Weight watchers, slimming world or calorie counting?

[Jacko20]

Hi guys can anyone tell me what diet plan you think is best? I don't want to be really restricted as I would like to be able to eat with the family and have the odd night out. I've tried weight watchers before. Thanks to anyone who can help.

 

[Stackhead]

All your going to get in reply is subjective opinions. You can do the things you want to do on all 3 plans you just have to take different approaches.

My advice to you is to go do some research. Look at the plans, read some diaries on here so you can understand how they work in practice then decide which one works best for you, as you're really the only one who knows.

 

[Jacko20]

Thanks, I have done ww b4 so know the plan but I tend 2 feel hungry on it, sw looks scary & complicated but I've heard good reviews. With calorie counting do u count veggies & low cal juice & can you save cals up for a treat? Thanks for your advice.

 

[PatchworkPuss]

I agree, all three plans will work if you are following them properly. It's about finding the one thats fits best with your lifestyle. For me that would always be slimming world because I prefer not to weigh and count everything I eat. I enjoy being able to fill my plate with pasta, veggies or whatever without thinking about calories and portion control. Good luck with whatever you decide

 

[tink2011]

Thanks, I have done ww b4 so know the plan but I tend 2 feel hungry on it, sw looks scary & complicated but I've heard good reviews. With calorie counting do u count veggies & low cal juice & can you save cals up for a treat? Thanks for your advice.

Calorie counting is great but yes i your calorie counting you count all your food but most veg / salad is very low i dont count salad exactly though its the only thing in relaxed about !

Slimming world does look complicated but its easy when you get in to it, and has lots of 'free' food.

My opinion would be calorie counting, calories are printed on most things and theres apps to look up as well. Google a calorie calculator, you put in your details and target then it will tell you how many calories you need to loose a few lbs a week. Its then up to you what you eat with then (healthier the better !!) so you can have some biscuits crisps etc. No need for working out syns etc

 

[Stackhead]

Thanks, I have done ww b4 so know the plan but I tend 2 feel hungry on it, sw looks scary & complicated but I've heard good reviews. With calorie counting do u count veggies & low cal juice & can you save cals up for a treat? Thanks for your advice.

Ok, I can see you're a little confused. I've done all 3 plans so I'll give you my opinions on them.

1. Slimming World -

I lost 3 stone on SW. I was never hungry because you can eat free foods whenever you want. Yes the plan can be a little complicated at first but once you get used to it, it's very easy to follow. I've never eaten better in terms of good for you, healthy food then when i follwed the SW plan.
The downsides are, unless you know the plan back to front you will have to go to a class (or at least buy some books) to understand the plan. Not only that but you will need to work out the syn values of food, so if you're not paying for a class you have to rely on google, which doesn't always have the answer.
For me, I had to cook every meal from scratch. Jars and packets were just too synful. Which meant an awful lot of cooking - and some nights I just couldn't be arsed.
You can risk eating way too much, because of the nature of 'free foods' etc. This plan will not teach you portion control. What it will do is change your habits and make you reach for the healthy food first (superfree or free) foods. I still do that now.
It is harder to eat out and have boozy nights out on this plan. Eating out - because you have to try and choose things on the menu that fit within plan - sometimes it's easy - steak and veg for instance - but it can be a pain. And you can't really save syns etc (some people do but it's not technically a part of the plan - flexisynning is but that involves accepting a maintain/gain).

2. Weight Watchers -
I didn't really get on with weight watchers so this will be biased towards the negative. WW will teach you portion control as you have to eat within your points. You won't be hungry nowadays as you don't point most fruit & veg on the new plan so if you're hungry you can snack on that. And you have weekly points that you can use to supplement your daily points (if you're getting hungry) or use for a night/meal out.
I found WW a better fit than SW because I was able to use packets and jars (on occassion ready meals) etc... Going out was easier (due to the weeklies).
However, the points irritated me. I didn't understand why somethings were higher and somethings lower (it's based on fat, fibre etc...) and i didn't like that I had to convert everything to propoints when I could just be calorie counting - which was much less effort. However WW does work out everything for you in terms of points for the day etc... there's no thinking.
I'd recommend WW if you need a class environment, but if you don't i'd just calorie count.

3. Calorie Counting
Obviously i'm biased as this is the plan I choose to follow. It fits in with my lifestyle and I can eat pretty much what I want providing it's within my calorie count.
Downsides, you do have to log everything. Including veg (someone said that they don't log salads? Which is ridiculous, my salads tend to total 200 cals +) and fruit, and drinks. But if you have a smartphone there are plenty of apps that make this easier.
You also need to work out for yourself how many calories you should be eating. But again you could use a TDEE calculator and go from there.
I tend to go by my weekly count, rather than daily. So yeah, as long as my weekly calories are within goal then it doesn't matter how i ate them each day.

The whole family can eat whatever you're eating on all three plans. I think SW definately the better fit for family life if you already cook every evening as they probably won't even notice a change (except they'll all be eating much healthier - I was living with my parents when I did SW and cooked every evening, my Mum lost 10lbs just from eating my SW evening meals).

So best for family life: SW
Best for does it all for you counting: WW
Best fit for busy, don't want to be on a 'diet: CC

Best for me: CC

 

[tink2011]

I dont count salad as i only ever have a side salad of lettuce and cucumber !!

Hope you manage to choose a plan that suits you x

 

[PatchworkPuss]

1. Slimming World -

I lost 3 stone on SW. I was never hungry because you can eat free foods whenever you want. Yes the plan can be a little complicated at first but once you get used to it, it's very easy to follow. I've never eaten better in terms of good for you, healthy food then when i follwed the SW plan.
The downsides are, unless you know the plan back to front you will have to go to a class (or at least buy some books) to understand the plan. Not only that but you will need to work out the syn values of food, so if you're not paying for a class you have to rely on google, which doesn't always have the answer.
For me, I had to cook every meal from scratch. Jars and packets were just too synful. Which meant an awful lot of cooking - and some nights I just couldn't be arsed.
You can risk eating way too much, because of the nature of 'free foods' etc. This plan will not teach you portion control. What it will do is change your habits and make you reach for the healthy food first (superfree or free) foods. I still do that now.
It is harder to eat out and have boozy nights out on this plan. Eating out - because you have to try and choose things on the menu that fit within plan - sometimes it's easy - steak and veg for instance - but it can be a pain. And you can't really save syns etc (some people do but it's not technically a part of the plan - flexisynning is but that involves accepting a maintain/gain).

With respect there are a few things here I would like to clarify about slimming world

You do not need to cook every meal from scratch, there are many syn free and low syn ready meals, jars and packets available to someone on SW. Yes it's good to cook from scratch but you do not have to all the time, or indeed at all if you are really averse to the idea

The plan absolutely does teach portion control. Filling at least one third of your plate at every meal with fruit and/or veg naturally limits the amount of free foods people eat. It is still a calorie controlled plan so there has to be portion control if people are to be successful

You can actually save your syns for a night out as well, SW say you can as long as you don't mind having fewer syns on other days. Personally I don't find eating out hard and I'm vegetarian so if anything it should be harder for me than other people. You make sensible choices which must surely be a good thing. There are loads of guides on what are good food choices to make depending on the type of food or place you are eating. I ate out three days last week because I was away for the weekend. Admittedly I don't drink much (by choice rather than because the plan dictates it) but I would think restricting boozy nights out would also be a good thing lol

 

[Tetris]

I havent tried cc or ww but I adore SW! I made my choice by looking at what I really couldnt give up- pasta, cheese, meat, etc and then at what seemed to fit with that. On SW I can have a big bowl of cheesy pasta/spag bol without any penalties (pro points/syns etc) and can then save up the syns (15 points allowed a day for treats) and use them on a night out getting plastered or having a nice meal and still lose 3lbs or so that week

Slimming World requires a fair bit of home cooking and prepping lunches etc though (as they dont have a (money sapping) food range like ww) but the whole family can eat what you make- my very fussy (with veg) bf eats all the sw stuff I make that is packed full of goodness.
It is harder to make stuff than just grab a ww sarnie but I think it is freer in what you are allowed as treats etc.

 

[Domane]

I've been a yo-yo dieter on SW for years and recently completely overhauled my eating habits and switched to calorie counting. I've given up eating white carbs generally, so no rice, pasta, potatoes or white bread. Swapped to swede or celeriac "mash", cauliflower "rice" and courgette "spaghetti". I didn't realise how much carbs were bloating me and making me feel sluggish, I thought it was the menopause!! I used to be woken hourly through the night with awful night sweats but these have totally stopped so I get a good night's sleep and feel rested. I also fast for 24 hours twice a week. I calorie count weekly so I allow myself 1200 a day, which equates to 8400 over the week. I'm allowed a small meal in my fasting days up to 500 cals, so that leaves 7400 over my five "normal" eating days. That works out at 1480 per day. I religiously log everthing I eat on MFP, my food and exercise but I never allow myself to eat more if I have had a particularly active day. Because I weigh for a week, it means that I can allow myself to go slightly over my calories on one day, if needed, but then the next day I will have a lighter day and cut back so that it balances out. I also weigh everything I eat and I'm learning that some things are heavier than they look and some things are a lot lighter! But I'm gradually learning portion sizes by eye as I've had compulsive over-eating tendencies in the past and used to also eat huge portions. My stomach is gradually getting used to the smaller portions but I am VERY motivated and disciplined. I actually feel fantastic, I sleep well and wake up easily, feeling refreshed. I have so much more energy, I'm like the Duracell bunny!!!

I also started running for the first time in my life in May and last week I finally achieved my first non-stop 5K. The way I look at it is that I need to eat healthily to be able to keep up and improve the running - and the running helps me lose weight, so the two are mutually beneficial. I really feel like I have made major, permanent changes in my eating habits this year. I have never felt so strongly and motivated before.

I weigh myself every day and log the result so that I can analyse my findings. I'm sensible enough to accept that some days there will be a slight gain, but this doesn't send me into a tailspin of panic as by the next 24 hours it is usually gone again. My "true" weigh-in day is Monday, the morning of my first fast of the week. That is the day that I can look back to the previous one and calculate my proper weight loss.

Good luck, you have to find the right mindset. Once you have done that, the rest is easy.... listen to your REAL stomach, not your emotional one....

Oh and forgot to say... since May 11th I have lost 32lbs.

 

[Stackhead]

With respect there are a few things here I would like to clarify about slimming world

You do not need to cook every meal from scratch, there are many syn free and low syn ready meals, jars and packets available to someone on SW. Yes it's good to cook from scratch but you do not have to all the time, or indeed at all if you are really averse to the idea

The plan absolutely does teach portion control. Filling at least one third of your plate at every meal with fruit and/or veg naturally limits the amount of free foods people eat. It is still a calorie controlled plan so there has to be portion control if people are to be successful

You can actually save your syns for a night out as well, SW say you can as long as you don't mind having fewer syns on other days. Personally I don't find eating out hard and I'm vegetarian so if anything it should be harder for me than other people. You make sensible choices which must surely be a good thing. There are loads of guides on what are good food choices to make depending on the type of food or place you are eating. I ate out three days last week because I was away for the weekend. Admittedly I don't drink much (by choice rather than because the plan dictates it) but I would think restricting boozy nights out would also be a good thing lol

With respect back (which by the way is really snide and unnecessary) i started by saying FOR ME.

Everything told about a plan, except the facts is completely anecdotal based on your own PERSONAL experience.

So, with respect:
I had to cook everything from scratch when i did the plan.
Eating out i found difficult. Restricting boozy nights not was not an option for me.
I disagree about portion control. I just found that i ate bigger plates to accommodate more free foods and to make sure i had the ratio right.

But like i said. The OP was only ever going to get opinion. That's mine.

 

[Kay_kayleigh]

I have done sw and we over and over for the past ten years and this is the first time I have ever tried calorie counting.

i finally decided when I looked at what I eat, I eat plenty of fruit, veg, fish, protein, and don't think carbs are the devil. Cutting out crisps, chocolates and alcohol completely lead to me going mental on them a couple of weeks down the line so I wanted a plan where I could learn to have 'a bit of this and a bit of that'. Also, portion control is a MASSIVE thing for me. I think portion control alone must be responsible for most of my weightloss so far.

again, this is totally subjective. I always found sw good when I was younger and didn't drink on an evening and used my syns for a pudding after tea or whatever.

I find calorie counting just so freeing though. If I wake up and feel like total sh*te one day, and all I want to do is eat chocolate and have a Maccy d's, I can. And I can stay within my calories.

this is a very big deal for me as I have suffered a lot with beating myself up for being a failure all the time for not being able to lose weight and stick to a diet, so I really am finding calorie counting a breath of fresh air.

good luck with choosing one

 

[Mary Jane]

I found slimming world the best I tried calorie counting and the weight didn't seem to come off and if it did it was very very very slow

Weight watchers I lost weight but I was always so hungry.

Sw extra easy was what I chose and could eat so much but still felt full to the brim so felt better.

It is personal choice though I guess. Good luck with what you chose I've just come back to re starting xx