How can this be?

Roxy101

Full Member
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Hi for the first time today I have used my fitness pal to see how much calories I am actually taking in doing slimming world, I am actually shocked at how much calories are in 'free' foods.. Really confused how weight lose can be achieved with a high calorie intake :/
 
I think they say it's better to eat superfree as snacks, rather than free foods and my consultant always says try to eat basic foods rather than convenience foods such as savoury rice and pasta n sauces
but you are right, there's loads of calories in free foods, I sometimes tot my cals up on MFP but then it frightens me as they so often go well over 2000 (I'm not trying to lose now I'm trying to maintain) and when you start thinking about basal metabolic rates and all that stuff, you start to question how it could work! But I suppose all the free foods on slimming world have no fat in them, so low fat diets are going to help us keep the weight off without the need to count calories.

If you're losing weight though, don't worry about the calories. Everyone always says, on this forum, either calorie count OR do slimming world don't do both or you will just stress yourself out, trust the plan! I've lost over 8 n half stone on it so it can't be all about calories
 
The only super free you have listed is broccoli?? Try upping your super free, then you wouldn't need to have so much free food
 
Ages ago, when I did Slimming world before, I put everything I ate for two weeks into a calorie counter like MFP - it averaged at 1500-1600 cals a day. Some days were higher, some lower but overall there was a substantial calorie deficit between what I was eating and what I needed to stay the same (about 2300 cals for me then). I lost 3lbs. When I have done calorie counted diets I have been on between 1400 and 1700 to actually they are pretty much the same.

I think it is possible to overeat and not lose on SW, even if technically sticking to the plan, but because super free and free foods are relatively good value calorie wise and fill you up, you are unlikely to want to eat too much of them.
 
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Gosh those pasta and sauce thingys are evil! I have never been able to work out why they are free - they aren't even proper food (IMHO).

And I was wondering about your superfree as well. That's the point of superfree - fill up on vegetables which are low in calories and as kikaroo has said, you won't want so much free food.
 
And ironically, despite the kcal levels there isn't enough food there. Or certainly not enough balance. Like the others have said there is little to no superfree and although the other foods are technically free their volume is naturally limited if you adhere to the 1/3 superfree rule. Just having a muller for breakfast. Or no breakfast means your metabolism becomes sluggish meaning your body will crave higher sugar foods and refined carbs for energy. Try getting a better balance and load your plate or bowl with fruit / veg BEFORE adding your free food.

Any diet works on kcal deficit. Its simple maths. Energy out should exceed energy in. If I ate three mug shots a day (god forbid) as snacks instead of an apple I would rack up nearly 600kcal on them alone. Although the foods are free a certain amount of common sense is required and the guidelines are clear. 1/3 superfree and snacks should be superfree as a first choice and free or synned if the superfree doesn't cut it. If you follow that the plan works. If you don't, well it may work for a while dependant upon how you are before but it won't continue to allow you to lose as your kcal requirements reduce as you lose weight.
 
I would usually have a lot more super free food, yesterday just happened to be a day that I never had much in the house eg fruit for snacks and just used what I had to keep to plan. I was just pointing out how much calories there actually was in free foods which I never even thought of before and thought because the are free that calories would be a lot lower.
 
Just to balance this out a bit I've just done my food diary from yesterday on there and this is what I've got:

Free Food

Fat free greek yogurt (100g) - 57 cals
3 bean salad (tesco 1/2 can) - 100 cals
Naturally sweet corn (tesco 30g) - 25 cals
Light Fat Free French Dressing (Kraft 50ml) - 15 cals
Dried fusilli pasta (Tesco 50g) - 173 cals
Eggs (1.5 medium) - 97 cals
FF Cottage Cheese (Tesco 60g) - 48 cals

Super Free

Red Onion (17g) - 6 cals
Tomato (35g) - 8 cals
Cucumber (50g) - 3 cals
Plum (1 whole) - 30 cals
Banana (large) - 121 cals
Mushrooms (300g) - 69 cals
Leeks (1/2 leek) - 19 cals
Meditarranean Roasting Vegetables (Tesco 1 tray) - 152 cals

Healthy Extras

Lighter Mature Cheddar (Tesco 40g) - 122 cals
Weetabix (2 biscuits) - 134 cals

Syns

Cappuccino (Tassimo) - 45 cals

Total cals - 1225

That lot made:

Breakfast - 2 weetabix topped with fat free greek yogurt. A plum. Cappuccino.
Lunch - Bean salad with cucumber, tomato, sweetcorn, onion. Banana
Dinner - Pasta quiche (pastryless) with mushrooms, tomatoes and leeks, topped with cheese, served with roasted mediterranean vegetables.

So there is a lot of food there and I definitely wasn't hungry at any point but the calories are quite low. Focusing on super free is definitely the best way to ensure you get more bang for your buck!
 
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