Has anyone actually lost and kept it off with sw?

[m0therofdragons]

I have a number of friends who have done sw and have done for years, seemingly losing the same 5 lbs over and over. Does anyone actually find it successful?

Between August 2011 & March 2013, I lost 8.5 stone with SW. I kept it off for 2 years, but regained all of it. I decided to lose weight by loosely following the WW No Count plan ( which they no longer offer) at home, and began at the beginning of March this year. I've lost 6.5 stone and have another 2 to lose.

I got to target in Feb 2017 and have kept the weight off. It is possible, definitely.

I lost 2 stone and have kept within my 6lb bubble. It's true what people say when they say it's a life style change, it's a cliche I know though!!

I lost 4.5 stone in 2017. I've kept it off ever since.

I basically follow the plan Mon-Fri then generally eat what I like at the weekend.

Only ever use lean meat and fish, rarely cook with butter and have all but given up bread. But I've stopped the bread because I've realised how horribly bloated it makes me.

I lost 4 stone and have gained 2 back :( so no, I haven't. Unfortunately it is not a sustainable diet.

What’s not sustainable about it for you kevin?
Genuinely interested as I’ve kept my weight off by following the principles.

I've lost 3 stone on sw and have maintained for over a year. Using the same principles the group taught me after leaving. I've recently rejoined but that's because I would like to loose a final 1.5 stone and could use a little support.
The plan is basically a healthy balanced diet plan, that encourages regular exercise which is how we should be eating/living anyway.
I think the reason people put on after leaving sw isn't because of the diet itself but because they go back to how they ate before. No diet is a magic cure and if you have a tendency to overeat or unhealthy eating habbits (as I do, which is why I became overweight in the first place) then it would be silly to think I didnt need to maintain my eating plan once leaving a group.

The people I know who do it have done it many times over the years. They lose weight, regain it, head back to slimming world again. They swear it works even though they regain every single time

I lost over 2 stone with SW but couldn't get further and it all went back on. Gave up on the meetings as they got so repetitive after a while.

It says it all doesn't it? No wonder Slimming World/WW and all the other groups and paid for plans make so much money. All of us (myself included, have done them all but no more) lose that stone/5 stone/half a stone but it all goes back on and more. And do we ever question why they all change their regimes every year to something new to a new brand new plan? Red/green/purple/orange/god knows what? If you are someone who has a very unhealthy diet then you know what to do to improve your diet, even a little bit. But don't we all see people posting their daily food on here, following a regime that sticks to the rules (which let's be honest change every few months or so whenever there is a rebrand) but is a regime which discourages exercise as it will "affect weight loss". And starving the day before weight in then bingeing after to celebrate pound loss? How can that be right?

I don't know many people who have done Slimming World, but I have a friend who has lost 4 stone with Weight Watchers and regained it all 3 times.

You know what I don't get? And I'm not trying to be goady but when people say oh they gained the weight back on after SW, WW whatever"

Well, yeah, but surely its the same as ANY OTHER DIET, Keto, Atkins, intermittent fasting etc. If you go back to your old eating habits, of course the weight will go back on. That's not SW, WW fault.

I lost three stone on SW and put it all back on and more because I stopped doing it and eat shite.

Most of the consultants are overweight. If they cant maintain it what hope has anyone else got?

It worked when I had time for planning meals and shopping, to the requirements. But as soon as there was a stressful or busy time, the 'plan' had to take second place.

Lost 15lbs in about 4 months (got down to well under 8 stone). It's been about 15 month and I'd say I've put half the weight back on. But I think that's fine considering I'm not sticking to the diet so obviously I'm going to put on weight.

I took from it that it is much easier to lose weight than put it on. I can lose 2-3lbs from one week on it where as it would take me a fair few months of eating utter crap to put that on.

You have to stick to it to lose weight. Otherwise of course you will put it back on.

The 95% figure applies over all methods of weight loss, not just SW. The owners of SW know this figure, and as with most of the weight loss industry, rely on it to keep the money flowing. It is incredibly demoralising but it’s also a biological reality and we’d be far better off as a society working out how people are getting fat to start with, dropping the fat shaming, and investing in more mental health and nutritional support.

The key to maintaining weight loss is understanding why you are overweight, and working through that, and obviously maintaining a decent diet (which is easier to do once you’ve resolved what underlying issues you have). SW doesn’t facilitate any of that. Once you lose the weight, it’s up to you to work out how to maintain it.

It also doesn’t offer any really decent nutritional advice. On the face of it the plan sounds very sensible, based on cooking and eating fresh food and restricting treats. In reality the group leaders push all sorts of fake food that fits the SW principles. Food suddenly acquires Syns when commercial endorsements come to an end. For every person who gets to target weight and has changed their life completely to create sustainable weight maintenance, there are 99 who have been living off Muller Light and counting the days till they can go back to eat ‘normal’ food.

And as for watching the exercise... I couldn’t believe it when I first went to a group and heard someone getting warned off. That’s insane. Exercise builds health, drives faster metabolism, helps to prevent health conditions developing, and improves mental health and wellbeing.

The consultant at our group is practically begging us to do exercise, definitely not discouraging it!

There's a load of people there who are maintaining at their target, including ones who have lost a huge amount of weight.

I've only just started in Jan, but have almost lost a stone. I dont see how it's an unsustainable diet. I was eating a load of shit before. Now I'm eating loads of fresh veg, have cut down on sugar and fat. I'm enjoying what I eat and I have big portions of it, and the weight is still coming down. Am expecting to need to reduce portion size as I get closer to my target but that's fine. I will also need to add in exercise, as I'm not doing anything yet.

If I go back to eating shit again, I will put the weight back on. But I'm not doing anything unsustainable with my eating now, so hopefully I will be able to keep it up. I also set my target for half a stone lower than I've been in the last 15 years, so I don't mind if I put a bit more back on eventually.

Yes it’s possible, I lost three stones with slimming world and I’ve kept it off for four years now and I’ve not been to a group or followed it for most of those four years. I eat to appetite but what I want. The other big change I made while doing slimming world was taking up running which I still do regularly at least 12 miles a week and I think it’s that that’s made a huge difference.

I lost 2 1/2 stone I’m slightly out of target (too many social events recently) but aim to get back in soon. If you revert back to your old bad habits obviously your weight will go back up. One thing slimming world has taught me is to identify my bad habits. Personally I know my meals are generally fine but it’s my snacking Which causes me to gain the weight, if it’s in the house I will eat it. It has given me strategies for example I try to have low or no syns in the morning (or I crave high calorie food all day), having food prepared in the fridge stops me going for the high carbs on the way home from the gym, measuring my oil etc. By continuing to go to group it means I am more conscious about loosing it quickly, it’s easier to loose 3lbs rather than 1 stone!

Make changes you enjoy and can keep up.

Slimming World is a money making business. They need the diet to be unsustainable and for members to reach target then pile it all back on so they rejoin and pay more money all over again.

That's how business works. If everyone did it and it was so amazing they maintained it Slimming World would go out of business.

I honestly wish people would see this.

Why do you think that all their own products are conveniently lower syn values than competitors (and if not they change the competitor syn values - hello Muller and Heck)? Its so you buy their stuff to make them even more money!

People are getting conned left right and centre by this company.

@Frankola Why do you think that all their own products are conveniently lower syn values than competitors (and if not they change the competitor syn values - hello Muller and Heck)? Its so you buy their stuff to make them even more money!

This is very interesting! Is there a list somewhere listing all this? I love heck sausages!

Look at rebelfit. He does loads about how much of a con it is lol

Rebel fit is a total arse jumping onto threads here and FB trying to tout business

Oh really! Haha thanks for the tip! It is interesting though, I'll still do slimming world but I'll be comparing their branded stuff to similar low syn stuff to decide whether I actually need to syn it or not! For example, I compared SW sausages to heck chicken sausages, the heck are less calories and less fat!! But 0.5syns?? So I'll call these a free food now