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Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Slimming World

Is it possible to do slimming world without eating low fat 'rubbish'?

22 replies

notwoo · 30/01/2014 12:50

SW seems to be working very well for lots of people I know but I don't like the idea of eating muller lights, low fat spreads, 1 cal spray mugshots etc.

I prefer to eat 'real' food - butter, full fat milk, olive oil, full fat greek yoghurt etc.

I only have 7-10lb to lose but would like to do it without resorting to low fat foods as I don't think they are particularly healthy.

Is it possible to 'syn' your butter, yogurt etc?

Thank you.

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tabulahrasa · 30/01/2014 12:56

Yes - you can use olive oil as a b choice and you can syn anything.

The vast majority of free foods are just food, fruit, vegetables, pulses, lean meats and fish, pasta and rice, that should be mostly what you're eating anyway.

You might struggle a bit to eat a lot of whole fat dairy foods, but you can just avoid them rather than swap then if you'd rather.

Thanks

FlatsInDagenham · 30/01/2014 12:56

Yes it's perfectly possible. All the things you mention can be counted as syns.

Full fat milk and cheese can be counted as healthy extras.

Obviously, you're only going to be able to eat a very little of those things, but as long as they are properly counted it will not be a problem.

Good luck!

Thanks

notwoo · 30/01/2014 13:01

Thank you - I may look further into it. I am still intrigued as to how people can eat so many carbs and still lose weight!

Yes - I realise I wouldn't be able to eat a great deal of them but good to know I can give it a go.

OP posts:

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JakeBullet · 30/01/2014 13:09

I manage it.

I don't DO low fat spread....I like butter? AND I am quite prepared to count it.

I equally prefer to mix my own low fat spray......olive oil and water......give it a shake and spray. I call it Fry Light (my version) and don't count it.

I quite like a Mullerlight in the morning but am looking towards polluting it with low fat yoghurt and eventually not buy those either.

I love Greek yoghurt....the full fat version and will use a tablespoon or so in cooking.

So far I have lost nearly a stone.

Thanks

notwoo · 30/01/2014 13:50

That's great - thanks for the olive oil & water tip!

OP posts:

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Shaxx · 01/02/2014 11:00

Yes you can! I hate rubbish food and don't eat anything with artificial sweeteners.

I use 1 or 2 tsp of oil to cook a family meal (depending on what it is)with which is 2 syns for 1 tsp so its 1/2 to 1 syn per portion.

I eat yeo valley fat free natural yoghurt with fresh fruit. Although that's no fat, its not rubbish. Add a drizzle of honey - 1tsp is 1 syn.

I eat reduced fat cheddar which I don't think is rubbish.

I have a Green and Blacks mini choc bar (4 syns) most evenings or a small bit of home made cake.

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Joules68 · 01/02/2014 11:09

Does slimming works still advocate a 'eat as much as you like' of foods on green or red days?

Unlimited pasta or something?

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Shaxx · 01/02/2014 11:12

Yes as long as you have no, or counted, fat and eat 1/3 of your meal as veg or salad.
When you do that, you're not really going to eat tonnes and tonnes of pasta or rice.

Thanks

JakeBullet · 01/02/2014 11:14

Yes more or less joules as long as you follow their rules/guidelines on Syns etc.

I do exercise portion control though and the SW consultant at our group talks about the value of knowing when you are hungry and when you are not.

I a trying to pay much more attention to this side of things as it allows me to use butter etc and not overdo it.

I still think some of their stuff is odd.....someone on another thread pointed out that avocado takes up all your syns but you can treat yourself to some chocolate for less! And I agree...it is odd....as is the "two Alpan Light bars for a B choice". Not very healthy is it?

But if you can accept some of the nonsense and make it work for you then it is fine.

I am just having some lovely homemade veggie soup. Syn free and delicious.

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Shaxx · 01/02/2014 11:15

Sorry that's the extra easy plan, which I prefer to red and green days.
But I think the answer is yes to your question, as long as you stick to the other rules. And you eat til you're full, not til you're stuffed.

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Joules68 · 01/02/2014 15:21

Avocados are one of the healthiest things you can eat though..... They are a superfood.

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Shaxx · 01/02/2014 16:15

I think in essence, sw works because you don't mix fat and carbs, which is the worst combination and one that leads to weight gain, along with sugar.
As avocados are quite high in fat, they aren't included as a free food. I'm no expert though and just glad that bananas are a free food :)

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zestypears · 01/02/2014 16:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

freyasnow · 01/02/2014 19:24

I am mixing fat and carbs on SW. I put cheese on pasta, salad, potatoes etc. OP, if you do the green plan you get 2 portions of healthy Extras A (dairy) plus your 10 syns. You can eat quite a lot of cheese and other dairy that way.

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GinOnTwoWheels · 01/02/2014 20:28

You could try 2% Greek yogurt instead of the normal full fat one - see if you like that?

I agree that lots of people do SW with far too many muller lights and fat free fromage frais (bleugh) and cottage cheeses, but I can't see how it can't work with slightly less full fat dairy (eg FF cottage cheese, which is disgusting, is about 60 cals per 100g and is 'free', but 6% fat cottage cheese (eg. Longley Farm, or Waitrose own brand is quite nice, and is about 110 cals per 100g), so I would have thought that a couple of pots per week 'pretending' that it is 'free' would be OK?

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GinOnTwoWheels · 01/02/2014 20:44

I've done SW before and lost weight, mostly without eating artificial rubbish.

I need to lose few pounds (a stone would be more than enough) and haven't decided what type of diet to go for and I eat a very varied diet, mostly cooked from scratch, so I'm looking for something without needing to count and calculate everything, as it is just too time consuming, so was going to try SW again (can remember the basics).

Was searching on here, as I thought there might be an iphone app that could track syns and healthy As/Bs without having to join official SW - is there one that anyone can recommend?

But in my searching on here, I stumbled across a recipe for chicken cooked in diet coke and I can't imagine anything more disgusting and unhealthy. But people say it is 'nice'.

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notwoo · 02/02/2014 09:46

I've had a good dig around and it definitely seems doable - I just need to get used to what a 'healthy extra' portion size of milk / cheese looks like go from there.
Bleughhh to chicken in diet coke. Colleagues have been raving about the cake in a mug which sounds like (fake) chocolate flavoured scrambled egg to me.
But the piles of fruit and veg, pulses etc. seem quite attractive.

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santasballsackisnolonger · 06/02/2014 16:29

The chicken diet coke is a revelation! Sounds bleurgh but is really tasty! Also ive heard gammon in coke is great too

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chloeb2002 · 09/02/2014 00:54

I refuse to use any margarine.. Yes I syn and alternate stuff! I use a canola spray ( Australia) so no one cal spray here. I have a lot if weight to loose.. 15 kg... But I want healthy eating! I tried the margarine vs butter in the shed experiment.. Anything that doesn't go mouldy.. Is wrong.
I also don't eat artificial
Sweetner. Any of it.. Ever! Ds had neuro problems which is most probably due if not totally then in part to my high diet coke intake in pregnancy! So no.. None if that in our house either! Again. A bit of sugar.. I syn it. If I want a soft drink.. I syn it. Not often...
I'm still loosing weight!

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Destinysdaughter · 09/02/2014 00:56

Why don't you just go low carb then?

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notwoo · 09/02/2014 07:42

I've low carbed before pretty successfully but found it very difficult to sustain.
I'm also a bit dubious about the healthiness of high levels of fat. Yes I know that's what we are evolved to eat but cave men didn't tend to reach old age did they?!

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chloeb2002 · 09/02/2014 22:45

Surely it's possible to eat low fat with out synthesized fats?
Grilling, small amounts of veg oil.
If its a no to low fat anything.. Then maybe just substitute for something else completely?
Sure like most things if you are loosing weight .. Then it's working for you :0)

Thanks

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