annielostit - I find the SW approach very, very restrictive (for me) WW fits my lifestyle better - I am a bit too reliant on 'fast food'. By fast food I don't mean macdonalds, pizzas etc. I mean prepacked food (sandwiches, sushi, ready meals). I like sauces. I like dairy. But most of all, I like limits without limits. With WW I have clear limits - a daily limit, and all those extra weekly limits (these are important to me). I can eat whatever the hell I like as long as I stick to those limits. If DH has a pizza, I can have some as long as I'm within my limits. If I want to save my points for an entire bottle of red on a Saturday, thats fine. Some days I don't need to eat more than my daily limit. Thats fine too.
With SW, its geared towards fresh food and always making meals from scratch. This is fantastic, but it does not suit me. I tried, but no. I found that I have no limits (unlimited pasta, meat etc) but with limits (so many syns a day of 'other' stuff). My body did not respond to this way of eating, and I couldn't ever find anything to eat that I really wanted. I didn't enjoy it. I detest the meetings. I find they have the opposite effect to intended. I find they are humiliating, however fantastic the other members are. Putting focus on 'me' each session meant I hated attending. I stayed to meetings to try and learn, but I didn't enjoy it (the leader makes a difference too - not a massive fan of ours)
Having said that, I do eat better now, and that's because slimming world taught me to eat more fruit and veg. These are unlimited on WW too - but I am much more disciplined about bulking out my meals with healthier foods.
Its not just physical and how my body processes food - its psychological as well. I had an eating disorder for 25 years. I have more freedom with what I eat on WW, and this in turn reduces or eliminates the 'guilt' I feel for eating 'something I shouldn't'. I am allowed to eat it. If I have greater freedom, I am less likely to fall off the wagon.
As far as portion control - well its entirely up to you. You eat as much as you want as long as its within the limit. To me, portion control is not the issue. It wasn't with SW really. It was the inflexibility of it that meant I was eating too many carbs.
I eat water noodles a lot now - many people baulk at them but I find them ok. This means bulk without carbs.
I do have a lot to lose (4st) and its way harder for me to lose weight now (not enough exercise and getting older)
Not sure if that rambling is in any way useful. As I said before, I know SW works. I have seen it work brilliantly. Its just horses for courses.