I lost 2 and 1/2 stone in 5 months (Slimming World)

Member Name: mum2boys82

Product:	Slimming World
Date:	28/03/08 (2442 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: You too can lose weight

Disadvantages: You can't mix meat and carbs

Slimming world was the first pay weekly dieting club that I tried after having my second baby and feeling awful about all of the weight I had put on (almost 3 stone), and the fact that I could not fit into any of my pre pregnancy clothes any more.

Why did I pick slimming world? Basically it was the nearest and cheapest diet club, and after joining and talking to other members I realised I had stumbled into the best group going for reasons I will explain later.

The price - each week you must pay £4.50 whether you have lost weight, put weight on or maintained unless you are a target member (I will also explain this later). This seems quite a lot of money to basically stand on some scales and be told your weight, but if you stick around there is an image therapy session afterwards where you can swap recipes, chat with other members and not feel like you are the only person in the world who feels fat!

The diet
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Most people seem to have heard of this diet and understand the 2 basic diet options, original/red days where you eat unlimited amounts of meat, and green days where you eat unlimited amounts of carbs such as pasta, potato, rice. On both days you can eat unlimited veg (except beans and peas which are green day foods) and fruit and you have healthy extras as well.

Healthy extras come as A's and B's, A's are milk and cheese on both red and green days. B's are cereal, crisp breads etc. on a green day they can be meat and on a red day they can be beans, potatoes etc. These are a measured amount, but they are the only thing except syns that you need to measure! (some other diets you need to weigh and measure everything to count calories, or add up points) You can have 2 A's and 2 B's every day and the choice is really varied so you never get bored of eating the same things!

Syns are the naughty bits you love too much! You can have between 5 - 15 syns per day and still lose weight. Things like a packet of low fat crisps is about 5 syns with French Fries being one of the best in my books. Full size chocolate bars are normally 15 syns or over but if you buy fun size they are normally only 6/7 syns each. The consultant will be able to help you work out all your syns.

The rewards
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The most obvious reward is the losing weight, each 1/2 stone you loose you will get a sticker to display on your book and each week the person who has lost the most weight wins slimmer of the week and gets another sticker and a certificate, also most groups ask members to take 1 piece of fruit with them and the slimmer of the week gets to take all the fruit home!

You get to set your own goal of what you want your weight to be, and once you reach that goal you will then be a target member (I reached target the last week before Christmas and am still within target, losing just over 2 1/2 stone making me lighter than I was before I got pregnant the first time round!). This means that so long as you don't put on more than 3lbs or lose more than 3lbs you will never have to pay again. If you do put on a few extra pounds you just pay each week until you are within 3lb of your target, it's that simple. Once you are at target you are allowed to have extra syns and healthy extras to keep your weight maintained, but this is a case of trying out how much extra you can eat without the weight going back on and takes a while to get the hang of, that's why you have 3lbs grace! Some other clubs give you more lea way with how much you can put on, but they also charge you more each week until you get to target.

Image Therapy
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This is an important part of the slimming world experience for me as it gives you a chance to meet new people and discuss ideas for new foods. It also gives you a chance to look through all the slimming world cook books and order any that you like through your consultant, I have seen some of the cook books and syn value books going for almost 3 times the amount you pay thought the consultants on Ebay so this saves you loads of money.

I would recommend this diet to anyone who can live without meat and potato in one meal. I tend to follow the green days and mainly live as a vegetarian which suits me, but I know some people can't have a meal without meat, or meat without potatoes, in which case you may find this diet too difficult. I think this is the best group because it is one of the cheapest and you don't have to weigh everything you eat which would get really annoying very quickly for me personally.

By the way I am using the term diet throughout this review, but it is really a life style change as if you go back to eating the same as you did then the weight will go back on!

For more information visit www.slimmingworld.co.uk

Summary: Great diet!