To ask for a quick rundown of what Slimming World entails....?

[Bingdweller]

I have 3-4st to lose. Have tried and failed many diets/healthy eating plans before but have had a major wobble with my health this year (cancer and a badly broken ankle) which has made me re-evaluate my eating habits. I'm basically desperate to lost the excess weight I am carrying.

I would really appreciate a summary of what the basics of the diet are. I've heard nothing but good things about SW but would like to know what's ahead of me before I join on Thursday.

PS I know the failproof method of eat less and exercise more - weight bearing exercise (and swimming) is out for the next 3 months at least due to my injury. I have a long recovery ahead and will be on crutches for several months.

There's 3 plans but Extra Easy is most common.

In simplest terms - you eat unlimited lean meat, fish, veg and fruit, pasta, rice, cous cous. Your plate needs to be 1/3 suprefree (fruit and veg except pots). Plus a limited amount of dairy, bread and up to 15 syns of naughtiness.

Pick your type of day -Green, Extra Easy or Red
Eat as much free and super free foods as you like - You should never feel hungry
Use up to 15 syns a day - Walkers Baked are 5, Baked Stars are 4 1/2, a diam bar is 7 ect
You can do body magic but it's not essential - Walk up the stair instead of using the lift ect

I've lost 1 stone in 7 weeks

You do not need to eat less, just eat better

Download Zoe harcombe's book and have a read. Not a million miles of slimming world really, in the end, but the book explains reasons for everything.

Lots of home cooking from scratch!

I like SW. Lost loads on it. Several times - when I stop the plan I put it on and then go back. IMO its a good plan and works well - if you stick to it.

There are several plans the main 3 being Original (red), Green and Extra Easy (EE).

Red - is pretty much eat unlimited meat in fish in its pure form (not processed like sausages/burgers) as long as its cooked healthily (not fried). Most fruit and veg is completely free as well - so little weighing a measuring. Some veg etc is not free though - peas and parsnips spring to mind. Pasta, Potato and rice etc is not free but can be taken in limited measured amounts

Green - is pretty much as much rice, spuds and pasta you like - again not processed or in sauces and cooked healthily. Most fruit and veg is free on green. Baked beans are also free (yippee - something out of a tin). Meat and fish is not free and has to be counted in limited amounts.

EE - I dont do but it is a mis of red and green with other limits and a third of your plate at EVERY meal must be superfree veg/fruit.

On Red and Green you get 2 Healthy Extra choices of both A and B.

A choice is a measured amount of milk and cheeses etc (calcium/dairy) B is fibre like limited bread/cereal etc

On EE I think you only get 1 choice of each A and B

You also get between 10 and 15 syns a day. This is measured stuff that needs to be counted. Everything has a syn value. This may be sauces, gravy, chocolate or wine and million other treats.

It's really good, you can eat a jacket potato and beans.

a quick rundown..

they charge you to tell you something that you can find out for free on the internet..

they hope that you will lose lots of weight quickly and think they are fantastic

then they know that you will go away, put the weight back on and go back to them..

sorry, but it is true, the slimming business is very lucrative..

download MyFitnessPal app, and control what you eat, without having to faff about with menu plans and coloured days, and just do as much gentle exercise as you can manage, even if it is just a short walk.. anything that gets your heart rate going faster is burning fat..

What everyone else said (about Slimming World). I too had cancer this year and put weight on because of treatment. I lost 5 pounds in my first week, looking forward to my second weigh-in this Monday.

squeaky I do see your point and know where you are coming from. I know for me that the discipline and support of a class and group environment works.

Unfortunately exercise really is not an option in the short term (months) for me. I am aching all over from use of crutches and hips are starting to take he strain of tilting to avoid weight bearing. Every movement takes vast effort and I am pushing myself to try and walk large distances, unfortunately it's not at the pace of increased heart rate. I really am not making excuses on the exercise front, I genuinely would love to be at the gym or walking .

Seriously dont waste your money. Download the my fitness pal app on your phone. Set yourself a calorie per day goal and be honest with yourself! And get moving!! I have had 1200 cals a day for last 6 weeks, been surprisingly easy and have lost 8lb. A steady weight loss and I'm not on a diet at all. Careful eating and out on my bike. Brilliant! I honestly can't see how skimming world works. Every food has a calorie value? Save yourself the joining fee and do it yourself. Good luck!

Ok, well without the walking are you able to do upper body exercise at all? Even that will help.

I was on crutches due to a knee operation years ago, and I developed the most amazing toned arms :)

I would say that slimming world is better than weightwatchers, but as with most diet plans, if you have a family to cook for as well, it can become a pain in the arse faffing about doing a meal for you, and a meal for them, which is why I found the myfitness app brilliant because I could just eat the same as everyone else, but swap the portion sizes about, and cut out a lot of the carbs..

While you are fairly immobile you wont need as many carbs either so that would definately be the sort of diet that could work.

Good luck on Monday talkie and thank you everyone for your input .

I have tried dieting on my own, I have tried wieght watchers, but I find SW is the only way.

My problem is that mentally I can't control myself. SW has weekly meetings where members can share problems and give mutual support, therapy if you like. In fact it is called IMAGE therapy (IMAGE stands for something-can't remember off hand).

Cheese and biscuits, seriously! If it was that easy we'd all be slim.

It's really good. Manshape has been going and has lost 24lbs in three weeks.

It's about making little changes to see big differences.

Squeaky, I will definitely look into my fitness pal and upper body exercises - they would be possible with my injury. But effective?? I have 2 small children and DH is away working for the next 6 weeks hence why it's easier to plan whilst on my own I'm determined to lose the weight once and for all, it's been a tough year and the comfort eating it shows on my arse!

Oh, and when you reach target weight, you are a member for life, no charge, as long as you stay within 3lbs either side, so what Squeaky says isn't strictly true.

Op, if you have tried and failed to lose weight many times over the years then why not have a go at something completely different? Have a look at this bbc link for basic info. I have been doing it for a month and have definitely lost weight (people are starting to notice) and I feel better for it.

I went to SW for about 3 months. The only good thing for me was that the knowledge I was going to pay £5 to be weighed forced me to persevere (haphazardly) with dieting. I did lose about a stone but probably because of taking more exercise (cycling mostly). I just could not get on with the SW diet because so many healthy foods are counted as syns. eg Actimel, Greek yoghurt, orange juice. I just could not accept a diet that said i could eat loads of pasta and potatoes and not eat my usual healthy foods. I am used to counting calories and this still seems more sensible to me. I finally left when the clique that took the money and did the weighing at the class started a collection for a present for the consultant because she had been a consultant for 15 years and was wonderful etc. She was the most overweight person there by a long way - so 15 years of SW had not worked for her!

Re cooking for the family - Extra Easy is fab for that. You cook spag bol, curry, egg n chips or whatever but do it in a SW style i.e. spray oil, fat free yogurt, lean meat, maybe add a side salad for you (to hit free / superfree) and everyone has the same. Easy.

Fat free greek yogurt is free. The 2% fat version is half a syn for the entire pot. Hardly breaks the syn bank, does it?

And it's not loads of pasta and potatoes. It's in proportion.

The important thing to note about SW is that it's really important to see it more as a lifestyle change and not a diet as such. It encourages healthy choices and healthy eating and also exercise. It's a calorie controlled diet, you just don't realise it. You must use your 'syns' for long term success, the idea being that it's fine to eat processed foods in small amounts. They also used to encourage a 'flexible syn' day which is basically the odd day where you can eat pretty much wHat you want or allow extra 'syns' for a meal out or something.

You can basically eat as much as you like of low fat, unprocessed foods and things like Quorn, fat free yoghurts, quark etc and then measured amounts of other dairy, bread, breakfast cereals etc. you definitely don't need to make different meals for the rest of the family, it's just a healthy way of eating!

My Mum joined SW several weeks ago and says it's like a cult. Lots of bizarre happy clapping and cheering. Very evangelical, and apparently they say that staying for this weirdsession increases your weight loss. I'm gonna skip SW and do my own diet

I'm a SWorlder, and love it. I've been overweight for a 1/3rd of my life. I've lost and regained the same 2 stone for the past 5 years

I joined slimming world In July and have lost over a stone so far

It has helped me change my perception of food. It is there as fuel, not a treat or something to turn to when I'm stressed/upset/etc

Everyone works differently though, so for some it might not work.

Madmum is right though, it is a bit happy clappy, and I feel it can get a bit patronising (they even celebrate when you gain, cos you're still at a loss, and Thats Good!) IMAGE stands for Individual Motivation And Group Experience and it is part of why it works

I've been doing slimming world for 18 months, I've lost nearly 6 stone. I left the group in June this year and have been doing it on my own since then and still lost weight. My family eat the same meals as I do and they love them :)
Madmum I agree, that's why I left the group haha! Far too 'pat on the head' cheery for me.