Well it's Thursday again....weigh in day. Hope you all had a good loss this week. I personally probably won't have, but I have only myself to blame for this. I am back on track now, and next week I should be ok again....hopefully lol.....so far I've had a good week ((well as of Tuesday) and I intend to keep it that way.....

I think its really good that even though you didn't eat as well as you could you're right back into the programme, that's something that helps to inspire me to keep going when I have a bad day.

I'm 4 pounds lighter this week, so pleased with it, I really feel good about it all. I still haven't got the exercise bit right though.

Hope you're all happy with what you've lost this week :)

Oh well done Helen, I am so pleased for you! 4lb is a great loss...and look at you ticker....you are over your halftime mark :carrot:

Well, getting back on track is the only thing I can do...otherwise all the hard work of the last few months would have been for nothing......and I am still hoping that the gain isn't too severe...after all we walked around loads this weekend, both through Edinburgh (up and down hills) and through Glasgow.

Went to Boxcersise yesterday and guess what? I am not sore today!!!! Hooraayyyy!!!!

Had leftovers from a veggie lasagne yesterday for lunch, and its absolutely free.....got to post the recipe when I remember it, it was so yummy. Having a veggie soup for lunch today, with some cut up spagetti mixed in it......And after the meeting tonight we'll go to town and probably have a TGI's for dinner....but I'm going to be good and have some grilled chicken with pasta I think....

Hehe yes I'm so chuffed at the half way there on my ticker, makes it seem so worthwhile.

I'm hoping you'll be surprised by your weight loss today, maybe all that walking will have made a surprising difference :D

So, is boxercise fun? It looks it, well done on not being in pain this time. I really would like to try a new activity, but some of these things cost so much money, I just can't afford it. Maybe I'll start something after I get back from holiday in September.

Ooh yes any recipes are greatly appriciated, I always like new ideas, I haven't tried anything new since that pasta bake I made.

I'm looking forward to my holiday, but I need to plan it for food, we're going all inclusive to Majorca, and although I know that I will be able to chose healthy food, the temptation to eat unhealthy will be right in my face. Hehe I guess I've got a few weeks to mull it over. Plus I exercise more on holiday because I spend most of the time in the sea, so that should help loads.

Boxercise is lots of fun...well it is hard work and you sweat like mad, but you feel good afterwards. Its quiet cheap as well, its in a community center in my town and they only charge £3 for the first weekly lesson, and then 1.50 for every other lesson during the week.

Oh all inclusive...that could be a downfall, especially with the booze.....hope ur willopower stays up....

Yeah exactly, I'll have to be careful with the boozy thing, at least they tend to do lots of meat and salad in these places. I'm thinking that the motivation will be there because I see what I've done and I don't want to lose that. I'll have to look into boxercise, I'd really like that I checked it out on youtube and saw some cool videos of people doing it.

I'm on a green day today, I tend to have less green days but actually enjoy them more than original, funny that lol

I tend to have more green days, I usually have about 2 red days a week. Just enjoy pasta, rice and potatoes so much more....and I usually use my B choice for some chicken, so I still get my meat.....

How did you get on last night at your weigh in Moonchild?

I had my pasta bake night, and then I have leftovers to warm up today for lunch, mmm yummy!!

Well as expected the weigh in wasnt great...gained 2lb! But oh well, it was expected after all. And I am back on track now, so by next week those 2lb should be off again. Have a family dinner on Saturday night at one of my favorite Italians, but I'm going to be a good girl. Will have some pasta and maybe some soup up front.....at least thats my plan.

I'm working the whole weekend again, so that should keep me from picking lol...the only upside of working weekends....

:hug: Aw sorry about that Moonchild, it's good you're working towards it again though. We all have these glitches when we slip up, but you can lose it again :D

Working weekends is sucky, but like you say you won't pick at things then, work is the worst place for me to snack, people are always bringing in biscuits and cakes they've made at home, and they always say "oh one won't hurt", its a slippery road that I don't want to go down.

I love italian food, there's a resturant near us which my boss says is the best italian he's ever eaten, trouble is it costs around £40 per person, so I've never been. Chinese is my weakness, there's a really good eat as much as you like place about 15 mins drive from our house.

Hmm all this talk about food is making me hungry.

Yeh I know, workplace is dangerous, there are lots of ppl here too that bring stuff in, but I just don't get anything. Got two other girls on SW here, so we can keep an eye on each other.

Chinky is one of my favorites as well, could live of it lol.......and its not too bad synwise, as long as you stay away from the deepfried stuff....

Grrr Im hungry now lol....

MMM sweet and sour chicken is my weakness, and duck with plum sauce hehe.

30 mins till lunch and I'm starving lol.

I know, and I have another hour until lunch, think I'm going to war my soup up just now and eat it while I work.....ate all the fruit I had...hmmmm oh there, I still have some carrots and cucumber, going to nibble on that till I'm allowed to go......

Going to have some sweetcorn, syn free chips and grilled chicken for dinner tonight...yummmy

MMM that was a good, filling lunch, and all my collegues were jealous because it smelt so tasty lol.

Right I'm off home soon, I'll get online if I can over the weekend. Have a great weekend!!!

Just remembered I'm having my haircut tonight, so I might have to post a piccy after the weekend if I'm brave enough lol.

Just shovelling in my soup with pasta....yummm......well, enjoy your weekend helen!!!

Hi there I have been lurking in this thread for a little bit and I thought I would introduce myself and say hi. I'm originally from Chicago but have been living in London for the past 5 years - in fact I just had to take my UK Citizenship Test last week for my permanent residency visa!

Anyway I have been on sooooo many diets (usually WW) lost a bit and gone off track, but a friend of mine at work recommended Slimming World and I joined last week. So far I am really liking it - seems really easy and I don't feel deprived at all! Doing Green most days - just seems really easy and I love that you can as many potatoes and pasta as you like! (I am a carb fan!)

Didn't have a massive weight loss the first week but I think that's because my best friend from work was leaving and we must've visited every pub we'd ever spent time in over the past 5 years lol! I was happy with my 3 pound loss and hope I keep it up.

One of the reasons I decided to give losing weight another go is because I went on a lovely holiday/family reunion in June. We stayed a really nice condominium on the beach in Florida and we had a family photo taken on the beach. When we got the pictures back I was amazed at how big I looked!

My partner (he's British) and I are going to Chicago for Christmas and I want to look good in the photos this time! My goal is to be 40-60lbs thinner then than I am now. I'm feeling very determined but I'm just hoping I keep it up!

Anyway enough of my life story lol! Nice to meet you all.

Good Morning,

It's 07.05 and I'm at work...and soooo tired!!!! Went to one of our fav italians last night and really indulged ourselves, it was lovely. Just gotta watch my syns this week to make up for the creamy sauce I had with my chicken lol.

Mel, welcome to the forum, it's always good to meet new ppl joining the plan. And you've come to the right place. Lots of support and ideas here. And well done on your loss, 3lb is a great loss....thats what I'm hoping for this week.

Bubbly, I hope you have a great time in france. Try to watch what you eat but don't deprive yourself too much. Just get back on Track when you get back....you are getting closer to hour half time mark after all......

Well, I'm going to have some strawberries and pineapple now and kickstart my metabolism....maybe that will wake me up.

Hello and welcome Mel, good to meet you. I'm posting at home on ps3 today so its ough to make a decent post but I'll update you all on my weekend when I'm in work tomorrow, oh and the return of the evil mouse, ewwww, needless to say I didn't really sleep last night.

Just off to town to buy a Birthday pressie for somebody.

Moonchild, hope work hasn't been too tough this weekend, glad you enjoyed your meal out.
Bubbly, I do that whole kidding yourself thing too!
Mel, welcome again, and I look forward to getting to know you.

Have a fun Sunday everyone.

If anyone knows any good ways to get rid of mice quickly please let me know lol, I wanna sleep!!!!!

Hi guys and thanks for the warm welcome!

Getting rid of mice quickly: last year before my boyfriend and I moved in together I lived briefly in a flat share that had mice. A very easy way to at least repel them is to get peppermint oil and sprinkle it on some cotton wool which you then put around the baseboards and any place where you have seen the mice. I also got a little plastic spray thing and made a mixture of water and peppermint oil which I then sprayed the baseboards with. Never saw another one! The smell of peppermint oil repels them. So as long as you don't mind your house smelling like a giant candy cane (I didn't - boyfriend did though!), I would try that!

*Rant alert*

Ok, thanks Mel, I'd read that on a couple of websites, and although some people said it didn't work others said it was really good so I might give it a try. Our local council comes out for free but apparently they have so much on at the moment it won't be for at least 5 days, and I know even if they do come out they'll use poison, I think the worst thing about that is finding a random dead mouse and the smell! Anyhow my husband has pursuaded me to get some snap traps (we've been using the ones that don't hurt them, and don't work lol), and I although I hate the idea I have to agree. Its disgusting they've been in our bed eww. Sorry I needed to rant its been a horrible weekend, and I have been on the verge of tears for most of it, not helped by my TOM.

Anyway to more plesant things, my eating isn't too bad, although I drank quite a bit on Saturday night. I'm eating very little though, mostly because I've been upset about the mouse, and I'm retaining water because of TOM, so I'm thinking its going to be a hard week, oh well we all have them.

Right, I'd better do some work. Catch ya later.

Morning all,

Oh Helen, I hope you catch that mouse soon...I can imagine how horrible it is for you. We came home saturday night and there was a huge spider in our bed room. Eventho my other half got rid of it, I was still worried about his cousins coming for revenge....brrrrrrr.

You're right, hormones definetely don't help in a situation like this either. I'm due next week, so I hope going to boxercise 3x this week will help my weightloss, so I lose the 2lb I gained last week (all fingers crossed). Eating has been ok over the weekend, besides saturday night in the restaurant. But it should be ok synwise. Going to try and stay as low as possible with my syns this week...but the week before TOM is always difficult...and I'm off tomorrow and home alone.....going to keep myself busy with preparing food for the rest of the week.

Right, I popped home this morning, and gave Chris some traps to lay, really hope we can shift them. I'll go and get some peppermint oil later. I think its just that fact its been in the bed that's worst, I could cope more if it hadn't been in there.

Urgh I'm so tired.

I've been researching boxercise classes, and I'm hoping to start going to one soon :) any tips? You wear just normal tracksuit and trainers etc?

Mel, how often did you need to refresh the boards to keep them smelling?

Keeping my fingers crossed for you that these wee things leave you alone soon.....

Im just wearing a Tshirt and trackies and trainers....nothing special. They should provide gloves if needed, we bought some yesterday, cause usually your hands stink after wearing the gloves, so always take some babywipes with you lol.....

Ugh Helen poor you with the mice! I was massively freaked out last November when I had one. I called my boyfriend immediately and said "Oh my god I just saw a mouse!" He was like, "Uh... OK. It's a mouse. You'll be fine." Then I just kinda sat on the bed thinking I saw mr. mousey again and googling ways to get rid of them!

Refreshing the boards: the smell lasts about a week or two - just respray when the house stops smelling like a candy cane!

Seriously though the smell and the traps should work and you'll be seeing the back of them in no time! Oh also maybe have a look around the house for holes they might be sneaking through - they are remarkably good at sneaking through the tiniest of holes so maybe block any wholes with steel wool for good measure. And don't feel too bad - everyone gets them now and again. But yeech you'll be glad when they're gone I am sure.

Moonchild boxercise sounds like so much fun! I wonder if they do it in my area? (Beautiful Peckham 'on the rye', as my Mom calls it.)

Got a question for you longer term SW folks. I am keeping a food diary (using the one on the web site) and I am noticing that I am going over 15 syns nearly every single day. Not hugely, mind. More like between 1-3 extra syns a day. I'm kind of feeling like it's probably not a big deal as I have a lot of weight to lose and I am definitely working the program. But what do you guys think? Suppose I'll see when I go to WI what kind of difference it is making. Your input is appreciated!

:) When I did SW I used to have over 15 syns a day (I lost 3 stone then stopped doing it after I put on over a holiday and never went back then gradually I put the 3 stone back on!) I used to hand my diary in with 30 syns on it but I was losing all the time so the consultant never said owt bad to me. :dizzy:

I think the official SW line is you should eat the low/no syn stuff but my line is as long as you lose and don't give up like me you're prob be ok. ;)

Thanks for the mice advice guys, my house now smells very minty lol, I know where it is in the floorboards now, just need to work on getting holes filled up. I'll let you know when its gone.

I'm the opposite with the syns, I often find it hard to eat 10-15 usually I'll have around 5-10, I guess if it works for you then it's fine, I think everyone must have an optimum syn level where they lose the most when its just right. I think I read somewhere that if you have more weight to lose then it means you ca have more syns (a bit like WW and their points), but that's not officially stated anywhere, weigh in will tell you the answer I guess.

You doing it through the Body Optimise? That's how I am. What day is your weigh day? I'm a bit spaced out this week but I'm sure my brain will be back to normal soon :)

Alright Helen that's interesting. Today is the first day in about 5 days that I have only gone halfway into the syns but haven't been really hungry at all. Hmm. And yup keeping track on Body Optimise - so nice as I can just quickly add something on at work (and I like seeing all of my healthy food add up!)

Wednesday is WI day so we will see how we go! Sorry your house smells so minty - I kind of liked it but it really annoyed my boyfriend. (Maybe peppermint repels them too? Hope not!)

Hehe yeah it stinks but I love it, and fortunatly my hubby loves it too, he's wondering why we haven't made the house smell so nice before lol.

It's funny with the syns, when I first started I thought I would never manage to stick to 10-15 but actually I really just use my syns for treat, so I will eat the occasional chocolate bar, or have a couple of drinks at the weekend, or enjoy salad cream or ketchup on my food. I think once you've adjusted for a few days you'll get used to it. I'd tried a few ways of losing weight, but slimming world is the only one I've stuck to and I'm sure its because of the syns :)

Muller lights are my big snack food at the moment, I'll eat a couple a day, and I like that because the toffee one does feel a bit naughty, well kinda.

I should be around most of the day today, so I'm up for chatting.

OOh just to add, the pest killer people are coming out on Friday afternoon to have a look. Hopefully that will be the beginning of the end of this saga.

Hi guys,
had a day off yesterday, so I'm a wee bit late with my replies....but here I am.....

Helen, I really hop your rid of the mice soon, the pest guys should do the trick. And once thats of your mind, you can concentrate on the slimming again.

Mel, I think as long as you loose sticking to more than your 15 syns should be ok, otherwise try to keep it at 15 syns.....Slimming is not a walk in the park after all lol. And try to keep you weekly value the same, cause if you dont use many syns one week, and use more the next you will not loose as much weight......

Had a good day at home yesterday, had a milkybar in the afternoon, but otherwise stayed on track...quit proud of myself!. Well tomorrow is WI, then we'll see. My muscles are a bit sore today from the boxing the last two days, tonight is my last one for this week, I'll probably won't be abled to move by tomorrow lol....

Hi there! Was very busy yesterday so no time to post. Helen hope you are seeing the end of the mice today or in a few days' time! How's it going with the peppermint?

Moonchild good luck on your WI - mine is tonight too, eek!

Thanks for the feedback on the SW syns. I know I am really putting in the effort so we shall see how we go. There HAVE been a few days where I've really gone over the syns and those days are usually the weekends and alcohol! It would probably be best to give it up but.... I just don't want to! *Sigh* At least I have pretty much given up my beloved beer and wine and switched over to vodka. I need to think about this one.

Right well last night I went on a 'date night' with boyfriend, it was really nice. We went and saw a movie at the NFT and then afterwards we went to this Chinese restaurant that we used to go to a lot when we first started dating. I didn't really limit myself but I thought very carefully about what I ate.

I think this is a good step for me - THINKING about what I'm eating rather than just mindlessly eating it. I did eat what I wanted to eat but I counted it all and put it in my food diary rather than my usual move just pretend it never happen! I think in a weird way that is a good thing.

Still hope it doesn't mess with my weight loss though! We'll see how the WI goes...

Oh and forgot to mention - pretty cool this morning my colleague who is also doing Slimming World told me I am starting to look like I have lost a little weight! And even though I am only just about finished with my second full week the shirt I am wearing today DEFINITELY feels looser! So these are good things. :)

That's great Mel, its awesome when people notice. I had a simelar experience last night, we went out with a couple of friends for Birthdays, and both of them told me I was looking amazing. I felt so good about it, and really pleased about the fact that people could see it.

We've been blocking up the mouse holes, I now have filler all over my hands, but hopefully the mice will be in my neighbours house by now. We've seen no evidence since we started spraying the house with peppermint (thanks for the tip), apart from a bit of noise from one running around in our living room celing, urgh. Anyhow we'll see what the council say on Friday.

Weigh in tomorrow, I feel really unready for it, and like I've not lost anything, maybe its TOM, or maybe I just haven't been doing too well, I'm feeling more motivated now though. Hope you all have a good weigh in.

Helen I am sure you do look amazing - your stats are incredible! I have to say they are very inspiring to me.

Well, WI tonight I was happy - lost 2 and a half pounds! Was shooting for 3 but I am not complaining! I focused on that number all week and now I've got another number in mind to start focusing on. So far so good!

Excellent Mel, that's great, well done. It feels so good when the weight starts to come off.

I stayed the same this week, but I know if was my own fault, I can make excuses and say TOM etc but I know that I didn't follow the plan 100%, so I can't blame anything other than myself. I find if I don't do my food diary every day then I don't eat what I should, seems like a good reason to stick with the food diary.

Also I haven't exercised as much as I should, well at all really, so last night I got details of our local sports centre, and although its 35pounds a month that I really can't afford I'm going to join and do classes there. I could have gone just for the classes, but if I was doing 2 a week its actually cheaper to get the membership.

Time to get back on the wagon......

I would really like to join a gym myself but I don't think I can afford one at the moment. Is it possible for you to incorporate some exercise into your daily routine? I know if you do a google search you can find some weight training exercises to do at home. I have started riding my bike to work - I don't ride it every day but I am aiming to ride it 4x a week to work.

Sorry you didn't lose. It could be related to TOM though. I think it can also be harder to follow the plan when you are suffering from PMT. Also you did have the stress of the mice!

Did you know that when you are under stress your body produces a hormone called cortisol which causes the body to hold on to weight? It's true! Just a fun fact for today.

Moonchild how did your WI go?

Alright I have to finish eating my omelette and get to work - long day today! Won't get home til about 10:30pm. I have spent the morning making not one but THREE different meals - one for lunch today and tomorrow, one for my bf and I to have for dinner tonight and one for breakfast. No wonder I am running late!

Have a good day everyone!

Mornin ladies,
Mel, well done with the 2.5lb loss, thats great! Keep it up!!!! Regarding your syns....your syns are generally flexible, so lets say you have your 105 syns a week, you can spread them over the week as you like, I usually try to stay quiet low, so I can have a drink or a nice meal in the weekend, that usually works fine for me. My group leader always tells us that we should see syns like money, if you spend it all in one go, u dont have enough for the rest of the week.

Helen, I'm sure you'll be fine, maybe you havent lost this week, but with TOM and the mice this is understandable...

Gosh its so busy today, it took me an hour to write this lol

And in that one hour, you both posted....hold on let me read up lol....

Helen well done, at least you didn't gain, and thats the most important thing!!!!! Maybe joining the gym when low on money isnt such a bad thing, at least you will go, otherwise its just money thrown out of the window.....

Mel, my WI isnt until tonight, I probably wont post tomorrow, cause I'm off again, and getting internet installed this weekend...or so I hope....but I'll update you all asap. I hope I've lost the 2lb I gained last week, but with going to boxercise 3x this week, I should be ok....and a wee bit more would be only a bonus....I wont be abled to get my minigoal, but if I get down to 17st till my Bday, I would be quiet pleased as well.