Last updated on Fri, 21st Oct 2022
When you’re doing Slimming World, there are loads of foods that you can eat freely.
You can have as much as you want of those lovely ‘speed’ vegetables and fruit. I also find it good to pack in a good amount lean protein, as it keeps me feeling full all day. And in theory, you are allowed as much of the non-speed free foods (such as potatoes, pasta and rice) as you like – although I find that I sometimes need to moderate these, or I won’t get the loss I’m seeking.
And then there’s all the Healthy Extra and Syns that you need to measure and weigh. When it comes to some of these foods, I find it easier not to have them at all!
Take bread for example. I love bread. I love to eat loads of bread. I could eat an entire French stick in one sitting and still be craving toast to follow. But I find that the Healthy Extra B allowance too restrictive. I don’t want just one slice of bread. I want several. And so I don’t have any. Because if I got the taste for it, I’d eat it in large quantities, and before you know it, I’d be using all my syns on bread.
Alcohol is another example. I like a drink, but there’s not a lot of point having just one. If I’m going to have a glass of wine, then I’d prefer to share a bottle with my wife. But half a bottle of wine is far too many syns. And so it’s easier not to drink at all.
I suppose what I’m trying to say is that there are certain foods and drinks that I have an abusive relationship with, and crave quantities of them well above what would be considered normal. It doesn’t happen with all foods. If I look at a banana, I don’t feel the need to eat a whole bunch. But for many sweet and savoury foods, I’m not content with just a normal quantity. I feel the need to eat them to excess.
And so, like any addict, it’s easier for me to avoid them altogether.
This is me down to a tee. Have you got any more advice . I’ve lost 3 stone on sw already but hitting a brick wall at moment over just these issues.
Having a food addiction can be really hard. For other addictions the addicts can just avoid their addiction all together, but a food addict still has to eat!
The best thing for me is to avoid having certain foods in the house at all. Because if they’re not in the cupboard or fridge then i wont be tempted by them. I also try to plan meals for the week ahead, and only buy food for the planned meals. Having a plan about what I’m going to eat reassures me, and also has the added benefit of reducing food waste.
Good luck with your journey Gary. It’s not always easy to stick with it. I’ve had problems along the road. But by going to SW class, even during the bad times, it keeps me from going off the rails altogether.