Slimming World doesn't work for me

Lots of rubbish about SW on this post! Your portions are too big ... You can't snack between meals! You do what you like. Speak to your consultant. If your metabolism is sluggish. Do some exercises: spin class, Pilates whatever.

Your food portions are too big in SW by the sound of it. Sorry to say

I lost 4 stones on SW for my son's wedding. I was amazed that I stuck to it but it does work, it is an exact science though, for example fruit is free but if you cook it isn't because it is easier to digest. I tended to live on M & S meals for one, I made a list of the syns value and shopped according to that.
Have to mention the amazing dessert I often had which was strawberries, a crushed meringue nest (2 syns) and fromage frais or half fat creme fraiche with a bit of blue agave syrup mixed in 😋

A year ago my routine bloods returned a reading for pre-diabetes. I had a call from my GP asking if I would be interested in attending a course on how to avoid becoming diabetic. It's a national undertaking, so should be courses everywhere.
I was dubious to begin with as I have always been overweight with a sweet tooth but the thought of diabetes looming made me go. What an eye-opener. A 13 session course over 8 months taught me so much. One year on and my bloods are normal, I am almost 2 stone lighter and my arthritic knees are feeling the benefit.
It isn't a diet but an eating plan and the people going are all in the same boat. Good luck.

SW works if you follow the plan.
In fact any diet should work if you just follow the rules.
SW has changed no sitting around clapping individuals, more of a group talking and everyone joining in.

A few years ago I joined SW…….it was quite an eye opener to watch people yet weighed who admitted they hadn’t eaten or drank all day only to t(en stuff themselves with snacks during the insanely boring round robin when everyone’s progresse was announced for everyone to clap 🤷‍♀️🤣

I think the first thing we need to do is not look on food as the enemy and to regard the word diet as the fuel we need to keep ourselves alive and to make that fuel as healthy as possible. But also to make it enjoyable so we look forward to meals. I spent most of my life either trying to starve myself or binge eating. I wish I could turn the clock back and have a life in which I had a healthy relationship with food. I do think our hormones (when we had them) played a huge part because I eventually realised that there was a pattern to me craving sweet food or carbohydrates.

I lost a stone after a year with SW and remained steady since so called in my target after 8 months of remaining thd same as I was very stressed . Now I do t ist as long as I stay with 3 lbs los of gain snd am feeling much less stressed as thd heavy weight I felt had gone.
I do need to lose more but have maintained thd 16 lbs loss.
SW has helped me have a better relationship with food bit I don’t really follow the plan. I cook everything from scratch, eat sensibly no takeaways or processed microwave food and watch portion size.
Keep on keeping on and good luck

Think up a diet that you would really enjoy, One that would satisfy you, is healthy and you would be happy to eat for the rest of your life, then gradually reduce the portion sizes until you start losing weight

The one necessity is to stop eating between meals, no snacking, Again, phase these out over a month or two so you gradually eat smaller snacks then fewer.

also need to get out and get some exercise every day. We need to get outside for the benefits of our Vitamin D requirements and the effects of fresh air on mood. Walking is the best exercise out and costs nothing other than a pair of comfortable shoes to walk in. Other exercise that is easy on older bodies not used to exercise are swimming and Tai Chi.

If you hope to lose weight you have got to really want to. You have also got to take on board that if your current eating patterns are damaging your health then the only way forward is changing them - and changing them for life.

The best way to fail is to keep longing to go back to the eating pattern that led to the weight gain in the first place.

Strange thing yesterday was that when I went to the doctors to discuss my cholesterol test I parked opposite the surgery in the car park of a community hall that patients are allowed to park at and it was full of cars as there was a slimming world meeting going on. I then drove to a nearby village to shop at the Coop and, in the car park there was a poster for Slimming World. I hadn’t realised how popular it was. Must warn anyone eating chia puddings that it does have rather a laxative effect, at least it does with me! What was good today was that the nurse I saw was interested in the changes I’d made to my diet; quite often nurses and doctors don’t seem to take a whole body approach.

Slimming World can work fine if you follow the ‘food optimising ‘ suggestions and weigh and measure what you eat and drink.I have experienced several SW consultants and have never heard anyone being accused of cheating. It only ‘stops working’ if you don’t follow it. Although you CAN have unlimited amounts of some carbohydrates (rice, pasta, potatoes, couscous) it’s best not to over do them. You are also encouraged to include in your meals plenty of ‘free foods’ which include some proteins, fruits and vegetables.
No system is suitable for everyone but as long as I buy and cook the right foods I can lose with SW. It works for me since I realised that losing weight wasn’t about how I looked and going down dress sizes but improving my health including my blood pressure, heart health and arthritis,

MayBee70

I'll try the chia pudding. I need a high fibre diet due to constipation. I used to graze all day on biscuits, chocolate, crisps etc, my cholesterol readings were quite a wake up call for me. I just hope I've done the trick and it's not familial, if it is I believe, from what I have read, a better diet doesn't help much.

‘Second Nature’. It’s an app. It costs me £10 a week 😬 but it’s working. Obese in May 2025, I’m now 3pounds off being ‘healthy weight’. No calorie counting, nothing’s banned. Comes with a recipe book with some of the key SN approaches as reminders between chapters. It’s retraining for a healthier lifestyle, daily tutorials on everything from healthy plate, to intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation, through to why weight plateaus for a while despite efforts. Direct Support from a coach and the other members of your coach’s group. Online Toolbox of recipes, exercises and more. Approved by NHS. Also tips to help with social occasions or being away from your own kitchen. You can go to the web-site for more info. Last time I visited the web-site was a while ago, because it’s the app I use daily, they were pushing their ‘injection’ using programmes rather prominently. You may have to search for the non-injection programme. I highly recommend SN, although I’m thinking I might bow out when I reach ‘healthy’ weight and spend £40 a month on a personal trainer instead … I could not imagine me saying that 16 months ago!

srn63

I have changed my diet drastically because my cholesterol was very high and statins don't agree with me. Almost all food is cooked from scratch, thanks to my lovely husband. I gave up all forms of chocolate, all bought biscuits, cakes, desserts, all crisps, as many UPF's as possible, most alcohol and fizzy drinks. Snacks are nuts, natural yogurt and stuff that I can find that are low UPF ( you can get apps that check bar codes for this). I found it really difficult at first but now I love it. I think my diet is very much like a war time diet. I have lost about 17 lbs in a year, which I didn't notice until I started trying on my summer clothes and so many fit me that didn't before. I've not had my blood checked yet but am hoping for a good result, fingers crossed

I’ve had 2 packets of crisps since the doctor wanted to put me on statins last year. I often used to have a packet with my lunch. What annoys me is that he didn’t discuss diet or anything..he just wanted to put me on statins straight away. I’d been reading about chia pudding for years without trying it. I mix chia with flax ground almonds oats yoghurt maple syrup cocoa and add cooked fruit, apples blueberries and strawberries. I’m sure that’s what’s bringing my weight down.

Many friends have successfully lost three or four stone with Slimming World . I meet them buying their weekly meals in Iceland .
I tried it and it doesn't work for me .
I prefer the Hay Diet after it was recommended by me by some Royal Ballet graduates and my physiotherapist.
It certainly works for me .
Please Google it and see if it could work for you.

I have changed my diet drastically because my cholesterol was very high and statins don't agree with me. Almost all food is cooked from scratch, thanks to my lovely husband. I gave up all forms of chocolate, all bought biscuits, cakes, desserts, all crisps, as many UPF's as possible, most alcohol and fizzy drinks. Snacks are nuts, natural yogurt and stuff that I can find that are low UPF ( you can get apps that check bar codes for this). I found it really difficult at first but now I love it. I think my diet is very much like a war time diet. I have lost about 17 lbs in a year, which I didn't notice until I started trying on my summer clothes and so many fit me that didn't before. I've not had my blood checked yet but am hoping for a good result, fingers crossed

Thanks to everyone who have replied I really appreciate this . Thanks especially to MayBee70 and Ziggy62. I am going through several beravements and also sit around too much watching TV. I need to try things that are very simple and sustainable for the rest of my life. Slimmingworld helped a bit but stopped working six weeks ago. The consultants always try to make out you've been 'cheating' or not following it properly but I do. I need a change but the personal support has been very good. Shame that 'food optimising' has failed.

MayBee70

I’ve changed my diet because the doctor wants to put me on statins and I’ve realised that I’ve lost nearly a stone since last October. Doesn’t sound a lot but I’m not particularly overweight and I feel as though I’m probably eating more than I ever had done albeit without eating between meals or bingeing. Going to get the result of my latest cholesterol test this morning so it will be interesting to see if it’s helped. I’ve increased my protein intake but not gone completely low fat. And I have cake every day but it’s made with Benecol and full of nuts, fruit, flax seeds etc. Eating chia every day has flattened my stomach. I gave up on weight watchers years ago when some of the people, on finding that they hadn’t lost weight, were blaming the scales. I think being restricted in what you eat just makes you think about food all the time. I do try to fast for as long as possible, start the day with a glass of hot water and try to go as long as possible before I eat. Chia is supposed to curb your appetite. And I take some prebiotic inulin at night in some milk, it’s supposed to help you sleep and removes visceral fat. It did give me tummy ache when I first started taking it though so has to be introduced slowly. I do drink a lot more water than I used to and sip it throughout the day. All of my daughters friends are going through the menopause and they’re all struggling with their weight and I think we all spend our lives beyond middle age finding ourselves piling on the pounds.

Hello MayBee
You are on my wavelength. Thanks for sharing all your tips and experience. This really helps me. I will try some of your tips.

Well the nurse was very pleased with my cholesterol level. Says I could go onto statins if I wanted to because my bad cholesterol is still a bit high but the level has come down with the new diet regime. Chia isn’t a quick fix. It reduces your hunger and I think it’s the highest fibre food you can eat. I do take plant sterols too. Now, googling says that they don’t reduce your weight but they do stop a certain amount of fat and absorption and I’ve lost nearly a stone since I’ve been taking them. I know I sound a bit evangelical about it but I’vebeen on theneverendingdiet for @60 years and can’t believe how well I’m eating whilst losing weight, too. It’s so important to enjoy eating and look forward to meals, something I’ve never done before.

Mounjaro
Less carbs
Exercise

Less fat is the way to go as fat has more calories. When I lost weight with SW I filled up on lean protein - meat, fish, eggs and pulses with lots of vegetables, I still eat that way with few carbs.
Have you discussed your challenges with a GP? Maybe the injections would help, but only with medical guidance.

It sounds a bit like you're looking for a magic ingredient that will “fix” things. Like making cake with benecol or taking prebiotic insulin ( Ive no idea what that is) to remove fat. Or chia might work. Or cabbage. Or boiled eggs. ( diets from the past)

The equation is always calories in gave to be less that calories out if you want to lose weight.

Some people do have slow metabolisms and they have to eat fewer calories because their bodies need fewer calories. I nutrition terms they have to make every calorie count healthwise because they have fewer to waste on “treats”.

For me thinking ahead and preparation, including thoughtful shopping are key. Its when I grab things “ on the go” or cant be bothered😳 that I put on weight.

I lost weight with SW.
However for me the secret is much smaller portions! Less fat / sugar.
You can do it ! Good luck it is not easy I know that . Dont cut out the foods you love just eat MUCH less of the bad things at each meal and cook with fry light not fat. Load your plate vegetables and fish.

I’ve changed my diet because the doctor wants to put me on statins and I’ve realised that I’ve lost nearly a stone since last October. Doesn’t sound a lot but I’m not particularly overweight and I feel as though I’m probably eating more than I ever had done albeit without eating between meals or bingeing. Going to get the result of my latest cholesterol test this morning so it will be interesting to see if it’s helped. I’ve increased my protein intake but not gone completely low fat. And I have cake every day but it’s made with Benecol and full of nuts, fruit, flax seeds etc. Eating chia every day has flattened my stomach. I gave up on weight watchers years ago when some of the people, on finding that they hadn’t lost weight, were blaming the scales. I think being restricted in what you eat just makes you think about food all the time. I do try to fast for as long as possible, start the day with a glass of hot water and try to go as long as possible before I eat. Chia is supposed to curb your appetite. And I take some prebiotic inulin at night in some milk, it’s supposed to help you sleep and removes visceral fat. It did give me tummy ache when I first started taking it though so has to be introduced slowly. I do drink a lot more water than I used to and sip it throughout the day. All of my daughters friends are going through the menopause and they’re all struggling with their weight and I think we all spend our lives beyond middle age finding ourselves piling on the pounds.