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?

@NewMessageFrom

I voted U as this comes again and again and again and again and again

🙄

Any diet works if you stick to it. Once you go back to your old eating habits it piles back on obvs. It doesn't matter what you eat - it comes down to calories in v calories out.

If I stick to 1000 calories a day il lose weight quickly - doesn't matter if it's 1000 calories of chocolate or 1000 calories of healthy stuff. Of course il feel much better if it's 1000 of healthy stuff but it will have pretty much the same result regardless.

The measure of a diet isn't whether you lose weight on it - you'll lose weight on any mainstream diet if you follow it correctly - it's whether it's sustainable. That's something which will vary from person to person.

There's no magic to SW/WW - they're low fat/low sugar/low calorie diets, and the points/syns etc. are just a way of dressing them up so you don't appear to be counting calories or measuring fat/carbohydrate. You can follow them healthily, cooking food from scratch, or you can follow them eating processed, artificially sweetened rubbish.

There's no point in using them to yo-yo. If you've lost on SW/WW and regained, clearly they aren't sustainable for you as an individual, and you should look for a WOE you can stay with forever, not just a 'diet' to lose weight.

Ultimately the bosses at slimming world are happy with the model, that most people lose a couple of stone, stop doing it so put on more, remember they lost on slimming world before so join again and the cycle continues forever. This keeps them rich.

It's so tempting to want the quick fix diets where you can lose 2lbs + a week but then it gets demoralising after a week or two 'off plan' where the scales show a massive gain due to water retention etc.

I am desperately trying to reprogram myself, do it properly with a good, healthy diet and good exercise. Maybe one day I'll crack it (or maybe I won't?)

What a load of nonsense.

It doesn't matter at all which diet you follow, your own or a multi national one, if you eat properly you will lose weight and if you eat crap,you'll put it on.

My sister lost 7 stone on Keto last year. She stopped doing it and has now regained 3 stone. My neighbour did keto for years, she is now also heavier than before. I have friends who have done SW, WW, MYfitnessPal, and many others, they have all lost weight but they still all fluctuate depending on how committed they are to staying healthy and slimmer.

The simple fact is that most of us trying to lose weight don't have the commitment to carry on healthy eating once we have reached our goal. Because food, for most people, isn't just about eating. That's why people go to the clubs. SW is no better or worse than any other diet if that's what you want to do. What you put in your mouth is down to no one except yourself.

Me and my 5 sisters all have some weight to lose so we have started our own little group and we are calorie counting. 7 days in and there's already more than one talking about a kitkat being the same amount of calories as (lunch) so she might as well just have the kitkat. Guess who's not going to lose weight and keep it off?

I tried Slimming World once, and didn't get on with it at all.

If you have Facebook look at Richie Howey's take on slimming world. Aka Team RH. He's annoying but talks sense about this.

I also hate the term ‘syn’

It used to be 'sin' back in the early 1990s. They changed it to 'syn' when Weight Watchers adopted the slogan 'the diet where no food's a sin'.

I think Slimming World is absolutely awful, for the reasons you have given. It’s like a cult to members though. Also I’ve got PCOS so if I ate unlimited pasta I’d be the size of a house!

Not the point of this thread but I think the emotion in the responses highlight what a complex issue our relationship with food and weight is both personally and as a society.

Not sure about now as not been for years, but it was based on low GI. So if your plate is one third super free ( ie GI close to zero food) then in theory the rest could be pasta BUT you have to eat a whole little gem to counteract a butt ton of pasta. But I'm.not sure that is how people do it for every meal ( is 1/3 salad with bolognese, 1/3 broccoli or cabbage with a roast, 1/3 low sugar fruit with breakfast).

In reality I think people think the free food was fill your boots, not bulking out with negligible low gi food.

Because the words GI and calories is never mentioned so how can most people keep it up?

In theory you cant eat two jacket potatoes IF you eat 4 little gems first.

I followed SW for 9 months (never went to a group because it really isn't my kind if thing), researched the plan and took some elements from it, and lost 6 stone. I've kept it off for around 2 years so far. Its bloody hard keeping the weight off, harder than losing it!! I think it worked for me because I actually think about what I'm eating before I eat it.
I have found an amazing website called slimming eats and I meal plan off that.

Posted too soon but I think a lot of this would be alleviated if we had less snobbery around it, most of us just trying our best while trying to deal with what our lives through at us

Throw at us

My everyday diet (as in food consumed) sounds just like @slashlover 's SW diet.
Easy, filling and sustainable (for the person and the planet)

As part of my job I have to encourage people to follow the dieticians advice. The ones who succeed are the ones who learn to like vegetables.

Update: I've cancelled my membership.

Thank you @Waifwafer for the post, it helped me realise that SW really isn't for me and just confirmed everything I was thinking in group yesterday.

I found it worked for me, lost 2 stone and stayed at target for about a year - going to weekly weigh ins. I stopped going when groups closed for covid and never went back - but crucially I haven't put the weight back on either.

I don't follow the plan any more but I'm much more aware of what I'm eating and have developed good habits of plating up a third of my plate with vegetables before putting anything else on and I also cut out snacks which has stuck with me.

I like big portions so it appealed to me, it just means I'm eating big portions of lower calorie food and staying full in between meals.

It's not perfect and if you look for loop holes and cheats then it won't be the healthiest but the principles are good.

Ultimately the bosses at slimming world are happy with the model, that most people lose a couple of stone, stop doing it so put on more, remember they lost on slimming world before so join again and the cycle continues forever. This keeps them rich.

There are several people in my group who have stayed at target for 4-7 years. The trick is that they still go to group at least once a month, which is free.

Everyone talks about unlimited pasta but the plan does state a wide variety of foods and 1/3 of the plate of pasta should be veg. Some people will try to cheat any system, I remember my friend doing calorie counting 10 years ago and skipping breakfast so she could have chocolate at night.

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.

They did the same with sweetener, used to be free but now has a syn value. Unless you think no diet every changes?

Not only does Slimming World not work - diets don't work. If you're on Facebook look up Rebelfit. I heard about in on Mumsnet so I'm surprised it's not been mentioned. He explains why it doesn't work - and he doesn't mince his words so if you're easily offended maybe don't look!

People are idiots and don't follow the plan properly and so think it doesn't work.

When in fact it dies work.

It isn't "unlimited pasta" as in, you can't eat 3kg of pasta a day. It's unlimited pasta alongside 1/3 speed on your plate AND listening to your appetite.

While it didn’t work for me I do disagree. It works - in that people lose weight, it encourages a more balanced approach to food types and so the general person will eat more veg/fruit and drink more water. These are all great things and most people even when they stop carry these things with them. But it is only a structure and it is limited. It will not fix your relationship with food and you need to find your own balance. I know people who have done this but it is hard. I could t work within the framework as a holiday or festive period would throw me off completely but that is down to me not SW

@PurpleSky300 the terminology is awful... I hate the groups.... watch the peter kay sketch about it...hilarious... but I have been able to look past it and just use my own words....

I eat crap (syns) and do exercise (body magic)

I did sw for a while. I stopped going when it was obvious that the leader was putting on weight faster than the rest of us. If she couldn't make it work long term for her, what hope for me?

I don't see the issue with it, surely any eating plan that encourages eating lots of fruit/veg, ordinary food and limited sweet/fatty stuff is fine?

I am dubious about dieting full stop but switching to longer term healthy eating is a good move. I don't see what is particularly unhealthy about SW.

The reason people put weight on afterwards is presumably because they revert to their pre-diet eating habits.