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Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

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Original poster

Slimming World...don't know if it's working for me?

25 replies

SpiritualKnot · 25/01/2007 07:34

Hi, I've been with SW for 2 weeks. First week I put on half a pound. I've got my weigh in tonight and I think I've put on another pound...should I starve myself all day?

Problem is that I've lost a stone just doing exercise in the last year without changing what I ate. I've now been stuck at 11 stones 2 lbs for about 4 months so decided I needed to try SW. I'm finding I've less time for exercise due to my work and my husband's new shifts...can't leave my kids in the evening. I've used SW in the past and lost about 7pounds in the first 3 weeks or so, so I was very optimistic and was shocked when I'd put on half a pound.

Just sneaked onto the scales this morning and it doesn't look good. I've stuck to it, had hardly any syns..maybe 5 a day at the most and I don't drink alcohol. I.ve stuck with green days and have eaten an awful lot of rice and no syns chickpea curry and bananas, but they're foods that are free..maybe I'm eating too much of them?

Anyway..has anyone any avice and should I starve myself today in the hope I'll lose something by this evening?!

OP posts:

zippitippitoes · 25/01/2007 07:37

I don't know about slimming world but I think weight fluctuations of 3 or 4 pounds are normal..surely you can't measure putting on such a small amount (or losing it) as an hour later you will get a different result?

I wouldn't fret and also weight is less important than health and muscle condition..don't forget thast muscle weighs more than fat

Heavenis · 25/01/2007 07:41

How ripe are the bananas, the riper they are the more sugar they contain. Are you eating enough and drinking plenty.
It can take a little while for you body to adjust.
Ask the consultant for any tips.
Good luck.

shosha · 25/01/2007 07:54

Message withdrawn

Original poster

SpiritualKnot · 25/01/2007 08:10

Hi again. The bananas are quite hard..though I did eat some riper ones the other day..I'll have to watch out for that sort of thing. I don't drink very much..I think I'm eating too much though. Can you can overeat on these free foods?

OP posts:

sandcastles · 25/01/2007 08:16

I think the whole thing with SW (I did it years ago & lost 2 stone) is that you have to combine Red & Green days. I was told not to do either day for more than 4 days in a row. Think it was all about making sure your body got all the nutrients it needs, but could be wrong.

Free foods should be OK. Don't see how you could over eat on them.

I actually liked SW, the only problem was, onbce I came off & wasn't doing Green/Red days, theweight soon piled back on, even with careful eating. I feel it didn't real teach about food combining.

zippitippitoes · 25/01/2007 08:18

if you eat too much then you won't lose weight..

bananas and rice can't be "free" they are full of carbohydrate so will give energy and if not required will be stored as fat

sandcastles · 25/01/2007 08:22

Zippi, what you said is why I was told to do a good combination of Red/Green. Too many carbs. Thanks for reminding me.

Rice & Bananas will be free foods on SW. But as I said, you would normally have 1 day green (all the veg & fruit you can eat) & 1 day red (meats & /limited/no carbs).

sandcastles · 25/01/2007 08:23

Sorry, green day, also as many carbs as you like.

Original poster

SpiritualKnot · 25/01/2007 08:26

Interesting. I haven't done any red days yet as I love rice, but will definitely do that today. I've got some tins of foods which are free on red days, so I'll have one for lunch with some carrots and a light snack mid afternoon-muller virtually fat free yoghurt. I'll try alternating red/ green for a few days, see how I get on.

OP posts:

sandcastles · 25/01/2007 08:29

I know that I was told that it works more efficiently when alternated. I lost 3lb in my first week, then 5 the next.

See how you go.

zippitippitoes · 25/01/2007 08:36

I don't know anything about slimming world but i would be very cautious of treating any foods as free..

except perhaps lettuce and celery

anything else will "count"

eg grapes are quite sweet, grapefruit also has some effect

mix your diet and exercise and drink plenty of fluids

exercise is good for your metabolism as well as toning muscle including heart so will be a good complement to food intake

bascially you need a balance and cut put completely puds sweets and sweet drinks

smoothies are quite calorific too so don't over indulge on those or fruit juice..dilute it

Budababe · 25/01/2007 08:48

And drink LOTS of water.

Have just started SW and am struggling. Will try for a bit longer and aternate red/green days. It does make sense.

IntergalacticWalrus · 25/01/2007 08:54

I find the trick with SW is to go back for seconds if I want them. I do all green days, and was told that this shouldn't make too much difference to weighloss. The idea behind SW is to limit calories without thinking about it, so the "free" foods, which are normally restricted on other plans are ones naturally low in calories, but filling, like meat and potatoes.

What I do (and it's worked so far, when I have stuck to it anyway ) is to eat a small amount of whetever I have cooked, be it potatoes rice or whatever, and if I want more I have it. It's all about eating until your satisfied not until you are stuffed.

zippitippitoes · 25/01/2007 08:56

just out of curiosity meat and potatoes can't be "free" can they?

IntergalacticWalrus · 25/01/2007 09:00

Tecnically no, but the idea with sw is that you eat one or the other in unlimited quantities, so on a red day, you can eat as much fish/meat etc as you like and on green days you eat potatoes, rice and pasta.

Obviously if you eat too much of these things you won't lose weight, but I was always told that you should eat until satisfied an that way you won;t eat too much of them.

It's worked for me so far

zippitippitoes · 25/01/2007 09:06

I wouldn't have thought you would lose weight unless you limited yourself ot small helpings of those..

a potato is a solid lump of carbohydrate, more than two or three are going to start counting

Furball · 25/01/2007 09:06

zippitippitoes - potatoes - free on green days, meat free on red days but never free together.

I understand exactly where you are comming from SpiritedKnot as similar happened to me a few years back and caused me to chuck in the towel as why diet if putting weight on? I now since know that all green days even though devine in huge bulky platefuls don't do me any favours whatsoever. I have since started doing it again at home on my home and am sticking to red days during the week and green at weekends, seems to be working fine, which is fab. What does your sw leader say about it, has she any advice? Do you fill in a food diary that she has looked at? as sometimes the whole thing is a bit complicated and stuff you thought to be free or low syn is not.

Furball · 25/01/2007 09:07

zippi - it really is a bizarre diet when disected, but it's very healthy and it works.

Mumbojumbo · 25/01/2007 09:31

I think the key is to look at weight loss over a month, not a week. 1lb to 2lb a week is a healthy weight loss, but there are other contributing factors such as time of the month that will play a part in your day to day weight fluctuations. Having said that, it's very frustrating to either maintain or gain and not lose, particularly when you have stuck to the plan. I also think it takes the body some time to adjust to a new diet.

I do green days (love pasta, spuds and veggies). I still have meat but just measure the quantity as a healthy extra. I've lost just under 3 stone in 6 months and just reached target. I gained some weeks too (which really used to p*ss me off!), so don't be down hearted - stick with it. I found doing a food diary very helpful. Do you have any meal plans? I also used to plan my menu for the week so I didn't get to a meal time and not know what I was having. Planning also helped with food shopping as I could go straight to the stuff I needed and not hang around the biscuit aisle! One book that I've found really useful is the Delicious Food Optimising Days, which has meal plans on green and red and helps to get your head round what on earth to eat on each plan.

Good luck!

Original poster

SpiritualKnot · 25/01/2007 09:43

I'll speak with the SW leader tonight about filling in some meal plans. My daughter has swimming lessons on Thursdays-right at the SW club time, so I haven't been able to stay to the meetings. But tonight my husband's not at work, so I'll be able to drop her off at home and catch the last 15 minutes or so.

OP posts:

tiger8565 · 25/01/2007 10:47

I found I had plateaued for 6 weeks....not lost a thing, gained a couple of pounds. I was always on green days. I switched to having red days/ integrating them in, and I have started losing again Give it a go....write a food diary, you soon find out that maybe when you thought you were being perfect you may not have been x

bisbeejack · 25/01/2007 21:30

was reading some of the posts and thought i pop mine downif its ok, ive done sw for 13 years now and only ever do green as i dont eat meat,chicken or fish,
you dont need to do both plans for a weight loss, both will give you weight loss, i know im proof, but if youve gained then it would be down to something you think is free and possiby not, we found out today at class, something that was free has changed and no longer free, so it could be products changing, and you cant put weight on eating too much free foods, trust me, if its free its free, if its not then it would be sins, you may need to have a chat with your consultant , she would be able to see whats going wrong, there would be something, dont give up though!

Original poster

SpiritualKnot · 25/01/2007 21:48

Hi again, got back a short while ago..I've lost two and a half pounds!! Went to the gym just before the weigh-in as my daughter goes swimming at the Leisure Centre, so I'm going to go to the gym whilst she has her swim lesson...all in same building.

Feel better now, will alternate red and green days for this next week to see how I get on. Thanks for the support folks!!

OP posts:

Original poster

SpiritualKnot · 25/01/2007 21:49

Feel better now, will alternate red and green days for this next week to see how I get on. Thanks for the support folks!!

OP posts:

Original poster

SpiritualKnot · 25/01/2007 21:55

Scuse the duplication there. Thank you Bisbeejack, only saw your comment after I'd put my comment in. I find I am practically vegetarian on this diet which suits me fine. but I think I'll just alternate for this week so I'm more aware of what I'm eating. I asked tonight and the SW leader said it was ok just to do green.
The only thing I take that must be a no-no is low fat evaporated milk in 2 of my coffees a day..I need to check out how many syns that is. As I said I don't think I do many syns, but I need to track them a bit better I think.

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