Scottish Slimmers and Second Nature have apps to support you in building healthier and sustainable habits for weight loss.
Second Nature has also launched a Wegovy and Mounjaro weight-loss programme to provide added support for individuals who need it.
Weight loss programmes can provide a helpful structure for your health journey when you feel out of control with unhealthy habits.
They can also be a great way to connect with others who are on the same journey, which can be incredibly motivating.
Everyone is different, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to choosing a weight loss programme. It ultimately depends on what suits your individual needs and what fits into your lifestyle.
Many people find online weight loss programmes more convenient and easier to fit into daily life.
To save you tiresome research and help to answer some important questions, this guide compares two popular online weight loss programmes; Second Nature and Scottish Slimmers.
The main difference is the support available. On the Second Nature programme you have access to registered nutritionists or dietitians to support and advise you throughout the programme.
Second Nature also has a community element. You will join a support group—they’ll start the programme at the same time as you and accompany you through it.
The Scottish Slimmers programme is self-guided, and the community is encouraged through their public Facebook page.
Customer Review Score
| Scottish Slimmers | Second Nature | |
| Star rating |  |
 |
| Score | 3 / 5 read reviews |
4.8 / 5 read reviews |
Signing up
| Scottish Slimmers | Second Nature | |
| Money back guarantee | No cooling-off period or refund once the service has been activated. | Full refund if cancelled within 14 days. After this point, any charges are non-refundable. |
| Clear breakdown of costs | ✓ | ✓ |
| Clear cancellation policy | ✓ | ✓ |
| Length of programme | Dependant on weight loss goals. Monthly, quarterly and Yearly options available. | Ongoing subscription |
| Easy to cancel | ✓ | ✓ |
| Refer-a-friend scheme | ✗ | ✓ |
| Easy to include family | ✓ | ✓ |
Nutrition
Scottish Slimmers offers two programmes: the Classic Check Plan and the FeelGood Plan. Both plans use ‘check’ as a measure—equal to 25 calories—and provide a daily allowance to help you manage your food intake.
Scottish Slimmers encourages a balanced diet by categorising your logged foods into three Everyday Essentials: Fruit and Veg, Carbohydrates, and Dairy.
Second Nature provides an education in nutrition science, allowing you to make informed decisions and develop a healthy relationship with food in the long term.
It also has a meal planner and food diary to help you keep track of what you’re eating and maintain healthy habits.
| Scottish Slimmers | Second Nature | |
| Dietary approach | Low calorie | Whole-food |
| Caters to vegetarian | ✓ | ✓ |
| Caters to vegan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Vegetarian/vegan recipe section | ✓ | ✓ |
Support
Face-to-face meetings✗✓
| Scottish Slimmers | Second Nature | |
| Tailors the plan around diabetes | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tailors the plan around other health issues | ✗ | ✓ |
| Access to registered dietitian or nutritionist | ✗ | ✓ |
| Weekend support available | ✗ | ✓ |
| Phone support available | ✗ | ✓ |
Programme features
| Scottish Slimmers | Second Nature | |
| App | ✓ | ✓ |
| Recipe videos | ✓ | ✓ |
| Exercise videos | ✗ | ✓ |
| Weighing scales provided | ✗ | ✓ (On tech plan) |
| Tracks sleep | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tracks steps | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tracks exercise | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tracks water intake | ✓ | ✓ |
| Education of nutrition science | ✗ | ✓ |
| Requires calorie counting | ✓ | ✗ |
| Food diary feature | ✓ | ✓ |
| Meal planning tool | ✗ | ✓ |
Pricing
When programmes provide price plans in different formats, it can be hard to compare prices accurately.
To make this easier, we have calculated the monthly basic price plans for each programme to show you how costs compare (as of March 2024).
Weekly face-to-face sessions with a registered nutritionist or dietitians can be very expensive (£40-£100/hour). We have added a column representing this to compare costs (Weekly Nutritionist – WN).
The Second Nature programme, on the surface, seems more expensive. But this includes access to a registered nutritionist or dietitian.
Second Nature health coaches have completed university-accredited degrees to gain this professional title.
Scottish Slimmers is a self-guided programme. You don’t have the option to have a coach or join a community group. Additional eating plans are available, which will be charged in addition to the monthly subscription.
Monthly digital subscriptions:
| Scottish Slimmers Standard Plan | Second Nature | WN | |
| Registered dietitian or nutritionist coach | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| The same, personal coach throughout the programme | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Price | £6.99 / month | $60 / month | £300 / month |
Example nutrition query response
Nutrition is a major part of any weight loss journey. Therefore, it is important to receive accurate and reliable nutrition advice. We asked each programme a common nutrition-related query to see how the information provided as an answer compares.
Q: Are eggs bad for your cholesterol? Should I avoid them?
Scottish Slimmers’s answer:
“I’m afraid the social media team are unable to provide specific dietary advice via this page. However, if you join please do message our friendly coaches who will be able to discuss this topic with you further.”
Second Nature’s answer:
“Eggs are a rich source of dietary cholesterol. It was previously thought that cholesterol-containing foods increase blood cholesterol and the risk of heart disease and strokes.
However, this has not been shown to be the case, as dietary cholesterol is poorly absorbed from the digestive system.
If cholesterol is absorbed, the body will produce less of it to balance out (and prevent blood cholesterol levels from rising).
Therefore, you do not need to be restricted unless your GP or healthcare professional recommends it.
Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet. They provide good-quality protein and are loaded with vitamins and minerals.
Take home message
- When choosing a weight loss programme, it’s important to consider what would fit into your lifestyle and help you achieve your goals
- Online programmes are a better option for those who find face-to-face weight loss meetings uncomfortable or inconvenient
- Scottish Slimmers and Second Nature are both fully online
- Second Nature provides a registered dietitian or nutritionist personal health coach, whereas Scottish Slimmer’s coaches are not required to be registered with a professional body
- Scottish Slimmers has a clear guide of foods to eat or avoid. However, the focus is on reducing calories, which might not benefit those with an unhealthy relationship with food.
- Second, Nature provides an education in nutrition science, allowing you to make informed decisions and develop a healthy relationship with food in the long term.
- Customer support is very limited with Scottish Slimmers, whereas Second Nature provides weekend and phone support options.
