Don't understand SW.

[PurpleButterfly]

Hi,
I tried looking on the website, and through the stickies on here but I am no closer to understanding what SW diet involves??

I'm currently doing LL but I'm thinking I need something longer term once I'm maintaining.

Can someone please explain in simple terms what this diet is about?

Thank you.

 

[Taz]

To explain it on here would just confuse you more! You are best of going along to your local class and having it explained by the SWC then you get all the books etc and it is explained in a way that makes it seem really easy (which it is!). You wouldn't have to keep going to class if you didn't want to but it is worth it to get the right start in it x

 

[tullulah]

agree with Taz on this, going to a class would be the best and the easiest option.

 

[PurpleButterfly]

Ah no thanks be far too much effort finding one & getting to one etc, I'm way too lazy for that. I was just curious mostly as a possible option to consider. Might think of a more atkins based approach, cutting out carbs, I've done that before so might be easier..
Anyway thanks for replying!

 

[airgirl]

Hey don't go just yet...i'll try my best to explain then if you like the sound of it you may just wanna find a class and get the books etc!

I'll try to explain the basic method as not too clued up on extra easy, okay so you have red and green day, each day you can decide if it will be red or green, but as long as you have chosen which day your on you have to stick to that for the rest of the day.

Example, Monday a green day...continue green the rest of the day. Tuesday if you wanna go red you can or stick green and follow that thro to end of day!

So on each day you can have super free foods (which means free on both green and red) this includes eggs, vegetables and fruit and more.

On a green day you have all your free foods which are things like pasta, potatos and rice.

On a red day the free foods are meat, lean cuts and fish.

So on a green day you can eat whatever green free foods and superfree foods, as much as you like (obviously there are some exlusions and ways of cooking which are explained in the books).

On a red day you have red free foods and superfree foods.

On top of that you have healthy extra's A and B, a is basically dairy stuff and B is fibre stuff.

Whichever day you are following you have to have 1 or 2 a's and 2 b's......for example an A could milk or cheese, and a B could be bread or cereal.

And on top of all that you have syns, these can be used for chocolate, crisps...or anything that isn't free basically...again you will need the books to understand HOW much of these you can have.

I hope that may have explained it a little better for you, i'd hate for you to go away not really knowing about it cos i think the diet is fab, i have done atkins type diets before and have actually damaged my kidneys, altho not proven the diet caused it my dr thought there was a high chance a high protein diet affected them.

I'm not saying that to put you off any diet, ANY diet can work for people, it's more a mind over matter thing i believe but i do love sw cos it focuses on healthy eating and you don't skip any food group out (which has got to be the healthiest and most realistic eating plan in my opinion).

A quicker way of describing it may be....

Free foods...........as much as you like
Healthy Extra A....1 or 2 a day
Healthy Extra B.....2 a day
Syns..............between 5 and 15

Hope this helps and hasn't confused you even more!

 

[Taz]

Ah no thanks be far too much effort finding one & getting to one etc, I'm way too lazy for that. I was just curious mostly as a possible option to consider. Might think of a more atkins based approach, cutting out carbs, I've done that before so might be easier..
Anyway thanks for replying!

I don't believe you are lazy! You are doing a VLCD which requires more effort and will power than any plan! SW is great for people who don't want to think about what they are doing too much. When you get used to what is free you can just eat it all without thinking.

To find a group couldn't be easier really, go to the SW site and put your postcode in and it does the work for you. Then you just toddle off to the class and get the info, just an hour and a half out of your day, and then you are all set!

Of course, if you have a plan you have already tried and works for you then it does make sense to go with that. Although I am an SW girl I know that it's not for everyone and for something to work it has to suit you.

Good luck with whatever plan you choose for maintenence x

 

[Humph]

Hi PurpleButterfly. The difficult part to explain is getting your head round the lists of food types (e.g. what's free and when - because it changes depending on if you're on an original, green, or EE day). This is why people feel it's better to go to a class or join the online group.

In my kitchen I have pages and pages of print outs listing all the different values of food, and for the first two weeks nothing passed my lips without being looked up first. But now I "get it", the rules are quite simple and I can carry on without having to constantly check the lists.

I would recommend it, it's healthy eating that fits in with your lifestyle - which makes it less restrictive for you, your family (if you are cooking for others) and generally easier to stick to.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[PurpleButterfly]

Great, thank you so much guys for explaining the basics of what the diet is about, it definitely makes sense!

Lol Taz! I think a VLCD is the ultimate in laziness to be honest - you don't even have to think about what you put in your mouth, because it's all put in these lil food packs for you! And hunger (physical) doesn't really come in to it, so you don't have to worry about preparing the next meal (I use things like my slow cooker normally so meals have to be prepared well in advance!).. And I admire you guys for your patience in seeing a slower (and probably healthier) weight loss, I have anything from 4 to 6 stone to lose and I don't think I could see that kind of weight loss through on a slower diet! But hats off to you guys! Horses for courses is what I say.

Humph: I think that's the same with any healthy eating diet really, when you first start it takes ages to eat a meal cos you don't know what's allowed and what's not!

Anyway it sounds interesting and I may investigate at some point in the not too distant future. I presume they have a plan for managing weight not just losing it right?

 

[Taz]

Yes, when you get to target you have the plan adapted a little. I think you are allowed extra healthy extras. If you do decide to give SW a whirl then we will look forward to seeing you on the SW section x

 

[ladylite]

You dont have to go to class, I joined online as fitting in classes is difficult to me. You have to be really honest with yourself though.

Good luck with whatever you do. By the way I did LL too before going onto SW after regaining some of my weight.