Thread: Flexisynning

FANTASTIC POST I think this everytime i see it but you have explained it so well. Exactly the difference between going off plan and flexi syns there should be no guilt in either as that can stop you getting back OP but they are different things.

PS how do you rep someone?

Originally Posted by NewDawn

Don't mean to be a party pooper.......I fully agree what you are...but there are times when 'planning' doesn't come into it.....and sometimes people go off track.....and need to draw the line.......this diet is a journey.....and as long as you know you can get back on track....then so be it......don't beat yourself up.....the tortoise won the race

I agree. When we flexi syn we use extra syns, when we go overboard we use extra syns. Yes one is carefully plotted and planned and the other random but the result in terms of intake can be the same and so if it helps a member to think of an off day as flexi synning, then I dont think that is a problem even if it is technically incorrect.

SW to me is about finding a plan to suit your life based on sound prinicples. Yes of course its better to stay on plan by planning but I think a little retrospective blending of the flexi syn system is fine if it helps someone stay on track and not feel bad about themselves.

Originally Posted by downsizingmycurves

I agree. When we flexi syn we use extra syns, when we go overboard we use extra syns. Yes one is carefully plotted and planned and the other random but the result in terms of intake can be the same and so if it helps a member to think of an off day as flexi synning, then I dont think that is a problem even if it is technically incorrect.

SW to me is about finding a plan to suit your life based on sound prinicples. Yes of course its better to stay on plan by planning but I think a little retrospective blending of the flexi syn system is fine if it helps someone stay on track and not feel bad about themselves.

I disagree. When we flexisyn we still count the syns. When we go overboard we stop counting and choose to ignore the plan totally. There is a specific difference and personally I don't think it helps to be absolving responsibility for a binge. We need to learn and understand what triggers those events, and find ways to stop them happening where possible, and that just can't happen when there is a convenient way to just dismiss it.

If that is how you personally choose to do things, that's your choice, but by suggesting that flexisynning is something it is not, you are misleading people who are yet to take in all aspects of the plan and handing them your choice of excuse to use as theirs.

Really agree with what has been said by MLM. Was just curious though as to what you think of this - Am out with friends on Saturday night to a lovely chinese restaurant. I am planning to save syns this wk (only to have 5 a day this wk) as I will be eating and drinking red wine. I have no idea how many syns I will have (just lots!) don't know what we will order (I love it all lol!) I will not be able to weigh out portions in the restaurant.
I would like to think I am kind of 'flexi synning' as I am planning in advance rather than having a night off plan?

Well, this is a good example Catxx - what I would do here is decide between one or the other. You can go off plan, and eat and drink what you feel like, not count the syns, and most importantly not feel guilty and just enjoy yourself. Then get back on plan right away the next day.

Alternatively, you can proactively choose to limit yourself to the flexisyns - a bottle of wine is about 26 syns, sticking to boiled rice instead of fried is free, look up the menu for the place you are going and try and get as much information as possible about the content and make wise choices around your food. You can probably get a rough idea from the syn values online or the eating out guides. Then allow yourself a good portion of flexisyns, remember this can be as many as you choose, even if its a lot, then add on the extras you save over the week, or subtract them if you are feeling particularly virtuous from the total - and stick to the flexisynning method.

Personally, I would go for the former method, because a bottle of wine or so in, you will lose count and stop caring how many syns is in anything. It is a one off.

But its up to you.

Great post from MLM about Flexisyns. I have done both- when having a bad day I have deceided that I will have up to 30syns that day and stuck to that limit, but i have also had plenty of time where I have just gone of plan and not counted anything. I've never retrospectively said 'that was a flexisyn day'. I know I have felt more in control on days when I have had proper 'official' flexisyns.

Thank you for that. No need to look at their menu as I know it off by heart. I will have a look at the syn values of the most likely dishes we will be ordering so I have a good idea. Will only order two glasses of wine so can work that out. Will just have to try and do a guestimate!

Originally Posted by catxx

Really agree with what has been said by MLM. Was just curious though as to what you think of this - Am out with friends on Saturday night to a lovely chinese restaurant. I am planning to save syns this wk (only to have 5 a day this wk) as I will be eating and drinking red wine. I have no idea how many syns I will have (just lots!) don't know what we will order (I love it all lol!) I will not be able to weigh out portions in the restaurant.
I would like to think I am kind of 'flexi synning' as I am planning in advance rather than having a night off plan?

When I do a chinese buffet 'planned' I find I can stay in my syns if I dont eat anything thats been battered or fried. I fill up on noodles and boiled rice, and all the yummy stirfrys, lots of veg and my chinese always does loads of seafood, so I go mad on prawns and mussels. So I am still kinda stuffing myself but staying in control of what I am eating to a certain extent. Maybe you could try and only have 1-2 glasses of wine rather than a bottle perhaps, and switch to diet soda afterwards. That way your having a bit of what you fancy but not losing control totally...?

Originally Posted by MadameLaMinx

I disagree. When we flexisyn we still count the syns. When we go overboard we stop counting and choose to ignore the plan totally. There is a specific difference and personally I don't think it helps to be absolving responsibility for a binge. We need to learn and understand what triggers those events, and find ways to stop them happening where possible, and that just can't happen when there is a convenient way to just dismiss it.

If that is how you personally choose to do things, that's your choice, but by suggesting that flexisynning is something it is not, you are misleading people who are yet to take in all aspects of the plan and handing them your choice of excuse to use as theirs.

The net result of both is too many syns on any one day. From that point forward, what really matters is that the person can write it off mentally and get back on track the next day. If, by mentally deeming an overboard day as a flexi syn day an individual can get back on track to their long term goal, then that is a good thing in my book. To me, the whole joy of SW is that it isn't restrictive, it is a lifestyle choice and not a strict diet.

Originally Posted by MadameLaMinx

Very often on the forums I see someone respond to someone who has had a blow out with something like the following...

"Ah, never mind, just flexisyn it and move on".

Now, I understand that this is supposed to make the person feel better about their binge and draw a line under it, but simply, this is NOT how Flexisynning is supposed to be used.

Flexisyns are supposed to be a way of keeping you in control of your consumption at special occasions.

They are NOT designed to be an used as an excuse to write off a bad day. If you are going to flexisyn, this needs to be planned in advance of the event or occasion and you should set yourself a maximum number of syns for that day that you will not exceed. If you get to that amount of syns, you are then supposed to switch back to free and superfree for the rest of the day.

Using flexisyns as an afterthought completely defeats the object of putting YOU in control of the plan.

It is perfectly ok to say "Ah, you had a blow out, it happens to all of us, draw a line under it and move on." It DOES happen to all of us. We do lose control from time to time, whether that be because we drank too much and thought "Ah, stuff it, tomorrow is another day, I'll order that pizza, and being as I'm out of control, may as well have the tub of ice-cream too" or because we have talked ourselves into it, convincing ourselves that it really wont matter as a one-off. Perhaps we are feeling really down and only chocolate will do, by the cupboardload.

But by default, when we head down that road, we are out of control, we lose the ability to say no to the stuff we know is not on plan.

Most importantly, there is no shame in doing so. If we feel guilty about this one-off blow out, we are far more likely to eat more rubbish through guilt and "Well, I have blown it now, I am such a loser, may as well reinforce that message by continuing to eat nonsense". This is where I suspect most of us following the plan can really lose heart and fall off plan for weeks or months.

It doesnt have to be that way, of course, we can have a blow out, a day off plan, and still have the control to get back on plan right next day. And that means, ultimately, that while we did stop off at a scenic point on route, we are still in control and heading towards our destination despite the stop.

So please, STOP suggesting that people flexisyn a blow out. They are two entirely different things and people need to start taking responsibility for their own consumption, rather than just passing it off because it doesnt matter. Of course it matters, but by passing the responsibility for the lack of self-control onto a "flexisyn" day defeats the purpose of a flexisyn day, which IS designed to keep you in control.

Be honest, if you had a blow out, say so. If someone you know had a blow out, acknowledge it, encourage them to move past it, but dont encourage them to write it off using a part of the plan that it simply doesnt apply to.

/gets off soapbox.

Very brave post Minxie - well done!

I hear the phrase at group and flexi-syn is carte blanche for a blowout - and no mnistake. Flexi-syn - over 150 syns in a session! - I don't think so either!

It is a flagrant disregard of the plan and many, many people do it.

Perhaps it is not what people want to hear, and perhaps it is to ease their conscience? - maybe even something else to blame about when they "lose control".

So to MLM a very thought-provoking post and though it may ruffle a few feathers, it has certainly help put a few myths to bed - once and for all!

Steve

Totally agree with mlm
The idea of flexi synning is to learn to have some control over what you are eating

As in the Chinese meal if you were flexi synning it you would choose to have boiled rice for example and look at what you could have that you would still enjoy but would be lowest in syns and count everything
If you weren't flexi synning you would just go along and have whatever you felt like and have no idea how many syns you had
I think you feel much better about things if you can flexi syn properly
If you just have a blowout you'll feel disappointed in yourself anyway whatever you choose to call it

Originally Posted by downsizingmycurves

The net result of both is too many syns on any one day. From that point forward, what really matters is that the person can write it off mentally and get back on track the next day. If, by mentally deeming an overboard day as a flexi syn day an individual can get back on track to their long term goal, then that is a good thing in my book. To me, the whole joy of SW is that it isn't restrictive, it is a lifestyle choice and not a strict diet.

Again, I have to disagree here. The net result is EITHER, an enjoyable day/evening where you still remain in control and ON plan, and can move on in a positive frame of mind, OR the consumption of numerous syns, often lost total track of, and the feeling of guilt and disappointment in oneself that invariably follows. They are not one and the same thing by ANY stretch of the imagination and if they were, the plan would clearly state "Hey, why not, if you feel like it, spend an evening feeling down and depressed eating anything you can put a hand to and dont worry about the consequences!"

It doesnt. And it is lying to yourself to pretend otherwise.

I think we will have to agree to disagree here, because you have your way of doing things and Slimming World have theirs.

I think this has been a really interesting thread to read through - I echo, wholeheartedly, MLM's comments!!

While it is important that we embrace SW as a lifestyle and a plan rather than view it as a stuffy and rigid diet I think it is important to remember that the are some caveats to some of the rules we (I) appreciate so much but which can be easily forgotten. This applies directly to how we interpret parts of the plan such as flexi syns but particularly the message of free food that the plan promotes - in the not so small print our books do say that we should enjoy free foods until we are full. Just because a food is free we shouldn't eat beyond our fill.

Sorry to digress somewhat but I think that we (I!!) can easily start to blame the plan when we don't get the results we want but that much of that can result from a selective interpretation of the plan.

I would hope fellow forum users would point out to me if I was getting things wrong - whether that was will misinterpretation or simple mistake!

DC xx

Originally Posted by MadameLaMinx

Again, I have to disagree here. The net result is EITHER, an enjoyable day/evening where you still remain in control and ON plan, and can move on in a positive frame of mind, OR the consumption of numerous syns, often lost total track of, and the feeling of guilt and disappointment in oneself that invariably follows. They are not one and the same thing by ANY stretch of the imagination and if they were, the plan would clearly state "Hey, why not, if you feel like it, spend an evening feeling down and depressed eating anything you can put a hand to and dont worry about the consequences!"

It doesnt. And it is lying to yourself to pretend otherwise.

I think we will have to agree to disagree here, because you have your way of doing things and Slimming World have theirs.

Mmmm. Not sure why you have assumed that I don't follow the SW way of doing things.

My point is that if someone can lose the guilt and disappointment by deeming a day off as a flexi syn day then good for them. What is done is done, its how people go forward that is important. People can flexi syn and lose weight, people can have days off and still lose weight. Its the long term approach that matters not getting hung up on strict interpretations. For example, the SW blurb talks about eating as much free food as you like. If we all took that literally, we'd be huge!