Gloucestershire slimming guide

Find a weight loss solution that fits you with 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 more than 55 million 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?

We’ve looked at four of the biggest and best slimming clubs in Gloucestershire, so you can find one that fits you.

Curves

Who? Curves is the largest fitness franchise in the world with 10,000 clubs in 42 countries – including three in Gloucestershire. They offer friendly and affordable women-only gyms with exercise and nutritional advice given to women who want to lose weight.
How will they help me lose weight? On joining a Curves club, you will be given a tailor-made exercise programme aimed at burning calories, toning and firming your body as well as achieving your own weight loss goals, which you should complete at least three times a week. Professional advice is also on hand to see where your eating habits may be going astray, as well as expert nutritional advice.
Who is this suitable for? Women aged over 18, who want to get fit as well as lose weight. This is a particularly good option for women in Cheltenham, Gloucester and Stroud, as this is currently where the Curves clubs are currently based.
How much does it cost? Membership and unlimited use of the facilities costs around £29 per month.
Where can I find out more? To find details of Curves clubs in the county click here.

Weight Watchers

Who? Weight Watchers is a global slimming club started in America in the 1960s that has been helping dieters in the UK drop dress sizes for more than 35 years.
How will they help me lose weight? You can choose to join a local weekly meeting, sign-up online or by post – 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. There are two plans to choose from: the Points Plan works by slimmers limiting themselves to 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. Or you can opt for the Core Plan, which involves slimmers eating three meals a day from a range of healthy options – namely fruit and vegetables.
Who is this suitable for? Men and women who want to combine the structure of an eating plan with the support of weekly meetings (either in person, online or by post). As there are two plans to choose from and almost 40 meetings 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? For weekly meetings there is currently a free registration voucher available on the Weight Watchers website, with weekly classes costing £4.95 or £4.25 for concessions. Online membership costs £9.95 a month with a £29.95 one-off registration fee. Postal subscriptions cost £44.85 for three months.
Where can I find out more? To find a Weight Watchers meeting in the county click here. To find out more about Weight Watchers including online and postal memberships click here.

Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness Club

Who? The lycra-clad 50-year-old has been a television staple for almost 20 years since devising her hit low-fat Hip and Thigh Diet after suffering with gallstones. 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 local club 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. If there isn’t a class nearby you can also sign-up online to access the website packed full of eating 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 regularly exercising.
Who is this suitable for? Men and women who want to combine a low-fat diet with the support of a traditional slimming club and a regular exercise class. There are currently only two Rosemary Conley classes in the county – both in the Forest of Dean.
How much does it cost? Membership at a local club involves a £10.00 registration fee and each class costs £5.25 – including the exercise class. Online membership requires a one-off registration fee of £24.99, plus £9.99 a month subscription.
Where can I find out more? To find a Rosemary Conley meeting in the county click here. To find out more about Rosemary Conley Diet & Fitness magazine click here.

Slimming World

Who? Founded in 1969, Slimming World has helped more than 5 million 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 you are privately weighed before chatting and being give nutritional advice in a supportive group environment. There are also online and postal membership packages to pick from.
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? Membership at a local club involves a £10 registration fee and £4.50 payable weekly for adults, £4.25 for students and OAPs, while children aged 11-15 are free if accompanied by a paying adult. Online membership costs £60 for three months.
Where can I find out more? To find a local Slimming World Class in the county click here. To find out more about the Slimming World magazine click here.

With nothing to lose but that spare tyre, give one of Gloucestershire’s slimming clubs a try today.

Michelle Byrne
10 December 2007