Slimming World Secrets

Target week 5: Half a pound lost (again)

Half on, half off. Half on, half off. I’ve become the Slimming World version of the Karate Kid, gaining and losing the same half a pound for four weeks.

But I’m a Target member, so that’s kinda the point, I guess. After a few weeks of feeling like I’m wobbling about on a Target tightrope, maybe my balance has improved.

My week

• Average Syns per day: 12.5
• Average Speed foods per day: 11.4
• SP days: 3
• Body Magic days: 5
• Result: -½lb
• Total loss: -5st 6lbs

Mr Miyagi and Daniel “San” aside, I’ve had another angelic week. I lost half a pound (again) and, to be honest, I was hoping for a bit more.

My aim is to get to the lower end of my Target bubble before Christmas so that I can enjoy a few more glasses of vino tinto over the festive period.

As it is, a half a pound loss puts me 1lb above my actual Target, so I still have another 4lb to lose to get to the bottom of my bubble with that nice 6lbs buffer.

This past week, I’ve abandoned the extra Healthy Extra I’m allowed as a Target member on Route A, and I’ve reintroduced a few SP days.

In other words, I’m following the regular Extra Easy plan – the plan I’ve known and loved for so many years. Sorry, Slim for Life plan. Maybe later.

Covid-19 masks back in group

As Covid-19 cases continue to rise due to the Omicron variant, we’re still holding physical groups – no suggestion of returning to Zoom sessions again yet – although we have to wear masks again, unless exempt.

Which is fine. I’d been wearing mine most of the time the past few weeks anyway. One of our members, the very lovely Riva, is a GP. And if she’s wearing a mask, it kinda feels wrong not to follow her lead.

Group was fab again – although numbers are sadly really low. Only two of us stayed for Image Therapy this morning.

Whether that’s down to Omicron, or just people busy with Christmas preparations, I don’t know, but I hope numbers can improve in the new year, if only for my consultant’s bank balance.

The consultants are all self-employed, and put in loads of effort with planning the group, buying raffle prizes and so on. And they have to hire the room.

I can’t help but feel guilty that, as a Target member, I no longer have to pay anymore, though I’ll always help where I can by buying raffle tickets and every new cookbook that comes out.

Speaking of cookbooks, I’ve put together a list of all the best Slimming World recipe books that money can buy. You can see them all by clicking the Shop link – and read more about prices and formats here.

Diamond award questions answered

Seeing as only two of us stayed to group, that gave me a chance to ask consultant Tracy a few questions about the Slimming World Diamond award.

Although this might be the best part of a year away, this is my next goal, and I fully intend to hit it. As regular readers will know, I need goals to succeed on this journey.

So, my questions were:

1. Would I get my award on the one-year anniversary of when I hit my first Target, or when I hit my second, lowered Target?
2. What would happen if I slipped out of Target range during that 12 months, even for a week or two? Would that mean no award?

The answers were:

1. The Diamond award would come on the anniversary of my second Target. That makes sense, as there were a few weeks “between Targets” when I was technically out of Target – neither at one nor the other.
2. Dipping in and out of Target is fine – the criteria is that you only need to be at Target on your one-year anniversary. So I guess you could spend all year dipping in and out of Target, not that I intend to.

New Slimming World packs for 2022

And finally, we were given a sneak preview of the brand new Slimming World packs (and books within) which all members – including Target ones – will receive in the new year.

This is my fourth different pack since I joined in 2014 when there were his-and-hers packs for men and women – I got the women’s one even though I wasn’t out as trans back then. I’m sure my consultant must have suspected!

Slimming World really knocks it out of the park when it comes to design. Just look at the design in the books, the posters and things like the Hi-Fi bar boxes. Absolutely beautiful.

And the designers at the Sparkly Castle have done it again. Here’s a sneak preview for you:

I’ve not looked inside the books yet, but apparently there are loads of new Syn values for dishes in places like Wagamama, so hurrah for that. Just need a Syn-free Chicken Katsu and we’re sorted!

Anyway, that’s all for now. I want another angelic week next week, and to hopefully get back below my actual Target for the first time since I got there in the first place. Another half a pound ain’t gonna cut it, so wish me luck!