Is SW online any good?

[emmief77]

Gonna find it hard to get to a SW group, so thinking about starting online. But anyone found any success with it?

[ScouseBird8364]

hey hun

I've just come across your thread and wondering whether or not you joined only I've been thinking about joining online too, but read some quite negative reviews about the online one x

[PinkParsnips]

I've tried them all online - WW, SW and tesco diets and have to say sw was the worst of them all for the price, it wasn't very interactive and I don't remember there being many resources eg recipes on there and the tracking tools weren't great to record what you'd eaten etc. This was a couple of years ago though so it might have improved.

Sometimes you can do a free 'tour' of the sites before you sign up not sure if you can with SW.

I've found tesco the best one there's loads of different plans you can swap between and a mentor actually looks at your progress each week and sends a personal email to say well done / give tips so to me its the closest to going to a class!

[PhoebeMcPeePee]

I go to groups but only because I like the focus of having a formal weigh-in each week but tbh once you've got to grips with the basics you don't really need the groups or online. I've lost 20lbs since early march & other than looking here or in the magazine or on the app for meal inspiration, just do it myself. It's a fantastic healthy eating programme and if you stick with fruit for snacks & using free / superfree food for meals you won't go far wrong.

[ScouseBird8364]

Phoebe I think this is what I've decided on, SW recipes & general 'habits', along with a bit of calorie counting, hopefully this will help?!

[PhoebeMcPeePee]

Definitely possible but I'd try & avoid calorie counting as it does then start to feel too much like a diet which is hard to sustain. I have a few basic rules that I stick to 80% of the time have lost every week. I can usually get away with one night 'off' a week where I might have pizza, takeaway or a boozy night but anymore than this & my weight loss drops to nothing or 0.5lbs.

If it helps this is my typical week:

Protein & veg/fruit for breakfast (usually eggs plus either some grilled mushrooms/toms or fruit)

Jug (350ml) of Skimmed milk a day for coffee & tea

Snack on fruit during the day - even if I'm not hungry at the time I find this stops hunger binging late morning/afternoon.

Lunch - big salad with tuna, sardines, prawns, lean meat etc. squirt of v.low fat mayo & balsamic vinegar OR large bowl of homemade veg soup OR jacket pot with beans & side salad always finish with a piece of fruit.

Dinner - usual meals I cook for my family but using fry light spray instead of glugs of olive oil or butter, steer clear of cheese, nuts & oils, buy v.lean meat & cut off all the visible fat/skin, eat more fish & shellfish, lots of veg & bulk out with pasta, rice, beans & pulses or potatoes. Finish with a muller light or total 0% yogurt with banana or frozen berries.

Evening - I nearly always have an alpen light bar or SW hi fi chocolate bar. I also keep one in my bag in case I'm at a coffee morning or play group with tempting cake as I have zero will-power for sweet things.

I don't really drink much alcohol anyway so don't start tracking it if I have a glass of wine once a week & if we do have a takeaway or eat out I will refer to the SW 'syns' for guidance but will still eat a decent meal (ie Indian would be chapati instead of nan, no creamy dishes, plain rice, just 1 poppadom or Italian I'll go for a tomato based pasta & side salad no Parmesan).

Hope this helps get you started without going crazy tracking & counting every mouthful

[ScouseBird8364]

Phoebe that's great, thank you

I had increased my Wine consumption over the past 3 years too (2011 - Gall Bladder out, started Citalopram, began to eat & drink more), but decided, for a few reasons to cut out alcohol altogether, so haven't drank for just over a week now, though I make up for it in Coffee! [gri

Your meal plan sounds perfect and is kind of like what I've been doing, though I'd love to know your recipe for your home-made Veg Soup I was never really a 'cook' and my specialty was a ready oven meal, but I can honestly say, for the past 2 weeks, by following SW recipes, I have really surprised myself [sho I've actually cooked some delivious meals, and even my hubby (master chef!) has approved

yeah I know what you mean re the calorie counting, but I think this is more to do with my skepticism re how much carbs you can actually consume on SW's EE plan!

Thanks for your tips, are you on Mini Mins? I'd love to see your week's food diary

[PhoebeMcPeePee]

What's minimins? Happy to put up my food diary if you can link it. For quick lunchtime soup I either do:

Chop up 1 onion, 2 leeks, 1 carrot & 2 potatoes OR 1 onion, 1 celery stick, 1 red pepper & 1 butternut squash then for both recipes season & boil in 1.5l chicken or veg stock until tender then blend until completely smooth add a little milk or more stock if too thick.
Another more substantial one that all my family eat for an evening meal (them with crusty bread me without!) is minestrone:

Chop up 2-3 carrots, celery sticks & potatoes, 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic & add to pan with 2l chicken stock, big squirt tomato purée (2tbsp?) & simmer for 10/15 mins. Add a tin of cannellini beans & handful of either broken up spaghetti or macaroni & cook for further 5 mins then add 1/2 head finely shredded cabbage (savoy or similar) & cook for further 5 mins. Season & dish up with lots of Parmesan for those not trying to lose weight or a sprinkle for you & I

[ScouseBird8364]

I'm absolutely gutted and deflated After working so hard with my food, in 3 weeks I have not gained, but NOT lost, STILL the same bloody weight, how can this be?

I'm back to the gallbladder theory

anybody else without their gallbladder have any success stories to.reassure me??

[PhoebeMcPeePee]

Are you tracking absolutely everything? And I know you don't have to measure stuff, but is your plate following the 1/3 superfree rule ie jacket pot & beans is fine but add big side salad & you'll inevitably have a smaller potato & less beans. What about your healthy extras - what do you tend to have for your calcium & fibre portions? I know if I have bread everyday this slows me down & if I don't use milk as my allowed portion I'll go over on milk in coffee etc. not saying your cheating just trying to get to the bottom of your lack of progress