Does Slimming World work?

SW can work for some people. It worked for my stepdaughter - in the last 3 years she's lost another person's weight, approx what her very slim sister-in-law weighed to start with! So, she's effectively halved her weight. However she tried to explain it to me and I couldn't get my head around it. It was the companionship, a group of new friends that she wouldn't have met otherwise, the mutual support, which helped at a difficult time of her life - redundancy/marriage breakdown.

From my background in behavioural sciences, and what I've seen/heard/read, I really do think that a lot of the problem is in our heads. By that I mean, way back in the past someone encouraged us to regard 'food and wine', as you say, as a 'treat'. There are always going to be difficulties in life. No one ever said it was going to be a rose garden from start to finish. Did you by chance see 'Big Body Squad' recently where there was a man who dated all his weight gain from his father's death 10 years earlier? And yet that's the kind of thing, death of parents, that we can all expect to happen to all of us! Is it a reason for eating your way into an early grave, doubling or tripling your weight?

Some people can eat even when they're not hungry. They 'have to' eat all that's on their plate even when their physiology tells them they've eaten enough. They've managed to - somehow - over-ride normal biology. Again, this may be learned behaviour - they were told long ago to 'eat it all up'.

I'm lucky. When I'm full, I'm full. I stop. That's it. I don't eat according to time of day/happy/unhappy/to please other people/as a treat (well, rarely). I'm also as active as I can be - aqua-aerobics a couple of times a week, pottering in and out of the garden, don't sit still for too long. I shouldn't have a problem, but I still find weight creeps on when I don't want it to.

It was many years ago when I joined SW but I lost 3 stone over 3 months and I felt fabulous. I did find it difficult but I did not cheat. I kept the weight off for many years, it was deaths and divorce that started the weight gain. I have been thinking about the 5.2 plan as it seems to work for many. I cannot exercise at present which is a problem.

I think most of the diets work SW WW Rosemary Conley have tried all three.|I lost weight on all of them, it is after you have lost the weight is the biggest problem.

charley I do SW and have never been hungry unlike Weight Watchers.
Slimming World is slightly different now if you have not been for a few years, its not just orginal and green days. They started a new plan a couple of years ago which is a mixture of red and green and is called extra easy, you can mix your meat and pasta, rice, potato in the same meal, unlike the old days... as it said its extra easy and everyone has fantastic results with it, but no I have never been hungry.

It is many years since I joined SW but I lost 3 stone in 3 months and felt and looked fabulous. The only problem was that I was starving the entire time. I kept the weight off for many years but since a messy divorce it has crept on again.

Oops! Think my scales went a bit wrong. Only 500 lost in my first week!

Slimming worls worked wonders for me but there again I had my son;s wedding as a focus after that stopped going and of course weight went back on.................so back I went and found it more difficult 2nd time round as no motivation but love the company and to be fair they are all in the same boat.....the extra easy plan allows you to mix protein and carbs...........but really eat less excersise more is the key just need to do it.................today for example work as a volunteer in a coffeee shop very slow............take my own low fat snacks but surrounded by tea cakes, butter, cakes, toast.....................and on my own bored..........at home would have got up and dustered or done something to take my mind off food...............

Any form of diet will work, but only if you are ready to loose the weight.

Good luck with it

Another 700 grams off this morning- and I had tons to eat yesterday!
I did notice when I did this before, that if you don't eat enough, you lose less.

I tried SW about 4 years ago, followed the plan ( can't remember which one I chose) Lost nothing.
Then 2 and a half years ago went on WW as my DH had done several years ago before I met him. He just explained how it worked, had all the info/ books. I was quite sceptical at first, but each day saw a significant loss and was amazed that it worked.
I lost 17 pounds in less than a year BUT gradually gained back about 7 of them, partly because of several holidays, and more wine than self control!!

So last Saturday, I bit the bullet, started again, lost 100 grams first day, but the last 2 days lost 200 grams each day.
500 grams in 4 days! Hopefully another 200 tomorrow morning. I intend to do a week of WW now each month and see how it goes.

Some research at Birmingham University said that the only plan which works is WW. Never tried any of them so can't comment.

I like www.myfitnesspal.com as you learn exactly what the calories you are eating are, including how much fat, protien, carbs, cholestrol etc. which should train us to eat helthily in future.

DH is currently cooking from the Hairy Dieters' Cook Book and loves it as it used the ingredients we tend to have around. He has lost weight combining the two but I am having a real struggle because I have no thyroid gland and cannot stand for long let alone take any exercise.

Joined SW 3 years ago and lost 2 st 4lbs. Was thrilled to bits and didn't find it difficult once I got into it. Also had a lovely group leader wth a great personality which helped a lot. After a few holidays and sloppy eating the weight came back gradually and I went back. Found it very difficult to lose any weight at all, even though I knew how the plans worked inside out. So tried WW and also had difficulty losing any weight. Gave up after a few weeks. Have now started the 5:2 eating plan. It doesn't cost any money to join and so far (about 3 weeks) have been very pleased with the results. Have also taken up walking 3 miles a day (also free).

I love SW lost 4 1/2 stone and feel great

I got on well with SW and have lost 2 stones and kept it off for 2 years on the Extra Easy Plan, which is very straight forward to follow. I think I succeeded because it features the kind of foods I like to eat - loads of fruit, veg and carbs such as spuds, pasta and rice. It is an extremely low fat diet, so you do need to eat lots of fresh veg and so on to fill up. It is a versatile diet and easy to adapt for others.

When it comes to maintaining the weight loss, my only real criticism is that SW doesn't teach you about portion control, the mantra being to eat until your hunger is satisfied. I think if I'd been able to do that, I wouldn't have put the weight on in the first place!

i lost a couple of stone at slimming world but gave up AGAIN

Rosemary Conley classes are good as they include a 45 minute exercise class. My GP recommended that I lose weight to help lower my BP, so far have lost 10lbs. I find just the idea of being weighed every week keeps me on track.

i am a member of a dietitian team,its better to leave it with the professionals

i am a member of slimmimg world.....i have lost my first stone,,,i got mixed up with red days and green,,,but just eat lots of fruit and veg..real food and cut down on some food portiones....no cake, its fattening,,,maybe a low fat buiscuit,,,no chocolate only 1 square,,,,,it does work but excersising helps enormously...i like swimming,,,my daughter has just joined too and she has lost 4 1/2 lbs in first week..she enjoys running,,,,if you dont like those things,,,then put your music on and dance around the house,,,,cut the lawn more often its all excersise....buy yourself a salad recipe book they dont have to be boring,,,,happy slimmimg,

Forgot to mention that I did not go to meetings, joined online but after a couple of months just went my own way

Bit late but Yes SW definitely works and on easy plan it is not complicated. I lost a stone with no trouble . I also took up swimming

I have tried SW and WW, but calorie counting works better for me.
The concept of eat as much as you like form SW needed to be teste, so I actually gained weight,I think the plan works better if you have a lot of weight to lose
WW I found too fiddle and if I am constantly thinking of food I want to eat it,I just stick to a little of what you fancy,altered my meal times,and dish mine up on a small plate/bowl,I like plates with interesting shapes,which aoutomatically make food look more pleasing.....but savoury foods are my downfall I love crisps,and I am trying to not drink wine which is really making me bloated when I have it ,and haven't been able to eat bread for over 10 years,try not to overdo the carbs either,and not a big meat eater....could do with losing some weight ,but go by my waistbands on my clothes as I don't weigh myself anymore,I just have small portions of everything....good luck I wish I was taller,I don't think we get fatter as we get older.we shrink so we look compressed which causes the spare tyre and back fat

I have tried Slimming World and Weight Watchers in the past. I have also been a vegetarian for the past 18 years, and found SW provided the most varied and satisfying regime. It is possible to avoid ever feeling hungry on this diet, although you may die of boredom! As we grow older, it is more difficult to keep the lost pounds off, and to be honest I feel a little resentful: "Why not enjoy that cake, you deserve it" says a little imp at the back of my mind. I have done well recently: because I had a viral "cold", I lost my sense of smell and taste and as a consequence ate less, and had no sugar or sweet food. Now recovered, I am determined to keep off the half-a-stone I lost, and lose a little more too if I can stick to it. I met a friend's sister on the beach recently, who had lost 4 stones just by eating sensibly and taking more exercise. So it is possible, but like everything it takes will power!

I did SW and even now both me and Mr Phoenix (who never did it) still use some of the SW recipes and other bits!

I'm too resistant to rules (ex husband was a control freak in the extreme) to follow any diet plan to the letter, but my own version of SW worked, and continues to do so.

Little things, like mashing potato or swede with stock instead of butter, dry frying lean mince then draining any fat off before continuing with your shepherds pie, chilli, spag bol etc. However if I fancy a treat, be it a pasty, cream cake or whatever, I damn well have it!

I haven't been to a class in over a year, but have still managed to more or less maintain the stone and a half that I lost. (Could still do with losing another half stone or so, but ho hum)

Thanks [susiecb] and [shysal] the doctor sent me to ww for high blood pressure and it is quite a drive away. I like the sound of Slimming World which is walking distance but would have to pay myself. Cost petrol may = fee so will enquire. I put the weight on living in small bedsit 9 years had to be either in or out, I was mostly out. But now in even smaller bungalow but with back and front door to outside. I lost stone and half moving in but so content have put back on again nearly...but also very cold winter here on north side of hill.

I have very small hips and rear but weight on bust and midriff so not sure bike would help. (plus my hips and joints painful) I walk a lot, one can't park anywhere near places here, long walk school and back, given up all committees last week following move and planning swimming more etc. and now the weather improved gardening etc.

I was eating all the right things for ww except their own products which are expensive and ugh. just had to cut milk and butter to min. and I was there. Thanks again for info very helpful.

If you can add in exercise to the mix then reduction in calorie consumption will work well.
like grumpyoldwoman I also successfully lost weight with the now defunct Slimming Club and ran a group for a couple of years so I know all the answers on how to be a healthy weight and maintain it. Have not kept to the rules though and have at least a stone to lose to be considered healthy (not even slim!!) or else I could grow four inches
I think some people are helped by the 'group' and going to a weekly session keeps them on the straight & narrow!!! I eat healthy food (but too much of it) and my exercise regime is non-existent! I like to have a drink 'socially' but rarely on our own at home.
Check portion size..people are often shocked when they see what 2oz of meat /cheese/ butter etc looks like.