[Antari]

Just answered my own question!

Why are some fruits Free when raw, but have a Syn value when cooked, juiced or pureed?

A: While fruit in its natural form is bulky, filling and often time-consuming to eat, in cooked or liquidised form it is a very effective way of adding a lot of extra energy (calories) in a non-bulky and non-filling way. Consider eating an orange. Peeling, breaking up the segments and eating just one orange can be a lengthy process. Now think about the juice that orange would produce – it contains a similar number of calories, yet it’s gone in a gulp – in fact it takes 8 oranges to make a small glass of orange juice and it’s not filling in the slightest! It’s all about getting the most (optimum) satisfaction from your foods with Food Optimising. We count juiced and cooked fruit as Syns to protect your weight losses.

Don't think I will do that again!

[bits]

I almost bought a smoothie maker last month but then remembered about that, you just tend to take it for granted that if fruit is free, then it's free however you have it so long as you don't add anything to it. BUt of course it isn't! well done Antari on your first weigh in, thats brilliant!

Cherrycupcake - I got really onto cous cous just before I started back on Slimming World and I do it almost the same way as I did. I make it in stock from a chicken oxo cube, add spring onions, basil, a few raisins or currants (can't remember how many syns the raisins and stock are!). I also use the healthy extra amount of pine nuts, toast them a bit under the grill and throw them in too. They make it really nice and give it a bit of crunch!

I know the raisins have a few syns in them and the stock has a little, but I usually make enough for the next day too to take to work and so the syns are halved.

I'm having a nightmare of a week really. I left home on Monday morning and won't get back until Friday night, so usually I just forget Slimming World (it's so hard to follow without a fridge or a hob!) and am really careful what I eat. But I have been out for lunch (a baguette sandwich AND chips!) with a colleague for the past two days and have just finished munching on a bag of aero bubbles I feel really guilty, not least because I could hardly get my blooming coat fastened after the lunch today I was so bloated! I'm not expecting any miracles this week!

[cherrycupcake]

Bits - I hope you get back on the plan soon.. It must be really hard not being able to cook things. I wonder if anyone has any ideas for you?
Thanks for the cous cous ideas - I will give it a try. I have really got into noodles this week too.

The thing I am struggling with is on a red day, what free food do you nibble? I ate all my meals, HE and syns early in the day and then I wanted something later, just a snack. On green I would have some rice or pasta. I always have a little snack portion in the fridge. Any ideas?

I made the burgers today from the latest SW magazine - they were delish!

[scottie]

had a crap night last night..... gained FOUR pounds but this is my "star week"as they call it and i had a night out at the weekend where i drank and ate alot (first night out in a long time so went a bit mad i guess) was really fed up last night after being weighed but have started afresh today and have been good..back to writing everything down again to get back on track...that always helps me keeps me organised i guess need to get my head back into this....

[bits]

Scottie, I think I'll probably be joining you with a gain this week, it's ok though so long as we get back on the straight and narrow pretty soon!

Cherry, you're right - it's really hard when you can't cook anything! And especially so when you don't even know where the nearest supermarket is! I'm away again next week, although only for a couple of nights/three days so it shouldn't be too bad. Mind you, I also have a day ling meeting on Friday with a couple of work colleagues and that will mean eating out for lunch then as well!

I haven't actually had a red day since I started this time round, but I remember last time I did it I sometimes (not too often cos they're so expensive!) I used to buy a ready cooked chicken from the supermarket, strip all the skin off and throw it away and nibble on chicken if I got hungry. The hardest part is throwing the skin away though because I love it I also used to keep some wafer thin ham and nibble on that. A friend I used to work with used to do the red days quite a lot, and she used to open a tin of corned beef and leave that in the fridge. When she got hungry she'd have a few slices with some tomatoes!

[bits]

Just thought of something else as well! Something I eat when I'm not dieting but will be good to snack on during a red day. I take a chicken fillet, and chop it up into small pieces while I heat some fry light in the frying pan. Squeeze a lemon, and when the pan get's very hot toss in the chicken. Pour the lemon juice over and fry it all up until the lemon juice disappears and the chicken gets quite blackened. The blackened bits are (I guess) where the lemon burns onto it and taste delicious! Anyway, I used to put it into a pitta bread with salad and mayo (yum) but the chicken pieces are quite nice cold too!

[scottie]

been soooo good since Tuesday am hoping for a weight loss next week and i will feel back on track think i am going to set a mini target for myself anyone else done this??

[Welshtigger]

Hey guys, Im back!! only been gone 2 days but was all set to reply to antaris question,when i realised shes done it herself!! Well Ive now settled into my new job and have knuckled down again on plan.I didnt go the last two weeks and put on 5 lbs(oops...altho it is star week too) I wasnt going to go but figured if I went on thursday then atleast i would know how much damage id actually done.Have been really good since tuesday,packing breakfast and lunch to take to work and planning my teas in advance. Golden Lights and French Fries have become my life saver cos Im a bit of a crisp-o-holic and they're only 4.5syns a pack-yum. Im 9lbs heavier than i was before I started taking my medication back before christmas so my aim over the next few weeks is to get back there and keep moving in the right direction. Ive started going to the gym and swimming again, and being spurred on by the lovely girls I work with. One of them joined SW the week I started working there so we go to class together now,so that helps, and 4 of us got up early on friday morning and went swimming before work. Our local leisure centre do 'Fresh Start' on Mon,Wed & Friday which is where they open at 7 and you can either swim or uses the gym then swim for free. The leisure centre is 2 mins drive from work so we go,then go to work early and have breakfast and feel great!! we're gonna aim to go atleast twice a week and im gonna go to the gym a few evenings a week. and I started riding my horse again today...Yey go me!!

[Welshtigger]

hey guys-me again-queen of waffle!! lol..just need to share one of the nicest meals ive ever made!! bought some of those new sweet chilli quorn sausages(not really a quorn fan but love sweet chilli!) and grilled them, then put them in a dish with a big tin of heinz sweet chilli mean beanz and some passata,and topped with mashed potato(mixed with a bit of quark)and sprinkled a A choice of grated cheese over the top.I baked it in the oven for about 30 mins and am eating it now.Its delicious and totally free on a green day(just one A or B choice)

[scottie]

just went and bought some sharwoods noodle boxes today to try them out ....got the hong kong sweet and sour one (1 1/2 syns) and the thai red curry one (5 syns) anyone else tried them??? .......I will let you's know what i think...they look lovely on the box though mmmmmmmmm

[SlimmingWorldChick]

Wow,

It finally hit me that the key to this new way of life is consistency!!I finally understand that now. I think with this in mind i can easily reach goal. We all can.

[sand]

Hi
Anybody know the Syn value of Knors's Ragu sauce. Its the 'onion and roasted garlic' one. I cant find it in the food directory. Many thanks

[Antari]

510g jar on original and green 8 1/2 syns.

Taken off the members 'syns online'

[cherrycupcake]

I've had a busy week so I'm just sneaking in to say hi!

Welshtigger - i will have to try those chilli quorn sausages - i am not keen on the ordinary quorn ones.

Bits - yum yum the lemon chicken sounds nice - I will give it a try.

EVERYONE have a great week and be good!
I only lost 1 pound this week - but it is my star week too!

[scottie]

well have ate my noodle boxes lol had the hong kong sweet and sour one (1 1/2 syns) yesterday and the thai curry one today and both of them were lovely but out of the two i think i liked the hong kong sweet and sour one the best and its less syns ....i get weighed tomorrow night hope its a good result have been good and stuck to the plan