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?

I hate SW but they d9nt need to protect themselves from PON where I’m concerned. Couldn’t even consider eating from a book with such a hideous name. Nom. Yuck. Sound made to copy the noise of eating with your mouth open

Yes! I agree with you. I wouldn’t buy the book as the word nom makes me feel a bit ill. I’m really grossed out by chewing and mouth noises though so even a mention of them makes me cringe.

@ImMeantToBeWorking the website are now removing the syn values.

It's annoying that you can have unlimited Muller lights which are full of artificial sweeteners

Why? You don't have to have them. I know we're all superior on Mumsnet in that we can see the downsides of artificial sweeteners but some people like Muller Lights and successfully eat them as part of a weight loss plan

I don't like celery or hard boiled eggs, but wouldn't use these preferences to write off a diet plan that allows unmeasured quantities of a wide range of unprocessed foods - they say to eat until comfortably full, not stuffed, and a third by volume has to be non starchy fruit and veg, a fact that the 'it's all Muller Lights and Mug Shots' commenters seem to overlook.

I could have just printed them off the website for free and had the syn value on it

But that's what we do with recipe books these days. We buy them, put them on the shelf and get all our recipes off the internet.

It's annoying that you can have unlimited Muller lights which are full of artificial sweeteners

You can't have unlimited Muller Lights - they are not a free food.
Fine to criticise SW - but do so accurately.

But that's what we do with recipe books these days. We buy them, put them on the shelf and get all our recipes off the internet.

this is so me!!

I don't like avocados and think they are ethically unsound. If I do a low carb diet, I have to force myself to stuff loads of them down my gullet. Oh wait- No I dont

You could argue the same about religion, couldn't you? Other people's slavish adherence seems ridiculous to others, but it gives them structure, a code to live by, a support network etc.
I did lose 2 stone in 2014 with SW and gradually put a stone and a half back on. This was due to slipping back into old habits due to emotional eating because of a stressful personal time. I have now lost a stone again by returning this year. It does seem to provide a formula which assists in promoting general all round healthier eating habits and I know a lot of people who have changed their lives, and/or health, for the better because of it. No, it's not the only way to lose weight and develop healthier eating habits. Yes it requires perseverance and patience in an increasingly 'quick fix' craving world.
Having said that, I did until recently believe Pinch of Nom was actually a SW books because so many SW people were talking about it.

I’m 3 stone down from SW. I’m not at target yet because I’ve been pissing around with the diet. That’s not SW’s fault. It’s on me. It’s a sustainable plan but sometimes I like to get wrecked and eat a shitload of sweets.

I don’t recognise the Mumsnet version of SW. They don’t push processed foods (they mention their iceland meals but we hate them in our group so they get a token amount of airspace). Muller lights and mugshots were given a syn value precisely because people were dicking about and eating too many and therefore wouldn’t lose weight.

SW is like any massive company. It’s a business and big businesses are usually pretty cunty in some ways.

The diet works as long as people follow it and with a good supportive group people do. We have a few core members who have lost the weight and kept it off, some (like me) who have lost and kept off a significant amount but still have a bit to go, and people who join up, eat a takeaway every night for a few weeks, disappear and come back after a few months. That’s the same as every gym, dietician, PT, etc in the business. Because they can only do so much, the individual has to do the rest.

I was told that of course exercise was good for me (body magic) and I got my gold certificate in the time I was there, but she rather aggressively maintained it wouldn’t aid my weight loss and that only food optimising would do that! I was running 25 k a week and burning off a significant amount of calories!

I run 15-20 miles a week now. If I don’t watch what I eat I don’t lose weight. I don’t gain it either but exercise is not a magic bullet for weight loss. It’s fucking annoying but there it is

I joined last night. Unsure now!

Can I ask how do you put the weight back on soon as you stop? Is it a special diet that you can’t eat normally? What difference is it from just eating cleaner and smaller portions?

Can I ask how do you put the weight back on soon as you stop? Is it a special diet that you can’t eat normally? What difference is it from just eating cleaner and smaller portions?

I did it between the arrival of dc1 and dc2 and didn't gain the weight back when I stopped. I was back in my pre pregnancy jeans within 6 weeks of dc2 arriving by emcs. For me (who has always had an unhealthy relationship with food) I found the writing down what you ate, thinking about syns etc helped me focus on what I was actually doing. Plus I quickly figured out my personal trade offs, i.e. butter to cook with rather than eat sweets etc. I just needed the support for a while to help me reshape my issues with food but I think it varies from person to person. Of the women I went with, I know some who have kept the weight off and some who haven't.

They've always hated anybody making claims about syn values, if they haven't been verified through slimming world - 17 years ago when I first joined a local much loved butcher had been contacted by SW and told to stop advertising syn values. I can see their point, they can't control or regulate what people are putting into their sausages or if they've calculated syn values correctly. Aldi copied a brand, of course they have every right to prevent copycats.

Like any other weight loss business, it's ultimate goal is not a room full of free target members. 97% of people who diet will put it all back on plus more - that's why people (including me) will go round the merry go round of joining, getting to target, falling off the wagon and rejoining.

I don't like the way the franchise treats it's consultants. The deal is really poor for them and it's very hard to make any kind of meaningful income from it.

@Dinosauratemydaffodils thank you for explaining

I lost 4st following SW. I've put 3st back on. The only thing that's worked and is sustainable for me so far is 5:2

Yup. SW is pure evil.