I’m Tracey! I am a Slimming World Consultant in Tallaght but most importantly I am a Slimming World member. I have lost five stone following the plan and words cannot convey just how much it has changed my life in every single way. I was a comfort eater, a secret eater and miserably unhappy for all of my teenage life. Since becoming a parent something clicked for me. I want to be around for my son for as long as I can be. I don’t want him to grow up seeing food as the enemy and as a reason to hide his emotions. Slimming World has changed everything for me and I want to help others do the same.

One of the most commonly spoken topics at Slimming World is the fact that people can’t help but wonder why they just didn’t join sooner. In the midst of all of the happiness, it is difficult to comprehend the fact that this feeling could have come so much sooner. Hindsight is a great thing but it really is difficult to avoid looking back and reflecting.

You start to wonder if things could have been different had you joined sooner. For years you may have thought that joining Slimming World was the end of enjoying food as you knew it. You may have thought it was the end of your social life and comforts whereas for a lot of people it only marks the beginning of it all.

So let’s talk about one of the greatest objections for joining Slimming World. We’re talking money. I could write a book on this because it was my greatest reason for avoiding it for so long. I couldn’t afford to join Slimming World but I could absolutely afford to buy a Starbucks every day along with several takeaways a week and a bar of chocolate every time I passed a shop. I was totally in denial.

For anyone who does not know the ins and outs behind what it costs to be a Slimming World member I’ll give you a little insight. I’ll start by saying that it’s extremely good value. As a standard Slimming World member in Ireland you pay €9 per week (less if you are an OAP or Younger Member) and for that €9 you get unbelievably good value for money.

You get access to an incredibly supportive group once a week as well as a dedicated consultant who really cares about helping you to lose weight. Weekly Image therapy is an amazing thing to be part of. We celebrate the good times, help people move past the difficult times and make plans to ensure the week ahead is a great one. At Image Therapy, we share recipes, anecdotes and information about new products on the market.

We deal with the emotional, physical and logistic elements of weight loss. We use the “help one help ten” mentality to really equip members for a great week. It is an open forum to ask questions, share experiences and perhaps the most important thing – have so many laughs.

As a Slimming World member, my favourite thing about group was the cup of tea. I can’t put my finger on it but it was my favourite cuppa of the whole week. My sister and I would text each other on group day and talk about how much we couldn’t wait for that cuppa and HiFi bar. It was the one time of the week where we dedicated an hour to ourselves. It was the ultimate me-time.

That is another thing. Your Slimming World group is the only place to pick up Slimming World Hi Fi bars which are a really helpful product for so many Slimming World members. I am a chocolate fiend so having a delicious array of chocolate bars to choose from always made life easier.

Of course, I can walk in to any shop and pick up a bar of chocolate that works with the plan but I just adore the Slimming World bars. They are cheap, cheerful and seriously good value in terms of syns. I also love that they have a high fibre content. At Slimming World you will get a six pack of bars for €3 and I pretty much never leave the house without one in my bag.

When I meet a friend for coffee or get peckish in the car I always have a handy snack/treat nearby. As a general rule, I always have a couple of pieces of fruit and a HiFi bar in my handbag. These bars are NOT essential but so many members credit them as a huge help on this journey. Slimming World is about wholesome healthy eating but we all like a little treat.

The Slimming World Magazine is also an amazing resource. It’s full to the brim with inspiration, success stories and recipes. You’ll pick up the official Slimming World magazine for €2.90 at your Slimming World meeting which is about €2 cheaper than a newsagent.

Keep an eye out for joining offers for Slimming World. There are regular magazine offers to join a Slimming World group for just €9 as well as “join with a friend” offers and incentives. One of my biggest tips is to consider a countdown. Rather than paying €9 per week you can pay €90 up front for twelve weeks. That means that you get two free weeks and you don’t have to think about the money for a full twelve weeks. I found these countdown offers BRILLIANT and a lot of the time they come with a free recipe book which is such a treat.

Slimming World is incredibly good value. You can’t put a price on the life changes that it brings as well as the confidence, health benefits and friendships. That being said – you get a serious bang for your buck.