In my search for different diets to do, I am always curious and drawn to see what other countries are doing to combat weight problems and what is offered that is different and in many cases the same. I found after researching further that they have US based weight loss groups. They opened locations in Texas, where 63% of the population is obese (I had no idea).
The weight loss club, Slimming World has been in business for over 40 years in Britain and is quite popular. It boasts helping over 5 million men and woman lose weight and helped them keep the weight off.
The difference this plan offers is no counting calories, no watching fats or carbs, no portion limits, no pills, no shakes or special diet foods. It’s a hunger free eating plan you can do the rest of your life.
The Slimming World Food Optimizing Diet promotes weight-loss through calorie restriction in the diet. Members are encouraged to be active, but exercise is not a formal part of the Slimming World plan. The diet is based on these principles:
Nutritious or filling foods having a low calorie content are termed "free foods" (unrestricted). Higher-calorie foods containing plenty of minerals, vitamins or fiber are termed "healthy extras", and are recommended to be eaten in 4 small servings daily.
As with other programs, SLimming World has thier own word used in conjunction wtih the diet....SYN - which is short for Synergy. Other more fattening or caloric foods are measured by their SYN Value. A total of between 5-15 syns per day is permitted, depending on your personal goals – (example: 1 glass of wine comes in at 5 syns). Syn values for individual foods are calculated by a proprietary method based on calories, and the values for thousands of foods can be checked on the Slimmers World website if you are a member of the program.
The founder is Margaret Miles-Bramwell; she started Slimming World at the ripe age of 21. She came up with this plan of Food Optimizing, based on the science of energy density and appetite satisfaction. Being allowed to eat freely from a huge list of everyday foods you can buy from any grocery store that are low in calories and very filling; lean meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, fruit, rice and pasta – and still enjoy some high calorie pleasures like a glass of wine or bar of chocolate…letting the dieter avoid feelings of deprivation and the need to cheat.
It must be pretty successful as they have over 6,000 locations in the UK.
Link to UK site: http://www.slimmingworld.com/
Link to US site: http://www.slimmingworldusa.com/
As luck would have it they provide a 7 Day Sample Meal Plan that is based on their program and I will be doing this plan this week (a nice extra – menus suggested have recipes that make planning easy!!):
Day One
Breakfast: Fruity Oatmeal - Make a bowl of oatmeal using 1oz rolled oats and milk from your allowance (12 fl oz fat free skim or 10 fl oz 1% low fat). Top with loads of sliced banana and fresh chopped apricots. Follow with heaps of lean grilled back/Canadian bacon with poached eggs.
Lunch: Cheesy Potato with Beans & Coleslaw - Split a large baked potato (or two!), fill with 3oz fat free cheddar and top with coleslaw (mix shredded white cabbage, carrot, celery and slivers of red onion with fat free natural yogurt and mustard powder). Enjoy fresh fruit for dessert, topped with a generous dollop of fat free fruit yogurt.
Dinner: Spaghetti Bolognese - Top a mound of cooked whole wheat spaghetti with lashings of rich Bolognese sauce, made by frying an onion and lean ground beef in low calorie cooking spray, adding chopped tomatoes and sliced mushrooms, crushed garlic and dried oregano, seasoning with salt and black pepper and simmering for 10-15 minutes.
snacks- wherever, whenever and however much you like!
If you’re at home, rustle up a portion of Slimming World fries ( recipe below) or ring the changes by using the same method to bake sweet potatoes and parsnips. Out and about? Then go for a hot corn on the cob (butter on the side – so you choose how much to add) or take some fruit in your bag
Slimming World fries Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 240°C/Gas 9.
- Cut piles of peeled potatoes into chunky fries, boil for 5 minutes and then drain and leave to dry for 10 minutes.
- Return to the pan, put a lid on and shake to ‘rough up’ the edges of the fries (this will give them a lovely crunchy texture once cooked!).
- Place on a baking tray, spray with low calorie cooking spray and bake in the hot oven for 25 minutes, turning occasionally until golden.
Day Two
Breakfast: Big Breakfast - Help yourself to a huge bowl of refreshing orange and grapefruit segments while preparing yourself a breakfast for a king – a mountain of scrambled eggs, grilled tomato wedges, big flat mushrooms fried in low calorie cooking spray or button mushrooms poached in tinned tomatoes and 1x2oz whole wheat muffin to soak it all up with!
Lunch: Cheese & Ham Potato Salad - Serve up a generous helping of cheese and ham potato salad, made by mixing cooked baby potatoes, chopped chives, chopped scallions, 3oz fat free Cheddar cheese, shredded, cubed lean ham and fat free natural yogurt. Pile lettuce, sliced tomato and cucumber onto the plate for variety and crunch.
Dinner: Enjoy an appetite-satisfying portion of cottage pie (recipe below) with leeks, carrots and green beans. For dessert, enjoy a bowl of fat free plain yogurt drizzled with runny honey (1 Syn per level teaspoon) (and sweetened with sugar substitute to taste, if needed) and dotted with fresh raspberries
Cottage Pie Recipe (makes 4 servings)
- In a non-stick saucepan, brown 1lb/450g extra-lean ground beef, add 2 chopped onions, 4 chopped carrots and some chopped mushrooms and cook for 5-6 minutes until they start to soften.
- Add 2 tablespoons of Worcester sauce (optional), 2 level tablespoons of tomato paste and 15fl oz/¾ pint of stock, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally until the stock has reduced.
- While the beef is simmering, cook 2lb/900g chopped rutabaga and 1lb/450g of chopped celeriac in boiling water until tender, drain, add a tablespoon of chopped parsley and lashings of black pepper, and then mash.
- Pour the beef mixture into an ovenproof dish, spread the mash on top and bake at 200°C/400F/Gas 6 for 30 minutes.
Tip: Swap rutabaga for potato if you prefer.
snacks- wherever, whenever and however much you like!
Juicy cherries, rice salad made by mixing cooked brown rice with fat free plain cottage cheese and any chopped crunchy vegetables. Plus 12 fl oz fat free skim or 10 fl oz 1% low fat milk to enjoy however you like.
Day Three
Breakfast: Tropical Trail Mix - In a large sundae glass or bowl, defrost a large portion of mixed tropical fruits and layer with fresh strawberries and fat free plain yogurt. Top with 1oz Trail Mix Crunch. Add a teaspoon of granulated sweetener to the yogurt to taste, if preferred
Lunch: Tuna & Pasta Salad - In a lunchbox, mix together a large portion of cooked pasta shapes with canned tuna (in brine or spring water, drained), diced cucumber, grated carrot, corn and a generous dollop of fat free plain yogurt mixed with a level tablespoon of fat free mayonnaise (½ Syn). Enjoy with 3oz fat free cheddar, diced and mixed in
Dinner: Ham, Eggs and fries - Make up a big batch of Free Slimming World fries,broil a thick ham steak (with fat removed) and top with yummy, runny eggs fried sunny-side-up in low calorie cooking spray. Finish off with a bunch of red or white grapes.
snacks- wherever, whenever and however much you like!
Munch on sticks of celery, bell pepper and carrot dipped into 5oz fat free cream cheese.
Day Four
Breakfast: Cheesy Tomato Frittata - Fry sliced red onion in a non-stick pan sprayed with low calorie cooking spray, add halved cherry tomatoes and cover in well-seasoned beaten egg. Turn the heat right down and place a baking tray over the frying pan. When the top’s firm, sprinkle with 1oz Gruyere cheese and tuck in! Finish with a bowl of refreshing orange segments.
Lunch: Soup & Salad - Start with a bed of crisp iceberg lettuce leaves topped with chopped, cooked chicken breast, sliced beets, tomato wedges and crunchy coleslaw (see Day One Lunch for recipe). Then crack open an 18½oz pot of Progresso Light Italian Style Vegetable Soup, heat through and enjoy.
Dinner: Chili & Butternut Squash Risotto - Scroll down to find the recipe for chilli and butternut squash risotto and serve with a peppery arugula and watercress salad, and sprinkled with 1oz hard Parmesan.
snacks- wherever, whenever and however much you like!
Roll small chunks of fresh pineapple and fat free plain cottage cheese in sliced lean ham and eat freely all day long! Plus there’s always the leftovers of your butternut squash risotto to enjoy freely!
Spicy chili and butternut squash risotto Recipe (makes 4 servings)
1. Bring 30fl oz/1½ pts stock to the boil in a saucepan. Meanwhile, spray a large non-stick frying pan or saucepan with low calorie cooking spray. Add 1 finely chopped red onion, 2 finely chopped cloves of garlic and 1 deseeded and finely sliced chili, and cook gently for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Increase the heat under the frying pan to medium and add 9oz of Arborio or risotto rice to the pan, along with 5oz chopped butternut squash. Stir in a ladleful of the hot stock.
3. Wait until the stock has been absorbed, then continue to add a ladleful of boiling stock at a time, as soon as each addition of liquid has been absorbed. Stir constantly to prevent it from sticking.
Add the stock in this way until the squash and rice are creamy and al dente (tender, but retaining a bite). Season, stir in some parsley and serve
Day Five
Breakfast: Busy Breakfast - Grab a 2oz whole wheat English muffin (lightly toasted) topped with sliced ripe banana as a quick breakfast on the go. Throw a selection of fresh fruit and a couple of fat free fruit yogurts in your bag for a mid-morning snack.
Lunch: Ploughman’s Platter - Pile your plate with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and pickled onions, and add hard-boiled egg, chopped apple and 3oz fat free cheddar cheese. For added tang, include a Waldorf salad, made by chopping celery, Granny Smith apple and mixing with fat free plain yogurt. Throw in 6 walnut halves or 2 level dsp pumpkin seeds for added crunch! (6 Syns)
Dinner: Speedy Chinese - For a quick, filling alternative to your Friday night takeaway, rustle up your own Chinese delights by heating some low calorie cooking spray in a wok, adding chopped chicken or shrimp (or both!), scallions, red chili, finely chopped ginger and crushed garlic, fry for a couple of minutes, then throw in a pack of mixed stir-fry veg from the supermarket. If you’re feeling adventurous, add other oriental delights like water chestnuts or lychees! Add lots of soy sauce to taste, cook for 3 or 4 minutes and serve on a mound of boiled egg noodles.
snacks– wherever, whenever and however much you like!
Make up a big sandwich box of couscous soaked in stock and a squeeze of lemon juice for added flavour. Add fresh herbs, finely chopped scallions, chopped bell peppers and chopped tomatoes and tuck in whenever you’re a bit peckish. Plus, 12 fl oz fat free skim or 10 fl oz 1% low fat milk to enjoy however you like.
Day Six
Breakfast: Boiled Eggs and Soldier’s - Toast 2 small slices of whole wheat bread (2oz) and cut into strips. Dunk into perfectly-boiled eggs (bring a pan of water to the boil, add your eggs and time them for exactly 4½ minutes) and wash down with a 3½fl oz orange juice (2½ Syns).
Lunch: Greek Couscous Salad - In a big bowl, mix together loads of sliced tomatoes, red onion and cucumber and drizzle with fat free vinaigrette. Mix in lashings of canned corn and couscous (made with stock), then crumble 1½ oz chopped feta on top.
Dinner: Steak & Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges - Dish up a generous lean steak – cooked however you like it – with lots of spicy sweet potato wedges (recipe below). Serve with peas and grilled tomatoes.
snacks– wherever, whenever and however much you like!
Unlimited fresh or frozen fruit and a ready-to-eat sugar-free Jello dessert, plus 12 fl oz fat free skim or 10 fl oz 1% low fat milk to drink however you like.
Spicy sweet potato wedges Recipe
- Peel some sweet potatoes, chop into wedges and place in a saucepan of salted water.
- Bring to the boil and simmer for 8-10 minutes until just tender.
- Meanwhile, in a pestle and mortar, crush ½ teaspoon each of coriander seeds and cardamom seeds (discard the green outer husks), together with ½ teaspoon of chili powder.
- Drain the sweet potato wedges, spray with low calorie cooking spray and sprinkle over the spices. Place on a pre-heated ridged broiling pan, spray again with low calorie cooking spray and broil for 2-3 minutes on each side.
Day Seven
Breakfast: Fruity Filler - Munch on a big bowl of fresh strawberries, pineapple and black grapes mixed with fat free fruit yogurt.
Lunch: Spicy Tacos - Char-grill or fry (using low calorie cooking spray) strips of beef, chicken or shrimp (or all three!) with bell peppers, jalapeno peppers and onion until cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Add cayenne pepper, chili flakes and garlic to taste. Stuff into 2 Ortega Wholegrain Corn Taco Shells and serve with 3oz fat free Cheddar cheese, fat free plain yogurt, extra jalapenos, a helping of boiled rice and a large side salad.
Dinner: Thick Carrot & Coriander Soup - Roughly chop 9 carrots and 1 large onion and place them in a large saucepan with ½ tsp of garlic salt, 1 tsp of ground coriander, 85g/3oz of yellow split peas, the same quantity of pearl barley and 40fl oz/2 pints of stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1½ hours, adding more water if necessary. Whizz in a food processor or with a hand blender and serve with a swirl of fat free plain yogurt and fresh cilantro leaves if you fancy. Follow with a baked potato topped with chilli beans, canned in sauce.
snacks - wherever, whenever and however much you like!
Munch on sticks of celery, bell pepper and carrot dipped into tzatziki dip (made from fat free plain yogurt mixed with finely-chopped mint, cucumber and scallions). Plus 12 fl oz fat free skim or 10 fl oz 1% low fat milk to drink however you like
*** As with any diet – make sure to check with your doctor before starting ***
Recent Comments