Is Slimming World really that bad?

[baggagecabbage]

Just that really. I have about seven stone to lose and have tried everything to lose weight but I just end up half-arsing it and going back to my binge eating. The only plan I've ever actually lost weight is Slimming World but all I seem to see on social media is people calling it out as a "cult" or saying it's inevitable that you put the weight back on again.
Surely that's the same with most diet plans - calorie counting for example. When you stop cc you will put the weight on unless you have addressed the reasons why you overeat. Also a lot of the accusations levelled at SW are that they encourage you to eat massive portions of things like Miuller lights, but surely just because something is free you wouldn't expect to lose weight after eating five of them!? I think being as fat as I am means that no diet plan is going to work unless I actually stay consistent with it, which is my downfall. I don't think it's necessarily SW's fault of people do end up abusing the plan.

I have tried hypnosis, calorie counting, weight loss shakes and plans like Second Nature and nothjng works. Perhaps I'm a masochist and only feel motivated by attending a group where I have to explain myself. I know that ultimately I need to stick to it for it to work.

I'm just interested to hear others opinions before I sign up next week.

It's just a low calorie diet really. It works for me but I've had to work hard at it when I'm feeling a bit wobbly.

Mumsnet isn't keen on the group clapping etc and many thing we all eat Diet Coke chicken... I never have and mostly cook casseroles, curries, salads and eat lots of fruit and yogurt.

If you stick to it 100% you'll notice the difference and it's really helped me. I wouldn't be able to stick to all the weighing involved in calorie counting.

It works when you stick to it. I’ve lost well on it before, but it’s not something I can do forever and I’m now heavier than when I started many years ago.

My opinion on SW is that most people return time and time again, which proves that it isn't a long term fix. Often they gain back more than they weighed at the start as well. Even the leaders tend to regain the weight they initially lost and end up starting again. I hate the clapping and the slimmer of the week award etc, I found it all very cringe at the meeting's I did attend. Yes you will probably lose the weight if you stick at it, but you'll most probably not keep it off long term. I think a healthy approach to eating/exercise is the only long term way to lose weight and keep it off, however I know that's so much easier said than done because I currently need to lose 2 stone myself.

I’m not keen as:
when I worked with a PT who did me a proper diet and exercise plan, I asked him about them and he said they promote the consumption of ‘monster foods’ (like the yogurts) that are low calorie but nutritionally poor.

I cannot have any artificial sweeteners at all and a lot of the stuff they advise you to eat (MLs/Diet drinks) are stuffed full of the damn things.

Their ‘science’ doesn’t make sense; a banana is fine whole but not mashed? What do they think happens when you chew it? I think they also said a few years ago that a dark fruits cider was better than an avocado. Even if it’s fewer calories, surely the better choice would be the avocado?

Do you drink OP? I have piled on 6 stone over the last few years, partly because I haven’t been physically active due to injury but mainly from excessive alcohol ( we’re talking 2 bottles of wine most days plus sometimes spirits). I quit nearly 6 weeks ago & I lost a stone in a month! Hoping to lose more without really trying but I’ve noticed since I stopped drinking, I crave sweet stuff more so I need to watch that.

You'll get lots of people saying it doesn't work because when they follow it and eat healthy food they lose weight, then when they go back to eating lots of crap they gain weight again - and think the fact that it works when they follow it is proof that it doesn't work 🙄 🤣

They encourage lots of fruit, veg, protein and high fibre foods, and discourage oils, butter, alcohol, white bread and highly processed foods.

It's not a "diet" that you "go on" for a short period - it's a new lifestyle that you can (and should) continue long term.

It's not a magic bullet that gives you special powers to eat loads of crap and stay slim. There's no such magic bullet.

I think it’s ridiculous that they try to make more money off people struggling to eat healthily by selling sweets (low calorie cereal bar nonsense) at their meetings.

Thank you for replying. It's really interesting though as I personally haven't seen that anyone at SW promotes or goes out of their way to promote mullerlights or mug shots (for example). I've never seen that in the literature or for it from a slimming club leader. Sure these things might be a free food but so is a punnet of strawberries. I just think that people find loopholes and run with it but that's not Slimming World as a company. I am not judging as I'm exactly the same. I drink a lot of wine and if I see one article saying that wine may have health benefits I will be all over it, ignoring all those that say that alcohol is bad. It's just the way we manipulate the rules.

i cant speak for anyone thats ever been on SW but i have never been told to eat monster foods to excess.

Scientifically proven to give most people eating disorders..
People leave.. go back.. leave.. like yo yo 's.
Some call it a cult.
Money making.

I do drink sadly- I do think that's a massive part of my weight gain. Both my partner and I are keen to quit so I think we are going to both cut alcohol out completely.

Slimming World don't say a mashed banana has more calories, just more syns. The reason being chewing a banana will leave you more satisfied than having a mashed banana. It's nothing to do with the calorie content.

From experience, I can tell you that diets do work, but you have to broadly stick to their rules after you've lost the weight, otherwise you'll pile it back in and more. Having said that, I found slimming world good for the old will power. I know there's no judgement at weigh in, but being weighed in by someone else, who would know I'd been sticking to plan or stuffing my face that week would make me think twice before eating what I shouldn't. I whacked a load back on during the covid lockdowns, and I've found that eating whatever you like, but only small portions works well for me. And step away from the booze.

All it proves is most people who try to lose weight can't make lifelong changes ... Doesn't matter what programme you follow. 🤷‍♀️

But what are ‘syns?’, who works them out? What qualifications do these people have?

And yes, I would ask the same questions of a PT.

I’ve done it a number of times and although I did well on it, I got fed up of it after 4 months or so.

when I did it 10 years ago, it was unlimited food of certain things like lean meat, pasta, rice, potatoes, some yogurts etc.

rest of the stuff were syned. So they recommend 10 a day to lose weight.

you can’t have bread and cereal in the same day, unless you syn one of them which used up a significant amount of the syns.

i do weight watchers as I find it easier and less restrictive on what to eat.

I think it depends on the group leader. I used to go to a group with a fantastic leader and got within a few pounds of my target weight, then I moved house and tried a different group and the leader was a condescending cow so I never went back.

The issue with Slimming World is that there is no portion control.

@LutonBeds A syn is basically 20 calories. You get a 10-15 syn allowance per day for anything you fancy - sauces/crisps/wine.

I did really well on SW and kept it off for years. Fab, can recommend, it’s not unhealthy if you adopt the idea of cooking meat/fish and veg into nice meals. Avoid the shite ready meals and fakeaways

It's mostly calories in less nutrient dense foods.
20 cals = 1 Syn

But also a "points" system for things like miller lights, because people were idiots eating 6+ a day as snacks and wondering why they weren't losing weight because they were "free". Completely ignoring the whole eat when you're hungry and to your appetite and have "speed" foods etc.

SW fails because people make up rules a lot (which is sometimes the leaders!) things like... People will say "you can't have avocado" (not true) or do weird shit like make "cakes" out of eggs and hot chocolate powder... Rather than just have a small slice of normal cake and top it up with raspberries or something if they're still feeling peckish or whatever.

Agree with this. You have to be very careful to get a third veg/salad on your plate BEFORE you start piling on the “free” pasta/Meat.

I lost 7 stone on it a while ago. Didn’t eat the muller yogs just stuck to fruit/meat/veg/low fat dairy and cooked everything from fresh (was a revelation how many cooking sauces we were relying on)

It took 18 months so be prepared for the long haul and I read brain over binge which helped massively

Ive had to switch to low carb/high fat now as I’ve been diagnosed with diabetes - I find that less restrictive ironically and I carb count using nutricheck. I don’t regret my SW experience

I am on it now. It’s basically a diet that encourages healthy eating via cooking things from fresh and lots of fruit and veg. It’s a plan that encourages you to have a calorie deficit. I know to lose weight I need to eat less and eat healthier. But will power is not enough for me.

the plan plays out the healthy from the bad. Gives you an idea of treats in a syn value do you moderate them. It helps you stop binging. Also to use less jars and processed food.

I don’t stay for the meetings but rather a Shame weigh in and routine as I know I wouldn’t stick to it otherwise. It’s also good I don’t need to weigh anything. But I am also sensible to know eating 5 bowls of pasta and 10 bananas a day I will not lose weight.

years ago I lost lots of weight and used it as a guide when I hit target. A rather stressful year or so and I put 3 stones. Back to it

Aye, I’m in the FB group ‘Slimming Hurled’, there are some very…..imaginative creations on there at times.

The thing that works best for me personally is low carb but unfortunately, my migraines are now so horrific when on that, that I’ll just have to stay fat 😫.

Exactly this.

I found it so much easier to lose and maintain when I stopped with the cheat foods and trying to bend the rules.

I attended every week to be weighed, and diligently followed the plan. I didn't always stay afterwards, and lost two and a half stone in four months.

I'm on it. Menopause weight I've been struggling with for a year really ramped up before Christmas. I'm doing really well, losing one or two pounds each week. Don't eat any weird stuff, certainly no muller lights. Have a fair bit of quark and fruit, or fat free Greek yoghurt and fruit in my diet, but really it's lean meat, vegetables and the odd potato for me that works. It's very healthy. Staying to the meetings is really important to me and having the weekly weigh in keeps me sticking to it because I know if I'm paying I want to have made the week a good one