As you are probably aware I lost over ten stone following the Slimming World diet. This is my Slimming World online guide that should help you to understand how the plan works. It is not in any way affiliated to Slimming World but more my explanation and understanding of how it works.
Who is this guide for?
I am a busy mum though and I know you are busy too so this guide should help you follow Slimming World online! Not everyone feels comfortable joining a group, and many people do the plan through the online website or follow Slimming World without joining at all. Can you do Slimming World without joining a group? Honestly, yes, you can.
What can you eat on Slimming World?
The food you can eat when food optimising (the term Slimming World use for following their plan!) is made up of the following elements:
- Eat 1 Healthy extra b choice a day
- Enjoy 2 Healthy extra a choices a day
- Eat up to 15 syns a day (some exclusions apply, see below)
- Enjoy as many free foods as you like
- Each meal should have at least 1/3 of the meal as speed foods
As long as you keep your food choices within your daily syn allowance you can eat what you like!
What is Slimming World?
The Slimming World weight loss plan is the same whether you follow it online or in a group. Everyone is different and finds different elements of following the food optimising plan more motivating.
Slimming World is a weight loss plan designed to change your lifestyle and make healthier eating normal for you. That said, it can be hard if you have an obsessive personality in my experience. This is because in some ways it isn’t always sustainable to count and measure things forever.
Can you get Slimming World books without joining a group?
The Slimming World books are available for online Slimming World members as well as those in groups. The starter pack and recipe books are available online as part of the online membership options. They are also often found in charity shops and online marketplaces like Vinted, eBay etc.
Is doing Slimming World without joining a group different?
If you join the Slimming World plan online the food optimising plan is the same with free food, healthy extras, and syns choices. If you follow the plan without official guidance, you do what works for you.
Advantages of a Slimming World Group:
- Regular support from leader and other members
- Weekly weigh in on calibrated scales
- Certificates and awards
- Access to Slimming World app
Advantages of Slimming World online
- Access to the plan and official recipes from Slimming World
- No “happy clappy” in group
- Access to Slimming World App
Advantages of doing Slimming World at home alone
- Saving money on group or online fees
- It fits well around your life
- You can use Slimming World recipes you find online with approximate syns, buy books to help, or follow my recipes which are mostly all suitable.
Getting started with your weight loss
The first thing I recommend you to do is to take measurements of your weight, inches in all the areas you hate and height. Did you know you can get taller and your feet could shrink?
Take a full-length photo too, this photo and these measurements are great to compare as you lose weight. Whilst following the plan weigh yourself weekly, in the same place in the house in similar clothes on the same scales. This is important as it can fluctuate so much.
Some scales weigh up to 39 stone/247kg so don’t worry if they will hold your weight. There are so many scales that are perfect for you if you are doing Slimming World online or on your own.
It can also help to buy a food diary or weight loss planner to keep you motivated.
A guide to syns
The syns aspect of the food optimising eating plan is there so you do not feel deprived. By allowing yourself a small number of treats a day you are said to be more likely to stay on plan and feel less restricted.
Most people get 15 syns a day so with snacks like chocolate from around 5 syns you can have a little treat.
Snacks
There are so many snacks nothing is off-limits. It is all about the portion size and the syns in the snack. Check out my favourite snacks here!
How many syns are you allowed in a day?
The basic amount that most Slimming World consultants will tell Slimming World members for ease is 15 syns a day. This is not accurate as actually the brand have guidelines for different weight and genders. Always use your gender at birth as that is how your metabolism works.
Syn allowance for woman
- Under 16 stone women – up to 15 syns a day.
- 16 to 20 stone – up to 20 syns a day.
- Over 20 stone – up to 25 syns a day.
Men’s syn allowance
- Up to 16 stone – up to 25 syns a day.
- 16 to 20 stone – up to 30 syns a day.
- Over 20 stone – up to 35 syns a day.
Why do men and women have different syn allowances?
I agree it seems very unfair! Men and women have very different metabolisms and the nutritionists and dietitians at Slimming World decided this fitted with the different calorie allowances for men and women.
This also explains why men often appear to lose weight at Slimming World much more quickly if they weigh 20stone plus and are advised only up to 15 syns a day they are inevitably going to lose more weight, aren’t they!
How many calories are in a syn?
If a food does not contain any “free foods” then a syn is approximately 20 calories. This makes it easy to calculate out and about if you pick up a 300 kcal bar of chocolate this will be around 15 syns. Of course, you are always going to get the most accurate values on the Slimming World website so check it out if you are unsure.
How to lose a stone in a month!
If you have a lot of weight to lose and you stick to this food optimising eating plan as described in this post religiously then you certainly can lose a stone in a month.
If, on the other hand, you only have a stone to lose then losing it in a month is highly unlikely, of course not impossible but not likely. Any diet that promises a specific weight loss regardless of your starting weight is likely to be fake and unhealthy. Have you read my article about fake weight loss photos?
Why and how does Slimming World work?
The basis behind the plan is that by increasing the number of vegetables you eat you will fill up on lower-calorie foods. A lower calorie diet will help you lose weight as weight loss is fewer calories in than out!
By cooking meals from scratch using free foods (lean meats, pasta rice etc) to help you inevitably you will consume fewer calories. Slimming World uses food optimising to teach you about free foods, healthy extra choices and syns to make the best food choices every day.
Should I exercise?
You might be wondering if the plan works without any exercise? According to Slimming World, exercising isn’t necessary to lose weight; if you can optimize your food correctly, you can achieve a good result without physically exercising.
If you do exercise, this will certainly help you tone up and get fitter. I lost my 10 stone without any exercise to speak of and then decided to start running.
If you are worried about exercise equipment with a high weight capacity then don’t panic, check the two articles below as both have some great choices to help.
What is Slimming World SP or EESP?
This is the low carbohydrate plan, high protein and high fruit and veg plan devised by Slimming World to be followed for short periods for good weight loss.
More information about the SP plan.
Slimming World friendly meal plans
I have a huge list of free ready-made suitable for Slimming World meal plans I have designed for you.
Can children join Slimming World?
Slimming World requires you to be an adult to join but with the support of a doctor, children can join from age 11. My son was a member for a while and his journey I shared here. Ben joined aged 11 and enjoyed his Slimming World plan.
Slimming World membership offers
If you are looking to join but want to save money when you do so then keep an eye out for women’s magazines such as chat, woman’s own etc.
They often have free joining vouchers and other similar offers.
How to get a free Slimming World membership
Some areas have referral programmes through the NHS to pay for membership to Slimming World so it is always worth asking your doctor if this is the case. This can change, so ask again even if you asked a year ago and they did not do it then.
If you are looking to join for free you can usually find vouchers in women’s magazines such as Chat. Using one of these vouchers usually means you then only have to pay the weekly fee.
Other weight loss articles you may find helpful
If you are looking for a new diet to try and still undecided check out my full weight loss guide with lots of different plans. A few popular ones are:
- The Optifast Diet
- The Noom Diet
- Second Nature Diet
- Ketogenic diet
- Weight Watchers
- Fast800
- Weight loss surgery
- Lighter Life
- Carnivore Diet
- Meal replacement diets
