Today has been really interesting and humbling for me.
I spent the afternoon with a lovely woman who is desperate to lose weight. She is so desperate that she is trying to shift a considerable amount of weight by drinking sugar…aka SlimFast!
It was one of my ‘WLB Missions’…I was asked to go and speak with her about healthy eating and calories and fuelling your body sufficiently. I must admit that it does feel quite amusing for me to speak to people about this when my arse still hangs over the edge of most chairs…and when I still have 14st+ to lose…but let’s face it, I wouldn’t have shifted over 18st if I wasn’t doing something right – so my wisdom was duly imparted! 
We began by discussing what she currently eats. The conclusion was ‘not a fecking lot’! In fact, when I was told that lunch was an orange…a solitary orange…I almost passed out with hunger pangs on her behalf – like a weird kind of food-related sympathy ESP. The days calorie consumption for her equated to what I would eat for breakfast I think! Bless her – I felt so angry on her behalf that shite bags like SlimFast can get away with selling their products on the High Street.
So today’s bee in my bonnet relates to the pushing and promotion of the idea that so few calories will lead to the body you dream of. For me, SlimFast is only acceptable for people who look pretty good anyway…people who moan about bikini muffin tops and want to shift 7lbs for a holiday, or to fit into a party dress. In fact, I am not even sure that I agree with this…as there are far healthier ways of starving yourself!
I am letting the bee go from my bonnet though…
What I loved today was the realisation on her face that she might actually be able to eat! I asked what she would normally eat pre-SlimFast and even that wasn’t enough really…probably 1400 calories…not enough to sustain a child, let alone someone trying to lose weight who needs a good supply of ‘fuel’ to keep going each day. She mentioned cereal – check…you can have this on Slimming World. She mentioned a sandwich for lunch, a piece of fruit and a packet of crisps – check…you can have this on Slimming World. She then mentioned spaghetti bolognese for dinner – check…you can have this on Slimming World too. When I explained how you could cook a bolognese, she couldn’t believe that you could eat a decent amount without weighing and measuring.
I did explain that you eat until you are comfortably full and not to the point that your own stomach is forcing the zip on your jeans down on it’s mission to escape!
We talked about your HEA and your HEB, and how she could swap her cereal for fruit and yogurt, or an omelette…or both, in order to save her HEB for the sandwich at lunch. We talked about how she could have her cereal and use her HEB, but switch the sandwiches for a jacket potato with toppings and a salad, or chicken noodle stir fry. We then talked about various dinners, and fakeaways, and then we went on to the good bit…the bit that helps you sustain a healthy way of eating for longer than a month…the syns! She is a savoury girl too…with the odd Haribo thrown it…so we talked about the popadoms for 0.5 syns each, and French Fries instead of McCoys, and the jelly sweets that you can make for a couple of syns.
She was pretty interested!
We discussed the reasons behind the need to eat well. We discussed the dangers of low calorie diets…she admits that she is so tired and falling asleep all of the time. We discussed why healthy eating is important for her and her family…she wouldn’t give her kids SlimFast, so why is it acceptable to poison your body with the shite?!
Then she began to ask me some questions…do you have to get weighed in front of everyone, do they read your weight out…Marjorie Dawes and Little Britain have a lot to answer for too! I reassured her, told her all about how bloody fabulous my consultant is, how wonderfully supportive my group is…and that I would not be recommending something if I didn’t think it would work.
I also talked about the fact that healthy eating in general would be a good start…ditching the sugary drinks and making some sensible swaps. I didn’t want to be a Slimming World evangelist…even though I am happy and proud to be one!
I was humbled really. I guess I take for granted that people will just be happy to walk into Slimming World as it obviously works. I take for granted those nerves, that fear of getting on the scales, and that worry of what other people will think of me. Yet I remember how it felt that first night for me. I remember ringing my consultant and warning her that I was coming. I asked her to find me a decent chair. She had to get special scales from Slimming World HQ to weigh me…but yet I still walked through the door.
This is the most difficult part…walking through the door – figuratively and literally…I had to walk sideways through it as I was so big! But seriously though, once that step has been taken you are in a safe place. You have a support system and network that extends well beyond your group…you have the books, the additional recipe books, the magazine, the website, the Facebook page, the Twitter account…you have your consultant, your fellow losers…you have help – help and support that will get you to your goal if you give it a fair chance and grab the opportunity with both hands…in fact, grabbing that opportunity instead of a burger will definitely help!
Anyway, as I said – I don’t want to be an evangelist…but to help someone switch from such a crazy weight loss method is a pleasure. She is hoping to join my group very soon…a job well done I think! 
It’s been a busy day. Up early to get Mr WLB on the train to London – he was meeting the President of his company who is over from LA…apparently they had a curry and took in the delights of Buckingham Palace! I then received a delivery that I was overly excited about…some new yogurts from Total called Fruyo that they have asked me to review. Not only did I get yogurt, but I got a very groovy cool bag…I was like a kid at Christmas.
So I will be yogurt eating and reviewing very shortly – the blueberry one is immense and got the thumbs up from my fussy 3 year old nephew too…we were supposed to share it, but he ate it all bar the teaspoon that I got to taste! I got to the gym too – and completed a pretty decent workout even though I really wanted to stay in my PJs. Then it was off to talk Slimming World. I also had a chat with a lovely lady who is interested in the coaching work I do…it is exciting to see the interest in this! And then I caught up with my sister and the kids…and then home for a late dinner and Silent Witness.
Breakfast: Banana porridge (5 syns).
Lunch: Smoked salmon scrambled eggs with wilted spinach and cherry tomatoes.
Dinner: Quorn lamb strip fakeaway kebabs with roasted peppers and cheese (HEA and 2 x HEB).
Snacks: Two mini Green & Blacks bars (7 syns) and a Fruyo cherry yogurt (2 syns).
Another good food day. My usual brekkie, followed by my favourite smoked salmon scrambled egg for lunch. Dinner was lush – the Quorn lamb strips cooked with red onion, garlic, mushrooms, and spinach – this was stuffed into pittas which also had cheese in them, and topped with two roasted sweet peppers…lush! My snacks will come as no surprise…the Green & Blacks bars, and one of the yogurts. It was seriously tasty – like a proper dessert rather the horrid watery yogurts…well worth the 2 syns. Once I have tried the other flavours I will do a ‘proper’ review!
Exercise: 5 minutes treadmill, 55 minutes weights, 30 minutes elliptical machine.
Thank you for reading,
Weight Loss Bitch xxx
WeightLossBitch
On a health and fitness driven journey to lose over 32st / 448lbs / 203kgs – yes, it is a considerable amount – I am committed to losing my excess weight without the aid of weight loss surgery, diet pills, or quick fixes…as there aren’t any! Changing my eating habits and building up my fitness levels, along with addressing the ‘head issues’ will be crucial in order for me to achieve my goal. Living in England as a 31 year old super morbidly obese woman can be challenging to say the least. I have been shouted at in the street and verbally abused far too many times to mention; hence the name ‘Weight Loss Bitch’…the day I am just called a ‘bitch’ instead of a ‘fat bitch’ will be the day that I know I have cracked my weight loss! With many reasons to lose this weight I am documenting my journey for a number of reasons. Firstly, I would like to keep a record of the ups and downs, the highs and lows, and the challenges I face with such an enormous task to tackle. Secondly, I would also like to inspire and encourage other people who are in a similar situation and to show them that significant amounts of weight can be lost naturally…with a bit of motivation, hard work, dedication and will power. Thirdly, all of the blogging, Facebook-ing, Tweet-ing, Pinterest-ing and YouTube-ing keeps me occupied and keeps my fingers out of the fridge!
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Hi, I love your story…It was worth reading and understanding what you have been through.
on January 25, 2014 at 8:26 pm ziontechSo inspired every time we read about 1 person working hard to make a difference, not only in their own lives, but also in the lives of others. We’d like to add one little tib-bit of info that we’ve found works for us about how much to eat in a single sitting to get even better results. That is to eat just until you’re not hungry any more! By eating just enough to eat until your tummy’s not grumbling and carrying on a full conversation with you, you’ll be hungry sooner, which means your body will keep working to digest what you’re putting into it for fuel. That does require planning ahead for the day and taking enough healthy snacks (fruit, nuts, etc), but that isn’t difficult to accomplish. Good luck in your weight loss and weight management journeys!
on March 19, 2014 at 8:52 pm GPM Weight Loss