771 upvotes, 15 direct replies (showing 15)
View submission: Does Slimming World make sense?
It doesn’t make sense because it treats food in overly simplistic categories like “free” and “syns,” which ignores actual nutritional value. Eating unlimited pasta and potatoes while demonizing something like avocado or olive oil? That’s bizarre. Plus, it doesn’t really teach portion control or sustainable habits—just following rules instead of understanding food.
Comment by Historical_Spare_945 at 26/01/2025 at 22:03 UTC
257 upvotes, 9 direct replies
The whole messaging of "fill your boots with as much pasta as you can eat" (back away from that avocado though) is so dysfunctional.
Comment by Have_Other_Accounts at 27/01/2025 at 00:04 UTC
80 upvotes, 3 direct replies
Yup, I was eating out with someone who was a part of slimming world. They switched their avocado for extra toast because "fats are unhealthy". Switching a healthy nutrient-filled food for empty carbs because of a common lie.
That summed up slimming world for me.
Comment by blozzerg at 26/01/2025 at 22:50 UTC
47 upvotes, 5 direct replies
My understanding of weight loss is that it needs to be a permanent lifestyle change, unless you commit to weight watchers forever, you’re not doing yourself any favours whatsoever.
Why restrict yourself to their meals and their rules regarding foods, when you can learn about calories, nutrition, portion control, exercise etc and use that as the basis for your diet forever. You can convince yourself unlimited pasta is fine, or you can learn what a normal portion of pasta is, how to make a healthy variation of the classics such as adding lentils to bulk the meat out and make it more filling, not putting as much cheese in, omitting the cream, adding flavour with herbs and spices, having one piece of garlic bread instead of a full baguette etc. This can be done slowly so you make small changes, giving you time to get used to them instead of swapping your whole routine for something less fun all at once. If you go from large plates and lots of snacks to smaller plates with no snacks, you’re going to struggle. It’s easier for someone to slowly cut the snacks down, slowly serve smaller and smaller portions, slowly get used to drinking more water etc.
Comment by Steeeeeveeeve at 26/01/2025 at 23:45 UTC
17 upvotes, 3 direct replies
I don't agree with this. My wife has been doing SW for years, had a couple of breaks for child birth but has successfully returned to target afterwards. Mindset is a huge thing and simplifying the ability to recognise what foods are free vs syned makes the choices made easier. We know a lot about nutrition in our household (having a diabetic son sees to that) She also follows the SW community. And you are correct regarding portion control and the individuals that succeed appear to be the ones that are a little more mindful of portion size on top of the guidance of free vs syned. I personally do not follow slimming word but have in the past taken the 1/20 rule for syns (calories divide by 20 = rough syn value) the proper way to calculate actually takes into account the nutritional values of food too. Going on a diet isn't just about the food, it's a change of mindset. Anyone just following a diet for short term gain... Are just going to put the weight back on. I believe that slimming world helps with that mindset change.. Target members also get free membership as long as they stay in target range. I don't have the correct mindset for it (and my waistline will attest to that) but I just wanted to highlight, if you want it to work.. And have the perseverance to make it actually work, it works
Comment by Vuldezad at 27/01/2025 at 00:51 UTC
17 upvotes, 1 direct replies
They don't make money if people don't feel the *need* to attend; they cycle diets so you *feel* like you are making progress, but they want that progression to be as slow as possible...that's why they keep the rules ambiguous.
The truth is people are desperate for a quick fix; they offer anything but the inconvenient truth that it consistency & time to see progress.
Comment by Boof_Diddy at 27/01/2025 at 06:37 UTC
7 upvotes, 0 direct replies
You don’t make money from people sticking to diets though
Comment by Individual_Bat_378 at 27/01/2025 at 09:43 UTC
6 upvotes, 2 direct replies
Don't forget that a whole banana is free but if you mash it then it becomes syns!
Comment by InquisitorVawn at 27/01/2025 at 10:57 UTC
5 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Slimming World is an eating disorder with extra steps. The whole "free" vs "syns" thing pisses me off immeasurably, and like you say it doesn't teach portion control or sustainable habits.
There's also the fact that a branded food might be "free" while the company has a partnership with SW, then once that partnership is over it magically has "syns"? I believe Mueller is the big one people point to for that one.
The way that people will do water fasts or other disordered behaviour on the eve of a meeting is also terrible as well. The fear around being shamed at weigh-in is mindblowing. That's not good for anyone.
Comment by Buddy-Matt at 27/01/2025 at 09:03 UTC
5 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I may be a cynical bastard, but I believe the focus on rules over understanding is due to the fact that one leads to bounce backs and repeat members. The other doesn't.
Any slimming club that's actually effective is its own worst enemy, after all.
Comment by SeanyWestside_ at 27/01/2025 at 13:31 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
I agree to a point, and their cult-like mentality is just bizarre to me, but I think it's beneficial for some people who don't really understand nutrition and struggle to lose weight. Carbs fill you up so you're less likely to go over your calories, I guess? It definitely doesn't work for everyone who take the "free" foods too literally.
Personally, when I've wanted to lose weight, I've been very successful using MyFitnessPal to track my calorie intake, and I try to limit my carbs and increase my protein, so I'll have some carbs to fill me up, and protein to help me feel fuller for longer. Was losing 1-2lb a week doing this. I've put it back on since, but still. It would also allow me to indulge in things I fancied if I had enough calories leftover. I tried to end the day with about 200-300 calories left of my allowance, which wasn't too hard because I'm a big guy (tall and chunky) so my calorie allowance is very generous.
Comment by MissingBothCufflinks at 27/01/2025 at 08:21 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
To be fair "just following rules" is the basis of almost every successful lifestyle intervention and habit building process, albeit normally the rules are understood and set by the person applying them.
Comment by Ancient_phallus_ at 27/01/2025 at 13:09 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
It does say that your plate should be a 1/3 super foods which is veggies. A lot of people overlook this part
Comment by McDeathUK at 27/01/2025 at 23:54 UTC
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
You are looking it it from a simplistic outlook, it encourages 1/3rd of the plate to be superfood (salad and fruit) whilst giving a clearer understanding of syn‘d food that is just useless calories.
Comment by Rude-Artichoke442 at 27/01/2025 at 11:46 UTC
0 upvotes, 0 direct replies
"Free" is nearly every vegetable and fruit you can imagine. Anything unprocessed and non calorie dense is usually free (Steaks, Chicken Fillets, Vegetables, Fruits, Rice and yes, believe it or not pasta and potatoes). ''Syns'' misleads us to think they are bad, but in reality they are calorie dense foods or Synergies!. Key to this is that you can eat Syns... just not an unlimited amount. You get an allowance. You can have avocado oil and olive oil too. (I do : ) ) I'm a 58 year old male. I lost 35 pounds in 6 months. I followed the rules while understanding food. Those rules include making sure a third of each meal was a Speed food (which are all very healthy and nutritionally valid vegetables) I was encouraged to exercise which made me reignite my old kung fu training for 1 hour a day and doing 10k steps a day on top. I eat oats and fruit and yogurt and rice and meat and vegetables and sourdough and nuts and all the good stuff. Granted, crisps and chocolate and ice cream are once a week things now I have hit my target and beer is just a few a week, but I wanted to lose weight. A kilo of cooked pasta is something like 1,400 calories, say 2 store bought sandwiches with mayo. But you are probably not going to eat more than 250g of pasta a day, even if you are me! I hope that helps make sense of it. I attend a class in London UK. Full of positive people and a lot of them are losing weight. It isn't for everyone. My mate on the coast has just been counting calories and that worked for him, but actually our 'diets' are very similar, just i seem to have a lot more fibre in mine from all the fruit and vegetables.
Comment by Rude-Artichoke442 at 27/01/2025 at 07:33 UTC
-1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Not at all. Syns are limited not forbidden. They limit calorie dense foods, but as a 58 year old male, I can tuck into walnuts, avocado oil, sourdough bread and still have a bit of room on my Syn allowance. Think Synergy not Sin. Yes, you can have as much 'Free rice, vegetables and lean meat as you want.... because to get overweight that definitely was not the route you took. What you cannot do is eat whatever you like.... it wouldn't work then would it?! :) It is very unlikely you will eat so much free food that you gain weight, almost impossible I would say. Especially if you actually read the guidelines and eat 30% healthy vegetables with each meal. Sure, you cannot drink a pint of olive oil, but you want to lose weight right? Why not have a tablespoon of it on your favourite salad,with some salmon or ham, or tuck into a beef chilli with rice and finish with some low fat yogurt and fruit and a coffee? Have fun.