So, you have been attending your Slimming World group each week and getting weighed. Hopefully you have also seen your weight move steadily downwards towards your goal. With the support of the group leader and all of the information you get from your group, the website and the various recipe books you have accumulated along the way, before you know it, the slog has all been worthwhile and you have reached your target! What now? How do you stay on track as a Slimming World target member?
Giving into temptation
The temptation is to shout ‘Woohoo!’ and go out and have the largest portion of fish and chips you can buy, along with several glasses of wine to celebrate. Followed by a massive bar of Cadbury’s fruit and nut….
That’s not exactly what I did. In fact, I was nervous about allowing any extra syns into my life to start with. But I didn’t want to lose any more weight, so I began to allow myself some more treats. Then the inevitable happened and before I could shout ‘My trousers have shrunk!’ I had put 2lb back on.
How can you avoid this and stay on track as a Slimming World target member? This is a question I have been wrestling with myself since I hit my target. I don’t want to feel as if I am on a diet forever but, equally, I don’t want to give in to the curse of the middle aged spread!
Here are my top tips to stay on track as a Slimming World target member.
How to stay on track as a Slimming World target member
Go to weigh in
The Slimming World rules allow you to attend your group free forever – as long as you remain within 3lbs (above or below) your target weight.
They ask that you attend once each month to be weighed and to support you to stay on track as a Slimming World target member. As long as you attend every two months you retain your access to the members area of the website.
Getting weighed regularly allows you to keep an eye on your weight and stay on track as a Slimming World target member.
Go back to basics
When you discover that you have put on a few extra pounds, it is time to go back to some Slimming World basics. Re-read your membership pack to remind yourself about how food optimising works.
Restart your food diary and begin to record your syns. Get advice from your group leader about how many syns to allow yourself – usually it is 5-15 syns a day.
Exercise
Have a look at the amount of exercise you do each day. Can you increase it with a little more walking, a weekly swim or by attending a class?
I do yoga every morning but also make myself walk briskly to the post office when I know the weight is creeping back on rather than taking the car. Everybody knows they feel better for moving, both physically and mentally.
This post gives you ideas for exercising on a budget.
Be organised and meal plan
Disorganisation with your food shopping is a sure fire way to start eating rubbish, in my experience. If I meal plan and write a shopping list accordingly I can ensure we will eat healthy meals most of the time and also make sure we have healthy snacks available.
Meal planning has the additional benefits of saving both time and money, as I explained in this post.
Eat more speed free food
As you plan your meals, try to build in as much speed free food as possible. Examples of speed free food that we enjoy include vegetables such as:
Beansprouts; Broccoli; Carrots; Celery; Courgettes; Chard; Peppers; runner beans; Salad vegetables such as lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes.
And fruits, like:
Melons; Pears; Peaches; Berries of all sorts; Apples; plums; Satsumas and oranges; Grapefruits.
Make sure at least one third of your dinner plate consists of speed free items to help you stay on track as a Slimming World target member.
Get inspired
Eat interesting food! Tasty and exciting meals will help you to stay on track as a Slimming World target member. Look at the Slimming World recipe books that you have inevitably bought at your meetings, as well as the Slimming World website for recipe inspiration.
Blogs are also good to give you ideas. This post lists some of the best Slimming World blogs that I have come across.
Once you are back at target….
Have Slimming World days
You won’t find this advice in any of the Slimming World literature, but I have found it really helpful to stick strictly to the plan three or four days a week and allow more syns on the other three or four days.
It seems to work for me. If I stick to the Slimming World plan at least half the time I stay easily within 3lbs of my target weight.
Know your syn values
Be aware of the syn values of the calorific and high fat things you enjoy and keep this at the back of your mind. For example, I know that a medium glass of my favourite white wine is 7 syns. If I have a glass I inevitably fancy a bag of crisps, so go for a bag of Pom bears, as they are one of the lowest crisps at 4 syns a bag.
If I am having a strict Slimming World day, I won’t have any more syns at all. However, if I know I can afford to, I might have a small bar of Cadburys whole nut to add an extra 12.5 syns. The key is not to do all three EVERY day, just occasionally.
Be aware of your temptation triggers
I am very aware of my triggers when it comes to over eating. If I am going to sit and watch a film or something on TV, I will probably have a glass of wine and some nibbles too, so need to make sure I don’t snack all day as well.
I am a snacker though, and I am aware of this. So I make sure I have lots of healthy things to snack on through the day. For example, I chop up a big bowl of fruit to eat mid morning, or have a low fat Dairylea triangle on a couple of rice cakes when I am flagging in the afternoon. The Dairylea can be one of my healthy extra A choices and the rice cakes are just 1.5 syns each.
Don’t give up
Even if you do put on more weight than you wanted to, don’t give up. Just write it off and start again. You did it once and achieved your target weight – you can do it again!
What are your hints and tips to help you to stay on track as a Slimming World target member?
Linda says
We only have online slimming world in the USA (did SW in the U.K. and had great results) so I have joined Weightwatchers which does have meetings. I find the support of meetings invaluable and tracking EVERYTHING absolutely essential – fellow evening snacker here. If I ever get to my goal weight and maintain it I’ll come back and let you know how I managed!
India says
I hit target around a month ago, if i leave it longer than a month till i next weigh in do i have to pay when i go next? (for example if its been six weeks since i last weighed in at group where i was at target).
shoestringjane@outlook.com says
Mine don’t charge as long as I am within my target range. I thought that was slimming world policy!