Slimming World Online is an option a lot of people who want to lose weight head to if they haven’t got the time to attend a group in person. I used to be an advocate for this but it’s been a long time since I’ve been a Slimming World member and over time, therapy, NLP, reflection and conversation with other body positive, health advocates and dieticians I have become quite anti diet culture. I am no longer an advocate for Slimming World online and you can read more about that at the bottom of this post. However, I have seen this be successfull and at the time I did lose some weight when I started. I do not recommend this for those that struggle with their relationship with food or those that have previously overcome eating disorders. Instead I would recommend a kind counsellor or therapist that works with individuals who struggle with food.
In this post I explain what Slimming World Online is, how it can help, the basics of slimming world and my experience back in 2017. Three years on I’ve had another child and I am working hard on staying active, being kind to myself and building a happy, healthy relationship with food.
Affiliate Link
What is Slimming World Online?
Slimming World Online is basically a membership option for those that, for whatever reason, work, childcare, living out in the middle of nowhere or just because they don’t want to go to a Slimming World group. Joining Slimming World online is easy and you can access it through the main website. There is also a slimming world app. I started Slimming World online in April 2017. You can read about my first six weeks below.
How does Slimming World Online Work?
Slimming World online works by you registering with a package and then continuing after three months with a monthly direct debit of around £20. You can set your fitness goals, track weight loss and keep an online food diary. Slimming World becomes free when you become a target member. A slimming world target member is someone that has reached their target weight.
Slimming World online works the same was as a slimming world group does although it is without the help of a consultant and group so it can feel quite lonely. See my top tips below on how to stay focused and have slimming world success.
Which Slimming World Online Option is the best?
You should choose the one that is within your budget. All of the options give you access to everything you need. I personally signed up with the Slimming World online gold package as that provided me with extra literature which has been very useful and the Slimming World magazine subscription.
Top Tips for Slimming World Online Success
- Can you do it with a friend? When you have support and you’re doing it with someone else you will stay focused and you won’t want to let them down. Even better, find a few of you that want to do it, set up a group chat so you can stay in contact with each other.
- Stock your fridge and cupboards with free foods for when you need a snack and try to turn to fruit or vegetables first.
- If you can’t subscribe to the magazine I recommend getting a copy. It always has loads of food ideas, meal plans and snacks to ensure you eat well.
- Keep a food diary. You can do this online through Slimming World or you can set up your own journal.
- Create a weigh day and weigh in at the same time each week. Get yourself a decent set of scales and perhaps a tape measure if you want to keep track of any particular areas.
- Take photos each time you weigh in and add them to a side by side collage to help you start seeing a difference. It might take a while but it will be worth it and it will keep you motivated.
- A slow cooker can really help to prepare healthy meals for the whole family and a great time saver too
Can you still lose weight with Slimming World Online?
One thing people often ask is how can you lose weight with slimming world when you eat so much? This is the area I have an issue with as there is no science backed evidence about how syns work. Why is one mashed or smoothied banana synned but a whole one isn’t when the calorie density stays the same. For some who want to lose weight though, the easy answer is yes, you can still lose weight with Slimming World online however sometimes you might find it hard to stay motivated without the group atmosphere. Find others that are looking to eat healthy meals or join groups on Facebook to help you with your personal goals. Make sure you have plenty of variety to your meals and try new recipes. There are some fantastic slimming friendly focused recipe books available online.
Weight loss results of course are subject to the effort you can put in, following the plan and being dedicated to your weight loss. Sometimes you will lose big amounts, sometimes small and sometimes you will maintain. You may even gain a small amount and then lose it the next week. Your weight will fluctuate so it’s important to track it on a weekly basis and just keep pushing through. However, you might find more success if you start thinking about why you’re eating, eating more slowly, speaking to a nutritional therapist who can help you control any eating disorders such as disordered eating and find a way to move that brings you joy.
My Story with Slimming World Online
I joined Slimming World with my partner Adam at the end of April 2017. It’s been six weeks now since we’ve started our weight loss journey together with two other friends. We have all lost weight in these six weeks. To date I have lost 1 stone 2lbs and Adam has lost 9lbs. We’re both really proud of having a good loss so far. Adam has a lot less weight to lose than I do so it’s coming off a bit slower for him, and as you get closer to your target it may be slower for you too.
I have had weeks where I haven’t been totally on plan or we’ve had birthdays. We’ve had weekends away, meals out and days where we just don’t want to work out or walk anywhere. Everyone has days like that. However, we have both made healthier choices, we have worked out more and we have, ultimately, really enjoyed the success we have had with slimming world online.
Why is Slimming World Bad – My Thoughts & Update – October 2019
Whilst I no longer use or agree with Slimming World I know that it has had some great success for many people. Over time this post has been visited a lot and people have found it helpful. At the time I completely stood by everything said in this post and I have seen first hand individuals lose and maintain a healthy lifestyle. That being said I do not believe Slimming World is intended for people with disordered eating which over time, counselling and reflection is something I have. I am currently trying to change my habits and my relationship with food in a different way which steps away from diet culture.
I have not maintained any weight loss and I am currently at my heaviest at a size 24/26 and whilst I do want to change my body, I am giving it a lot more respect. I’ve decided to focus on strength, adding colour, being active and not tracking calories. I find when I’m not obsessed with counting syns I am a lot more relaxed about what I eat so instead I am tracking how full I am after a meal, in the morning and certain times of the month. I am focusing on fueling my body with nutrition and strength training instead of removing food groups from my diet. I no longer feel diets are the way I want to live my life.
Thinking of Joining Slimming World after Lockdown?
Personally I do not recommend this especially with the stance that I feel slimming world because this is still a very strange time for so many people. If you want to improve your health then I recommend reading health at every size, finding a good online talking counsellor or therapist that specialises in this area, dealing with emotional eating and joyous movement. There are excellent exercise videos on youtube if you want to give them a go or just getting out in nature for a walk every day can do wonders for your mood.
This page contains ads & affiliate links. Please see my disclaimer for more information on this.
if you have found this page helpful and you would like to support the upkeep of this website, more content creation or would like to say thank you, you can buy me a coffee (if you want to!) my information and experience will always be free but fueling me is much appreciated!
Buy me a coffee
Leave a Reply