January is famous for new year’s resolutions – there’s something motivating about pressing the ‘reset’ button and starting a new year with fresh goals.
Becoming slimmer and healthier is at the top of the list of new year’s resolutions. Spending so much time indoors, coupled with indulgent food choices and disrupted routines, saw many healthy habits dwindle during the pandemic. Getting into shape is the best thing that you can do for your health.
Here are seven top tips from Slimming World to help you succeed in reaching your goals and make 2024 your best yet!
Don’t go hungry
“To lose weight you have to eat less, right? Not always. Swapping high calorie, unsatisfying foods for for those lower in calories and more bulky is key to losing weight in a way that’s easy to live. By basing your diet on foods relatively low in calories and foods that are most filling you can eat a larger amount of food and feel more satisfied while losing weight.
“Changes include using less fat when you cook, swapping full fat dairy products for low fat or fat free, choosing low calorie drinks and adding more fruit and vegetables to daily meals.
“Slimming World’s Food Optimising plan omits the tedium of weighing, measuring and counting the calories in all you eat and drink. Group members learn how to make healthier choices to satisfy appetite and lose weight without hunger or guilt. It’s based on an understanding of the science of energy density. Evidence shows that eating more low energy dense foods (foods that are lowest in calories per gram ) results in better weight loss,” Pauline Bliss, who hosts the Slimming World groups in St Kieran’s Community Centre, said.
Walk before you run
“If it’s your goal to get fitter, remember you don’t have to become a professional athlete to get active . Many people make the mistake of joining a gym, overdoing it and giving up, thinking ‘exercise isn’t for me’. Finding a sustainable way of building active habits into your routine is key. What’s important is making movement a regular habit. Slimming World groups are packed with ideas on how to get more active and there’s a library of more than 50 on-demand activity videos to do at home, from an introduction to getting started to cardio workouts and dance routines,” Sinead Morris, who hosts the groups in The Shamrock lodge Hotel, commented.
Be kind to yourself
January starts with great intentions, but it’s too easy to go off track. It’s what you do next that matters most and to not beat yourself up about it. A Slimming World survey of 1,700 slimmers showed that when they did have a slip up, being self critical was more likely to lead to comfort eating and giving up, whereas when they were kinder to themselves they quickly returned to healthy eating and lost weight.
Set a goal
“It’s hard to achieve a goal if you don’t clearly set it out initially! When thinking about your dream weight, be ambitious. Slimming World research found that slimmers who set ambitious targets lose twice as much weight as those who try to be ‘realistic’. As well as setting an overall weight loss target, members set weekly goals, whether it’s to lose weight, get more active or plan ahead, because setting goals is likely to lead to success,” Carol Doran Joyce, who hosts the group in Kiltoom Parish Hall, remarked.
Don’t opt for a quick fix
It’s no secret that many people find losing weight easier than keeping it off long term. To avoid becoming trapped in a diet cycle, it’s important to approach weight loss as a change to your lifestyle and focus on developing new healthy habits that are sustainable, as well as getting support to make changes. A group support approach is tried and tested. Research shows that the more groups Slimming World members attend, the more successful they are.
Based on weight loss over a year, the top 10,000 slimmers who attended weekly weight-loss group regularly lost 30% of their body weight. In local group settings, members are equipped with the tools needed to stay slim for life, so they can be confident that the changes made are sustainable.
Strike a balance
“An all-or-nothing approach is rarely effective when it comes to weight loss. Restricting yourself when it comes to food and drink might work short-term, but soon you’ll be hungry and give up. A little bit of what you fancy is key! Whatever that treat is for you, having a flexible approach and a balanced mindset is likely to bring long-term success,” Yvonne Briscoe, who hosts the groups in the Shearwater Hotel, added.
You don’t have to go it alone
“The principles of losing weight are simple, yet if it was that easy we’d all be doing it! Studies show that embarking on your weight loss journey alongside other slimmers brings more success.
The power of the group and the peer support members give one another is what sets Slimming World apart. Members become part of a community which helps them to realise that they are not alone in the challenges faced.
This, combined with a personalised approach called IMAGE Therapy helps each member discover more as a slimmer, identify pitfalls and create plans to overcome them.
As well as following a healthy eating plan and becoming active, members are encouraged to become motivated and to set realistic weekly goals to help them achieve their weight loss target.
