast metabolism and was also pretty sporty up to my 40s which is when the weight started to stick and the exercise tapered off...I do remember Ayds, weird tasting toffees that did absolutely nothing for me either, and also avidly following the calorie controlled diets in Slimming magazine (90s). Next up was slimming world in 2005 after baby number 3 which I found worked really well, and got to target in around 18 months. More babies followed, with SW to the rescue again, though found the switch to EE doable but difficult being veggie and sacrificing that second HE choice. Lockdown brought boredom eating (no willpower here) and tried MFP, losing a stone counting calories but found myself missing out fruit and healthy snacks in favour of biscuits when calculating my daily calories. Had put half of the weight back on at Christmas when got seduced with Weight Watchers (never done before ) and despite trying all 3 plans was hungry all the time and put a pound on Blush So am feeling very settled and in control with my good old green days!
I've also discovered Aldis Alpen bars which (upon googling) count as HEXB (2 of them!) and are really nice. The equivalent of hifi bars maybe?
I have my covid vax today which i'm nervous about but on the bright side may curb my appetite...choc all eaten anyway!
Breakfast: buttermilk pancake
Lunch: homemade sweet potato and lentil curry with rice.
Tea: (assuming I feel like eating) something light like beans on toast as Im working this evening.

lris · 08/04/2021 09:21

Good luck with your jab today @diege. I felt a bit out of sorts after mine, but after 24 hours I was fine.

I think we get more support from each other on here than the weekly group. Although the consultant always said she was happy to be contacted, I never got in touch with her between meetings. And posting daily is a good habit.

Doing green days is a godsend for me. I enjoy veggie meals a lot of the time, and I throw in the odd red day now and then. It's working for me at the moment.

OP posts:
lris · 09/04/2021 07:15

Day 47 Green.

Yogurt and banana. Tea with milk HEXA.

More tea, water, Alpen light bar HEXB, apple, grapes.

Mushroom and ham (HEXB) omelette with tomato and cucumber.

Quorn pepper steak with beans.

Have a good weekend everyone.

OP posts:
lris · 10/04/2021 07:53

Day 48 Red.

Allbran HEXB with milk HEXA, apple and grapes.

More tea, water, banana.

Salmon, green beans and broccoli.

Spag bol (HEXB for pasta). Diet coke.

OP posts:
diege · 10/04/2021 08:25

Good morning! Have felt pretty rotten since my vaccine on Thursday but back on it today.
Breakfast- thin bagel with Philadelphia light (counting as HEXB and A).
Lunch- possibly homemade curry, apple
Tea- a ready meal from m&s (dp's cooking - we don't live together so I have no control 🤣). Maybe a creme egg...
Quite fancy trying the Quorn pepper steak you mentioned Iris - are they nice?

lris · 10/04/2021 08:34

@diege, glad to hear you are feeling better now.

The Quorn pepper steaks are ok. They are free on both red and green. Honestly, I'd rather have a homemade burger, but then I'd have to use a HEXB on a green day, or count it as syns.

Same with omelettes. I can take them or leave them, but eggs are a free food and fill you up.

There are some things I really enjoy (fruit, veg, homemade lasagne and pasta dishes) and, sadly, they are my treats these days. Smile

OP posts:
diege · 10/04/2021 10:27

I'm the same with omelettes Iris. I only eat them as they are 'free' but they do fill me up. I really do enjoy most of the free foods on sw, but still crave biscuits and chocolate daily...I have a stone or so to go though, and want that much more than sugar (at the moment!).

WeeWillyWanky · 10/04/2021 20:39

I have been following this thread with interest as I did very well on Green so I'd like to join in and post my daily food diaries so I feel accountable. I used to be a SW group member but the happy clappy crap nearly tipped me over the edge. Extra easy is also a waste of time for me because I very rarely (if ever) eat meat or fish so I was basically losing a HEB. Plus with Red/Green there isn't that stupid rule about eating 'speed' food. I'm starting tomorrow Smile

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