Slimming World

So 2.5 pounds off this week, making it 8.5 pounds in 3 weeks... aaaaand my jeans are falling down! Had to buy a belt the other day while out shopping to avoid being done for indecent exposure :P Looking forward to buying some things in a new size in the next few weeks, yay!
Going to try a recipe for 1 syn chocolate brownies tonight (recipe given out at group today), if they're a success I will post the recipe here later

dee_mc wrote: »

So 2.5 pounds off this week, making it 8.5 pounds in 3 weeks... aaaaand my jeans are falling down! Had to buy a belt the other day while out shopping to avoid being done for indecent exposure :P Looking forward to buying some things in a new size in the next few weeks, yay!
Going to try a recipe for 1 syn chocolate brownies tonight (recipe given out at group today), if they're a success I will post the recipe here later

Wow! I thought the 3.5 syn brownies I made tonight were good going. If those brownies are good I want that receipe!

Congrats on the weight loss Make sure you don't rush out shopping too soon. I did that before and within a month the new clothes were also falling off me. I'm just picking up a few bits in charity shops at the moment to keep me going.

Happy out down 1lb

Try not think of sw as a diet as it's not. It's a whole lifestyle change. I see it as a normal way of life now with loads of healthy recipes and cooking meals from scratch.

Nikki2302 wrote: »

Hi. I joined SW two weeks ago and have lost 11 lbs since! Delighted with myself so far so, Im joining in here to keep up the motivation!

Good on you! That's an amazing loss, and I was encouraged at group yesterday to see ladies who've been on the plan for at least a few months who are still losing up to 4 pounds a week and not feeling hungry and deprived - so it's sustainable
I've been measuring myself every few weeks too because sometimes the biggest difference will show on the tape but not on the scales - the week that I was disappointed to lose 1 or 1.5 pounds, I actually lost nearly 3 inches from my chest (above bra line) and over an inch from my upper arms, which is fantastic motivation

So, here we go: 1 syn Chocolate Brownies! ***EDIT: possible miscalculation in original recipe - 1.7 syns per brownie if using Tate and Lyle sweetener)
I've posted the original recipe with the original quantities, and put my notes and changes in bold

Ingredients:
6 eggs, separated (I used medium eggs as it wasn't specified in recipe)
150g sweetener (should be syn free, making it half a syn per brownie!) (but I use about 100 as I don't like it too sweet), or Tate & Lyle light at heart blend 4oz (22syns) (I used 110g of the Tate and Lyle light at heart blend, which I picked up on the sugar aisle in Dunnes)
50g cocoa (9syns)
and 1tsp of vanilla essence (I used vanilla bean paste, either will do)
(I sometimes replace the vanilla with peppermint essence).

Equipment:
2 large bowls; 2 small bowls; 1 dessert spoon; 1 teaspoon; weighing scales; electric beater (or you could whip the whites by hand, nice bit of 'body magic' ); baking tin; parchment paper; purple spatula*

Method:
1. In one bowl whisk the egg white to stiff peaks. (I separated the eggs into small bowls first to avoid getting bits of yolk in the whites)
2. In another bowl mix everything else, if it's lumpy add some egg white. (I added 2 dessertspoons full of egg white (before whipping it) to make a more liquid cocoa mixture as it was quite stiff)
If you want a more dense brownie mix the yolks, sweetener and essence and then the cocoa. (I just mixed it all at once)
3. Finally fold in the egg whites and pour into a lined tin. (I added the egg white in 4 stages) (I used a 10 by 6 inch tin lined with parchment - a larger tin would probably be better for cutting the brownie into 18 pieces, isn't hindsight wonderful!)
4. Bake 20-25 mins gas 3 or 180 degrees. (I baked it for 23 minutes, until it was springy)
5. Lick bowl and spatula and debate whether to declare it as syns.

*If you don't have a purple spatula... a different coloured one would probably work almost as well.

So it's 31 syns for the whole cake, or 1.7222 syns for 1/18th!
And the verdict? It's pretty decent actually. I'm having a little square right now (it's been out of the oven less than 10 minutes, so still warm) and it's definitely lighter and more 'spongy' than your typical brownie, but it's a little bit squidgy in the middle and I suspect it'll 'fall' a bit more as it cools, which should make it more brownie-ish. It just might improve with age.
The flavour is quite good, but if (when) I make it again I'll try using less sweetener, as there is a slightly artificial aftertaste (though no more so than many of the Muller lights etc).
Here are some pics of the creative process and the finished product http://s1281.photobucket.com/user/dee-mc/library/Mobile%20Uploads/2014-09/SW%20Brownies

andreac wrote: »

Thanks for that Dee. Def need to look into making these low syn treats soon.

I've just been looking at the Tate and Lyle light at heart sweetener that I used and I'm pretty sure it works out at 22 syns per 110g, not 9 as stated in the recipe given out at group, so beware! Splenda or other similar sweetener should be syn free. I'm going to check it with the group leader and see what the story is.

Just got home after my first full week on Slimming World, really happy with myself, a 6 pounds loss!

When I started to diet on my own, I weighed 17 stone 10 pounds and now I am 15 stone 6.5 pounds, I have a long way to go but I am finally seeing the scale move again and you have no idea of how good that makes me feel.

Vahevala wrote: »

Just got home after my first full week on Slimming World, really happy with myself, a 6 pounds loss!

When I started to diet on my own, I weighed 17 stone 10 pounds and now I am 15 stone 6.5 pounds, I have a long way to go but I am finally seeing the scale move again and you have no idea of how good that makes me feel.

Well done! I was a few pounds heavier that you at the start (18.2) and didn't find slimming world until I was down to 13. I really wish I'd discovered it sooner. I'm sure you're going to find things so much easier now

ja1986 wrote: »

Can someone take a look at today and tell me if it was ok or any advise:
Breakfast : omelette with tomato and onion with fly light., banana, muller light yougurt

Lunch: 4 ryvita with 4 extra light laughing cow cheeses., plum

Dinner: potatoes bacon and cabbage.

I made a raspeberry roulette cake apparently it's half a syn for the whole cake (3 eggs, vanilla essence, baking powder, sweetner, quok, fresh raspberrys)
Thanks

Looks ok, depending on serving size you might need to pack in some extra fruit and veg to make it to 1/3 superfree, maybe some salad at lunch or carrot sticks or something? Are you full, or feeling deprived?

ja1986 wrote: »

Sorry I actually had tomatoes and onion ontop of the rivitas and lots of cabbage with the dinner so I thought that was my 1/3 superfree

I'm so bloody bloated I'm stuffed. I kinda feel guilty about the spuds I had three. And that cake kinda seems too good to be true.

I haven't felt deprived yet on this diet

Try myfitnesspal.ie, you log all you eat for the day and it shows you how much you've taken in of each nutrient and the calorie count for the day etc. It doesn't sound like you've over-eaten, but I'd say keep things like the cake for once a week or once a month or whatever, which should help you lose the taste for it somewhat.
Don't feel guilty for having your spuds, they're the right kind of thing to fill up on.
Not feeling deprived is the number one plus point of SW!!

OK so I think ive been making a massive mistake all along...
I thought steak mince had to be less than 5% fat to be labeled as such. I have been eating steak mince to beat the band since starting slimming world as "free" meals. But I've just been reading a post on Facebook about Angus Steak mince from Aldi and somebody has just commented saying its approx 10.5syns for the 454g.

So...now I'm a little bit confused...help

dee_mc wrote: »

Eek! Just make sure it's labelled lean and 'typical fat content under 5%' in future (Tesco lean steak mince, for example) or get it from the butchers (they'll grind a piece of steak for you and only include as much fat as you actually want)

Yeah will start getting it in tesco.
Thanks

clappyhappy wrote: »

Had my weigh in this morning, only down a pound. Bit disappointed with it, have been walking every morning and eating all that I thought was good. Going back to read the book again from cover to cover. Overall weight loss is 1 stone 1 pound in 6 six weeks so not that bad, but thought I "felt lighter" this week. Some clothes hanging off me. Really thought it would be about 3-4 lbs down. Ah well.............

It sounds like you've lost inches this week, so don't be disheartened!
Anyway, 15 pounds in 6 weeks is phenomenal, think of it this way: you've lost the weight of two full term babies!

clappyhappy wrote: »

Had my weigh in this morning, only down a pound. Bit disappointed with it, have been walking every morning and eating all that I thought was good. Going back to read the book again from cover to cover. Overall weight loss is 1 stone 1 pound in 6 six weeks so not that bad, but thought I "felt lighter" this week. Some clothes hanging off me. Really thought it would be about 3-4 lbs down. Ah well.............

I watched an episode of the US The Biggest Loser and one of the contestants lost 1lb that week. These are people who weight over 250lbs, eat (probably) about 1000cals a day and exercise for 6 hours a day. Sometimes it just doesn't happen.

I lost 2lbs this week. I was half a pound off being the slimmer of the week... Why did I eat dinner before going?!

LittleMissDiva wrote: »

Wondering how can you say you were half a pound off being the slimmer of the week? I thought it is not always the person who loses the most, it's more the person who has a constant weight lose

Our class only awards slimmer of the week to the person that has lost the most. Some class leaders must have different ways of doing things..

LittleMissDiva wrote: »

Wondering how can you say you were half a pound off being the slimmer of the week? I thought it is not always the person who loses the most, it's more the person who has a constant weight lose

I've no idea... but they said "We have 3 slimmers of the week, who have all lost 2 and a half lbs" *clap clap clap*

sweet girl wrote: »

Hi guys, I've just joined slimming world for the first time. I'm 5 ft and weigh 9 St 11 lbs. how many syns do you think I should allow myself? I forgot to ask my leader at the class.

The recommended daily syn allowance is 5-15 so it's up to you whether you want to use the max (15) or if you just want to use a few but they do say to use your syns and all low yourself treats etc but make sure you syn them.

hbonbr wrote: »

Can someone tell me if I'm doing this correctly?
I have just made a beef casserole on the slow cooker, I used lean steak, onions carrots and potatoes, and a packet of Knorr casserole mix. So my syn value is just a quarter of the packet, say, two syns ?

Seems great for such a wholesome meal!

As long as all visible fat was removed from the steak before cooking, yep, 2 syns!

Does anyone know what category Quinoa Flakes comes in under? I know the grain is free and the flour needs to be synned, but I can't find any reference to the flakes. Just got some off a friend to try out so I'm going to have them for breakfast instead of porridge in the morning. Really hoping it's not very high in syns!

John Mason wrote: »

Do all your leaders phone you during the week to check in on how you are doing?

Mine does and I find it really irritating. She called at 730pm last night when I was putting the baby to bed, other times she called I was in boot camp/at a funeral/having lunch with friends Tec.

Tbh I am finding the whole thing very cult,ish/stalkery

Also does anyone know the syn value of supervalue "Sean's wholemeal bread"

No idea re the bread but I've only had one call, during my first week. I'm sure if you just ask for contact by text or email instead of calls the consultant will be grand with it! Some people would probably appreciate the support but I'm the same as you, I don't even like the 'motivational' texts to be honest but it's all part of the experience!

I meant to drop in and post after my weigh in on Thursday evening!

Week 2 of Slimming world and I lost 1.5 pounds so I have lost 7.5 pounds in two weeks and I am enjoying life on the plan. I guess I can't complain so far

I am 5"4 (female), what weight should I be aiming for as a final target weight, I want to try and approach my consultant about this next week. I originally was thinking of 10 stone but maybe it should be 9 stone or so.