12/09/2021
Stop weekend weight gain
Whether your Saturdays and Sundays involve shopping, socialising or entertaining the kids, our stay-on-track strategies will make sure the wheels don’t come off your weight loss
Does this sound familiar? You’ve been sticking to plan all week, then along comes Friday evening when your inner rebel whispers in your ear that you’ve earned the right to relax and unwind.
If you go off track it can feel like a licence to carry on that way until Monday. And despite knowing that the best way to limit damage would be to draw a line in the sand, it can be hard to find the motivation to get back on it.
The secret is to start the way you mean to go on.
Foolproof Friday night
Get off to a great start by making sure your Friday-night feast is sorted well in advance. Make it something you love and you’ll be looking forward to it all day.
Cook a low Syn fakeaway, like chicken chow mein, beef curry or fish and chips.
You'll find more great fakeaway ideas in our recipe section
If you don’t feel like cooking, the Slimming World food range from Iceland is ideal for your Friday-night fast-food fix; for maximum filling power, enjoy with salad or cook a few veggies while you’re waiting for the microwave to ping.
Slimming World nutritionist Alexandra Clark says: ‘One great tip is to get ahead earlier in the week when your motivation is high and make up batches of your favourite meals and freeze them. Then, on Friday morning, take one out and let it defrost throughout the day, so all you have to do is reheat it.’
Supercharged Saturday
If you’re likely to spend your Saturday at the soft-play centre or park, you’re also likely to find yourself queueing for ice cream, crisps or sweets for the kids. Your phone is your saviour here!
It’s easy to make quick decisions on healthier alternatives by using the Food Search to check the Syn value of over 40,000 foods. For example, a Wall’s Cornetto Strawberry is 10 Syns, whereas a Wall’s Calippo Orange is 5 Syns.
Your Saturday spent with the children is the ideal time to schedule in some family friendly Body Magic, too. You could try:
heading out for a family bike ride
playing frisbee on the beach
taking the dog for a walk
kicking a ball about in the park
Shopping saviours
A day spent in town can be a real minefield, with fast-food outlets and convenience food around every corner. Look out for these quick and hassle-free bites:
Marks & Spencer, Boots, Tesco and large newspaper shops stock healthier snacks such as lean meats, seafood, salad bowls, sushi and fruit pots.
Choose a Subway salad filled with Free Food – check the Food Search to see how your favourite combo compares.
Navigating coffee and cake when hitting the shops can test even the most iron-willed of slimmers. Say, ‘Oh, go on then!’ and a slice of cake and a latte could be as many as 40 Syns. Tea and fruit tea (made with a teabag), Americanos and espressos are all Free – count any milk you use as part of your Healthy Extra ‘a’ choice.
If you fancy cake, plan for it or share one with your friend. Or, instead, treat yourself to something unrelated to food, such as a new lipstick, a DVD or a book.
Scan and plan with the Slimming World Scanner
The Slimming World Scanner – an easier way to shop, cook and eat the Food Optimising way – is now available on the Slimming World app! You can now scan an item’s barcode using your phone and the results will show if the product is Free, a Healthy Extra or has a Syn value. Add items to your online planner, helping with your day-to-day planning, shopping and Food Optimising 100%!
This is the only official Slimming World scanner available – anywhere! Every single product (and that’s over 50,000 so far) has been validated by our team of experts to guarantee you get the correct result every time you scan.
Night out on plan
When alcohol’s involved, the most important thing is to keep tabs on your tipping point. Research has found that the average tipping point for Slimming World members is around three large glasses of w**e – after which we could go on to consume an extra 6,300 calories through continued drinking, fast-food fixes and a morning-after fry-up. Find out more here.
Try these tips for keeping within your limits:
Steer clear of cocktails, b**rs and ciders, which tend to be higher in Syns – opt for spirits with diet mixers instead.
Add soda water to your w**e to make a long spritzer.
After last orders, planning ahead can help you navigate your way through kebab alley without arriving home with a doner. Alexandra Clark suggests, ‘Prepare something Free earlier in the day and heat it up when you get home. Home-made chilli and curry are great options.’
Sunday lunch – with all the trimmings
Sunday dinner can be the final hurdle. At home it’s easy to create the ultimate Food Optimising friendly roast, but dining elsewhere can be more of a challenge.
As well as this chicken dinner, you’ll find recipes for roast pork, beef and lamb in our recipe section
If you’re invited out for lunch and you’re comfortable with the hosts, let them know in advance that you’re trying to lose weight. They’ll be more than happy to serve up chicken with the skin removed or potatoes cooked without oil.
Not ready to have that conversation? If you arrive at someone’s house and the roast is already prepped, or you’re having lunch at a local carvery, fill your plate with as much Free and Speed Free Food as you can.
