The new Slim for Life plan is great target practice
A weight-loss expert from Bathgate and Blackburn is excited to help even more people lose weight and keep it off for life thanks to a new initiative to support slimmers who have reached their target weight.
As part of a campaign to build in additional support for members who reach their personal target weight, Slimming World conducted a survey of 4774 successful slimmers.
The national survey found that slimmers are more than twice as likely to describe losing weight as ‘easy’ compared to maintaining weight.
And Gaye, who runs Slimming World groups at Bathgate Glenmavis Tavern, says people who find maintaining weight loss challenging aren’t alone.
The successful slimmers surveyed, who have all reached their target weight with Slimming World, found that while more than half of respondents (59%) described losing weight as ‘very easy’ or ‘easy’, fewer than one in four (23%) said that maintaining their new slim weight was ‘very easy’ or ‘easy’.
Lacking confidence in what to eat to maintain their weight (49%), missing seeing results on the scales each week (40%), and no longer receiving rewards or recognition for their weight loss (34%) were the most common reasons given for finding weight-loss maintenance challenging.
Slimming World’s new initiative for target members addresses all of these challenges and aims to help make weight loss maintenance easier.
It includes a new Slim for Life plan to help target members to adapt their diet to maintain weight rather than continue to lose.
The plan, which is designed to be personalised by slimmers, gives members the option of three routes depending on their rate of weight loss and introduces members to the concept of Savvy Syns – Syns are food and drink that isn’t counted as Free on the Slimming World plan.
Savvy Syns constitute a healthier or safer choice than other high-calorie and high-fat options because they provide beneficial nutrients, are more satisfying or are less likely to catapult people back into the habits that caused them to gain weight in the future than other foods.
Members are encouraged and supported to make their own personal choices and adopt a more flexible approach once they have achieved their personal target weight, which they set themselves.
The new Slim for Life plan, which was developed in response to requests for increased support from target members, focuses on the first 12 weeks after members achieve their target weight.
It guides them through a specially-tailored journey to maintain their new weight and help build the skills to stay there for life.
It includes advice for how to adapt their diet to maintain weight rather than continuing to lose, encourages them to plan ahead and supports slimmers to identify the foods, situations and emotions that could trigger past habits and then develop strategies to overcome these challenges.
It’s also packed with tips for making activity an intrinsic part of daily life.
The survey found that sustainability is important to slimmers, with eight out of 10 (84%) saying they joined Slimming World to change their habits for the long-term, and the majority of slimmers have adopted healthier habits, including snacking on fruit and vegetables between meals always or most of the time (81%), cooking with little or no oil and trimming fat off meats (99%), and choosing wholemeal bread and wholegrain cereals (93%).
Finding strategies to stay motivated is also key, with six in 10 (58%) members saying they find reminding themselves how far they’ve come helps them to stay on track, while more than half of respondents (54%) use the support of other slimmers for ideas and motivation, and (50%) report occasionally going ‘back to basics’ by keeping a food diary recording everything they eat helps.
Gaye, who supports 170 people to lose weight each week, says: “When members start their weightloss journey, it can be difficult for them to think too far ahead.
“They’re so focused on losing the weight that they find it difficult to even think about how they’re going to keep it off.
“This new guidance will really help our members to understand the importance of having the right mindset and behaviours from the very beginning of their journey, so that they can develop sustainable healthy habits and truly make a change for life.
“We’ve always invited members to continue to attend their weekly group for free once they reach target to continue to receive support to maintain their weight, and I have many target members across my groups who are a huge inspiration to the other members.
“However, I hope this new guidance will give them even more help and motivation to hold on to everything they’ve achieved forever.”
Mags Feenie has lost 2 stones 4lbs since starting one of Gaye’s groups to lose weight for her son’s wedding.
Mags joined in August 2017 and became a target member in April 2018.
Mags joined with her friend Jackie, who also reached her target.
Mags has completely changed the way she shops, cooks and eats and loves the fact she can still enjoy a limited number of treats.
She says: “Staying in the group every week and making friends has really helped me on my journey. I was determined to get to target and to keep the weight off.
“I love playing golf and now know regular activity alongside the healthy eating habits I have learned will help me stay at target’’
“I think this new Slim for Life plan and journal will be a great additional support for target members – there’s so much valuable information and some fab tools in there. I’ve already made great use of mine’’.
Mags is now looking forward to shopping for an outfit for her son’s wedding.
To find out more about the Bathgate Slimming World groups call Gaye on 07752 524626 or visit www. slimmingworld.co.uk to find your nearest group.
The Slim for Life plan will be a great support for target members Mags Feenie