Hi everyone, coming to MFP from Slimming World

paulap669

Hi all.

So I have made the decision to start watching my calories for a few weeks and see how I go and weigh weekly so that I am keeping on track. I followed Slimming World in 2017 for about 2 years and lost 4 stone. I gave it up and returned to my old habits and ended up gaining 1 stone back. I have literally lost another 2 stone following SW again and have reached my target weight yesterday.

Now I know that this is never going to be sustainable for me in the long run. I'm starting to go off track again, not planning my meals and just getting bored of it, if I am honest. I am sick of only being able to have certain bread for fibre allowance, or I cannot have a chapati because the syns are too high. My plan is to stay on track the whole week and once in a while, go for a nice meal and just indulge a little bit - enjoy life!

But my brain is in overdrive. I am so, so worried about gaining weight again but I know SW is not something I can do forever. I don't want to live like that. I have replaced my entire wardrobe full of gorgeous size 8-10 clothes and I feel like a new woman. I am going to start incorporating strength exercises (even though I HATE exercise) and my goal is to track my calories, and fill half of my plate full of vegetables/fibrous foods and dinner time will have to be less lenient as I cook for a family and so I have no clue how I am going to calorie count that!

Just wanted some support along the way really. I am very worried I am going to gain weight. I know it is my mentality and I have to work on it but I never thought I'd be as fearful as I am right now about it.

cmriverside

Hi and welcome. :flowerforyou:

You can do this.

There is a learning curve, but with the SW background it will not be too bad. The plan of half plate of vegetables is a great idea.

I agree that no food should be off limits, and calorie counting will help with that.

AnnPT77

Welcome!

In addition to the good advice from cmriverside above, if you haven't done so already, I'd suggest you might take a look around in this "Goal: Maintaining Weight" part of the Community, and read some threads here. I started doing that shortly before reaching goal weight, and felt like it was pretty helpful.

The best place to start would be the "Most Helpful Posts" subsection, but there are good threads in the group in general.

I think you'll find that you're not alone. Many of us have felt anxious about regain, especially when first starting maintenance. Some of us don't want to eat in the style we did to lose weight, but know we can't fully go back to pre-loss habits, either, or regain will happen. I predict the anxiety will subside as you go along, find the right tactics, and gain confidence.

I don't think there's "One True Way" that's going to work for everyone, but you may find ideas here that help you. If nothing else, the fact that different people use different paths to success - for loss or maintenance - may help reassure you that you can find the right personalized approach, too, as long as you commit to doing so.

It's not going to be essential to be absolutely perfect from day 1, just as exact perfection isn't essential every moment in order to reach goal weight. Heading in a positive direction, doing pretty well on average the majority of the time . . . that's probably going to work out fine.

I know cmriverside's been maintaining a long time; I'm in year 8+ myself. There are lots of others that succeed, too. I figure if a hedonistic aging hippie flake like me, with poor motivation/willpower, can make this work, pretty much any adult with some commitment and persistence can do it, too.

I'm cheering for you to succeed, for sure!

cmriverside

I know cmriverside's been maintaining a long time; I'm in year 8+ myself. There are lots of others that succeed, too. I figure if a hedonistic aging hippie flake like me, with poor motivation/willpower, can make this work, pretty much any adult with some commitment and persistence can do it, too.

LOLOL, I've read something similar to this from you before, and it describes me as well. I check all those boxes.

...yes, I lost 80ish pounds in 2007-08 and have maintained my weight by logging food and makings changes constantly. I don't eat the same things every day, I don't completely deprive myself of treat-type foods, I still go into a food coma on occasion and when I do over-eat I LOG IT as best I can and get right back at a reasonable amount of food at my next meal. The key for me is to be accountable and not go into the ditch completely just 'cause one tire went off the road.

Right now I'm laid up with an injury and all I can do is play on the internet, sit on my couch and unfortunately eat.

It will be okay! I won't let my weight get out of control ever again, it's been so life-changing to be at a healthy weight.