slimming world - am I wasting my time?

Zoo – sorry you’re not feeling too good, and sorry, too, that your WW leader hasn’t been as supportive as you’d hoped. So much depends on the individuals running the classes, doesn’t it!

As far as swapping to SW is concerned, I’d say the only way to find out if it will work for you is to give it a try. I am a SW girl and think it’s a great way of re-adjusting eating habits and losing weight but then I’m biased! I do think the SW is much less restrictive than WW – I tried them and hated all the counting and weighing and points and stuff. On SW you can eat plenty, include all the food groups and feel full, without having to weigh or count many things.

Why not find out about a local class in your area and then contact the consultant for a chat? She / he will be able to address your particular concerns and perhaps reassure you?

Thanks for the reply. One of my main misgivings is that my parents are both on slimming world and have been for years now and although my dad have done brilliantly (lost 11 stone and was target member a few years ago) my mum has never got within a stone of target so I was wondering if it's more for men than women. I've found a slimming world class for tonight so I guess it won't hurt to go along and give it ago for a week or two.

Give it a go. I decided to try a meeting on the spur of the moment and have just been to my second meeting and lost another 3½ pounds and thats 6½ pounds in total. I tried weight watchers and found it far too restrictive. I love slimming world, its so easy to follow

Well I went and I think it will e ok. I'm a little stressed aout the syns thing as the leader told me to have 10 a day and my breakfast is already 6.5 and it's only 1.5 points on ww (golden syrup oat so simple with skimmed milk - I've just bought a large box and I'm not wasting it).Oh and my lovely point free sugar free jelly is half a syn [:'(] I guess at least the yoghurts I have (activia fat free) are syn free - I would have been straight out the door if they hadn't ?

First of all, well done for taking the plunge and being prepared to give it a go. It's inevitable at first that you'll find some things have got syns in, and that you'll not want to waste what you've already got in the store cupboards. You could try pacing yourself – maybe, for example, have the cereal every other day and enjoy something different – and syn free – in between?

You’ll soon get the hang of syn values and what’s good to have as store cupboard staples. Half a syn for the jelly is nothing – try making it with fruit, or mixing it with fat free fromage frais or Muller light to make a blancmange type pud – and make it go further, too.

As for SW only being good for men, that’s a load of bo*****s if you’ll pardon my language LOL). There are a number of women in our group who are target members, and who have been for some time. So it can be done.

Good luck with your first week – feel free to ask any questions as you go. There are a lot of SW girls on here, I think.

Although your consultant says to have 10 syns, you can have up to 15 a day. I occasionally have days where I eat my maximum syns and others where I eat 2 or 3. You can have your Oats So Simple and a few extra syns on some days and then have less syns on other days. For future reference, plain Oats So Simple is a healthy extra b choice and a tablespoon of golden syrup is 2 syns apparently.

HTH

Thanks for the replies. After the initial shock of all that information all at once I think I'm getting into it slowly.

I think my consiltant wanted me to stick to 10 for the first couple of weeks. But after all that I haven't used all of them on one day yet. Thanks for that about the oat so simple. Do you think seeing as the golden syrup one is 6.5 I could put it down as a healthy extra and then 1.5 syns as well (original is 5 syns)? Also can I carry over syns and save them or can they only be used on 1 day?

If your consultant told you to aim for 10 syns a day it’s probably best to try and follow that advice. Some people (men!) do seem to be able to cope with having more, but most of people in our class have been given a target of 10 as it seems to mean the plan works better for you.

If you go over your syn allowance in a day, or perhaps over a week, then don’t stress. Just draw a line under what’s gone before and start afresh the next day with a clean slate.

If something isn’t listed as a healthy extra then it isn’t something you should count as a HE. Things are chosen. Not just because of their syn value, but because of their nutritional content or fibre content. Can you find an alternative to have with your brekky? I like fat free natural yoghurt or fromage frais on my porridge, sometimes with some canderel if I’ve sweet-tooth craving.

You don't have to stick rigidly to '10 a day, not more, no less', Think of it as having 70 syns across the week. I use more of my syns for wine at the weekend and don't have many during the week. But I always use all my allocation across the 7 days!

I guess you're right about the porridge. I've virtually given it up now - although I am eating loads more for breakfast (not stuffing myself though) but fruit & yoghurt.

I was due for my first proper weigh in tonight but I've come down with a nasty cold ☹️ Should I let my consultant know or can I just tell her why I wasn't there next week?