Naturally Slim

melaniedscott
melaniedscott Posts: 1,455 Member
edited November 13 in Health and Weight Loss
So, my employer is rolling out some new benefit programs. One of them is Naturally Slim. The videos just sound hokey. Culty and makes my spine itch. I'm naturally suspicious. I've read some of the testimonials. They're positive. But something feels off. No one us naturally that perky. Looks chemically enhanced.

Anyone out there who has used or is using it? Thoughts?

Replies

  • melaniedscott
    melaniedscott Posts: 1,455 Member
    Just found a post on this from 3 years agon, added to in March, but still interested...
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    https://www.naturallyslim.com/ ? It sounds allright to me - all things in moderation, no foods are off limits, get enough sleep and build good relations - the same as MFP stands for, sans the calorie counting. I can't say I've detected any perk. But weight loss isn't something you should have to pay for - after all, you'll be eating less.
  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
    Just watched their promotional video- the music is super annoying haha!

    I mean it's all probably info you could find for free or just use common sense, but might be good for total newbies or people who've only done crash dieting before.

    It bothers me that they said "it's not about what you eat, but when and how you eat"... no, it's about how much you eat and what! At least in my experience.

    Any diet plan that doesn't include information on proper calories and macros just annoys me. But I can't tell from the video if the plan includes this or not- I'm guessing not since it looked more portions based. I find that irritating because if it's based off portions alone and standardized then it could be too little food for some and too much for others.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited December 2016
    courtneyfabulous wrote: »
    It bothers me that they said "it's not about what you eat, but when and how you eat"... no, it's about how much you eat and what! At least in my experience.
    Just wanted to comment on this; initially, I had the same reaction, but the overall impression wasn't of a cult, so I forgot about it before I wrote my "review".

    My experience has been that it in fact is correct. It depends on the framing, though. Weight management is about getting in (and expending) the right amount of calories. When you count calories, your focus is on getting in the right amount. But you can control your weight without focusing on calories. I have three "eating rules" (and one "master rule"), and when I stick to them, I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want, in whichever amounts I want. I'm maintaining a healthy weight, and I don't count calories (stopped doing that in July 2015):
    1. I eat real food.
    2. I eat proper meals.
    3. I wait until I'm hungry before I eat.

    And the master rule: I make exceptions, but not so often that they become the rule.
  • melaniedscott
    melaniedscott Posts: 1,455 Member
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    https://www.naturallyslim.com/ ? It sounds allright to me - all things in moderation, no foods are off limits, get enough sleep and build good relations - the same as MFP stands for, sans the calorie counting. I can't say I've detected any perk. But weight loss isn't something you should have to pay for - after all, you'll be eating less.

    Yes, and I agree...that's why I've never been in WW, Tops, Jenny Craig. I got myself here. I get myself out. And paying to tell me what I should know/can learn on my own feels wrong. Upside I won't be paying for it.
    courtneyfabulous wrote: »
    Just watched their promotional video- the music is super annoying haha!

    Yes! And the fakey sounding southern accent was grating (sorry if this offends...). I know/have known so many people from all over the south, including many Texans, her voice makes me want to run the other way.

    From what the rah-rah's have said, there is no calorie counting. Which makes me suspicious, having recently lost 30 lbs, specifically because I was...counting calories. I'd tried other ways and gotten nowhere. Some of which was focusing on improving quality and watching portions...which sounds familiar...

    I'll probably do it...but it doesn't mean I won't count here or that I have to like it.
  • plhartless
    plhartless Posts: 5 Member
    Is this thread dead? I've been "accepted" into my employer's plan and am interested in how it is going for anyone who might be on it. I am a solid CICO gal, and I've already lost 16 pounds since last fall. I have about 8 lbs left before I hit my goal weight. The reasons I joined "Naturally Slim" are twofold: 1) not only is it free, but I get a significant insurance premium discount if I complete it; and 2) I've had great success with weight loss, but like many people the challenge comes with maintenance once I step away from carefully logging of CICO, and I have read some reviews of Naturally Slim that have suggested it is a good maintenance program. Thoughts? Experiences? Please share!
  • melaniedscott
    melaniedscott Posts: 1,455 Member
    I'll be starting the program next Monday, also for insurance discount. Let's compare notes!
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,224 Member
    Haahaa please keep up the commentary!
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  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,224 Member
    Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »
    Lol.. they would of lost me at the videos... i dont even like customer service calls.. i dont want to hear someone elses voice.

    Same, I refuse to do videos. If I can't read it, I'm not interested.
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  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    Look_Its_Kriss wrote: »
    Lol.. they would of lost me at the videos... i dont even like customer service calls.. i dont want to hear someone elses voice.

    Same, I refuse to do videos. If I can't read it, I'm not interested.

    Ditto. I was on the VA's TeleMOVE program for a year and they read WAY too slowly. Fortunately, I could scroll ahead.
  • plhartless
    plhartless Posts: 5 Member
    edited February 2017
    I'm trying it too--@melaniedscott, I'm also at KU and doing it for the discount. So far I've been logging on MyFitnessPal as well. Before starting Nat Slim, I had already lost 18 lbs since the fall and have another 10 or so to be where I'd like to be. Before going back to straight calorie-counting, I tried variations on the fasting diet, but I didn't like not being able to eat more meals with family. But ultimately, fasting is about a calorie deficit too.

    SO: what I find interesting is that slow eating (which does work--and my family is cracking up that they are DONE with their meals at 5 mins!) and eating only at Level 3 has meant that, so far, no matter what I eat when I eat my meal, I am still at a calorie deficit! Well--for the three days I've really been following this. It took me a while to drag my *kitten* through those ENDLESS VIDEOS.

    The good thing about that is that I can imagine maintenance, following this plan, without counting. I cannot spend the rest of my life logging every d***ed thing I put into my mouth, but once I stop, I inevitably creep back up. So I am hopeful that this will give me a workable lifestyle change.

    Yeah, there are a lot of inconsistencies here (the bit about not mixing foods is an interesting psychological experiment at one level, but it ain't science. Plus how is a "loaded potato" a "single food"?). Still, the basic message, science, psychology, and practice--eat EXTREMELY slowly, for 20+ minutes, until comfortably full; don't eat until you're at "Level 3" hunger; and take MORE pleasure in your food--is straightforward and sustainable, don't you agree?

    But yeah, totally want to strangle the lady sometimes. And the guy is creepy. I'm not sure how they are going to make this last 10 weeks, but I guess they have to charge for something other than a pack of peanuts and a measuring tape!

    I will try to log back in to see what you think. I am not being terribly snarky about it here, but honestly that's only because I've worked out most of my snark with another friend who is doing this with me. :)
  • KevinEMoon
    KevinEMoon Posts: 2 Member
    Glad to find a few others here doing this. Those I talked to at work doing this are basically watching the videos and logging a weight to get the credit. I expect most will not lose much if anything. I have so far skipped breakfast the last week and found I don't miss it much. That didn't come as a surprise as I often don't get hungry until 10-11 am. I think some of the pointers are helpful as I have noticed it takes much less to make me satisfied and have the full feeling.

    Just take the parts that work for you and adjust what doesn't. That's what I'm doing.
  • melaniedscott
    melaniedscott Posts: 1,455 Member
    @plhartless...I do agree that only eating when I'm hungry is reasonable as well as enjoying your food and eating more slowly. But honestly, I didn't need to pay someone $500 to tell me that (not that I paid, my employer did...but still). Logging doesn't bother me...I've recently started prelogging and...well, the jury is still out. But it helps some and reduces some of the stress day to day. I just log on the weekend what I'm planning for the week, which isn't a whole lot different that what I've done for years...I've been making menus for a week (or a month when I'm feeling compulsive, as I have since just before Xmas) for more than a decade. Your post made me laugh.

    As @KevinEMoon suggests, I'm trying to take what works but I'm just so aggravated by the junk they spew. I was on their boards the other day and thought I'd lose my lunch with the garbage...they told someone who is from a Mexican family that they shouldn't eat beans and rice (a very traditional Mexican casserole-y meal) but should eat the beans and rice separately. I suspect the same would be said about, oh, I don't know...beef stew and other similar dishes.

    So, nearly a week in...The snark about Marcia isn't abating. Unlike Kevin, I can't skip breakfast. Just doesn't work for me. When I was younger, I had problems with hypoglycemia and, even now, I get shaky if I don't eat often enough. By the time I'm 'hungry', it's too late and I get...weird. It seems like I'm likely to be pretty cranky for, well, the next 9 weeks.
  • plhartless
    plhartless Posts: 5 Member
    @melaniedscott I had the same response to that comment about beans and rice. So a freakin' loaded potato is "one food" but beans and rice aren't? Sheesh. :) Some other nutter talked about eating separate parts of soup. SOUP. SOUP. Yes, I will eat all the clams out of my chowder, then the potato, then the....oh seriously.

    I think the general idea to appreciate one food fully is good. But I'm not going to let my fries get cold while I eat my hamburger (or whatever else). That's one of those things that seems like a tip rather than science.

    Can you tell I haven't had a snark session with my friend in a few days? LOL

  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 994 Member
    Is there any way to speed up the videos? I did an online university course out of the South a few years ago and had to watch all the lectures on 1.5x speed playback just to not lose my mind. The slooooow taaaaalking is insufferable. :P
  • melaniedscott
    melaniedscott Posts: 1,455 Member
    Week 2...I watched all the videos today. Hiss. The first half are essentially the same as last week, only with 1 minute of testimonials tacked on to the end (or in once case the beginning). I've already signed up. You already got paid. You don't need to throw Ra-Ra at me. GRRR. I gave the video the bird a few times. And there is another stupid eating exercise. Really stupid and doesn't, in fact, prove her point. And I've come down with something, so I feel like crap.
  • melaniedscott
    melaniedscott Posts: 1,455 Member
    So, end of week 3 and...wait, I still dislike it. Really, I hate the videos. And their coffee shop. I find the moderators' posts to be insufferable. Especially when they discourage people from eating fruits and vegetables and from eating a balanced diet. They claim it is impossible to reach gov identified RDA's without overeating (lie!) or achieving recommended servings of fruit & veg...And when they try to convice people they don't really like salad. LOVE salad. Romaine, red leaf, green leaf, raddicio (sp), butter head, spinach....yum!

    Does that mean I'm not losing? No. But then, I was losing before I started it. I'm still counting calories and I don't see it as being a diet (contrary to their claim), I see it as being a responsible eater. Honestly, I'm a huge veggie eater and generally don't react well to higher protien, their 25% recommendation would kill me.
  • combsshan
    combsshan Posts: 47 Member
    edited January 2018
    I'm on week 2 of Naturally Slim (my company is paying for it) and I too find myself with a bad attitude about it. Yes there are the basics which are sound--only eat when truly hungry and stop when satisfied, but then there is the pure conjecture. Eat one food at a time, eat only a "fistful" of food at a time (and that should keep you satisfied for 5+ hours) You can eat anything you want except sugar, milk, cereal and wine. Bunch of crap. Unfortunately my company only offered to pay for the program we get no insurance discount. Like most of you I would have been really PO'd if I'd paid for this out of my own pocket. Very little that I've seen so far is "new" information. Most of it I already knew. It's not the knowing that's the problem for most of us, it's the doing. I have noticed that drinking the H2orange (1 part OJ to 7 parts water) does seem to help with the sugar cravings, but that is the only new thing I've learned so far.

    Final verdict. If your company is paying for it and you get a insurance discount, do it. Otherwise I would pass on this. It's false advertising and full of crap.
  • stuarpf
    stuarpf Posts: 1 Member
    I've been doing Naturally Slim since July 2017. I also had fitness assessment done at work in May 2017 so I use that as my starting point. I had another one done in March 2018, not as a finish point, but as a where I am now. These aren't measurements I took on myself, they were done on me by someone with their masters in kinesiology from a real school.

    Results from a 32 year old guy without going to the gym, but relatively active with a couple of kids.

    From May 3, 2017 to March 29, 2018

    My weight went from 184.1 to 150.0

    My body fat went from 25.9% to 9.8%

    My BMI went from 27.6 to 22.5

    My Waist/Hip ratio went from .86 to .83

    I agree that the videos are a little annoying, but if you watch them they work.
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