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?

Crossed with Melissasummerfield.

Totally agree.

Pinch of Nom must be the least MNetty name ever. Nom features regularly on threads of most hated words.

I love Aldi. They are very funny. And cheap.

Teacake- I must admit I find it very unfortunate that they’ve used that ridiculous word! 🤣

@BrutusMcDogface

That made me laugh too!

If you don’t eat your Syns, you won’t lose weight

It’s true. If you don’t get enough calories, then your body will decrease its metabolic rate so it is burning fewer calories. If your metabolic rate slows down, then you will have a more difficult time losing weight. Living on fruit and veg will not be enough to help you lose weight, as they contain too few calories. We’re not taking about people who go long term without food and actually starve to the point of being underweight, but that initial stage of going without enough calories/syns.

Hahahah, I knew it wouldn't be long before someone chimed in with the 'syn is short for synergy' nonsense! What does synergy even mean anyway? Do tell? Funny how it's only a label for food that's seen as 'naughty ' though isn't?

synergy

noun
noun: synergy; plural noun: synergies; noun: synergism; plural noun: synergisms
the interaction or cooperation of two or more organizations, substances, or other agents to produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects.
"the synergy between artist and record company"

So effectively you have to all three parts for it to work - eat as much free/speed food as you want, have you HEA (calcium) and HEB (fibre) and your allocation of syns. I've known people who don't eat the syns and didn't lose, syns include an extra bit of cheese, butter, alcohol, cake etc. which need to be counted.

If I worked for Aldi, I'd go all out with names of products. 'Rip off low cal chicken curry', 'Slimming universe salad', Weight wishes pasta'.

If you are following SW and eat products that another company or person has advised you the syn values (possibly incorrectly) then who will you blame when you don’t lose weight?! Not PON or porky lights or Aldi, you’ll blame SW. They constantly review the syn value of products and always to try and protect their members weight loss because if you aren’t losing weight most will leave because ultimately that’s why your going. They will only work with companies like Iceland where they have full control over what goes into the product because they are putting their name on it. It’s all about protecting their name and business and not about ruining businesses, at the end of the day these companies that jump on the syn wagon are only doing it to make themselves money! Would the book have become a best seller without the diet market??

The whole ’it’s Syns not sins’ thing is utter bollocks. They changed the spelling and made up the reason somewhere round about 2000. I went in 1997 to lose baby weight and had the book cover in the pic.

I have used SW and got on fine, however I have also done WW and that’s the same, they all are. You get out of it what you want SW has made me eat healthier and that’s what I wanted.

You can’t blame a brand for protecting themselves and just because WW don’t appear to do it doesn’t mean they, and lots of other brands don’t

I don’t know anything about them, never done it.

But they’re entitled to protect their brand.

Aldi, while I admire their chutzpah are cheeky fuckers when ripping off other brands. I’m glad someone took them on.

Clearly SW also have shit hot lawyers, can’t complain about that.

‘Itsall’ if ‘syns’ aren’t utter bollocks, why do they need to be reviewed? Products that haven’t changed are given new values - wtf is that about? Plus they can’t tell you what a ‘syn’ consists of - how many calories? How much fat? How much carb?

Companies regularly change the way they make something or the ingredients so the “syn” value could change, I have read some where that the mullerlights saga started due to the amount people were consuming. Ultimately a PP was spot on in saying it’s about taking things back to basics and using fresh food to make a meal and limiting the amount of high calorie food and exercising

Im aware of RebelFit. There are also a lot of other anti diet culture vloggers who are critical of SWs practices. One I follow is a trained PT and nutritionist who is also ex ed so is very much against the notion of labelling foods as good and bad. She posted about syns a while ago and whilst she mainly got positive comments, she also got a lot of abuse from the SW devotees who trotted out the synergy bollocks then as well.

Gaining weight on sw plus have missed 3 groups through illness and had a 3 page message......rant from rep..left me feeling less than happy...in tears because I cannot help being ill.....disabled.....feel real discrimination......don t know where to go with it either.obvious my face doesn t fit

They've also made threats towards butchers and cafes for launching SW friendly produce. It's ridiculous. What are they so scared of?

I remember a few years ago, a sausage was being advertised as a really low amount of syns without being tested. SW went to several locations and bought packs to test. The findings were completely inconsistent - from what was advertised to double/triple that amount. If eaten several times a week then that could seriously derail someone's weight loss.

Plus they can’t tell you what a ‘syn’ consists of - how many calories? How much fat? How much carb?

A syn is 20 calories of any non free/speed food. The fat/carb etc. are not what is being counted. So 100 cals of chocolate = 5 syns. 120 cals in a glass of wine = 6 syns.

Yes, has made me think twice about being subscribed, and don’t think I will bother to renew once it’s up. I only use it for syn values and you can kind of work those out anyway.

One I follow is a trained PT and nutritionist who is also ex ed so is very much against the notion of labelling foods as good and bad.

It's not about that though, it's about says that maybe you shouldn't consume too much of this. Yes, you can have some wine, but a bottle is going to affect your weight loss. Yes, you can have cheese, but if you smother it on every dish then you're not going to lose weight.

People on here often recommend MFP, it's not going to allow you to eat lots of those things either.

I’m on SW. Lost 4 stone. More to lose. Broad principles seem to be ok; focus on lean meat and fish, low sugar fruit and veg as the basis of your diet and move more. Limit high sugar and high fat foods but still have a bit if you want to. That’s all it is really.

I like it because you only measure a few foods, helps me avoid disordered eating behaviours as I don’t start panicking about being restricted.

I don’t like sweetenters so I don’t buy those kind of products, I’d rather have a small piece of real chocolate than a chocolate sachet with sweeteners dissolved in some quark 🤢 Don’t get me started on fat free yoghurt 🤢🤢

It’s probably not the best plan ever but it’s accessible to a lot of people so 🤷‍♀️

I am massively pissed off about the Pinch of Nom thing though. Massively. I think it’s really awful behaviour by SW.

I wonder if those poking fun at people who go to slimming world also criticise people for being overweight in the first place.

Slimming world, weight watchers, my fitness pal/calorie counting... they all work IF you stick to them. Which is down to the individual. They are just structured in different ways and an individual needs to find what works best for them. Often WW and SW is about the group support rather than the plans itself. I have definitely felt more motivated again when I have been to a meeting.

For those saying you don't need to pay these companies, people should know it already and be able to do it themselves... there are a lot of service providers people pay for that they are capable of doing things alone. Why do people pay for personal trainers? Cleaners? Decorators? Pay to go to a gym? Do they get mocked for it?

Only seems to be people who go to slimming groups that get criticised for paying for professional support.

I hear a few people say they have done slimming world 2 or 3 times - so is it really working then? Well yes the diet works if you follow it, If Susan chooses to stop following the plan and stuff herself with too much food shockingly she puts the weight back on. That happens with any diet, you do have to take what you learn from the diet and stick to eating less for good!

I’ve never done slimming world myself but don’t know why it gets such a bashing on here. Yes they allow processed food on the diet but a lot of people are over weight because they eat these things, tell them people they can’t ever eat them and the diet is destining to fail.

Slimming world is a business they own the brand name so why should pinch of nom to be able to use it the brand without paying? That’s just good business sense.

I’m not mocking...I’m stating my opinion based on my own experience. I appreciate that it’s personal to me...but no, I’m not taking the piss out of anyone.

As for Pinch of Nom, it wasn't that long ago they released a book which I think was a best seller. No reference to SW in it but those that use the website will know that they are SW friendly. Maybe they just pushed making money off the back of SW too far.