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Was diet worth it? Of course it was

Jeni Harvey
15/ 2/2008

AFTER four weeks of healthy eating my Slimming World regime has come to an end. But did I succeed? Well, yes and no.

I didn’t reach my target weight of 10 stones – which I now realise was rather optimistic for such a short space of time – but I did achieve what I really wanted.

Yes, this week I was back in my size 10 jeans. And, to celebrate, I went shopping in the town centre and bought myself a brand-new pair of trousers, again in a size 10.

I haven’t been able to do that since I was 18, so it was quite a momentous occasion.

At Bamford Bowling Club on Thursday I bade farewell to the group, who had all been so friendly and supportive for the last month.

I’ve bought myself a new size 10 pencil skirt to wear on my first day and, thanks to Slimming World, I’ll be feeling more confident than I have in years.

The end of my Slimming World classes, though, doesn’t mean I’ll be completely giving up the plan for good.

Although I’ll be happy to condemn cooking spray to the bin and won’t be measuring my glasses of wine in ‘syns’ any more, some things will stay with me.

I’m going to carry on choosing wholemeal bread over white and making sure I have plenty of fruit to snack on throughout the day so I don’t turn to buttery toast or chocolate.

I’ll also carry on cooking the delicious Slimming World recipes I’ve learned, such as aubergine parmigiana, moussaka and vegetable lasagne.

So hopefully I’ll keep the weight off - or maybe even lose a little bit more.

I’d recommend Slimming World to anyone – the diet’s easy to follow and encourages you to eat lots of food.

I liked the concept of ‘free food’ which meant that I could eat as much fruit as I wanted throughout the day so I didn’t go hungry.

And, against my better judgement, I even enjoyed the meetings, as leader Laura Sousa was so supportive and encouraging.

The group wasn’t ‘cheesy’ at all, even for a cynic like myself. And, if I’m honest, I’d admit I’m a little bit disappointed I never got the chance to receive my very own certificate and sticker for shedding half a stone.

But, for now, any disappointment is outweighed by the fact that, for the first time in almost ten years, I’m a size 10.

That makes the lack of wine, curry and pizza well worth it.

To find out more about Slimming World visit www.slimmingworld.com or call leader Laura Sousa on 0161 655 4543.

Click here to read Jeni's slimming diary in full ...