To ask for your experiences of different weight-loss groups

[Millieja]

I think I need to join an organised group as I'm not very good at sticking to stuff on my own. The only ones I know are weightwatchers and slimming world.

Could I ask for your opinions of these and any others please?

How well did it work for you? And did you manage to keep the weight off?

I lost five stones with WE twelve years ago and I kept it off until I got pregnant, during which time I regained two stones

I'm now doing WW again and it's working so far. I'm pretty confident I'll get to goal.

Pros of WW:

• basically calorie counting, but with smaller numbers so easier to track in your head
• good for portion control
• the new app is great

Cons:

• doesn't seem to take into account new advice about carbs and fats

Good luck OP. I'd highly recommend WW, it changed my life.

I agree with Hammer. It's all a load of Billy Bullshit. I saw a programme a few years ago about these diet groups and the CEO of one can't remember which one said it's how they make their money obviously cos ya keep coming back after losing the weight then stacking in back on.
However each to their own if you think it works for you then go for it.

I lost 6 stone with Slimming World and have maintained that loss for several years now. A friend of mine lost 5.5 stone with WeightWatchers. I think any weightloss club will work if you stick to their plan - it's just a matter of finding the right one for you and your lifestyle. SW worked for me because I like cooking from scratch and had the time to do so (and I never ate a Mugshot or a Mullerlight - they're not compulsory!). My friend got on much better with the slightly more structured plan at WW.

The main reason I joined a club was for the accountability - if I was paying a fiver every week I didn't want to waste it. I knew I wouldn't do it on my own.

I lost 50lbs with WW about 7 years ago. It was a fairly rigid plan (then - not sure what it’s like now/if it’s changed). A bit more stoic etc. Found it hard to stick to afterwards.

It took 9 months to lose. And I stuck to it RELIGIOUSLY.

Having just had my second baby I had put all that weight back on (and an extra 4.5lbs for good measure!!).

I’ve joined slimming world. I follow the plan to the letter and have lost 2 stone, 4.5lbs in 13 weeks.

I’ve found It’s easier to stick to. You can eat a lot more and the group is a bit more happy clappy (which I quite like). Nothing like getting a round of applause for a good week 😀😃

The weight has come off a lot faster this time too.

So in my opinion, SW is better than WW. But I’m sure someone with the opposite opinion will be along shortly :)

Maybe have a read about both and see which appeals to you more

People keep saying that members put in the weight again when they leave...what these people are forgetting is that a lot of members have issues with overeating! So naturally they'll relapse when not given the support of a group, in the same way that many problem drinkers need the continued support of AA meetings. So what's wrong with being in a group (loosely or on and off) for life? My mum is slim but has attended WW on and off right throughout her life! It keeps her on track, what's wrong with that?

Absolutely Ouch. I get a bit impatient when people say it doesn't work because you put the weight back on. Well yes it does work if you stick to it. If though, you go back to eating how you were eating when you were fat then of course it won't work. It's not a magic wand.

I always think it's a bit like being on medication for a chronic illness and complaining that your medication doesn't work because when you stopped taking it the condition came back.

I went to sliming world to start with. Have 10 stone too loose 😱😢

I did well the first 8 weeks and stuck it out.... then the constant clapping and finger pointing of how much you lost or gained that took nearly two hours to get through was so dull and painful I stopped going to group just turned up to be weighed.... that was a massive failure and I have stopped going.

Currently I am following the governments change for life which is teamed up with the British heart foundation and use the British diabetics association website and they are all about healthy eating, portions and calories..... much better than slimming world and free!

But the point is, people put the weight back on once they leave because they've learnt nothing! They've learnt nothing about calories, portion control, exercise - actual nutrition!! All they've learnt is how many fictional units (syns) are in a pot noodle or bar of chocolate. Syns don't exist. It's a made up term to keep you reliant on a money spinning scheme. There is no such thing as a "syn".

If people learnt about actual calories and actual nutrition then they would change their way of life completely forever. No "stopping the diet and putting weight back on" because there is no diet. There is no made up terms, no non existent "free" foods or even more ridiculous "speed foods" - everything is just a calorie.

If I wasn't so protective over my weight I would follow slimming world for a month and PROVE that I would put weight on.

If you're really overweight - SW will "appear" to work initially but what is really happening is that you're in a calorie deficit without realising it. See what happens when you approach your target weight but carry on with the unlimited pasta.

Why would anyone NEED lifetime membership if the "plan" actually worked?

Sorry to go on but this whole diet con really pisses me off. Playing on people's vulnerability and desperation to loose weight. Should be shut down.

I love weight watchers but I only do it online and lurk on the connect forum. I had about 20lb of breastfeeding weight to lose (gained under 2stone whilst pregnant, lost most of it one week after giving birth, piled a chunk back on whilst feeding.) Once I'd finished feeding I tried mfp and calorie counting and lost 6lb in 2 months. After my holiday I joined WW online and I've lost almost 10lb in 4 weeks. It's made me a better cook and I feel so much better. 2lb to go until I get to my pre pregnancy weight and then if like to lose another half a stone. I'm already in healthy weight range.

OverThe Hammer I have never met anyone who put on weight in Slimming World IF they followed it properly. I actually know a huge amount about diet and nutrition as I have trained in the area and teach it in school. You are right about syns not existing, but they correlate to calories and fat. This myth that SW (or WW) allows people to eat endless amounts of carbs is totally untrue. It encourages people to eat less calorific food by filling at least 1/3 of their plate with fruit or veg at every meal, and avoiding high calorie sauces and treats. I really struggle to understand where the problem is there. As for the money making aspect, I could set myself up as a nutrition and weight loss specialist and charge people money to help them lose weight. Nothing wrong with that. When they stop paying me and leave my tuition they're on their own though. They may know more than they did about healthy eating but if they have issues with compulsive eating (as many overweight people do) then they will relapse.

But the point is, people put the weight back on once they leave because they've learnt nothing!

Surely that's like saying that alcoholics who leave AA relapse because they have learned nothing! They relapse because alcohol (or eating in the case of SW) is an addiction, that they need help to control...in whatever guise that presents itself - WW, SW, private nutrition consultations, clinics, gastric bands...the list goes on...what works for one person may not work for another! I take exception to your claim that SW etc should be closed down because as a very healthy individual, they have helped me on and off for years now, and thanks to these groups, I have never actually become obese. I have briefly edged towards it from time to time but these groups have always kept me within a healthy weight range, whether you agree with it or not.

They all work well if you stick to the guidelines . I think both WW & SW offer healthy food plans (you don't have to mess about with 'syns' or muller light yogurt) - if you stick to the basic principles & do some exercise - most people will lose weight.

Of course they are a business, why shouldn't they be? The point about offering 'lifetime' free membership is to encourage you to stick to the guidelines and go back and weigh in once a month or so - many of us do tend to start over eating if we don't have that support network. Yes, it might appear to be a con but it does work for many people.

If people learnt about actual calories and actual nutrition then they would change their way of life completely forever.

I don't think it is that simple, I have been over weight most of my adult life - basically I am greedy and love cooking and eating and hate exercise . I am an intelligent adult, I do know all about calories and nutrition ........... but I also know how nice a tub of Ben and Jerry's tastes compared to an apple. Of course I know the apple would be the healthy, sensible choice - but I know I would enjoy the Ben and Jerry's .

You could apply the same logic and ask why people become alcoholics, drug takers or smokers. .

Have a look at rebelfit and also James Smith, both on facebook. In particular rebelfit posted an article called "dieting makes you fat"

Personally anything that revolves around negative associations with food and weekly weigh-ins is a no go from me. If you want support then join a fitness class, you'll be surrounded by a much better mind set and still get to celebrate success.

But rebelfit and James Smith are also businesses. Just like SW and WW, they are out to make money. As I said above, none of these companies are "bad" or "good" - it's just finding what works for you, for whatever reason.

I have been a member of SW for some time and I have to say that I don't eat pasta in sauce, mug shots or muller light yogurts. It is not necessary to eat them but you can if you need them.

I cook from scratch mostly using lower fat meat and fish and always have at least a third of my plate covered in veg or salad.

I have managed to lose over 3 stone and feel much better for it.

I've lost 5.5 stone with WW this year, eat balanced healthy meals, still eat out and have takeaways. I don't eat any WW products as i like to cook from scratch. It's working for me

Absolutely Larry55 I have avoided processed crap on both WW and SW and I have to say my group leader doesn't condone that stuff either. What we all do is cut out the high calorie, high sugar rubbish and focus on filling our plates with fruit and veg and undressed protein and carbs in smaller amounts than before.

What the hell could make someone put on weight with that???

Oh and I don't weigh anything as i follow the no count plan. I'm sensible with carbs, I have smaller portions but fill up on veg and protein

I personally found sw heavy on fake food promotion and carbs. I gained on it, my friend lost but gained it all back. It made me feel crap too. Never tried WW.
I stick to a low carb diet mostly.. a milkshake based diet kicked started my weight loss in the first place.. but obv that's not a good long term solution

@OverTheHammer you don't accidentally find yourself in a calorie deficit. The plan is designed to promote very low calorie fruit and veg and low fat meat and limit the amount of high calorie foods. There are also the options of mugshots and mullerlight which are free but the majority of groups warn about using these too much as they will no doubt hinder weight loss. Not everyone is suited to weighing and measuring and keeping a constant track of what they eat and the slimming world plan doesn't "appear to work" for some people. I lost 4 stone.. I didn't appear to lose 4 stone.. 😁 I have said in an earlier post towards the end as I got closer to my target weight my losses slowed down and I have used the calorie counting approach as this now works better for me. This doesn't apply to everyone though. The approach of slimming world is to teach people to eat until they are satisfied and be mindful of using low calorie dense foods to bulk up there meals, refusing overall calories consumed. Different things will work for different people depending on their own individual needs.. I would love to be able to do clean eating but I would literally drop dead if I couldn't eat white bread!! the lifetime of free membership is there to encourage you to stay at your target and not pile the weight back on. I hope this makes some sense.. I'm not tryin to be overly defensive and I know it's not for everybody. But it does work for a lot of people.

I've lost 2 stone on SW previously. Cousin has lost 1.5 and my dad has lost 7 stone! Years later and we've all kept it off too. Find a good group.

I agree with Hammer. It's all a load of Billy Bullshit. I saw a programme a few years ago about these diet groups and the CEO of one can't remember which one said it's how they make their money obviously cos ya keep coming back after losing the weight then stacking in back on.
However each to their own if you think it works for you then go for it.

It DOES work for me; there's no 'think' about it. I've lost six stones and I'm maintaining the weight by continuing to attend (what I call) my support group.

I've attached my 'before' and 'after' pics. The 'before' was taken when I was around 40. The 'after' (Magenta for the Rocky Horror Show), I was 50. If you still want to tell me that it's BS, then, hey ....it's a free world Evidence would suggest that something about it works, though: for me, anyway ....

Good luck to all those on the journey. Here if there's anything I can help with: feel free to PM me.

S x

I've lost 5 1/2 stone calorie counting on MyFitnessPal since January this year. I've found it so easy to fit in my everyday life.
I tried SW before last year and just couldn't stick to it, it was hard going.

I've not rtft.. You lose weight through calorie deficit. No other means. Some slimming groups don't teach healthy eating habits, like portion control, or thinking about whether you are really hungry. I did SW, and initially lost about 22lbs. I then stopped. I had massive IBS /IBD flares from the sheer amount of lactose and insoluble fibre we were encouraged to eat. Bye consultant had no idea of human biology or physiology. She didn't tell a woman who constantly gorged on 'free foods' that this was the reason she was gaining rather than losing. I actually had to leave because it triggered a long suppressed eating disorder, and I found myself restricting and bingeing
I'm now following intuitive eating, and recovering from the disordered eating. I'd calorie count, if I were you. Or look at IE. Good luck