Diets are no fun whatsoever, but neither is feeling frumpy and uncomfortable on your wedding day. So if, like many millions of brides across the world, you’ve made the conscious decision to lose some weight before your big day, we at S&P Weddings have delved deeper into the Weight Watchers and Slimming World programmes.
Weight Watchers
The Weight Watchers programme focuses on a points system, ensuring its followers create an energy deficit, meaning less energy in and more energy out. Based on nutritional science, WW promise steady weight loss without feeling hungry or deprived of treats if you follow the plan.
Devotees are gifted a certain number of ProPoints to budget with weekly, depending on currant weight and how much you wish to lose in the long run. By filling up on healthy, nutritious foods that are low in salt, sugar and fat, a Weight Watcher can save up their ProPoints to splurge on a late night takeaway or midnight munch and still lose weight!
The beauty of the Weight Watchers programme is that follower’s genuinely don’t seem to go hungry! On the ProPoints plan, all fresh fruit and most vegetables are ‘free’ foods, meaning you can snack on them whenever you feel hungry without tapping into your ProPoints budget.
Due to the popularity of this weight loss system, weekly meetings can be found in every community, as well as special Weight Watchers food, which can be purchased in most supermarkets, meaning even the most stressed of brides can find the time to eat a tasty meal without all the hassle of the preparation.
Slimming world
Dubbed ‘the best weight loss programme,’ it really is no wonder that Slimming World has fast become a favourite for Irish weight loss hopefuls. SW differs from Weight Watchers in that there is no calorie counting or points system; members simply concentrate on food optimising, a system that seems too good to be true.
Optional group meetings are available weekly, where qualified individuals facilitate the behavioural change of their members, ensuring a lifetime of healthy eating and not just a quick-fix scheme.
Although calories are not counted, Slimming World have introduced us into a new realm of ‘syns;’ getting members to count the ‘syns’ in foods we all enjoy, such as saturated fats, sugar and alcohol , allows members to still enjoy the odd treat without affecting their overall weight loss much.
On a happier note, Slimming World promotes unlimited consumption of low energy dense, highly-satiating foods such as poultry, lean meat, fish, grains, vegetables and fruit, which can be eaten without restriction. Healthy extras such as milk, cheese, cereal and wholemeal bread can be added to food for a calcium and taste benefit!
Slimming World believes that people feel full due to the amount of food they eat, not the number of calories they take in, meaning that by eating low energy dense foods in abundance satisfies the appetite whilst achieving weight loss success.
Brides-to-be, the choice is yours!
- Michelle Storey