For me the main reason I chose SW was because I am a vegetarian and the green plan fitted perfectly for veggies. I've tried plenty of diets before but always found things like pasta and potatoes being a no no. As these are pretty much my staple foods I was so glad I could have them on SW and as much as I wanted!
The weight loss will never be as quick as VLC diets like Lighter Life, usually between 1-2lbs a week. However SW will really teach you about food, how to eat it and how to change your lifestyle for the better. Once you reach target you can be a member for life so continue getting the support and ideas from other members. My mistake was leaving group when I hit target and believing that I could cope on my own, hence now why I am back trying to lose weight again! Duh!
Most of the members at my group follow Extra Easy and it seems that this plan is pretty much as close to normal eating as you can get whilst being on a diet. It's family friendly so you don't have to make different meals for yourself and the family. You don't have to weigh everything like some other diets and there is plenty of flexibility if you know you are going to have a night out or are going away on holiday.
Nearly every recipe can be Slimming Worldified so nothing is off limits. I made the cheese scones which are in the recipe section the other day and they are completely free (can have as much until you are full). Find me another diet where you can eat a plate full of cheese scones!
My top tips would be plan, plan, plan. Nearly all of your meals on Slimming World will have to be cooked from scratch, so no quick easy micro meals or jar sauces. It seems like a pain at first but you will soon start to appreciate your food so much more and start to realise how bland and tasteless the quick options are. I make SW chips quite often and the other day I had one of my friends oven chips and they were vile, no taste and had a carboardy texture, give me my SW option everytime!
Other tips:
Frozen veg - so much cheaper than fresh and helps to prevent wastage
Mushrooms - So filling and versatile
Stay to group for Image Therapy - This section of group is invaluable. The support and ideas from other members really is wonderful, and you can get so many new ideas.
Have a syn bin - this one isn't for everyone but it works for me. I have a drawer in our fridge full of treat size chocs all of which are under 5 syns. That way if I'm craving choc I can go and grab one and not worry that it will put me over the edge for the day. You do however have to be careful not to be tempted to eat the whole lot!
Don't feel guilty - if you do go off plan, accept it for what it is and move on. Life is too short to beat yourself up and by feeling guilty you will be much more tempted to comfort eat and binge.
Set up a SW wall - have a place where you can display your award certificates. It might seem silly but celebrating your achievements can give you a real boost and a resolve to keep going.
Do Body Magic - this doesn't get pushed enough at my group but exercise is a great way to boost weight loss, increase your fitness and improve your overall health. It doesn't have to be running a marathon but maybe start with adding an extra 10 minutes onto your dog walk each day, walk to work one day a week, one lady at our group came up with a great game using lamp posts. On her normal walk each day she would walk to the first lamp post then walk as fast as she could to the next one, then walk normally until the next one and so on and so on. At first she could only manage 4 lamp posts like this but after a few weeks was up to 10!
Don't want vs Can't - this is actually a tip from this months mag and its a brilliant one. Instead of saying "I can't have that" when someone offers you something off plan say "I don't want that" its a subtle difference but a massive one to your mind set. I'm very guilty of saying can't which only makes us feel deprived whereas I don't want makes us feel empowered.
Minimins - really this site is the best place for recipes, syns values, latest news and support. I'm always banging on about the place at my group and am amazed that people do Slimming World without it!
Cook in bulk - As SW is alot of cooking from scratch I find it easier to cook in bulk then freeze things to reheat, also left overs make great lunches the following day.
There's a few tips for you there, I could probably go on forever if I though about it though! If you have any particular questions at all just let me know!