How does Slimming World work if no calorie deficit??

[AlmostAlmondy]

I constantly see on here that weight loss can only be achieved in a calorie deficit - which makes absolute sense. But I've been doing SW for about six months now and have lost 2 stone, whilst eating FAR more than I was before. A third veg, definitely. But the pasta... I eat mountains of the stuff. Before anyone points out how bad this is - I know! My concept of portion control is out the window. But it actually bloody works. A lot better than strict calorie counting did before I resorted to this. And I don't understand how?!

Because you probably do have a calorie deficit. SW cuts mindless eating.

Any carbs that you can mindlessly just pickup and eat are effectively syns, bread, sweets, crisps, biscuits.
Except fruit but nobody ever becomes overweight eating apples.

"Free carbs" Pasta, rice, potatoes all need a bit of effort before consumption.

I can see how it does work, but like 16:8 fasting, the biggest drop has to be the mindlessly TV snacking.

You'll definitely be in deficit, and eating fewer calories than you were before.

I still roughly mesure my pasta, to ensure I eat a normal sized portion. It might be a good idea to do so, so that it's not hard for you as you get lighter and need less (pasta/calories, etc).

Log your calories for a week and you will see the deficit.

Well you must be in a calorie deficit and it sounds like you’re eating a high volume of food which is satiating. There is some research that suggests humans are driven to eat a certain volume of food not calories per se.

You’re confusing lots of food to equal lots of calories.

It's amazing isn't it,I'm 3.5 stone down now and I eat more than I used to?! It will be because of deficit,it's the only way,same as calorie counting except it's syns.

It doesn’t work it’s a money making scheme.

It does work, same as any other diet it stops working if you don't stock to it. It's a business,of course it makes money.

**stick

This! A banana has the same caloric value whether it’s mashed before it’s eaten or just eaten!

But that's not why it's synned if it's mashed or pureed.

Counting calories costs nothing. To lose weight you need to be in a calorie deficit, being in a calorie deficit is not a “diet”, it’s simply eating less calories than your body burns! Less calories consumed than you need = weightloss. SW is simply a way to make money from people, Weightwatchers is the same.

Well it's a business but clearly it does work if people are losing weight on it. Yes they'll probably put it back on but that's true of any diet, even the ones that say they aren't diets but are mindful attitude shifting healthful life changes - it's all just marketing spiel.

Please enlighten me to the science behind the mashed banana.

I'm doing calorie counting and if you eat healthily actually it's quite a decent amount of food. So you almost certainly are in a calorie deficit, by dint of eating healthily

And please explain to me how a banana can change how many calories it contains by mashing or making it into a purée.

Because it's easy to over eat pureed fruit in smoothies and you end up eat more bananas equal more calories. There's no 'science ' but you know that you just like to be sarcastic 😊

Fruit isn't good pureed ,it changes the cell structure when not eaten whole,ask any dentist.

It’s not the calories that changes but the amount you can eat before getting full. It’s a lot harder to eat 6 whole bananas than 6 puréed bananas

See above .

@WinterWitchy it changes the matrix of it. For the scientific reason, read up on Tim Spector and Zoe

I dislike SW but there is a science behind structural changes in a banana (and not just bananas!) when you mash it for example so have a read of the science

When fruit is in a smoothie you can easily eat 4 - 5 pieces in one glass. You would never sit and eat 2 bananas and 3 apples in 15 minutes/one sitting. But you can gulp them down in 10 seconds.

And things like banana bread/banana ice cream (mashed banana) = in a few bites you can easily eat 2/3 bananas which you would never do when eating it as a fruit.

https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/5-a-day/smoothies#:~:text=If%20you%20blend%20fruit%2C%20the,and%20become%20%E2%80%9Cfree%20sugars%E2%80%9D.

Thank you for your reply and where to find the science behind it I’ll have a read.

Thanks for this. I never eat smoothies but I’m starting to understand why SW ‘sell’ this concept now due to your reply. I’m not a fan of any of these diet companies (SW/Weightwatchers) etc. I calorie count and weigh everything that goes on my mouth.

I understand that SW is a business and if you start eating as you did before than you will gain weight. I still prefer it to pure calorie counting because it's easier, you don't need to weigh every tiny thing, and the principles are sound: eat plenty of veg and fruit (plenty of eg salad, not so much eg banana or avocado), have lean protein, some fibre, some calcium and limited 'empty calories'. For me, it's simple and it works without too much hard work.
I eat good food, in normal, appropriate portions and I am able to maintain a healthy weight and still go out and socialise over a meal.