Slimming World Secrets

How to recover from a boozy weekend

Ever had a boozy weekend where all your Slimming World plans go out of the window and you’re tempted to write off the entire week?

Me, too. Even as a new Target member – I’m far from perfect. Last weekend, over three days, I was averaging just under 90 Syns per day. I was crashing and burning after just one week at my new Target. Urgh.

But instead of beating myself up about a fun but boozy weekend, I drew that famous line, came up with a drastic three-point recovery plan and came in this morning with a ½lb loss. Want to know how? Read on!

My week

• Average Syns per day: 37.5
• Average Speed foods per day: 10.1
• SP days: 4
• Body Magic days: 6
• Result: -½lb
• Total loss: -5st 6½lbs

As you can see from this week’s vital statistics, my average Syns per day were 37.5 – so still WAY over the ten to 15 I usually aim for. On Tuesday morning, my scales were showing a 5lbs gain – way out of my Target bubble.

However, things would have been far worse without my recovery plan, which I used on each of the week’s remaining four days, from Tuesday to Friday. And, what do you know, it worked!

I wouldn’t advise trying this at home on a regular basis, but if you’ve had a boozy weekend, this recovery plan could be just what you need.

Step 1: Cut the Syns to zero

Some Slimming World members would dread this, but I find it easy to cut my daily Syns to zero. I do a Flexible Syns plan every week anyway, which involves saving up my Syns for a few cheeky shandies on a Saturday night and then being angelic on the remaining six days of the week, having five or six – or fewer – Syns per day.

Over the past week, I just took this to the next level. I “did the math” and worked out that, if I had zero Syns Tuesday to Friday, I could get my average down from almost 90 to 37.5 – still really high, but I thought it might be enough to get me my back in my Target range.

So that’s what I did – it was Free food all the way. Not a single Syn passed my lips, and I eschewed my fourth daily Healthy Extra. After all, I was out of Target range and needed a boost, so the Slim for Life plan would have to wait.

Step 2: Back-to-back SP days

I’ve written so much on this blog about the benefits of SP days. They REALLY work, especially if you’re in need of a quick-fix boost, as I was over the past week.

So, as well as choosing only Syn-Free foods, I opted for only S (Speed) and P (Protein) foods, too. For breakfast, I opted for fruit (S) and fat-free Greek yoghurt (P).

For lunch, I knocked up a big batch of Roasted Pumpkin Soup. As well as the pumpkin, this included leek, celery, onion, garlic and ginger, so six S foods per bowl.

I always use milk in tea and coffee for one Healthy Extra A, and I tried to save my second HEA – and my HEB – for dinnertime. That way, you feel like you’re getting a treat, even though it’s Syn-free.

My dinners were:

• Tuesday: Cheeseburger with a homemade Slimming World burger (minced beef P and onion, garlic and chilli for S), bacon (P), jalapenos (S), 35g of Danish Blue (HEA) and a wholemeal roll (HEB).
• Wednesday: Roast Chicken dinner with chicken breast (P) wrapped in bacon (P) and served with carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, spring cabbage and onion (all S). I also had a portion of Syn-free gravy, which contained red onion and garlic (both S).
• Thursday: Chicken Curry: Chicken (P) with fat-free Greek yoghurt (P) and onions, garlic and ginger (S). I served it with crispy kale seaweed (S) and some cauliflower rice. As well as cauliflower, I blitzed up broccoli and carrot for extra Speed.
• Friday: Same as Tuesday!

So you CAN have incredible SP meals without having to resort to “courgettey spaghetti” or spiralised butternut squash – I can’t think of anything worse!

Step 3: Body Magic every day

I try to do Body Magic five days a week, but I just stepped it up a little this week, including step aerobics with weights every night from Monday to Thursday, then a two-hour walk around Chatsworth yesterday.

Quite a few people have told me that Body Magic is essential for a Target member – you really need it to keep your metabolism up and the weight off.

I’d go further: I think Slimming World should be doing more to push it as part of the general weight-loss plan, and I said as much when Sparkly Castle sent me a survey about exercise a few days back.

Good diet and healthy exercise go hand in hand but, if I one criticism about Slimming World, it’s that Body Magic is all too often completely forgotten about.

I’ve lost 5st since restarting Slimming World in January 2020 – and I know I couldn’t have done that with Food Optimising alone.

Result: It worked – I got a loss on the scales!

So, despite my boozy weekend, I got away with it! The scales this morning showed a ½lb loss, which puts me just ½lb above my actual Target and nicely within my bubble.

Granted, I had a 4lb gain last week (I planned to gain weight for the first time ever as I was right at the bottom of my bubble), so that probably made this week’s comeback a little easier.

But I still did it – by drawing up a plan, putting it in place and then following it to the letter. This weekend, I shall be relatively angelic. Honest! ?