What Is the Slimming World Diet?

What Is the Slimming World Diet?

Slimming World is a weight loss program that teaches members to shop for and eat whole, nutritious foods and limit their intake of fatty, sugary, or processed foods. Motivational support and guidance to encourage an active lifestyle are also vital components of the program.

The Slimming World program is based on the belief that confidence-building support and healthy food choices can produce weight loss without counting calories or severely restricting food intake.

The 7-Day Diet Plan

 While there are many different versions of the diet, here is one example:

What You Can Eat

A Slimming World membership includes three key components: a food plan, a support plan, and an activity plan. No foods or food groups are off-limits. Instead, foods are divided into three categories—Free Foods (unlimited), Healthy Extras (allowed in moderation), and Syns (to be eaten sparingly).

In general, Free Foods are high-nutrient, low-calorie offerings such as fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins. Some experts question whether starchy choices such as potatoes and pasta should be eaten in unlimited amounts (as they can be on this plan).

Fruits and Vegetables

Any fruits and vegetables are acceptable on the Slimming World diet. Produce is low calorie and high volume, meaning it fills you up for fewer calories.

• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Spinach
• Apples
• Berries
• Grapes
• Melons
• Asparagus
• Cucumber

Lean Protein

• Chicken breast
• Sirloin steak
• Pork tenderloin
• Shrimp
• White fish
• Beans and legumes
  

Healthy Fats

Nuts and seeds are healthy sources of fats and protein, but with Slimming World, you consume few portions of nuts and seeds because they are very calorie-dense. Fats are higher in calories, and although many oils and avocado are healthy foods, they are calorie-dense and so only consumed in smaller quantities on the Slimming World diet.

• Olive oil
• Avocado
• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Coconut oil
  

Starchy Foods

Starchier options are eaten in moderation. Choosing whole grains adds fiber to help keep you feeling full.

• Potatoes
• Pasta
• Whole grain bread
• Brown rice
• Quinoa
• Oatmeal

What You Cannot Eat

There is little you cannot eat on the Slimming Diet. It is more about the moderation of certain foods. So these foods are to be eaten sparingly, but don't need to be avoided altogether.

Sugary and Starchy Foods

While the occasional small treat is acceptable, sugary foods are generally avoided.

• Bread
• Crackers
• Candy
• Soda
• Desserts
• Ice cream
• Wine
  

Higher-Fat Foods

• Deep-fried foods
• Breaded fried foods
• Milk
• Cheese
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Oils
• Avocado
  

How to Prepare the Slimming World Diet & Tips

Slimming World members practice "food optimizing" to avoid hunger and stay satisfied. Food optimizing means building meals around foods that fall into one of three categories, including Free Foods, Healthy Extras, and Syns.

Free Foods

Members do not measure or restrict Free Foods. They include lean meat and poultry, fish and seafood, potatoes, pasta, rice, eggs, beans and lentils, fruits and vegetables, and other foods that are low energy-dense (low in calories). 

Keep in mind that some of these foods are considered Free Foods for this specific diet, that they are not low in calories, and should be portion-controlled. Some Free Foods are considered "speed foods." Members are instructed to include a certain number of speed foods in each meal. Speed foods are those that are lower in calories but high in nutrition (like many fruits and vegetables).

Healthy Extras

Members will need to measure and limit foods in this category. Healthy extras include calcium-rich foods, such as cheese, yogurt, milk, and fiber-rich foods, like whole-grain cereal and whole-grain bread products. These foods provide nutrition and boost satiety but increase daily caloric intake. Healthy extras are enjoyed in smaller amounts.

Syns

These are foods that some might call indulgences. Syn stands for "synergy," and the word represents all of the treats that bring us enjoyment and help us stay on track with our diets. Syns include foods like sugary baked goods, candy, ice cream, or wine. This category also includes cooking oils, like olive oil, and other healthy fats like avocado. These foods make up a minor proportion of the diet.

Community Support

A vital component of the Slimming World plan is community support offered through meetings and online tools. During the first 12 weeks of the program, you'll have access to a structured program that helps you learn about the eating plan. You will also sign up for an online "Slimming Group" that meets at a convenient time for you. Participation in the Slimming Group is the cornerstone of this program.

For this reason, members support each other during the one-hour meeting where the focus is on growing self-efficacy and building confidence. Each session is directed by a Slimming World-trained consultant. Before each session, members may choose to log their weight change.

No one is required to reveal their progress or their weight to the other group members. However, if they do so, they can expect to get support and feedback regarding their success or struggles. Questions are answered during the meeting, and members share tips to help each other stay on track.

Physical Activity

Although physical activity is strongly encouraged, exercise is not required on the Slimming World plan. In fact, the company believes exercise is not necessary to lose weight. But they encourage members to boost daily activity to help with weight loss and keep the weight from coming back.

Slimming World promotes Body Magic, its program to burn more calories by incorporating more movement into your daily routine to increase physical activity. The program was developed in collaboration with Ken Fox, emeritus professor of exercise and health sciences at the University of Bristol in England.

As a Slimming World member, you'll use evidence-based strategies to gradually increase daily movement and build your sustainable activity plan. The goal of the program is to eventually participate in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week.

Those who have certain medical conditions, such as high cholesterol or diabetes, may use the plan with guidance from a physician. Vegan and vegetarian eaters will also find support on the Slimming World diet. The program is not recommended for anyone who is pregnant or who has an eating disorder.

Pros of the Slimming World Diet

No diet or weight loss program works perfectly for everyone. So before you choose to invest in any commercial program, it's wise to evaluate the pros and cons of the program. Ask yourself key questions about your lifestyle, budget, and past dieting history to make sure you choose a program that will work for you.

• Offers wide variety: No foods are off-limits on this plan, but many of the emphasized foods are nutritious and recognized by most health experts as essential for a healthy diet. They are also foods likely to help you feel full after eating, so you don't get hungry.
• No calorie counting: Unlike many popular commercial diets, there are no packaged foods to buy, no shakes or meal-replacement drinks, and no specific calorie goals to meet on the Slimming World diet.
• Includes community support: Access to a Slimming World consultant and fellow members is built into the program. Support like this can make a big difference. Several studies have supported Slimming World as an effective weight loss program.
• Emphasis on healthy foods: To stay full, you'll be eating a lot of low-calorie foods. As well, Slimming World requires you to eat Speed foods that have a high nutrient content. Eating foods that fill you up with few calories is a highly effective weight loss strategy.
• Not restrictive: Slimming World does not require you to completely give up any foods or eliminate any food groups. You won't need to completely forgo any foods, which means you will be less likely to quit the diet due to feeling deprived.
• Effective: A study published in BMC Public Health evaluated weight change outcomes in more than 1.3 million participants during their first three months of participation in Slimming World. The average amount of weight lost was approximately 8.5 pounds. For participants attending at least 75% of possible weekly sessions, the average weight loss was nearly 15 pounds.

Cons of the Slimming World Diet

• Offers little portion control: The National Health Service in England has criticized the Slimming World program for not providing enough information to members about calories and portion sizes.
• Requires a time commitment: While the foundation underlying Slimming World's food, support, and movement plan are sound, the program may take more work than other popular commercial programs like Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem. You also need to find the time and energy to create a program to increase daily movement for the activity plan to be effective.
• Doesn't teach portion control: Even though the program promises that you don't have to measure foods, count calories, or eliminate certain foods, there are rules you need to follow if you want to be successful. So it is realistic that you may feel deprived or struggle as you adjust to eating new foods and limiting or avoiding certain comfort foods that are not on the Free Foods list.
• May be difficult for new healthy eaters: No foods are provided, so members must learn to prepare their own meals and make numerous food choices throughout the day. For some, this approach may be overwhelming. In simple terms, this program doesn't provide the convenience or flexibility offered by other weight loss systems. Also, members need to have access to reasonably healthy groceries for this program to work.

Is Slimming World a Healthy Diet for You?

The Slimming World program is designed to support weight loss at a rate of one to two pounds per week. Most experts agree that this is a reasonable and sustainable rate.

The Slimming World eating plan structure follows similar guidelines as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Choose My Plate program, which encourages Americans to fill their plate with vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and lean protein.

Additionally, the program encourages participants to limit intake of empty calories and fill up on satisfying whole foods (emphasizing fruits and vegetables) to promote wellness.

The Slimming World program differs from USDA recommendations in one key area—calorie counting. Slimming World doesn't require it, but the USDA (and many nutrition experts) suggests that being mindful of calorie intake may be necessary for weight loss. This calculator will help you determine about how many calories you should consume every day to reach a goal weight.

A Word From Verywell

Many diet experts would argue that the key to sustainable weight loss is a strong personal commitment to healthy living and a foundation of nutritious food choices. So if you have the time and energy to learn about smarter eating, and if you have the motivation to build and sustain a pattern of daily movement, Slimming World may be a good choice for you.

Remember, following a long-term or short-term diet may not be necessary for you and many diets out there simply don’t work, especially long-term. While we do not endorse fad diet trends or unsustainable weight loss methods, we present the facts so you can make an informed decision that works best for your nutritional needs, genetic blueprint, budget, and goals.

If your goal is weight loss, remember that losing weight isn’t necessarily the same as being your healthiest self, and there are many other ways to pursue health. Exercise, sleep, and other lifestyle factors also play a major role in your overall health. The best diet is always the one that is balanced and fits your lifestyle.