Slimming World Secrets

New start at my new group ends with a new PB!

Oh, happy day! I’ve just joined my new Slimming World group – and it’s been a new low on the scales. So I’m as high as a kite!

My week (eight days)

• Average Syns per day: 23.8
• Average Speed foods per day: 11.5
• SP days: 6
• Body Magic days: 5
• Result: -1½lbs
• Total loss: -4st 10½lbs

As I wrote last week, it is SO good to be back in a physical Slimming World group after months cooped up and only communicating with my consultant and SW pals in front of a screen in our “virtual” scenario on Zoom.

But this week was the first time in my new group. From Thursday nights to Saturday mornings – and from the old village hall to an even older building, a former grammar school near the centre of town.

I know and love the consultant already but I was a little apprehensive about joining a new group, partly because I’m trans and, after three lots of lockdown, I feel like I’ve got to socially transition all over again. Oh, joy!

After parking my car at the old school – now a community space, but still with that “Hogwarts” look about it – I followed the SW A-board signs and walked in.

Small ones are more juicy

I’ve been to loads of Slimming World groups all over the country – some with scores of members who stay for group. I’ve always liked the intimacy of a smaller group.

So I was a bit shocked when I saw a queue to get in. I sanitised my hands, took my place in the queue – socially distanced, of course – and waited for it to go down.

There were a few people in front of me, and then the queue went around a corner, so I didn’t know if there were five people waiting, or 50.

It turned out that we were waiting for the previous group to finish, which it soon did, and then in we all walked – only a handful of us after all.

I signed in and said an excitable hello to Tracy, my new consultant. She is LOVELY. I’ve been so fortunate that all my Slimming World consultants to date have been absolute stars.

1½lbs lost for a new PB

After signing in, I headed to the scales and got on. I thought I’d have lost 1lb, as I had a cheeky weigh-in before I left the house. But it turns I’m a little lighter on Tracy’s scales, and I’d lost 1½lbs.

This meant a total loss of 4st 10½lbs – a new PB – and just 3½lbs from Target. I’d gone slightly over my Syns again in the previous week (well, eight days), but I’d done five SP days and loads of Body Magic, so it’s all good.

If I’m a little devilish in one Slimming World respect (demon drink at the weekends!), I can be angelic in others. Flexible Syns, lower carbs and exercise for the absolute win!

That’s one thing I like about Slimming World – well, one of many. There isn’t just one way to follow this plan: there are several. What works for me might not work for most other members, but fortunately I’m me.

An old friend in my new group

Most of the people in the queue weighed and dashed off, ready to start their weekends, but I stayed, natch. I was joined by Karen – another refugee from my old Night Owls group – and two other women.

So it was a pretty small group, to say the least, but we all hope that it will grow in the future. We sat in the former home economics classroom, still with gas pipes all around the walls. Close your eyes and you could smell high-Syn cakes baking.

Tracy gave me a lovely introduction – and something she said was so sweet. As a covering consultant at the Night Owls, she awarded me my Woman of the Year award back in 2018.

Today, she said that had been her proudest Slimming World moment. Wow! I was so honoured! It brought the teeniest of tears of my eye.

And then we did the group thing – Image Therapy, plus a little look back at some of the layered learning topics we’d discussed with my previous group a few weeks back.

Time for a Slimming World breakfast

Karen and I were going to head for a coffee, but I postponed for a week as I had something rather special I wanted to cook up back at home – a mammoth Slimming World breakfast.

This has been on my to-do list for months, and I’m talking a full-on belly-buster here – with no Syns! Coming soon to the Syn-Free Feasts page.

The week ahead should be OK – I just need to be careful with Syns in beers as England are playing Germany in Euro 2020 (in 2021!) on Tuesday. Wish me – and the Three Lions – luck!