Slimming World As A Couple: Our Weight Loss

As those who have followed my slimming journey for some time will know, my boyfriend Stuart also follows the Slimming World plan. We actually met through a mutual interest in losing weight. However, we had both started our journeys completely independently. Navigating Slimming World as a couple is incredibly interesting at times, and it certainly brings a unique set of challenges and triumphs.

Stuart had got to his target weight with a staggering loss of 22 stone and 9lb. I was a fair way through my own weight loss journey when we first started dating. Now, a few years down the line, we have been following the plan together.

Doing Slimming World as a couple means our routines constantly shift. Sometimes we are both strictly on the plan, sometimes one is and the other isn’t, and sometimes neither of us is focused at all! Today I want to share the absolute truth of my experiences regarding the good and bad aspects of slimming as a couple. If you are thinking about starting a weight loss journey with your partner, this guide will give you a realistic look at what to expect.

Who do you dress up for anyway?

I guess when you are comfortable with each other and completely happy in your relationship, you are far more likely to chill out at home in leggings and loose lounge pants. Or is that just me? When you feel safe and loved, it is so easy to let the weight creep on because the stretchy clothes still fit perfectly well. You stop worrying about dressing up for date nights and start prioritising cosy nights in on the sofa. This doesn’t change when you join Slimming World as a couple.

Then, when your more structured clothes do not fit anymore, the fun and games abruptly end. The weight is suddenly there and impossible to ignore. It is incredibly easy to slip into the bigger sizes of clothes you have pushed to the back of the wardrobe. In my experience, it is only when the choice of those comfortable clothes becomes severely limited that the real panic sets in. You realise that relationship contentment has slowly turned into unhealthy habits. Recognising this shift is the very first step to getting back on track with Slimming World as a couple. If you are struggling with this, you can read more about my own experiences with letting weight creep on in my post about my secret weight struggles.

Eat together, lose together on Slimming World as a couple

If you are living together, or even just eating and preparing all your meals together, doing Slimming World as a couple makes it so much easier to stay on plan. When you both agree on the menu, you naturally eat the right things. Batch cooking becomes a shared activity, and filling the fridge with fresh vegetables feels like a joint mission rather than a solo chore.

Though for me, it is the times I am not with Stuart that cause the most trouble. When he is out or at work, the snacks sometimes sneak in. My brain tries to tell me that because he will not know, it will not hurt him or my diet. This secret snacking is a common pitfall. The reality is that the only person you are tricking is yourself. Having a supportive partner at home is brilliant, but you must also build the willpower to stay on plan when they are not sitting right next to you. According to research by the NHS on successful weight loss, having a supportive home environment significantly increases your chances of keeping the weight off long term.

Slimming World as a couple – On it together

This is undeniably the best part of slimming together. When we are both completely “on it” and determined, we spur each other on to achieve great things. We plan our meals meticulously, we check the syn values of everything, and we hold each other accountable.

During these highly motivated weeks, we eat entirely on the plan. As a result, we are both happy and feeling great. The shared sense of achievement when you both have a good result on the scales is amazing. You get to celebrate together, knowing you have both put in the hard work. This mutual support system is the absolute biggest advantage of doing Slimming World as a couple. It creates a positive feedback loop where your success motivates your partner, and their success motivates you right back.

Slimming World as a couple – Competing against each other

Despite sounding slightly negative at first glance, this is actually a quite good aspect of slimming with my boyfriend. If I know he is really determined one week, it makes me significantly more determined too. A little bit of healthy competition can be exactly what you need to push past a weight loss plateau.

I cook all the food in our house. If he is being strict and sticking to his portions, I know he will lose a good amount on the scales. This gives me the extra motivation that week to ensure I lose just as well as Stuart does! However, it is important to remember that men and women lose weight at completely different rates. According to the British Dietetic Association, men often lose weight faster initially due to higher muscle mass and different metabolic rates. I have to remind myself of this scientific fact so I do not get disheartened if his numbers are bigger than mine. The competition has to remain friendly and focused on personal effort rather than just the final number.

Using his excuses when following Slimming World as a couple

When I know that Stuart is not as focused on the plan as usual, for example, when he has a work night out or a stressful week, it makes me much less motivated. On weeks like this, I almost use his excuses as my own. It is a very dangerous trap to fall into when navigating Slimming World as a couple.

I sneak odd extra things into my diet, thinking that it does not matter because he will not be losing weight either. I justify that extra piece of chocolate by saying we are having an “off week” together. The reality is our journeys are completely separate. My body does not care what Stuart is eating. I absolutely should not use him as my excuse, but in my head, I still often do! Recognising this mental hurdle is crucial. You have to learn to say no, even when your partner is treating themselves.

You can exercise together when following Slimming World as a couple

Before Stuart’s osteoarthritis in his knee got so severe, there were times when we went running together quite frequently. We both trained for and completed the Great North Run and the Mansfield 10k. This shared goal was great motivation for me, and I absolutely loved going running with him in the evenings.

I loved the fact we both did the exact same races. I was competing not just against myself, but against him too. I am not a competitive person really, I promise! Though in case you are wondering, I beat him in both races! Admittedly, this was because he was suffering from a terrible injury due to his arthritis before it got worse and stopped him from running at all. However, this is not the point. The point is I won! Finding an exercise you both enjoy, whether that is walking, swimming, or cycling, makes a massive difference to your overall health and fitness. If you need ideas on how to start moving more, check out my guide on how to make time for workouts.

Slimming World as a couple – We lead each other into temptation

There are so many times when we have both been a little tempted by junk food or a cheeky takeaway. Instead of both saying no and reminding each other to stay strong, we each encourage the bad choices. We forget that we do not actually need a full tube of Pringles each or massive healthy extra b bread rolls filled with butter.

We end up adopting a terrible “I will if you will” kind of rationale. At the end of the day, this mindset is not actually helping either of us achieve our goals. It is so easy to enable each other when you are both craving something sweet or salty. Overcoming this requires one person to step up and be the voice of reason. If you can learn to intercept those mutual cravings and suggest a healthy Slimming World alternative instead, your journey as a couple will be much smoother.

Slimming World as a couple – Love is blind

We both really do love each other for who we are on the inside. It sounds incredibly soppy, I know, but it is entirely true. We are both genuinely happy in our relationship, regardless of what the scales say. Slimming World as a couple is through choice and to better ourselves for ourselves, not for each other.

Therefore, I guess we do not always push or encourage each other to lose weight as aggressively as we could. By still being perfectly happy and showing each other the exact same love and attention we always have, the urgency to slim down fades away. Unconditional love is a beautiful thing, but it can sometimes make you complacent about your physical health. You have to find the delicate balance between accepting your partner exactly as they are, while still supporting their desire to become healthier and fitter for the future.

Slimming World as a couple – Copying each other

It is unbelievably easy to copy each other and think less for yourself when you eat together every day. I have noticed my portion sizes creeping up steadily simply because I serve myself the exact same amount of food as Stuart. Portion distortion is a massive issue when doing Slimming World as a couple.

However, he is a man. He is much taller than me and his body naturally needs more calories than mine does. By me copying him without even realising it, I am simply eating way too much food! You have to be incredibly mindful of this when plating up your meals. Just because the food is syn-free on Slimming World does not mean you can eat limitless amounts if it pushes you past your comfortable fullness cues. Weighing out portions and listening to your own body is essential, rather than just matching what your partner is eating.

Slimming World as a couple – Doing everything together

We are not the kind of couple that spend every waking moment together. Stuart and I actually spend most of the day apart due to work commitments and daily routines. That is not even considering the time we happily spend on our own individual hobbies and me time.

However, all that being said, when we are together, especially at weekends and late in the evenings, we tend to eat things together. If one of us is feeling peckish and gets a snack from the kitchen, the other inevitably does too. There must be countless times one of us is eating just because the other one is chewing something. Tragically, often, we do not even realise we are doing this until the packets are empty. Breaking the habit of synchronised snacking is vital if you want to succeed at Slimming World as a couple. You have to ask yourself if you are actually hungry, or if you are just eating because your partner is.

Slimming World as a couple is a journey full of highs and lows. It requires excellent communication, a lot of patience, and the ability to focus on your own plate. If you can navigate these ten truths, you will find that having your partner by your side is the greatest weight loss tool of all.

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Do you do Slimming World as a couple? Let me know in the comments below.

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