Gloucestershire slimming guide

Find a weight loss solution that fits you with SoGlos.com’s guide to three of the biggest and best slimming clubs in Gloucestershire.

The slimming industry is big business, no pun intended. Just type ‘weight loss’ into Google and you will get tens of millions of results.

But with so many calorie-counting and carb-cutting companies all seemingly offering the perfect solution to shedding those excess pounds, which one will work best for you?

SoGlos.com sampled a trio of the biggest and best slimming clubs in Gloucestershire, so you can find one that fits you.

Weight Watchers

Who? Weight Watchers is a global slimming club started in America in the 1960s that has been helping dieters drop dress sizes for more than 45 years.
How will they help me lose weight? You can choose to join a local weekly meeting in Gloucestershire or sign-up online – whichever you choose you will work towards a target weight, will be weighed once a week and your progress will be recorded, before being given advice and support from a leader and other members. Weight Watchers’ members follow the Discovery Plan, which sees slimmers consuming a certain amount of ‘points’ per week – which are based on calories and saturated fat content and are attributed to every type of food and drink you can imagine.
Who is this suitable for? Men and women across Gloucestershire who want to combine the structure of an eating plan with the support of weekly meetings, either in person or online. As meetings are held across the county every week, Weight Watchers is flexible enough for anyone who wants to battle the bulge – from those with a little to lose to those with a lot.
How much does it cost? Weekly meetings start from £3.95 a week, while online membership starts from £9.95 a month.
Where can I find out more? Find a Weight Watchers meeting in Gloucestershire or find out more about Weight Watchers, including online memberships, by visiting weightwatchers.co.uk directly.

Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness Club

Who? The lycra-clad 50-something has been a television staple for 20 years since devising her hit low-fat Hip and Thigh Diet. She went on to set-up the Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness Club in 1993 as a UK-wide franchise offering practical advice on slimming and exercise.
How will they help me lose weight? You can join a club in Gloucestershire where you will identify a weight goal, be weighed and be given advice on slimming, plus have the opportunity to take part in an aerobics class every week. You can now also join online for healthy eating advice and exercise pearls of wisdom. There is an array of plans to choose from – including the most popular Ultimate Gi Jeans diet – but the central idea in all the plans is to eat predominantly low fat and low Gi (glycemic index) foods, as well as exercising regularly.
Who is this suitable for? Men and women who want to combine the support of a traditional slimming club and a regular exercise class by joining a Rosemary Conley class in the county – both in Gloucester and the Forest of Dean – as well as those who crave the flexibility of an online membership.
How much does it cost? Classes cost £5.60, with online membership costing £9.99 a month.
Where can I find out more? Find a Rosemary Conley Slimming meeting in Gloucestershire or find out more about Rosemary Conley, including online memberships, by visiting rosemaryconley.com directly.

Slimming World

Who? Founded in 1969, Slimming World has helped millions of slimmers see the scales drop across the UK. ‘Diet’ is a dirty word at Slimming World who emphasise healthy eating with no restrictions – or ‘Food Optimising’ as they like to call it.
How will they help me lose weight? Members are given a handbook with a ‘green’ and an ‘original’ food plan, as well as listing free foods and food with a ‘Syn’ value. All members attend a weekly class where they are privately weighed before chatting and being given nutritional advice in a supportive group environment.
Who is this suitable for? Anyone who wants to change their eating habits long term to help them lose weight. There are more than 30 Slimming World meetings held across Gloucestershire every week and the option for overweight children to join with a parent means that the whole family can benefit from the healthy eating advice.
How much does it cost? Local classes cost from £4.12.
Where can I find out more? Find a Slimming World meeting in Gloucestershire.

With nothing to lose but an inch or two, give one of Gloucestershire’s slimming clubs a try this summer.

Michelle Byrne