Why I’ll never go back to Slimming World

A couple of years ago, I was Slimming World’s biggest fan, to the point that I even considered becoming a consultant. Now, I look back at those few months as a member with disgust, especially when they announce plan changes as ridiculous as their new ones, announced today.

My biggest problem with Slimming World, other than it triggering very unhealthy behaviour, has always been that it is shit for vegetarians, and bloody impossible for vegans. Meat eaters could eat their weight in steak, and yet I had to syn most of my protein sources. In their new plan, they have removed many of the vegetarian and vegan protein options, such as baked beans, peas and broad beans. These options are still free, just not a P food, which means that you can’t have them on SP. they have also decreased the healthy extra allowances of dairy free milks. You used to be able to have an entire litre of almond milk, but now, you can have 200ml of whole milk at 87 calories, but 400ml of almond milk at 52 calories. How can these two milks be considered equal? Sure you can now have two healthy A options a day, but these options have drastically different nutritional values. They seem to be linked only by calcium content, meaning that Slimming World is disregarding the the most basic rule of eating healthily - making sure you have a sensible split in macronutrients and don’t over consume calories.

There is just so much about this plan that doesn’t make sense to me. They recently announced that muller lights were no longer syn free. Fair enough, it never made sense to me anyway, but still, it’s a bit weird that such a staple of the plan is no longer free. My first instinct was that Slimming world were coming out with their own line of yogurts, but no sign just yet. They also decided that blueberries should be a speed food now. Other processed foods changing around a bit you can understand, recipe changes and what not, but blueberries, suddenly they’re healthier than they used to be? It’s ridiculous.

Yes, I lost a stone and a half on Slimming World. I also put on two stone at Slimming World, spent over £300 for the pleasure, developed a starve/binge/purge eating disorder and ruined all my bakeware.

Since I left Slimming World, I have a better knowledge of nutrition and a healthier relationship with food, and I don’t want to ever put that at risk again.