Making the decision to lose weight is not as easy as it sounds. We often plump to overhaul our lifestyle, unaware of which direction to go with it, leaving us confused about the options. So, Slimming World vs Weight Watchers? Or perhaps neither will work for you.
In this article, I’m hoping to give you an overview of both ‘diets’ and their pros and cons. As you’ll probably have guessed from this blog, I have been hugely successful in the past following Slimming World. However, many of my friends would pick Weight Watchers every single time, so hopefully, this gives you a balanced view to help you decide which to try.
Slimming World
Slimming World is available both online and in classes. Rather than being seen as a diet by many of its followers, it is known more as a lifestyle overhaul, encouraging healthier eating habits and increased activity levels.
The diet itself allows for healthy extras (which focus on ensuring you have the right intake of calcium and fibre) and unlimited (but within reason) amounts of food low in sugar and fat. Slimming World also recommends avoiding processed food wherever possible.
While there are many free foods to choose from, you will also get a syn allowance per day. For most people, it is 15, but if you are a little larger, to begin with, it could be 20 or even 25. I have a guide that shares that.
It isn’t just the food that Slimming World encourages you to keep an eye on, but the amount of activity in your everyday life, too. Members ought to try to take part in some form of exercise which will raise the heart rate for at least half an hour five times a week. As well as receiving certificates for significant achievements in weight loss, Body Magic (activity levels) comes with its own rewards, too.
Weight Watchers (WW)
Like Slimming World, its fiercest rival, Weight Watchers (officially known as WW nowadays) can be following online or via attendance in classes (now known as workshops).
As you sign up, you undertake a personal assessment, resulting in a coloured food plan based on your requirements: either blue, green or purple. Doing this ensures that the information given to you best prepares you for success, allowing you to eat the foods you actually can (due to diet choices, allergies and intolerances, for example).
You are given a daily points allowance plus a weekly allowance for any extras. It is up to you how you decide to use the weekly ones: a big blow out on a Saturday night with a takeaway and a few drinks or a little extra every day.
There are lots of great recipes online which can be adapted to be ideal for Weight Watchers or counted by looking at points and values of each ingredient or you could search for Weight Waters recipes specifically. This Weight Watchers Potato Soup sounds amazing!
The Weight Watchers app is great. It allows you to scan foods when shopping and add them to your meals, keeping track of your points for the day. You can also find recipe ideas and read articles about building a healthier lifestyle for you and your family. It is even possible to earn rewards by sticking to your points and reaching your sleep, water and activity goals.
Reading this, you may feel that there is little to separate these two giants of the dieting world these days, and I think you’d be right (to a point). Chats with my closest friends have revealed that both SW and WW allow so many free foods that avoiding getting the scales out for every single item is a huge bonus.
However, having an unlimited amount of certain foods can mean that overeating is easier, though not encouraged. Whichever diet you choose to follow, I hope that you find success – don’t forget that lots of my recipes are both SW and WW friendly, so have a go at making some of those, too.
Slimming World vs Weight Watchers which would you choose?
