Speed free, is it necessary?

[Onetimeatbandcamp]

Hi all, provided I dont go mad with my portion sizes and try and include fruit/ veg in most meals (ie in the recipe) is it really necessary to keep adding these extra things that I dont really want? I mean for example... If I had a jacket potato with 1/2 tin of beans, I dont necessarily want salad on the side...especially as beans count as 1 of your 5 a day (Not exactly
The worlds biggest salad fan tbh) I have always done WW previously and am finding the thought of adding superfree as an extra to every meal, faffy and time consuming. Are there many of you here that have lost weight without overly worrying about the speed free 1/3 of plate sides? If so, what are your tips?

Sorry, should say Im doing extra easy as I am new to slimming world and dont understand the whole red/green thing!

It's part of the controlling calories part of the plan, so you eat less of the higher calorie foods by filling up on lower calorie foods.

When I was following it
I found it easier to chop up a big bowl of tomato, pepper Cucumber and keep it in the fridge and add a scoop to each plate rather than chopping every time.

It doesn't have to be salad. It could be steamed broccoli, cauliflower, carrot etc.

Thank you xx the thing is though, whilst I get that bit about calorie distribution, if I am already having a sensible portion size (which would be the same whether or not I added veg) then surely I am just adding extra calories for the sake of it (albeit I agree not exactly loads of calories) and eatimg something I dont really enjoy that much? Does that makes sense?

I have never been one for huge portions, and I am finding I am staying between 5-7 syns a day (no extra snacking) so provided I added veg where I enjoy it (ie carrots/onions/celery/tom puree in a spag bol) then I just dont get what is to be gained by me adding an extra side? Especially if my portion size would otherwise have remained the same?

Its not that I dont want veg and salad in meals that it can be cooked into or works with, I just dont want to worry about it all the time if that makes sense?

Example, If I have a ham sandwich for lunch, I dont really want a side salad/or extra veg, do you see what I mean? But happy to throw a little spinach into the sandwich itself...

As PP said, the idea behind it is to have less of the unlimited free food in your meals, because it's more calorie dense than speed.

So if you are having a medium baked potato and beans, swap for a smaller baked potato and beans, plus speed fruit or veg on the side.

Make your 'normal' portion smaller instead of continuing to eat as you did before.

What has changed in your diet and meal planning since starting SW? Are you eating fewer syns (ie. was junk food your downfall?) or cutting portion sizes? What made you become overweight, especially if you only eat small meals.

Another example for your sandwich. Have half a sandwich (1 slice bread) with salad on the side.

Do you find yourself hungry outside of meal times? What do you snack on? Speed or free foods?

But I dont want just half a sandwich and salad... I would feel totally deprived... :-(

My eating habits before, were....
2 slices Toast with loads of butter, lunch would be full fat cheese sandwich with butter, crisps sometimes two packs

Dinner would be wraps with chicken goujons, salad, cheese etc....

Evening 1 bottle of red wine... Yep superbad.... Then various snacking whilst drinking, choccie biccies, tortilla with spready cheese etc.

Now it looks more like this

Brek. Fruit and fat free greek yoghurt.

Lunch. Medium Jacket potato with baked beans or tuna and perhaps a mullerlight or small individual pack of pineapple/strawberries if extra hungry in between.

Dinner spag bol cooked with fry light, with lots of tomato puree, carrots, onions, celery etc all mixed in, served with pasta.

Evening, nothing.

And no, not hungry outside of meal times xxx

Again, not massive portions xx

Oh and 1% milk in my coffee no sugar (used as healthy extra or syned as needed.

You don't have to have speed foods, but SW says in the book that your weight loss might be slower.

Your new eating plan looks pretty good compared to previously. And you don't want to feel deprived :)

Maybe see how you go and try to add speed in where you can (like you say, in meals where it's already in the recipe) and consider topping up where it's easy? Eg. spinach or lettuce on your sandwich as you suggested. Over time you may find you naturally increase the speed portions, especially on weeks that you have a good loss and can see the benefits!

Thanks KP... Good advice, I figure that I will try and figure it my own way, and if it doesnt work, then either try harder with the speed free, or switch back to that other Well known weight loss plan

Onetime, previous advice is all good.
It says in the SW book that you should include at least a third of a plate of speed foods wherever you can.
So, a meal of beans on toast, say, would be okay,or egg, chips and mushy peas, but for best losses, you need that third of speed foods.
But if your menu plans are working for you, that's what matters.
You might need to increase speed foods in time to keep up your losses.

The plan also says that you add the speed free food where it makes sense. If I'm having spaghetti hoops on toast, I wouldn't stick some lettuce with it.

Also, don't fall for the trap of having fruit after a meal to 'get your speed in'. That is adding unnecessary calories, unless the fruit is replacing a more calorific dessert.

Previous posters are right, it's about replacing some of your meal with less calorie-dense food. The best way of doing it is to serve yourself the 1/3 of speed free first, then put the rest of your meal on your plate.

You could be me .....

I was never one of life 's salad & veg fans.
I've been doing slimming world for almost 6 months now, lost 3 1/2 stone.

My outlook is these changes have to be adopted for the rest of my life if I'm going to keep the weight off.

So, I am eating more fruit & veg than before BUT nothing like 1/3 every meal. Simplistically, I am eating more of the "good" stuff and less (less often and / or smaller portions) of the "bad" stuff.

I'm also a baked potato fan ..... So I'd agree the logic of half-sandwiches or smaller BP etc with speed ...... Although easier said than done!!

I wouldnt need to have a half sandwich if I was using two medium wholemeal as Hex b though right? Because that has been the only way I have eaten bread since the beginning on EX e?

Btw you are all really lovely and helpful! Thank you!

Onetime, no, it doesn't have to be half a sandwich.
A sandwich on its own doesn't take long to eat, so it can be more satisfying to have salad with it.
If you have Kingsmill small crustless wholemeal, you can have three pieces as a "b" choice!
SW people are lovely and helpful, you're right: I think it's because we know that it's a tasty and generous eating plan that really works and we want everyone to know it!

Ooooh! Thanks on the kingsmill! Will bear that in mind! ;-)

Yep there's no point in having it as well as what you'd have...but, where you can you want to be replacing other stuff with it.

So smaller amounts of pasta or rice, but replace that with speed veg.

Or if you're going for a snack because you're hungry, try something speed free first.

You will lose weight without swapping free food for it, but slowly.

As others have said not having a third speed just means your losses may be a little slower. Which is fine as it's not a race. But when have baked beans on jacket or toast I tend to chop up some peppers/mushrooms and add them to the beans to get a little extra.

The reason it should be on the same plate is to stop you filling up on the free food and not having room for the magic speed.

I have been at target for nearly 18months. I don't always have speed with my meals, ham egg and chips is one of our fav's! But as longs as I have plenty of speed through the day it's never been a problem. Make your snack foods speed wherever possible, I found that helped.

Good luck!

What a shame that peas and sweetcorn arent speed free! I would quite happily munch my way through those on the side! Lol! Am having cowboy baked beans 3 1/2 syns (recipe in pic)! from the slow cooker for tea today, on whml toast. (hex b)

It has loads of toms, haricot beans, onions, garlic etc.... So not sure if I want salad/extra veg with it, (although might add diced carrots into the mixture for a boost in the future) but will keep the portion size reasonable and see how I get on ;-)

Oh... Btw, I omitted coconut oil and used fry light instead... Its honestly really nice, feel free to share :-)

Coconut oil is so low syn I use it anyway because it adds a lovely flavour.

I'm always gutted that peas and sweetcorn aren't speed! And grapes and bananas!

I thought grapes were? Are they not then?

Grapes are free, so enjoy them, but they're not speed.