Extra Easy Tweaks

[EmmaJH90]

Can someone help me with the concept of tweaks, please?

I see them mentioned a lot on here but there's no mention of them in the book.

Basically my OH and I discovered that you can make homemade crisps by slicing a potato extremely thinly, drying the slices out with kitchen roll, spraying with Frylight and microwaving for 5-7 minutes, and then seasoning as you wish. Sounds a bit odd but it does work and they taste bloody good!

I shared this on the FB page of my SW group and was immediately met with cries of "ooooh you shouldn't do that!". I could understand it if I was gonna eat a massive bowl of them, but two medium size potatoes makes a load of them which is obviously less potato than you'd eat at a meal.

So...do you follow the "rules" when it comes to tweaks involving otherwise free foods? Are they even official rules or just recommendations?

 

[green eyed monster]

arty0051:


Theres a definite line between tweakers and non tweakers on here. Personally I Enjoy The odd tweak, others like to stick to the plan religiously. There's nowt wrong with either approach if it works for you.

You won't find anything about it in the official literature, but there are plenty of tweaks available should you wish to look for them, ie, smash pizza base and as you said, homemade crisps.

 

[EmmaJH90]

I feel like this might have been a controversial subject to bring up . If there's nothing in the official literature surely they can't be that much of a big deal?

I heard a woman at weigh in a couple of weeks ago say she'd had a smoothie every day for breakfast, and the consultant was like "ooooh we don't recommend that", and then the woman had lost 3lbs . I just don't know how much I buy into the idea of tweaks being bad for your weight loss.

 

[green eyed monster]

Some members feel certain things should be synned when not being used in the 'proper' way.

Its an ongoing debate.

 

[green eyed monster]

Have a read here...

http://www.minimins.com/slimming-world/219560-bending-rules-sw.html

 

[swansong1a]

I feel like this might have been a controversial subject to bring up . If there's nothing in the official literature surely they can't be that much of a big deal?

Controversial it may be, but it's good that we have this place to discuss such matters! For various reasons I also tweak the plan, however I am aware I'm doing it and am prepared to make adjustments to my methods as or when I have issues with the plan "not working", since I know darn well it works if you follow it to the letter. My thinking on your crisps is that they'll be way better for you than sitting down to a bag (or two lol) of normal shop-bought crisps, and since that is without question a good step towards healthy living for life then you should keep enjoying them as long as they don't impact on your losses. If you're tweaking and still losing, go for it. If you're tweaking and not losing, you know what might be the culprit(s). Incidentally, have you tried using the (dry) shake-on salt and vinegar flavouring on your home-made crisps? Yum! I also found a chilli beef one last week, haven't tried that one on these yet but am expecting great results...

 

[lentil2]

Lets just say that I learnt how to make these crisps and many other tweak foods from my SW groups from years gone by when it was ok to use free food any way you saw fit to! In the days when free food really meant free food and you actually were encourage to stuff your face with it, seriously! If you wanted a whole chicken.....have it. A whole bag of pasta, have it. Maybe the difference then was it was just the 2 plans, red and green which meant you separated carbs and protein to a degree, only mixing if you used your healthy extras to have potatoes on a red day for instance.
I used to use all sorts of tweak foods and I might add, had great losses but as I said....food was more 'separated' then so I think that helped.

Since the introduction of EE, SW have definitely cut back on allowing you to eat as much as you can and advise to eat until your full. Fair enough. EE works best with the 1/3 of super free so I guess the thinking is you cannot realistically eat piles of carbs and protein together and still have room the superfree and expect to lose weight into the bargain. They also started the 'using foods as tweaks' rule aswell, ie if you are using food as its not intended then you have to syn it. Though surely all food is intended to eat whatever way you prepare it!

I suppose you could say that if you are making crisps from an allowed free food as a snack in between meals and you aren't having any superfree with it, you can see kinda see why you might have to syn it. However, as someone else pointed out, it's still better than buying a bag of Walkers! Another popular tweak is the good old smash pizza where you make a pizza base from smash and then put your toppings on it. Some say this is a tweak, others say its no different to having a dollop of smash on a plate and having your veg and meat on the side. I tend to agree with that personally, but it's up to the individual.
You have to do what's right for you, use your common sense and if it keeps you on track, then so be it.

 

[Happy Holidays]

I have the odd tweak for example yesterday I had a wholemeal chappati as hexb, ok so it's not but it's wholemeal & weighs 60grms but I wouldn't do that every day.

I also have smash pizza, yummy btw & worth trying.

I think you need to be sensible about tweaks, if you have them every day and don't loose what you're expecting you can blame the SW plan, if I'm tweaking smash (I also make scones with cheese), I make sure I don't have more than I'd have in a meal, if that makes sense.

For me tweaks have to be sensible.

 

[EmmaJH90]

Thanks for your replies guys. It seems people on here have more common sense than the people in the Facebook group for my SW group . Your opinions pretty much match my own but I was led to believe that this was wrong.

We haven't made the crisps much, we just thought maybe when we have friends round they'd be a good idea to put out as they ARE free and would stop us from buying shop-bought crisps.

I also think the "using food as it's intended" is a really daft thing to say. Potatoes are intended for potato crisps, no?

Swansong1a - I've heard a lot about this dry salt & vinegar flavouring but never actually seen it. Where did you get it from?

 

[chocko1]

I do the same as Michelle, with the cheese scones made from Smash. I put them on top of braising steak, gravy, veg, etc., and make a savoury cobbler with them. As I don't have potatoes with that meal (and it's lovely and filling), only vegetables, I don't feel I'm doing any damage and the scales back up that assumption.

As people have said, just be sensible but I'd definitely carry on enjoying your healthy crisps and, if it stops you craving the 'naughty' ones ...... even better!

Kathy x

 

[green eyed monster]

Ooh what are these cheese scone smash things? I need to try those xx

 

[chocko1]

Hi Kay - there's a recipe for them on my thread (click link below) on page 20. Hope that helps. xx

 

[green eyed monster]

Hi Kay - there's a recipe for them on my thread (click link below) on page 20. Hope that helps. xx

Guess what I'm eating right now?


Lol


Had all the ingredients and my oven was on so I threw some together, they are lush!

Have put the rest in the fridge for Ron . Xxx thanks chocko xxx

 

[Happy Holidays]

Guess what I'm eating right now?


Lol


Had all the ingredients and my oven was on so I threw some together, they are lush!

Have put the rest in the fridge for Ron . Xxx thanks chocko xxx

I put frozen spinach in the middle of mine which is rather yummy.

 

[chocko1]

Wow, Kay!! That was quick off the mark! They are rather yummy, aren't they? Oh no! You've set off a craving now! Do love them as a cobbler topping though too. You just feel like you're eating something forbidden, a bit like a pie and just as delicious.

So glad you enjoyed them and very restrained, managing to save some too!

Kathy xx

 

[green eyed monster]

Wow, Kay!! That was quick off the mark! They are rather yummy, aren't they? Oh no! You've set off a craving now! Do love them as a cobbler topping though too. You just feel like you're eating something forbidden, a bit like a pie and just as delicious.

So glad you enjoyed them and very restrained, managing to save some too!

Kathy xx

Lol, not so restrained, i made 9' there are 3 left.

 

[swansong1a]

Swansong1a - I've heard a lot about this dry salt & vinegar flavouring but never actually seen it. Where did you get it from?

I somehow doubt my source would be any use to you, it was (strangely) an Indian corner shop in my little one-horse Australian town! However, I did look and you can get it from Amazon too, the link is http://www.amazon.co.uk/Robertsons-...639924&sr=8-1&keywords=salt+vinegar+seasoning. There is a cheaper version but it has poor reviews. If you also search for "popcorn seasoning" you'll find other nice flavours too!

 

[sarahc4536]

I've made those crisps before, and all my consultant said when I mentioned them, was that SW won't advise these tweaks as there's no 1/3 of veg/fruit involved... but if you made your own salsa (tomato, onion, peppers, and a bit of chilli) you've got your very own superfree salsa!

As others have said, it's not as if you're eating them all day every day, so there's no harm in them every so often. And if you notice your losses slow/stop, then you cut it from your plan

I also love the smash pizza, and the smash cake is amazing! Someone made it for a taster session, and I couldn't even tell it was smash! Lovely yummy cake!

 

[PatchworkPuss]

Can someone help me with the concept of tweaks, please?

I see them mentioned a lot on here but there's no mention of them in the book.

Basically my OH and I discovered that you can make homemade crisps by slicing a potato extremely thinly, drying the slices out with kitchen roll, spraying with Frylight and microwaving for 5-7 minutes, and then seasoning as you wish. Sounds a bit odd but it does work and they taste bloody good!

I shared this on the FB page of my SW group and was immediately met with cries of "ooooh you shouldn't do that!". I could understand it if I was gonna eat a massive bowl of them, but two medium size potatoes makes a load of them which is obviously less potato than you'd eat at a meal.

So...do you follow the "rules" when it comes to tweaks involving otherwise free foods? Are they even official rules or just recommendations?

Have a look at the myths and misconceptions article on the SW website, that explains it all

 

[jayde1148]

My sister did sw when you could tweak and lost loads. I seem to recall couscous cake a regular thing! what mskes me laugh though is sw agree scan bran can be made into cake and its ok, always recommended at my group!

Im sticking to plan as I know it will safeguard my losses but whats life without the odd tweak if we need to