The Real Reasons Why Slimming World Isn't Working For You

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Are you feeling frustrated because it seems like Slimming World isn’t working for you? I’ve been there, and I know how tough it can be!

You’re sure you’re following the plan and ticking all the right boxes, and yet still, those scales are just plain old stuck. Or even worse – you suspect that you might actually be putting weight on.

Now, I’ll note here that I’m not a trained Slimming World consultant. I’m a long-time follower of the plan, and through my own ups and downs and trial and error, I’ve learned a load about where I’m tripping myself up without even realising it.

If you’re having serious concerns about the progress of your weight loss journey, then you should always speak to your consultant, or your GP.

But with that common sense disclaimer out of the way, it may well be the case that you’re making some of the same mistakes that I have.

My aim here is to give you some food for thought and get you thinking about how you might be able to tweak your approach so you can keep dropping those pounds.

Here are a few possible reasons why Slimming World isn’t working for you…

1. YOU’RE NOT BEING HONEST WITH YOURSELF ABOUT WHAT YOU’RE REALLY EATING

A sneaky chocolate from the shared treat tin at work.

A few leftover chips from your partner’s plate.

A mouthful of your friend’s cake when you meet up for coffee, because she really wanted you to try just a little bit, and she said surely it won’t really matter to your diet.

All of these can really add up, and before you know it, you’ve consumed a load of syns that you hadn’t even thought about.

If you think that you’re strictly sticking to the Slimming World plan, then cast an honest eye over the past few weeks and consider where you might be guilty of just not being completely truthful with yourself.

A good way to get a handle on this is to make a commitment to keeping a food diary. Write down absolutely everything you eat, even if it’s just a mouthful.

You may find that by being a little more mindful about what you put in your mouth, your weight loss gets back on the right track.

At the very least, you’ll shine a light on your eating habits and get an insight into where you might be going wrong.

2. YOU’RE NOT MEASURING YOUR FOODS

So you can have 30g of cheddar as your Healthy Extra A. But do you really know what 30g of cheese actually looks like?

Spoiler alert: It’s really not much. At all.

When you first started Slimming World, you were probably in the habit of weighing out your portions. Consider whether you’ve let that good practice slide.

It might be time to get those scales back out the cupboard and make sure that you’re not accidentally doubling your portion sizes.

3. YOU’RE NOT TRACKING YOUR SYNS

Syns give us the chance to have a little bit of what we fancy, and if you’ve been following the plan for a while now, then you might have slipped into slightly too comfortable of a routine.

I know there’s been times when I’ve told myself that I’m allowed that nightly chocolate treat, so sat down in front of the TV with a big bar in front of me, telling myself that I’d have just a couple of squares.

More often than I care to admit, I definitely indulged in way more than ‘just a couple of squares’!

We’ve already covered how valuable it can be to keep a food diary. Another benefit of this is that you can take a look at just how many syns you’re really having.

4. YOU’RE NOT FILLING UP YOUR PLATE WITH SPEED FOODS

We all know that around a third of our plates should be filled up with speed foods, including the likes of broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, peppers, and tomatoes.

Fruit and veg is of course an important part of a balanced diet, and there are numerous health benefits of making sure that you get enough.

But its importance when it comes to weight loss shouldn’t be underestimated, and there’s real science behind why it plays such a key role in your Slimming World journey.

You see, speed foods give you great bang for your buck in terms of calories. You can have a third of a plate full of colourful fruit and veg for hardly any calories at all. So if the speed foods aren’t there, you’re likely to fill up with more calorie dense foods such as pasta.

Yes, pasta is free. But that doesn’t mean that you can go wild and eat it until you’re starting to resemble a piece of penne.

Moderation is your friend, and so’s a bit of common sense. If you’ve fallen off the wagon recently when it comes to fruit and veg, make a conscious effort to get in back into your diet.

5. YOU’RE ONLY FOLLOWING THE PLAN FOR PART OF THE WEEK

Ahh, the week day diet follower!

I’ve been that person.

I’ve spent Monday to Friday carefully tracking my syns and measuring my Healthy Extras, only to throw caution to the wind once Saturday comes round.

A few meals out, a bottle of wine, some treats at the cinema or in front of the TV, and all of a sudden, you’ve wiped out all the progress you made during the week.

If you know that this is an issue for you, then it’s time to look at the bigger picture and work out how you can take a more balanced approach from Monday to Sunday.

Remember that Slimming World isn’t a crash diet. You don’t have to deprive yourself of treats, and it’s very possible to work them into the plan. It just takes some planning.

6. YOU’RE BEING IMPATIENT!

It’s quite common to experience some fairly big losses during your first weeks and months with Slimming World.

With time, your weight loss can start to slow down.

But that doesn’t mean that you aren’t making great progress towards your goals.

Slow and steady wins the race, so ask whether you might just be putting too much pressure on yourself.

It may be a cliche, but part of the battle is to try to enjoy the journey. Sample new foods, experiment with tasty recipes, and have a go at recreating your favourite treats in line with the Slimming World plan.

For more advice on staying the course when things seem tough, check out this post with 8 tips for kickstarting your motivation on Slimming World.

7. YOU’RE OBSESSING OVER THE SCALE

The scales can be a cruel beast, and they’re not always an accurate representation of your progress or an indicator that Slimming World isn’t working for you.

It’s completely normal for your weight to fluctuate throughout the day, so if you weight at different times, you can get completely different numbers.

You might be retaining some water.

You might – and forgive me for being so frank – just need to poop.

You might be expecting your time of the month, which is another factor that can wreak havoc on the scales.

Pay attention to how your clothes are fitting, how you feel, and the trend that your weight is taking over a more prolonged period of time.

If you’re weighing yourself every five minutes, you’re going to drive yourself round the bend.

YOUR NEXT STEPS WHEN SLIMMING WORLD ISN’T WORKING FOR YOU

Losing weight is a really personal journey, and an emotional one too. It can be tough to step back and take an objective look at what’s going on and how you can fix things when they’re not going to plan.

Take a good look through the points we’ve covered here, and consider what you need to address to get your weight loss back on the right track.

Have you experienced a plateau before on Slimming World? And what advice would you share with someone who was having the same problem? Drop a comment below and let me know!