Slimming World

Slimming World is a UK based weight loss organisation. The company began in 1969 with a small number of groups in Derbyshire and it then expanded into Yorkshire. By 2012 there was over 10,000 groups which made it the largest slimming club in the UK and Ireland.

Slimming World has a charity "SMILES" and a magazine. Slimming World also publishes recipe books and directories that are available in group.
Slimming World has an online weight loss program which was launched in 2004. The website is www.slimmingworld.com and the Slimming World slogan is "because you're amazing".

Slimming World members follow a "food optimising" eating plan, take moderate activity through the "body magic" program and have weekly group support through shared experiences with other slimmers to encourage behavior change and this is called IMAGE therapy.

Slimming World's eating plan is based on the science of satiety (the satisfying qualities of food) and energy density. Foods that satisfy the appetite and are low in energy density (fruit, veg, pasta, potatoes, fish, lean meat) are called free foods and can be eaten without weighing, counting or measuring. Foods that are often banned on other weight loss plans are allowed within food optimising and those are controlled by a "syns" counting system.

Slimming World's "IMAGE" (Individual Motivation And Group Experience) therapy group support system uses elements of transactional analysis, motivational interviewing, influence of ego states on behavior and more recently compassionate mind theory.
During the hour long group session, members share experiences from the past week, discuss their weight losses or gains and share ideas and strategies for the week ahead. Members share practical advice on how to cope when motivation is low or recipe suggestions. At group members get weighed and the change is shared with the group. The actual weight of members is confidential and not shared with the group.

There are 3 easy steps to losing weight in a more effective, more enjoyable and a more healthy way.

1. Choose Free Foods - most foods eaten every day should come from the free foods list. They are free foods because you can eat as much of them as you want without having to count, weigh or measure the quantities of food. 

2.Choose healthy extras - In addition to the free foods you eat to satisfy your appetite, each day choose from the list of healthy extra's. These are designed to give your body the vital vitamins, minerals and fibre needed. Healthy extra's include milk or cheese for calcium and wholemeal bread and breakfast cereals for fibre. 

3. Choose your syns - On top of all that you can make more choices with the unique syns system that is designed to take the guilt right out of eating. All food that is not free has syns (a syn value). You can choose how you spend your daily syns. 

On Slimming World, it is accepted that spices and other store cupboard staples are added to foods so that slimmers do not get bored of foods that they eat day in and day out. 

Food optimising will work if the slimmer gives it 100% of their effort. Giving 100% effort means changing the way you shop, cook and eat. These changes are easy and realistic and they will benefit your health, help you slim and amaze you with the results they bring. 

As a member of Slimming World, it may help you to keep a food diary for as long as you feel the need too. A food diary means that you write down everything you eat and drink so you can see what you are doing right and wrong. A food diary will help you identify what you need to change in your eating habits. Foe example, if you go over your syns a food diary will help you to see what made you go over your syns and show where changes need to be made. Make sure to measure foods that are not free as guessing will jeopardise your weight loss. 

Slimming World teaches about spoon sense. A heaped spoonful is three times a level spoonful so do not cheat yourself as this will affect weight loss. Trim and win is a term used often in Slimming World. Lean meat and poultry means that all the fat is trimmed off and the skin removed. Once the fat and the skin has been removed, the meat and poultry becomes free and that means it can be eaten without measuring, weighing or counting. It is recommended that one third of the plate gets filled with speed foods and speed foods should be the first choice in between meals to super charge weight loss.