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?

The lifetime membership cost nothing and if you have issues with overeating can keep you on track.

As stupid as that seems to some people it can, and does work for a lot of people.

Some people need that support and assistance to help them not to put the weight back on others, like my DD, who lost weight when she was a teenager, never have to go back to a group but can keep the weight off without support.

Yes, people leaving and putting the weight back on, then joining again will be the way these groups make their money; it was honest of the CO if the company to admit that. If it stops working for people when they stop going and then they rejoin, then they clearly need that support again. Doesn't mean the system doesn't work, it just means the person hasn't been able to stick to it on their own. And taking a handful of extreme examples for a tv programme and holding them up as typical doesn't make them typical.

WW and SW are businesses of course they make a profit, otherwise they'd be crap businesses.

When you buy a washing machine you don't start accusing the company who made it or shop that sold it to you of peddling bullshit if it stops working eventually.

Not telling someone that what they're eating is bad for them is down to the leader of the group Saddiemm.

The leader of my ww group has often discussed this sort of thing in the meetings, for instant when a few people were eating too much fruit during the course of a day or in a couple of cases too much of one fruit.

Portion control and sensible eating are the things she actually talks about at all the meetings.

Slimming world does work, but it really isn't a healthy way to do it.
If you have Facebook I fully recommend having a look at the RebelFit page.

After reading his posts I quit SW and losing weight the right way.
I mean you can eat as much pasta as you like because it's 'syn free' but an Avocado is big no? Also a mashed banana is synned?

I've lost 3.5 stone with SW and kept it off for 8 months so far. There are quite a few in my class who have reached target and kept it off.

The focus is on speed and protein food. Filling and low calorie.

I tend towards SP which is lower simple carbs and suits me. I don't lose weight eating lots of pasta, rice and potatoes

Zero syn food (packet pasta etc) is not treated the same as free food. The only free food is that listed in the book. Other stuff can be eaten but monitor whether it impacts on your weight loss.

Every meal should have at least a third of speed food in the plate, which naturally reduces the calories of each meal.

Personally I used my fitness pal alongside the plan when I started, to make sure I had a clear idea of how much I was eating. I find 1000-1200 calories per day is my optimum for weight loss whilst not feeling hungry.