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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.
hello people i joyed slimming world 13 weeks and i lost 1 and 11 and a half pounds i am doing to diet as my sister in law is on it with me and i like this one better becoz i can eat three food and enjoy it now as i get full up now where as befor i never mike is the best slimming world person as he he helped me a lot
i have done this diets back in 2001 and lost 3 and half stone i am now giving it another go this year as i have another 4 and half stone to go wish me luck
Can you please tell me day, time and were in my area are there classes, BT34 4WG. Could I have contact phone number oof person who runs class to please.
hi kat here i hve been going 2 sw 10 wks now 2stone 4bs off iam on extra easy itis brill i can recemend it 2 anyone and iam in my fiftys
I can’t tell any difference between my green and red days. There seems to be plenty of foods to choose from. I’ve lost 6pds in under 3 weeks. I love being able to eat normal portions. The starvation diets really made me dizzy. I feel great on SW.
Hi everyone! I’ve been hearing lots about the new plan ‘Extra Easy’. Is it right that you can have both red and green together – but with 1 less healthy option? How does that work???? I’m very confused? I’m going to join the class on Tuesday. Wish me luck!!!
IVE JOINED SW LAST WEEK IVE GONE ON THE EXTRA EASY,MY 5TH DAY I LOVE IT,GOT ABOUT 10ST TO LOOSE,ANY TIPS WOULD BE APPRECIATED
slimming world has the best diet yet
alison pass word this week is running
I’ve just moved to Canada and would really appreciate it if someone could let me have the passwords for this week or the next couple of weeks so I can check the syn values via the calculator as I cant get half of the products here. Need to get back on track. Thanks
Hi, could you please tell me where i can find Slimming
World classes in my area. Epsom surrey kt190ja.
Thanks.
Dawn asked about the “red day green day” diet book. The “red” day has now been renamed as “original” day. The old diet will still work but all has been updated, I suppose to line up with new nutrition guidelines and psycological findings on diets.
Margaret was asking about Quark. It is a very low fat (and almost tasteless) cheese but sometimes it can be found with the fromage frais and yoghurts. It’s very nice if you mix it with herbs and seasoning and then mix it with roasted veg just before you serve them.
My friend has recommended me to try the red day, green day diet, I was wonderirng if anyone could tell me where I could get the book from for this, is it availaable on the slimming world web site because I couldnt find it? If anyone can help I would appreciate it.Thanks Dawn
the person wanting a group in Torpoint, its at the council commitee rooms, York Road Tuesdays 12.30pm, 5pm and 6.30pm the consultant is Kath 01579363102. Hope this helps. It really is the best eating plan and support you’ll ever receive
Dear Sir/Madam
I am not a member but I have just recently bought a book called slimming worlds best ever recipes and I am struggling at the moment with one of the recipes in the book. I thought I would have a go at the banoffee pie. I have got all the ingredients exept quark which I can’t get. is it what I really need or is it optional.? do you think you could get back to me on this please I would be much obliged. I also buy your magazine when it is out.
Regards
M Smith
I have been a member for 2 years. I’ve lost 4 stones doing all of these plans – yes they do work! Your synopsis of the eating plans is very well explained and I will be recommending this site to friends who are just starting at Slimming World (or those that need a refresher)because it’s succinct and easy to understand. Thanks for that.
i have joined slimming world 14 weeks ago and i have lost 2 stone 2 pound, i have another 2 stone to lose and that will be me in back in my size 10 clothes i cant believe how well it has worked i dont even feel like im on a diet its amazin xx
Have just read yr ideas on this new Extra Easy plan – sounds too good to be true – so easy to get rid of a HE in order to have more orless what you want, but I dunno, does this work??? I hope so!!!!! I simply thought that the whole idea of red or green days was notto mix the two, therefore helps you to lose the weight or have I got this totally wrong???
I live in Torpoint Cornwall and through a relative I have seen and heard great things about this diet can any body tell me if there is a group in this area
used to do sw but now in spain cant afford to pay online but dont really understand the new extra easy plan can sumeone please help i have 1 stone to lose x
Hi Laura. You must try Extra Easy – the new SW plan – it’s so so so so easy it’s amazing!. Use your old books – everything that’s free on a green day you can have, everything that’s free on a red day you can have – on the same day – you don’t have to split your days into red OR green anymore, BUT you can only have 1 healthy extra A and 1 healthy extra B per day (choose these from either red or green lists). then have 5-15 syns/day – I recommend 15 – and you’re sorted….you’ll never look at another diet again….think I should be on commission from SW, but it really is that good I want to shout it from the rooftops!
Hi Laura – you can still use the ‘old’ books if thats what you have. The ‘red’ days and ‘grren’ days are still an option on the slimming world diet. The new diet that they have just launched is where you can eat ‘free’ food from both plans on the same day but you have to ‘give up something’ in order to have what I would say’ normal meals’ such as spaghetti bolognaese with real lean mince instead of quorn or meat, veg and potatoes in the same meal. The ’something’ that you have to sacrifice is a healthy extra from both lists – a cheese / milk portion and a bread portion each day.
I would say it is worth it because it makes your evening meals (which is when I tend to eat the most) more varied and you don’t get bored.
Hope this has been some help to you.
right i’m TOTALLY confused !!!! decided to start slimming world yesterday as need to shift 15 kilos of baby weight !!! Eeeeek… thing is i live in spain and don’t have any english meetings near to me, i have a book that my sister in law gave me a few years back so i dug it out and decided that the green option was the best for me…. but then a friend of mine told me that it had changed and doesn’t consist of the red and green options now?? is the book i have still OK to use?? you’re all doing wonderfully.. hope i can too !! x
Hi everybody…
It is so good to hear that you are all loving slimming world. I joined slimming world at the end of July 2006 and by the beginning of March 2007, I’d lost 4 and a half stone! After that, my weight plateaued for a while and due to illness last year – I didn’t lose anymore. I started ‘afresh’ 3 weeks ago and now back on track – losing just over half a stone in 3 weeks.
The new diet – Extra easy is available now where you can mix the red and green days together but you cut down on your healthy extras.
Good luck eveyone
I have been following food optimising for the past 10months. I have lost 5kilos. The diet is faboulous since you can eat pasta, rice , couscous on green days and lean meats on original days. Vegetable fruits and low fat yogurts are free on both days. Even when eating out you can have your day as original then order meat and veg and have your potato as a HB obvioulsy not chips but baked or roasted. Try it and enjoy.
Well I have done my first week and I have lost 5lb!! My other half lost 8lb. Was a little upset that I didnt lose as much as he did as I have more to lose that he, but I have been told men lose quicker. I cant believe how much you can eat and still lose weight. Im totally gutted that I didnt know how fantastic SW is before I got to 10 stone over weight!! Id have joined years ago. Im really enjoying the diet. Anyone with any douubts – Please dont!!! It really does work. Forget those silly adverts of diet pills etc. Get yourself to SW. ITS GREAT! Will keep you posted how I get along. I actually thought it wouldnt work as I was eating that much but the proof is in the pudding; I was the second woman in the group of about 20 to lose the most and my other half was the top. Had it not have been our first week of diet, he would have won the fruit basket, you have had 3 visits from when you start and lose the previous week before you won it. He got a certificate for losing 1/2 stone. They also have a raffle for the food basket. It really is FANTASTIC no joke. Please have no more thoughts about should I or shouldnt I – GO!!
Has anyone else had weight gain rather than loss with slimming world. I’ve been sticking to red days and in my first week I’ve 2 pounds on ??? Go figure and I have been following the plan religiously 6 daily sins, 1 healthy a and b measured out. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. I am eating loads of fruit though?
Hi this is to amanda. I too have about 10 stone to lose and also have an underactive thyroid. When I read your post it I couldnt believe it, it was almost like Id written it myself. Id like to lose my weight for my wedding which is about 20 months away. Im going tomorrow for the first time EVER, luckily I have my bloke for support. He doesnt need to lose as much as me. It wont take him long I doubt but for us it will take longer but hell girl We can both do it!!! All the best and post your progress – Ill do mine too.
Hi, I am going to a class on Thursday. These comments are so helpful when you are considering something like a new diet, so I will come back in the next few weeks to report back! Am nervous about going by myself mainly!
Hi i so need help i have been highly recommended to s/w i have to loose 10 stone i feel ashamed however i have been diagnosed with an under active thyroid now on medication its time to put wheels in serious motion i do need a kick up the !!!!!!!however i cant seem to get to grips with the actual diet could someone please plan me one many thanks
i am really confused.. i do not know how eating endless potatoes and beans can make me lose weight, i started yday, i have had bachelors packet rice on its onw for main meal, omlette with chopped papper/onion/mushrooms for lunch is this correct for a green day, as well as fuit.
red means i dont eats carbs except fruit and veg am i right so far? would really appreciate help/advice
andrea.walkey@btinternet.com.. feel free to mail me tips!!! please!
Reading your comments have made up my mind to go back to SW. Have tried it before but not stuck to it for long as i’ve read paul mckennas book and similar which say eat what you want when hungry and lose weight, but i can’t stick to that either!! but has turned my mind off dieting. Has anyone had similar experience or comments?
hi all…i`m thinking of starting the s.w diet and as its new to me ive got to learn all about it, ive only ever been to weightwatchers, which i lost 35lb on….so here we go folks lets hope i can understand this diet and lose the weight… good luck to all thats on it
bev
Other quick thoughts — even a little exercise helps; my mother’s Consultant recommended no more than one banana a day; we also try to stick to no more than 5 or so syns most days.
Lucy — a lot of people find that green days are better than red. Not true for everyone, but worth a try if you lean mostly towards red normally.