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Woman diets for dollars; charity cashes in
Starlocalnews.com staff reports
When Beth Valentine first heard that she could make money losing weight, she thought there had to be a catch.
“Every other weight-loss plan I'd ever tried cost me money,” Valentine said. “I couldn't believe I was going to get paid to slim down.”
In order to get noticed in the crowded U.S. weight-loss industry, in mid-March the company launched a program called “Pounds for Pounds." They decided to pay members one British pound for every pound of weight they lost. That works out to about $1.50 per pound.
Valentine admits that she was motivated by the money at first, but after she started losing weight, the money didn't matter.
“I've battled with my weight for so long, the real payoff for me wasn't the cash,” Valentine said. “My new slimmer look was all the motivation I needed to keep going. That's why I elected to donate the money to charity.”
“We gave members a choice,” Slimming World's Yvonne Sanders. “They could keep the cash or donate it to a local non-profit adopted by their group. Almost all of our members chose to give the money away. It was really very impressive and it says a lot about the kind of caring people we're attracting to our groups.”
The weight loss philosophy behind this program is that for a diet to work, it has to become a lifestyle. That's why no foods are banned and effective support to make long term lifestyle changes is key. Slimming World encourages its members to never go hungry, by filling up on healthy foods like fruit, veggies, lean meats, rice, pasta and potatoes.
“If someone said you could eat as much as you want and still lose weight, you wouldn’t believe them," Sanders said. "But it’s true – we encourage slimmers to eat as much as they want of the right foods and to enjoy their favorite foods and treats every day too. We succeed because there’s plenty to eat on our plan, so members never go hungry, and don't get bored or give up, only to start all over again ".
There are no pills or potions, no pre-made meals or meal replacements to buy. There aren't any gimmicks and members say that's why it works - everything you need is available at any grocery store.
Members are also encouraged to attend a weekly support group where they share recipes and encourage each other to reach their goals.
“I guess we really shouldn't be surprised that the members are choosing to give the money to charity,” Sanders said. “These groups are becoming like a second family to the members. Money isn't the real motivator. Members are making healthy choices during the week in part because they don't want to let down their Slimming World family. They want to announce to the group at the next meeting that they've lost another couple of pounds and hear the cheers.”
Over the last 40 years the company has helped more than 6-million people in Great Britain lose weight.
Valentine's group lost a total of 1622 pounds during the 3-month program. They chose Clarissa’s Closet (Hope’s Door) as their charity and will be presenting a check later this month.
The Plano Slimming World groups meet at the Redemption Church Facility at Alma/Parker every Tuesday at 9.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m.. For more information on groups in other cities, visit www.slimmingworldusa.com
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