What is this Slimpod thing you talk about?

Slimpod is about inpiration, self-reflection, and intuition. It is a researched and reputed online programme designed to improve your overall health by helping you develop a better understanding of your body and your needs. I don’t work for Slimpod, and I’m not a doctor or nutritionist, I just found the programme and realised that it does so much more than what it says on the tin!

It’s not hypnosis, or a diet, or a rigid regime, although you may feel it is all of those three at times. So I will tell you now – if you join the free trial and at any stage you feel that it is any of those things and it puts you off, reach out to the online community or the Help Centre. This programme is meant to work alongside your life, so if it feels like a hinderance, please chat it out in one of the many forums available to you as a member.

• The part that might feel like hypnosis is the “Pod” – a 9 minute audio track that you listen to without paying attention – when first starting, you are encouraged to listen to it as you go to bed at night. It’s not hypnosis, but it does use language techniques to direct your thinking towards better habits.
• The part that might fee like a diet is the conversations around food. You will be encouraged to add some green to your plate, and the oline community talk about food a lot. It’s not a diet, but as you learn more about the when/why/what of what you eat, you will be inspired to made changes to what you normally eat 
• The part that might feel like a rigid regime is that you must listen to the Pod every day, and complete an online module on the website every week. It’s not a rigid regime, but you will get more from the programme if you do these two things (don’t worry about missing Zoom calls, or not keeping up with the online chat – you can always increase your involvement later if you want to). 

What do I have to do?

You first sign up on a 10 day free trial. If you like it, you sign up to Slimpod Gold, which is the 12 week programme. It’s £99 (three monthly payments of £33) for lifelong access to the programme and the online community. You can pause, restart, ignore all the lessons and just make friends with other “Podders” (please don’t ignore the lessons though!), and the programme is all yours. 

Once you’ve joined Slimpod, then all you need to do is:

1. Listen to the pod every day.
2. Complete an online module every week – this is usually a 10-20 minute video and a few exercises. Some of the modules won’t be released to you until you have completed the ones before it. 
3. Write down your three “wins” – notes about positive self-reflection.

You will be told about all sorts of other resources as well, but don’t worry about those if you find it’s overwhelming. There are Zoom calls, and Facebook Live videos, and Slimpod Extra. Start with the list of three things above, and slowly build from

Does it really work?

For a lot of people, yes – with the results being equally amazing to their waistlines as their self-esteem. It doesn’t work immediately for everybody, and it might take longer for you than others. It might not make sense. You might want to repeat a week, or start over (and many people do). But there is the team at Slimpod to help you at any time, as well as the online community. You are never alone in your struggles or confusions, there are teams of people ready to help you re-engage and get back on track.

Is it just for women?

Ha! Not at all! I’ll admit that the online community is dominated by women, and most members are women, but anyone can participate and get good results and there are men who are active in the online community too. This is a programme for your brain – if you’ve got one of those, you can do this and feel (and see) amazing results.

Hang on, who are you?

I’m just a Podder who saw that this programme and community are truly wonderful, but I also found it really overwhelming. I started making a guide for myself and realised that it might help others too, so I added Slimpod as another topic on my blog. And now I’m a Slimpod Partner! That means that when you sign up to Slimpod or purchase Slimpod products via my pages, Slimpod help me fund my website with no additional cost to you.

Speaking of no cost, if you are ready to try this programme FREE for 10 days, click on the link below!

So how are you doing this programme?

This is my style for Slimpod!

Do you pay attention?

I did the first time because I wanted to know what the words were. But that’s it. Now I play the pods I want to listen to when I get to work, while I check my emails. Because you don’t need to pay attention to the pod, in fact you don’t even need to be awake! As long as it’s playing where you can hear it (awake or not), the words are making their way to your brain, so don’t worry about it. Just don’t listen to it while driving.

As for the videos, I definitely pay attention to those. They are very useful, and I’ll definitely rewatch them to remind myself of tips and tricks along the way.

So you don’t listen to the pod at night?

Lost of podders listen to the pod at night, putting it on either as they fall asleep, or setting it on a timer to play when they are already asleep. But many people find that the pod makes them feel energised, so instead they listen during the day. I listen during the day because I found it too distracting at night. Any time is fine. Just not when you’re driving!

Do you listen to the pod on repeat?

It’s not required, one play per day is fine. But it’s not harmful either, so if you feel that playing it on repeat works best for you, then do it. I like playing them on repeat at work, as gentle background noise.

Did you restart from the beginning?

I did restart. When I first joined, I was in a rough place mentally and I didn’t have the mental capacity to take in new information. So I stopped listening, addressed the situations that were impacting my mental health, and then came back to Slimpod – ready to learn! Perseverance is important, so you will see a lot of comments about not giving up, and that it’s better to keep going, to push through even if you’re having a wobble. But the programme is also about listening to yourself. If you think that a break and a restart is best for you, then do it. Or if you have finished Slimpod Gold and want to go back to Week 1 to refresh your memory, that’s great! The important thing is do to what works for you, and dont’ forget that there is more support than just the Facebook group – see the Slimpod support page.

If this isn’t a diet or an exercise plan, why do you post about processed foods and LWR?

Slimpod isn’t a diet, it a programme to get you back in touch with what your body needs. It helps you to realise when you are full, when you are “emotional eating”, and when you are using food for a purpose other than to give your body the fuel it needs. Some foods are better than others for giving us energy, or making us feel full sooner, and keeping our insides running well. So there tips abotu how to include these foods in your meals. You aren’t required to do this – it’s just a suggestion – but podders often find themselves motivated to try these suggestions, and that becomes a common topic in the group. The same is said about exercise – Slimpod isn’t an exercise programme and you aren’t told to do a set amount of exercise every day. But the motivation to exercise more can hit podders quiet unexpectedly, which makes for some very happy posts in the group! LWR (Lucy Wyndham-Read) is a fitness instructor with a very popular YouTube channel, and she’s very popular wtih podders because she offers workouts that are ideal for true beginners and those with mobility issues (e.g. low impact 5 minute cardio, or sat down with her 5 minute chair workout).

Strange things happen when you engage with the programme. You start to want healthier food, and you want to move more. As for me, I impulsively bought a treadmill which I now use almost every day and I choose to genuinely challenge myself on it, and my go-to snack has become mange tout! I did not expect any of this when I started!

^{Remember, I’m not a medical professional, and I don’t work for Slimpod. I’m just a podder sharing what I’ve picked up from the programme and the Facebook chat. My love for the programme led me to become a Slimpod Partner. – read more at Privacy and Affiliates.}

^{Photo by Anton Kraev on Unsplash}

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