Slimming World Support thread

npsmama

is anyone else finding they have to chose between staying on plan by buying expensive stuff (Mullerlight, meat, quark etc) or being frugal but not losing weight?

I struggle a lot with this. : (

What messes up my budget are: yogurts, quark, fromage frais, chicken breasts, fish, fruit and veg...so pretty much all the free foods!!

SpiritoftheSouthWest

lo-bush

Just to clarify, the Activia bio yoghort natural (low fat) are also free.

I agree that all 0% fat ones are free and the rest have a Syn value.

x

Spirit

retiredlady

npsmama wrote: »

is anyone else finding they have to chose between staying on plan by buying expensive stuff (Mullerlight, meat, quark etc) or being frugal but not losing weight?

I struggle a lot with this. : (

What messes up my budget are: yogurts, quark, fromage frais, chicken breasts, fish, fruit and veg...so pretty much all the free foods!!

It is a struggle, the prices of muller yogurts are getting silly and this week in Tesco the 0%Total which was already expensive at £1.89 for a 500ml pot has gone up to £2.49:eek::mad:. That is another item that I won't be buying although I love it so, must get out my easio yogurt maker and try making some of my own and see how I get on with it! Has anyone else tried making their own with out the sachets? They are also expensive now too although there is one or two that are free on the plan.

Skint_Catt

npsmama wrote: »

What messes up my budget are: yogurts, quark, fromage frais, chicken breasts , fish, fruit and veg...so pretty much all the free foods!!

Would you not buy chicken (try thighs -they're cheaper), fish, fruit and veg anyway? I buy frozen veg as it lasts longer - think it might work out cheaper too. Some own brand yoghurts are free - someone might be able to say which ones.

Then it's only extra money for the fromage frais and Quark - and I only buy these very occasionally as I never find anything to use them in!

SW can be as cheap or expensive as you make it. Pasta 'n' Sauces are expensive but a 3kg bag of plain dry pasta and some passata is not expensive at all and you can throw in whatever leftover meat & veg you have to had to make a tasty meal. There are always different free yoghurts on offer - Lasting Satisfaction, Activia Fat Free or Mullers.

C xx

hurricanewyn

What messes up my budget are: yogurts, quark, fromage frais, chicken breasts , fish, fruit and veg...so pretty much all the free foods!!

I find, for this reason, that I mostly have green days. Vegetables are much cheaper than meat anyway, and things like pulses are much more filling. A veg curry with green lentils and frozen spinach, or 3 bean chilli with economy beans, economy kidney beans and chick peas are both free and quite economical.
I only buy the muller lights etc when they're on special offer - otherwise they're an occasional treat. If I need to use plain yoghurt and haven't the money for the "free" version, I'll buy the low fat value yoghurt and syn the value of it, because it's still quite low.
I have to say though, meal planning is the best way of making sure you only buy what you need and staying on budget. And aldi's fruit and veg offers are good as well.

miss_nadine_x

Hey all! I started SW last night and have forgot to note the password,I have tried ringing my leader and no answer and have also texted her lol! could anyone please pm me the password

naturally_2

npsmama wrote: »

is anyone else finding they have to chose between staying on plan by buying expensive stuff (Mullerlight, meat, quark etc) or being frugal but not losing weight?

I struggle a lot with this. : (

What messes up my budget are: yogurts, quark, fromage frais, chicken breasts, fish, fruit and veg...so pretty much all the free foods!!

Hi npsmama, I am spending a fortune on food at the moment to stay on the plan, but in fairness that is because I am very easily bored and have to buy new things to try etc to stay on plan I see it as a false economy if I don't buy the new stuff and try to make myself stick to whats in the cupboards between weekly shops, as I get bored and go off the rails.

Having said that I have done SW on a strict budget before and it is perfectly possible to stay to a reasonable budget. I once did a week on a fiver :eek: but I miust admit I was also using up storecuboard odds and ends.

Yoghurts - make yourself a shopping list of all the other yogs that are low syn or syn free - and use the supermarket comparison sites mentioned on this website to see what's on offer - usually if mullerlights aren't then something else is, and if all else fails I buy a big pot of fat free plain yoghurt and syn honey with it.

Depending on what you're doing, Quark, cottage cheese, fromage frais and fat free yoghurt can all be interchanged, so go for the best value at the time

Chicken and fish, any sort of meat is always more expensive than vegetables, so why not try mainly green days where you don't eat any or only a small amount of meat? Dried lentils, beans and pulses are a dirt cheap alternative source of protien. I use a lot of value tinned tuna, and many members have a "rubber chicken" where they roast a whole bird for a roast meal/ for the breast meat, then have cold leftovers for a curry/sandwiches/salad etc, and boil the carcass for a soup, so a while bird will often go further for the money than buying breasts, they are the most expensive part of the bird.

I am always puzzled as to why people think fruit & veg is expensive? Compared to what? Crisps and chocolate I guess? But an apple is 30-40p and a bag of crisps is similar. :cool: Sainsburys basics are good for veg, things like a bag of bananas for £1, same with apples. As others have already said, frozen F&V is normally cheaper than fresh, and interestingly contains more of its original nutrients, because light and air increase the deterioration of nutrients from the fresh stuff. Also try your local greengrocers and markets, as both are often cheaper & fresher than supermarkets, and especially markets for the end of day bargains.

What else... oh yes, meal plan your week, as well as budgeting. Many people shop online (with codes for free delivery from this site) so they aren't tempted to buy what they don't need.

Also get to know your local shops and compare prices - I am busy with not an awful lot of free time, but in my lunchbreak once a week I tend to top-up at Farmfoods (cheap froz foods) and Home Bargains (cheap pasta & sauces).

The week I did the fiver budget, I looked on Weezl's 50p a day thread on the Old style board, as she literally fed her family on 50p a day each, and because this meant a lot of home cooked food, her meals were suitable for SW :T

oops.. bit of a long post hope its useful though.

angie_loves_veg

Hoorah! I have sussed a great recipe, it has taken a few attempts (to get the ingredients spot on for the money), but this is fab

Old Fashioned Bread Pudding

serves 4 (large pieces) or 16 (small pieces)!! freezes great

large piece each = 1HB + 3 syns
Small piece each = 2 syns

Ingredients:

227g wholemeal bread, torn into pieces - can use crusts and slightly stale bread
300 - 350ml skimmed milk (the more crusts you include, the more milk you need)
50g dried raisins/currants etc
6tbsp splenda
2tsp mixed spice
1 egg, beaten
nutmeg

Tear the bread into small pieces, and pour the milk over to soak. Leave for about 30mins. Use a fork or spoon to mush it down and remove any visible pieces.

Stir in the fruit, splenda, spice and egg. Stir well.

Pour into a frylighted non stick tin. Grate some nutmeg on the top.

(I used an 8inch square tin which gave huge 4 inch square pieces! (or 16 x 2 inch square pieces) but next time I may make it in a loaf tin to get 'deeper' slices)

Cook at 160 deg (fan oven) so about 180 deg, non fan for 1 1/4 hours.

eat warm or cold

by Angie, Sudbury group

ditsy

hiya, sorry for butting in. i need help. years ago i lost 6st doing slimmingworld, found it very easy 2 years ago i gave up smoking and put on 3st, since then i cant seem to lose any weight doing slimmingworld, i really cant stick to any form of exercise. what can i do? am i destined to be fat forever... xxx

angie_loves_veg

Well done on giving up smoking Ditsy - I did that about 10 years now, and if you can do that, you can achieve anything!

Have you gone back to a class? The plan has had changes in the last few years, and you might find the newer plans and the support of a group could make all the difference.

Perhaps it would help if you posted your daily eating plans here?

I am sure that you are not ''destined to be fat forever'' as you seem keen to lose the weight, and as you know, the plan does work once you are able to apply it 100%. The exercise would be great for your general health, but is not an essential part of your losing weight on SW.

Good luck ditsy, hope we can support you on here with your journey..