Slimming World

 I've succumbed.

A little over a year ago I successfully lost quite a lot of weight, getting myself from about a stone above the 'obese' threshold (BMI 30) to just below it. Then I got stuck.  Despite my (occasional) best efforts, my weight since then has gone up a bit, then down a bit, then up a bit again... but always within a few pounds of that obese level.  Not good.

Last week I concluded this term's ukulele lessons, which freed up Wednesday evenings, and it just so happened that a Slimming World group meets near my home on Wednesdays at 6pm.  I convinced myself — with more than a tiny nudge from the nurse at my health centre — to give it a try.

In return for a £10 joining fee I was introduced to Debra, the group leader, and given this collection of booklets. It all seemed dreadfully complicated, with free foods, healthy extras 'A', health extras 'B' and 30 pages of 'syns', but gradually it began to make some sort of sense in my fuddled brain.

This was the poster in the Joining Corner.  Just think - not
long from now I may look like the lady on the left!

For me, though, the really scary bit was when we all sat in a circle and openly listened to reports of one another's progress.  Up until now, losing weight has always been a private affair for me, discussed with no-one other than my spouse and perhaps a close friend or two. Not any more. Some in the group had done very well and were enthusiastically applauded; other less so, but still received sympathy and encouragement. It's a golden rule, by the way, that no-one is ever, ever humiliated.

After the scary bit, I was plonked on the scales and my starting weight recorded as 14st:0½lb. Debra agreed to my 'interim' target of 12st:3lb and explained that when I've lost 10% of my body weight (12st:8½lb) I'll be rewarded with a Club 10 certificate (and doubtless the congratulations of the group). Now there's something to aim for.

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All that is, of course, the easy bit. Now comes the hard work of reforming my eating habits and sticking to the Slimming World plan. So for the past few days I've been avidly studying the Love Food booklet, looking up syn values online, planning meals and bidding farewell to some old favourites. So, for many a long month, it's 'hello' to healthy eating and 'goodbye' to chicken wrapped in puff pastry on Saturdays and quesadillas with Cheddar Cheese on Fridays. Sob!