The Great Tweaking Debate

[Pickle81]

I know people have very strong views (both sides) on this but personally I'm more than a little confused.
I've never tweaked; in the respect that I only ever use foods for their intended purpose. However, where is the line? Things like lasagne crisps, chick pea nuts and smash cakes are all quite obviously tweaks.. But what about 'kfc' chicken made with smash? Or smash scones? Or smash pizza?
Our group had a visit from the area manager recently and I asked her the above question. She maintains that if a food still has 'satisfying value' then it isn't a tweak: as in, if it's part of a meal and you would have used that food product in some form on that meal anyway then it isn't a tweak. I STILL take issue with this. If I made a smash pizza and had it with salad and SW chips then I'm having twice as much potato as I would normally be expected to have.
Perhaps I am over thinking it.. I often do.. But I'd be interested to read other people's thoughts on this.

 

[Pickle81]

Thanks for the reply
I think I will steer clear just to be on the safe side. It's terribly confusing though!

 

[MelScarlet]

I have mixed feelings on the subject of tweaking- on the one hand I think its a great way of not feeling so much like you're missing out, but on the other I don't want to do it too much because I don't think I'm learning a new way to eat (if that makes sense?). I've got such a long way to go and I know that when I get to target I will have to still eat mostly like this to maintain and if I'm still used to eating stuff like pizza regularly (albeit in a SW way) its gonna be too easy to put the weight back on because once you stop being so strict with the plan you're more likely to just have a real pizza (for example). I prefer to start seeing these as occasional treats, even in tweaked form. (hope any of that made any sense lol)

 

[PatchworkPuss]

I absolutely agree with you and have never tweaked. Actually I am rather fed up with the proliferation of smash recipes that are now appearing on other sites (luckily we seem to avoid the worst of it on this site). I really do not understand what would possess someone to think it can be a good idea to made a sweet cake using smash, that is wrong on so many levels lol. I also tend to agree that SW will, soon or later, clamp down on this food abuse as it used to be called, and make smash synnable.

I also have to laugh when people say they do it and its never affected their losses. My great aunt is in her 90s and has smoked all her life with no obvious adverse effects,. That doesn't mean we should all go out and smoke 60 a day. It is pointless using one person's experience as evidence that it is okay and as said, SW have to look at the bigger picture.

 

[Pickle81]

I make mini pizzas by cutting a 60g wholemeal roll in half, popping under the grill to cook one side then topping the other side with tomato puree, HEA cheese, onions and tomatoes. It's yummy and I don't miss 'real' pizza at all

 

[MelScarlet]

I made the pizza chicken from the October mag the other day and it was amazing- instead of passata, I used chopped toms, tomato puree and loads of italian herbs- all topped off my with fav veg and my HE cheese- it was delicious- even better than pizza lol.

 

[jaylou]

I always ask myself if a "normal" non dieting person would eat such a food and the answer is normally no!

My naturally slim friends do not eat smash pizza, smash scones, cous cous cake, lasagne crisps, chick pea nuts or anything else like this.

I also think if it's not in the SW magazines, cook books or on the website then it's probably not SW endorsed. I do remember mashed potato (not smash) pizza in the magazine and I did make it, it was a heck of a faff for not much result. I prefer pizza topped chicken breast or using a pitta bread as a B choice.

 

[Lisawilson08]

I always ask myself if a "normal" non dieting person would eat such a food and the answer is normally no!

My naturally slim friends do not eat smash pizza, smash scones, cous cous cake, lasagne crisps, chick pea nuts or anything else like this.

I also think if it's not in the SW magazines, cook books or on the website then it's probably not SW endorsed. I do remember mashed potato (not smash) pizza in the magazine and I did make it, it was a heck of a faff for not much result. I prefer pizza topped chicken breast or using a pitta bread as a B choice.

Thats because my naturally slim friends eat normal scones, pringles and dominos pizza!! haha

I don't mind tweaking, i have tweaked every week (as I didn't really know about it until last week) and have lost 2 stone so far! I think as long as it is in moderation! If you were having the smash pizza, you dont have other carbs with it! I make lasagne crisps sometimes when going to friends for a dvd night or the cinema, as stops me eating popcorn and sweets!!

I think everything in moderation is the key, I would rather tweak and make a smash pizza or crisps once in a while rather than have a pizza hut and doritos x

 

[stivesliz]

I agree with you about the tweaking. In the case of couscous cake I sometimes make it and will have a slice warmed up for brekkie with heaps of fruit and a low fat yogurt which means I have a HEB choice for lunch if I fancy a sandwich. I think this is ok and it works for me.
However................I have seen ladies at my class that will make a couscous cake and basically eat it all in one day and chomp on it all day long which I think is pushing it a bit - and as our consultant says if your weight loss stopped then the tweaks should be the first thing to go.

I too made the smash pizza and it wasn't something I would try again - like Jaylou said it was a LOT of faffing about and the pizza chickens are delicious - I put bacon, peppers, onion, mushrooms etc on mine.

 

[MelScarlet]

I too made the smash pizza and it wasn't something I would try again - like Jaylou said it was a LOT of faffing about and the pizza chickens are delicious - I put bacon, peppers, onion, mushrooms etc on mine.

Now I'm kicking myself cos I didn't think of adding a bit of bacon?? Gonna try that next time

 

[stivesliz]

Now I'm kicking myself cos I didn't think of adding a bit of bacon?? Gonna try that next time

It was really nice - I have 2 chicken breasts in my fridge right now and I'm trying to decide between chicken pizza or chicken and cauliflower curry for dinner. It sounds gross by the way, but it's lovely - and the great thing is that with a whole cauli in it that's the superfree sorted lol! xxx

 

[MelScarlet]

Doesn't sound gross at all, I love cauli, much to my husband's confusion who thinks the stuff is truly awful

 

[stivesliz]

Doesn't sound gross at all, I love cauli, much to my husband's confusion who thinks the stuff is truly awful

I will pm you the recipe - have got to find the link x

 

[Grizzly_man]

If I use a tweak as part of a meal I don't syn it, if I tweak and then snack on it I do syn at the highest value, I think the rules on food abuse are there to stop people eating 15 sheets of lasagne as crisps wile watching telly at night and wondering why the weight isn't coming off. Wasn't there a smash pizza recipe in the magazine or on the website fairly recently?

 

[stivesliz]

If I use a tweak as part of a meal I don't syn it, if I tweak and then snack on it I do syn at the highest value, I think the rules on food abuse are there to stop people eating 15 sheets of lasagne as crisps wile watching telly at night and wondering why the weight isn't coming off. Wasn't there a smash pizza recipe in the magazine or on the website fairly recently?

am not sure where I got the recipe from - I dont want to find it again LOL x

 

[Rochelle1]

I have mixed feelings on the subject of tweaking- on the one hand I think its a great way of not feeling so much like you're missing out, but on the other I don't want to do it too much because I don't think I'm learning a new way to eat (if that makes sense?). I've got such a long way to go and I know that when I get to target I will have to still eat mostly like this to maintain and if I'm still used to eating stuff like pizza regularly (albeit in a SW way) its gonna be too easy to put the weight back on because once you stop being so strict with the plan you're more likely to just have a real pizza (for example). I prefer to start seeing these as occasional treats, even in tweaked form. (hope any of that made any sense lol)

Agree with this, just have a couple of slices of pizza as a treat occasionly, then its a treat and not something you eat regularly. I don't tweak foods and I don't want to eat things like smash pizza and cous cous cake, I think they would taste awful

I always ask myself if a "normal" non dieting person would eat such a food and the answer is normally no!

My naturally slim friends do not eat smash pizza, smash scones, cous cous cake, lasagne crisps, chick pea nuts or anything else like this.

I also think if it's not in the SW magazines, cook books or on the website then it's probably not SW endorsed. I do remember mashed potato (not smash) pizza in the magazine and I did make it, it was a heck of a faff for not much result. I prefer pizza topped chicken breast or using a pitta bread as a B choice.

I bet the chicken pizzas are lovely!! I've not tried them as I do more green days, but I've fancied it for a while so might get some chicken breasts at some point next week and try it.

And I always think of the 'is this normal' thing too. That's why I havnt tried any funny recipes. Like the quiches made with pasta n sauce, eurgh!! Would rather just have an omelette lol I like NORMAL food!!

 

[nicnocks]

anything i have made as a tweak in the past has never turned out nice, my cous cous cake was revolting and my syn free pancakes just tasted like sweet eggs. So as a result i don't tweak now. Personally i would rather syn a slice of real cake than eat a whole cake that tastes like a rolled up omlette with sweetner. And i would rather syn a bit of bisto to make my gravies thick than add smash to an oxo,and other stuff like that. That is just me though, i know people that tweak every day and are having no probs losing the weight. For me it is more about the taste x

 

[jen3]

I make the smash/cottage cheese scone things and use them as dumplings in my home made broth. BUT I have to freeze them immediately as if they are out on the bench they are far too easy to snack on!! Its all about moderation and being sensible I think.

 

[lardylady]

I would much rather eat like a normal person and have a small portion of cake rather than a massive slab of a poor substitute like couscous cake.

 

[Rochelle1]

anything i have made as a tweak in the past has never turned out nice, my cous cous cake was revolting and my syn free pancakes just tasted like sweet eggs. So as a result i don't tweak now. Personally i would rather syn a slice of real cake than eat a whole cake that tastes like a rolled up omlette with sweetner. And i would rather syn a bit of bisto to make my gravies thick than add smash to an oxo,and other stuff like that. That is just me though, i know people that tweak every day and are having no probs losing the weight. For me it is more about the taste x

I agree on the gravy thing,never tried adding smash but bisto granules are only 1.5 syns for 100ml