I lost the weight myself just by cutting down on portion size, eating more healthily, cutting out snacks in between meals and taking more exercise, I didn't sign up for any weight loss programmes. I have, however, heard very good things about Slimming World, how people have got down to their target weight but more importantly, how they've managed to keep the weight off, not by starving themselves but by changing the way they eat. I know myself that to be successful at keeping the weight off, it's got to be a lifestyle change. When I was shopping last week, I saw the Slimming World magazine so I picked up a copy to have a browse.
Some of the recipes look absolutely delicious. This is Spicy Tomato and Mozzarella Penne, doesn't it look appetising?
Diet Cola Chicken anyone? I really fancy giving this a go.
This Potato, Leek and Tomato Boulangere has been tried out already by Cheryl over on My Little Piece of England blog in her On Plan with my Menus post. She thought it was delicious, it certainly looks it.
I want to get the weight off again this year but I'm not sure whether to do it myself again like I did last time or whether to join up with Slimming World. To be honest, I begrudge paying £4.95 every week just for someone to weigh me. What else do you get for your money, is it worth it? I'm not totally sure how Slimming World works, as far as I can tell you have different days when you eat different things as well as a limited number of syns each day which you can use on treats. Is it complicated?
I've got very lazy lately too. I bought Mick a Fitbit Flex for Christmas and I'm thinking of treating myself to one. As well as tracking steps, distance, calories burned and active minutes, it also monitors sleep which I'd find really interesting as I've had a few sleep issues over the last few years.
The annoying thing is that I never had a weight issue until I stopped smoking back in 2010. Still, at least I managed to kick that habit.
I'm lucky in that I do eat very well but manage somehow not to put on too much weight. My weight has slowly crept up though, and I have promised that when I retire (soon!) I will endeavour to get fitter and lose some weight - always assuming that I have enough time.
ReplyDeleteI was the same before I stopped smoking. Actually, I stopped working at the same time as stopping smoking and I'm sure that has contributed to the problem too as I know I'm not as active at home as I was at work.
DeleteI have a fitbit charge (acts a watch too). I like it and although there has been some stories surrounding the accuracy but mines been great. I prefer to join a group but as I work shifts its impossible. I just have to strive not to go above 9st 12lb. I have always been 8st 12lb and I know the difference in my agility. Weight gain is less serious then the complications of smoking you did the right thing. Good luck with the weight loss you must be very disciplined to lose that by yourself.
ReplyDeleteI do have a lot of willpower when I put my mind to it but it's the keeping the weight off which has been the challenge. I know how much better I feel when I'm a couple of stone lighter so it's definitely worth the perseverance. I do fancy a Fitbit, I'm sure it would spur me on to become more active.
DeleteThe Slimming World diets are the best of the slimming clubs I think but like you I begrudge £4.95 to sit for an hour thinking about how fat I am. I think you have a better chance of success if you go with a friend - but you've got a better chance if you have a buddy even if you don't go to a club.
ReplyDeletePersonally on 31st December 2013 I decided that enough was enough and since then I have lost a pound a month. For most people this would be too slow but maybe the sound of being nearly two stone lighter than than one was two years ago has more appeal. If I'd gone to a slimming club all that time I would have forked out around £500 for the privilege.
I've only ever lost weight on this one occasion and I did that by myself, no support from a friend losing weight at the same time. I'm sure you're right that you have better success if you've got support. Well done on your weight loss. Many people want to see instant results when losing weight but it's been proven that you have more success at keeping the weight off if you lose it slowly.
DeleteI am trying to lose weight and get more active too, and like you I don't want to pay to have someone weigh me each week. I have a fitbit zip which is a tiny one, it doesn't monitor sleep, but does everything else. It is really motivating me to do more walking, yesterday I got over 10000 steps for the second time and today I have already done just over 5500. It is really helping me and I would recommend it to anyone. I bought mine from Argos as it was the cheapest at the time, but that might have changed by now. I am sure that the others were as good, but as I wasn't interested in the sleep I went for this one. I hope that it works for you and that you lose the weight you want and that you enjoy it. I feel as though I have far more energy since I really started at the start of January - although I have yet to lose any weight because of the Christmas chocolates I am still eating, but better than putting weight on! Sorry to go on so long! Good luck!!! xx
ReplyDeleteHa ha, yes, Christmas has a lot to answer for where eating is concerned. I'm sure a Fitbit would motivate me to become more active if I had one. I do get out walking every day as it is because Archie needs his exercise but I'm sure it would do us both good to have longer walks. Mick's just started using his Fitbit and it's already motivating him so I definitely think they're a good thing, and we all know that anyone who wants to lose weight should take more exercise. It can only be healthy for us.
DeleteSummers coming I think we all put on a bit in winter, xx
ReplyDeleteThat's true. I like my comfort food in winter and that usually carries a lot of calories. Add Christmas in to the mix and there's a lot of scope for putting on weight.
DeleteI've never tried Slimming World but I've heard good reports about it. It seems to be easier to follow than Weightwatchers. I tried Weightwatchers about 12 years ago and found it easy enough but it has changed since then. You could maybe go for a few weeks to Slimming World and see what you think of it. You might learn enough to be able to carry on yourself.
ReplyDeleteI've heard lots of good things about Slimming World and it's the one slimming club where I hear a lot about people keeping off the weight they lose. I thought about signing up to see what I thought and then going it alone if it doesn't suit me or if I think I can manage without the classes.
DeleteI am in the same situation at the moment.... I must have lost my entire current body weight twice over in my 45 years of life.... Maybe we can keep each other on track? I used to go to Weightwatchers and the best thing about it was that I went with a friend. The actual program didn't help nearly as much as the personal encouragement. Email if you feel like sharing the journey. x
ReplyDeleteI think my weight issues are a combination of stopping smoking, stopping working and hitting forty. I think keeping each other on track would be great, I'll email you once I've decided what approach I'm going to take.
DeleteMay the force be with you, and with me come to that. I went to slimming world for a few weeks several years ago, once I was losing steadily I just did it by myself. This winter I stopped walking except or the minimum with Ben, too much rain, and a stone has wrapped itself around me. I joined Ilona's 1000 mile walk group and now can start to see the benefit, even though I lost a week with the lurgy. I may treat myself to the magazine and try the recipes out.
ReplyDeleteI think exercise plays a large part in losing weight and I'd definitely like to get a Fitbit to keep me on track with that side of things. I thought I might sign up with Slimming World to see what it's all about and then go it alone if I think I can manage like you did. The magazine has lots of lovely recipes in it and I don't think it's too costly either at just £2.75.
DeleteTry The Easyloss Virtual Gastric Band Hypnosis app. £4.99. It's brilliant. No diet - just easy hypnosis sessions you listen to for 30 minutes a day - very relaxing. I've lost 3lbs in one week - just cut portion sizes down, don;t feel hungry - need to drinks lots of water. It really does seem to work. There is also a Facebook Page for support - a closed group so not everyone will see you are on it.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm, not so sure about this one. I can understand the cutting portion sizes down but you would surely lose weight with that alone without a hypnosis app. I'm always very dubious when it comes to fads or crazes, I know what I need to do, eat healthy, cut down portion sizes and exercise more. It's just sticking to it that's the problem. Perhaps that's where the hynosis comes in.
DeleteJo - can't get the e-mail link to work - can you e-mail me denisebydesigns@googlemail.com I got to target weight just over a year ago - I have kept the weight off within the range I wanted to be but have gained a few pounds which I need to drop off. The weekly Slimmingworld meetings I found got boring - same people speaking same people banging on about what they shouldn't have eaten but nevertheless had etc etc. I have a vast collection of recipes which I'll share with you. Dxx
ReplyDeleteThat's brilliant, thank you so much. I'll email you. I wondered about the meetings, I'd like to get all the information about Slimming World but don't necessarily want to pay to be weighed each week.
DeleteThis has been my life long battle, weighting to much
ReplyDeleteI never did smoke but I sure like sweets and ice cream
I have lost 50 lbs 3 times in my life then gained it all back because I was so starved for foods I like
Good Luck
It's mind over matter
I do sympathise. I've never really had any problem with weight until these last five or six years but I know what it's all about now. I'm a snacker, I eat between meals and that's my downfall, if I could just pass by the crisp aisle in the supermarket I'm sure I'd be pounds lighter.
DeleteGood for you for kicking the smoking habit - it can be a hard one to overcome. I love food, so the trick for me (not that I'm skinny, by any means!) has always been moderation. Abstinence would only drive me to eat a tub of whatever it is I "can't" have. Delicious, healthy recipes, like those in the magazine, also make a world of difference. When I was growing up, I hated lentils simply because of how my mom cooked them. Now they are a favourite, especially after I discovered Puy lentils!
ReplyDeleteWhat I really need to work on is my activity level. During the summer, I can keep active in the garden, but winter is a tough time where I usually do a lot more sitting (like now!) than doing.
I stopped smoking for five years previously. I stopped the day we decided we'd start trying for a baby and I started again when Eleanor was nearly a year old, it was the day my sister died. It took me a long time to give up again but I honestly think I'll never go back to it now, even though I still fancy a cigarette now and then. You're definitely right about moderation. We should be able to eat whatever we want just so long as we don't over indulge. I don't want to diet, I'm like you, whatever you're told you can't have you want all the more. That's what I like about Slimming World, I think with this programme you have a limited number of syns for treats which is such a good idea. At the end of the day it's all about eating healthily. Winter is definitely a time when a lot of people put on weight. We're all less active when we can't get outdoors so much.
DeleteI was skinny till I stopped smoking. Now I take weight off,but it slowly creeps back on. Not because I'm eating more or exercising less, just that my body learns to adjust and so I would have to eat even less and I'm not willing to do that.
ReplyDeleteI think it's partly to do with metabolism, I definitely noticed mine slowing down as soon as I hit forty. I think I need to eat less and take more exercise just to counteract it and that's without losing the weight I've put on.
DeleteI joined years ago but fell off the rails..but it was worth "joining" to get hold of the literature and the directories that tell you the plans , choices and what is "free" food etc..the magazines never tell you "everything".... I was roped in by a friend so for us it was a social night out and having a buddy kept me on track but once you have all the bumph it is easy to do it alone. The secret is to fill up with "free" food and for me then I just saw it as a long term eating better plan (says she who needs to start again...ha ha) good luck the recipes were always good especially the home made chips and curries.
ReplyDeleteI thought it might be worth joining just for all the literature. I think you do have to realise that it's a life change, not a quick fix. I've heard of so many people who manage to stick at their target weight after joining Slimming World though so they must do something right. I'm very impressed by the recipes I've seen so far, I shall definitely be giving some of them a go whatever I decide.
DeleteI wear an up, which measures steps and sleep, I always thought I did not sleep well, but my up has proved different. Good luck how ever you choose to lose the weight
ReplyDeleteI don't know what an Up is, I shall have to investigate that, it sounds very like the Fitbit though. I've had terrible sleep issues over the last few years so it would be interesting to see what these gadgets tell me.
DeleteI stopped smoking 7 years ago and piled on the weight, as I substituted smoking with food particularly sweets. I have lost weight since but it is a struggle to keep the weight off. At least I haven't gone back to the cigarettes so that makes me happy.
ReplyDeleteIt will be six years in March since I stopped smoking this time and even though I've put weight on, it must be much healthier for me. I stopped working at the same time as stopping smoking so that really didn't help as it cut down on my activity too. I think keeping the weight off will be a lifestyle change, the Slimming World recipes look good.
DeleteI'm not the one to ask; I find losing weight hard with or without a group. But with 50 fast approaching, I really need to do something about it! The magazine has the food, and you know what you need to do, so spend the cash on a treat every week you lose weight. For support and advice, do you have a friend to turn to? Someone who has lost their own weight and is good at motivational help?
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes, I may well be off to follow my own advice in a minute!
That's a good idea, a bit of bribery with a treat at the end of a good week can work wonders. I don't really have friends who have lost weight but I'm getting lots of support on my blog which is really nice.
DeleteA lady who works for me has recently joined slimming world & so far is really enjoying it. Like you I begrudge paying the money each week but it really suits some people & helps keep them on track. You've done really well to keep up with the no smoking x
ReplyDeleteI agree, these groups do seem to work really well for some people. Perhaps I should give it a go just for the experience, I can always stop going if I think I can do better on my own. I'm really pleased that I've given up smoking, it was very hard but I've managed it, and I did that on my own without any help at all.
DeleteI have also put on a few pounds recently.We eat very healthily but in the winter I don't walk as much but my major downfall is I like a glass (or two) of wine in the evening.I am feeling quite smug today as I have managed two short walks but both done briskly.
ReplyDeleteI think winter can be a problem time as we tend to hunker down and don't get quite as much exercise as well as eating more stodgy food. You're not alone with the wine, I enjoy a glass or two on an evening too which definitely doesn't help my case. Keep up with the walking, that will do you the world of good.
DeleteBoth Martyn and I lost a similar amount of weight when we hit 50 as we thought that was the time to make a change. We ate smaller portions and changed the balance of our meals so that we had less meat and more vegetables. We also bought a cross trainer and did 15 minutes of exercise every night just after we came home from work. It did help that we were doing this together. I also had a Wii fit to use in winter but unfortunately it broke down after about a year's use. It was fun while it lasted though. We more or less have managed to keep our weight stable but it reminds me that I should step on the scales maybe tomorrow morning before breakfast and before I get dressed.
ReplyDeleteI think it definitely helps if you've got someone following the same journey. Mick stopped smoking at the same time as I did and being in the same boat seemed to spur us along. Well done with your weight loss and with keeping it off. As I've said before, it's all about eating healthily and taking exercise, a change of lifestyle can solve weight issues. I know what I've got to do, it's just putting it in to practice that's the problem.
DeleteI did jump on the scales and need to drop about a kilo. Lack of exercise in winter is the culprit. maybe we should follow Tiv's example - by losing her tail she dropped 300g in weight. Trouble is I don't think that I have a expendable part of body.
DeleteA kilo is neither here nor there, you should easily shed that once the better weather's here and you start digging again. I think the lack of exercise in winter can make our weight increase. Awww, poor Tivvy. I hope she's on the mend now, she's really been through it these past through weeks, and you have too. You don't have much luck over the Christmas period do you?
DeleteChristmas is certainly our bad time. Tivvy 's stitches are out and she doesn't have to,see the vet again. She was groomed today which she isn't keen of although she saw the groomer in the hall and took herself up to the bathroom
DeleteI'm glad to hear that everything's turned out ok for Tivvy. Archie isn't keen on being groomed either, though we drop him off at the groomers and leave him there. He's always glad to see us when we go to pick him up.
DeleteJo, not sure which way you should go, but I know many people have the same battle as you. Lifestyle change is (I think) the best, but that can be hard as you have your family to think about too. Think about it, talk to the family and start slowly. Losing weight rapidly is not a good idea (my thoughts again), so thinking about this and having someone to do it with can also be great. I'll email or phone soon. Take care.
ReplyDeleteAs you say, it can be hard to change your lifestyle when you've got a family at home. It does have to be a complete change in eating and exercise habits though, no point going back to how you were eating before you lost weight otherwise you'll just put it all back on again.
DeleteGood luck with losing weight, Jo - whichever way you decide to do it. :o)
ReplyDeleteI'm still unsure which path to take at the moment, I think a class might be good for the support, though the weekly cost would soon add up.
DeleteI don't think you're on Instagram are you? Becky at dots and spots has lost loads of weight throgh SW. Every day she posts her meals and I'm staggered by the variety and amount is is able to eat, it's all very healthy with lots of veg and I know you like veg so that's a plus!
ReplyDeleteGood luck.
Lisa x
No, I'm not on Instagram but I have looked at Becky's blog and she's done marvelously. Slimming World does seem to have a lot of success with people losing weight and managing to keep it off and as you say, the recipes look really good. I do enjoy veg so that's one good thing.
DeleteI've been meaning to rejoin slimming world for the past two weeks unfortunately I have a specific group and have been busy on the one day it is on until now. I have however started eating more fruit and veg and have lost half a stone since Christmas so I'm getting there. I also brought a misfit flash which monitors exercise, steps and sleep and is reduced on Amazon at the moment. Good look with it all however you decide to go.
ReplyDeleteWell done on your weight loss, you've done really well. We seem to have quite a few Slimming World groups around here, there must be a lot of people wanting to lose weight. I haven't heard of a Misfit Flash, I shall look that up, it sounds very much like the Fitbit.
DeleteWell done you on stopping smoking ...
ReplyDeleteRegards to weight loss, whatever you decide it has to be something that will suit your lifestyle and you are happy to follow.
When my husband Eddie was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes (seven years plus ago) he decided to cut out bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, processed foods etc anything that contained too much sugar and too much carbohydrate. It is those that put weight on. I've never had any weight or underlying health conditions but to help him I too decided to live the same lifestyle and amended our menu plans accordingly ... we both never looked back ... and now these food choices, recipes etc are just second nature.
I appreciate you are not diabetic but you don't have to be diabetic to choose this eating / lifestyle choice. This here gives a little more insight into what is termed the LCHF (low carb high fat lifestyle) but of course how any of us choose to eat, lose weight, exercise etc has to be a personal choice.
www.lowcarbdiabetic.co.uk
Whatever you decide I wish you well, and I'm sure your readers will be here to offer support along the way.
Take Care
All the best Jan
I totally agree about the lifestyle change and it being something that you're happy to follow, there's no point losing weight to then go back to how you were eating before. I think it's great that you changed your eating habits to go along with Eddie, it's so much easier if you're both eating the same sort of meals and follow the same lifestyle. I could certainly go along with many of the meals you show on your blog but I think I would miss carbs too much to cut them out altogether and I know Mick would definitely miss his spuds.
DeleteMy weight has yo yo'd throughout my life. Having let it all creep back again I'm back in weight loss mode. The lifestyle change is the right way to go. Now that neither of us work we've switched to having a main meal at lunchtime and I have nothing after that. I've lost 2 lbs so far this month.. Only another 16 to go!!
ReplyDeleteI never really had weight issues until I hit my forties and I'm not enjoying it at all. I think the time of day you eat your main meal could definitely have an impact on weight, I know if I go out for a meal at lunch time I don't usually fancy anything later on. Well done on your weight loss so far, keep going.
DeleteA problem for many people, especially at this time of year. I eat too many biscuits when I'm armchair gardening over the winter but hopefully once I get plotting in the spring that will stop.
ReplyDeleteI think that the best advice is as you've said at the beginning of the second paragraph. It's always much harder to maintain a weight loss than lose it in the first place.
Those meals sure do look delicious. Flighty xx
I don't eat too many biscuits, it's crisps which are my downfall. I think many people put on a bit of weight over winter, which isn't a problem if you can shed it when spring arrives by being more active. We all know these days what food is healthy and what isn't, it's just a shame that we don't usually enjoy the healthy stuff quite as much as that which isn't healthy. I agree, the Slimming World meals look delicious, I'm definitely going to give some of them a go even if I don't sign up for the group meetings.
DeleteI definitely think we put on weight in the Winter, I certainly do my winter clothes are tighter than my summer ones! We need more food in winter to cope with the colder weather my children eat so much more in winter than summer. That said I don't need to loose weight in fact I had the opposite problem throughout my 20s I just couldn't put it on, my Crohn's disease meant I didn't absorb food properly however much I ate. I was really thin, people thought I was anorexic and I had no energy. It was a big factor in me trying to find a way to manage it without resorting to steroids etc.
ReplyDeleteI would think it would be important to find a method that you are comfortable with as it is more likely to work. I am sure the reason that so many people don't keep their New Years resolutions is that they are really hard to achieve week on week, month on month. Good Luck!
When you hear about weight issues you automatically tend to think of people who are overweight but there are others, like yourself, who have problems putting weight on. Like you say, I think the lifestyle choice has to be one which will work for you and one which you will continue to follow no matter what your weight otherwise you'll just go back to how you were before. I agree about new year's resolutions, I don't make them because I just see them as something unachievable and healthy eating, or healthy living in general, should be something to continually aim for, not a fad for January and February.
DeleteThere are some lovely meals there, but you could find those on the internet I suppose. I like to do things by myself.....
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to gain weight over winter, especially as Christmas is thrown in. You've done it once, so can do it again.
I gained weight after quitting smoking too...good luck with it, which ever route you go.xxx
I must admit that I'm happy to go it alone, but I do wonder if the support of a group may help. I suppose there's lots of information on the internet, it's just a case of searching for it. I think many people gain weight when they stop smoking, in hindsight I wish I'd taken more notice as the pounds started piling on, it's a case of doing something about it now.
DeleteI follow the Fast (also called the 5:2) diet off and on. It works for me as you only diet for two days each week ..... as I love my food so much, a full-time diet is a real struggle. I also fall out of bed at 6.20 Monday to Friday to use my rowing machine and cross trainer. Whatever method you choose, I hope it works for you!!
ReplyDeleteI think the secret is to go with whatever works for you, you've obviously found the method for you. I don't think the 5:2 diet would work for me, I'd end up pigging out on the five days I was allowed to eat what I wanted so that the two days I dieted wouldn't end up having any impact at all. I do enjoy healthy food like vegetables, it's just a case of cutting out the unhealthy things.
DeleteGood luck Jo! I need to get to grips with this isssue too. Like you I gained weight when I stopped smoking but I can no longer blame my excess on that. I did join 'Slimming World' several years ago but found the programme extremely complicated. I did have better luck with a healthy eating programme offered by my doctor's surgery. It offered some most useful advice including using portion plates. Will try to email you more details during the week.
ReplyDeleteThat would be great, thank you, it sounds interesting. I only know some of the recipes from Slimming World and that I've heard how well some people have done on this programme, I don't know about the programme itself but I thought it would be quite simple with so many people having success with it. As I said, I lost quite a bit of weight myself a few years ago, it's the keeping it off once it's come off that I need help with and I think that's all down to a lifestyle change.
DeleteBest of luck with getting down to your target weight, Jo. It's true that after the age of forty our metabolism slows down which doesn't help but I'm sure that you can do it! xx
ReplyDeleteIt's an uphill struggle but worth the effort for the health benefits.
Delete