Video: calorie counting and Slimming World
If you have a weight loss goal (or have tried to lose weight previously), it’s likely that you’re very familiar with calories, and may have tried counting them to lower your intake.
At Slimming World, we understand that the bottom line of losing weight is being in a calorie deficit (using more calories than we take in). However, counting or tracking calories can be a time-consuming and confusing task – making it a weight loss method that’s difficult to stick to in the long term.
Our flexible healthy eating plan, Food Optimising, has been developed to do the hard work for us – freeing us from calorie counting and making it easy to follow a healthy, balanced diet and lose weight without ever feeling hungry. Dr. Sarah Bennett, a registered nutritionist, explains…
How does the Slimming World plan work?
Food Optimising is based on the idea of Free Foods, which are the foods with the fewest calories per gram and the highest level of satiety. As a result, these foods fill us up for fewer calories and keep us feeling fuller for a longer period of time.
Lean meat (and some meat substitutes), fish, eggs, rice, pasta, potatoes, beans, lentils, and fruit and vegetables are among the many healthy staples available in the Slimming World Free Foods selection. Free Foods don’t need to be weighed, counted, or measured; you can eat as much as you want to satisfy your hunger. Because you never have to worry about feeling hungry, deprived, or guilty about what you eat, they also play an important psychological role.
Another essential component of the Slimming World program is the Healthy Extras. These are measured amounts of foods that support our intake of calcium, fibre, healthy fats and other important nutrients, to ensure a healthy, balanced and sustainable diet. We encourage you to first prepare delicious meals using your measured Healthy Extra choices and Free Foods, and then, if necessary, your Swips. Foods with a Swip value need to be counted carefully because they have more calories. They’re there for you to enjoy as you choose – without worrying about working out the calories per portion. They also remove the burden of ever feeling deprived, and add flexibility and freedom to your daily diet.
According to registered dietitian Carolyn Pallister, head of nutrition, research, and health at Slimming World, “while counting calories can work for some people in the short term, it can quickly become limiting, and it can leave us feeling hungry,” It is essential to consider the types of food we consume rather than just the number of calories consumed in order to aid in weight loss and from a health standpoint. We’ll feel fuller for longer if we choose foods that are higher in protein and fiber, less energy-dense, and more satiating. Slimming World has thought “behind the scenes” when developing Food Optimising to make it as simple as possible for slimmers to follow.
Another essential component of the Slimming World program is the Healthy Extras
These are measured amounts of foods that support our intake of calcium, fibre, healthy fats and other important nutrients, to ensure a healthy, balanced and sustainable diet. We encourage you to first prepare delicious meals using your measured Healthy Extra choices and Free Foods, and then, if necessary, your Swips. Foods with a Swip value need to be counted carefully because they have more calories. They’re there for you to enjoy as you choose – without worrying about working out the calories per portion. They also remove the burden of ever feeling deprived, and add flexibility and freedom to your daily diet.
According to registered dietitian Carolyn Pallister, head of nutrition, research, and health at Slimming World, “while counting calories can work for some people in the short term, it can quickly become limiting, and it can leave us feeling hungry,” It is essential to consider the types of food we consume rather than just the number of calories consumed in order to aid in weight loss and from a health standpoint. We’ll feel fuller for longer if we choose foods that are higher in protein and fiber, less energy-dense, and more satiating. Slimming World has thought “behind the scenes” when developing Food Optimising to make it as simple as possible for slimmers to follow.
