One of the most popular diets in the Netmums Forum is Slimming World, where you can eat without having to count calories. But how does it work, and how quickly will you lose weight? Here's everything you need to know about Slimming World ready for your 2023 New Year's resolutions

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The beauty of Slimming World lies not in calorie counting (ugh!) but in making healthy and sustainable changes to your lifestyle and diet. If you follow its guidance closely, you can expect to lose between one and two pounds a week – the same weight loss rate that the NHS recommends !

Among Netmums users, following the Slimming World diet plan – along with sharing Slimming World recipes and tips in the Netmums Forum – is a hugely popular way to lose weight.

The diet is famous for its ‘ Free Foods ’ – certain foods you can eat as much of as you want without worrying about calorie counting. It's also known for its ' Syns ' – the daily treats that are still allowed.

You can either go to meetings with other Slimming World members or follow the plan online ... and even have a bar of chocolate or a glass of wine a day, if you want.

We spoke to Slimming World’s public health manager, Carolyn Pallister, to get the lowdown on the diet including:

• how much weight you can lose
• what you can eat on the Slimming World diet
• whether it’s safe to do when you’re trying to conceive, pregnant or after having a baby

Plus, we've uncovered the latest advice. Keep reading to get all your need-to-knows about the Slimming World diet and start making positive New Year's resolutions for 2023 now ...

What is Slimming World?

Founded by Margaret Miles-Bramwell in 1969, Slimming World is one of the most popular diet plans in the UK.

There are over 19,000 groups around the UK, with more than 900,000 people going along to Slimming World every week.

In a nutshell, it's a slimming club that offers:

• weekly meetings with unique support
• a choice of online-only membership
• online support
• recipe suggestions
• encouragement to get active

How does Slimming World work?

Carolyn says, ‘Ultimately it is a calorie-restricted diet plan but it just doesn’t feel as restrictive as other diets because you don’t have to count everything.’

Slimming World is all about 'Food Optimising' . This means you can eat as many ‘Free Foods’ as you like – including fruit, vegetables and lean meats. By filling up on these low-fat foods, you'll want less of the foods that are potentially fattening.

While certain foods are valued in terms of 'Syns' (see below).

The focus is very much on healthy eating and building sustainable weight loss, rather than a crash diet which can soon have you piling on the pounds again.

Carolyn says, ‘The idea behind Slimming World is that the diet plan is self-limiting.

'In theory, you could eat a whole chicken if you wanted to, as long as the skin and fat were removed and it was cooked in a healthy way. But how many of us could really eat a whole chicken in one meal?

‘It’s all about making lifelong changes. You can stick to a change of diet for a couple of weeks but what about the long haul? The aim is to change the way people are shopping, cooking and eating long-term.'

Read reviews and more about Slimming World's success story.

What's a Syn?

Foods on the Slimming World diet have a value of Syns, and you can have a certain number of these Syns a day . This is usually between 5 and 15 if you're following what's called the Extra Easy Plan.

But, members following the Extra Easy SP plan (a plan designed to further boost their weight loss) are advised to enjoy a maximum of 10 Syns per day.

As an example, a 125ml glass of prosecco is 5 Syns, while chocolate can be anything from 4 Syns to around 20, depending on which type you are eating.

Other examples of Syns include foods such as biscuits, cakes, crisps, dressings, ice cream and pizza.

Read about Syns in more detail.

What are 'Free Foods'?

Slimming World members can eat as much as they want of certain ‘filling’ but low fat foods. Slimming World Free Foods include:

• lean meat
• fish
• eggs
• fruit and vegetables
• (cooked) dried pasta, rice and noodles.
• meat substitutes including plain tofu, Quorn and seitan
• pulses
• fat-free dairy

Free foods include 'Speed Foods' – fruit and veg that help speed up weight loss, and should take up at least 1/3 of every plate of the food you eat.

Read about Free Foods in more detail.

What can I eat each day on the Slimming World diet?

Slimming World splits your daily food into three categories:

Free Foods – eat as much of this as you want, to fill yourself up
The ‘Free Foods’ include fruit, vegetables, rice, pasta, lean meats and poultry with the skin and fat removed. There are plenty of options for your breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Carolyn explains, 'These are filling foods and you can eat them quite freely and still manage your weight. The freedom that this gives a slimmer is brilliant.

'It means you’re not getting to six o’clock at night and realising you’ve run out of points or gone over your recommended calories for the day.’

Healthy Extras – 3 a day
These ‘healthy extras’ include calcium-rich foods (Group A) and fibre-rich foods (Group B).

You can have 2 healthy extras a day from group A, and 1 a day from group B.

In 2019, Slimming World amended its inclusion of Healthy Extras as follows:

• To boost calcium intake, there’s an increase in the amount of whole cow’s milk to 200ml per day within the Healthy Extra ‘A’ allowance.
• As more products are now available in the market, the overall average nutrition profile of rice and almond milk has changed, so Healthy Extra ‘A’ portions of these have decreased to 225ml and 400ml respectively.
• Some products, including sweetened dairy-free milk, reduced-fat/light soft cheese and soft goat's cheese, are no longer classed as Healthy Extras.

When you’re pregnant or if you’re breastfeeding, you're allowed more of these ‘healthy extras’.

Syns – up to 15 a day
Things like wine, chocolate, nuts and crisps are all given a Syn value.

Until recently, members were allowed between 5 and 15 Syns a day (of course, you can skip them completely if you don't want any). However, this has now been reduced if you're following the Extra Easy SP plan:

'To further boost their weight loss, members following the Extra Easy SP plan will be advised to enjoy a maximum of 10 Syns per day ,' explains Slimming World.

Find out exactly what you can and can't eat on Slimming World.

Even with such a simple diet, it can sometimes be easy to max out your Syns without even noticing. A food diary is a great way to keep track of your eating and increase your chances of success.

You can also download the free Slimming World app on iPhone and Android, to plan and track your meals, plus get healthy eating tips and over 1,600 tasty recipes.

What Slimming World support is available?

It's up to you whether you want to go along to weekly meetings, or if you want to follow the plan 100% online.

Groups
The groups are held at different times of the day and are led by a trained Slimming World consultant. This is the person who leads your local club, will weigh you each week and talk to you about your weight loss.

All Slimming World consultants have lost weight with the plan themselves.

You can take your kids along if you want, meaning you don’t need to miss a meeting if you can’t get a babysitter.

You also get weekly support from other Slimming World members, not to mention you'll make new friends.

Online
If you don’t fancy the idea of going along to meetings, you can just try the plan online instead.

When you join you’ll have access to lots of Slimming World recipes as well as online support.

Plus, you can also search the Netmums forum for recipes , and find even more low-calorie meal ideas in our recipes pages .

What happens at a Slimming World group?

The groups last for about an hour and are usually held in local halls.

You'll be weighed privately away from the rest of the group – your weight is never shared with other members. But a weekly weigh-in is a great way to meet other members, hear success stories and get tips and advice for reaching your own goals.

Everyone then takes part in what Slimming World calls IMAGE Therapy (Individual Motivation And Group Experience) .

This is basically an open forum for sharing recipes, weight loss stories or any problems you're having sticking to your diet.

How much does Slimming World cost?

In-person groups

Joining an in-person group costs £10.95 to start with, then £5.95 a week .

Online

To join online , you can choose from one of three plans:

• Bronze membership: £60 - 3 months' membership, plus Slimming World's member pack
• Silver membership: £65 - 3 months' membership, plus Slimming World's member pack and 2 Slimming World recipe books
• Gold membership: £80 - 3 months' membership, plus Slimming World's member pack, 2 Slimming World recipe books and a 1-year subscription to Slimming World Magazine

Young people

11-15 year olds can get free membership if accompanied by a fee-paying adult.

Where to find a Slimming World group near you

There are over 19,000 groups across the UK, plus groups in the Republic of Ireland and Cyprus. Find your nearest Slimming World club.

How quickly does Slimming World work?

If you follow the regime to the letter, you should start to notice weight loss straight away. Slimming World recommends that its members aim to lose between 1 and 2 pounds a week .

This is also the speed of weight loss recommended by the NHS . Compared to crash diets, losing weight at this speed is more likely to be sustainable and help you feel healthier and look better in the longer term.

How much weight will you lose?

It’s up to you to pick your target weight. Carolyn says, ‘We have members with a stone to lose and those who have 20 stone to lose, so there is no average weight loss.’

Does Slimming World work for everyone?

Yes, the Slimming World weight loss plan is designed to work for everyone.

However, if you have a lot of weight to lose, talk to your GP before starting any diet.

You should also see your midwife or doctor if you want to join Slimming World when you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Real Slimming World reviews

Here's what Netmums users have to say about the Slimming World diet:

'I lost 3 and a half stone doing slimming world in 6 months before my wedding so it definitely works.'
– Paula C

'It works, sadly I didn't stay too long both times I tried as first my work hours conflicted but I did lose 11lb in 3-4 weeks. Second time, I joined and lost a few pound in a couple of weeks before I found out I was pregnant then gave up.'
– Abigail234

'It really does work! I lost 5 stone in my first year, took about another 6 months to lose the final stone.'
– Anonymous

'I was able to lose without any exercise,'
– Anonymous

'Hey I've only been on it three weeks and I have lost 12 pounds, so far so good I haven't done any exercise as plain and simple I'm too lazy plus running around after a toddler has me shattered. I was skeptical about this diet and thought it was too good to be true but it actually does work! Just keep at it'
– Nisaa

'I did it before when I wasn't pregnant and lost 3 stone really enjoyed it'
– MC (2)

'Yeah I find the groups good for motivation and food ideas and I prefer someone else weighing me x'
– Katie J(386)

'I've done it!!!! Anyone who has read my previous posts knows of my up -down-up-down weight-loss journey.Well,I made it!!
It has taken me about 4 weeks to lose the last 1.5 lb, and this week actually lost 2.5, so I am a little under target weight, which I am thrilled with (...) It has been slow, but I think part of that, apart from a big blow out in August, was always falling down every time we have a birthday in this family(there are 6 of us). Every birthday, I would eat rubbish for that day, the sweet tooth came back with a vengeance, and it would take ages to get back on track....and re-lose all the weight gained in that time (...) I must say, I have posted on Netmums a few times (especially over the last few months when it has all been such a grind), and the support has been lovely, so thank you to everyone here who has supported me'
– louise w(582)

' I have maintained my 4 stone 7 weight loss for nearly a year, and have never gone out of target. I am part of the social team for my group, so I still go every week.  Getting weighed every week has helped keep me on track.'
– Anonymous

'I must admit i am a bit apprehensive of getting to target and staying there, but like you said it's knowing that if you fancy a treat you can have one but not going overboard.'
– Anonymous

'Hey, started slimming world at the weekend but I’m not gonna lie ... I’m so hungry!'
– Heather R

'I've done slimming world twice before and I had great results but the results never last long and I end up piling all the weight back on and extra!'
– Laura C(2052)

'I started SW about 4 months ago and so far have lost 2 and half stone.. it's the first time in my life I've actually committed to losing weight and it's worked. I go to classes and find "the fear" of going and being weighed at group (even though they don't shout it out or anything) is what keeps me on track!'
– Laura T(886)

'I would say its definitely worth giving it a go. I'm doing it for the second time and have lost 21lbs in 7 weeks'
– boffb

'I joined in November and have lost 2st 3lbs. I’m not a big fruit or veg eater but have found this easy to follow. Lunch times are sometimes a struggle for me but always manage to find something suitable. Also everything has to be cooked from scratch but there are low syn freezer options I have found for when I’m really not in the mood. Give it a try.'
– Amanda C(363)

'I’d say yes it worked for me BUT only if you follow what you are told! I lost 3 stone, I’m currently pregnant and still going, so far I’ve gained 2 stone but I’m just bump, last preg 9 years ago I was huge everywhere! I’ll most def continue after baby arrives. Good luck'
– Katie G(175)

Can you do the Slimming World diet when you're trying to conceive?

Yes, it’s fine to do the weight loss programme when you’re trying for a baby.

Carolyn says, ‘We have a lot of members who are struggling with their weight and worry this might be one of the reasons they are struggling to conceive. They join to get healthier before getting pregnant.’

You follow the same plan as other slimmers and will also be encouraged to join the Body Magic activity programme .

This aims to get you active for 30 minutes a day, five days a week. Activities can include hitting the gym or simply going for a walk.

It’s important you tell your consultant when you get pregnant so you can start following the pregnancy-specific Slimming World plan .

Can you do the Slimming World diet when you're pregnant?

Slimming World works with the Royal College of Midwives to support pregnant women – and breastfeeding mums – to manage their weight.

As soon as you get pregnant, the shift focuses from weight loss to managing your weight, making sure you don't put on excess weight in pregnancy.

Carolyn says, ‘We find women will join because once they become pregnant, they realise they’ve been struggling with their weight up to that point. They don’t want to gain excess weight in pregnancy and put themselves or the baby at risk.’

Find out more about using Slimming World during pregnancy .

How soon can you start using Slimming World after you've had a baby?

You can join Slimming World after your routine six week postnatal check with your doctor.

If you were a member of Slimming World when you were pregnant, talk to your consultant about starting back earlier.

The aim is to lose weight slowly and steadily, rather than shedding the pounds too quickly.

If you’re breastfeeding, you’ll be given a special plan to follow. This includes:

• 6 Healthy Extras a day rather than 3.
• Eating 15 Syns a day to keep your energy levels up.
• Joining the Body Magic activity programme .

Can you do Slimming World without joining?

Yes, it's possible to do Slimming World without joining their online or in-person membership. However, you'll miss out on the supportive community that joining a Slimming World group can bring, as well as access to lots of online resources.

Slimming World has created this 7-day menu , which is free to view on their website. This will help you get an idea of what food you should be eating for each meal if you decide to go it alone. And you can always chat to members in our forum , who'll be happy to share their tips and ideas.

If you're feeling nervous about the social element of Slimming World, some Netmums users have found their Slimming World consultant to be sympathetic when they mention their worries.

'I used to weigh and leave also due to anxiety but then my friend who knew the leader mentioned my anxiety and she told me that i should stay and she would keep mine short and sweet,' says Ljff58cpa.

You might consider joining Slimming World and going along to one session to see how you like it. 'When you join you can pay per meeting so even if you go the first time and decide not to return then you are not losing anything,' Ljff58cpa continues.

Looking for more weight loss tips? Swap ideas with other dieters in our Forum, post recipes you love or check out our articles below.

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