Weight-loss diet plans have come a long way from being a plate of salad or a bowl of granola. Today, diet has evolved to be an innovative combination of food science and gourmet.
Slimming World has taken it up a notch with its unique Food Optimising theory. Their theory is quite simple - fill up on weight-friendly foods to avoid binge-eating sinful foods.
Diet enthusiasts constantly hunt for healthy weight-loss programs that call for little compromise and are flavorful. Slimming World crafts weight-loss plans that bring the best of both worlds calorie counting free and appetizing food.
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Slimming World has been an inspiring weight loss initiative for 50 years. While it started off as a small community with members aiming to reduce weight and dealing with the physical, emotional, and social pressures that come with weight gain and obesity, Slimming World today has a chain of 19,000 community-based groups across the UK.
Even though they have expanded massively, their mission remains to be the same - to create a new approach to weight loss and weight management and to guide and motivate people to lose unhealthy pounds.
Over the decades, Slimming World has become synonymous with weight loss. Their community clubs are led by consultants who are trained in nutrition and lifestyle changes at the Slimming World Academy. These consultants of Slimming World clubs are role models given their remarkable achievements in weight loss.
Slimming World is driven by its unique theory of Food Optimising. Simply put, the theory advocates that you can fill up on certain foods without putting on weight. They believe in creating a no-hungry weight loss diet plan that is easy to commit to and doesn't involve a lot of constraints.
Slimming World calls these foods as Free Foods' which, in their words, you can eat without weighing, counting, or measuring. You don't have to constantly calculate your calorie intake.
Slimming World understands the psychology of people with weight issues. Their Food Optimising program is crafted based on satiety and energy density. People pursuing weight loss diets quit because of lack of food satisfaction, frequent hunger, or low energy. Recognizing the causes of relapse, the Slimming World diet plan is a no-hunger plan that offers satisfying, delicious, healthy meals.
Weight-loss plans by Slimming World are created based on each nutrition factor of every vegetable, fruit, meat, and dairy. Every food item is categorized into Free Foods, Healthy Extras, and Syns.
Free foods are foods that you can eat guiltlessly like fruits, vegetables, and lean meat; Healthy Extras add some balance to the diet like fat-free dairy; Syns are the most-loved foods which are a once-in-a-while indulgence like chocolates and wine.
A daily Slimming World diet menu includes 5 portions of fruits and vegetables along with the right amount of protein-rich foods, carbohydrates, fiber, and calcium-rich foods. The meal has reduced amounts of saturated fat and added sugars.
Their diet plan follows the science of nutrition, incorporating foods high in protein and fiber that are more satiating.
Free Foods are foods that satisfy the appetite while reducing overall calorie intake. Lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruit, grains, potatoes, and pasta are some examples of Free Foods. These make Food Optimising easy to accept and sustain as compared to weight loss programs that usually cause food deprivation, frequent hunger, and low energy levels. According to Slimming World, Free Foods can be eaten liberally.
Healthy Extras are foods eaten each day in a measured amount in addition to Free Foods to provide an overall balance of nutrients. Slimming World diet specifically emphasizes consuming calcium- and fiber-rich foods, like dairy products, cereals, and wholemeal bread.
The calcium-rich foods are categorized as Healthy Extras (A) and the fiber-rich foods are categorized as Healthy Extras (B). Slimming World recommends consuming three healthy extras a day.
Syns are foods that members can guiltlessly enjoy if they are following the Slimming World diet plan. These are foods which usual weight loss diet plans completely ban. They believe that if we try to completely avoid food items we love, we give in to temptation and binge which counters every effort that we may have taken so far in our diet.
Syns can be eaten in small measurements which helps members naturally limit the intake of high calorie-dense foods such as fats, alcohol, and sugar. These foods have a poor ability to satisfy hunger and, when consumed in large amounts, make weight loss difficult.
The Slimming World diet plan allows consumption of food with maximum of 10 Syn value.
Despite being famous for its diet program, Slimming World strongly emphasizes the positive role of physical activity in losing weight. They believe the toughest challenge is to motivate people to change their lifestyle.
Body Magic is an activity program that helps members of Slimming World adopt a physically active lifestyle. People with weight-related problems often fail to commit to the usual gymming and workout plans. The Body Magic plan is created to convince members to counter their mental barriers in adopting an active lifestyle.
Body Magic is based on the psychological and scientific understanding of behavior change. Slimming World partnered with the acclaimed exercise and public health expert, Professor Ken Fox.
Instead of imposing gym workout plans on members, Body Magic helps them realize their preference for activities which can be increased gradually over time and eventually become a part of routine life. The aim is to build a habit, not a regime.
Members of Slimming World inspire each other with proven strategies that helped them step out. Just like personalized diet plans, members receive personalized strategies that convince them to get moving. The basic idea is to encourage members to build up at least 30 minutes of moderate activity for five days a week.
Over the years, Body Magic has successfully guided members to commit to an activity plan and support them until that plan becomes a part of their everyday routine.
Slimming World claims that followers of their diet have successfully lost at least 8% of their body weight in 6 months and 13% in a year. Members with success stories share that they lose at least 1 - 2 pounds a week. There have been numerous success stories that support the belief that the Slimming World diet can yield positive results.
As is with every weight loss effort, the effect of the Slimming World diet plan can vary from person to person. People with obesity should consult their physicians first before embarking on any ambitious weight loss plan.
Slimming World has 90,000 members enrolled in its groups across the UK and Ireland. You can enroll in their weekly meetings or their online plans.
Similarly to WW (Weight Watchers), group meetings are led by consultants and held at convenient times in the day. Consultants walk you through a weight loss plan, guide you, and weigh you every week.
The friendly and supportive atmosphere in the support groups encourages and motivates new members to stay on their path to weight loss. The consultants give you advice and support during the week as well. You can join the Slimming Group at £4.95 per week.
Slimming World has recently established its online forum to expands its reach. Individuals who are not able to attend support groups can enroll in the online community of Slimming World members. Like the community meetups, the online community members interact and inspire each other. The monthly cost of online membership is £20.
Whether you register online or in a group, you can receive free access to website and apps that are exclusively for our members. Their website and apps have hundreds of recipes, menu plans, and activity tracking tools.
The group meetings last for an hour where members discuss each other success stories and challenges they faced. For members of Slimming World Online, the interactive chat support helps members communicate with each other.
The Slimming World group members participate in Individual Motivation and Group Experience Therapy - a unique approach that avoids criticism and judgment and uses techniques to help individuals overcome personal barriers.
Each week a member experiences the three stages of IMAGE therapy:
For people desperate to lose weight, every approach to weight loss is worth a try as long as it is healthy. If you're losing a few pounds you recently gained, the diet plan on the Internet and magazines may be good enough. However, serious weight-related issues like obesity need professional guidance from people who have been through the tough path.
The Slimming World doesn't cost much and they have many success stories to prove their point. Their diet plans are based on scientific facts and, while they swear by their Food Optimising philosophy, they also encourage physical activity.
The community-based model of Slimming World has proven to be supportive of overweight individuals who deal with complexes like low self-esteem, guilt, shame, and demotivation. The group is guided by Slimming World Consultants who avoid any activity that can lead to body shaming or guilt. If you are looking for both support and solutions, then Slimming World can be worthwhile.
A diet plan, especially for weight loss, should contribute to physical well-being and the Slimming World weight loss program consists of all elements that are essential to overall wellness.
Global awareness about weight-related health problems has turned weight-loss into a serious regime and, not surprisingly, an industry. Grocery stores are lined with low calorie food items and every food magazine has at least one diet piece on its cover. But that's not the entire story of a diet plan. That means a balance of nutrients, carbohydrates, and fats. After all, weight loss isn't just about looking fit; it is about feeling fit.