Ideas for using up syns!!

jlt

Banned
Hiya :)

I wondered if anyone had ideas for using syns! I know you're meant to use syns to aid your weight loss but I'm unsure what to use them up on! I've been using small amounts on cooking oil and margarine etc but still have left over!

I feel a bit guilty using them every day on chocolate/biscuits/crisps etc. I never go over my syn allowance for the day but I feel that it's unhealthy food like the above that got me in this position in the first place! I don't want to cut them out completely! I do want to use my syns on these kinds of foods or takeaways occasionally but on a day to day basis I wondered if anyone had any ideas for more 'healthy' uses of syns.

Really I want a whole lifestyle change! I want to be able to eat in moderation. By the time I get to goal I effectively want to be able to eat anything and never put weight on. I know the only way of doing this is by maintaining a healthy lifestyle so that when you do treat yourself it has no real impact as it's a one off. I feel that if I continue to use my syns on unhealthy foods every day I'm not really learning anything!

Sorry for the long ramble!! Xxxx
 
what about cooking fruit, or smoothies - they are synned, but would still be healthy - or maybe just adding a few more 'normal' things - ketchup, mustard, gravy granules, must admit I don't always use mine, but will treat myself to a few beers in the week
 
That's a good idea with the smoothies! Yeah I've been mostly using it on additions to meals such as sauces etc!

My main issue is that I have quite severe ibs and unfortunately alot of sauces and spices affect me. Even more unfortunately chocolate/biscuits/crisps etc don't.. I kind of wish they did!!
 
good thread as i could do with a few tips on this myself,all i seem to use my syns for is curly wurlys:p need a bit of inspiration!!:)
 
jlt, I understand completely about everything in moderation which is why I use some of my syns on choc etc., I feel that is what syns are for and it teaches me that I can have those things I love without going overboard.

I tend to use about half my syns on treats because otherwise I would get such a craving there probably wouldn't be a 'stop button' for it! LOL

I will make a batch of popcorn because I can munch on that while watching tv and 28grams of popped popcorn (which is a good sized bowl!) is only 5.5 syns. I spray it with butter flavoured frylight and then use salt, dill or whatever on it. Lovely. I also have a selection of treats so I can chop and change as my cravings dictate.

Forgot to mention that the kelloggs high fibre bars (chocolate) are my latest fav for chocolate fix!
 
I'm very similar to you. I don't use my syns on chocolate or biscuits as I don't trust myself to only be able to eat one funsize bar, I'd eat the packet!!!

I use my syns on ketchup, Alpen light bars, highlights hot chocolate (lovely made with milk if there's enough left from allowance) and I also syn tinned pears & peaches to have with mullerlight when I fancy something sweet.

I never use more than 10 syns either.
 
It's also good for the soul not to always reach for the lowest syn or free option. You could have a non-syn free yoghurt or sausages, or some more milk or cheese, avocado (14 syns), curry paste, pesto, cream cheese, nuts, seeds, dried/tinned/stewed fruit, continental meats or sausages, or a wholegrain bagel would take up about 11 syns.
 
Extra bread, or cheese, or olive oil for a salad or on pasta, or half an avocado, or some fruit juice, or a smoothie, extra cereal, lemon curd to stir into yogurt - those are my favourites.
 
i must admit i thought the same myself,normally i save the extra for drinks on weekend but i am not drinking at moment and it feels naughty eating chocs or crisps? i use some on tomato ketchup and gravy though as i love these :)
 
If you're anything like me its not so much unhealthy food that got me in this situation, its more LOTS of unhealthy food that got me here - its all about moderation. Syns are there for you to treat yourself. I have a few rich tea fingers (only 1 syn each) every day usually, or a chocolate bar, or maybe a couple of real sausages at the weekend. I rarely go over 10 syns a day unless I'm out drinking - and on those days I save my syns for rum :). You get loads of vitamins and fibre from your meals so don't worry to much if you have the odd chocolate bar. The whole point of SW is that you change your eating habits for good - which would be completely unrealistic if you completely cut out the things you like.
 
Mmmm - liking the thought of lemon curd in yoghurt, or proably be quite good in quark with some sugarfree jelly........ guess what's on my shopping list ;)

One of my favourite pre-SW treats was a lemon curd yogurt from M&S - I think it was about 10 syns for a pot!

So I made a SW friendly alternative by stirring a spoonful of lemon curd into Total 2% or 0% yogurt. If you stir really hard, it goes very creamy and the texture and taste are delicious.

Between us my cousin (another SW person) and I tried several different brands of lemon curd and decided that Tiptree was by far the nicest.
 
I have a spoonfull of honey on my cereal every morning, 2 syns, I plan a pudding in for each evening at 3 syns, hot chocolate before bed 2 syns ( i stick to 10 a day and dont syn a dollop of ketchup etc during the week)
leaving 3 syns left - so i save them and use them on another day or have a Alpen light or something like that.
Some days the evening meal needs a couple - coconut milk in a curry, bread crumbs on something etc
 
Thank you everyone for your wonderful ideas! I forgot I could replace syn free items with more synful ones if I don't want to be snacking!

I'm the exact same it's LOTS AND LOTS of unhealthy foods and no fruit/veg that has gotten me to this point :( I have little willpower and it's hard to only have one biscuit or chocolate! I find it a lot easier incorporating syns within meals as I feel more in control!

A lot of my issues are psychological with food. I've always known how to eat healthily it's just actually implementing it that's been the problem! I often can't be bothered cooking or turn to food for comfort! I'm trying very hard to break this cycle!

I have another question. Although it says in all the handbooks that free foods can be eaten in unmeasured and unlimited amounts until you are full, I find that it takes ALOT for me to be full. I presume there is a limit somewhere? Are you meant to fill up on fruit and veg etc instead of extra chicken or potatoes etc? I only do red or green days as I found on extra easy I couldn't fit in the 1/3 of superfree and I was eating heaps and heaps and heaps of pasta and potatoes which wasn't really getting me anywhere!

Xxxxxx
 
the idea of the one third superfree on your plate is to stop you piling your plate with pasta and potatoes etc. there isn't room for much once you have one third of your plate covered.I think Extra easy does help to teach you about portion sizes. if you look in the recipes in the magazines they only use moderate portions eg 300gms pasta for a meal for 4 people or 160 gms rice for 4 people.
 
Hi there


I struggle to use my syns too.. when I started SW I temporarily decided to go "cold turkey" on :-
  • chocolate
  • sweets
  • pastry
  • bread
  • crisps
  • take aways
Now I know its not ideal for a lot of people but for me "moderation" has always been an alien concept :eek: ...42 weeks in and I still haven't touched any of those items... apart from having an occasional fibre plus bar as a heB, and I haven't missed any of them :D

I don't like the very low fat things so I have:-
  • activia intensely yoghurts (2.5) -they are gorgeous
most of my other syns go into my recipes or on extra milk ooh and I realised this week that I could start having avocado again as they are one of my fave things and use approx 15syns each,,,, a nice easy way to use some syns up.

On the portion size thing.... I slowly cut down my sizes and now Im amazed how little it takes to satisfy me... I can't actually manage 50g (dry weight) of pasta without struggling... I tend to have things like pasta/casseroles in a very small bowl on my plate and then fill the rest of the plate with super free ..
oooh Im waffling now...sorry :p
 
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