Not sure which is best for me ww/sw

MrsG1984

Member
Hi all i have been doing a vlcd diet for the past couple of weeks and lost 12lbs however im very ill with it and i feel although ive done well vlcds are not the right thing for me, i want a normal diet of eating healthy food that includes all food groups, so im now looking at ww or sw i have never done either of these so i would just like to know how exactly does the ww diet work? has anyone done both and feels a preference to one or the other? The other thing im nervous about is how much weight i have to lose to be a healthy weight 4st 2lbs currently and im worried about what people in the meetings may think of me. What is the average weight loss also please? many thanks i feel this is something i need to do so any replies very much appreciated.

jen x
 
I have followed both of these diets and they both work. I need a class and continued with the diet where the leader was more supportive.

Irene xx
 
I haven't done slimming world, but I can assure you that weight watchers works! I'm just 5'2.5" and I started weight watchers weighting 198 lbs (14st 2!) Now I weight 8st and I still enjoy going out for a meal, having a dessert after my dinner and going on holiday and enjoying my food. This new plan is even better because it's even more flexible than the previous one and can work really well with anybody's lifestyle. You won't feel you're on a diet and will never feel hungry again :)
 
thankyou both i am leaning more towards ww, i want to start asap , do you get lots of recipes etc as this is where i struggle, on how to put a healthy tasty meal together.Great to see your post kagome with your starting stats being close to mine your an inspiration. I think i will look to see where my nearest meeting is.
 
Hi,

I've done WW and SW plans a number of times, although the new propoints plan is still a little new to me!! I know it doesn't show by my stats that ive had any success with either plan, but I can assure you this is due to my own failings, not those of either plan, and I'm back on the wagon now!! The plans are very different, despite both being successful, an it just depends what type of person you are!!

WW
this is good for a control freak, who enjoys having numbers and physical limits, and sticking to these. Although it now allows a bit more flexibility than before, with the larger range of free foods there's still a lot of weighing and measuring, and you need to have the time/inclination to do so. If you're a bit lax with portion control, this plan will soon kick that out of you!! It costs a little more, although with the monthly plan option this extra cost is almost irrelevant! In my past experience the groups are less useful than SW ones, but then again I rejoined last week and both group and leader seem fantastic!! If you eat a lot of convenience foods, like ready meals and pre-pack sarnies etc, this plan is easier, as anything can be worked into your points.

SW
this is the 'lazy girls diet!!', as soon as you've learnt the list of free foods, you could literally eat all day everyday without having to weigh and measure your food!! Theres three plans, perfect for veggies, carnivores, and those who like a bit of both. You can swap and change plans. I do find that it's so easy to overeat on this plan, and this didnt suit a greedy pig like me, however I'll be honest and say that I'm hoping to lose my weight with WW and then switch to SW once I know my portions/appetite better as I feel it'll be a more flexible and enjoyable way to maintain! Groups are a little more informal, and the online resources aren't as good, but if you need support its there. If you like to cook from scratch this plan is easy to follow, and I find it cheaper overall to follow, however coming from a VLCD you'll
Welcome any reduction in price!! Convenience foods are difficult to work into this plan sometimes as because you're encouraged to eat mostly free (unprocessed, fresh, healthy) foods, your syn (or point) allowance is considerably lower.

The plans will suit different people, and also it will depend on the place you are in life, do you have time to cook? Do you want freedom? Do you like weighing and counting?

Both plans are fab, and please don't think you will be judged, everyone was at the start of their journey once, and was feeling in some way down about themselves. We all remember the feeling of our first group and the fear of what people will think. Do not worry, you'll be welcomed into either fold with open arms!!

Good luck with whatever you decide, and rest assured if you need any more support, both WW and SW minimin'ers are amazing, and have helped me out numerous times!!

:eek:)
 
Hi,

I've done WW and SW plans a number of times, although the new propoints plan is still a little new to me!! I know it doesn't show by my stats that ive had any success with either plan, but I can assure you this is due to my own failings, not those of either plan, and I'm back on the wagon now!! The plans are very different, despite both being successful, an it just depends what type of person you are!!

WW
this is good for a control freak, who enjoys having numbers and physical limits, and sticking to these. Although it now allows a bit more flexibility than before, with the larger range of free foods there's still a lot of weighing and measuring, and you need to have the time/inclination to do so. If you're a bit lax with portion control, this plan will soon kick that out of you!! It costs a little more, although with the monthly plan option this extra cost is almost irrelevant! In my past experience the groups are less useful than SW ones, but then again I rejoined last week and both group and leader seem fantastic!! If you eat a lot of convenience foods, like ready meals and pre-pack sarnies etc, this plan is easier, as anything can be worked into your points.

SW
this is the 'lazy girls diet!!', as soon as you've learnt the list of free foods, you could literally eat all day everyday without having to weigh and measure your food!! Theres three plans, perfect for veggies, carnivores, and those who like a bit of both. You can swap and change plans. I do find that it's so easy to overeat on this plan, and this didnt suit a greedy pig like me, however I'll be honest and say that I'm hoping to lose my weight with WW and then switch to SW once I know my portions/appetite better as I feel it'll be a more flexible and enjoyable way to maintain! Groups are a little more informal, and the online resources aren't as good, but if you need support its there. If you like to cook from scratch this plan is easy to follow, and I find it cheaper overall to follow, however coming from a VLCD you'll
Welcome any reduction in price!! Convenience foods are difficult to work into this plan sometimes as because you're encouraged to eat mostly free (unprocessed, fresh, healthy) foods, your syn (or point) allowance is considerably lower.

The plans will suit different people, and also it will depend on the place you are in life, do you have time to cook? Do you want freedom? Do you like weighing and counting?

Both plans are fab, and please don't think you will be judged, everyone was at the start of their journey once, and was feeling in some way down about themselves. We all remember the feeling of our first group and the fear of what people will think. Do not worry, you'll be welcomed into either fold with open arms!!

Good luck with whatever you decide, and rest assured if you need any more support, both WW and SW minimin'ers are amazing, and have helped me out numerous times!!

:eek:)

Good balanced post :D

For me I prefer sw I have lost on both but I like the fact that on sw we are not tied to having to weigh lots of things.

On sw you CAN have takeaways, alcohol, chocolate etc all within your daily allowance the same as WW despite some ww members saying you cant :D but I promise you can.

Which ever plan you follow good luck as they both work really well if you follow it properly.
 
For me SW taught me to cook fresh healthy food and that habit is set with me now, but I need the control for my tendancy to overeat and binge. So WW is working for me at the moment.
As others have said both have their benefits, however I did struggle if I wanted a takeaway and some alcohol - it did get a bit fiddly on SW (this is my view only!! lols) whereas I know where I am at the moment on WW. Also if you are in a rush you can grab the processed meal which was a bit more difficult on SW.
Good luck to you im sure you will be fine!!
xx
 
"however coming from a VLCD you'll
Welcome any reduction in price!! "
:giggle:so true and brilliant post its given me a lot to think about.

I generally dont eat ready meals but i dont like to make meals that take a long time.I do have problems with portion control so the weighing may be a good thing i end up with too much bread or pasta on my plate but i still want to incorporate these into my diet. Is ww online just as good as attending meetings? or do you get a lot less off the online service. One final question on ww how do you work out the points of things? like if i had a tuna salad sandwich do i note all the individual things on it and weights and there is some calculator to then work out the points? sorry im a total dunce with it i just want to get off to a good start and know whats what :) thanks again
 
if you do ww online its currently 6.95 a month online only but you do get the online tools, online calculator, find & explore pro point values, you can also use the ww comunity boards that are free with/without joining online, 3mths is 15.00, but you can do monthly pass which is 19.99(think 1st mth bit cheaper) but that includes all the online services & also your meeting, the new pro points plan has just came out & will be widely advertised in the new year so maybe some offers on joining then x
 
Glad the post was useful!! :eek:)

I can't vouch for online vs groups as I've always done groups or nothing - perhaps where I'm going wrong!! I know theres a few minis who have recently swapped to online so hopefully one of them will pick up the thread or you!!

In terms of working out values, it is a case of working out each individual ingredient and adding them up, although this isn't as onerous as it sounds as after a while you learn your favourite things by heart. If you become a member theres a number of tools to make it easier. You can buy a calculator and shopping guide, as well as an eating out guide which gives values or lots of restaurant food.I got both books, a food diary tracker and a calculator for £17 last week, but its just a one off payment. There's then the online site which has lots of values and a calculator, as well as an app (if you have an iPhone) which is just a lifesaver!!

I know people have found other online calculators, some of which seem to be accurate, however people are warning against using any non- WW ones until they're generally more reliable!!

Don't be lulled into thinking it'll be easy, I'm a serial WW'er and will admit that this last week and a bit has completely boggled me, and I've been confused permanently this week, but it will start to make sense, and become second nature, and as I said, the support here is wonderful!!

:eek:)
 
Welcome to minimims :D I too have followed both plans and they both work. I do have a tendancy to overeat and far prefer weighing and measuring - allows me to feel far more in control ( yes I'm a control freak lol )
I also followed a VLCD and the transition can be tough and you may see a stight gain in the first week but this will settle.
I don't eat ready meals either, my whole family eat my food. I use esource ( I'm on monthly pass ), I have entered my fav receipes and it works all the points out per serving.
I track daily on there and then copy and paste onto here ( check out my food diary - link below :D )
Wishing you the best of luck and please feel free to ask anything
xx
 
with ww online you have some very handy tools, like the esource list of foods (including shopping and eating out and basic foods, the calculator online and the message board. That has got a signing up fee and then it's £6.95 a month or £15 for 3 months. Monthly pass is £19.95 a month (but £12.95 for the first month) and you get to go to meetings, get the pep talk from your leader and the support of the group AND also the esource. it's up to you which one you rather go with :)
 
oh I forgot to add another essential tool: the recipe builder online! You add the ingredients and the quantities and the portion size and it tells you how many points your recipe is per portion :)
 
Sorry, yeah there is an app, but you can only log on and use if if it recognises your login!!

Its one thing I'm not sure I could live without!! :eek:)
 
I think im going to go for the monthly pass i think a combination of meetings and the online tools will probably work best for me. Ive come down with the flu so im going to calorie count this week until im well enough to start the meetings. Am i best waiting till the week after christmas or should the meetings be on next week? When ive signed up online do i just turn up at a meeting with my temp pass feels weird just turning up without prior arrangement. How long are the meetings on average? going to read through the food diarys and hopefully get some ideas :D Cant wait to start im excited by the online tools how sad am i :giggle:

jen x
 
You just turn up on the night, at my meeting the first half hour is for weigh in and the second half an hour for group. New members have a chat with the leader at the end of group. I never thought i would actually like going to a class but i love it and i look forward to it.
 
All the best with your first class, i'm sure you will love it. Any advice you need come on this web page as everyone on here are fab and always here to help. xxxx
 
Hey!

I have neve tried WW but was an avid SW member for about 5 years. I lost about 5 stone and it never really felt like a diet to me. I stopped going because I fell pregnant but that was mt choice, you can keep going whilst pregnant if you wish.

Once my baby is born I will be joing WW. SW works but if you are a food addict, an emotional eater or just need an excuse to stuff your face (I am all of these) then its not so great.

As I said I lost a lot of weight and kept it off for years until falling preggy but it never allowed me to deal with portion control and get used to only eating when I was hungry.

As the free foods were unlimited it also became costly. A weekly shop would be gone in no time, my husband would complain constantly about it and as we had two children to feed also it was becoming ridiculous, LOL!
 
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