Slimming World Secrets

Target week 6: Zen and the art of weight maintenance

So it’s week six at Target and, after a while of feeling like balancing on a tightrope just to stay there, I think I’m finally getting used to it.

For the past five weeks, I’ve either gained or lost half a pound on the scales. So despite starting this Target journey not really knowing what I’m doing, I’m starting to feel more confident.

And, with confidence comes a sense of inner peace and calm. I’m feeling Zen!

My week

• Average Syns per day: 11.3
• Average Speed foods per day: 9
• SP days: 3
• Body Magic days: 5
• Result: -½lb
• Total loss: -5st 6½lbs

Tried and trusted techniques

So, Week 50 of my eighth year of Slimming World. I’ve had another pretty angelic week, keeping my Syns low, my Speed foods high(ish) and throwing in a few SP days and Body Magic days – basically doing what I’ve been doing most weeks for the past two years.

That puts me just ½lb above my actual Target of 5st 7lbs. As I’ve said for a couple of weeks now, I’d ideally like to get right to the bottom of my Target bubble in time for Christmas.

Because, as experience as shown year in, year out, I am usually guilty of holding my very own SynsFest over the festive period. I’m going to write more on that next week.

Getting used to being a Target member

Anyway, Zen!

I think that, for the first few weeks of getting to this new, lowered Target, I felt in some kind of limbo. The big goal that I’d always had – of reaching Target – was now gone.

Even smaller goals, such as trying to win Slimmer of the Week, or Slimmer of the Month, had gone. For someone who needs goals to succeed, that was hard.

But, this past week or so, I’ve found some kind of calm. After spending years thinking I’d never hit Target, I finally got there – then lowered it by 7lbs – and then got to the new one.

And then, more importantly, I’ve STAYED there! I know six weeks isn’t a long time when compared to some people who’ve been Diamond members for 10-plus years.

But it’s a lot to me because I never thought I’d get there in the first place. Even despite one slip-up, I’ve stayed in my bubble and kept plugging away.

Whether I’ll still be at Target after Christmas and new year is another matter, but I’m there for now – and I have plans in place to stay there. Again, more on that next week.

Exclusive membership of St Margaret’s Target Club

Part of being at Target is getting used to seeing the numbers on the scales staying more or less the same. You’re not going to get that elation of when you have a big loss – my biggest of all time is 8½lbs in a week.

But, by the same token, you’re not going to get that feeling of utter despair at getting a big gain. My record gain was 13lb in a week.

Yep. Thirteen. Unlucky for me, eh?!

These days, it’s half on or half off. And you need to retrain your mindset and tell yourself that that’s actually as good as a big loss.

Actually, it’s arguably even more rewarding because it means you’re still a paid-up member of St Margaret’s Target Club – an exclusive club sooooo many people would love to be in but only a select few actually join.

The criteria for becoming a member is super-strict. This is Stringfellows for slimmers.

Planning for those extra Syns at Christmas

So there’s one more week to go before my final pre-Christmas weigh-in on Christmas Eve (on Friday, so next week is a six-day week as I usually weigh in on Saturdays).

This could prove tough. I have a boozy night out tonight with the girls – and it’s hard not to get tempted by the huge hamper of cakes, chocolates and wines from my lovely bosses at work.

But I shall endeavour to do my best – one naughty night on the beer, then back on it with Flexible Syns, SP days (I’ll try to do four in a row) and, of course, plenty of Body Magic.

I need to lose 3½lbs to get to the bottom of my target bubble, so that’s probably not going to happen in just six days.

But if I could lose 1lb or even 2lb, that would still give me a fairly decent buffer for Christmas Eve itself, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and then the no-man’s-land leading up to new year (I weigh next after that on New Year’s Eve).

I have a plan – more on that next week, I promise! But, in a nutshell, it involves being mindful and planning, planning, planning!