Joined just to ask this - I'm in a weight loss rut!!

[Selena35]

Hey 👋
I joined mumsnet specifically to ask about this so I really hope someone can help. I don't have any female friends or family I can talk to about it and I need to know how other mums manage this. 🤔
I have absolutely no clue how to lose weight any more. Its stressing me out majorly and I think about it pretty much 24/7. I'm neurodivergent and can sometimes obsess and get hung up on things if I'm confused and this is whats happening now.
I've lost weight with Slimming World in the past...I think around 4 stone (online). But I've also had a few babies...and I struggle massively with binge eating. So eventually i regained all the weight. More recently I tried calorie counting but I found it too hard to manage especially at dinnertime.
I've signed up to various other diets in the past but I tend to end up back at slimming world because its probably more practical with children and easier on someone who likes a big portion.
BUT I'm being very distracted by lots of social media weight loss people saying slimming world is awful, taking the piss out of it, saying how all the consultants are fat and its a money making scheme and it's bad etc. I find it hard to ignore this stuff and now I feel like I'm doing the wrong thing.But if I don't do slimming world the alternative us weighing everything and using mfp and I find that really stressful and miserable way to live!
I'm just getting so worked up trying to figure out what is the right way to lose weight, but also finding something I can actually.cope with....and yea I'm also struggling to let go of the junk food but it would help if I could actually commit to a plan!!!
Someone tell me what the right thing to do? I just want to be a bit thinner. I just want to feel a bit nicer in my clothes. How does anyone make sense of the weight loss world with so many conflicting voices?!
If you've read this far thank you. I'll take any and all advice..I'm so lost on this. Xx

I struggle with my weight due to binging. I have tried all ways to lose weight and consistently find SW the best way. I have not beaten my binging ways completely but have really tried to control my binges. SW helped me establish my trigger foods and trigger times as I track everything. If I don't track I know I'm binging!

I decided last summer I was really fed up again and have lost 2 st 8 lb since August. I cook the same meals for the whole family, I chose recipes we like and cook them the SW way.

I have another 2 st 7lb to go, but I am taking half a stone targets at a time and concentrating on the binge control. If SW has worked for you before maybe have another go, but make everyone eat the same to help you plan and prepare. My biggest tip is to track everything, good luck with whatever you decide.

SW has worked for me. I also have binge eating issues. I find I can binge eat the speed foods, and Suffer no damage.

Try joining slimming world groups on FB. There's one called slimming eats that's good. Recipes based on SW.

There are Instagram-er's who do slimming world too, beautiful pictures of food!

Stick to what has worked before, but be more intentional about maintenance when you get there. I still do class every week. I can't not.

If I didn't have such an incredible consultant the second time I did SW I never would have trusted it now because my new consultant is awful and obese and just shit but I've had a good one!

The first group I went to the leader was massively overweight as were all the people going and I didn't trust if at all. Find a consultant that's good it makes such a difference. I'm in a group with an awful one atm BUT I know it works. I've gone from 11st to 9 and a size 14/16 to an 8/10. I know it works but I get pulled in to the online stuff too. Are you on Instagram? There's some amazing SW people to follow!

Sorry that's really waffley and prob dosent make much sense

I think any diet has its people who knock it - just ignore them @Selena35 ! It has worked for you in the past, it will work for you again. I never buy any of the branded products and avoid processed food - I prefer to cook everything from first principles. I used to attend in person, but put it on again over lockdown. I'm doing it alone and getting good results. I do weigh every day, but plot the 7 day average in a spreadsheet - I find that motivating and it works for me.

On binges, mistakes will happen. But just because you have had 5 Pringles (or whatever your vice is) does not mean you need to eat a whole tube! Trust me, you won't enjoy them any more than the first 5. (Other potato based snacks are available).

There isn’t a right way to lose weight, unfortunately, they all work if you stick to them and they all have similar rates of people regaining weight.

So it’s down to how sustainable you find it and what’s the best got for you.

Social media - 9 times out of 10 if I see something anti slimming world it’s someone using negative marketing to sell their own weight loss service instead. Firstly if their service was good they’d be advertising it on its on merits not bashing something else and secondly I don’t really care about the opinion of someone criticising it for being a business while they’re also the same type of business.

I roughly follow SW but tell people that I am following a Mediterranean way of eating!I buy countdowns and never stay to group despite the consultant being wonderful.I find SW to be a healthy way of eating but I do try to listen to my body and stop eating when I am full. I am quite strict on not overeating pasta.. which is easily done on SW

I could have written your post and it’s a relief to hear someone else say it. I go round and round in circles about it, even though SW has worked for me in the end. It’s so frustrating.

Oh and if one of the naysayers you hear is TeamRH then you really shouldn’t worry!

Yes it was haha. Really tried with them until I realised a few things that made me see sense..

1. the guy who runs it is single and childless. I'm sure this makes calorie counting an absolute doddle. Bit different if you've got several small kids nagging and whining at your feet while you're trying to work out the maths so you can eat your dinner. I know lots of mums do it but it made me really stressed and sucked all the enjoyment out of food.
2. As a teamrh member I saw countless members come on the fb page saying "joining again today" and "back on it after I fell off plan and gained weight". So it's the exact same problem as people have elsewhere...you stop the plan and go back to old habits you will regain the weight. Just because you calorie counted doesn't make the weight loss any better or more permanent.
3. If its all about calorie deficite in the end it doesn't matter how you get in one does it. Slimming world works by putting you in a calorie deficit without you realising. What's wrong with that?

I'm not sure I can back a company that tears down women trying to get healthy. Its not fair. Listening to teamrh just left me confused and upset and in a rut not knowing how to move forward.

"Do it my way or you're fucked forever and you'll always be a big fatty beanbag hahahahaha"

Nice. Great marketing. 👍

In the end I rejoined slimming world. I'm doing well:)

I hear you! It seemed to be that the majority of his ‘examples’ were women too - strangely enough… There’s another forum where they’re discussed and it’s eye opening!

Yes, calorie deficit is calorie deficit. And I know that other ways can be beneficial to some people (low carb etc) but actually Slimming World has been the most consistently successful for me because it’s doable. There’s so much information out there now that it almost paralyses me but then while I’m paralyzed mentally I’m getting am fatter. While I’m following a method that works for me, I’m getting slimmer! Even it’s not the fashionable method or there are ways to make it silly (crazy ‘cakes’ etc). My mum lost a lot of weight on it and had maintained for years, it gave her a new lease on life.

I've done well with SW, it's easy and I feel really well on it. Good luck!