Slimming World Secrets

I won Slimmer of the Week with a ½lb loss!

Well, I wasn’t expecting that! Another teeny-weeny result on the scales but, somehow, I ended up winning Slimmer of the Week – with a ½lb loss!

My week

• Average Syns per day: 13.8
• Average Speed foods per day: 11.3
• SP days: 3
• Body Magic days: 6
• Result: -½lb
• Total loss: -4st 6½lbs

That’s actually the third time this has happened since I joined Slimming World almost seven years ago – and I’m going to take it and run!

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting a loss at all this week. My average Syns count was on the high-ish side and, when I had a cheeky weigh-in last night before, the scales were showing a 2lb gain. I went to bed feeling VERY grumpy!

But isn’t it unusual how you can literally lose weight in your sleep? I suppose a combination of going to the loo two or three times and simply breathing (you lose weight simply by expelling water vapour in your breath) did the trick. I got on the scales this morning to be greeted with a ½lb loss. Happy days!

To jointly win Slimmer of the Week on top of that (honours shared with the lovely Sue) was just the icing on the cake.

That’s now my third ½lb loss in a row, and I’m beginning to feel like Jacko from the rather politically-incorrect 1970s British sitcom Love Thy Neighbour.

Only a ½lb loss – but a loss is a loss!

They might be small losses but, as every Slimming World member knows, “a loss is a loss” – and I’m delighted that I can still lose weight AND have the odd glass or two of wine at the weekend.

My average Syns were higher than I’d like this week – closer to an average of 15 rather than the ten I’d like, but I did three SP days and upped my Body Magic, so that must have helped.

It also means another new PB – a grand total loss of 4st 6½lbs. And that means I’m just one loss – even another ½lb loss – away from my four-and-a-half stone award. It would be incredible to pick that up next week.

Layered Learning: Week 4 – the Journey of Self-Discovery

I really found the latest instalment of layered learning helpful this week. The Journey of Self-Discovery basically covered the psychological element of Slimming World and our “relationship with food”.

Part of the Slimming World plan is to change the way we think about food and drink, and one way to do that is by identifying our “trigger foods”.

Trigger foods (and drinks) are high in Syns and don’t give us “satiation” – that comforting feeling of fullness and feeling satisfied. Common trigger foods are chocolate, biscuits, ice cream, crisps, nuts – all the usual sugary, fatty or salty suspects. And, in my case and that of plenty of other members, wine. As one member, the lovely Laura, put it in group: “I love wine – it’s liquid jam!”

We covered “danger zones”. These are places where you might feel tempted by high-Syn goodies. Our super-consultant Jackie gave her example of the petrol station, and waiting in the queue to pay, surrounded by hundreds of chocolate bars. Totally triggered!

Send in the SAS during those SOS weeks

And we looked at “sabotage traps”, which involve our emotions and subconscious. This could involve overindulging when, for example, upset, happy, tired or hungover.

Finally, we looked over the “Slimmers Against Sabotage” SAS Log – which is basically a more in-depth food diary.

I don’t intend to use these as I write down everything that passes my lips, along with all my Body Magic and SP days on my SynsTracker spreadsheet. But for people who prefer paper and pen – especially those who are struggling – these logs are a godsend.

So, armed with all this knowledge, I’m going to use it on Saturday night when I have a pal over for a socially-distanced catch-up around a fire pit in my garden.

There WILL be wine involved, and I know this will be a “trigger food” (drink). But I’ve opted for a wonderful Aldi Shiraz, which has a 12% ABV, so the whole bottle is 30 Syns. Just increasing the ABV to 12.5% would make it 34.5 Syns. Top tip, readers!

Planning ahead to avoid self-sabotage

As well as my alcohol choice, I plan to eat healthily in the day, using my Healthy Extra B for a bread roll for lunch, and then saving a Healthy Extra A for cheese. My 40g of light Cheddar will be eaten with a Syn-free Chilli con Carne, which I’ll make before my friend arrives, and some jacket potatoes cooked in foil in the fire. All completely Syn-free, which means I can save my Syns for the wine.

Wine is my sabotage trap. I drink that liquid jam when I’m happy and socialising. But now I recognise this, I can put plans in place to keep the Syns down and not undo all the progress I’ve made over the past 15-and-a-half months.

The key to Slimming World success is planning. I know wine will give me the munchies, but having a magnificent Syn-free Chilli to look forward to means I won’t be tempted to go and buy snacks or order a takeaway. Bring on the weekend!