Slimming World Fast Forward – Day 1

I reached my Slimming World target on 24th June 2019. Since then A LOT has happened. I have become a consultant, then there was Christmas (and the nightmare of the whole thing) and then there was lockdown and…all the time….there has been food.

As a result, I am now 12lbs away from my target weight. I had pretty much been maintaining up until Christmas and lost the plot a little back in February but managed to pull it back by losing 4lb in a week. However, since then, the weight has slowly crept on as I have got used to what I call ‘Lockdown Load’.

As a result, I have decided to follow the Fast Forward plan which is only offered to members who need to shake things up a bit and help them reignite their Food Optimising enthusiasm.

I have to admit that, as a Consultant and member, I have never lost my enthusiasm for Food Optimising and the Slimming World way. But, I do want to find a whole new appreciation for it. If I am going to suggest Fast Forward to any of them, I want to say that I have done it myself. I am someone who practices what they preach and feel like a hypocrite if I don’t.

What is Fast Forward?

Slimming World say that Fast Forward is a slimmer’s equivalent of a strait-jacket. For those periods when we are stuck or feel like rebelling. Sometimes, a week doing this will help.

The plan is carefully designed by top experts in the field of weight loss and nutrition. It is healthy and very effective and, as a Consultant, we have the tools to personalise the plan for the member by using a calculation which takes into account your metabolic rate and activity level so that you are given the correct number of units per day for your food allowance.

Once your Total Daily Unit allowance has been calculated, you can include a salad or vegetable unit each day for free and then choose from the Light Meal, Main Meal and Snacks section to make up your Total Daily Unit allowance. You get at least 18 per day. My calculations have given me 20.

It is even more strict in the fact that, if there are any minor parts to the meal that you don’t like, you can miss them out but you CANNOT add anything extra to the meal choices (in my opinion, just don’t choose them in the first place!).

You have to vary your choices and make sure you drink at least 500ml of water each morning, afternoon and evening. Snacks do include things like crumpets, jaffa cakes and even alcohol but even then, it is strict.

You have to make your choices at the beginning of the week and stick to them. This isn’t going to be easy!

THE FOOD I ATE

Breakfast

A crumpet spread with a level tablespoon of jam and a pot of yoghurt under 100 calories

Lunch

A 225g Jacket Potato with 2 level tablespoons of sweetcorn, 75 of tuna in brine and some salad leaves.

Dinner

Ready meal under 350 calories, which was a Morrisons Counted Calorie Controlled Chicken Curry for 341 cals, my free unit of salad and an apple.

Snacks

1 apple, 2 jaffa cakes.

Drinks

3 cups of black coffee, two glasses of diet lemonade, 1 glass of diet coke, 1 glass of water, Lemon and Ginger herbal tea.

What I discovered About Myself

I have become very aware of the times I feel most hungry. I did get a bit of a headache and I have found that I was snacking more as I sat at my desk working, especially in the afternoon. This has really made me rethink that.

HOW I FELT

To start with I was fine. At lunchtime I felt really hungry and did appreciate my food but I found it very dry and missed my cheese. If I wanted to add anything to it, then I would have to take it from my unit allowance and I wasn’t prepared to do that! I did save my free salad unit to go with my ready meal in the evening as then I felt like I was having a fuller plate of food.

EXERCISE

Zero!

WEIGH-IN

Weight at the beginning of my Fast Forward week: 164lbs 

My Target Weight: 152lbs