Need help encouraging daughters weight loss

My daughter who is over 19 stone has finally decided that she wants to lose weight so we are doing sw together...no classes just from home (she won't attend classes). This is our second week and although I know she's been faithful to eating the sw way the first week she gained 4lbs and now two days before weighing in she has only lost 1 lb. She is getting very discouraged and feels that sw won't work.

I think it's water retention. She's had gout in her foot and has been on diclofenac.

Can anyone advise why it is she may not be losing any weight at all, I'm stumped. I've been weighing her food etc.

Any help or advice greatly appreciated

sorry, dont really know much about SW plan, but am sure someone will be able to help.
good luck with the diet x

From my experience the plan absolutely works - although there have been some weeks where the number doesn't seem to tally with the effort things balance out over the course of a few weeks (I try to assess my success over 4 week blocks rather than week to week).

I would never try to offer medical advice but I'd strongly recommend your daughter have a chat with her doc about whether the medication would effect weight loss.

Such a shame she doesn't want to go to class - I'm a big girl with a lot of weight to lose and have found the support that class offers to be key to my weight loss.

Good luck - mum's get such a tough ride (I may be a grown up but I know my mum experiences the up and down of each pound on and off with me).

DC xx

Is she keeping a food diary, if so that would give a clearer idea of what may or may not be an issue.

As for keeping her motivated, how about the two of you have your own little 'class', as in having a slimmer of the week award, and maybe a little chart each of stickers for each half stone - It's amazing in class how much the little things like that make a difference!

Also, she may well be struggling with the food and finding what she likes, or even just the thought of being on a diet at all. Maybe make SW version of her favourite meal, or something like the SW burger and chips - doesn't feel anything like a diet, and yet we all know it works.

I'm afraid I don't know anything about Gout, so wouldn't know whether the medication causes water retention or not.

Thanks for your feedback everyone. She's in her mid twenties, and it's really not an issue about paying for the classes, she just won't attend. I too know that sw works as I've lost 2 stone on it a couple years ago. We've been eating the same things and I lost 6 lbs the first week so it's not the diet. She hasn't been cheating and I believe that to be true or she wouldn't be so heartbroken that it's not working. (oh and she's now told me it's that time of month...so that again doesn't help)

We've had a chat and she's agreed that if nothing seems to be happening in another week she will go see the doctor because something is not right. Fingers crossed that won't need to happen and all of a sudden she has a tremendous weight loss to make up for the last couple of weeks.

I'm just worried she'll give up when she's now finally agreed to do something that she's needed to do for so long and has never faced.

Thanks again everyone...just really needed to get it off my chest!

Please stop your daughter weighing herself before her 'official' weighing in day!!!! Our weight varies greatly from day to day (and even hour to hour!) and the weight shown on scales days BEFORE your weigh in day doesn't count. It doesn't give an accurate reading/guideline as to what the 'official' weigh-in date weight will be.

To put both of your minds at rest about the 'first week gain'.... I know that lots of (most) people have great first week losses HOWEVER I gained 1 lb in my first week. STICK TO THE PLAN!!!! I went on to lose 5 lbs in my second week. I am now 1 year 137 days into my SW life and 5 stones lighter. SW don't refund any money unless you gain weight/stay the same for the first 4 WEEKS. I know that you don't go to group, but give it at least one month before you decide that SW is not for you...

You say that you've been weighing her food.. I'm assuming you only mean the healthy extras and syns???

Why not get your daughter to keep a food diary and post it on here?? That way, we could maybe see any areas that need help??

I can understand that your daughter doesn't want to attend a group but take it from me (I do the weigh-in) the scales will not break, you won't be the heaviest person that SW has EVER seen, no-one will be told what you weigh and the weigh-in person doesn't even remember what you weigh once you have got off the scales!!! (we are all trained to have a memory like a goldfish!!)

Sorry if I've missed it but which plan are you following?

If you're using books and directories from years ago that may be why she hasn't lost as SW has changed a bit over the past few years.

Hopefully she's retaining water and she should see a big loss next week. Drink plenty of water and eat lots of fruit and veg.

Hi ya, I hope she can stick with it, as the plan really does work. If she really wont attend class then i like the idea of 'home class' make it a regular time, have your WI, have your own 'shineys' and certificates for each half stone. ( hubby goes to class by default, his female friend wanted a mate to go with, then she quit! but he still goes, mostly cos i want the access to the SW online) but he loves getting his shineys and certificates.
maybe on your 'class' night you could look for meal ideas and recipes of meals you'd like to try etc

As for the meds, Diclofenac, is only a strong pain relief and anti inflammatory, like Ibuprofen but stronger, so i doubt that its those. *week could be a major contributing factor though.

I would keep a food diary, post it here too, see if we can spot anything amiss.

Thanks Lonestitcher, not to worry I have threatened to hide the scales until the weigh in day! And I will if I have too!! lol And yes I meant only weighing the healthy extras and syns.

I've got the newest version of the books. She has a doctors appointment on Thursday so I think she'll speak to her then and we shall see how it goes. I'm sure she'll be fine and I'm confident that all of a sudden it will start happening, I guess I'm just so worried she'll give up but I'm determined to keep her motivated whatever it takes.

Thanks again everyone

Sometimes people start the diet because they want to lose weight, but don't really 'get into' the diet as such, but then something clicks and it's just right and they tear off on the road to skinny. Sometimes it takes a bit longer to 'click', but once it does it all becomes so much easier! I'm sure once she sees a good loss she'll hear that click!

It could be something as simple as it being the run up to her time of the month and it being time of the month now. That can cause a gain in either the week preceding and/or the week it happens. You can gain half a stone or more that week, and that would skew her results.

If that is the case, she is likely to see a GOOD loss next week. On top of this, a quick google of diclofenac suggests that one of the side effects can be water retention. Again this may be playing a part in why she isnt losing.

Tell her not to give up hope, that there are several good reasons why she may not be seeing results yet and to stick with it, because her good work WILL catch up with her eventually

I was on Naproxen, which was an anti inflammatory and they did affect my weight loss.

I maintained on a week i should have had a loss.

Hope she sticks to plan.....x

Thanks everyone, I'll keep you posted on her progress. She has agreed to give it a month surely by then she will have results!

Hi,

I just wanted to say that SW absolutely does work, it might just take time for your daughter to get into the flow of it. It can be such a change to your whole way of thinking and living.

I was in exactly the same position as your daughter. I was 26 and would not go to class under any circumstances. I had terribe anxiety and struggled to even go out of the house. So I joined online. I lost about a stone+a half, then my friend decided she wanted to join and asked me to go to class with her. I was really scared but went along, and I know everyone says it but there really was nothing to worry about and I felt so motivated.

My group is really relaxed and friendly and there is no pressure or anything. Maybe your daughter will want to join in her own time. Just support her, and like someone else suggested-maybe do your own class each week at home.
Sorry for the long post.

Dawn- can I just say what a lovely Mum you are. You are obviously doing everything possible to support your daughter, including doing the plan with her and asking for help on her behalf. That is just so lovely

BTW- I was 19 stone when I started, so the same as your daughter, and I have lost 8 stone and am now at tartget. This can be done, although at times it really feels like a struggle and it feels easier to give up, but giving up means accepting a life of compromise and defeat- carrying on when things aren't going well and the scales don't seem fair takes real guts- but the results are worth it a million times over. I am sure as a team you can be strong for each other

Good luck to you both