Common SW misconceptions put right.

[jaylou]

I would just like to make a comment relating to several of the posts above about not being allowed to freely eat Free Food as snacks.

The book clearly states;

"Plus all the fabulous Free Foods you can anjoy anytime to satify your appetite, also with no limits."

The bold bits are as they are in the book.

This is from the Food Optimising book I was given on joining a group just 6 weeks ago.

So yes, you can snack whenever you like on Free Foods, as well as the Superfree Foods.

It says no limits too - you just have to exercise the control not to eat when you already feel full, or not snack if you're not hungry.

Perhaps it will be a quicker weight-loss if you don't, but it's not a race and you won't stick to it if you feel deprived either.

This is very true - however, somewhere in the blurb, it does start that they encourage you to make all snacks superfree where possible.

 

[MsMia]

It does say that superfree should always be your first Snack choice.

XxX

 

[ruthiebusybee]

Yep, first but also says all free food can be enjoyed at any time too. The other comments on here imply that's not the case.

Just a case of finding what works for you.

 

[FatOllie]

Just wanted to say that as a newbie, I found Jennyonaplate's initial post on this thread to be extremely useful.

 

[FatOllie]

Yep, first but also says all free food can be enjoyed at any time too. The other comments on here imply that's not the case.

At the end of the day, whatever diet you use, weight loss/gain comes back to the difference between calories in and calories out. Superfree are obviously lower in calories so better for weight loss.

SW has it's own approach, "unlimited quantities" isn't strictly true, it's marketing hype, it really means foods that you needn't worry about all - the Superfree because you will never physically eat enough to put on weight and the ones you needn't worry about too much - the Free ones

Just a case of finding what works for you.

Exactly right - I think people can get to caught up in the exact intricacies of dieting plans, you don't have to follow them exactly but the closer you do the better they will work. How many of us would really care about only losing 2 lbs per week if we could maybe have been a bit harder on ourselves and lost 2¼ lbs?

 

[mazturnbull]

This thread was just what I needed for getting started again, been struggling to get into week 1. So thanks!

 

[Martcu]

Excellent thread have been struggling to get back into the plan for afew weeks now plenty of info here really helpful thanks a mil
Mary

 

[Annya]

A great thread Jen - especially the bit about huge weight losses in the first week (or lack thereof). I stuck rigidly to plan the first week and still only lost 2lbs - quite disenchanting when you look at the 7lb and even 10lb losses in the first week for others!

Good point about STS too - I agree it always come off eventually.

Really appreciate the time it took to type this out - thanks

 

[guesswho]

Cooking/mashing fruit is not ok (even if you were only going to eat one anyway). It's not just about the one piece of fruit you were going to eat, it's also how it fills you up and affects your metabolism and appetite later in the day.

After doing almost every diet under the sun including SW a few years ago I'm back to SW and have been loving the Extra Easy plan for the past 14 weeks

As far as fruit goes I usually tend to stick to grapes, apples and bananas although on the whole I'm not that great at eating them so for the past week or 2 I've been blending my fruit and eating half for breakfast and I leave half in a jam jar in the fridge for later.

I thought we are only supposed to syn fruit if it was cooked and not blended (just what i remember from last time i did sw).
I have terrible trouble in understanding why i have to syn my blended fruit, maybe because I can't find a reasonable answer anywhere on line (I've yet to ask my consultant).

In the sw starter book it says that it's recommended that we eat 5 portions of fruit 'n veg a day but sw would like us to eat even more...so I know if I choose say 4 portions of fruit and 3 portions of veg to eat throughout the day then sw would say that's ok,... so why when I decide to mash my 4 portions of fruit do I have to syn it? (without being gross the fruit is naturally mashed to a pulp by our gnashers before it's consumed anyway) is it because sw think that i might decide to eat even more fruit because it tastes nicer blended and therefore i will eat more calories? Or does blending fruit cause it to have more calories? (i personally doubt it and can't see any info on line to say it does) I hear that cooking fruit brings out the sugars and causes it to contain more calories, I don't know if this is true or not and i've not looked online as I'm more interested in blending...

I hope this makes sense...

 

[AnnaFaraday]

It is quite impossible to create more calories by cooking or blending fruit (unless of course you add other ingredients, such as sugar or honey).

 

[susieqt]

is it because sw think that i might decide to eat even more fruit because it tastes nicer blended and therefore i will eat more calories?

That was my understanding of it - so will be interested to hear what others say - mashed banana on toast with sprinkle of cinnamon is my favourite! But I still only have one banana...

 

[Shrimpy]

It's because you aren't using any calories breaking it down (chewing and stuff) also you don't feel as full as it's less bulky so are more likely to eat more. Slice your banana instead of mashing it.

 

[chezzylou]

It's only fruit that needs to be synned when blended, blended veg is free!

Thank you that's made my meals sooo much easier!!

X

 

[jaylou]

Here is the SW answer as to why blended fruit is synned.

Why are some fruits Free when raw, but have a Syn value when cooked, juiced or pureed?

A: While fruit in its natural form is bulky, filling and often time-consuming to eat, in cooked, pureed, liquidised or smoothie form it makes it very easy to over-consume and is a very effective way of adding a lot of extra energy (calories) in a non-bulky and non-filling way, which doesn’t satisfy your appetite in the same way as eating fresh whole/sliced fruit. Consider eating an orange. Peeling, breaking up the segments and eating just one orange can be a lengthy process. Now think about the juice that orange would produce – it contains a similar number of calories, yet it’s gone in a gulp – in fact it takes 8 oranges to make a small glass of orange juice and it’s not filling in the slightest! It’s all about getting the most (optimum) satisfaction from your foods with Food Optimising. We count juiced, pureed and cooked fruit as Syns to protect your weight losses.

 

[guesswho]

It's because you aren't using any calories breaking it down (chewing and stuff) also you don't feel as full as it's less bulky so are more likely to eat more. Slice your banana instead of mashing it.

I remember seeing a documentary about food being blended... there was an experiment using a team of oil rig workers who were spit into 2 teams, each member of both teams were given the EXACT SAME meal but one team ate theirs blended, and the experiment showed that the team who ate their meal blended stayed fuller for longer

I guess it's all trial and error for each of us, blended fruit won't have a negative effect on 'ALL' of us, and some it might, I just worry about stuff like this coz I'm really determined this time (as I'm sure we all are) and I don't want anything like this to stop me losing weight, when you find something tasty it makes the plan easier to adhere to and you're more likely to stick to it.

It's so much easier to eat fruit that's been blended for me so it helps me get my daily vits in, and yes, I will have to watch that I don't over indulge but I make one batch in the morning and it lasts the whole day,..... fingers crossed it only helps me and not hinder.

thanks guys, it'll be interesting to see more posts on this subject x

 

[jaylou]

I guess it's all trial and error for each of us, blended fruit won't have a negative effect on 'ALL' of us, and some it might, I just worry about stuff like this coz I'm really determined this time (as I'm sure we all are) and I don't want anything like this to stop me losing weight, when you find something tasty it makes the plan easier to adhere to and you're more likely to stick to it.

If you are really determined and don't want anything to stop you losing weight, then don't blend fruit without synning it.

It's not following the plans correctly.

Just my advice

 

[guesswho]

Here is the SW answer as to why blended fruit is synned.

Why are some fruits Free when raw, but have a Syn value when cooked, juiced or pureed?

A: While fruit in its natural form is bulky, filling and often time-consuming to eat, in cooked, pureed, liquidised or smoothie form it makes it very easy to over-consume and is a very effective way of adding a lot of extra energy (calories) in a non-bulky and non-filling way, which doesn’t satisfy your appetite in the same way as eating fresh whole/sliced fruit. Consider eating an orange. Peeling, breaking up the segments and eating just one orange can be a lengthy process. Now think about the juice that orange would produce – it contains a similar number of calories, yet it’s gone in a gulp – in fact it takes 8 oranges to make a small glass of orange juice and it’s not filling in the slightest! It’s all about getting the most (optimum) satisfaction from your foods with Food Optimising. We count juiced, pureed and cooked fruit as Syns to protect your weight losses.

thanks for that, I couldn't find this info. I totally understand about juicing the fruit as none of the bulky pulp is consumed and a person might be tempted to eat more to get more out of it but when I mash or blend I eat the whole fruit and it's still lumpy, infact i have to use a spoon to eat it, and again, I guess it's about not over doing it and using portion control, for me personally I think that as long as i stick to a reasonable/recommended amount of fruit portions and eat it the way i have been doing then all should be well, if not, i shall reconsider the way i eat the fruit.... here's hoping for positive results
thanks again,..... x

 

[guesswho]

If you are really determined and don't want anything to stop you losing weight, then don't blend fruit without synning it.

It's not following the plans correctly.

Just my advice

I totally appreciate your advice, and again I thank you for taking time out to post back

We must be posting at the same time lol

I think if the calories don't change when the fruit is blended, and it's just a matter of me using portion control then me or anyone else using this method should be ok, as there doesnt seem to be any scientific proof given to say that blended food contains more calories... I think this comes down to portion control and common sense. I just hope I've got enough of it... common sense that is

 

[guesswho]

I have to add that I've been blending my fruit portions for about 2 weeks, maybe more and I've lost weight each week. I'll just see how I go, good luck to everyone else with the fruit thing, I hope this helps you too x

 

[Circes]

That is of course your choice, however I do think it is important that newbies know what the official SW line on this is, so that if they choose to tweak the plan they are doing it from an informed position.