I've just started Slimming World

yipee, i joined today too.

If it hadn;t been for my mate going through it all with me weeks and weeks ago i would have been pretty confused and probably not have a clue as to what to do.

I think the website is good for all the syns and stuff.

Hi Mad

That's good then. I'll have someone to hassle ?

I think i get the idea but need more info on the syns.

Just on the website now and it looks interesting. What's your goal?

i haven;t set a goal as of yet, they've told me what my 10% is..so i think i;m aiming for that at the moment. Though I have about a million stone to lose.

I'm glad theres someone else going theough it too. I was so nervous walking in there today.

I dragged my SIL with me. I'm just looking to get some recipe books for the red and green days. That might make things easier

there are quite a few on the website, but let me know if you get any good books.

Actually i've just found them Mad. They look good

I started tonight too. I didn't really find the first one all that helpful either, but am definately going to stick to it. I need to do some food shopping tomorrow though so I have foods that go together. Am dreading having to weigh everything but I'm just hoping it'll get me back to healthy eating and portion control.

I was absolutely horrified by my weight, I've put on half my previous bodyweight in three years! I just hope I can lose it as quickly as I put it on. (I was just under 10 stone, I'm now 15 <cry> That has given me more motivation than anything else.

big hug batfink, stepping on those scales is hard, but on the positive side you're going to do somthing about it! (and you;re still lighter than me if it makes you feel any better, (when i had my baby I weighted the same as i did when i got pregnant and so i congratualted my self...and then ate chocolate for the next 8 months hence being where I am now)

Is this going to be the slimming world newbies support group?

What have you both been eating so far?

have you been filling in those little sheets with what you;ve eaten each day? mine already has a corner chewed off... no not by me but my my son. i wonder if there's any nutritional value in paper.

You don't have to weigh everything. That's the great thing about SW. I almost never weigh As and Bs - I just choose ones that don't need it (e.g. Laughing Cow triangles for As or Weetabix for Bs) and most things you want as syns don't need measuring either. Packet of crisps, a biscuit...

Mad do your diary on line. That's what I'm doing and it seems a lot easier instead of carrying that around with you.

I had loads of grapes and raspberry's for breakfast as i don't usually have anything. Then i had 3 Ryvita and 2 Dariylea light triangles with cucumber and tomato and a Kit kat for a syn.

I'm stuffed. I could have had another Ryvita and another triangle according to the book.

The mini support group idea sounds good, I need all I can get! My group leader was saying she'd set up a Facebook group we could join but there's no way I want all my FB friends seeing I've joined!

I did notice the grab and go options but I'd rather have a small piece of really strong cheddar than pre packed, I know I'm a pain in the arse but am trying to keep some treats in there and I love cheese!

Today I've eaten:

1 apple

28 grammes of Bran Flakes with some milk taken from my 250ml allowance.

I'm going to have couscous salad for lunch and chicken casserole for dinner (chicken as a healthy extra, I'm doing a green day). Which leaves me with something like 12 syns after I've accounted for mustard, flour etc in the casserole. I think I'll use 4.5 to have a Twister ice lolly as it's so hot and leave the rest. I'm also going shopping to stock up on lots of fruit & some of that oil spray stuff.

I think pregnancy was my downfall, after my first daughter I was probably about 10/11 stone, so not too bad, but I got pregnant again quite quickly so I think moderation just went out the window! I need to re-educate myself, my portion sizes are just huge, plus I'm in the process of starting up a cake decorating business so there's always sweet things around. I found some size ten jeans the other day that I was wearing less than 4 years ago, I can't believe how much I let myself go!

Are you exercising any more? I'm trying to fit stuff in in the evenings, I swim once a week and cycle for probably 40 minutes twice a week.

I'd still be hungry on that Batfink ?

today i;ve had breakfast, 2 weektabix mixed with a muller light yog and 2 bananas chopped in (no syns, just a HE b)

lunch was a piece of wholemeal bread, with 2 laughing cow triangles on, two quorn sausages, 3 grillied toms, and a can of spaghetti (no syns, HE b for bread and HE a for triangles)

tea is going to be vegetable jambalaya, i think its going to cost me a syn as I put normal stock cubes in.

is that right?

Wow yes that's good Mad

i'm pleased becayse i haven't felt the need to snack at all

Nor me. I'm going to have Jacket potato and beans for dinner. Can't be bothered to cook much.

thats a good choice

Good thread, I am thinking of joining SW next Wed but looking at the menu online it is very confusing! Hope its a bit more clearer when the leader explains it!

You'll be fine Sam. It's quite simple when you get going

it's actually quite easy once you get started, the book they give you when you join explains it really well and if you get stuck just come and ask on here.

Thanks both. Think I am going to go for the plunge and def join next wed. I am so nervous but need to do something as I am bridesmaid next Aug and have to get my arse into gear!

Just to let you know ladies, party rings are only 1.5 syns each. If you've got a sweet tooth

How have you all gone today?

a couple of questions

Is it bad if you don't have any/all of your syns?

You;re allowed 5 LC cheese triangles as a HE, but if i only eat 2 of them can I have a bit of milk or something to make up the difference?

Hi Mad, How's it going for you?

Today I've eaten:

28g of bran flakes (HE) with some of my milk allowance (HE)

3 oranges

2 mushrooms, 1 rasher bacon & 2 poached eggs

Extra lean mince beef burger, loads of salad, small wholemeal roll(HE), small amount of cheese (less than HE allowance) and a couple of my Hs chips (much less than the 28g required to make it 2 syns)

So 1 syn today Yesterday I had 2.75 syns in the mustard etc I put in the casserole sauce. I guess you can choose how many syns you eat, it says 5 to 15 a day but I'm not even managing 5 yet - TBH I'm worried that once I eat chocolate and stay under my Syn limit then i'll be wanting to eat it every day & I know that's not good health wise even if we're technically allowed on SW.

You're allowed milk& cheese as two different choices from HE anyway aren't you? 1 or 2 from A and 2 from B. Not sure if you can substitute, can you give your leader a call?

No. I often don't use all my syns and tend to average about 7 a day over a week. However, you may find that you don't lose any/as much weight if you go below 5 syns a day. This is because the idea of SW is to give you a balanced diet, and syns are part of that balance.

No. If you don't use them all, then the ones you use have to be counted as syns, not a HE. Sorry.

ohh thanks for that mel. i'll have to remember that.

I'm doing really badly with my syns, i've only used 1 today. Like bat said (i think it was bat i can;t go back and see) on;ce I;ve had something 'naughty' I;m worried it'll ruin everything. I'm an all or nothing girl. i guess I'll have to find something to keep in. Are cereal bars really high? or cereal?

They can't be too bad as you can have certain cereal/bars as a HE. What I want to know is why fruit has a syn value when it's pureed, ie smoothies, tomato puree etc. Also why do sun dried toms have a value? (just dry, not in oil) - I'm going to be asking why at my next meeting. Still had less than 5 syns today, and only one healthy extra - but I have eaten tonnes of fruit. might have a glass of milk before bed. Tempted to eat some chocolate, but I'm going to wait until I've broken the addiction before I have a bit.

Mad - it's okay to only have one syn today as long as you use more on another day so that you're averaging between 5 and 15 a day. I only had 1 on Wednesday and 1 on Thursday, but have had 17 today. Also, syns don't have to be 'naughty' things necessarily. I often use 3.5 syns on having an extra slice of bread, for example. Or you might decide you want some convenience food one day rather than cooking (potato waffles 2.5 syns on a green; quorn chicken style goujons 1 syn each on both days) or you want potato on a red/meat on a green but don't want to use a HE (instant mash 3 syns per 80g on a red - I make shepherds pie by doing the mince in the pan with fry light, then putting instant mash on top and grilling it to crisp it up). Some cereal bars are better than others. Alpen Light bars are 3 syns each. Cadbury's Brunch bars (the raisen ones, don't know about hazelnut as I don't like nuts!) are 7 syns. Goodness bars are 3 syns. Have a look at syns online.

Batfink - Try to use both HE Bs, but it doesn't matter if you only use one HE A. Until a couple of years ago you were only allowed one A anyway. I love it if I have a HE B left over - good excuse to eat some more bread or have a hifi bar (I love the chocolate orange ones!) Smoothies/pureed fruit/cooked fruit/dried fruit/fruit juice carries a syn value because it's easier to digest, therefore it takes less energy to digest. If you eat an apple, you're body is working at digesting it for a few hours. If you drink a glass of apple juice...

Hi anyone know this weeks password? thanks

It's good to know that if you don't eat all 3 dairylea triangles for a healthy B they then turn into syns!! She never told me that at the meeting.

How does that work then?

I;ve only been doing it since wednesday and so far i have a maximum of 2 sys i think. I;m buggered.I'l be so gutted if I don;t get a weight loss this week.

Wow, i've got a sweet tooth so i use my syns. You'll be fine, don't worry.