I have been back at Slimming World for 12 weeks now and in that time I have lost a stone. This time round I am doing the group sessions rather than online, however, if you are interested in the online version, you can read about that here. Now I am sure I could have lost more in that time as I have been doing a little yo-yo as I have gone along so I am not at my full potential yet, but that has not put me off.
There are lots of us who start a healthy lifestyle change and then stop, I am notorious for it and this is down to a number of reasons.
Here are 5 suggestions to help you stick with Slimming World:
Give it time:
No changes to habits that have been set for years will come overnight, you need to give it time.
I know it can be really disheartening to step on the scales and nothing has changed, but Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your new lifestyle approach. In the past, I have done the hard talk, punishment style and it just doesn’t work. Write off a bad day and start afresh the next and you will find that things will fall into place.
So when you don’t see the results you want that week, head up and look into the next week with positive optimism. Slimming World will not suddenly change your approach to food overnight, what it does do is give you the tools to do this.
Small steps at a time:
Yes, I know you may need to have a full health reset if your eating habits were like mine however it is not always as easy as that sounds.
Going from large meal sizes or unhealthy options to better portions and healthy options can be hard for someone who has not done it before. It can be really hard not reaching for the takeaway menu and getting back into the kitchen when you have had a tough day and just want to chill out but it is all about making those baby steps.
If you are a fan of the takeaways for example, when not get some of the Slimming World frozen meals in the freezer ready for those days when you can be bothered to cook. I still enjoy a takeaway on a Friday every week as my down days and I am still losing so maybe that is an alternative approach for you.
Keep going when you stumble:
There will be times when you will just want to throw in the towel, I know, I have wanted to do this many times but you will be back where you started but with less in your bank balance!
When times get tough, take time to remember why you signed up for this. For me, it was all about feeling a bit more comfortable in my own skin and clothes. I wanted to feel better and by losing a little bit of weight I did start to feel that.
If you have a bad day or evening, don’t write off the whole week. Get a good night’s sleep and then get back on it. Don’t let guilt eat you up after a bad day, it is not a good feeling. Instead, let it go and make peace with the day you had and look to the future, replaying the bad choices doesn’t help you move on from them.
Increase your water intake:
One thing I have learnt over my journey is how much water has an impact on me.
Firstly, when I drink more water I feel so much better in myself in terms of headaches are non-existent, it just makes me feel ten times better overall. It is also during the weeks that I have drunk lots of water that I find my weight loss is better. I don’t know the science in there but I believe that it flushes the body out!
Drinking water also helps to ensure that you remain hydrated which is very important when the weather has been as hot as it has been.
Believe in yourself:
No matter what your choices are for being on the journey, you may be doubting if your lifestyle changes are for you. Whatever you take from this post, make sure you take some self-belief.
Whether you are planning to change your eating habits or even your exercise habits, focus on your own goals and keep those at the front of everything you do to make sure you know why you are doing it. With Slimming World I am sure it is more about the mindset than the process, once you have the mindset locked in, everything becomes easier.
