Healthy Eating

"Last year I rejoined Slimming World, feeling frumpy and embarrassed that I’d failed. Of course there was no need for those negative feelings; my Consultant welcomed me back with open arms! She said that I was doing the right thing and this time with her help I would be successful with Slimming World - that was what I needed to hear. That night she had more faith in me than I had in myself!

There’s no feeling to match weight loss - I've dropped a dress size and I feel fitter than I've felt in years! This time, I'm varying my food choices more, using the simple recipes and tips from group, the website and the magazine.

"The benefits are not only physical - I feel more confident and have a spring in my step. That black cloud hanging over me has disappeared! Slimming World should be on prescription!"

Linda Jones

Linda isn’t alone – we know that sometimes life gets in the way of going to a group – it could be a gain in weight or perhaps even reaching target and deciding to ‘go it alone’. Here at Slimming World we’ve got many second-time slimmers as members. In fact we’ve even got third-time slimmers! And we’re proud of them! The courage it takes to join a slimming group for the very first time can be amplified for those yearning to re-join.

We always welcome members back with open arms and we’ve got all the tools, support and know-how to get you back on the road to success!

a Food Optimising fresh start...

When you’re a seasoned Food Optimiser it can be really easy to assume you know the plan backwards, inside out and upside down. Give yourself the very best start, and you when re-join a group treat yourself as a totally ‘new member,’ with fresh eyes and ears to Food Optimising. Forget the strict rules and regulations of past diets and forget any previous dieting dos and don'ts - they'll only get in your way. The new Food Optimising menus, choices and tools are tried and tested, and they work! They’ve been enhanced to help your weight loss!

Sitting through the New Member Talk and making the decision to Food Optimise 100% will get you fired up for a fabulous first week with a fantastic weight loss! Remember when you joined Slimming World for the very first time? How liberating was it to learn all about Free Food?! I bet you were amazed by the massive amount of foods you could tuck into – without even touching your Syns! Try and harness that feeling again – it’s comforting to know you’ve got your Syns to use but, loads more important, experimenting with all that fantastic Free Food as if you were a brand new member will give a massive boost to your weight loss.

Over time you may have become so accustomed to your Healthy Extra choices that you estimate what the portion sizes look like. It may be worth having a quick check to see whether your breakfast cereal does weigh 28g and hasn’t grown to be a bit generous! In your previous slimming campaign you could probably quote Syn values rote-style, with all your favourite treats totalled up in a tick! Syn values do change over time however, as packet portion sizes increase and recipes change – check them in your book or on Syns Online to set your mind at ease that your favourites are the same value.

"When I joined a group in January 2005 it was during my lunch hour and unfortunately this didn’t give me the chance to give the group sessions my full commitment. I couldn’t stay for Image Therapy and I got fed up of paying just to get weighed. My enthusiasm waned and after a couple of months I decided to go it alone. After all, I knew Food Optimising inside out and could quote Syn values off the top of my head!

Unfortunately this action resulted in me losing the same 10lb over and over again throughout the year.

I recently made the decision to go back to a Slimming World group and have made a pledge for 2006! I’m going to attend the full session every week and use every bit of advice and support I can gain from being part of a friendly group. I’ve also made a commitment by paying for twelve weeks in advance.

"I know that with the support of my group and the healthy eating Slimming World encourages I will make it."

Lynsey Willard

(continued above)

IMAGE Therapy injection

Discovering how to lose weight, in a healthy and non-restrictive way is an exciting feeling. It’s like being let into a secret that gets better the more you find out! Image Therapy is Slimming World’s unique way of learning about this fantastic way of eating and how it slots into your lifestyle. It’s much deeper than picking up great food tips and having misconceptions busted - the support and guidance you’ll receive from your Consultant and fellow members is invaluable.

Staying for Image Therapy will not only spark your enthusiasm for Food Optimising, it’ll also help you identify areas where you may have got the wrong end of the stick. There will always be someone in the same boat as you, who’ll also want advice about shifting that stubborn pound or dealing with a difficult time.

If you never stayed for Image Therapy before, make a promise to yourself to give it a try! You could be bowled over by the results. Always remember your weight is never disclosed and you’ll never be embarrassed or humiliated in any way.

When the going gets tough – the tough keep going! Sometimes life isn’t easy and going to group after a bad week might feel like the last thing you want to do. However, putting that week behind you and going - and staying - to group will make you feel 100% more positive, in control and most importantly, will give you the support to get back on track.

A Food Optimising frame of mind

Deciding to re-join your group is a fantastic plan and will raise your confidence levels immediately – simply through knowing that you’re in control again.

Food Optimising is not a quick-fix faddy diet; it’s a way of learning how to make healthy choices to lose weight for life. Fully committing yourself to Food Optimising and Image Therapy is the secret to weight loss for life and will make second-time slimming a thing of the past!

"Having been a member previously, I knew I could be successful with Slimming World."

Lucy Stone

However, when I first joined group two years ago I can see my attitude to slimming was all wrong. I didn't believe I could do it and continually told myself it would take ages to lose the weight which in turn led to comfort eating to pick me up. I eventually left the group after becoming trapped in this vicious cycle.

After becoming more and more overweight and unhappy I knew I needed serious help. I phoned Ruth, my Consultant to let her know that I would be walking through the doors of her group that following Tuesday with my tail between my legs. She assured me that I should feel NO embarrassment or failure and the group members would welcome me back with open arms. Her comments gave me the boost I desperately needed.

I re-joined recently and have lost nearly 2 stones in 12 weeks! My growing positive attitude towards myself has made me a happier person, people often comment on how much I smile. Well - give me another couple of months when I have lost the other 2½ stone needed to reach my target weight and I’ll be grinning from ear to ear!"

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