Slimming World Secrets

I’ve won Woman of the Year – as a trans girl!

So this happened this morning. I was voted my group’s Woman of the Year. And for a trans girl like me, that means the absolute world.

Not only does it mean I feel valued by my fellow members as a disciple of Slimming World, it also means I feel validated as a woman.

And for someone who regularly has to battle against the twin demons of gender dysphoria and imposter syndrome, that is very special indeed.

My week

• Average Syns per day: 12.3
• Average Speed foods per day: 11.6
• SP days: 4
• Body Magic days: 5
• Result: -3lbs
• Total loss: -5st -4lbs

First of all, my week. As regular readers know, I was pretty upset last week when I was accused by one or two friends of having lost too much weight and being “anorexic”. All that nonsense was debunked in last week’s post.

On the back of that, just to really stick it to my critics, I had an angelic week and lost another 3lbs (sorry, not sorry!) to record another new PB of 5st 4lbs lost.

So that puts me 1lb BELOW the bottom end of my Target range, or “bubble”. This means I have two options:

1. Gain at least 1lb over the next week to get back in my Target zone, or…
2. Maintain or lose to stay out of my Target zone – and then set a new Target.

It’s a no-brainer for me. When I got to my original Target, I half expected to struggle to stay there and bounce straight out of my bubble.

As that hasn’t happened, and I’m continuing to lose weight, assuming I don’t gain next Saturday I’m going to reset my Target to 9st 7lbs (a loss 5st 7lbs) which, as I explained last week, would put be smack bang in the middle of the healthy BMI range.

Winning Woman of the Year 2021

Anyway, to this week’s main business: Woman of the Year!

Sooooo… my amazing consultant Tracy had already let me know that I’d been nominated for the glittering prize.

Even that felt absolutely amazing, because I’ve only been a member of the group for a few weeks and barely know anyone yet.

So I made a bit more effort with my appearance than usual – donned a nice frock and put on a bit of slap.

I didn’t really expect to win because I’m so new and, well, you just never know how some people might feel about a trans woman being nominated.

After weighing in – and being delighted with a monster 3lb loss – Tracy announced the nominees. As well as myself, there was Caroline (a fellow member of my former Night Owls group) and Lynn. Both super slimmers who’ve lost about 10st between them.

So the competition was fierce!

A long-awaited taster session

Before proceedings began, we had a taster session – my first at Slimming World since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

As most members will know, group sessions in which the big awards are presented usually coincide with taster night – or taster morning in this case.

This involves members taking along some Syn-free or low-Syn snacks or dishes they’ve made. And there were some belters this week, everything from individual trifles to things-on-sticks and fresh fruit salads.

My entry was a Smoked Salmon Terrine (recipe from Nigel Slater). I took along about ten of them in little Sunpet tubs and served them with Finn Crisp crispbread crackers (which are a Syn each or SIX for a Healthy Extra B. I swear by them.

Here’s the terrine on my Instagram account:

It’s not the cheapest thing to make as it involves two types of smoked salmon (regular and hot-smoked), but it tastes divine and I made it Syn-free by switching the crème fraîche for fat-free Greek yoghurt, which worked just fine.

Anyway, it – and all the other treats – went down well with members and consultant alike.

Bouquets for all the nominees

On to the business end of today’s group. Tracy announced the nominations and presented Lynn and I with huge bouquets of beautiful sunflowers for being nominees. Caroline had a busy day ahead, so she’d already departed with her blooms after weighing in.

I’ve actually won Woman of the Year before, back in 2018. I’d only just come out as trans to my group (the Night Owls), and Tracy was our stand-in consultant at the time, so I’ve known and loved her for ages.

That night will always be really special to me – literally life-changing. Back then, the practice of nominees making a little speech about their journeys had stopped – and that was the case for a few years with all the awards, with various different consultants. I thought that was a big shame because I found the speeches really inspirational.

That said, I was so nervous back in 2018 that I might not have been able to make a speech as I was literally shaking. Anyway, today, the speeches were back – hooray!

Why we love Slimming World

Three years on from that night, I’m a far more confident person. So I gave a little talk about how my weight-loss journey and my transition journey were interweaved, and how I couldn’t really do one without the other.

I explained that Slimming World had helped me to come out as trans to friends and family – and then to the wider world – and that my old group was my “safe space” back in the days when I was taking those early steps of transition. It all seems so long ago now.

I also said how Slimming World was like a religion to me, and that I would be a member for life, how I felt about becoming a Target member, how I adored the plan, and I even gave this blog a little mention.

As Caroline wasn’t there, I spoke up for her, too, telling the group that her and my weight-loss journeys had been pretty similar, first losing several stones each, then struggling and regaining a good chunk of it back – and then finally getting our mojos back and absolutely smashing it. Caroline was a well-deserved Night Owls Woman of the Year last year.

And then Lynn did her speech, telling the group about her journey, about losing loads of weight and about why she loved Slimming World, especially on the food side of things. She always posts such fab photos of her meals on the group’s Facebook page.

And the winner is…

Applause all round, and then it was vote time. Tracy handed out slips of paper and pens for members to write down the names of who they thought should win.

She collected them in and then headed behind the pay-and-weigh table to carry out the all-important count. There was much ooooooh-ing and aaaaaaaah-ing. Apparently, the result was close!

But there could only be one winner. Emerging from the table speaking from behind a colourless Perspex Covid-19 visor, she announced:

“And the winner of Woman of the Year… iiiiiiiiiis…

(BIG PAUSE!)

“Andie!”

Give us a bash of that glamorous sash!

“Oh my God!” was my response as my hands shot up to cover my wide-open mouth. I was just grateful to have been nominated. To win for a second time – especially at my new group – felt brilliant.

I bounced up to the front of the room, and collected my certificate and all-important shiny sticker, along with a fire-engine red “Woman of the Year” sash and a scented candle inscribed with “Shine bright like the star you are” on its tin.

I couldn’t – and still can’t – stop smiling. Fellow members came to congratulate me and then, one by one, headed out to enjoy the weekend until there was just Tracy and I remaining.

Big hugs from my consultant

Bless her, she gave me a big hug and told me how proud she was, and how far I’d come. Tracy is an absolute superstar of a consultant, and she’s had my back right from when I first came out as trans in 2018.

She totally gets how my two journeys mesh, and she has been nothing but a staunch trans ally all the way through. I’m so pleased to have got to Target under her wing – and will hopefully reach a second one soon.

I also asked her what the criteria was for the next step – as I know some Woman of the Year group victors go through to district finals at Slimming World’s Sparkly Castle. I think there are then regional finals and then a national awards night.

And it turns out I would have qualified – the criteria is that you need to have lost at least 4st and then won your group’s Woman of the Year award. I’ve lost 5st 4lbs, so no problem there.

Sadly, the district finals have already taken place – our Woman of the Year event was held about a month late due to Tracy having Covid-19.

Damn you, Coronavirus!

Telling my story at the Sparkly Castle

However, all is not lost. Tracy wants to tell my story to the team at head office, so we’ll see what happens there.

Whether they’ll publish anything remains to be seen but, speaking as a former journalist, I reckon the story of someone who won Man of the Year and Mr Sleek pre-transition – and then got to Target while winning Woman of the Year (and Miss Slinky, last year) is a pretty compelling one, though I do say so myself!

How amazing would it be to feature in the pages of Slimming World Magazine – a publication I’ve read for years and always held in such high regard?

That really would be a dream come true.