Being at target and the "sneaky extra"

After I last posted, I got a bit complacent and took 4 more weeks to lose those last few pounds. However, I did it, and amongst much ceremony (including a certificate AND a badge!) became a Slimming World target member.

After the excitement wore off, and my flurry of Facebook sharing eased off, I wasn't really sure what to do next. I read through the book I was given at group but it didn't say anything concrete - understandable, as everybody needs to find their own level, and there's no specific number of syns/healthy extras etc which will guarantee maintaining the same weight, but a bit disorientating after 7 months of following the Slimming World plan pretty rigidly!

The first week, I was super-strict and ended up losing half a pound. Oops.

The second week, I relaxed rather too much, and put half a pound on. Oops again.

The third week, I stopped relaxing but found that I was already back into naughty old habits, and had discovered a new food type - on top of Healthy Extras A & B, I introduced the "Sneaky Extra". This is any type of food, other than Free foods of course, which is eaten in a small enough quantity to enable you to kid yourself you're not eating it. For me, it's bits of the toddler's tea, a nibble of cheese while cooking, a bite of toast, a tiny piece of cake, a chocolate button from the fridge...etc. Added to a rather more relaxed approach to wine and the occasional dabble with white bread, I suddenly realised how easy it would be to slide (un)gracefully out of the Slimming World habits, and pile the weight back on!

Amongst this I've been running 3 times a week (and have got to the end of week 5 of couch to 5k - definitely recommend this to follow if you're thinking about taking up running) so goodness knows what weight I'd have put on without the exercise...

So - it'll have to be an end to the Sneaky Extra. There's a reason they aren't part of Food Optimising! I shall be back onto measuring the healthy extras and counting the syns until I work out what maintains an equilibrium, and am writing it down publicly to help motivate me to recognise and lose the habit. Apologies for using you as a confessional!

As a target member in our group said on the week I hit target - you have to remember that you can't have ALL the treats. A good lesson to learn!