I dont think anyone disputes that SW works. Long term it doesnt give you the tools to maintain your 'target' weight. Also Ive said this for a few years now, not in relation to PTs jumping on the hate SW bandwagon. I have no views here, no clout to gain by posting what happened to me.
You cant avoid meals out and celebrations forever. You dont want to have chicken in black bean sauce and boiled rice for every takeaway and having takeaways of your choice and 'unlimited' free food doesnt go hand in hand with maintaining weight.
I wouldnt go as far to say as SW gave me an eating disorder but I had disordered eating. The full binge/purge rollercoaster. Barely eating before weigh in but then eating 'on plan' but more carbs and bigger portions the 3 days following weigh in. Id stop drinking water at 1pm for a 5pm weigh in.
I was seen as the 'ideal SW-er' at my class. Constantly looked up to and told to ask as I was doing 'so well' so I felt more pressure to continually have a loss each week. I couldnt say outl oud what I was doing because I knew it wasnt normal.
Im more educated now and realise that weightloss isnt a downward line constantly and fluctuations are normal. Especially for females, we ovulate, we menstruate, we hold water more than males do. I dont need to analyse my whole weeks eating if I gain half a pound and wonder where I went wrong.
Also having been what I would say is skinny for my frame/height I realised that loving myself wasnt solved by being a weight/size. If you dont love yourself as you are you'l always see something wrong no matter what size you are. I could see my bones and still felt just another half stone would be better.
You cant avoid meals out and celebrations forever. You dont want to have chicken in black bean sauce and boiled rice for every takeaway and having takeaways of your choice and 'unlimited' free food doesnt go hand in hand with maintaining weight.
I wouldnt go as far to say as SW gave me an eating disorder but I had disordered eating. The full binge/purge rollercoaster. Barely eating before weigh in but then eating 'on plan' but more carbs and bigger portions the 3 days following weigh in. Id stop drinking water at 1pm for a 5pm weigh in.
I was seen as the 'ideal SW-er' at my class. Constantly looked up to and told to ask as I was doing 'so well' so I felt more pressure to continually have a loss each week. I couldnt say outl oud what I was doing because I knew it wasnt normal.
Im more educated now and realise that weightloss isnt a downward line constantly and fluctuations are normal. Especially for females, we ovulate, we menstruate, we hold water more than males do. I dont need to analyse my whole weeks eating if I gain half a pound and wonder where I went wrong.
Also having been what I would say is skinny for my frame/height I realised that loving myself wasnt solved by being a weight/size. If you dont love yourself as you are you'l always see something wrong no matter what size you are. I could see my bones and still felt just another half stone would be better.
! SW is a great way to start for someone who has a lot to lose. If they ditched the crap terminology they would be better.
it doesn't teach you how to portion control. People regain after because the mentality of 'free food' teaches over eating, 'have as much as you want/fill up on speed'. Then when it comes to real life situations like eating out and celebrations/takeaways or similar, the plan doesn't work. It's great if you have absolutely no idea where to start, but once your near your goal (cringe) weight, there's no education on how to maintain. Stupid things like have an extra healthy extra isn't how to maintain, talk about calories, nutrition, real life food encounters. I've lost 4st twice on SW and 5 St once after....... I regained everytime because I didn't have a clue how to balance it all. I've lost 3st now and kept it off for 4 years because once I stopped SW and started trying to eat healthy, it became sustainable