To be completely fed up with Slimming world?? :-(

[MamaH2023]

Been a slimming world member for years. Managed to lose 3 stone. However really noticed a massive difference when I started the gym. Lost 3 dress sizes and felt incredible.

Then I started weight training and really noticed my body changing for the better, however the scales at slimming world were saying I wasn't losing any weight, even though I lost 26 inches within a few months. I obviously left as I was completely fed up as my consultant was saying I must be doing something wrong, not counting syns etc. he really had no idea about weight loss really and how the body changes with exercise and weight training

I then fell pregnant, and gave birth in March 2023. Gained the 3 stone back and I just feel like I can't stick to slimming world and it's really getting me down.

Back at the gym slowly but surely and going back to spin.

Has anyone ever felt the same with slimming world?

What works for you now?

I'm thinking of going into a calorie deficit and counting calories.

Slimming world I feel is a slippery slope and my relationship with food as a result wasn't the best.

Any tips welcome xx

2022*

Which makes you feel good? Slimming world or being active?

I did well with slimming world … until I started increasing my running. Personally, I prefer weight watchers as it takes exercise into account (even though it teaches you that it takes a LOT of gym work to allow a larger helping of pasta!).

Of course being active. But I haven't ever really done it on my own without slimming world. Just makes me quite nervous as I'm constantly counting syns. Just looking for some guidance really to see if a calorie deficit works for people. Seems to be really popular.

I’d prefer 10 pounds of muscle instead of 5 pounds of fat 🤷‍♀️ Slimming world is prob more suited to those who don’t want to exercise. Go with your instinct and what works for you.

I did slimming world a few years ago attending a group & lost 3½ stone, I've since had 2 more babies & put 5 stone on each time. After my 2nd baby I did it on my own without attending a group & managed to shift around 3 stone but the last 2 just wouldn't go so I started calorie counting, it's a bit of a faff but ok once you get used to it. I got down to my lowest (10st 9lb) then I fell pregnant with my 3rd.... 5 stone went back on 😫 I'm back down to 11st 10lb with just calorie counting but I just can't shift the last bit so possibly thinking low carbs for a bit.
Like I say calorie counting is a faff but easy enough when you get going, I used the Nutracheck app. Good luck x

I went to Slimming World for a while and lost almost a stone and then gained it all back. Didnt feel particularly healthy. I have been doing a calorie deficit and going to the gym 3-4 times a week and lost almost a stone in almost 8 weeks but feel much stronger. Also Slimming world rep woman bugged me and pestered me online, messages etc and I just felt annoyed. Hate all the weighing yourself in front of people as well.

I have no experience with slimming world but a friend of mine has now ‘gone back’ for the 4th time… I don’t get it. Can’t be that great if people just keep putting the weight back on? Being active will have great benefits for your body in the long run and is something you can keep doing. Let that be your main focus, and then do calorie counting alongside.

I think slimming world is a good food plan, steers you in the right direction. I would follow it and the exercise plan. You don’t have to weigh yourself.
The problem with calorie deficit and exercise is you can get so hungry you start bingeing.

Yes SW is a losing battle in my opinion. I have had very good results with Intermittent Fasting (18:6) and low carb. I lost 2.5st in the first lockdown combined with doing Couch To 5K, regrettably I stopped both when I had to go back to the office but have just started again. I'm 7lb down in 4 weeks and just staying C25K again. There's a good FB group Intermittent Fasting for Optimal Health if you want to read up on it.

Every time I’ve ever done slimming world I’ve lost weight - in fact it’s one of the only things I can really stick to. Obviously if you want to have a truly good relationship with food you should stop dieting altogether, but after a thread I read on here about the habits of ‘naturally slim’ people I realised most of them were restricting or following some kind of plan anyway.

Slimming world works for me, but I follow it sensibly ie, lean meat, reasonable amounts of free pasta and potatoes and loads of fruit and veg. I only do cardio type exercise and not weight stuff. Its the only thing that helps me with food control, but I do concede that it wont work for everyone.

Every time I’ve ever done slimming world I’ve lost weight

If Sw worked you’d only need to do it once!

SW is fine if you need to lost no more than a couple of stones, but it does absolutely nothing to address WHY people get overweight, and the whole “eat as much as you like” of certain foods isn’t a healthy model. I was very “successful” on SW a few years ago, awarded “woman of the year” due to my weightloss, but was told I went to the gym too much and that’s why my weightloss had slowed down 🤷🏼‍♀️. The class leaders generally know all about the SW plan, but feck all about nutrition.

I've done SW and am done with it.
Instead I am being kind to myself. If I see a week with not much on, I do a week of Micheal Mosely style 16/8 low calorie. The rest of the time, I try to stick to 2 meals a day and not eat after 7.30. I just make the best choices foodwise from the options on offer. I do not berate myself, instead I right what I have done well or right.
I've lost 18 lb in 8 weeks and avoided the Carb binge that is my downfall.
You know everything about dieting, your body and what you like. Do your own plan. Its liberating.

Thank you all for the comments. Seems that a lot of people have felt the same.

Don't get me wrong, I have loved slimming world and have followed it for as long as I can remember.

Followed it by the book and managed to maintain, until I started exercising heavily and weight training.

It no longer fits my life style and to be honest has made me utterly miserable.

Why am I paying £5 to get weighed and they have zero experience when it comes to nutrition and knowledge about exercise? As someone said in a previous post, if it's that good why do we need to keep going back?

I've now went onto a calorie calculator and worked out how many calories I should be consuming and burning in order to lose weight by a certain date. Also downloaded the nutracheck app to help keep me right.

I think that a lot of people who attend diet clubs of any type think of it as being a diet, with a finite end date/goal rather than a supported way to encourage healthier eating for life. They reach their personal goal, stop counting syns or whatever then surprise surprise the weight starts to creep back on again.

SW does work if you follow it to the letter!
I have been going for nearly a year but recently decided to go it alone now as I'm fed up with paying £6 a week to be told what I already know. If I put weight on I know why and no amount of group morale boosting lectures will change it.

My problem is my social life. If I stayed at home and never went out then I'd be fine. I only wish I'd done it in lockdown but then there was daytime drinking and too many biscuits!!

Deficit (moderate but truthful) and exercise including weights would be best long term (i.e. a healthy, sustainable lifestyle)

I did Slimming World over a decade ago and my consultant that time wasn't very good. They were quite condescending, annoyed when I weighed in at a different group and ma

Whoops! Pressed send too soon.
... Made me feel guilty for putting on 2lb after a 2 week holiday.

Ten years later and the consultant couldn't be any more different. She is amazing, very knowledgeable about nutrition, very sensible in her approach and the right kind of motivational. She will say that exercise won't help you lose weight, but it will help tone up and lose inches which is just as important.

I think if you follow the plan properly, without any cheats and tweaks, then it works but you also need to be sensible about it. She will openly say, 'yes, you can technically eat as much xyz as you like, but you don't need to once you've lost weight' and explains the reasons why to members in the group.

I’ve done SW and found it’s geared towards dieting rather than fitness, exercise should always be encouraged (when the person is able to). I lost weight but put it back on.

Joined a gym with a PT and have nutrition advice aimed at protein. I’m not losing weight on the scales as much but feel far better than I ever did with SW. SW is very much ‘lose weight, step on a scale’ which isn’t the healthiest attitude.

When SW consultants ignore becoming fitter just because the scale isn’t changing it shows SW isn’t healthy.

A podcast I listen to expresses it as 'the driver of the fat loss car is nutrition'