I hope you don’t mind me posting my story, partly as a ‘marker in the sand’ for myself, and partly in the hope that it is helpful to some people.
I rejoined WW (online only) mid-late January with a target of losing the aim of losing 12½lb in 12 weeks, in time for our holiday (which starts tomorrow!). That would get me to 10st7 (my target weight is 9st13).
I’m very pleased to say I’ve done it! Actually, I was 10st4½ on the scales this morning so I’ve exceeded my target!
I must say that I’ve found the plan quite easy to follow: it makes a lot of sense to me. I don’t eat meat (though I do eat fish) but fortunately I really like eggs, fish, fat free natural yoghurt, Quorn and pulses, so I’ve not struggled to plan my eating with a focus on these foods.
I am not diabetic but do have PCOS, had gestational diabetes and struggle with my blood sugar levels – I take Metformin to help with this. I do have a sweet tooth which is not ideal! I must stay that, while on this diet, I have barely had any ‘hypo’ moments – hunger has built up gradually and I’ve been able to have the right sort of snack before a crisis. I’m very pleased about this, and must remember how much more stable my blood sugar levels have been, when in the future I’m tempted to slip into old habits…
For breakfast most days I have chopped fruit with fat-free Greek yoghurt, which is of course zero points. Surprisingly this works better for me than oats – if I have porridge I have a sudden slump mid morning and end up reaching for more carbs. At weekends I sometimes have a cooked breakfast with Quorn sausages (1 point each).
For work lunches I normally make a big salad with tinned tuna, cooked beetroot, carrots, peppers, radishes, cucumber, tomatoes and mixed leaves, with ¼ packet of Gourmet quinoa sprinkled onto it, and a splash of balsamic vinegar – 3 points. Alternatively it’s homemade soup, normally lentil-based.
I can’t last between lunch and dinner (often 8 hours apart) so I often have a substantial zero-point ‘meal’ of banana pancakes (one banana, two eggs) with cinnamon and either stewed apple or warmed berries and FF Greek yoghurt on top. I can hardly believe I have managed to have this ‘extra’ meal most days and still lose weight – WW is magic!
Popular dinners include homemade curry, chilli or spag bol made with a combination of Quorn pieces or mince, or chickpeas/beans, and vegetables, served with a small portion of rice or pasta. We often use the sachets of ready-cooked rice as we know that half a sachet is six points. We do use a bit of oil in cooking as we notice something lacking in flavour if we omit the oil, but even with oil and spices it’s normally an 8-point dinner. We also have fish with potatoes or flavoured couscous and veg. Occasionally we have a stir fry with Quorn. A treat is sausage and mash with Quorn sausages.
For snacks I have fruit, banana pancakes as already mentioned, low point crisps (my favourites are Yushoi pea snacks, Quavers, Monster Munch, Tesco lentil curls, French Fries – mostly 3pt each) or Tesco everyday value fruit and nut cereal bars (3pts).
After dinner is my weak point – it’s a struggle to watch TV without snacking on something. For this I always have Fluff made up (sugar free jelly whipped up with fat free natural yoghurt), or will snack on low point crisps as mentioned above, or will drink sugar free ginger beer. Occasionally if I fancy a carb boost and have the points available, I’ll have a bowl of Weetabix or shredded wheat.
My big question is whether I’ll manage not to put too much weight on during my holiday, and whether I’ll have the willpower afterwards to lose those final few lbs to get to goal, and to stay there. Watch this space!
I’d love to hear about other people’ journeys, and particularly about any favourite meals or snacks!
Sorry this is very long!!