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?

Always makes me chuckle when someone has stayed the same one week.

" you are not eating enough ' 'you need to up your syns'

Then unlimited pasta. Right!

Why shouldn’t they protect their brand? They created the business and others want to use their techniques to make profit, without any of the investment that slimming world has made. Every big company protects their brand and will go after others that try to profit off it, without giving the original company credit.

You don’t like their diet plan, then don’t follow it. Other people who have issues with their eating benefit from it and you’re being really ignorant in mocking them. Of course some people can gain weight and need to go back, but that’s nothing to do with an unrealistic diet, but more to do with people going back to eating junk or overeating, because they don’t have support.

My friend is an ex consultant and I used to go along and help her set up.

It was always the same faces in and out through the doors. Over and over and over again... Lose 0.5lb, gain 3. Lose 1lb, gain 0.5lb

It was relentless and psychologically damaging.

I have friends on social media who have been going to sw classes for years and don't look any different.

I will never give my hard earned money to any slimming organisation. For them it's all about them money, not their members as SW try to make out.

Tbf, muller lights are synned (yep I hate that phrase too) now and fat free Greek yoghurt isn't. Mugshots are synned too, godawful things that they are.

Since our consultant (who does seem to genuinely care about our weightloss and doesn't make a great amount running group) came back from the latest conference she seems to have moved away from the 'clapping at weightloss' thing which has made group a bit more tolerable. Whether or not this is a new policy or just her I don't know... They do seem very rigid, she's often saying things like 'head office have said XYZ officially so I have to tell you that'.

It sounds like a bunch of bollocks. Having certain foods as 'syns' doesn't sound like it promotes healthy relationships with food at all.

So what the OP is basically saying that anyone can use any companies name to sell things if they feel like with no repercussions?

Sw works well for many. It doesn’t work for many others. On the whole that’s down to the individual not the plan though.

If you don’t like it don’t go but getting annoyed at a company protecting its brand seems a bit meh

My GP now gives out vouchers for SW and WW. If these organisations are emeshed with the NHS then it is right that they can be referred to elsewhere I think.

The idea of some food being sinful and that you are allowed to sin a certain number of times seems really fucking dangerous and unhealthy a mindset to me. And spelling sin with a Y doesn't change that. It's fucking with people's heads and how they view food.

I hear a few people say they have done slimming world 2 or 3 times - so is it really working then?

The trouble is people lose the weight then go back to eating how they did before, or what they call 'normally'. If they were overweight chances are it was their original 'normal' eating habits that made them overweight.

Permanent weight loss means fundamental changes in eating habits and a good focus on exercise.

I used to go to SW. The group is cringey as fuck, but it did make me look at what I was eating. I liked having syns for things like biscuits because it curbed my lack of self control. Before I'd put away a pack of biscuits without thinking about it, but by giving each individual a number, I'd have a limit set for myself. I still enjoy eating out and indulging in cakes, pizza etc, but I'm far more sensible with it now.

I don't go anymore because not only am I at my target, but I'm too busy with work. It helped me to reasses my eating habits, break the bad ones and create new, better ones (such as cooking from scratch). I'd got lazy and it showed.

I don't count syns anymore either. I don't need to. It did what it needed to, it helped me to eat better.

Some of the sunned stuff us a joke though and any sensible person ignores it. So a banana is free, but if you mash it (say to mix into porridge) you have to syn it. If you slice it, that's fine. Stupid. Also screw synning avocados. Most people I know ignore that side of it and are pretty sensible.

I don’t know why so many posters are poking fun at some of the food suggestions that slimming world say people can eat. They’re realistic enough to know that if they’re too rigid in their thinking, regarding food and tell people to stay away from junk/processed, they will find it harder to diet. People eat processed food and will still crave, muller yogurts, pot noodles, etc and SW are simply suggesting that people choose the less fattening version of that. Personally I don’t eat many of those processed foods, but others do and it’s best to cater to them.

The idea of some food being sinful and that you are allowed to sin a certain number of times seems really fucking dangerous and unhealthy a mindset to me. And spelling sin with a Y doesn't change that. It's fucking with people's heads and how they view food.

It's for synergy as there are three parts of the plan. If you don't have your syns then you wont lose weight.

Yes, unlimited pasta BUT you still have to have the 1/3 of speed food and you are meant to have a wide range of foods.

I lost 4 stones in a year and have kept it off. I cooked from scratch and have never had a Mullerlight in my life (vegetarian). I have fruit, veg, pasta, rice, beans, lentils, tofu, Quorn etc.

Having just lost a lot of weight the old fashioned way (healthy diet and regular exercise) I can honestly say I think all fad diets, be it Cambridge, Slimming World, Weight Watchers, low-carb, meal replacement shakes...all of it, is a load of old hokey.
You don’t need anyone to charge you money to tell you what you should be eating...you already know!
Plus, SW and WW are all about the shitty products. Diet food. Absolute waste of time. Disheartening, expensive and choc full of sweeteners and bulking agents. Muller lights and packet soups are no way to eat. It’s not sustainable and who wants to tote up and record every morsel that goes in your mouth anyway? Life is too short for that crap.

I eat plenty and well and have lost eight stone over the last two years. I eat what I know I should and run, cycle and hillwalk as part of my normal routine. It has come off at an average of 1lb per week. Of course some weeks I’d lose three pounds and others nothing at all, depending on what I’d been doing...but it still dropped off steady. I’ve gone from a size 24 to a 10/12 and am continuing to lose as my fitness improves and I am exercising more. My lifestyle has completely changed and I have never felt better. True story.
I don’t go to any slimming clubs, I weigh myself infrequently and most of all, I have no interest in diet food products or having them sold to me as a good thing. They can all fuck off.

It's good that it makes you think about what you're eating more I guess, but having the nutritional storm that is Muller lights as a free food is ridiculous, and people might lose weight but should be about being healthy too. Anyway...

alittleprivacy it doesn’t mean sins, it means synergy.

Slimming World believes it's the synergy between the three components of the plan, ie. Free Foods, Healthy Extras and Syns, that makes Food Optimising effective at enabling weight loss.

Muller lights aren’t free anymore

I can see why they would have an issue with other companies saying their produce is SW friendly - it isn’t something SW can assess for themselves, so how do they know their brand is being used in a fair and accurate way? Other companies could be using the SW to mislead people into buying their products. Can see why SW want to avoid that.

I bloody love SW.

I don’t eat the nonsense food - they’ve stopped pushing that stuff anyway.

I seem to thrive on carbs, so yes, I fill up on rice, pasta and potatoes. I’ve lost 9lb in 6 weeks.

I don’t eat any differently, except I’m eating far more fresh fruit and veg, using less oil and butter and eating less junk.

I don’t stay to group, though. Jesus, no.

Any approach to weight loss, if you are a person whose default is eating too much, will reverse when you stop doing it. I lost 2 stone counting calories and going to the gym - then I had a personal situation which made me quit the gym and stop bothering to count calories. It’s all gone back on.

Slimming World works 🤷🏼‍♀️ Then not doing Slimming World undoes it!

You don’t need anyone to charge you money to tell you what you should be eating...you already know!

That’s not actually true. If everyone knew what they should be eating, there would be less overweight people.

"Any approach to weight loss, if you are a person whose default is eating too much, will reverse when you stop doing it."

Of course. True of any slimming diet even if you call it a permanent lifestyle change!

" If everyone knew what they should be eating, there would be less overweight people."

Most know what they should be eating, but find it hard to stick to.
I like the saying 'losing weight is simple, but it's not easy'.

I've just had a look on Pinch of Nom and can see why SW are annoyed since every single recipe mentions SW on it.

I hated SW, it was like they talked a whole new language and a single supermarket sandwich ruined your plan for the day. My dietician said to steer well clear because it does not encourage good eating patterns.

hate the terminology like star week- just call it a bloody period!!

Please tell me you just made that up?

The whole group thing sounds horrific to me, but each to their own. I do however support their right to protect their product and now have others trading off their success.

This for me too.