You might’ve caught me ruffling feathers over on TikTok recently when I said, brace yourself, Slimming World is shit
I said what I said ♀️
If you didn’t see it, check it out here.
Judging by the flood of comments, I’m not the only one who thinks their approach has done more harm than good.
Overwhelmingly, people told me that Slimming World has royally fucked up their relationship with food and left them in a worse place than when they started. Confused, ashamed, scared to eat a banana, and told that a Curly Wurly is better than avocado because ‘less syns’ (this is a true story, I really wish it weren’t)!
As a qualified nutritionist, this makes my blood boil.
Because we’re taught to first, do no harm.
A memo Slimming World clearly missed.
But amidst the comments, one reply hit me hard:
“Lots of people really need to have accountability to lose weight and be healthy. There are no ‘calorie deficit’ groups so we have no choice”
And THAT is exactly why I’m writing this post.
Because YES, you do have another option.
One that doesn’t charge you £5 a week to clap for a half-pound loss.
One that doesn’t call food ‘syns’.
One that doesn’t gaslight you into believing your failure is your fault for not trying hard enough.
So if not Slimming World… then what?
Put that fiver back in your pocket, or better still add it to your shopping budget. I’m going to show you a zero cost way of making progress with your health goals, no fucking syns involved.
Step 1:
Build your own accountability group
You don’t need a sticker chart and public weigh-ins to get support.
Set up a WhatsApp/Telegram/Facebook group with a few friends who also want to work on their health.
Share progress, meal ideas, wins, struggles, memes, walk dates—whatever works.
Community and consistency > guilt and patronising ‘certificates’ for Slimmer of the Week.
Step 2:
Track your food for 2 to 4 weeks
Yes, I said it, don’t roll your eyes TRACK. YOUR. FOOD.
You’ll learn more in 4 weeks of honest food tracking than 20 fucking years of sitting in a beige hall listening to someone explain how a Müller Light is your best life choice.
Food tracking gives you clarity, not restriction.
It puts you in charge. Not a colour-coded booklet.
Need help starting? read this post.
Knowledge and awareness about what’s in your food empowers you to make informed choices.
Calling foods ‘syns’ and having a completely nonsensical system for calculating the nutritional values of food leaves you confused and unable to trust your instinct about food.
Step 3:
Weigh yourself daily—and average it weekly
Daily tracking gives you actual data. Weight fluctuates. We care about trends, not blips.
Weighing yourself once a week in the circle of shame tells you precisely fuck all about what your weight is actually doing.
Step 4:
Adjust your habits like an adult
If weight’s trending up or staying the same? That’s OK. Time to tweak, not panic.
✅ Focus on protein at every meal
✅ Add more veg & fruit for volume and satiety
✅ Walk more (bonus: it helps your mood and digestion too)
Also? Scan your food log for sneaky calorie bombs and make some smart swaps:
Swap oil for spray
Regular pasta → chickpea/lentil pasta (hello, protein)
Full-fat cheese → EatLean or lighter options
Desserts → 0% Greek yoghurt + fruit & honey
And no, this doesn’t mean you can’t ever eat normal cheese or have a dessert. It means you’re making informed choices instead of mindless ones.
Step 5:
Cycle your deficit
Calorie deficits aren’t forever. Your body adapts.
Give yourself breaks so your body can recover from periods of deficit and practice maintaining your new weight.
No more “on/off” madness. Just smart rhythms your body can keep up with.
And yes—this still applies even if you’re on GLP-1s.
Actually… it might be even more important.
Because if you’re using medication to manage appetite or weight, you STILL need to build the skills that keep your body, brain, and behaviour working together.
Tracking, awareness, mindset shifts, strength training, sleep, self-talk, all of it.
GLP-1s may help quiet the hunger.
But they won’t do your steps, track your protein, or teach you to stop hating yourself.
This approach works whether you’re on meds or not.
Because we’re building habits that last long after the injections stop.
And there you go. Zero-cost, no-faff, anti-diet, actually useful guidance from someone who knows their shit and doesn’t sell you shame.
I could tell you about my services right now.
About how I coach women just like you to feel strong, think clearly, and eat like grown-ass adults who love themselves…
But I promised you a no-cost way to start. So I’ll leave it there.
Just one thing: if you try this, drop me a message or comment and let me know how it’s going.
I’ll be here. Cheering you on. No sticker charts required. ♀️
Got questions? I’m only at the end of this email: hayley@lifestyle.ninja.
