To think that slimming world doesn't work?

[Waifwafer]

Many of my friends (including myself) have joined Slimming World over the years. There is a trend - they all lost quite a substantial amount of weight over a relatively short period of time. Kept it off for no more than six months, then ended up putting it all back on... Sometimes more.

Looking at the plan, it doesn't look like a sustainable, long term lifestyle and it doesn't even seem like a healthy way to lose weight. Viewing treats as "syns" seems dangerous. Encouraging in group for members to eat unlimited pasta is ludicrous. It's essentially a calorie deficit just like every other method of losing weight, but encourages members to view food in a negative way.

Also, the whole experience is based on the number on the scales, which may fluctuate week-on-week and not actually be anything to do with fat loss.

AIBU to think that Slimming World is all a big con and doesn't work on a long term basis?

My mum is back on slimming world too. She drove me crackers today when we went out to eat. Had a jacket spud and beans, I pointed out there was less calories in the veggie lasagne which she wanted (calories all on the menu) but she was having none of it!

This. It's not sustainable and encourages hideous processed food and loads of sugar.

This is my food for today (I'm veggie)

Breakfast - Omelette made with two eggs and lots of veg - onions, peppers, tomatoes, etc.

Lunch - Homemade soup with veg and random beans/chickpeas and two slices of wholemeal bread

Dinner - Homemade chilli and rice

Snack - cherry tomatoes and houmous and veg sticks.

I'll have a glass of wine tonight from my syns.

How is this processed food and sugar?

And don’t get me started on not mashing a banana! Ffs

Any person will put back weight on after dieting if they revert back to old habits.

I’ve been following one of these plans similar to SW, and have lost weight slowly and have changed my eating habits. If people have another way that works for them, they should use that.

I had a consultation with a dietitian and she gave me a meal plan, followed it to the letter and lost the same amount of weight. But, it was full of foods that I don’t enjoy and meant having a completely different diet than I had previously. I gave it up because it was too rigorous, I was always hungry, and I couldn’t eat any of the meals I enjoy. Not sustainable for me in the long term.

@slashlover

This. It's not sustainable and encourages hideous processed food and loads of sugar.

This is my food for today (I'm veggie)

Breakfast - Omelette made with two eggs and lots of veg - onions, peppers, tomatoes, etc.

Lunch - Homemade soup with veg and random beans/chickpeas and two slices of wholemeal bread

Dinner - Homemade chilli and rice

Snack - cherry tomatoes and houmous and veg sticks.

I'll have a glass of wine tonight from my syns.

How is this processed food and sugar?

It’s far from processed food and sugar, but it’s also VERY light on protein, which is what keeps you feeling full, not fruit & veg

Had a jacket spud and beans, I pointed out there was less calories in the veggie lasagne which she wanted (calories all on the menu) but she was having none of it!

It’s not just about calories.

Did it years ago, kept the weight off for quite a while but it’s gone back on, simply as I am eating dar to much crap

It’s no different to WW, Cambridge diet, or any of the others
As soon as you stop following any of them you start to put weight on

Simply put you need to put in less calories than you use, and exercise

It works, as long as you do it exactly as described.
It stops working when you step outside of the rules.
It's a diet.

It's not designed to be a sustainable lifestyle choice, because there's no market for creating non-repeat customers. They WANT you to lose weight temporarily and remember that when you put weight back on and look for the next solution.

It'll "work" in the sense of you'll keep weight off if you find it a permanently sustainable way of eating. It's not designed to be that, so it's not surprising most people don't keep the weight off.

I didn’t have a great loss -note, not NO loss, and the class leader told me to lay off the gym for a week.
Have you ever heard anything so ridiculous in your life?

That's shocking!

To me, it seems nonsensical because avocados are ‘syns’ but dark fruit cider is fine. The Muller Lite thing is weird, pretty much everyone I know who’s done SW eats about 5 a day! I read somewhere; possibly on here, that one consultant advised her clients to “fill up on Diet Coke”.

And didn’t they once do an about-turn on Porky Lites? Used to be free, but now not, even though the make up of them hasn’t changed. Ridiculous.

@BoredZelda

Had a jacket spud and beans, I pointed out there was less calories in the veggie lasagne which she wanted (calories all on the menu) but she was having none of it!

It’s not just about calories.

Weight loss is about calories though? You need a deficit to lose weight, it's science.

The basic principles of eating fresh food, extra fruit & veg & junk food as occasional treats are good ones.
However, the idea that you can eat unlimited processed foods such as Mug Shots & Muller lights whilst having to syn a mashed banana are just ridiculous.
To be honest, I went 10 years ago & lost 9lb in 2 weeks. It works if you stick to it religiously & cook all your meals from scratch but of course you can't do that forever which is why people have great weight losses which end up unsustainable.
I gave it up after almost fainting on a trip out where I couldn't find anything 'on plan' to eat!
It put me off jacket potatoes with beans for life.
I keep an eye on calories (a bit!) now & make sure I get enough exercise.
I don't know of anyone who's kept it up long term.

It’s far from processed food and sugar, but it’s also VERY light on protein, which is what keeps you feeling full, not fruit & veg

Eggs? Chick peas? Beans in the chilli?

If you follow it strictly you lose weight but if you go back to previous diet it all goes back on. I think it works best if you have 4+ stone to lose

SW is awful, and I say this as someone with a family member who is a rep. Losing weight quickly is not sustainable long term.

I've been healthy eating AND going to the gym with a PT. My goal is primarily weight loss, but slowly. PT was very up front and said weight loss takes time and not to expect to see drastic loss until 6 months+.

Diets aren't the way to lose weight, if SW worked then they'd be out of business as people wouldn't put the weight back on and need to keep going.

It very much IS about a calorie deficit

These big name weight loss companies are only successful because they rely on members to fail - lose some weight, stop going to meeting and following the plans - and then come back again when you’ve got fed up of your subsequent weight gain / have a special event coming up and so on.

Pretty much all weight loss plans fail to thoroughly cover the why’s of overeating and poor food choices. The initial buzz of weight loss wears off for many and they can’t/won’t maintain the plans, and these days it’s well known that carbs convert to sugar so why they still encourage regular consumption of pasta, rice, bread, potatoes etc as well as selling those sickly sweet substitute own-brand chocolate/cereal bars and crisps etc in their meetings is beyond me. All these carbs and sweet foods should be very occasional and certainly not consumed daily for long-term weight loss.

Cut the carbs and all processed foods, up your protein significantly, drink 2L water along with lots of vegetables and no more than 1-2 fruit daily, take up regular exercise, and address your psychological reasons for poor food choices or excessive intake and you are likely to have more success and more money in your pocket too.

@BarbaraofSeville

It’s far from processed food and sugar, but it’s also VERY light on protein, which is what keeps you feeling full, not fruit & veg

Eggs? Chick peas? Beans in the chilli?

Yes and meat in the chilli too. It's plenty of protein and very balanced and healthy, but you won't convince people on mumsnet

Can't lose a pound on SW portion control is my problem and there is none on SW. but a colleague has lost 4 stone so it works for some.

@TopTabby

The basic principles of eating fresh food, extra fruit & veg & junk food as occasional treats are good ones. However, the idea that you can eat unlimited processed foods such as Mug Shots & Muller lights whilst having to syn a mashed banana are just ridiculous. To be honest, I went 10 years ago & lost 9lb in 2 weeks. It works if you stick to it religiously & cook all your meals from scratch but of course you can't do that forever which is why people have great weight losses which end up unsustainable. I gave it up after almost fainting on a trip out where I couldn't find anything 'on plan' to eat! It put me off jacket potatoes with beans for life. I keep an eye on calories (a bit!) now & make sure I get enough exercise. I don't know of anyone who's kept it up long term.

You absolutely can’t have unlimited Muller Lights and Mug Shots! Where did you get that from?

@BarbaraofSeville

It’s far from processed food and sugar, but it’s also VERY light on protein, which is what keeps you feeling full, not fruit & veg

Eggs? Chick peas? Beans in the chilli?

Would be better replacing some of the “loads of veg” in the o letter with another egg…no idea the quantity of beans etc as it was just referred to as random…it could be a teaspoon or it could be a whole tin, in which case that would be fine.

I've never understood people saying you'll only put the weight back on once you stop slimming world. Of course you will if you go back to eating unhealthily again. You will if you stop any "diet" and yet it's only SW that gets this comment made towards it.

Yes some people overeat hi-fi bars and processed crap on slimming world but personally it completely changed the way I look at food for the better

It’s not perfect but then there’s no perfect solution to weight loss and maintenance either! A calorie deficit is uncomfortable, and a calorie balance requires work too. Your friends have put weight back on because they’re in a calorie surplus again, simple as that.

Cut the carbs and all processed foods, up your protein significantly, drink 2L water along with lots of vegetables and no more than 1-2 fruit daily, take up regular exercise, and address your psychological reasons for poor food choices or excessive intake and you are likely to have more success and more money in your pocket too.

Fact, but also the heart of the reason people want a packaged weight loss solution, and why the diet industry continues to thrive.

I CAN'T BELIEVE you're led to believe (and encouraged) that unlimited amounts of white pasta is ok, and yet a whole food (like avocado, albeit high in saturated fat) is a 'syn'.

Fat free artificial yogurts are a chemical shit storm too. Fuck sake.

Cut right back on refined sugars and carbohydrates without fibre/nutritional value and watch the weight drop off.

Yes, all and every diet plan will be reversed if you go back to your original habits.