• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Weightwatchers or Slimming World?

It has been shown by research that ANY weightloss diet works. The difficulty is sticking to it. That's where the clubs come in. they provide the support that most peeople need if they are going to stick to an eating plan long-term.
Having said tyat: the last time i tried WW, I lost nothing but my class fees and was constantly being "encouraged" to go low fat, higher carb. Which doesn't suit my T2.
Currently I'm losing SLOWLY by eating small portions and low carb.I find snacks scuttle my efforts, so I've dropped them. A few years ago, I lost about 40 pounds, so any weightloss for me is bound to be slow..
I do exercise regularly too.
Hana
 


Hear hear totally agree with you on all of that! It's like I replied in another thread, all weight loss diets are based on the same principle, less energy going in than out. They just approach it in different ways which suits different people better. Ofc things are more complicated with diabetes due to the carb factor.
 

Glad you have found something that works for you.
Yes I am sure things have changed with slimming groups in the last 20 years. I think my main bone of contention was that I followed what was then called the SW green plan, as this was similar to the advice given by dieticians to help me lose weight. I followed this to the letter, yet after several tries at this, still started to gain weight, but felt demoralised and often humiliated by the approach of the class leader. (Which was similar to your comment 'you obviously were not sticking to the rules'). I was, and it did not work. The green plan which advocated unlimited consumption of pasta, rice carb based, only served to increase my weight. I believe this was also a contributory factor in development of my T2 diabetes, as I had obviously been insulin resistant without knowing. The red plan suggested unlimited red meat and processed meat. One of the recipes was for quiche which used corned beef instead of pastry for the base. Still makes me gag now at the thought.

I hope that things are now different some 20 years later, and concede that my comments were based on experience from long ago. I will comment only comment briefly on the branded WW food. Criticism of these is well documented elsewhere, but they are highly processed foods, often brainwashing vulnerable people into believing they are healthier than other brands. I still contend that these organisations are happy to make big profits out of the revolving door of the weight loss weight gain majority. Of course there will be some who achieve success with the slimming clubs. I am truly pleased for them. I would be interested in the ratio of successful diets to unsuccessful dieters.

I admire your defence of a method that is clearly suitable for you. People do need to look at all arguments before making up their own mind. As for your comment in defence of SW which almost seemed like a personal attack, so reminiscent of my humiliating experience of SW. 'YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN' I did, I followed the advice of a dietician and SW to base my diet mainly on the 'good carbs' wholemeal pasta, brown rice etc. the something that happened was I gained weight and T2 diabetes. I have since done something else, found my own way to lose weight, and regain control of my blood glucose. Without a group.
 
I've tried the Slimming World diet and friends have done WW and Rosemary Conley. I found I lost initially on SW but only on red days as Green days with unlimited carbs is just mad for someone who could easily eat three baked spuds and still want a french stick and bag of crisps in half an hour. I don't think that it addresses the issue of portion control( this is a complaint against the diet that I have read several times from various dieticians) and having followed several threads on Minimins diet site, there seems to be a competition to stuff as many syn free or low syn Muller lites down in a day, as well as a prize for the most ingenuous illegal use of a free ingredient. ,My friend lost a lot with WW but it all went back on when she stopped pointing so not sure it provides a real life sustainable method or whether she was just lazy. My SIL lost about 7 st on Rosemary Conley but again once she stopped classes and following it to the letter, it all went back on - I don''t think that any of these diets really address the underlying issues some people have with food, which is why groups see the same old faces over and over. If it works for you, great, but don't beat yourself up if it doesn't. I am finding low carbing has shifted more weight than I have shifted in last 20 years in a month.
 

I couldn't have put it better.
 
Just another suggestion - I do Nutracheck which is an online "diet" club (Google it), which focuses on counting calories and getting more exercise. It really worked for me this time, I have lost 2 stone slowly and steadily and I can also low carb as much as I want.
Not sure if it is the weight loss, the extra exercise or the low carbs or all three but so far I have stayed off meds.
 
I was identified as having prediabetes just last week. Doctor now has me on 2x500 g Metaformin daily and advised I keep on with my diet. I joined WW at the end of October 2013 and have so far lost 45lbs. Having been a yo yo dieter for years I believe the key to successful dieting is more to do with what is going on in your head. For me, the time to succeed appears to be know and I am feeling confident in myself. In fact I haven't felt this good for years. I tend towards the Filling and Healthy option rather than counting points, with carbs in the form of whole wheat pasta and bread, brown rice etc - I eat pretty small portions of these, tending to make sure I add plenty of vegetables.

With such a good weight loss to date, I was disappointed with the diagnosis, which was only discovered through a routine fasting blood test, that also identified raised cholesterol for which I now take a daily statin. The doctor did say that if I hadn't lost the weight I had, then we would have been having a very different conversation.

The main issue for me is my confused understanding of dietary advice. Having assured me that I am not diabetic, my doctor advised that I need to reduce my fruit intake, which as anyone who follows WW knows, is regarded as a "Zero Hero". What qualifies as a reasonable amount, what type of fruit is better etc etc etc. I have been eating 3 -4 pieces of fruit per day.

Also, I eat perhaps one WW product biscuit a day, more commonly every couple of days. How damaging is this to me in my journey to halting progression to Type 2 (everything crossed at this point)? I don't want to become obsessed but clearly need to make good and informed decisions about my diet.
 
Some fruits can be quite high carb and will definitely impact your BG levels. Are you using a BG monitor? If so, that can help you identify which fruit may be problematic for you. Alternatively, try the lower carb fruits like berries. This link can help you identify the lower carb fruits and veg:
http://lowcarbediem.com/atkins-low-carb-fruit-vegetable-list/
 
Very helpful link, thank you. I'm not using a BG monitor as yet. Doctor pretty much told me to get on with life, lose weight and reduce fruit intake, boost vegetables. Fog is clearing a little but I guess it's one step at a time.
 
Been there, done that, failed miserably, am trying low carb, under 100g a day, but if I mess it up, and starry putting weight on due to insulin, I was wondering about trying sw and sticking to red days. But not sure how it fits with type 2 on insulin, was type 2 tablets for 10 years until a month ago. Now am only about 2 1/2 stone overweight compared to 12 stone overweight 10 years ago.
 
There's been quite a lot of info in the last few years about the long term success rate of these diet clubs.
Here's one link.
http://fatfu.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/weight-watchers/
A google search will find you many others.

Having tried to lose weight, succeeded, failed, tried, nearly succeeded, rebounded... for 30 years, I have given my poor, starved, abused, stuffed and carb addicted body the exquisite delight of promising it that I will never go on another weight loss diet again.

I, and my body, have been much happier together, since that decision.
And I even seem to have lost some weight.
 
Minigirl said:
Very helpful link, thank you. I'm not using a BG monitor as yet. Doctor pretty much told me to get on with life, lose weight and reduce fruit intake, boost vegetables. Fog is clearing a little but I guess it's one step at a time.
Click to expand...

The fog will clear much faster using a BG meter to guide your food choices.
But the advice your doc gave on diet is much better than the standard Eatwell Plate - kudos to them!
 
I lost 3 stone in 24 weeks following S.world's 'original/red' plan, and that was three years ago, I have kept the weight off. Since reaching target I have not gone back to the group. it served its purpose. I highly recommend following the red/original plan.

Type 1 since childhood (35 years) eeeek!


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Yes, the SW original plan is the one to go for. There is a lot of support at SW too, so you want to join a slimming club, I would choose that one
 
I lost a lot of weight prior to being diagnosed with type2 diabetes, but once my blood sugars were brought under control I gradually put it all back on again. That was about 8 years ago and since then my weight has fluctuated.
2 weeks ago I started the 5:2 diet - 5 days in the week eating normally (but sensibly) and 2 days of fasting, eating only 600 cals (500 for a woman) a day.I won't go into the science behind it, but I've lost 6 pounds in that time. I'm expecting a positive affect on my blood sugars over time, as well as my weight.

Read 'The Fast Diet' by Dr Michael Mosley and you will see how impressive the 'diet' is and how successful it's been in changing eating habits and attitudes, the key to any weight loss program, especially if it is to have a long term affect.
 
Well I'm joining slimming world on Tuesday, I weighed myself yesterday and I'm 3 stone heavier than the hospital said I was 8 weeks ago. So am positive their scales were wrong . If I'd put 3 stone on I wouldn't be able to get in my clothes . So Am not taking the chance, on a positive note, my morning fasting was 7 and before lunch a5.7 finally.

I'm assuming I've got some water retention because my hands are a bit swollen. But not 3 stones worth.

Shessh they say insulin puts weight on but I've kept it between 8-10 units shortacting a day and 23 units of long acting at night. To get from 28 to lower levels. I must have been on the bad ketone stage prior to insulin.

Am having home made green Thai curry and cAuliflower rice for tea I've decided.
 
Went to sw, got no help at all with how to link or swap food round, the man wasn't the usual leader, he was bobbins. Some of the food in the healthy b' s I can't have like Jordan's muesli etc I'd end up needing more insulin than I have now,

Those hospital scales were so wrong I'm 17 stone 10. Not 14 1/2 stone. Even friends at work said I hadn't put weight on plus my clothes wouldn't fit me if I had.

So I will carry on my version of low carbing and see the proper class leader on Tuesday.


Onwards and upwards as they say
 
alysonm said:
I am wondering which is best for someone who is "borderline" diabetes and has been told to lose weight?
Click to expand...
I thought it had been shown that this stuff doesn't work ... long term no?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…