Monday, 04-01-21 (another long message alert, sorry)

 Good morning.  Please do skip past this first bit if you want - I'm thinking out loud.

As I've mentioned before, I follow a number of weight loss vlogs on YouTube with considerable enjoyment.  Most of them are/were SW related but recently there's been a trend away from SW and on to pure calorie counting.  
I've considered this, as you know, and calories are the bottom line but am sticking with Slimming World for several reasons.

• The main reason is the structure.  On the vlogs, when they change over, people are tending toward making what I think are less healthy choices (my opinion only, I'm not 'judging') and are going for even more snack type food and sugar laden stuff than before while cutting down on fruit and veg intake considerably, simply because now they can. 
  Generally, following the structure, I know I have a good range of foods within a very healthy plan.  I need that assurance.
• Generally, SW is simple.  There's not a lot of weighing and measuring and, with exceptions, their free food is sensible.  As you know, I don't agree with their policy of unlimited refined carbs such as white rice/pasta but just because one can have it, it doesn't mean one has to and I'm sticking with measured amounts of the wholegrain kind.  Generally, a good application of common sense makes it simple.
  Calorie counting can get complicated, especially after the first enthusiasm has died down, even with the apps that are around that scan items in and do the calculating for you.  It tends to lead you towards ready meals and other processed type stuff that gives you the total calories rather than working with own cooked meals.
• SW is supported.  Obviously, it can't be face to face right now but my consultant, Jen, is always only a FB message away and tends not to come back to you with just the SW approved response but with genuinely helpful messages.  The website and the app are very helpful too.  To be fair, other systems also have similar support too.
• I find SW flexible.  Yes, I know that I bend rules right, left and centre, think some minor elements are downright silly and ignore them and generally don't always walk the SW line, but that's what makes it work for me.  I think the fact that I can build in some flexibility, rule bending, etc, and still feel I am following the spirit of the structure, means a lot to me.
• SW is healthy.  Yes, it is.  If you genuinely follow the spirit of the whole thing, you find yourself eating a range of fruit and veg, lean protein, limited sugary, fatty things and (in my case, anyway) wholegrains.  Syns are a limit, after all, not a target.  You don't HAVE to have all fifteen (or whatever your limit is); I like to use syns to enhance my meals anyway, rather than as snacks.

Don't get me wrong; I am not criticising anyone else's decisions or choices.  I am not them and they are not me and there's room for all.  It just set me thinking and, being me, I needed to write it all out.
SW is one choice among many.  They all work, if you follow them; they can all cause problems in certain situations; they can all feel like freedom or prison.  Ideally, everyone would be healthy eaters naturally but we know that doesn't happen and, from what I've seen, those who strongly criticise slimming clubs (which don't always work, I agree) almost always offer another regime instead.

Personally, I am happy on SW.  It lets me indulge in a favourite activity - cooking - and, for me, it works.  Yes, last night, I went off plan, but that's OK.
I will have days, maybe weeks, when I don't do SW.  I may treat myself to box meals from time to time and I will certainly have calorie days or weeks occasionally.  However, SW suits me, suits my likes and dislikes and steers me in a healthy direction and that's what I need and appreciate.  We all need systems and structures in our life.

What do you think?

Yesterday's food photos:

Four pieces of fruit makes a jolly filling breakfast, I am finding.  

After I had this lunch, I really didn't have room for a yogurt so I had it a bit later.

I was too full for the planned dinner but I really should have changed the plan to a pared down version because it all went a bit topsy turvey, darn it.  Oh, well, one meal and I'm back on it this morning!  No worries

Today's meal plans:

B:   I'm skipping breakfast but before you say anything, it is partly because I'm not hungry at all and mostly because I have a dental appointment early afternoon so I'm going to eat at around twelve thirty, sort of merging the two meals together.

L:  tomato soup, cheesy beans on toast; yogurt
I made the soup yesterday, using some tomatoes that were going manky, a bit of onion, a carrot, some home made concentrated chicken stock, tomato puree and seasonings.  It hasn't quite got the wow that a soup made with home grown tomatoes would have but it's still very nice.  The beans are left over from yesterday's lunch.
The yogurt will be 0% with some skinny syrup.  Skinny syrup is a rule bender as SW says, I believe, half a syn for one tbsp while the info on the bottle says calorie free.  I guess it's a restriction thing but I couldn't bear more than one tbsp anyway - too sickly sweet.  I usually have less but when I have more, I don't syn it.
SW:  one healthy extra A and half a B for one slice of toast as I don't have enough beans for two slices.  Also one syn for spread, either lower fat butter or spready cheese.  The rest is speed, free or protein

D:  potato topped savoury mince pie, parsnip, cauliflower, carrots; yogurt
I  already have some portions of cooked mince in the freezer and I will boil some potato, mash it with an egg or maybe just the yolk, add the other 30g cheese for my second A choice, top the mince and let it brown in the oven.

I've got yesterday's beef but, as I'm having a tooth out this afternoon, I'm staying off chewy food for the rest of the day.  I'll put it in a pot, add the beef stock that came off the original mini joint and freeze it.
And write it down on my list!

SW:  One A for the grated cheese, the mince is half a syn and the yogurt is either free as above or half a syn if I use a Mullerlight

Body Magic:  probably a walking video on YouTube

Summary:
one or two healthy extra As
half a B
two syns
edited to say I treated myself to another 30g of cheese so that's now eight syns rather than two.