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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Mullerlight yogurts and mugshots should come with a health warning

224 replies

Co1onelblimp · 02/07/2017 10:15

I started doing .SW at home with the help of lots of online resources. I've never contemplated going to a class, as years ago I went to a WW one and couldn't bear it.

I hear a SW class is even more cringyBlush
Anyhow, 'syning' (what an awful word) things like houmous and avocado, and demonising olive oil , while pushing shite like mullerlighs and mugshots seems to be the order of the day. (Friend lasted six weeks but has now left)

Looking at the ingredients of both yesterday while shopping, i couldn't help thinking they looked like they were made in a laboratory,- lots of awful additives and chemicals.

AIBU to think Sw shouldn't be allowed to promote these 'foods' when they are anything but healthy.
Also, does anyone know if Mullerlight sponsor Slimming World?

OP posts:
Original poster
Co1onelblimp · 02/07/2017 12:01

I lost 2lb this week by eating healthily.(no SW) I even ate out. If SW works for people then good for them.
Pretending that it's healthy is what my objection to it is, and the active promotion of unhealthy foods, by the people that run the meetings.

OP posts:
TequilaSunshine · 02/07/2017 12:01

Using your hex b for cereal bars is what' promoted much more.
Pretending otherwise diesn't make it true.

It really, really isn't true though! Have you ever actually been a member? It's not promoted much more - it's just given as an alternative choice, as everybody's different and some would rather have hi fi bars for breakfast than an avocado for example.

passmethewineplease · 02/07/2017 12:02

Velvet - in our class people mostly make the night before and take to work the next day. I use weetabix for my breakfast (not accompanied by a mullerlight Grin) Or use your wholemeal healthy b allowance for a sandwich?

crochetmonkey69 · 02/07/2017 12:03

I've lost 4 stone on SW and haven't eaten any chemical heavy foods.
I agree the classes can push these, mine doesn't personally, but I use the syns for sauces, butter, oil, nuts and avocado. It's essentially a low fat diet, so I spend my syns on healthy fats generally as I am 44 and need them. As with anything, there will be a spectrum of behaviour - but don't write it off as it has been the easiest diet I have ever followed, and has made me feel healthier and happier. Horses for courses I guess.

Tiredstressed · 02/07/2017 12:04

I have fruit for breakfast and something like soup or meat and veg for lunch (left overs from the night before).

Gwenhwyfar · 02/07/2017 12:04

"If you get a spray bottle and fill it half with sunflower oil and half with water you will get homemade fry light but without the emulsifiers, this means you have to shake it before you spray."

And where would I get a spray bottle from? I've got some at hone, but I don't think any amount of washing would make a spray bottle used for cleaning products appropriate. Easier to buy Fry Light I think.
I suppose using a brush with normal oil could work quite well as well, you'd need less if the brush was making sure there was enough oil in the frying pan.

passmethewineplease · 02/07/2017 12:04

But it can be healthy OP?

you don't have to gorge on mullerlights and diet coke.

You can have unlimited fruit and veg whilst occasionally indulging in something you fancy.

Stopnamechanging · 02/07/2017 12:05

You have got the wrath of the SW defenders here OP Grin

Original poster
Co1onelblimp · 02/07/2017 12:05

I had poached eggs and mushrooms on a wholemeal English muffin this morning. Mushrooms were fried in a little butter. No frylight in sightSmile
Had seeded pitta bread and houmous yesterday for lunch, -both deemed synful on SW.

OP posts:
megletthesecond · 02/07/2017 12:05

Yanbu. Tbh I've never eaten them because they just look like empty calories. Rather have real, nutritious food.

Original poster
Co1onelblimp · 02/07/2017 12:06

Stop Yep. Lots of very angry people. Who knew?

OP posts:
kmc1111 · 02/07/2017 12:07

I think people are missing the point a bit. Of course you can do SW and avoid all the extremely sugary/salty processed foods they heavily promote as being unlimited/syn free. Of course you can choose actual strawberries over strawberry yoghurt, and ignore the wildly outdated info about healthy fats.

But the fact remains that SW promotes a lot of junk as a 'healthy' syn free choice, while making a big song and dance about very strictly limiting many healthy foods. If you know a bit about nutrition you can pick and choose and only focus on the good advice, but for those who don't it's a just a pathway to bingeing on nutrition free crap and not understanding why it's not working. And that's how it goes for many people, because if you already know exactly what you should be eating you don't need SW.

There's a reason so many people spend years and years doing SW when it shouldn't have taken them more than a few months to drop the weight and form new healthy habits. The program would fail if it actually worked for more than a fraction of its users.

TequilaSunshine · 02/07/2017 12:09

Stop Yep. Lots of very angry people. Who knew?

Confused Nobody's angry- or is someone having a different opinion and questioning your train of thinking known as being angry now? Confused
I know I'm certainly not, can't speak for anyone else of course...

BarbaraofSeville · 02/07/2017 12:09

If you work, what do they suggest you have for lunch in those groups where they don't push mugshots

Well you could make your overnight oats with plain fat free Greek yogurt - no chemical nasties or sugar in that.

You could also have leftovers from dinner or salads with or without pasta, rice, cous cous etc for lunch. Not a mug shot or muller light in sight.

It's not promoted much more - it's just given as an alternative choice, as everybody's different and some would rather have hi fi bars for breakfast than an avocado for example

Maybe this is it. All leaders are ex members. If some of those leaders have come from a history of 'conventional' yoyo dieting, processed food and diet products, that will be what they know and mention. Also diet coke etc - SW suggest you drink 8 glasses of water a day, but we all know how funny some people are about drinking plain water, so a diet drink is the obvious alternative- you can't drink much full sugar pop, or else you'd bust your syns allowance.

Some people eat fresh cooked produce, while others use convenience food - if they are from a convenience food background, they can't have their pizza, chicken nuggets, chips etc and some aren't going to have the time/energy/whatever to cook from scratch so they use low fat convenience ingredients like mug shots, which are the ones that contain a lot of the real shite.

passmethewineplease · 02/07/2017 12:09

I don't think anyone's angry? Just telling you their own experience of SW? Hmm

Tiredstressed · 02/07/2017 12:10

I'll say it again. People are angry because you are intentionally being goady. You can fake surprise at the responses but it's not never convincing. Congratulations on your weight loss. Perhaps work on the attitude next.

Orlandointhewilderness · 02/07/2017 12:10

I'm overweight. I have tried SW as i have friends who do well on it, but for me personally it just doesn't work! To maintain my weight I have to eat 1800 calories a day. To lose, at a rate of 2lb a week, I have to eat around 1400kc. That is just me, I have a stupid metabolism. I am a very active person with a physical job and exercise is key. At SW I got bad results, despite following it to the letter, because I was all of a sudden eating about twice as many calories!! It really doesn't encourage portion control.

Fefifoefum · 02/07/2017 12:11

I'm not sure! I agree with you in part, but I've also lost 2.5 stone with slimming world, weather or not that is just because of the accountability of the being weighed etc.

However I do think it's about choice, I used my "healthy extra b" for nuts and sometimes wholemeal bread. A typical meal for me is baked salmon with roasted veg and brown rice. Or other variations on the same.

It's about general education of people in relation to food.
Although I do know muller pay A LOT in advertising.

passmethewineplease · 02/07/2017 12:12

Kmc you said it a lot better than the OP.. Grin

Maybe work on your delivery OP. Wink

Original poster
Co1onelblimp · 02/07/2017 12:13

kmc1111 You have summed up what i was trying to say in my OP.

OP posts:
MiaowTheCat · 02/07/2017 12:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Co1onelblimp · 02/07/2017 12:14

Fair enough passmethewine Smile

OP posts:
dingdongdigeridoo · 02/07/2017 12:17

I think the main issue with SW is there's a real inconsistency between the quality of classes. I've done it twice now. My first group leader was a lady who had lost six stone on the plan. She was really great at giving ideas for slow cooker meals, lunches that could be prepped the night before etc. She also set lots of little exercise challenges and was great at motivating people.

Sadly, I had to leave her group when I moved and my second leader was a fan of the Iceland ready meals/muller lights approach. It was also a cliquey, unfriendly group and you could feel a certain sense of resentment if you got slimmer of the week more than once in a row. I even got a dirty look for saying I didn't like muller shites!

I do wonder how much training and quality control is given to leaders. I'd do the plan again if I could find a good group.

Nusername · 02/07/2017 12:18

Look at rebelfit.co.uk and their Facebook page.
It's fantastic.

tabulahrasa · 02/07/2017 12:20

"If you work, what do they suggest you have for lunch in those groups where they don't push mugshots ?"

Soup, salad, frittatas, if you've got access to a microwave make double portions of dinner, or use a food flask.