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Slimming World
Slimming World is a long-established UK company which operates a very successful weight-loss program as a weekly class for members, based on its diet plan “Food Optimising”. (NOTE: All trade marks mentioned in this article are the property of the registered proprietor).
Food Optimising Diet
The Slimming World Food Optimising Diet promotes weight-loss through calorie restriction in the diet. Members are encouraged to be active, but exercise is not a formal part of the Slimming World plan. The diet is based on these principles:
- Nutritious or filling foods having a low calorie content are termed “free foods” (that is, the quantity consumed is unrestricted).
- Higher-calorie foods containing plenty of minerals, vitamins or fiber are termed “healthy extras”, and are recommended to be eaten in 4 small servings daily.
- Other foods are measured against a daily allowance based on their “syn values” (coined by Slimming World and short for synergy SYN is actually a re-working of the registered trademark SIN). A total of between 5-15 syns per day is permitted, depending on your goals – 1 glass of wine comes in at 5 syns. Syn values for individual foods are calculated by a proprietary method based on calories, and the values for thousands of foods can be checked on the Slimmers World website by members of the program.
Red Days and Green Days
Each day of the weekly diet under the Food Optimising plan is termed an Original (or Red) day or a Green day. Foods may be classified differently depending on which day they are to be consumed.
- Red day “free foods” include most fruits and vegetables, white fish, lean meats and eggs. Milk, cheese, bread, grains, beans, potatoes and dried fruits are restricted “healthy extras”.
- Green day “free foods” include fruit and vegetables, grains, beans, pulses, pasta, rice, tofu, and eggs. “Healthy extras” include milk, cheese, bread, dried fruit, nuts and seeds, meat, and fish.
Participants choose either the Green or Original (Red) option for the day and stick to it all day. With either option, members can eat plenty of healthy, highly satisfying foods, while the intake of energy dense, fatty and sugary foods is controlled.
The recent addition of two further choices, Mix2Max and Success Express, gives more flexibility to the Food Optimising diet plan, and more options for slimmers.
- Mix2Max gives flexibility by allowing a mix of Green and Original the same day, choosing at each meal time instead of each day, and still allowing snacking through the day from a long list of foods.
- Success Express gives participants a super boost to their weight loss when needed, by allowing Green and Original Free Food on the same plate, without counting. One third of the plate is filled by free choice from Green or Original Free Food lists. The other two thirds is filled with so-called Superfree Foods (super healthy, super low in energy-density) such as vegetables and salad. There is still a long list of foods that can be snacked on throughout the day.
Sample Meal Plan
| Breakfast 1oz muesli and fat free vanilla yoghurt. Snack Lunch Dinner Syns: 0 |
Healthy extras
227g baked apple with 1tbs mincemeat, and 7 high fiber crackerbreads.
Main meal
On a Green day – Spicy chicken and spinach with pasta and a green salad.
- Stir fry in a wok, about 120g chicken, marinated in (fat-free) yoghurt and curry paste (2 syns) .
- Add spinach until wilted.
- Add steamed green beans.
- Add cooked pasta and half a small pot of fat-free natural yoghurt.
Sample Alternatives:
On a Green day, for a tasty and very filling spaghetti bolognese use a measured serving of lean mince in tomato sauce with plenty of pasta.
On an Original day, for a very satisfying lunch have a jacket potato, mounded with low-fat chicken curry.
Find more healthy low Calorie recipes here.
The difference between SW and a healthy balanced diet (which you can do freely if you put you mind to it) is nothing. The added advantages of SW is a reduced rate on the magazine (which in on way or another tells you how to achieve a healthy balanced diet), weekly weigh-ins (where you sometimes feel bad if you dont lose), and image theropy where you can meet new people and have a bit of a laugh.
I am currently a member of SW but i am thinking of leaving because the £4.95 i spend each week i could spend on buying more fruit and veg to feel me up. I joined SW thinking that it would involve some specially designed diet that was a closely guarded secret. To find that all it envolves is balancing fats, carbs ect and eating in moderation is somewhat disheartening for the amount of money i spend going to class and buying magazines ect.
The difference between slimming world and a healthy balanced diet (which can be achieved freely if you put your mind to it) is nothing. the added advantages of slimming world is and reduced rate on a magazine (which tells you how to create a healthy balanced diet), weekly weigh-ins (where you sometimes feel bad if you dont lose) and meeting new people at image theropy.
I am currently a memeber of slimming world but am thinking of leaving because for £4.95 a week i could buy extra fruit and veg to feel me up. I thought SW would help me lose weight through a special form of highly secretive dieting. To find all it involes is balancing things and eating in modration is somewhat dishearting for the amount that its costing me a mouth to go.
Hey everybody, I joined Slimming world november 2009, and in 16 weeks I have lost 1 stone 13 pounds! I really dont believe this website gives SW justice, as I wouldnt even class it as a diet, its more of a lifestyle choice. Theres never any need to go hungry, as so many beautifull foods are unlimited. This website is a bit dated, as now there is an ‘extra easy’ day, whereby you can mix red and green meals, as long as a third of your plate is ’superfree’ meaning veg, so typical meals include mix grills, beef/chicken roast dinners, bolagnases, pasta dishes, anything really! You can also eat out on the diet, as almost every restaurant serves a selection of meals which can be incorporated into the diet. I also go out at least once a week, and I just save up my ’syns’ (similar to weight watchers points) and have lots and lots of vodka diet cokes, or soco diet lemonade and lime. It really is an amazing plan, Im within one stone of my 9lb target and have never ever felt so good, I recommmend to anyone – one of the few things out there that ISNT too good to be true!
I would like to do the diet but I live in holland and on-line is quiet duur any help?
Hi,
I’m thinking of joining sw, can anyone give me the push that I need? I have already lost some weight on my own,but I now need a little help as I keep picking and feel hungry alot of the time.
\thanks Lynn
Hi, I’ve recently joined slimming world as i want to loose weight to be healthier and to feel more confident & sexier!
I have been doing it for a week but not sure if seen much improvement on the weight loss. The diet itself i love as i’m eating delicous healthy food and it doesnt fell like a diet but i want to know am i doing it right!!
for eg.
today i have eaten for breakfast cherry muller light (fat free yoghurt) & a big melon mixed witha satsumas.
I have snacked on carrots, celery & 2 apples.
For my lunch i had jacket potato & beans (no butter)
For my tea was planning to have pasta with tuna as a healthy extra with a philadelphia sauce/milk which will use more healthy extra.
so far today had no syns.
Do you recocommend having syns? am i doing this right or eating to much.
I’m so desperate to loose weight but last week saw no difference.
Thanks Beth xx
this is amazin G:D
Hi all,
just to let you know I joined sw abou 5 moths ago now, and have lost 2 stone, and dropped from a size 24 to a size 18 and feel wonderful, it might now sound all that great to some people but to the ones like myslfe we know thats a step in the right direction, I choose the extra easy plan because it fits in with my family, I never feel hungry and can eat all day long and still lose weight, and thats better than any shakes or pills if you ask me,is you go on slimming wrold on line there is a free week plan that you can try first, my friend joined 5 weeks ago and he has lost 2 stone the weight is faling off him and he looks wonderful. I cant tell you all how good I find this diet, well I dont think I can call it a diet I never feel hungry. good luck everyone, if I can help in anyway let me know.Mandy x
I have a lot of weight to lose… having tried and failed so many diets including a 2 1/2 stone weight loss with weight watchers but I put it all back on within a year because I was so fed up of feeling hungry all the time… not the case with this diet!
I decided to try slimming world and went for the first time in Jan 2010. I was petrified but knew I had to do something.
I have lost 12 1/2 pounds in 4 weeks. As I say I have a long way to go which is probably why I’ve lost more to begin with….?
But I am beginning to feel hopeful… the group is good fun and my leader is a hoot but he knows how it feels to need to lose more weight than most…he even rang me in my first week to encourage me.
Initially I took it just one meal at a time to begin with as I struggled to get my head around it. I only follow the extra easy plan as it even fits in with my busy life.
(5 kids and I work). I honestly believe if I can acheive success anyone can…. give it a try!!
i am thinking off joining the programme any tips.
ok, how do i copy and paste this info to someone. I cant do it, and im getting frustrated
To find out if there’s a group near you, go to the website linked above. In the centre of the page you’ll find an area in which you type your postcode. It will then give you the 10 nearest groups with dates, times, adresses etc.
Also if you go to the website you will find a 7 day menu plan.
The online SW is called BodyOptimise.
Hi Lizzy,
I just came across your comment while Googling “how does slimming world work”. I’ve been doing SW for 15 weeks and have lost a stone and half. I’ve no idea how but it works (which was why I googling!). Something about not giving your body the job of digesting both carbs and protien at the same time makes you burn fat? Thats the only thing I can think that it is.
Like you I ate healthly – no processed food, olive oil not butter when I cook, I don’t have a sweet tooth especially, lots of fresh fruit and veg. My diet on SW has barely changed, but the choices of what I have on any given day have altered (no meaty sauce on pasta dishes, stew with squash not potatoes, nothing I might not of done anyway) and somehow thats worked despite all my reservations.
I can’t recommend SW enough, I hope you get as much out of it as I have.
Now all I have to do is keep it off!