A few silly questions!

[Lj8893]

I've just started and am on day 2!
If I have semi skimmed milk as my healthy extra A, do I need to have the whole amount?

Do I need to have any Syns? Obviously some days I will use them but some days I won't.

Anyway, I'm loving it so far and have just had an amazing tuna and sweet corn jacket potato and salad, beautiful!

[lugo40]

Hello welcome to slimming world :-) I've been doing it 7 weeks and love it!

Ok, for your a choice you do have to have the whole amount ie 250 ml semi skinned milk. It's to ensure you get the right amount of calcium.

And your meant to eat at least 5 syns a day . Syns are a part of the plan just like the healthy extras and the free foods. In the beginning I tried not to eat many and some days had none but once I started eating more than 10 a day my weight loss increased massively.

Good luck!

[Lj8893]

Thank you!
Right I need to work out how to have more milk then, as I'm using it for my cereal but not using all of my allowance! Might have to start drinking tea!

What do you tend to use your syns on? I thought I could incorporate a treat into my day on the days I don't use any syns in any of my meals.

[iklboo]

Syns - WINE!!!!

[lugo40]

You could switch to whole milk which is what I did as only need 175 ml of this then.

Or if your only having half so 125 ml of semi you can count that as half a hea and then have half of something else like 20g reduced fat cheese instead if the whole 40g.

I find it works for me if I use my syns for boring things like oil to cook and real butter on my jacket - I no you can use the fry light spray but I need to use syns and am trying not to use them for snacks that have made me fat like crisps and chocolate. Although sometimes I do. I also always have merringue with fruit so use syns for the merringue (2 1/2). Any mayo or ketchup or salad dressing.

Just find what works for you. I no someone who had a twirl every night with her syns and she got to target. I just no I couldn't stop at one so I don't have any. And by using them in my meals like the oil and butter I don't feel like I'm on a diet at all. So for me it works.

[iklboo]

Seriously, we use syns for after meal treats - or you could have extra bread (eg toast or a sandwich for supper) & syn it.

Fun size chocolate bars, Mikado sticks, 10cal jelly, multi-bag of crisps, pitta bread, hummous etc are syns you can use.

[Lj8893]

Thank you all! That's a good point regarding using another half of a HEA, I think I will try that.

[LakeFlyPie]

If you don't want to use the whole amount of milk I think you could have half another 'a' eg cheese.
Also syns don't have to be sugar / alcohol (although it's nice to have the option!). I sometimes use them for olive oil or dried fruit or seeds to sprinkle on yog etc

[emmaluvseeyore]

I only have milk with my cereal in the morning, so I use half of the allowance for that and then have a Babybel Original at lunch time (you are allowed 2 for HEA).

I also struggle to use my syns as I really don't find I need them (I have replaced my sugar cravings with fruit). I don't drink alcohol either. This week, I felt like I didn't eat as well as normal and did no exercise, yet I lost weight for the first time in a month! I think it was because I was having more syns yet staying within the allowance. I dunno!

[JasperDamerel]

I mostly use my syns on olive oil, coconut oil, seeds, olives, nice yogurt, wine, dark chocolate, gin and fever tree light tonic (but that is quite a lot of syns), a scoop of ice cream from the lovely home made ice cream van.

[applesareredandgreen]

You only need to use all of your HEAD choice if you are not having other dairy products so if you are eating yoghurt or cottage cheese as part of your free food you don't need to worry about not having all of your milk. If you're not, then as others have said have a half portion of cheese so that you ensure you are getting enough calcium.

And you definitely don't need to use any syns at all - if you are feeling completely satisfied with what you are eating. What is important is that you are not feeling deprived. The idea of syns is the 'llittle of what you fancy does you good" so eating a freddo bar should keep your chocolate cravings at bay whereas depriving yourself can lead to binge. But you certainly don't need to have 10 syns every day. When the consultant says to ensure you eat enough they mean fill up on free food so you aren't hungry.

[lugo40]

it might be just my consultant but she's really clear every week that part of the plan is that you must eat at least 5 syns a day and you must eat all your HEA and HEB regardless.

[PlayingHouse]

The problem with not eating syns is what do you cut back on when you get close to target?

[ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight]

Surely you can save your syns up for the weekend? That's how most plans work. Maximum 15 a day but you can save them as long as you average it over a week.
There is only value in eating syns if you make them decent high quality fats like olive oil or nuts. There can't be any value in eating 5 syns worth of chocolate!

[hstar1995]

I generally save my syns for the weekend (lucky my weigh in is on a Saturday). I might have 20-30 on a Saturday for example but then be really strict with syns the rest of the week and use them on boring things like lighter butter on my toast, mayonnaise, ketchup etc. My biggest problem is if I have salad I need mayo with it! Apart from condiments, I might have a chocolate bar when I'm desperate etc but very rarely have more than 8 in a day, in order to justify my treat on a Saturday