Sashaying into a svelte 2025 with Slimming World

[Wilma55]

New thread for 2025, wishing you all a happy, healthy new year.

Yeah it has needed a revamp for a while.
now my only bug bear is with the lack of own recipe function on the app. If i make a bit batch of soup, it’s a pain in the butt to input every ingredient every day rather than being able to just select homemade soup. Unless it is there and i’ve missed it!

Thanks for info re breakfasts guys
i usually have weetabix & a banana because i just put them in my bag and go and eat at work. I’m going to read that thread and do some planning!

Morning all. I managed to weigh in a day early on the app. I was convinced I started on a Monday. Anyway 1.5lb off, which is my usual amount bearing in mind I started dieting last October. The curve is downwards with a lot of straight lines but it averages out to 2.5 lb a month. Factor in my big birthday bash, 2 holidays and an amazing wedding.
The transition from full fat to fat free has been challenging. The news article above is interesting as I have been use to plenty of healthy fats with Micheal Mosley. I think I will start to add them now as syns. I put 5g of ground linseed on my alpro soy yoghurt this morning and the app is rather confusing as brands vary between 5.5 and 7 syns for 25g. I will take 1.5 for my 5g as I have no idea where I bought them as I buy them whole.
I have now swam twice a week for 3 weeks so very chuffed.
Thank you for all the great advice, off to dig out my instant pot for some soup.

Instant Pots are brilliant for easy cooking. Yesterday I put every veg I had in the fridge and cooked for a few mins then decanted into 3 containers then I add something to it each day. (I like chunky soup, more like stew) I crumbled a portion of meat loaf from the freezer into 1 and had that for lunch then today I am adding some cooked meatballs and tomorrow cooked chicken.

I usually have a big salad and something for tea and have always counted avocado as my second hexA and cheese as the other one.

Happy Monday

Yes @ListenLinda the lack of recipe function really bugs me too!

On the burger/sausage chat, I find the low fat meat ones really dry so shop bought go for Linda McCarney red onion veggie sausages and burger Lidl's veggie burger with beetroot. Homemade use a mix of beef & pork mince (5% fat) and add parmesan & breadcrumbs from your A & B choice, parmesan, herbs & spices. Do a big batch of the mixture and they make cracking meatballs

Weigh in tomorrow hoping for a loss after STS in week 1 (weekend away didn't help). Fingers crossed.

B: 2 poached eggs on toast (B) with sautéed mushrooms
L: Leftover spag bol - free + A choice parmesan
D: making a Veg curry so if anyone has a good low/no syn recipe please share 🙏.

I'm pleased to hear about the new SW changes - long overdue and one of my big issues has always been shunning healthy fats so interested to see how this will work.

Agree the changes are positive, I hate "syn" and was uncomfortable with excluding healthy fats so it all makes sense. Look forward to finding out more about how it will work.

Oh dear a flop for me.Half a pound off which I had gained last week, making a total of 3 and a half in 5 weeks! Blimey it's not exactly stunning is it.
Somebody in my group has lost 2 and a half stone in 12 weeks.
I must be consuming half what I was previously.
Can't motivate self round the whole syn thing at all.
Group was a sales pitch today.

The curve is downwards with a lot of straight lines but it averages out to 2.5 lb a month

very good mindset.

Campfire Stew from the first Pinch of Nom book was gorgeous and made enough for 3 freezer portions. Husband approved too so this one will go on the autumn/winter meal rotation

Look, I could have quite cheerily bitch slapped every member that waltzes in with a 3 - to 8lb loss in a week - boils my pee at times tbh, because I work hard for every single pound and its not fair !!!

But I have to remind myself, we are all coming to this from different starting points. We might want a 2 stone loss , the same as that lass who dropped 5lb the first week, but what I have to keep hold off, is my diet at the beginning was never the problem. I wasnt gorging and eating takeout. I was relying on bread and I was avoiding the veg, but my portion control was good, and Im not a natural grazer/snacker so SW isnt really a huge change to how I was eating. Someone joining who was eating all the pies, take out every day - of course the minute they choose to go cook from scratch, avoid the take away and processed food, the weight will fly off.

Ive also had to really read what's been happening with my body - what foods I can eat with abandon , those that I now choose to avoid, because my lose is a battle. Quick losers quite often think " this is easy" and dont educate themselves so hit target and away they go . And back in the door the following year

3.5lb is a WIN. You are winning.

Go and re read the books. Go write a list of all the speed food you love, or just like , the free foods and HEA and B, and go have a chat with ChatGPT , let him come up with a meal plan for the week using just those ingredients. Its fun because you can change the rules as you go, " Oh I get hungry mid morning so need a snack added, my danger time is when I get in from work" and it will make the adjustments there and then

Well done for getting this far and not jacking it in

I will take those suggestions on board. Also going to think of it in terms of a monthly " decline".

As you say pre SW, I wasn't gorging or eating take away. Bread and cakes featured quite heavily as did wine and cheese and crackers.

It was like total brain death at group yesterday but you just have to have a little inward chuckle at that I think.

As I said previously mine averages at 2.5 lbs per month.
Being only 5ft and having a household of men I would make a lasagne for example and have the same size portion as the rest of the family. So portions size has always been my problem. I have never had a huge sweet tooth, more a 'cheese tooth' We don't go in for snacking but give me a crusty white loaf and butter and I will devour it.
I am new to SW and am finding the diet is really suiting me after my full fat few months. Do people on weight loss injections come to SW groups because that must give an unfair advantage?
The support on thus thread is amazing and so helpful.

I asked the SW consultant about whether you can do both SW and WLI and she said yes. I don't think it's an "unfair advantage" as it's not a competition. Everyone has their own journey.

Back from WI, 1lb on so grace week, not too bad after holiday in Greece followed by a weekend of celebrations. Not weighed in since before holiday. Glad @suki1964 gave me the nudge to go back sooner rather than later.

It seems you can choose between the 3 hex but they are encouraging at least 1 hexa. We will be getting new books before new year.

I hope the SW groups don't go the same way as the WW ones as there are hardly any of them left around here.

There used to be 2 Saturday morning groups here, 8.30 and 10. They had real trouble keeping a consultant and have now dropped to just 8.30 meeting.

I prefered WW I think. That idea of having a points budget and spending it seemed to suit me.
Anyhow, will keep at it.

Wine and cheese, well the wine and bread and butter for me, both are now avoided 99% of the time - they dont hit the trolley but saying that, if I was to be out and wine was offered, I wouldn't say no. But that's controlled drinking, a glass in a social setting, not me kidding myself a box will last the week and cutting the corner off the bag on day 3 to get the last dregs

@IlovetoKnitandRead Yep I can inhale bread and butter I sliced it on, I could get through a pound and a half a week - by myself kidding myself it was a healthy fat, then adding peanut butter or nutella to it

Im with @HealthyWeightBy40 , Those taking the injections should be welcomed with open arms to SW. I would have been on them myself if I had gone another few months the way I was going. The jabs are great by all accounts, but people do need to learn about portion control and what foods are better choices, how to get full and stay full without gaining again . Sw and us the members , can help them stay on track and they too can break the yo yo cycle

I did try WLI for 6 weeks last year but the side effects for me were horrendous so I stopped. I agree everyone has to find what suits them. Fast 800 was great but my cholesterol has gone up to 7.1 despite losing 2 stone. SW seems a good long term healthy eating plan for me now especially with the saturated fats. I like the controlled HexB too. I need to be told /know what to eat. When I try and cheat, I tell myself I know better than the plan and of course always fail!

@Wilma55 , you know what to do, its only a pound, bust that and then go easy again. When I go above the leeway now I just speed for as many meals as I can for the week, so yoghurt and fruit, eggs in all their forms - I find them filling - soups, lean meats, just avoid the carbs - can be hard but eggs and chicken to the rescue and I even end up on the egg wraps :) I always get a loss and I know that if I could eat like that every day I would get to my desired weight pretty easy. Only I know I cant so Im happy to stay around where I am and eat a more regular diet

Our early Saturday morning group is rammed - uncomfortably so some weeks and I think her second group is as busy. I know the Wednesday evening ones are as busy and we have 3 consultants in our post code. Still it is an area with a very high obesity problem

@birling16 I too loved the point system back in the 90's. Just before covid I went to SW and couldn't get to grips with their system at that time , then of course covid came and groups closed so I left. I knew online wasnt for me , Id cheat and wonder why it wasnt working :)

3.5lbs off which I'm obviously delighted about plus just managed my first full 25 minute run (I'm doing couch to 5km) which is definitely helping me stay on track and eat better.

Meal plan for the week is done after weigh in but have a few gaps so will be watching what you're all having with interest. Burger & chips tonight which I'm very excited about - I'm doing mixed beef & pork mince homemade with some mushrooms for extra moisture and I'll have mine with a B choice wholemeal bun, A choice cheese and a few syns for sauces.

Like you @suki1964 I'm a big fan of incorporating the odd SP day especially if I know I've got a big night out or weight loss is stalling. I tend to stick to eggs for breakfast, soups for lunch then salmon or chicken stir fry or salad with add beans or pulses for protein & fibre and to fill me up then snack on speed fruit - I also make them days I try and really up my water intake.

Nice one @lechatnoir That's a great loss. I'm slowly getting it, I think. I wonder about the role of exercise.

Not much breakfast, cooked lunch and some dinner seems to be the way to go.

Just had the most amazing lunch! A Warburtons soft pitta 'buttered' with a Laughing Cow Light ( thank you such whoever mentioned this) 2 slices of ham, more salad and another cheese squigged on top. Gorgeous! Sneaky weigh in today and I am up a pound despite being only track. I wonder if it my new swimming routine. I have gone from no exercise to 2 x 35 min swims a week.
Well done @lechatnoir, brilliant loss.

Those warburtons really do hit the spot when you need a sandwich.

there is the old adage , you can’t out run a bad diet You are never ever going to exercise off extra calories , I know , I did a ruddy marathon - 26 miles and 2k calories burned , and inhaled within 5 mins of finishing - bottle of coke , a snickers , fish and chips , more chocolate

But what regular exercise does is lift the mood. It makes you feel better. Getting sunlight , fresh air and steps really improves your body , your hormones , omg is so complicated to try to explain it , but a 10 min walk , three times a day , improves your health 10 fold. Just getting real sunlight to the retinas does so much magic to your body You don’t have to break the speed barrier , you just have to get out there and walk - as slow as you like My first walk took about 30 mins to do half a mile and I was as stiff as a board the day after. Now I walk at least 5 miles a day and if I don’t , I feel like crap. My mood and energy just dips

i didn’t just wake up and say 5 miles or else , it’s taken time , probably a year or more to get there I’ve gone through times where just reaching the next lamppost has felt like a struggle Now I’m in my swing I slow down and take note of the changing seasons, watch the birds , spot the rabbits, foxes and hares.

seriously I would say to anyone , doesn’t matter size or fitness level , just go out for a walk

Hi all, a couple of weeks ago I hit my stone award after 9 weeks. Extremely chuffed. However I’ve completely lost my motivation and cannot seem to get back into the swing of things.
I’ve had a tattoo (which stopped me swimming), my partners birthday, holiday away and now caught shingles. Sitting at home feeling very sorry for myself, and eating everything in sight.
Decided to go back to the beginning of this thread to read through again as this helped me when I was debating whether to rejoin SW. Also going to flick through the books I have and get back to basics.
Looking forward to weigh in again tomorrow to see the damage. Wish me luck.

This is my fear, some sort of rebound. Once I've lost the damn weight that is.

Might not be so bad?

Would somebody be so kind as to explain how I get the App please? Asked at group, no response. Do I hav eto pay extra?

Thanks