Slimming world. Is it a con/cult?

[Emcont]

Basically that really. I've read positive stories but also some completely bat shit crazy ones!

I have a considerable amount of weight to lose. I have recently joined the gym. But I'm reading conflicting advice about the gym and slimming world.

Is it worth it?

If you follow it, it works. And it's relatively easy to follow (very little weighing food, a lot of common sense etc) The gym won't be as effective, my friend is a personal trainer and he always emphasises that weight loss is 80% controlled by what you eat and 20% what you do.

Re: cult 😂 some people do get a little over invested!

It's definitely not a cult. It a bit like weight watchers and it's also been around for years, both work if you follow them.

It’s a bit weird if you become one of those people who become obsessed with creating fake junk food from disgusting ingredients and think constantly about how many sweets and chocolate bars you can have with your syns. If you need to diet you need to change you mindset to healthy lifestyle and not obsess over trying to cheat the system

Losing weight is all about what you eat. By all means go to the gym, but don't rely on that for weight loss.

I do SlimmingWorld. One woman in my group lost 11 stone in 10 months.

If you follow the plan then it works. I eat more now than I used to when I was a lot heavier. I find it works for me.

I'm sure it works but a lot of people do turn a bit bonkers. If you find yourself rolling a bread roll in splenda and calling it a doughnut then you're crossing to the bad side.

It is a con. Go an read information from people like the Fitness Chef on Instagram or James Smith. Slimming world has been proven to work for the short term. It's something like 90% of people gain the weight back and more within 5 years.

It's a business at the end of the day. It wants your repeat business.

If you want to lose weight it's as simple as calories in versus calories out.

I think the regain rate is more like 95% but that goes for all weight loss methods, not just slimming world.

It's not a con. It's basically setting out the rules for a healthy eating plan that ensures you lose weight. It definitely works - I lost 2 stone this year following it. I don't go to a group, it really isn't for me. The consultant's don't seem to realise that weight loss rates are different person to person, which I find demotivating.
I'd recommend getting the Pinch on Nom books, there's a website too. Their recipes are fab. There's also a great website/Facebook page 'Two Chubby Cubs'. The SW magazine is definitely worth a read.
Good luck!

Very much a cult and very unhealthy in the long run. Calling food a syn and making up batshit rules about what a syn is! A mashed bana suddenly acquires syns when unwashed it doesn't, an avocado has a million while their own ready meals and chocolate bars have none. Not healthy eating at all.

Then the clapping!

Banana* and unmashed

It works if you stick to it. I'd avoid any of their ready meals and low fat products. I went to a group and liked the accountability, but there were people there losing and gaining the same 2lb every week because they didn't stick to the plan, and sitting in the group after being weighed scoffing SW cereal bars.

Again, it works if you stick at it. You do need to use a bit of common sense with it though

It is a con. Slimming world has been proven to work for the short term. It's something like 90% of people gain the weight back and more within 5 years.

It's a business at the end of the day. It wants your repeat business.

This. Something like 95% of all people who diet will put the weight back on and more. If slimming world worked for even 20% of people their classes would be full up with lifelong target members staying at their goal weight.

Slimming world taught me to overeat. They have one token page in their book which is about the hunger scale, and consultants rarely if ever mention listening to your body's satiety signals.

If you want to lose weight it's as simple as calories in versus calories out.

... and this information is as useless as a chocolate teapot if you don't learn about why you're overeating and how to eat according to your body's signals. It's not sexy or quick but it is the most sustainable way.

11st in 10 months sounds more like gastric surgery than SW success to me!!!

It is a cult. And you have to use it for your own ends and not be sucked into the fake donut brigade.

If you can do that you will lose weight. As much as I hate admitting it the act of turning up every week and listening to the women (who I agree with 60% ish of the time) keeps me on track. Paying the money makes me less likely to give up.

Don’t buy the hifi bars, use the diet as a guide but apply common sense. Use calories in v calories out as your main principle.

It's not a con/cult but it depends on which way you 'do' it. I looked into it when pregnant to lose baby weight. I loosely followed parts of it. Stripped back, the main principles are lots of fruit, vegetables, salad, meat, fish, eggs, etc with the odd 'treat' thrown in. Follow it sensibly and it's great.

Eat the processed crap or take the 'free' foods too literally, that's when it becomes a load of nonsense. I've seen on some Instagram accounts, someone had 80g of oats, plus PILES of fruit for breakfast then a massive mound of pasta for lunch, curry with tons of rice and chips for dinner. Or two jacket potatoes with an entire tin of beans then one piece of limp lettuce for 'speed'. It's the latter lot who will have trouble losing or gain it all back.

I've lost 3 stone following nsome of the basics (having lots of salad alongside my sandwich or vegetables with dinner, measured cereal, etc). I didn't do the whole syn shit and still have full fat, olive oil, etc. But it depends entirely on how you follow it.

Cool with lots of fresh food etc and watch portion sizes and it can work. Live off Miller lights, hi fi bars, mugshots and its full of processed rubbish.

Oh my gosh, the 'tweaks'. People were genuinely filling a wholemeal roll full of low fat cream and low sugar jam then baking it to make some franken-donut 😂

Just eat the bloody real thing and work it into your daily allowance.

@TheLittleBrownFox

You're right about my last comment. It was a bit of a throw away one. My intention was to say there is no 'magic' way of doing it. And I completely agree that you need to learn why you over eat and look at what your body signals. I think most people want a quick fix and dont realise it isnt an over night change.

Check out rebelfit on Facebook - he has a lot to say about ‘syns’ and how they’re calculated. Eg) Porky whites sausages were zero syns until slimming world brought out their own sausages, then they magically acquired a syn value overnight despite the ingredients remaining the same.

Plus calling food syns in the first place is quite an unhealthy outlook I think

I think slimming world is a load of bollocks! Look up RH fitness and see what they have to say about them then I bet you won't be considering joining slimming world!

I'm sure it works but a lot of people do turn a bit bonkers. If you find yourself rolling a bread roll in splenda and calling it a doughnut then you're crossing to the bad side.

I think if you look at the overall, basic guidelines, ie; lots of veg, fruit, cut out fat and sugar and sensible amounts of protein it works. Not if you spend hours working out how to ‘cheat’ or worry about ‘syns’.

Too many people are looking for a miracle cure ... losing and maintaining weight loss takes a lot of work. All diets ‘work’ if you follow them correctly, it’s the maintenance and long term eating plans that most of us struggle with, understanding that you can never go back to your ‘usual’ way of eating because that’s what makes you fat.

Group support can work for some people.

I go to a sw group and do find some members a wee bit batshit, so now I just weigh and run! It works for me, ive lost 3 stone since June. It works for some, not for others I guess