Sure Slim: Is it a scam, a fad diet in disguise or does it work?

My thoughts

I know of others who had exactly the same program. In fact no-one I knew had a different one. We never got a copy of our blood tests results. I could not cope with the seeds. the main things seem to be to drink 2 litres of water per day. Have three meals per day with 5 hours between meals and no snacks between. Eat healthy food and not too much. If you stick to their plan you will lose weight, but as soon as you relax you will put on weight rather quickly. Also very hard when you have a family to feed if they do not like the food.

Sureslime is a sures***.

It is such a rip off. I never understood why it was so expensive in the first place, but at the time i was desperate to get the weight off. It was so restrictive, you had to stick to a very limited amount of foods, and you also had to weigh everything! I wasn't allowed any carbs at all, which i think is just bad for you. you need to have energy. The consultant i had for weigh ins wasnt helpful at all. I didnt stick to my diet 100% because it was so hard, and i was completely honest with her about it, but she never tried to help me in anyway. she was just like 'well stick to it this week then'. I was very sick because i wasnt getting the right nutrients, even with supplements, and also became very depressed. it was too hard to stick to, i could never eat out with friends because it was too hard to find anything that fit the requirements. i was even doing excercise while on the program, but was very unmotivated to do very much.

The only way someone would be able to stick to the extremely restrictive diet is if they had the discipline of a soldier! DO NOT GO ON THIS PROGRAM. Instead put the money towards joining a gym or getting a personal trainer. They can also help you with figuring out and teaching you proper nutrition, or can at least refer you to someone who can help you with it.

Plus they use attractive advertising that says  <a href=http://ebs-software.net>"It's not you, it's your metabolism."</a>

I won't call Sureslime a scam, it helped me lose 94 pounds in about 9 months. I stuck to it everyday. My doctor appoved the diet and was excited when I was losing and I managed to get off of my blood pressure meds. I also never exercised due to my arthritis. The staff was very nice but I didn't find them very helpful when I did start to slip, they basically said just try to do better next week. And boy did I slip!

I gained 75 pounds back.

Is that Sureslimes fault? No, it's mine. If I didn't have self-sabotage issues I would not be fat. I don't expect them to be able to solve my problems. Losing the weight was easy keeping it off..not so much. It's not the food and today I get that. I'm back on, using it as my template and learning that it is me alone that will find what works for me. Hell we all know calorie, carbs, protien counts etc. etc we know what we need to be eating. Sureslime should only be part of the solution. I do agree that the plan is a pain when cooking for a family and eating out consists basically of eating salad.

As of 12 January 2009, the SureSlime Australian franchise organisation has not had a Franchisor overseeing the SureSlime franchise operations within Australia.  Petro Tulloch and Calvin Tulloch currently act as caretakers under SureSlime Holdings Pty Ltd as authorised by SureSlime International Limited of which Petro Tulloch and Calvin Tulloch are 100% shareholders.  

The registered ASIC address for SureSlime Holdings Pty Ltd is 66A Cabbage Tree Road, Bayview, being the same for SureSlimeRecipes Pty Ltd of which Petro Tulloch and Calvin Tulloch are Directors and shareholder. The Bayview address was the residential address for Petro Tulloch and Calvin Tulloch up until August 2008 when they relocated to a beach front property at Kiama. Yet, lodged ASIC reports for SureSlime Holdings and SureSlime Recipes state that the registered address is Bayview which conflicts with correspondence by Geoff Adams as noted below. 

On the 12 January 2009, SureSlime Australian franchisees received a letter from the then SureSlime Franchisor SureSlime 2006, Director Geoff Adams who use to be the New Zealand Franchisor.

SureSlime Holdings Pty ltd is acting as the provider of SureSlime programs to distributors being SureSlime franchisees and they are only providing limited services to franchisees at a royalty fee of 10% opposed to the previous royalty fee of approximately 27%.

For further comment about the ongoing closure of SureSlime Australian franchise clinics contact the current SureSlime Australian caretaker SureSlime Holdings Pty Ltd directors, Petro Tulloch and Calvin Tulloch. For further information visit: http://sureslies.wordpress.com 

PS Drew...

It looks like you've made your comments based on a couple of negative comments made on the internet.  I've seen those comments too (made by people not following or don't want to put the work into making change in their lives) but, I've also seen way more positive ones.  Funny how those are not taken into consideration when you put your blog together. 

Hi Everyone, 

I am having a consultation at a sureslime clinic and i am very concerned about the negative comments. I am very worried about spending so many $$$ on something that is the same program for everyone. does anyone still have their exact program that i can try for a few weeks to see if its gonna work before i fork out all my money to find that it is just a scam. I am so tempted to ask another person at the clinic their thoughts before i have my appointment tomorrow.

Thanks any one that can help

removed at the request of sureslime

Julia, every word I said is true; a multiple success story for my family and I.  Too bad you are too close-minded to even check out the program.  My family's results speak for themselves; your comments speak volumes about you.

removed at the request of sureslime

1. If you have a disease like Crohns, stay the heck away from fad diet programs. 

2. If you are pregnant, stay the heck away from fad diet programs.

3. Your final argument suggests that all diets and diet programs work.

Does this mean there are no flawed programs, only flawed people?

I think the main problem with Sureslim is that it is difficult to do long term. Any diet will be. The reason that Sureslim is so popular is because people are looking for a quick way to lose weight - with fast results. However, losing weight is simply not that easy. Basically, if you cut out your carbs, you'll drop the weight. But as soon as you start eating carbs again, not only will you pile on the weight you had before but a little more to boot.

Everyone knows how to lose weight. Eat less, exercise more and eat healthy with everything in moderation. If you just stick to this, not only will you lose the weight but keep it off as well. My doctor and dietician also agree to - the quicker you lose the weight, the harder it is to keep it off. I've stopped going to the dietician because she wasn't telling me anything new... but I've lost 7kg on my own and have kept it off whilst indulging even in fast food on the weekend.

The thing is, self-control and discipline. Start with small goals, say 5kg at a time. Eat healthy most of the time, reduce carbs (but have some!), cut out sugar and carbonated drinks, eat lots of veges (because they're good for you), eat fruits, drink water and you can even occasionally have dessert or chocolate if you wish and STILL lose weight. :D

removed at the request of sureslime

I tried SureSlime when I was a uni student and it cost $900 back then! I thought it must be a fab program if I'm spending that much dosh on it, but in the end it did not work for me. Personally, I found it incredibly hard to maintain - eat every 5 or so hours exactly, eat all my grains or whatever they were...it was just too much. After about a few weeks, I slowly lost the drive to continue (although my payments continued, $50 every fortnight) and I stopped going to the weekly meeting with my consultant. I never heard from them after that - not a phone call, no letter, nothing. Basically, I found the support to be lacking and the consultants are very quick to pitch the sale and get you signed up. Initially, I called the 1800 hotline to find out more about the program and they would not give me any further info until I attended one of ther "info nights". This is basically you in a room with another few people watching a DVD on TV about the program. It sounded great, but when you're actually "doing" the program, its a lot harder.

At the end, I just couldn't handle the headaches and the nausea anymore, so I went back to normal eating.

Also, one of my friends' husband signed up a few months later and he received the same program as me! I'm female, he's male, he was heavier and had high cholesterol and blood pressure issue, I didn't - yet we received the same program! Surely the male and female biochemistry is different! LOL
Needless to say, the poor guy didn't last.

It is so sad that people have to bash something that has helped so many people, including myself..Being on the SureSlime Program has helped me to  learn to eat healthy and to loose and keep my weight off for life..I can only tell you from my point of view...its one of the best things I have done in my life...I will never regret it..ThankYou SureSlime..Ruth

and furthermore, my sister lost 57lbs on sureslim last year, has kept it off and used what she learned with her family about healthy eating and her one overweight child has slimmed out and her husband's cholesteral has lowered to the point on no medication needed anymore.  Overall, a huge success.  They do not look at it as a "fad diet" but as a tool that taught them how to feed thier bodies.

I found some reviews from a woman who worked there at http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/does-work/146653-sureslim-australia.html  there are some ok reviews too, but even the ok reviews gained their weight back. They just blamed it on themselves.

I used to work there in one of the South Australian offices. Basically it is a rip off.

The concept is that they do blood tests and 'fix' your metabolism. As the Administrative co-ordinator at one of the clinics it was my job to compile the "diets" that the head "doctor" sent through after "analizing" the blood test results.

I can tell you right now that they were all exactly the same. The only thing that varied was a food choice if the client ut it down as a 'food dislike'. The 'weight loss consultants' have no health or nutritional training and wouldnt know how to read a blood report to save their lives.

They are sales reps who scare people into purchasing a VERY expensive program. Prices started at $395 for people who only had small amounts of weight to lose, and program prices were as high as $900 for people who had to lose alot of weight. This is the basic cost. You also had to purchase supplements, extra weekly weigh in consultations, seeds, scales, cookbooks etc  ... also ran a side business called "HiVibe" whichis vibration exercise.

None of the consultants that took clients through had any fitness certificates or first aid certificates (Certificate 3 in fitness and senior first aid certificate are bare minimun requirements). These were also very expensive starting at $35 for one session a week to $60 for 3 sessions a week.

To put this in perspective, a gym membership where i work costs $17 a week for unlimited visits, classes and your own personalised program. People did lose weight on this program. Alot of weight. And it went straight back on as soon as they ate anything remotely off plan. The diet principles are: * 3 meals a day * At least 5 hour break between meals with no snacks * Only drinks allowed were water, black coffee and black tea. * All meals had one small protein item which had to be eaten before anything else. In terms of size, were talking something along the lines of one small boiled egg. * Carbs were limited. You were allowed to have the eqivilent of 2 cruskits per day. And NO fruit. * You were allowed to have unlimited salad vegetables at meal times. So you can imagine how hard this diet is.

And just an example of someone losing weight then falling off the horse...Lets call her Andrea. Andrea wanted to work as a consultant for sure slim. She was going to start after her 4 week hoilday after ending her last job. Andrea had lost approx 54kgs(119lbs) on the diet. She came back from her holiday and had put on 9.5kgs(21lbs)......she was not hired by Sureslime......! I just think all the ladies out there who think this might be something for them....please dont use this company...it is not healthy and uses starvation as its mode for weight loss and sets you up to fail....The branch I worked for went bankrupt but there are still other clinics operating...BEWARE

-----------

I worked there and for every person that had success there would be about 50 who fell off the wagon or found the diet too restrictive/too hard to follow.

People would be better off on weigh watchers from my experience.

The staff are no more knowledgable than your average jo on the street. They have a 2 day training course.

Good on you guys for being able to follow the program and reach your goals but from the environment I experienced it is not somewhere I would want to lose weight.

Considering one of the girls there was an bulimic/anorexic vegan who liked to laugh at how fat everyone who came in there was......I would not reccomend this program to anyone.

I was interested in the program until I read all the comments from SS employees jumping down peoples throats for having negative feedback on the program. Plain and simple the program isn't going to work for everyone so get over yourself SS!! Because of all the "removed at the request of SS" postings I saw, interfering with peoples freedom of speech and opinion, I will save the money and NOT join.. Get a life SS!

Reintroduce restricted foods? wtf... I thought Sure slim claims it is not a diet. Congrats on your success... but the idea of restricted then reintroduced foods screams of diet! Keep us updated....

This is amazing.

What it seems very few people who are posting seem to realize is that no diet, life change, system, plan etc...will work if you aren't prepared to make the sacrifices and changes necessary to change. 

My mother joined a group called Food Addicts Anonymous.  It helped her lose her weight and deal with the underlying emotional root to her eating.  I am not an emotional eater and wasn't about to join that sort of program.  I joined Sure Slim.  I am down 100 lbs so far and I feel great.  I feel great because I made the decision to change my life to make this a permanent loss.  Sure Slim could have been any program, but I found that the structure that this program had fit what I needed to succeed. 

Guess what...I still have drinks on the weekend when I want to.  I still have a couple of slices of pizza if I want to.  It is my life.  I am not on a diet.  People talk about going back to 'eating normal' but what you don't get is that if you are obese, you never were eating normal.  Processed carbs are not normal.  Two plates of pasta is not normal.  6-8 slices of pizza is not normal.  5 cokes a day is not normal. Eating on this program is normal.  The carbs you receive are through vegetables, which are easier to break down and better for you, plus contain more other nutritional value than any complex carb out there.  The meat is nearly 8 ounces right now.  On the final step it is like 6.5 oz roughly...guess what, THAT IS NORMAL.  I get 3 fruit a day, one of which has to be an apple. 

If you think this is not right, then look at the Canada Food Guide.  It recommends the following:

8-10 veggie/fruit servings, 6-7 grain, 2 dairy/alternatives, 2 meat/alternatives.

125ml = 1 veggie/fruit.  1 slice of bread = 1 grain, 2.5 oz = 1 meat.

Today my meal is such: 280g yogurt with seeds (as mentioned in another post) and coffee.  Lunch I will have a garden salad with balsamic dressing and a turkey sandwich (the meat of which will be about 160g cooked) and an apple.  For supper I will have a 7 oz sirloin with steamed veggies and a pear or apple or such.

So, the salad and steamed veggies are about 3 and 2 servings, plus the 3 fruit = 8 servings.  The yougurt takes care of the dairy, and is actually a little over.  The meat is about 4 servings, not 2 as reccomended, but the grains I have = 3, not six, as the program reccomends lower carb, so the meat replaces. 

I'll also drink about 2L of water. I fail to see how the meal day is unhealthy.  My doctor loves the program.  It has also afforded me to since quit smoking, go on a few dates with a girl from work as I now have the confidence back that I had when I was 20 (33 now).  I am also starting up playing hockey again.

Oh, that reminds me, I have to dispell one of the biggest lies I had read...THE PROGRAM DOES NOT TELL YOU NOT TO EXERCISE.  THEY ALSO DO NOT EXPECT YOU TO LOSE DRAMATIC WEIGHT.

On the weight, I was told each week as I was dropping 6 lbs, that it was amazing, but don't expect it forever...that a healthy weight loss program might range from 2-6 a month, which is a pretty common statement and where I am now, and happy with it

They also said exercise was encouraged, but not as a weight loss activity, but for a healthier living.  The key was that if you were to have prolonged elevated heart rate:

45mins-1hr: eat 1.5 times your regular portion in the previous meal

1-1.5hr: 1.75 times normal portion on previous meal. 

1.5-2hr: 2x normal portion on regular meal.

The reason is that the body can be tricked into thinking it is in flight mode and will find the need to conserve fat in case the extra exercise is prolonged as compared to the amount of calories taken in.  If the body gets too fewer calories in than out, your body will shut down its metabolism to conserve for the long haul.

Now onto the math of the program.

Including taxes and all other that I had to pay for the program, it worked out to about $65 bucks a month (CAD).

Weight watchers is 48 bucks a month ($12 a week).

Nutrisystem: averaged at about $350 a month including food.  My grocery bills are about $200 a month in comparison.

LA weightloss: There is no right answer I can find, but I have seen over 1000 up front to 8 bucks a day and everything inbetween.

There are others, but when you look at the price of getting a structured, well balanced meal guide, the costs are not so different.  As I have proven and witnessed, if we could all lose weight from a book, none of us would be fat.  Many of us need this kind of structure.  Most of all, if it works, then who is anyone to argue?

My advice to any obese people reading any of this.  Seriously consider if you want to make an impactful change in your life that will be FOREVER.  It won't just be a year, I don't care who's plan you are on.  This is about giving you the tools to succeed in your new life.  If you go back to what you think 'normal' eating is, you'll go back to where you were because you've never been able to eat 'normal'. 

Finally, If you think you can do it yourself, I recomend the following books, as they were helpful for me in understaning what I needed to do, SureSlim was there for the structure and routine that made it possible.

The South Beach Diet - Don't let the name fool you, it is a diet designed for cardiac patients.  It is an insulin regulated diet like SureSlim, which means it aims to keep your sugar and insulin levels at a certain value.

http://www.jillianmichaels.com - Biggest Loser trainer has a great plan if you can follow on your own using the people around you for support instead of a clinic or that sort of thing.

http://www.glycemicindex.com/  The Glycemic Index.  There are thousands of references on it, but it is the basis for any regulating style diet such as SureSlim and South Beach Diet.  It explains how complex carbs spike insulin levels which reduce fat burning and weight loss.

I am not from Sure Slim.  I don't care if you join them.  I can only say what worked for me.  In the end, you need to find out what works for you.  The key as I have said already is that you are ready and willing to accept perminent changes in your lifestyle that will promote a healthier way of life.  Eat to Live, not Live to Eat.

The restricted foods may be the wrong term.  Things like Normal bread (not sprouted grain), higher carb fruits like grapes and bananas, Store bought cereal,  pasta.  I always figured it was give your body what it needs and then branch out and see how it handles these types of foods.  I know now that If I eat pasta twice a week I am ok (whole wheat only).  If I throw a third time in, i start to creep up in the lbs.  I used to eat pasta 3-4 times a week.  I guess that is why I think it is so different for everyone.  You need to know how your body handles these types of food.  My husband can eat whatever he wants and not see any real increase.  If he does gain a couple of lbs. he just lays off the cola for a week and he is done.  You can't tell me that everyone out there reacts to all food the same.

Those diet nazis definitely won't get my business, just because they threatened you!!

In addition to what I wrote above, I've never been asked to purchase anything through the franchise.  I get everything I need at the grocery store...no pills, shakes, bars, 'supplements' or equipment (outside of a kitchen scale).  I didn't buy the cookbook as you can find recipes for free on-line.

For the person who says they were only getting 800 calories a day...I started the plan at 210 lbs and I plugged my daily menu into the 'calculator' at Fitday.  My daily intake was approx. 1100 calories.  

There are several ladies in my office that are doing Weight Watchers and I see them eat literally all day long...no surprise that my goals have been not only attained but maintained as well.  The  ladies...still haven't a clue as to how to eat properly.

 have heard that all peoples program is actually the same, that they just make them out to be different. is this true?

I have read your posts with great interest as I too did Sureslim about 4 years ago. I had great success and got down to a weight that I was really happy with. Unfortunately, I went OS and never completed my lifestyle program. Anyway, 4 years on I'm considering trying again as all of the weight has come back on ... slowly but surely

Can anyone tell me if they've experienced any issues of late with the Melbourne CBD branch of SureSlim? The message on the door states "this office is NOW closed, please contact info@sureslim.com.au" Nobody's answering the number on the SureSlim Website 1300 130 696 and the answering machine on telephone number for the Melbourne CBD office(03 8610 6375) states that the SureSlim office is now closed for the 'year-end season', if they were planning on closing, surely they shouldn't have scheduled my appointment today, or the same day for the next three weeks?? Concerned.

Melbourne CBD

Suite 412A & B , 480 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia Telephone: 03 8610 6375/6

I think it is disappointing that so many Sureslim clinics have closed down. The only thing that I can think of is the money they were asking for upfront. I was certainly not in the position to pay out $1000 NZD upfront, and was not interested in paying it off with interest either. I wonder if Sureslim had had a smaller upfront fee, then a fee per week (like many other weight reduction places), then maybe most of the offices would be open today.

I do believe that the concept and food in Sureslim works and the cravings for me stopped. I have so far lost 10kg's and even over the Christmas and New Year break, where I decided that I was not going to be strictly on the Sureslim diet, proved a great thing. I didn't put on any weight, but felt horrible. So started again straight after New Years.

I don't go to a clinic each week, but have a friend who does and she is doing very well with the support. I think my motivation comes from seeing updated photo's of myself and old photo's (when at my biggest, and thinist). I think motivation can only start with yourself. Many of us have old dvd's and video's for exercise lying around and this week I found my old Tae-bo tapes. They are fantastic and I have really enjoyed doing them plus walking every day. Sometimes I think to myself, wow I have lost 10kg's and I can have that treat, then I look at the recent photo's and discover that really I have 20 more kg's to go, so forget about the treat and remember what it was like to wear jeans and go snorkling or just swimming. Those things are worth more then any treat. So find some motivation to stick it out and remember what it felt like to feel sexy and confident. That's what I am doing to keep me going.

Hi All,

I have read this page with great interest - every word of it!

I have an appointment this week with a branch in the UK, and I'll more than likely join.

It was recommended to me by a collegue who said he and his entire family joined 2 years ago and all kept their weight off.

I've struggled with my weight my entire life and tried everything going, and I will continue to try everything until something works.

At the minute I feel this *may* work - but who knows. I tend to think it may be a scam, and a sale pitch awaits me this week...but on the plus side, a diet which actually makes you cut down eating might make a refreshing change after years of weight watchers, slimming world & Atkins - all of which make me scoff my face off!! I've lost weight on all of these but have always put it straight back on...possibly cause I'm used to eating all of the time.  Its just greed with me - pure greed.

I am ready to only eat 3 small meals a day.  I am ready to stop the boozing. I am ready to really make a change...so here goes.

No bias here - just hope. I'll keep you all posted.

Cheers,

Claire

Seems Terry Polevoy can't escape scrutiny these days. Years
of internet posting of absolute lies designed to misinform,
deceive, and mislead healthcare consumers around the world
has landed him in front of Ontario's healthcare regulators.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons for the Province of
Ontario have taken the unusual position of having calling for
Polevoy's attendance at a special executive council to explain
his bizarre, disgraceful, and unprofessional behavior.

The request came in the form of a warrant issued by the General
Division of the Ontario Court. This division deals with civil and
potentially criminal matters. The ISP for Polevoy's hate and
disinformation sites has also been compelled through court order
to provide certified copies of Polevoy's sites.

This all comes on the heels of Polevoy's recent bankruptcy
and seizures orders as a result of Ilena Rosenthal's 2007 victory
over a SLAPP suit initiated by Polevoy and Barrett.....

Many very interesting comments here, both pro and con.

No diet will "work" for you.  It is you who has to do the work, which is by way of accepting the responsibility to make the necessary changes in your attitude and in your lifestyle.  Unless you realize that you are who you are because of the choices that YOU have made, then you will continue to be that fat person.

We all know that losing weight can be accomplished by following a specific diet and exercise program.  But the person who said that you can't be successful unless you engage your mind in the process is absolutely correct.

Thinking that a diet is temporary and that eating garbage is normal will only trap you into your fat body.  You might escape temporarily, but unless you take that mental step away from your current way of thinking, you will always be a fat person. 

Most of the diet programs that are available to assist you in the process of losing weight are based on eating healty foods.  The seeds in the SS diet are loaded with Omega 3 fats, which are good, good, good for you.  Fresh fruits, vegetables and lean protein should be the bulk of everyone's "normal" diet not a temporary way of eating until you can go back to eating "toxic" foods again, once your good diet has helped you lose the weight.

Regardless of which diet you choose, you have to realize that in order to achieve lifelong success, you have to leave the old ways of eating behind you.  Your diet, that is, what you eat every day of your life should always be good for you. 

Don't set yourself up for failure by putting the responsibility for success on the diet, whichever oiet you choose.  You are responsible for your choices.  Just make the decision to choose wisely, and then do it for life.  You will be successful. 

i lost alot of weight in a short period of time however my hair was falling out like crazy my periods stopped for the 5 months that i was on it.(They came back 1 week after going off the diet)

i felt extremely tired and irritable all the time i was always pale. It was the worst time of my life i was trying to do something good for myself and all i did was waste money and risk my health (physical and mental) . The tests are unnecessary it's more about liability then making your plan specialised because as i found out they are all the same. It's nothing but a sever low carb , extremely low calory diet. If you think you lost the weight fast wait till you go off that weight will come back twice as fast.

I haven't tried to diet in years after that traumatic experience, but now i am on a sensible healthy diet i lose about 1 - 2 pounds a week i have never felt better in my life and it cost me nothing.

If you want some free information on how to lose weight and how to do it the healthy sensible, costs you nothing way, have a look at the website. Otherwise i wish everyone the best of luck. 

theloseweightdiet.com

This sounds like it might help some people who are serious about weight loss.  But I noticed it is expensive and you need to spend some time going to them.  I paid a large sum to True Star to exercise and use their products and within 3 weeks the shop closed up and I was out $800 plus dollars.  I will never put a large dollar amount up front ever again.  Like the shop that closed and went into liquidation there was nothing they could do.  But they took my money 3 weeks before they closed the doors.  Be careful!!