Syncronize watches, countdown to 2024 with Slimming World

[Wilma55]

New thread for 2024 for regulars, returners and new starters.

Good luck everyone!

@thenewaveragebear1983

Focus on the positives. Its amazing that you made a change and stuck to plan on Thurs and Fri after group. That's way more significant than the bread and cake yesterday. Changes like that are really hard to make.

@OverTheRainbow2023 you are so right, I’m always very quick to chastise myself when actually I should be saying well done,

this morning I got up, ran 10km in the sunrise, then walked my dog for another 5.5km so I’ve hit 20,000 steps by 10am! I’m certainly feeling a bit brighter today. I have been taking iron tablets and I wonder if I’m feeling the benefits of that, combined with better sleep and dry January, but I felt quite energetic today and could probably have run further which I’ve been really struggling to do recently. Just had a lovely free breakfast of whole meal roll, fried egg and mackerel in tomato sauce, and a grapefruit.

Have put on 1/2lb. Bit disappointed as I thought I'd had a good week, but clearly not. Onward and upward.

Can I join in?

I started yesterday. Have always found the food good, but ruined it for myself with alcohol, however DH and I have made a conscious effort to cut back so I think I can make it work for me!

Hello, @IllHaveAPinotGrigioPlease - and welcome!

@thenewaveragebear1983 very impressed by your running. I've been trying - and failing - to motivate myself to go back to the gym. I am genuinely v busy (one full time job plus a part-time one, plus family to look after) so probably should cut myself some slack . . .

Surprise result at weigh-in last night - another 2.5lb off 😮. I didn't stay to group (even though I do usually enjoy it) as a bit knackered. Need to talk to my consultant about moving my "target" as I'm now quite a bit under. (The target was, at the time, something to aim for... and seemed wayyyy off. I'm still firmly "overweight" not in the "normal" BMI range - but having been in the very obese category before it's still a huge improvement... 48.5lb down since April last year)

Thanks @Ralphiesaurus 😊Well done on your loss! That's great, and great you've hit your first target!

@Testarossa44 Sorry about your gain, do you have anyone who can help you work out what's gone on? Maybe just hormones? They can be a right bitch.

Yesterday was the first day I've ever done slimming world, where I've actually stayed within syns. Like I say, I normally am great with food, then have about 7 million syns on wine. Last night I ended up on 7 syns, which was good to know I could do it, and not be starving/winegry if that makes sense?!

Can I ask though, what do you guys drink in the evening? We have always had a few drinks to relax after a busy day. Also, what are your go to sweet snacks?

I quite like buying hifi bars and having those as my hexb option and being a treat, but sometimes want to use something else for that, and so if I'm going to have something synned I want it to be good if that makes sense 😅

Have had a knee injury, so thought I could use this chance to get on top of food, then get back to exercise in a few weeks.

Think possible hormones, I'm peri-menopausal, so could be, but we did have sausage and mash on Friday, didn't really know how to syn them as they are butchers own, plus we had roast gammon on Sunday, didn't really enjoy it as it was really fatty. So poor choices probably haven't helped! Hopefully back on track this week.

1/2 lb off this morning, bit disappointed but did have curry out on Saturday with lager so maybe should be grateful for a loss!

Very inspiring meeting announcing biggest loser. We are lucky at this group that our consultant is a former national biggest loser - she used to be over 30 stone!

Re what I drink in the evenings @IllHaveAPinotGrigioPlease (great name - mines a shiraz!) I try to stick to no alcohol in the week and one glass of red or maybe a baileys at weekends - often have more. Otherwise it's tea or ribena or even water.

A lb on here. Totally expected so need to kick back in. Luckily DH is back at work today after a week off so can wriggle out of holiday mode!
Todays menu:
B- veggie sausage in wholemeal soft pitta and an orange
L- cheesy potato and salad
D- slimming world tikka masala with egg fried rice and crispy red onions

I’d had a reasonable day today, I had baked oats and fruit, then lunch was salad with noodles and chicken breast and cheese, I drank loads of water and had fruit as snacks. My evening meal was quite disappointing, I made a Cajun ‘dirty rice’ type dish, it looked great but it was too spicy and all very dry and bitty. Then annoyingly this evening I’ve just crashed in exhaustion and absolutely craved carbs/sugar so I ate 5 caramel rice cakes- I’d already eaten all my syns as I had 2 biscuits at work so now I’ve ended up on 30 syns! My weekly total so far is around 150. I’m just finding it so difficult to moderate myself, once I start I then end up having loads.

any suggestions? My food is filling and I have loads of veg, plenty protein, lots of water. I just can’t seem to switch my head on to the plan and do it properly 😢

tomorrow I’m going to try having eggs for breakfast instead of porridge, starting my day with protein not carbs. I have leftover rice for lunch, I’ll add some chicken and mayo and cheese and have with salad. It’s really filling at least. Then dinner is a moussaka/lasagne thing from the magazine, layers of aubergine, mince, pasta etc with a cottage cheese top. So all my meals are sorted. I think I’m going to have to try to just have NO ‘treats’ and use my syns on cheese or something savoury.

@thenewaveragebear1983 I can identify with getting the munchies, especially later on in the day when you’re tired. I have struggled with so many weight loss plans over the years, being “good” and then blowing it in the evening. I’ve realised I have some addictive behaviours around sugar and white flour in particular… and by more or less cutting them out have got away from the cravings rollercoaster. I know they are “allowed” on SW but I think it’s good to work out what does and doesn’t work for yourself individually. For me, they are trigger foods.

I still have pasta occasionally, and chocolate fairly regularly, but watch to make sure I’m not triggered. If I’m peckish between meals I have protein.

Sort of related to this, @IllHaveAPinotGrigioPlease I gave up alcohol over four years ago now. I was looking forward to wine o’clock each day a bit too much, if that makes sense. And for me, one g&t or wine would lead to quite a few more, and then carb cravings…

Not saying what I’m doing would work for everyone but it’s really helped me this time, mentally as much as anything, as I’m not having those exhausting battles with myself and fighting cravings all the time. Look up Bright Line Eating - it’s a more radical version of what I’ve gone for, but explains some of the science behind white flour/sugar and the addictive response.

Sorry for the screed! I’m 53 and have done so many diets over the years and have never been at peace around food until now.

@Ralphiesaurus yes it’s definitely the sugar and flour that sets me off. Prompted by tiredness I think. That feeling at 8pm where the dc aren’t even in bed yet but I’d happily go to bed myself and I’m sort of forced into staying up and that’s when I end up grazing. It’s not hunger.
i did about a year completely sugar free after lockdown and i was so different around food. I just don’t have the mental energy to do it at the moment and I don’t want to live my whole life sugar free.

I’ve definitely enjoyed dry January but annoyingly I think I’ve eaten more calories at weekends than I would have had if I’d drunk wine, so I haven’t actually seen the results on the scales. I’m going to carry on into February but it will be harder as dh is not continuing so he will be having a glass of wine on Fridays/saturdays- but I’m really hoping that I can settle into a rhythm now and not eat in place of drinking to unwind.

I’m aiming for a couple of really good days now before I weigh in tomorrow evening- I felt really down about it yesterday as I am just really struggling to actually do what I need to do. I sat next to an open box of biscuits all day at work yesterday, then had one at 3.30, then another…. Why!??

Yes ai don’t think I could give up sugar and flour entirely (Bright Lines Eating is pretty hardcore!) but cutting them down a lot and being mindful of how they cause cravings has really helped me make different choices and regain a sense of balance and control around what I eat.

@Ralphiesaurus I did whole 30 so I actually cut out all dairy, grains, sugar, alcohol and processed foods. It sounds awful but honestly, I felt amazing, I was running loads and I looked really healthy and incredibly lean. It’s hard to sustain though, you reintroduce things and then gradually it creeps back in. 🤷

Wow! Respect to you for that - v impressive!

Totally agree with @Ralphiesaurus, cutting back on the sugar has been the only way to reduce my cravings and take back control.

I've realised there are some foods I just can't stop eating when i start - for me it's hard cheese, chocolate, bread. It's taken me years to properly accept this and life is so much easier and happier now I have. I will still have these occasionally, when out for a meal for instance and they are pre portioned for me, but it's such a relief to no longer have the constant daily battles trying to stop myself eating them and failing. It's funny how after a few weeks of not having them that you no longer have the cravings.

@Wilma55 omg I haven't tried Ribena in years! I used to love a warm ribena! I am going to buy some, thank you!

@Ralphiesaurus - yes, we both have fallen solidly into the habit of coming out of a stressful day of pouring ourselves a few drinks, then having some more with dinner...then we might as well take the bottle through!

For those struggling in the evenings, I am usually a big snacker (especially with no wine!!) so I've filled the last two evenings with being busy, and also had bigger lunches so my dinner is a 'bowl on knee snacky tea' which I always consider a treat - I've just replaced the beige food with something healthier. I appreciate this isn't easy for everyone, it's just how it's fallen as teens activities mean they eat while I'm still working and the DH has been away, but I'm hoping when things are a bit calmer next week, I might be in a habit?!

Two days totally on plan. This has NEVER happened.

I stuck to plan well this week and weigh in is Friday but I think i will have lost. I just feel like I have. I had huge dental work done last week, was loaded on painkillers, barely ate and felt lethargic and bloated so didn't loose any pound s. I feel much better this week and the bloat has gone.

B 0% fat yogurt and frozen (thawed) berries
L home made pumpkin soup and 1 ryvita (1 syn)
D I have just made the fast 800 black bean chilli with minimal oil
S 1 hifi bar so far
Hexa milk for tea
Good day so far but just remembered shared a millionaires cake with friend in cafe, thought I was doing so well!

I made the lasagne/moussaka hybrid recipe from the magazine tonight- it was so tasty! Basically a lasagne with layers of aubergine too. For the cheese topping I used a tub of low fat cottage cheese blitzed til smooth and then grated cheese on top. Really rich and delicious 🤤

@thenewaveragebear1983 that sounds yummy!

Magazines were sold out at meeting yesterday, must have been the free recipe booklet!

Husband made the italian style meat loaf from the Air Fryer & Friends book tonight. It wasn't too bad, as far as husband made food goes!

So I woke up this morning in an almighty funk and my mood has been crappy all day, I’m really tired and thought I was going to have to log off and take a nap because I just couldn’t keep my eyes open. Weighed in and I maintained. Even though I didn’t really deserve a loss, certainly not an impressive one, I was in an even more shitty mood and I’ve self medicated with a bar of mini eggs dairy milk and a piece of banoffee cake. 🤦‍♀️

urgh. I am so fed up! Hormonal, tired, frazzled. I desperately need some time off work but I have no leave left to take except one day which I’m going to book for later in the month. I am stuck in this cycle of not really doing the plan properly, then trying to claw back, it’s really ineffective and I’m not really losing anything (3.5lbs in Jan). I know exactly what I need to do, so why can’t I actually do it!

so…. I’m going to try SP this week, I think it will make me refocus and eat more veg.
I’m determined to stick to 10 syns a day and not have that one or two days when I just freestyle and use all my syns up. my only thing on this weekend is my dads birthday but it’s sandwiches and salad, I’m not drinking so I should be ok. But really, I just need to actually stick to it- it’s not like I don’t make exactly these plans every single week….

Hi all
Not been on for a little while as not really on plan. Today’s loss was 1/2 pound and in total was 7 pounds over January (including reversing the Xmas 3.5 gain). Didn’t realise this until I looked at book. I’m still 4.5 pounds from target as I have been for past several mths going up and down by a pound. Will keep at it. Marathon training in full flow so feeling hungrier than usual. Also blame the weather. Maybe 0.5-1 pound per week is the way to go! Well done to everyone who is still on it.