January new members

Last updated on Fri, 21st Oct 2022

Slimming World classes in January are often full of new and returning members. Following the excesses of Christmas and New Year lots of people are looking to turn over a new leaf and lose some weight.

If it’s your first time

I’ve written before about what’s it’s like to attend a Slimming World class for the first time. And one of the big benefits of joining in January is that there’ll be loads of other new members joining at the same time, so you’ll not be on your own.

The key is to make sure you arrive on time for your first meeting, and join the new member talk. This will give you the overview of the Slimming World plan and allow you to ask any initial questions. You can then take your books away with you, have a read through at home.

If you’re rejoining

Congratulations on coming back! The chances are you’re rejoining because you know – from your previous experience – that the plan works. However it’s not always easy to admit that you’ve managed to lose weight in the past, and then perhaps let things slide a bit. But don’t worry, it happens to the best of us!

When you rejoin, you’ll go through the new member talk along with all the new people. This is to remind you of the plan, and potentially to let you know about any changes that have taken place since you last were here.

If you’re a continuing member

Sometimes is can be frustrating during January with all the new people flooding into group. As an existing member you might not get as much individual attention from the consultant for a couple of weeks as they concentrate on helping the new people.

However with all the new members around, it’s an ideal time for existing members to take a fresh look at the food optimisation plan again, and refresh our memories of what to do. It’s easy to get complacent and forget things, so this is a good time to re-read the book and check your assumptions.

You might also want to help out by actively engaging with new members. You can share some of your experiences, and answer any questions they have.

Dealing with the crowds

January is generally the busiest month of the year in Slimming World. Groups that may have 20-30 people staying for class the rest of the year may suddenly double in number. This means that there might be bigger queues to check-in and weigh, or the classes may take slightly longer to get around everyone.

The key is to stick with it for these potentially-disruptive few weeks, until everyone finds their feet. Many members may move between class times or venues, in order to fit in with their work or family schedules – and that will generally relieve the pressures on very busy classes.

No doubt class membership will also drop-off as some of the new members let their New Year’s resolutions slip and leave after a few weeks. This does happen unfortunately when people struggle to make a commitment.