Background

Slim in Spain was set up by Helen Cranston after she found through her own experience that there was very little support for those wanting to lose weight in Spain. With a start weight of 15 stones and wearing a size 22, it was time to shift the weight but at that time in her area, there were no local slimming clubs to offer support.

Despite this, Helen went on to lose 5 stones in total through a combination of healthy eating and exercise and after being asked so many times how she did it, decided she wanted to help others enjoy the boost in self esteem and known health benefits being at a healthy weight brings. She joined a well known weight loss organisation as a leader but during her time with this organisation and from the feedback gained from her members, she realised there was a need for a real alternative.

	She found in some areas that the only choices available were either a big name organisation, with associated big name joining and membership fees, or small local clubs run by people who have lost weight themselves and are often illegally using material poached from other organisations books and websites.

The Slim in Spain Difference

Slim in Spain offers a real alternative – as a member of the National Independent Slimming Clubs (NISC) network we work within a code of conduct.

We offer a Healthy Start eating plan which has been approved by the British Nutrition Foundation to ensure it offers a full range of the nutritional requirements for a healthy adult and we promote sustainable weight loss through healthy eating rather than crash diets.

The NISC also runs an annual Member of the Year competition which members of Slim in Spain are eligible to enter. NISC has contacts with a number of magazines and newspapers and many of the success stories you will see in national UK magazines such as Zest and Slim at Home will be members of an NISC affiliated group and Slim in Spain members will be invited to submit their success stories when they reach their goal weight.

What happens at a meeting?

When you come along to join us, you will be asked to fill in a form to register. (Please note that if you have any medical condition, for example diabetes, or are seriously overweight, you are advised to consult your doctor before embarking on any weight loss programme.)

You will then be weighed by your leader and advised of the recommended healthy weight range. You will also be offered an optional body fat percentage reading and a photo, these elements if taken will be reviewed every 8 weeks so not only will you see weight loss, you will also have evidence of your changing body shape.

Then there follows a short talk based around the principles of healthy eating and behaviours to promote healthy and lasting weight loss. Members are encouraged to share ideas and get involved but it is not compulsory!  The idea is to provide motivation, information and inspiration to keep you on track in an environment where you feel comfortable and supported.

Who can join?

Basically, anyone! We welcome men as well as women, this is not a ‘girls only’ organisation! The language of the meetings is English but we welcome all nationalities.

However, to join, your start weight must be at least 7lbs above the lowest point of your healthy weight range; we do not accept anyone with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 20. If you are not sure of your BMI, use our easy BMI calculator.

Additional groups who cannot be accepted for membership are: anyone who has suffered from an eating disorder, pregnant or breastfeeding women. The reason for this is that these groups require more specialised advice and as leaders are not medically qualified, we are unable to safely provide that advice.

Those with medical conditions are advised to consult their doctor before embarking on a weight loss programme and we recommend that once you join, you show the programme materials to your doctor to ensure that they are happy for you to proceed.

Shortly you will be able to see some of our members and hear their stories, check out our members page often.

Need more information? Call us on 650 143 548