Slimming World benefits

This New Year thousands of people will embark on a bid to lose weight and get fit. And a local weight-loss expert is urging dieters in the area to ditch the fad diets and choose a weight-loss plan they can sustain.

Gina Hughes who runs a Slimming World group in Antrim and has lost 5st 7lb herself, says faddy diets aren’t the answer.

She said: “Lots of people start January with the best of intentions but by the end of the month so many of them have given up, defeated by hunger, boredom or feelings of deprivation. I want people to know that losing weight doesn’t have to be that way, that not all slimming attempts are doomed and not all ‘diets’ are the same.

“It’s easy to be wooed by the plans that promise the fastest loss, but it’s really important this new year that slimmers in Antrim think sensibly about which plan they choose and look at which offer the most chance of long-term success. Diets based on deprivation can be very unhealthy and are almost impossible to keep up, meaning you’re bound to throw in the towel and will probably be left feeling like a failure by February.”

Instead she says the key is to choose a realistic healthy eating plan and get support to make lifestyle changes. And Gina is urging slimmers to choose Slimming World after research by Marketing Week magazine, published this January, found that the organisation is the UK’s most popular way to lose weight*. A separate recent YouGov poll of 2,000 slimmers** who had tried one of the two most popular UK weight-loss clubs, Slimming World and WeightWatchers, in the past two years also discovered people found Slimming World’s Food Optimising plan easier to follow and simpler to stick with in the long run.

The YouGov survey found that 92% of respondents who were attending a Slimming World group said they didn’t feel hungry compared to 76% of WeightWatchers members, and 88% enjoyed being able to eat normal every day foods instead of being pushed to purchase ready meals or convenience foods compared to 75% of WeightWatchers members.

Slimming World’s Food Optimising eating plan encourages members to satisfy their appetite on hundreds of healthy ‘Free Foods’, including fruit and veg, pasta, rice, potatoes, lean meat, fish, eggs, pulses and fat-free dairy, freely without the need for weighing, counting and measuring. It means they can enjoy all their favourite meals just by making small changes to the way they shop, cook and eat and still eat the same healthy dishes as the rest of their family.

She added: “When people think about losing weight they expect to feel hungry and deprived, but since it began in 1969 Slimming World’s plan has always been about helping people to lose weight without feeling like that. Human nature means that the minute something’s forbidden you only want it more, so with Slimming World no foods, even high-fat snacks and alcohol, are banned, they’re just limited. Because you can satisfy your appetite on ‘Free Foods’ you don’t ever have to feel hungry and it’s easier to reduce the amount of unhealthy foods you’re eating so, over time with the right support, this new balanced way of eating becomes second nature.”

In fact Gina believes getting support is as important as changing eating habits: “There’s no denying that changing the habits of a lifetime can be challenging and there will be times, perhaps when your weight loss slows down or a ‘bad week’ leads to a temporary gain, when it can be tempting to give up. That’s where getting support week in, week out to make changes and keep them up comes in. At Slimming World members develop the skills and tools to overcome the psychological and emotional challenges that every slimmer faces at some point, including learning to be kind to yourself and get ‘back on the horse’ when you do have a blip. Anyone who wants to lose weight this New Year will find a world of support at the Holiday Inn Antrim Slimming World group.”

To join the Antrim Slimming World group, which is held every Monday at 5:30pm and 7:30pm at Holiday Inn, Junction 1, just pop along or call Gina on 07866 111 242, or to find your nearest group, visit www.slimmingworld.com or call 0844 897 8000.

Related topics: