Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Right come and tell me what weight loss club i should join. SW or WW?

21 replies

mamaa0n · 18/04/2011 15:53

I did SW a few years back and it worked ok.
But i know it will have achanged a fair bit by now. It used to be green or red days and sins and all that sort of thing.

I have never done WW. someone want to give me a breif outline of how it works?

For those that have tried both which is easiest? best?

I want to join a club this week and have about a 3 tonne to lose.

OP posts:
mamaz0n · 18/04/2011 15:55

name changed and got my name wrong. what a fish

mamaz0n · 18/04/2011 16:22

oi! come on. tell me which is best

colditz · 18/04/2011 16:26

SW is the same as it was - red days and green days, syns etc

Weightwatchers gives you a 'points' value for your food. You can eat whatever you like - you can live on chocolate and still lose weight - BUT (and yes, it's a mighty big but) if you don't choose healthy, low fat, filling foods, you are going to be contantly hungry.

With weight watchers, you can choose badly, but it almost punishes you with hunger for those choices. Or you can choose carefully, and be rewarded with no hunger and a nice loss. The points system has been rejigged since I did it, but the basic premis is, the higher the fat content and calories of the food, the higher in points it is. It is entirely possible to blow your whole daily points allowance on a piece of cream cake and a packet of crisps, so watch it!

colditz · 18/04/2011 16:27

Weight watchers worked for me. Slimming world - I am finding it a bit boring. I am too lazy and disorganised to get the real benefit of it.

I'm doing slimming world right now, and there is a slimming world thread...,..

mamaz0n · 18/04/2011 16:28

ta.

so the points is just the same as the SW "sins" then?

is there any real difference between the two plans?

VJayJay · 18/04/2011 16:30

I used to like ww but when I rejoined recently it had all changed so much and I couldnt get into at all. I've not done sw before but a friend is lending me her books and she has had success on them. I like the Paul McKenna way of thinking but I'm struggling with it at the mo and need an eating plan to follow to kick start me again.

mamaz0n · 18/04/2011 16:32

I think i want to find one where i have someone tell me what to eat every day tbh.
I am lazy but determined. I cannot stand being this fat any more.

I want to follow a plan step by step and have the weight fall off me. so long as i see the results each week i will be ok.

therealmrsbeckham · 18/04/2011 16:36

Hi, I can't comment on SW as never done it.

I really like WW. It works on a pro points system which means that no foods are forbidden as long as you stick to your daily points allowance which for most people is usually 29 points/day. In addition you get a weekly points allowance of 49 which is really useful if you go out for meals/socialise a lot.

The points value of every food is based on the amonts of protein, carbohydrate, fat and fibre in the portion and I found it faily easy to get to grips with it. The points caculator is a must have tool if you do WW.

I also really like the fact that most fruit and vegatables are zero points and there's some fab recipies on WW on line.

I've lost 31lbs so far since I joined in January of this year - only 5lbs to go until goal!! My mother and brother also joined with me and they have lost 21lbs and 28 lbs respectivley.

I've found that WW fits in really well with my lifestyle and all of the family are eating healthier now. I would definately recommend it.

HTH Smile

cybboid · 18/04/2011 16:37

What do you do on these programmes when you have reached your goal weight?

NoWayNoHow · 18/04/2011 16:37

mamaz0n, I only have experience of WW, but know 2 or 3 people who've done SW, so my knowledge of how well SW works is limited to just their feedback, IYSWIM.

WW new system assigns ProPoints (PP) values to foods based on how much protein, carbs, total fat and fibre are in things. The reason they changed it is because our bodies use different amounts of energy to digest different foods, so the net calories AFTER digestion depend on how hard your body works to get it through you.

Protein is harder to digest than carbs, so proteins tend to have slightly lower PP value. The example they give in the meetings is two breakfasts: two crumpets with marg and jam, and a fry up with egg, lean grilled bacon, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Both 300 cals, both would have been 6 points on the old WW method.

Now though, the fry up is 7PP and the crumpets are 9PP (because the fry up is heavy on protein).

The other big difference between old and new WW is that now you get daily PP which you use or lose (depending on weight, height, age, etc), plus 49 weekly PP which you can use to support RL activities for which you may need a buffer (eg, going for coffee with mate, just got to have that muffin, or you've maxed out on your dailies, but you fancy a glass of wine with dinner). You can use your weeklies to top up your dailies each day, or all in one day even if you're going out for a slap up meal.

I lost 2st on the old WW system, and on the new PP system, I've lost 12lbs since mid-Jan (with about 4 weeks intermittently when I've been away/ill so haven't tracked)

All I know about SW is that it hasn't really worked for my friends, and they all gave up after a few months as the weight loss was just not good enough. One of them said they found it a really strange approach to weight loss and didn't see any logic as to why it would/should work. But that's only them, I'm sure it's worked for lots of others!

ShirleyKnot · 18/04/2011 16:37

WW - has gone all weird and PP and I can't really work it out and so I flounced

SW - same as ever it was WITH THE ADDITION of Extra Easy days which are...as the name suggest, a piece of piss to do.

So I'm back on SW.

NoWayNoHow · 18/04/2011 16:40

x-post cyboid - I'm 3lbs away from my goal with WW. Once I hit that, I can change my plan from losing weight (29 dailies allowed) to maintaining weight (35 dailies allow, IIRC).

therealmrsbeckham · 18/04/2011 16:43

Cybboid - with WW when you reach goal you go onto the maintenance plan. Same principles you just adjust your daily points allowance so that your weight remains stable.

therealmrsbeckham · 18/04/2011 16:46

x-post NoWayNoHow and good luck reaching your goal. I'm 5lbs away from goal and am going to celebrate with a shopping spree when I get there Smile

mamaz0n · 18/04/2011 17:08

but Shirley you aren't fat!

I am tempted to go back to SW as i have done it before. But becuase i have done it before it may be more difficultto get my bonce around any changes, which makes me lean towards WW.

I think it will prbably fall down to which group i can get to easiest tbh.

rubyrubyruby · 18/04/2011 17:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

cybboid · 18/04/2011 18:01

How can you count points forever though? I dont get it

I'm all for folk losing weight but I dont hold with slimming clubs

NoWayNoHow · 18/04/2011 18:06

cybboid if I'm honest, it all becomes a little second nature - you learn what foods to gravitate towards that will keep you full the longest and have the lowest PP. Also tracking at the beginning is writing everything down and adding it all up, and it's time consuming and dull. Very soon though, it's an almost unconsious tally in your head so that you know roughly where you're at.

I find it so easy to sustain as it's so liveable and doable. I've dieted before, ate lettuce and grilled meat for ages, and piled every lb back on whe I started eating "normally". With WW, you're ALWAYS eating normally - it's just a healthier way of approaching food and understanding how to make it really work hard for you rather than starving yourself every 6 months only to be in the same position you were beforehand when real life kicks in.

I've been able to maintain WW (both strictly when I've backslid, and more relaxed when I'm just going along with it) for 4 and a half years. It's not a chore.

mamaz0n · 18/04/2011 18:11

thing is i weigh in at about 22stone. I can't just lose weight at home as i can't find scales that will hold my bulk.

Plus i need the total humiliation of admitting i have been a greddy feck all week to help keep me on track.

NoWayNoHow · 18/04/2011 18:27

mamaz0n you could always do what many of us have done,and used the classes as a starting point to get you going, fill you with information, and support your new mindset with food.

After a few months when you can see results, and you feel more comfortable taking on the system and weighing in by yourself, then you can always do it from home as you'll have all the material you need, and plenty of support here on MN Smile

I do'nt know about SW, but WW do a monthly pass which pays for all your meetings as well as unlimited access to their online offering (eSource).

I recently switched from classes to online only (I get all my recipes from there) and do it from home.

mamaz0n · 19/04/2011 14:59

yes that sounds like a much better idea Noway.

At the moment the only class i can find is on a saturday morning or in teh evening. Evenings are a nightmare as they seem to cut right across bedtime, and i would have to find someone to watch the Dc.

I have emailed some local clubs and asked if they know of one during the day.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page