Slimming world haters

[Bluefrontdoor]

is it just me or is social media and now also real life people just into hating slimming world?
I've just started back on it after trying other diets and all I see is video after post after comparison pic of other fitness gurus berating slimming world.
Now I've no doubt there is possibly a healthier route especially when people are crazy enough to eat 7muller lights and 12 mug shots a day. But on the whole it clearly works and people who join obviously believe in it and possibly also have low self esteem due to needing to go to a slimming club so I'd bet the last thing we need is people bashing our choices. It's so off putting as well I can no longer take seriously any of these gurus for the slating they are giving sw and ww for that matter as it's just comes across so rude and judgemental.
Now I'm getting real life spouting the same stuff social media do to me. Most of these people have never been overweight, haven't tried all diets going, wouldn't do anything to be slim yet they have an opinion on my diet.
Is it just me or is anyone else feeling a bit battered by these haters?
Fwiw I did try one of these fitness guru plans for a few months, lost 7lb in the longest and hardest way along with getting told in videos any one not loosing isn't trying, is lazy etc how is this an ok approach? I just feel like I'm having to justify slimming world all the time.

[InfiniteSheldon]

Its ridiculous SW is a safe healthy sustainable eating plan i tnink it must come from their own pain and fear or their vested financial interest in other plans

[Greenteandchives]

The word ‘diet’ is not used at SW. it is a healthy eating plan known as Food Optimising, because you use all the food groups in a way which benefits your health, is chosen by you, and puts you in control. It promotes cooking from scratch, and using fresh ingredients. Anyone who thinks otherwise is seriously misinformed.
Muller Lights and Mug Shots now have to be counted when used.
No food is banned, or bad.
It’s fashionable on MN to bash SW, but if you follow the recommendations it works. If you stop doing it, it doesn’t.
I’ve kept excess weight off for years now.

[MissCharleyP]

I’ve never done SW (or WW or any slimming clubs). I did lose a lot of weight a couple of years ago by doing a nutrition plan and PT sessions then eventually gym classes. I did ask my PT and some of the other trainers in the gym about SW/WW and their main comment was that they promoted foods that have little/no nutritional value; such as mug shots, Muller Lites etc. and that avocados (for e,g,) are ‘sinned’. My friend has just lost 3 stone on it but she finds some of their ‘rules’ baffling; a banana is ‘free’ but if blended in a smoothie it’s ‘sinned’, surely its processed the same way by your body!

[InfiniteSheldon]

Well those PT trainers know jack shit about SW and havent even bothered to check it out so i think we can safely ignore anyone who pretends to be an expert in something they havent given read the primary book on (hint no mention of Muller's or mugshots and certainly no promotion) And fruit is filling, smoothies not so much.

[noodlenosefraggle]

The fruit thing does make sense though because it is far easier to have a banana, some strawberries and some yoghurt blended into a smoothie than it is if you actually sat down and ate a banana, a handful of strawberries and a yoghurt in one sitting as a snack. The action of chewing slows down your eating and the saliva production from chewing your food rather than drinking it sends signals to your brain that you are eating and means you are eating far more slowly than you would if you were drinking them all down, often in addition to your meals. I didn't hear that from SW but a course I went on at work on healthy eating. I don't do SW anymore because my head wasn't in the game, but I would say stay away from people slagging it of who don't know what they are talking about. A lot of those social media gurus slag off SW because they want to sell you some other more expensive plan which is basically the same thing. I think some of them are so obsessed with SW its weird. If their diet plans could sell themselves on their successes, they wouldn't need to be so obsessed with SW.

[Drogosnextwife]

I went, I thought it was shit 🤷‍♀️

[Ohyesiam]

1.SW and WW have really poor stats on long term weight loss. They do have a massive vested interest i it only being a short term success scenario.

1. Pretty much all the research on effective longterm weight loss shows that a lowish carb, highish fat approach has much much more sustainable results.
   

I have been overweight and done many diets btw. I also don’t “ hate” about it in real life or social media. But i have done lots of research and my experience has borne out points 1&2 .

[tabulahrasa]

“SW and WW have really poor stats on long term weight loss”

Where? I’d be fairly interested in seeing how the stats between them differ given how different they are...

[Perpetuallytiredzzz]

I do know what you mean, I admitted to some colleagues I was doing SW (wasn’t going to but it came up in conversation and I’m a bad liar!) and one of them spent a lot of time talking about how another method works sooo much better for life and that she’d rather spend her money in gym than on a diet club. I don’t mind what anyone else wants to do but it upsets me that people are always so invested in changing other people’s minds! And I am doing c25k so that is pretty low cost/free and I enjoy the time by myself!!

[tabulahrasa]

What I always think is fairly amusing is that if you describe it, instead of saying slimming world - I’m eating more veg and fruit, lean proteins, cooking from scratch more and cutting down on junk snack stuff, sugar and alcohol...

The same people that are quite scathing about SW, approve of that...

[Sugartits87]

I must admit I've been at SW for a few months now and I do find some aspects of it a bit wanky and cliche. Can't be doing with the awards for everything and the gimmicky bullshit of groups. But having said that I do find the group inspiring in other ways and the diet does work. It's the only diet that has worked for me because it's a lifestyle change that is easy to stick to. I could never do the keto diet for example because I simply couldn't cut out carbs. And the good thing about SW is that you can have a binge day occasionally and still get back on it for a loss.
I think people like to eyeroll at it because it's a bit mainstream and lots of 'huns' do it.

[youngestisapsycho]

My mum has been doing SW since Feb and finds it really easy.... she has lost just over 2 stone.
I’ve been doing WW online and have lost 1.5 stones... but I’m getting bored now of counting points all the time!

[User478]

It's a class thing.

SW doesn't require avocados, personal trainers to fit into your insta-ready clothes.
It's not aspirational.

Mums and grans sitting in a working men's club doesn't appeal to their target market. (who are either people who SW didn't work for or wouldn't go anyway) by claiming they are totally different they get people in thinking there is more to losing weight than eating less crap.

You regain the weight because you stop doing whatever it is, it doesn't matter if it's high fat/low carb or SW or whatever. You put on weight by eating what you wanted, when you go back to doing that you will put on weight again. No one needs telling that eating crisps and chocolate is bad for you, they need support in not doing that. And if that support is a weekly weigh in then whatever, if you like the stickers then that's lovely.

[raisinseverywhere]

Well Slimming World is the best diet I’ve done. I guess people are snobbish because SW incorporates eating some ready meals, biscuits etc/ junk if you really want to eat it. That’s real life for a lot of people. Although I kept to fresh food because that’s what I like to eat, although had the occasional mug shot because I like them.

And the sort of people who go to SW are those who do need the real life support of being weighed each week. When I’ve done low carb or MFP in the past, I’ve given up after a few months, but 9 months later and still at goal, I’m weighing in at SW every 7 weeks to keep up my momentum. That’s why lots of people at SW put on the weight after they leave, because they’re the types to need the real life support.

[ThisIsTheThirdTime]

Slimming world, like many other plans, is safe when followed with common sense. If you fill up on the veg you should automatically need less of the carbs etc. Naughty food is limited. I love slimming world however I wish they would change two things:

1. Stop selling it at join up as a plan where you can eat "as much as you like", you can't! If you replace stuffing chocolate with stuffing on pasta, you will still struggle to lose weight. I think they need to make MORE of a deal about the fact that you MUST stop eating once full. Every now and then there is always a new member who gains/maintains despite having followed the plan. It's nearly always because they have overeaten on the healthy things.
   
   
2. Stop selling it that the majority of people lose half a bloody stone in their first week. It simply results in new members who "only" lose a pound feeling like crap. The people who tend to lose 7-10lbs in their first week are typically those who are much larger. Any loss is a positive if you ask me.
   
   I've joined 3 times and those are the two issues that have cropped up every time. But I do enjoy the meals and it does work!

[ThisIsTheThirdTime]

Oh and I think the image therapy can work but it isn't a replacement for proper help if people have issues with eating. I've had counselling for binge eating for a year. A whole bloody year. Finally we have worked out why I do it. I joined slimming world again and this time I've lost 14lbs in 9weeks because I no longer binge. The group are a support but my proper counselling was ultimately what got me to this point!

[Pinkarsedfly]

I think SW is brilliant. I’ve lost 16lbs since June, which is very slow, but as I consider this a lifestyle change rather than a diet, and have had a couple of holidays off-plan, that’s fine by me.

I’ve never eaten so healthily. Loads of fresh fruit, veg, fish and complex carbs. The odd treat.

I’ve never eaten a mugshot in my life, and haven’t eaten a Muller anything since the 90s.

I think it’s great.