SW - how does the plan work?

[MalmMumma]

I'm thinking of joining SW and wondered if anyone can explain to me how it works? I've done WW in the past and wondered if I should try something different. I read a bit on the wesbite and am worried about portion control....I tend to overeat and read that you can eat as much pasta, rice etc as you like. Is that true? And what is IMAGE? Thanks in advance - don't want to sign up and then drop out straight away if I can help it so any help gratefully received

The basic are fruit & veg are free & unlimited and should form 1/3 of each meal. Lean meat, fish & poultry, eggs also unlimited. You get a daily allowance of dairy (eg tiny portion of cheese, reasonable portion of milk esp skimmed) and fibre (specific cereals/crackers, SW snack bars). Anything 'naughty' ie booze, crisps, chocolate, high fat products are limited & must be weighed and counted.

It's great if you cook from scratch and like fruit & veg as you can cook for a family and eat without weighing things but IME (3 stone off) you do need to take a healthy approach and not just see it as Carte Blanche to stuff on pasta or potatoes just because they're 'free'.
Hth

That does help. Thanks. How much pasta or rice would you have in a normal portion?

you don't measure portions but try and look at reducing the portion by increasing the other things on your plate so you don't go hungry. So I have changed my meals for example spag bol I'll have less pasta than previously but have more sauce ( made with extra veg) and a side salad or roast dinner I make potatoes with minimal oil and have less of them but more veg & lean meat. I rarely eat bread now so lunches are soup, jacket potatoes, omelette, salads with prawn/sardines/smoked salmon.

There's no real need to worry about what a normal portion is...because you'd be eating the pasta or whatever as part of a meal with other ingredients.

Like Phoebe's example with spaghetti Bolognese...by the time you've got lean meat, veg in the sauce and a side salad, you're naturally limiting your portion of spaghetti.

IMAGE therapy is just what they call the group support bit.

I do weigh my pasta but that's because I tend to overestimate massively how much I need and therefore have a lot of wasted stuff or I eat it for the sake of it (neither good!). I tend to have about 75g of it which is plenty for me. I don't weigh potatoes though and don't eat a tonne of rice but I find that easier to estimate how much I will have so don't bother weighing it.

Like Gabi I weigh pasta and measure rice just because I'm poor at guessing. I use 75g pasta per portion and 1/2 cup of rice.

Although all free food is truly unlimited (including potatoes etc) you are encouraged to give preference to 'speed' foods which are low in calories. For example you can make a cottage pie with just mashed potato on top but reducing the number of potatoes and having swede and/carrot instead would be better.

I'm looking to join as well, but I've joined before - paid the fee and never did a thing with it .

I'm thinking that essentially so long as I stick to lots of veg and fruit, lean meats I'll be fine. I'm not sure about rice or pasta either!

(Totally aware this just sounds like eating like a normal person - sadly I've got into the habit of eating really badly so need to start from scratch)