I joined Slimming World at the beginning of June this year, following an uncomfortable feeling about my growing weight. I was not classed as overweight but was on the higher end of where I should be medically and wanted to shift about a stone and a half. I had done the Slimming World diet before but never joined a group so was pleasantly surprised to learn that for members of Slimming World the magazine costs just £1.50 every month instead of the £2.45 price tag that non-members have to pay if they buy it from various stationers and supermarkets.

It usually starts with the stories of real people who have lost large amounts of weight and tells us all about their journey, pitfalls and reaching target weight. I do read these true life stories but don't find them particularly inspiring, which is what I think they are meant to do. I feel pleased for the person involved in the story and I guess I feel slightly guaranteed that the diet does work and I can achieve my target weight too, but it certainly doesn't make me feel fired up about following the plan and achieving my goal. In fact to be honest, although these sections take up roughly about twelve pages and usually feature four or five different people - men and women - who have had success with Slimming World, I would still buy the magazine and thoroughly enjoy it without these "inspirational" stories.

Of course, not everyone who picks up the magazine is going to understand Food Optimising, so in every issue they run through the basic rules, usually over a page or two, and try and explain how it works. Being a member of Slimming World and attending weekly meetings means I get a lot more information on different ways to include and amend Food Optimising which are not detailed in the magazine, but then if they told you everything in the magazine, no-one would sign up to be a member and they would lose millions. However the magazine is what I used when I first began losing weight through Slimming World and I did not attend meetings at all. I can personally vouch for the simple explanations of how to do it and what foods are the best etc. They explain in an easy to understand way that means you can start this journey in the privacy of your own home if this is what you feel more comfortable with.

Another favourite of mine is all the recipes they provide. They are usually broken down into sections like Lunches or Mince Dishes and the average magazine issue has around 40 recipes in it throughout. I think this is fantastic value and a real help in trying to stick to the plan. It gives you loads of choice and the recipes are easy to cook on the whole and provide you with all the information you need to incorporate the meal into your daily plan. I have to admit most of my meals don't turn out quite as nice looking as the pictures in the recipes but that is hardly Slimming World's fault! They also state next to each recipe whether it is suitable for vegetarians and whether it is freezable which is great information if you are going to batch cook for the freezer.

Lastly, peppered throughout, are adverts for various slimming products like sweeteners and yoghurts which are useful too, and occasionally coupons for money off. Competitions and subscription offers are included as well which could prove financially sound if you are not a member of Slimming World but want to receive it monthly.