The Problem with ‘Slimmer of the Week’
- Apr 22, 2025
- 4 min read
Claire Jones is an award-winning weight loss coach, helping people build a healthy relationship with food and themselves. She is the author of How to Eat Less, and the founder of YourOneLife. Claire empowers clients to break free from diets, create effective habits, and build confidence in new challenges, guiding them towards lasting success.
Let’s talk about ‘Slimmer of the Week’, that shiny sticker, fridge magnet, or certificate handed out at slimming clubs across the country or the world. It’s meant to motivate. To inspire. To reward. But the truth is, it often does more harm than good. And I’m saying that not just as a weight loss coach, but as someone who used to live for it.
Back when I was stuck in the yo-yo dieting cycle, I was obsessed with that certificate. I restricted myself all week just to win it. I’d weigh in dehydrated, celebrate a loss I hadn’t earned in a healthy way, and then binge that evening and the day after because I’d ‘won’ and felt I deserved a treat.I thought I was doing well, but really, I was stuck in a cycle of extremes, guilt, constant comparison, and external validation.
So I get it. I really do.
But here’s why that mindset, and the whole ‘Slimmer of the Week’ approach, can keep us stuck, and what to focus on instead.
1. It encourages unrealistic expectations
Weight loss is not linear. Our bodies naturally fluctuate for loads of reasons: water retention, hormones, stress, sleep, digestion, and more. But ‘Slimmer of the Week’ tells you that you should lose weight every week, and ideally more than anyone else.
When I didn’t lose, even though I’d stuck to my plan, I’d feel like a failure, like all my effort didn’t count because I didn’t get a certificate. That kind of pressure is exhausting and totally unnecessary.
2. It puts the focus on the wrong thing
Weight is only one part of the picture. I wasn’t thinking about how I felt in myself, whether I had more energy, or whether I was learning to eat in a way I could actually maintain. I was chasing a number on the scale, nothing else.
And the truth? That’s not what lasting change looks like.
3. It fuels all-or-nothing thinking
If I lost weight, I was “good.” If I didn’t, I was “bad.” I’d either restrict myself to get back on track or give up completely. That black-and-white mindset was driven by rewards like ‘Slimmer of the Week.’ It trained me to see weight loss as success and anything else as failure.
That’s a mindset I now spend a lot of time helping my clients unpick. Because it doesn’t help, it just burns people out.
4. It can lead to disordered eating patterns
I’d eat as little as possible in the days before weigh-in, then go straight to the shop for a binge the moment it was over. That’s not healthy. That’s not sustainable. And it’s certainly not freedom.
What I didn’t realise at the time was that those behaviours were edging into disordered eating, and they were being rewarded with applause.
5. It reinforces comparison over collaboration
Weight loss is not a competition, but those weekly awards made it feel like one. I would compare myself to others, even though we were all different people with distinct bodies and lifestyles. Instead of learning from and supporting each other, I felt I had to ‘beat’ them.
Looking back, that was never going to help me build a healthier relationship with food or myself.
What we should be celebrating instead
Here’s what actually matters, and what I help my clients focus on now:
Non-scale victories: feeling more in control, having better energy, or saying no without guilt
Sustainable habits: not crash diets
Progress over time: not dramatic week-to-week changes
Mindset shifts: because your thinking drives your behaviour
Resilience: getting back up after a tough week
These are the things that create long-term success. And none of them need to be weighed. The number on the scale is a useful part of the picture, but not the only part.
Final thoughts on ‘Slimmer of the Week’
If you’ve ever felt crushed because someone else got ‘Slimmer of the Week’ and you didn’t, even though you gave it your all, I’ve been there.
If you’ve ever restricted, obsessed, or punished yourself just to win that title, I’ve done that too.
And if you’re ready to let go of those toxic patterns and focus on real change, that’s exactly what I help people do now.
Because true transformation doesn’t come from certificates, it comes from understanding yourself, changing your thinking, and building habits that last for life, not just for weigh day.
Want to work on this the healthy way? Come follow me over on Instagram, visit my website, or drop me a message.
Or book a place on my next free Energise Your Life Weight Loss Workshop.
Read more from Claire Jones
Claire Jones, Weight Loss and Confidence Coach
Claire Jones is an award-winning weight loss coach and author of How to Eat Less. After struggling with her own weight and relationship with food, she transformed her mindset and developed a sustainable approach to lasting health. Now, she helps others break free from dieting cycles, build confidence, and create healthier habits. With a background in coaching and behavioural change, Claire empowers clients to embrace a positive, long-term lifestyle. Her mission is to inspire sustainable health and self-belief.
