Slimming World Secrets

Week 2 at Target: It’s a ½lb gain – but that’s OK (apparently)

I’m just beginning my second week as a Slimming World Target member. I’ve had a tiny ½lb gain, and that’s “fine”. It puts me back in the centre of my Target zone. So why does it feel like a failure?

My week

• Average Syns per day: 11.2
• Average Speed foods per day: 9.3
• SP days: 4
• Body Magic days: 5
• Result: +½lb
• Total loss: -5st 0lb

Super-quick update this week as I’m a busy girl. In normal times – ie being a regular Slimming World Target member and not a Target one – ½lb on is one of the worse possible gains you can have.

Why I hate a ½lb gain on Slimming World

If you gain 13lb as I did one Christmas week, at least you know you’ve deserved it – and you’ve had a bloody brilliant week of feasting and quaffing.

But ½lb on is annoying. And the main reason for that is that you have to abandon all hope of shiny glory at the next weigh-in.

Because, as seasoned Slimming World members will know, ANY gain means you’re out of contention for winning Slimmer of the Week.

The horrors! This has resulted in several occasions where I’ve removed my belt, and various bits of clothing, before then re-weighing just to get a sneaky maintain.

Why it feels like missing out on a medal

Half-pound gains bug me. It’s like the Olympics. If you come last in whatever event, ah well, at least you can say you were an Olympian and that you gave it your best shot.

But come fourth and miss out on a medal, after years of dedication and training? That’s gonna really hurt.

So yeah, a ½lb gain on Slimming World is exactly like that for non-sporty types (or maybe those who do a bit of Body Magic on the school run).

Or perhaps like missing out on a place in the 100 metres final by 1/100th of a second. You get my point.

I’ve hit Target – but I still need goals

Anyway. Now I’m a Target member and am free to graze on the Syn-free, Speed-rich pastures of Margaret Miles-Bramwell’s sunlit meadows, I’m supposed to not care about weight-loss awards anymore.

Instead of focussing on shiny stickers and certificates (which really helped me to lose weight), I’m supposed to have a complete mind shift and concentrate on maintaining my Target weight instead.

Which is great, except that doesn’t involve shineys. Unless I can do it for a year, and then there’s the Diamond Target Member award up for grabs. That’s my next big goal, but a year is a loooooong time – and then what?

I’m someone who needs goals to stay focussed, and I’m a little concerned that I may lose my focus and undo my hard work some day.

But, for now, things are going fine. I’m still bang on Target, even though I’m not following the Slim for Life plan.

Should I lower my Target?

As I stated last week, I’m gonna keep on doing what I have been for the past 18 months – and then possibly lower my Target by 7lb if the weight keeps coming off. We shall see.

I guess it’s hard to move from a weight loss mindset to a weight maintenance mindset if, in the back of my mind, I’m thinking: I might want to lose another half a stone.

Maybe I should just read the Slim for Life book, which has remained steadfastly unopened this past fortnight.

But as my Mum never fails to remind me, I never read the instructions for anything! New phone? Nah. New stereo? Nah. Dummy’s Guide to Relationship Success? Oooooh, no!

So why should this be any different?