I need to know EXACTLY why you must have your syns please..

[Gingery]

Hi HayleyBerryBenj
Just wanted to let you know you're not alone. I'm not so much an overeater as lazy. A Couple of drinks would never just be a "couple of drinks" and the take-away menu suddenly becomes a lot more appealing.

I've only been on SW for 3 weeks and I seem to lose at the same rate on weeks that I barely have syns and weeks that I have slightly more than my allowance. I'm trying to make sure I use some of them because I'm worried about going too far and putting weight back on quickly at some point in the future.

I've chosen to change from extra light cheese triangles to regular and other similar replacements so the volume I'm eating has gone down but the quality has gone up.

 

[slimmingmummy]

Its really odd but i actaully lose more when i have 15 syns a day! Strange or what! the weeks where iv had no syns i have only been down 1/2 of sts. I think its noce to be able to eat something nice i eat maltesers and use them for sauce on my dinners. x

 

[Wannabeelovely]

Ignoring the nutritious aspects of food for a second and just thinking about calories alone, your body is absolutely incapable of recognising what is 'good' and what is 'bad'. To your body, its just calories, whatever you're eating. Your stomach doesnt think 'Hey up, great, here's some calories from an angelic apple' or 'Oh no, better brace myself, its calories from an evil chocolate bar'. It just processes those calories and turns them into energy/fat regardless. The whole ethos behind the SW plan is to change your eating habits for life so that you learn to eat the most nutritious, lowest calorie foods first, then the nutritious but higher calorie foods and then the least nutritious, highest calorie foods last so that you're altering the balance of what you eat and generally taking in less calories than you're burning while taking in all the nutrition you need to be healthy. SW have NEVER said that you cannot eat certain foods ever again - in fact, they actively promote the concept of EVERYTHING in moderation.
It's always tempting to cut out the syns because they represent the high calorie foods that we've become scared of (as they're the ones that got us here in the first place!). We think of food as 'good' and 'bad' - but really, food is just food and it all has its place in a healthy diet. Putting yourself in a dieting straightjacket is like a ticking timebomb - you can go on for months not having treats or those bits and bobs that are one of life's great pleasures, but, sooner or later, an occasion will come along where you do eat or drink something you regard as 'bad' and then that mental timebomb will go off, the straightjacket will burst open and you'll fall off the wagon big style because you'll feel you've failed. Eat everything in moderation and you'll be successful - learn not to be scared of certain foods - its confidence around ALL foods you come across in life that will get you to where you want to be AND help you sustain that loss forever. Hope that lot makes sense!!! xxxx

 

[Wannabeelovely]

Blimey - that was a bit long! Sorry for wittering on there!!!!!! xxx

 

[zombiecakes]

This always puzzles me too. We all have a history of overeating so it seems strange to me to not use any syns. If you've got any spare please send some to me .

Not necessarily. Some people don't gain weight by overeating (in fact that's the wrong word, i mean eating excessively) just by making the wrong food choices. 2 meals a day consisting of all the bad foods can take you over your daily calories needed, hence weight gain.

Therefore when switching to SW, you have to change your meals completely, and if you stick to free foods, like pasta and meat etc, it's more than filling for a meal. But then if you never overate on chocolate and crisps etc, then you end up wondering what to use syns on.

 

[alwyn]

I've been doing SW since January, and I've always used my Syns for "proper" treats, like alcohol, chocolate and crisps. I've had a bit of a tough time following the plan recently, so I've changed my mindset a bit.

I'm now trying to use my Syns predominantly on "extras" to my meal, like having tuna with extra light mayo to go with my jacket potato, or a bit of gravy, or having real olive oil in my cooking rather than Fry Light all the time.

I'm trying to stick to 10 a day, or 70 a week (I'm on weekly Syns this week lol!)

 

[downsizingmycurves]

Not necessarily. Some people don't gain weight by overeating (in fact that's the wrong word, i mean eating excessively) just by making the wrong food choices. 2 meals a day consisting of all the bad foods can take you over your daily calories needed, hence weight gain.

Therefore when switching to SW, you have to change your meals completely, and if you stick to free foods, like pasta and meat etc, it's more than filling for a meal. But then if you never overate on chocolate and crisps etc, then you end up wondering what to use syns on.

Isn't that still technically over-eating i.e taking in more calories than you use up?

 

[Katerpillar]

Aw Shucks Chicaloca thanks -thats very nice of you

Hayley -If I remeber rightly someone on here once said that the SYNS actually stood for "synergy" -which might make you feel a bit better than thinking of them as "syns"
here is the wikapedia definition if it helps...
Synergy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I don't really use mine for choc, crisps etc either -..... I use mine for extra virgin olive oil -don't like spray, Yoghurts -I don't like fat free ones :sign0137:and for the odds and sods in recipes etc.
Hope you find a balance that suits you...and hope your daughter is on the mend....

That is brilliant - thank you Capricorn.

Definition:
Synergy, in general, may be defined as two or more agents working together to produce a result not obtainable by any of the agents independently.

That has made me look at "syns" in a totally different light now

 

[lentil2]

Years ago, syns were called sins and one of the reasons SW changed the way it was spelt, was exactly for this reason.......people believing that sins were bad for you!

Syns are not the bad guy, just like the Healthy extras aren't and just like the free food isn't either. They are ALL part of the plan that make up SW. To follow the plan properly, you must have all 3. It's amazing how many people say they have followed it to the letter and then add that they haven't had their syns.....that's not following it to the letter then is it, that's making up your own plan!!!!!

I never understand people that don't, won't or can't use their syns......I could eat double mine and still want more!!! Lol

 

[IanH]

I think i was the person who talked about "Syns = Synergy"...

Here's what i said last time around:

SYNS are not SINS (though they used to be spelt that way a LONG time ago).

SYN is shorted from SYNERGY - and are there to be used to allow us to be realistic with what we eat by allowing us items that are not necessarily healthy but if were totally forbidden to us would lead to situations of "I fancy some mayonaise with this salad - oh bugger it - here's a few spoonfuls, after all in for a penny, in for a pound" (which later leads to - "oh well i've been off plan at lunch time, what does it count at dinner time now that the damage is done") and swap that to "well, i fancy some mayonaise with that, if i have a tablespoon of the extra light, then that's only one syn" and you've remained in control.

Use them - that's what they're there for. If you're like me, you'll find that sooner or later your body settles down to what it needs in way of daily syns.

(would it surprise people to know that i used all 15 nearly every day for the first 14 or so months of my journey and it's just been the last 6 or so that it's naturally fallen back to about 7 a day - no concious decision).