To think that Slimming World is a nasty organisation?

[Ohnotanothernamechange]

I'm not sure if anyone else is aware but Pinch of Nom, the hugely popular healthy eating and 'diet friendly' cookbook, have released a statement saying that they have been told to remove all mention of SW from their books and websites. This follows on from SW threatening to sue Aldi for launching a new healthy eating range that they thought was too similar to their own (they failed at this, obviously it's much harder to bully and intimidate a large international company...).

They've also made threats towards butchers and cafes for launching SW friendly produce. It's ridiculous. What are they so scared of? Funny that Weight Watchers don't have a problem with POM, also funny that SW haven't gone after WW for alterning their plan to make it similar to SW. See above about bullying large companies.

Ive long had issues with SW and believe it to be a money grabbing cult that doesn't really promote a healthier lifestyle, and this for me just proves it. Targeting small business trying to make a living just makes them seem really petty and nasty.

Don't get me started on all the wanky termonolgy they use like 'body magic' and 'image therapy either. How people sit through the meeting and don't piss themselves laughing at all that rubbish is a mystery?

SW is like a cult! A friend was a “leader”, had to wear a dress on work days, lost around £1000 in the first year she worked for them and broke even or slightly under the following few years. Most overweight people I know (myself included) started their bad eating habits trying to lose less than a stone at SW

Of course many overweight people who lose weight with slimming world often go back! They had an unhealthy relationship with food to start with. The chances are, like anyone with issues, they’ve slipped back into bad habits. Once you reach your ideal weight and maintain it to within 3lbs either side, you don’t have to pay for membership, but you’re encouraged to continue to attend for support.

"If they didnt have repeat customers then they would go bust."

I don't think that's true. About 60% of the population is overweight.

“My good friend has recently lost a lot of weight with SW but has quickly realised that there’s nothing in their plan to help people maintain”

There’s a separate maintainance plan that you get when you hit the target weight you’ve put in...

Re branded stuff... with things like sausages, it matters loads which brands they are because of the difference in calories, but there are a couple of sausages that are other brands that are free, all flavoured yoghurts have always been similar syns if they’re similar nutritional values, people just seem to like mullerlights for some reason and baked beans are baked beans - there’s no difference at all in different brands.

Ive never been

Because its always appeared to be absolute wank

I've been.

And it is absolute wank.

I went along recently... And I really don't like the meeting. It was really culty and weird and went on waaaay too long. The person running the group is also super weird. Sends loads of texts offering to be on the end of a phone if needed. I'm not in need of therapy, I just wanted an easy diet to follow to help get rid of the baby weight.

"Most overweight people I know (myself included) started their bad eating habits trying to lose less than a stone at SW"

If they were at SW, they presumably had bad eating habits to begin with didn't they?

"Of course many overweight people who lose weight with slimming world often go back!"

Just like with any diet.

The meetings go in for about 90 minutes. Numb bums sedentary sitting all round. Should be 40 mins max.

Can be funny though.

it doesnt work.and they get their money from using a plan that works enough and gets you in.gets you stuck in their cult,then oh surpsie you put it back on.so you go back.go on their plan.lose just enough but on a non sustainable plan and...oh yes doesnt work then have to go back.

I did slimming world for two years and yes it's very cult like and the terms used to get on my nerves. And things like if you mashed a banana you had to 'syn' it. Utter rubbish. I was a bit rebellious and never followed it to the letter. I don't deny it works for some people.

I know a lady who lost over six stones and has kept it off for a couple of years, but she still goes to group every week, keeps a food diary and is very strict about what she eats, I couldn't be doing with any of that.

They are a business at the end of the day and rely on people going back once they have reached their target, stop going, regain the weight and rejoin.

I joined SW online. Lost a stone in about 6 weeks, eating no processed food and just broadly following their principles that make you a bit more mindful about what you eat eg portion sizes and knowing that a sandwich for lunch every day is actually quite bad for weight loss.

I never went near a meeting (times locally all wrong for me). After a couple of months I stopped logging my weight on the app as I was in the swing of it. The subscription was on direct debit auto renew and I was just thinking “I must cancel that” when I got an email from them:

“We’ve noticed you’ve not logged in for some time. We don’t want you to spend money on something you won’t use so we’re cancelling your subscription. Do feel free to rejoin us in the future if you like”

I thought that was bloody impressive.

And I was totally put off PON when I read an article about them and saw how overweight they were.

I've been going to SW for 4yrs, still not got to target, to £5 a week for the privilege! Although I haven't been for 3months! I must admit to sitting at the back and pissing myself laughing at some of the same old comments! The leader always says the same thing every week (yawn) and the same few people who tell the group their woes of the week and everyone goes awe bless, hope you're ok blah blah! It's more like a bloody counselling session, I I've often left feeling quite pissed off, the fact I paid £4.95 to listen to someone's sob story, bloody narcissists!!
It's not healthy eating either, nor portion control and they advocate eating as much as you like of 'free' food, free!!! all food has calories 😉, processed ham, chicken etc full of salt and the ham as more than its fair share of fat! I could go on......lol

Unlimited pasta fruits etc, can't have a smoothie because it means you could easily consume more fruit by having more than one glass (smooties are filling though? Plus you can have veggie ones?!) avocado is synned. Can't fry banana or anything like that which I don't get because as long as it is with their frylight or without anything in a pan it's still the same calories? Their adoration of diet products- diet coke, flumps, muller lights, quark. Having to pay fiver to get weighed and in front of everyone to feel embarrassed if you maintained or gained or gloat if you lost.

Loathe both SW and ww..... Think they work by boring people into losing weight.

I went to both these groups and rejoined both these groups 3 /5 years after.... The same bloody people were there....

The meetings are... Pointless.... How is me clapping Tracy who's lost a pound this week help me...?? And there are 75 Traceys in the room all of whom have gained /lost a pound.... Each one has to be clapped.... When they've most likely just had a poo...

Image therapy... My arse.

It's a cult. Not one person I know who lost more than a stone has kept this off...

One of the mad recipes...?? Make pimms copy.... Diet coke and balsamic vinegar

Sorry I’m ranting a bit now (it’s my 3rd post sorry), but the other thing that annoyed me was the lack of regard for portion control. I personally don’t think ‘You can eat as much as you want’ is a great attitude. People literally eating 5 eggs a day! Or a whole pack of quorn sausages with sw chips.
I did lose weight and have kept most of it off so I’m not bitter about it, I just have always thought it’s like a cult and so I’ve loved this thread!

Yanbu i used to work with a few women who followed SW and the food they ate was total crap but low in "Syns" spent the entire work day talking about what snacks they had brought with them and how many "syns" were in each 😂 both the size of tanks and never lost a lot of weight on it but always had certificates

@Notcopingwellhere who are PON?

Over twenty years ago I tried SW for three weeks and I only lost one pound. They said it was something to do with The Last Supper and my body getting used to new diet. WTF.

I lost 8.5 stone with SW, reaching my target in May 2013. I followed the plan religiously and stayed to every mind numbing class so it does work, but like so many others, I slipped back into old habits and regained some of it. I decided to lose what I had put on in March this year, but didn't go back to SW as I realised there was no point. I could lose weight with it, sure, but couldn't keep it up long term. So I have beasically begun walking more and have cut back on chocolate and other fatty/sugary snacks and have lost 3.5 stone in 4 months. I don't quite know how the weight has come off so quickly, but it's probably because I'm listening to my body more.
Another gripe of mine, which usually opens up another can of worms, and leads to accusations of 'fat shaming', is that SW leaders are some of the fattest people you will ever see.

Our local one is great because of the leader, but the diet itself is rubbish and so bad for you. Just eat natural unprocessed full fat foods and lots of veggies. Not food stuffed with artificial sweeteners and synthetic flavours. The diet gave me a massive tummy and IBS due to my sensitivity to sweetners. Large amounts of sweetners and sugar have been shown to kill off all the healthy bacteria in your stomach and us thought to be one of the contributory factors to people piling in weight. That and the bland 'white' processed food that lots of people live on.

I don't eat any sweeteners. I hate the taste. It's possible to do SW without eating sweetner and mug shots. Many people on this thread have given examples of their very healthy diet but its been ignored.

I also measure my pasta and have one baked potato or sometimes two if that's my main meal.

I eat Greek yogurt and syn it. I eat sugar and syn it. It helps keep the portions down though which is a good thing.

I never eat pasta and sauce. I just make my own. I don't eat cereal bars.

I will admit I tried the blitzed oats made into waffles and pancakes. Not for me. Also I do like quark. I mix some lotus biscuit spread through it and its lovely.

The actual plan says to eat lean meat, fish, pulses, complex carbs and loads of veg and fruit. Measured portions of dairy and less complex carbs. Small amounts of high calorie foods. You are not encouraged to eat loads of Muller lights and mug shots, even when they were free.

Pasta/rice/potatoes are 'free', but you are supposed to fill a third of your plate with veg before putting other food on. This naturally limits how much you can eat.

Some people are so rude on here, sneering at SW and saying things that are just not true! I've lost over 3 stone with this plan and kept it off for about 18 months, barring holidays and Christmas when I went off plan for a little while!

People say 'why do this diet, just eat healthily'. That's what sw promotes, healthy eating, cooking proper ingredients from scratch. A few treats so you don't get fed up and binge.

Yes lots of people join and join again. Because lots of people (including me to some extent) have complex issues around food and eating. Many people need the support and the weekly weigh in to help them have the self belief they can actually change.

Encouraging people to drink diet Coke instead of full sugar is a stepping stone. Going from a massive bag of crisps a day to a small bag of hula hoops or a box of chocolates to a couple of hifi bars is a stepping stone. SW is a stepping stone for some to lose a bit of weight, feel more in control, get a bit more active. I drink much more water now and less diet pop.

I don't particularly like the meetings, but they work for some. Like anything I suppose, some leaders are better than others!

@Beautiful3 PON= Pinch of Nom

Spot on owlinatree