One of my New Year’s Resolutions this year is to lose weight although there’s probably no surprise there then as I’m sure that about half the country has the same resolution and I’ve had the same one for about the past ten years! 😉
To help me achieve my goal I went along last night to my local Slimming World group and signed myself up. I’ve done Slimming World before and I know it’s an easy plan to follow with practically guaranteed results if you stick to it but in the past I’ve given up quite early on.
I’m not really sure why I’ve given up but someone did ask me recently why I’d joined twice before and both times it was because a friend was joining and I’d decided to tag along with them. I was enthusiastic about it at the time but I don’t think my heart was in it really so I didn’t stick to it as well as I could have done which meant I wasn’t seeing the losses that my friends were seeing. This made me feel like I couldn’t do it so I ended up not doing it!
This time though I’ve gone along myself because I want to and I have great motivation as I’ve just booked me and Miss Frugal a cheeky long weekend away in the Sun at the end of April.
As you can imagine, with it being the first week in January there were lots of new people signing up last night and although some of them were returning members like me, lots were completely new to Slimming World and I could hear how daunted some of them were by the whole thing wondering how they would ever get the hang of it all.
As I sat listening to them questioning themselves, I decided I was going to write a quick post about my top tips for those people starting out to help to make sure Slimming World works for them. It really is easy and with the right motivation and willpower you WILL lose weight!
I’ve got up this morning and had my poached eggs on toast and I thought now was as good a time as any to write it so here we go- my top tips for Slimming World….
Get your family on board
Most meals can be adapted to make them Slimming World friendly but no matter how tasty you make them, your family may notice a difference so if you give them the heads up that you need their support then hopefully you shouldn’t have twisty faces at the table because the meal is a little different to what they’re used to.
You can also ask them to make sure that any leftovers are put straight in the bin (by that I mean anything they don’t eat as I always end up eating a stray chicken nugget or fish finger that they’ve left).
Read the pack you’re given
Take time to read the whole pack of books that you’re given when you join because there’s some brilliant information in there that will help you. I heard one lady last night say she knew what she was doing so she’d be giving the pack to a friend to get her started which is a lovely thing to do but she’s missing out on ideas and motivation by not looking at them.
Stay to your meetings
I know this is one that you’ll always be told when you join but it really is true. By staying to your meetings, you’re going to hear about other people’s successes, advice and tips and you only have to speak up if you want to do don’t be worried about that. Last night I learned about three products that other people had discovered that week and got at least one idea for a recipe I’m going to try out this week as well as hearing from someone who was in my position this time last year but now looks and feels amazing.
Use your Syns and your Healthy Extras
Don’t feel that by not using your Syns and your Healthy Extra allowances that you’ll do better at Slimming World. They’re there for a reason and by not eating them, you’re making it more of a diet than a healthy eating plan because you’re saying to yourself that you can’t have things. This means you’re much less likely to stick to it for long enough to get the results you want. To make sure Slimming World works you need to follow the plan and that means eating what you should be eating.
Download the Slimming World app
The app is practically worth the weekly membership fees itself! It’s so handy to have on your phone when you’re out and about as you just key in the product name and the syns value just pops right up. I went shopping last night after my meeting and it was so much easier with the app. You’re given a PIN when you sign up to get you logged in to the site so it’s a members only benefit that I can’t recommend using highly enough.
Make sure you have plenty of free foods in the house
You’re bound to have hungry moments but with Slimming World there’s no need to be hungry ever as long as you know what foods you can snack on freely. I like to have crabsticks and muller lights in the fridge and plenty of fruit in the fruit bowl so it’s easy to make good choices.
Be Organised
We all know that I’m a huge fan of meal planning to save money but meal planning when you’re on Slimming World is essential in my opinion as I find that if I don’t plan then I’m less likely to stick to it. I need to know what I’m having so that I can make sure I have everything in the house to make it on the day and there’s no last minute trips to the shop needed where there is every chance that I’ll spend more than I intended and be tempted by some delicious something or other that’s just begging to be bought.
Write it all down
This is another thing you’ll be told at group but again, I can’t stress how important it is to me. It not only helps me keep track of what I’ve eaten so I can look back and see how many syns I’ve had and check back to see if I’ve gone wrong somewhere but it also reminds me of meals I’ve made when I need some inspiration.
Measure
Most foods don’t need to be weighed or measured on Slimming World but your Healthy Extras do need to be and it’s really important that you never guesstimate as this is where it could all go wrong! I usually use my Healthy Extra B on bread which isn’t hard to get right but I have my two slices of wholemeal bread for each day portioned into sandwich bags and put in the freezer so I just pull it out and pop it in the toaster. I also have a couple of bags of grated cheese in the freezer weighed out to just the right weight so I can add them in to my recipes where I’m having cheese as a Healthy Extra A (which is often as I don’t really have milk).
Vary what you eat
It’s really easy to stick to the same meals because (a) you know you enjoy them and (b) you know they’re Slimming World friendly but do try and vary your meals as much as you can as eating the same meals all the time will get boring and make you more lightly to cheat or stop altogether. Think about what you currently enjoy and think how you can adapt it to be a Slimming World meal.
Set yourself a goal
It doesn’t have to be your goal weight or anything like that but something you want to achieve – mine is that I want to go on holiday in April and feel better about myself than I do now. I’d like to go shopping and buy myself some new clothes before I go so I’m saving a little bit of money each week so I can do this.
What are your top tips for how to make sure Slimming World works for you?
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I joined 3 weeks ago.. I work 12 hour days and nights so have to be very organised.. I drink at least 3 litres of water a day, have lots of speed foods with every meal , haven’t had any alcohol for over a month and rarely have more than a hi fit bar as my syns. I think the most syncs I’ve had in a day is 8, once …
So I’ve lived like a nun and only lost 6 1/2 lbs ??
Worried if I start having the odd drink and maybe more subs this is just going to put the weight back on ?
Hi , could anyone tell me how to get focused again on the plan , I just can't seem to get back on track.
I’d love to be a part of group where I can get advice from other experienced people that share the same interest. If you have any
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I live in the UK and never attended a Slimming World class, but googled menus and basically went from there. My understanding is that this “diet” points one towards generally healthy eating. Forget the regime, just eat fresh food / meat, fish, vegetables, a little of what you fancy / cake, chocolate, biscuits…if you eat regular healthy foods you won’t crave the sweet or carb stuff so much as long as you eat plenty of the healthy stuff. And I mean plenty! I was worried about eating larger portions than I usually eat but so wrong! It’s quality, not quantity. I ate more and lost weight. So, no need to subscribe, eat healthily and you’ll naturally lose weight 🙂
Here is the key of success?
“Most meals can be adapted to make them Slimming World friendly but no matter how tasty you make them, your family may notice a difference so if you give them the heads up that you need their support then hopefully you shouldn’t have twisty faces at the table because the meal is a little different to what they’re used to.”
Thank you for sharing. (Quang from https://www.cheapdomainregistration.com/)
I have been going to SW for just over a month. I have been sticking to the plan but have only lost about 3.5 lbs. This week I put on a lb. I could not believe it. The lady doing the weighing (not the Consultant) who is twice the size of me! Said "perhaps you are eating too many speeds". I don't think I am but is it possible to eat too many speeds?
No, you can't eat too much speed food! If you're eating the full 15 syns each day try reducing it to 10, make sure to drink plenty of water and get your body magic in.
HI I live in Canada , but from Scotland when I go home I always join for the six weeks I am there . I have such great weight loss when I am there , because I attend a group ,find it so supportive . However when I get back I find it hard because we do not have have the same foods .. I do try but don't have the same weight loss , how I wish we had Slimming World in Canada … I do enjoy it very much , I have to just try harder to reach my goals… Anne
I really enjoyed discovering this site and all the comments,I have been a SW member for about 4 times over 20 years and the plan DOES work,comparing to other diets its generous and very workable,I have lost weight succesfully each time, my boredom is the reason I leave but only after 12months, my big gripe and I believe its just the SW method,my class has about 30 members and each week go through each individual weight gain/loss and this takes up the whole class only at the end we rush through, raff;es,certificates etc there is no real information and I am bored stffl with really long explanations about eating a piece of cake, sorry I sound rude but,25 people saying they lost 1 pound with in depth explanations of dogs,daughter in laws,neighbours arthritis, makes me want to scream so I hardly ever stay,am I wrong, in the wrong class or should I try elsewhere,please reply honestly, thank you.
I think this tends to be the case with a lot of groups. There is a big focus on giving everyone their opportunity to say their bit and review their own week but like you said it can become very repetitive and is only helpful when someone has something original to say. When you know you deserve a gain I don't think there's any value in describing what you did to everyone else, everyone there already intends to lose weight so describing in fine detail every bad moment you had doesn't provide much motivation or education to anyone else. I think maybe find a smaller group or suggest to your leader that you have an overhaul whereby only people who actually have something they want to say are asked to contribute to the weekly roundup part of group. Good luck anyway, I moved abroad and strangely really miss not having weekly classes. I even approached SW about setting up a branch of their business in my new country of residence but they said they're not interested in expanding. Shame, I only wanted the accountability of a group again 🙂
I have to agree with you about the slimming world classes. I have attended 3 different ones in the hope of enjoying 'the class'. However, all that happens is that the leader goes round every single person (up to 40 in some classes) and just asks how each of them got on the previous week. I have to admit to being bored senseless and by the time she gets round everyone, I am desperate to get away. As an individual, you get no real support to be honest – though I do like the diet. It seems to me to be more of a big money making enterprise than anything else.
I loved the discussion about how to get skinny and overcome the challenges of gaining a well toned body within a short frame of time. I try having protein rich diet and reduce carbohydrate intake every day, but I do have fast foods and cakes occasionally. However, I never forget to exercise regularly and have evening walk with my friends. Hopefully, I will remain fit and fine unless I stop working on my body.
I have been going to SW and have done my year and nearly hit target (couple of pounds away).
Do you still have to keep attending after a year as I would now prefer to go just once a month?
Boggy
I would keep going until you reach your target weight – it sounds like you only have to go every week for a couple more weeks anyway.
Once you have reached target, you don't have to pay for meetings any more, so there is no financial outlay. I would go every week while you get used to being at maintenance and then see how it goes 🙂
Well done on being so close to target – just a little push more and you are there!!
I believe that once you are at target, and you neither gain or lose 3lb over or under target weight, your meetings are free.
Definitely make sure that you have your speed foods and that they really ARE a third of the plate – I haven't been doing this for a week as I picked up a horrible coldy-flu-y virus over Christmas and it showed in my weight loss (or lack thereof!).
ooh am back too after a 3 year gap was totally shocked by my weight gain!!!!
I too do slimming world so it was good to read your post about it. I also found your book on Amazon so I am busy reading that as well. Good luck with the Wright loss it’s my first weigh in since Christmas tonight so fingers crossed I haven’t done too much damage