How does Slimming World work?
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.
Just Average Jen is an independent blog not connected with any weight loss plan. Please check nutritional values and/or syns yourself.
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 uses 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
- Syns – Your treats!
- Unlimited Free Foods
- 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 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.
Syns
The syns aspect of the food optimising eating plan is there so you do not feel deprived. By allowing yourself treats every day, you are said to be more likely to stay on plan and feel less restricted.
To find out how many syns are in your favourite treats or how many syns you can have, check out my syn calculator.
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 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), you will inevitably 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 optimise 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, I shared his journey here.
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
Hello Just Average Jen! I just stumbled upon your website and I wanted to say that I think it’s great that you’re sharing your Slimming World journey with the world. I have been struggling with my weight for a while now, and reading about your experiences and seeing your progress is really motivating.
Super article I enjoyed reading through this. I have just joined Slimming world online and found it a little confusing.
I’ve always thought about maybe joining Slimming World. I had a really bad experience with a Weightwatchers group which has kind of put me off going again. The woman running the group shouted at me because I was losing 3lbs a week in front of everyone saying I was loosing too much! It totally put me off going again!
A mum who loves, gin, chocolate & leggings! We could be sisters! This is a great post and a real incentive. I look forward to the meal plans
You might have just saved me from my lockdown body nightmare xxx
Great details, very comprehensive.
Thank you for the time and effort into putting this information together. It is really helpful and motivating me to try and lose this weight once and for all! Thank you Jen 🙂
Great article, was really what I needed to read today after deciding to get back to slimming world following having a baby. I’m disgusted with myself that i have let myself get so far so am very grateful to find your article thank you.
I have just subscribed and look forward to receiving the menu plans. Feeling so rubbish with this extra weight.
Great informative post. Need to shift my covid19 stay at home weight. Definitely going to try your meal plan. Thanks so much for taking the time to put this together.
Very helpful advice and spurred me on to try the plan for free.
Thank you for putting your hearth and soul into this post you have explained everything about slimming world so easy I had lost 3 st last year with a fabulous consultant but covid came and then my consultant decided to retire and I wasn’t happy with the new lady or the new venue I’ve been trying to do it on my own but finding it hard but now I have your post i will give it ? per cent thank you again
Thank you for putting your hearth and soul into this post you have explained everything about slimming world so easy I had lost 3 st last year with a fabulous consultant but covid came and then my consultant decided to retire and I wasn’t happy with the new lady or the new venue I’ve been trying to do it on my own but finding it hard but now I have you post the will give it ? per cent thank you again
Very comprehensive article. Thank you so much. I plan on starting my weight loss journey with Slimming World .
I am looking forward to seeing your meal plans x
I cannot wait to use the plan, I understood how you had written how to use the slimming world plan/diet, thank you for making so easy to understand and follow. I AM going to do this
I have learnt more while reading this which you have explained so clearly. i now understand so much more and ready to get started again. Thank you
My mother is part of my local slimmers world group and she loves it and I love some of the SW recipes!
I’m currently following a low-card diet, but i found the Slimming World – speeding food chart really useful/ Thanks for sharing it!
I’ve always been curious about how foods are classified as syns, free or speed so this was a brilliant explanation, thank you. Although I’m very sad to see that avocados are syns as I absolutely LOVE them! Lisa 🙂
My friend was on slimming world and I would cook her meals on the plan. I was surprised how good the meals were, no feeling hungry after either. I think it’s definitely the healthiest way to loose weight!
I really found this helpful, I really do need to start looking at my weight and what i eat. I can do it without going to a group physically I just need to get my head in gear to start. You have made this so much easier for me to understand
I love sweetcorn but i prefer corn that baby corn. I wonder why it is better?
Thanks for explaining it all so well, you did amazingly! My friend used to go to Slimming World and she too had great success there.
What a useful guide! Great ideas and information for slimming world newbies.
Great article! I never managed to lose weight easily