Constantly have slimming world in the back of my mind....

alisonvjohnston

Hi all! Just after some advice/reassurance really! This is the first time I've properly tried calorie counting, has been going well so far but I can't help but think back to my days at slimming world and noticing that I am eating so many 'syns' and thinking how will I possibly lose weight? But so long as what I am eating falls within my calorie allowance it should work right? Have lost about 9Lb in just over 4 weeks (which I am delighted with) although scales have went up last few days and I'm hoping its just bloating but starting to doubt myself a bit!

janejellyroll

"Syns" is just a Slimming World thing, there is no connection between avoiding them and losing weight. When Slimming World works for people, it's because it allows them to create a calorie deficit. You're doing the same thing with calorie counting -- just more directly. You're cutting out the middleman and focusing on what actually creates weight loss.

That said, even when you do everything perfectly, weight loss won't be linear. There will be times when you go up a bit. Things like hydration, activity, hormones, the food in your body can all contribute to temporary weight gain. As long as your trend is headed in the right direction overall, I wouldn't worry about it.

alisonvjohnston

Thank you so much, you couldn't have explained this any more clearly, brill thanks!

MegaMooseEsq

Nine pounds over four weeks is a great start - I lost almost the same when I started back in January, although the loss definitely backed off after that. Lots of people get a big drop of water weight at the beginning. Don't stress out about day to day fluctuations. If you eat fewer calories than you use, you will lose weight. If after a few weeks you aren't noticing a downward trend, than you may not be counting accurately and you probably need to reduce your intake. That's totally normal.

dizzieblondeuk

I'm going to SW, simply because the accountability of a weekly weigh in is worth the fee! The diet plan, though, is desperately flawed, when you look at it compared to basic calorie counting. I sat in the meeting this week, and a poor guy had a 1lb gain despite, in his words, eating all the right foods and doing what the plan told him to. It was discovered he'd been eating tonnes of 'free' fruit to fill himself up, and no one in the room even dared to mention that this might have contributed to the gain! As I'm new to group, I felt it necessary to not say anything, for now - but I suspect I won't be able to hold my tongue if they spout too much of that claptrap again!

I do get that, in terms of initially reversing terrible eating habits, and getting people eating far more whole foods, SW is pretty damn good, but I suspect the real winners of major weight loss essentially stop following the diet plan, and simply adapt their reduced calorie habits and find a way of eating at a deficit to meet any weight loss needs. As you can tell, I'm never going to be a 'true believer', and I don't agree a) with called anything a 'Syn' (no matter what they tell you it means) and b) that the initial weight loss is great on the plan, but any sustained weight loss, especially down to any goal weight, is far more in line with calorie deficit than their plan, in reality.

For me, I'm using MFP to track my intake, and using SW as a weigh-in resource, and as a group of people who have a similar goal of losing weight. They're nice people, some have really impressive weight losses, but I'm struck by just how restrictive their lives have been - over a seriously sustained period of time - because they are fighting to meet the needs of the SW diet around a normal life. I'm sticking with the meetings, because they are my sole point of real-life accountability to losing weight week on week, but the diet plan is not one I'm that invested in (Weight Watchers is worse from an organisation point of view - just because their meetings seem to be end-to-end product promotion, and that's even worse!).

newheavensearth

I feel the same way about Weight Watchers sometimes. Although I log, weigh, measure, and lose reliably counting calories, I still feel an attachment to it. Maybe because I've been doing it so long, and WW has so many gizmos, gadgets, and literature as part of the program- tools they call it. This MFP app has taught me a lot about my eating and exercise habits, and is pretty cool, too. I'm just a gizmo geek. I haven't been to a meeting in a while thanks to several horrible experiences with staff, so it's not that.

I know either plan if followed will produce weight loss due to calorie deficit. It's a matter of what works for me long term. Same for you, OP. You are doing well. The scale will fluctuate regardless of plan. Hang in there.

canarysal

When will people realise its all about calories and stop paying for lists of syns and points?! Group support if you need it ok but otherwise not for me .... when I did WW in the past never stayed for the meetings just had the weigh in shame!!

theledger5

I was a yoyo SW member for over a decade! Lost and put on, lost and put on etc etc. I hated the shame of the gain, now I know how normal that is due to fluctuations. I was never in control of my eating and fell into the 'free' food trap hence hovered at the same weight for ages. Only since doing MFP have I learned what my body needs to maintain and lose and educate myself on proper eating habits whilst still being able to indulge in a treat when I feel like it. NEVER again will I fall into the SW trap again: their whole business model relies on you failing!

purplepenguin888

I'm so glad I read this thread. I've been doing sw for years, lost nearly 6 stone, got cocky and put nearly three back on. At 36 I've now decided that it's more important to focus on exercise and calorie counting, something I'm pretty new at. I plan to go to group for the weigh in until I've found my feet with this. The accountability of a weekly weigh in works for me. Anyway I'm pretty new to this so if you fancy becoming friends or sharing some advice I'd be grateful.