Thread: Weight Watchers / Slimming World and calories?

This subject has probably been done to death, but I wanted to know, how it is that Slimming World can work, if you total what you eat in a day and it's way over what you'd otherwise be eating in Weight Watchers points?
Sure, I get the 1/3 superfree, and "stopping eating when you're full" rules, but even so.
Where I'd usually be chewing my nails and waiting for bed time to get some respite from hunger (having had all of my WW points), and then STILL getting bad losses week to week, you can eat more on SW? Why couldn't I do that on Weight Watchers then?
I've been tracking my calories over the last few days, and although I'm coming in at around 1490 calories with very little sat fat (so I know I'm taking in about the same as I was when I was doing Weight Watchers, I put my daily total in a points calc and it came up as 24, weird eh?) I only have about 7 syns a day. Is that right? Should I be eating more syns, because I'd actually be overeating to do that wouldn't I. And if I only use 7 syns a day and eat loads of superfree in the evenings for my munch, and STILL go over what I'd otherwise be stopped at by Weight Watchers, I can still lose weight?
I'm trying to get my head around how that theory works lol. I have no doubt it does, I've seen some of the massive weight losses on this site, some of you are total inspirations. But I'm one of those difficult ones who likes to know what's going on lol.

Thanks!
Emma xx

It's partly to do with the proportion of superfree & the fact it has so much fibre in it, so it moves through your system quicker, your metabolism is therefore faster, and so you lose weight a bit quicker.

BUT - you would never be expected to point superfree on WW so I'm really confused as to how you would be going to bed starving on it because you'd run out of points. Its perfectly possible to do WW & not be hungry if you make the right food choices. The main difference is that for 85% if what you eat on SW, that choice is taken away because you'd have to syn it.

Try & use between 5&15 syns a day. You don't have to eat them all, but they do actually help weight loss because otherwise you don't get enough fat in your diet, so can't process a lot of fat soluble vitamins & minerals.

Also, SW isn't about points or calories. Foods are chosen for different categories depending on their ability to fill you up vs the calories in them, so there is very little point in comparing them.

I was doing the "old" points, where fruit isn't free. Thanks for your reply!

its *always* about calories, they just use slightly different way and rules that make it likely you are eating a deficit. Since you are interested in the science of it go here:

BMR Calculator

Calculate your BMR, thats the amount of calories your body needs to do its normal functions, as if you were in a coma all day. Once you have this, there is calculation you can do, you determine how active a life you have, and multiply it by that.

For example here is mine:
5ft11 183 pounds:

My BMR is 1862. My activity level is currently sedentary so, the formula says i multiply the 1862 by 1.2 = 2234 calories. Thats what my body needs to neither lose nor gain weight on an average day.

A calorie controlled diet would work by subtracting 500 from that figure for 1 lb a week loss, or 1000 for 2 lb a week loss. But your body does weird things the closer you get to 1000.


Slimming world energy intakes seem to be between 1100 and 1800 a day, for me when completely on plan i tended to be around 1400.

Originally Posted by gazter

its *always* about calories, they just use slightly different way and rules that make it likely you are eating a deficit. Since you are interested in the science of it go here:

BMR Calculator

Calculate your BMR, thats the amount of calories your body needs to do its normal functions, as if you were in a coma all day. Once you have this, there is calculation you can do, you determine how active a life you have, and multiply it by that.

For example here is mine:
5ft11 183 pounds:

My BMR is 1862. My activity level is currently sedentary so, the formula says i multiply the 1862 by 1.2 = 2234 calories. Thats what my body needs to neither lose nor gain weight on an average day.

A calorie controlled diet would work by subtracting 500 from that figure for 1 lb a week loss, or 1000 for 2 lb a week loss. But your body does weird things the closer you get to 1000.


Slimming world energy intakes seem to be between 1100 and 1800 a day, for me when completely on plan i tended to be around 1400.

Hi Gazter,
Firstly, congrats on your amazing weight loss!
Yes I had calculated my BMR on My Fitness Pal, and then I've been watching my calories on that as well as Slimming World, just because this is my first week, so MFP is a bit of a crutch really.
Thing is, I can't stick to the calories it's giving me, which is about 1490. I go over by around 200, possibly 300 a day. My BMR is 1637. I need 1964 calories a day to maintain my weight, which doesn't give me much to play with. So I need a calorie deficit of 500 calories a day to lose a pound a week.
I know, exercise is what I need to bump up on, and I will work on that when it gets warmer, right now it's horrible in the USA and I have no time to exercise indoors (full time mummy )
Now, out of those calories I am scoffing away each day, I am eating natural whole foods, grains, fruit and vegetables until they're coming out of my ears, lean meat, eggs, etc. I am sticking to plan, each meal I make superfrees my first choice, I only have 7 syns a day.
I get hungry a lot, and eat masses of apples lol. Nothing seems to sustain me for that long really. I think that's why I'm a bit paranoid about putting on weight, I've not ever eaten this quantity of food other than when I was pregnant, and I put on 5 stone then lol.

NomNom, just trust the plan and follow it as in the book, the clever people at SW headquarters have done all the working out for us all.

I think its something to do with the way different foods interact with each other, thats why its called food optimising - getting the most out of what we eat.

Don't overthink things, just follow the 1/3 superfree, as much free foods as you need to feel full, 1 healthy extra a and b, 5-15 syns,

sounds like you probably need to increase the size of your actual meals if you're still hungry rather than snack in between, make sure you're drinking enough fluid, if you feel hungry try a glass of water first, it might be that you're thirsty rather than hungry

are you going to group? if you are what does your consultant say?

forget the calories, they're not important and probable sabotaging your SW journey, ditch MFP for now, when you're more comfortable with the plan maybe do it for a week or so and see how much calories you're consuming but get into the plan first

good luck and carry on slimming xx

Originally Posted by kerryathome

NomNom, just trust the plan and follow it as in the book, the clever people at SW headquarters have done all the working out for us all.

I think its something to do with the way different foods interact with each other, thats why its called food optimising - getting the most out of what we eat.

Don't overthink things, just follow the 1/3 superfree, as much free foods as you need to feel full, 1 healthy extra a and b, 5-15 syns,

sounds like you probably need to increase the size of your actual meals if you're still hungry rather than snack in between, make sure you're drinking enough fluid, if you feel hungry try a glass of water first, it might be that you're thirsty rather than hungry

are you going to group? if you are what does your consultant say?

forget the calories, they're not important and probable sabotaging your SW journey, ditch MFP for now, when you're more comfortable with the plan maybe do it for a week or so and see how much calories you're consuming but get into the plan first

good luck and carry on slimming xx

I kind of agree with kerryathome, the plan does work it is giving you a calorie deficit, even if a small one. It doesnt look like you have lots to lose, at half a pound a week it will soon start to shift. It really does work!

I only used MFP to monitor because i knew i wasnt eating enough, my appetite went through the floor when i was ill.

I am at target now which is why ive been using calorie counting to keep myself on track. Small losses i dont mind, as i creep to a possible target number 3. But i am ultra careful to not pile it all back on, which is why i have my calorie ceiling. I know i can be much more relaxed, and can treat myself more than the plan allows.

Originally Posted by NomNom13

Hi Gazter,
Firstly, congrats on your amazing weight loss!
Yes I had calculated my BMR on My Fitness Pal, and then I've been watching my calories on that as well as Slimming World, just because this is my first week, so MFP is a bit of a crutch really.
Thing is, I can't stick to the calories it's giving me, which is about 1490. I go over by around 200, possibly 300 a day. My BMR is 1637. I need 1964 calories a day to maintain my weight, which doesn't give me much to play with. So I need a calorie deficit of 500 calories a day to lose a pound a week.
I know, exercise is what I need to bump up on, and I will work on that when it gets warmer, right now it's horrible in the USA and I have no time to exercise indoors (full time mummy )
Now, out of those calories I am scoffing away each day, I am eating natural whole foods, grains, fruit and vegetables until they're coming out of my ears, lean meat, eggs, etc. I am sticking to plan, each meal I make superfrees my first choice, I only have 7 syns a day.
I get hungry a lot, and eat masses of apples lol. Nothing seems to sustain me for that long really. I think that's why I'm a bit paranoid about putting on weight, I've not ever eaten this quantity of food other than when I was pregnant, and I put on 5 stone then lol.

It concerns me that you say you are hungry while doing SW, you really shouldn't be hungry at all if you are following plan. Are you sure you're actually eating enough? Also, while I too was a committed MFP fan I do think it needs to be ditched for now if you want to give SW a proper chance - calorific content of fruit and veg is negligible.

Are you following Extra Easy? Why don't you post up a typical day or two to let us see what you're actually eating and we may be able to help?

Why try to run a few diets at once it Is Total madness pick one and follow it .....i dont question the way sw works i just follow it and it does work .... if it works whats the point in disecting the plan and doing a million and one diets at once it just Adda stress and could cause you to go wrong with sw and i agree you Deffo should not be hungry all time on sw if you are your not following the plan fully

Originally Posted by cat yoyo greaves

Why try to run a few diets at once it Is Total madness pick one and follow it .....i dont question the way sw works i just follow it and it does work .... if it works whats the point in disecting the plan and doing a million and one diets at once it just Adda stress and could cause you to go wrong with sw and i agree you Deffo should not be hungry all time on sw if you are your not following the plan fully

Hi Cat
I suppose it is because I'm trying to educate myself on what it means to eat healthily. I like to know what I'm doing and when, and I've never been someone who can eat correctly, which is what's found me here.
I lost 5 stone once, on Weight Watchers, and then put it all back on when I was pregnant with my first child. I have now lost 4 and a half stone, but that was when I was working on a busy supermarket produce department and could keep myself fit. It's never been food that's ever kept me trim, other than when I've been on diets because I literally could eat anyone else I know under the table lol. I simply do not have an off switch. So, why do I question? Because I have an inquiring mind and I never want to put on unsightly weight again. Education into what can make me healthy and keep me healthy will make the difference in my mind. I absolutely love the structure of SW, the 1/3rd superfree, etc. because if left to just count calories, I'd not get that healthy balance.
So doing Slimming World with the aid of My Fitness Pal as a guideline works very well for me as I need the discipline to a certain degree.
I lost 2 and a half pounds this week so the two combined must be doing something for me...

http://www.minimins.com/slimming-wor...-nom-noms.html (Foody Foody Nom Noms.)