1/3 Superfree - how do you do it?

[Sealmylips]

Hiya All,

I returned to a SW last night and during the welcome consultation i asked about the superfree element of SW. I have done SW before, (but have moved, leaving behind my fantastic consultant and group, that was a year ago and although i re-joined another group last November, it just wasnt for me). I just needed to clarify the superfree part, as i make alot of meals that contain a huge amount of superfree (ie i cram curries, ragu's, cottage pies, fish pies) etc with all sorts of veggies (ie in a cottage pie i'd use, mushrooms, onions, carrot, celery, leeks, sometimes sweded) and needed to know that if i did this that would count as superfree, instead of piling yet more veggies on the side of my plate. The SWC informed me that it does....so that's fine! Luckily 2 other ladies who re-joined also realised that they were not having there superfree WITH every meal, eg for breakfast they'd have cereal, then fruit an hour later....

During image therapy it seems most of the group had overheard and were then all confused too, it seems alot of people didn't realise that if they had say a Jacket Potato and Tuna they should have their superfree with it and not just have say carrot and cucumber sticks, or fruit salad an hour later, as it wasn't with their meal!

Then...........someone pointed out they were having a meal from an EE Supplement in the SW Mag, which was Ragu and Pasta, now there's many recipes for this but this particular one only included tomatoes and onions (which are superfree, but not carrot, celery, mushrooms etc like some of the others) and didn't point out to to have a salad or veg with it....so did they need to have salad or veg on the side, or was the sauce simply enough as 1/3 superfree?

I just wondered your thoughts / comments on this!

Thanks my lovelies!

B x

 

[Princess_Stevie]

To put it as simply as I can, I like to think of the rule as "one third of your meal SuperFree", rather than your plate - I think that's where some of the confusion comes from.

Also, the whole 1/3 SuperFree for breakfast - yes/no - debate winds me up. The plan states we're supposed to have 1/3rd SF with all meals, so I'm unsure as to why breakfast would be any different than say, lunch. Having a bowl of cereal and then having some fruit an hour later defeats the object of the plan. The whole idea of having 1/3rd SF is so that you fill up on that, sub conciously limiting your free/synned foods.

How you have your SF is entirely up to you. Often for lunches I'll have a jacket potato with cheese, baked beans and a side salad. There, the side salad is fitting the 1/3rd rule. On the other hand, one of my favourite tea time dishes is pasta in a creamy vegetable sauce. I boil some pasta and cook up a sauce using chopped tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, red onion, and quark - nearly all SF foods. With this dish I don't need to have a side salad/extra vegetables because my SF is in my meal.

I'm sure others will have very different opinions though.

 

[jen3]

I always have SF as extra to whats in the meal as then I know I've had it. I find it quite easy to fit sf in as its just either salad or veg with whatever I'm having. Brekkie is either banana on toast or toast, egg and mushrooms so I know I'm getting it there too.

Personally I think if you're having pasta and a sauce made with lots of sf you're still going to eat more pasta than if you have pasta, sf sauce and a side salad and I find a better weight loss if I dont eat truckloads of carbs

 

[Princess_Stevie]

Personally I think if you're having pasta and a sauce made with lots of sf you're still going to eat more pasta than if you have pasta, sf sauce and a side salad and I find a better weight loss if I dont eat truckloads of carbs

Not necessarily. I eat pasta a lot, and I never have a side salad/vegetables with it. I have barely any pasta compared to the amount of vegetable/superfree sauce. I guess it depends really, everyone is different and it's about finding what works best for you.

 

[Ally89]

Depends what your having, your spaghetti bolognese will probably have enough superfree worked into the sauce, if its on a plate image it divided into 3 sections and make sure one section is filled with superfree, if you have cereal for breakfast a piece of fruit on the side will usually suffice as round about a 1/3. Guess work I believe it is called, unless you want to get all OCD about it and measure it out EXACTLY.

 

[gemmiegem]

As with the comments above, for me, it depends what I'm having...many of my meals have the third superfree incorporated, and my consultant has said this is not a problem (and still following the plan!)...and it hasn't affected my weight losses!
...most weeks I will make a SW recipe curry which is packed full of veggies - mushrooms, onions, peppers, tomato passata, and I often make spaghetti bolognaise which is packed full of onions, mushrooms and tomato passata. No need to have extra superfree on the side!

I think the 1/3 superfree on the plate is just a visual thing that the consultants use to help explain how the plan works, i.e. they dont want you having for example chicken kiev and chips...they want you to think...chicken kiev, chips (SW style!) and a side salad or a bit of veg...essentially so you cut down the amount of chicken and chips you have proportionately on the plate.

And the breakfast issue...for me...breakfast is still a meal of the day and I always make sure I have my SuperFree immediately before (i.e. banana followed by weetabix) or together (cereal topped with fruit and low fat nat yogurt)...

 

[kingleds]

This one is always a massive debate in group and on here. It doesn't help that SW advice differs from week to week either. Thopugh my Consultants advice is very firm on this - 1/3rd on your plate. No exceptions. When I work to this recommendation I loose well. It doesn't thave to be loads of differnet types - it can be just tomatoes and onions - as long as its 1/3rd.

The theory behind 1/3rd superfree is that you replace higher calorie foods with low calorie, but still filling, vegetables. By doing this you naturally reduce your calorie intake and therefore don't have to weigh all your food. You are natually exercising portion control. If you eat some carrot sticks an hour later, thats not really going to help with the portion control side of things.

Think about this way. If you have 1/3rd of your plate as superfree foods, you will definitely be limiting your calorie intake, as you will have less of the other foods on your plate. Unless of course you use a bigger plate You should find that in the short term, the same amount of free food as you ate pre SW, will keep you fuller for longer - so less snacking in general, and that long term, you should be able to eat less - so less calories in general.
For example, 500g pack of ex lean mince would feed me & my husband for 1 meal when we started SW. Now it feeds 3 people, sometimes 4 people, depending on how hungry we are, because we pack it full of superfree, and don't eat as much. With the example of the Ragu and pasta, I'd be adding a bunch of superfree to that sauce

The key thing is to remember that you ARE trying to reduce your calorie intake, so depending on your diet pre SW this might be able to be done quite easily in the short term by cutting out chocolate/crisps/bread/cakes/sugar/oils, and so the 1/3rd superfreee thing might not be so important to you. However as you continue it will become more important and you will need to start to stick to it within a meal, at the very least, more likely on your plate. If you find that you stop loosing weight, or SW doesn't work for you, then the advice will always be to increase your Superfree proportions and put them on your plate.

Ultimately, its up to you. But what I would say is that superfree foods are just good for you anyway- they have all the vitamins you could possibly need in them if you make sure you eat a wide variety, so regardless of SW advice you should be trying to eat them alot anyway!

 

[Sealmylips]

Hee hee,

Thanks for all your comments - i was just surprised i think how many people in group weren't 'aware' of why and how 1/3 of superfree is there.

Yep i'm definatley along the right lines, as far as i see it - when i am prepping my meals the amount of veg going in far surpasses the amount of carbs / meat! Therefore i know i'm getting enough - although like tonight veg will be on the side as it's not in the food i am making!

I've just been chatting on FB to a fellow group member and she's thanked me for my comments last night - usually she makes spaghetti bolognese and just puts in tomatoes, but i commented that i use a variety of veggies (celery, onions, mushrooms, courgettes, carrots, sometimes peppers etc) and she had never thought of doing it that way.

Like Kingleds, el mince now goes much much futher for us and does both of us two meals with pasta instead of the one and sometimes the kids delve in aswell if we eat earlier and there's enough for them!

Thanks!

 

[Rochelle1]

I just make sure there's fruit or veg in my meals to be honest. My intake of fruit and veg is pretty high. Ill have banana and chopped mango or strawberries and yogurt for breakfast, maybe a hifi bar if I'm not planning on bread later. Lunch is sometimes salad or veggies, sometimes something else if I'm having a jacket with beans/tuna, ill have a piece of fruit like an apple/tangerine after. My tea is always full of veg like tonight had quorn sausage casserole which had loads of mushroom and onion in it. Had some strawberries that needed eating so had some after my casserole. If I want to pick during the day I have a tangerine or apple.

There's loads of ways to incorprate the superfree. I dunno what I'd do if I didn't like fruit and veg

 

[Mustang]

So it doesnt actually matter if you have it afterward? just aslong as you are eating loads of superfree foods its ok?

I saw on another forum that you should eat your superfree foods first so that you get full on them, so if i eat my normal meal but leave my superfree foods till desert its ok? Theres no specific sequence you should eat them in?

Cause i do love fruit salad for desert :bliss:

 

[Rochelle1]

When u put it like that I'm not sure lol its only my 3rd week so I'm no expert but my consultant last night said that this was fine and she had done this herself. So I think maybe what works for one may not work for another.

 

[ScarlettStar86]

So it doesnt actually matter if you have it afterward? just aslong as you are eating loads of superfree foods its ok?

I saw on another forum that you should eat your superfree foods first so that you get full on them, so if i eat my normal meal but leave my superfree foods till desert its ok? Theres no specific sequence you should eat them in?

Cause i do love fruit salad for desert :bliss:

Not sure where you got this idea from this thread, everyone has said the exact opposite and why its important to eat it first...

What if you eat your meal and feel full, but you havent had your superfree? Then you will be stuffing yourself and eating more than you needed too, to get your superfree. The whole point of the 1/3 superfree rule with each meal is to reduce the amount of non superfree (ie more calorific) foods you consume at each meal.

 

[vanilla_cupcake]

Not sure where you got this idea from this thread, everyone has said the exact opposite and why its important to eat it first...

What if you eat your meal and feel full, but you havent had your superfree? Then you will be stuffing yourself and eating more than you needed too, to get your superfree. The whole point of the 1/3 superfree rule with each meal is to reduce the amount of non superfree (ie more calorific) foods you consume at each meal.

With you 100% (can't 'like' from my phone)

 

[amythyst5961]

Well ladies this has opened up a bit of debate Personally, I am just trying to make sure that 1/3 of my plate is filled up with something else other than the main part of my meal / meat / pasta / potatoes etc etc. No idea what is right or wrong but in fairness this early on I dont think it will do me any harm to try andd at least get into better eating habits and reduce my calorie intake.

As usual with these things people find different things work for them and I think regarless of who is doing what this is certainly better than the amount of Haribo starmix and Kitkats I was eating

A xxx

 

[debtin]

The only thing I don't understand is for example. Pre sw you eat two weetabix at breakfast which keeps you going til lunch. You then join sw and need to eat third superfree with breakfast so you add a banana to the two weetabix...surely this is adding to your calories? Does anyone ever not eat the two weetabix anyway? I get the whole superfree keeps you fuller for longer but sometimes I don't get why adding tomato and or spring onion would keep you fuller as you would prob still finish what you put on your plate? Know I usually do. Breakfast keeps me going majority of time so adding fruit or veg to it wouldn't do me any favours. I fully get other meals or certain meals but if I know I am having slice pizza, am going to have that full slice regardless if the salad is there or not but I know eating it will do my body good. Think this is why am prob not losing as I can't face adding to a breakfast that already fills me. Sorry in I sound confused but I think I know what I mean x

 

[Lukasmummy]

The only thing I don't understand is for example. Pre sw you eat two weetabix at breakfast which keeps you going til lunch. You then join sw and need to eat third superfree with breakfast so you add a banana to the two weetabix...surely this is adding to your calories? Does anyone ever not eat the two weetabix anyway? I get the whole superfree keeps you fuller for longer but sometimes I don't get why adding tomato and or spring onion would keep you fuller as you would prob still finish what you put on your plate? Know I usually do. Breakfast keeps me going majority of time so adding fruit or veg to it wouldn't do me any favours. I fully get other meals or certain meals but if I know I am having slice pizza, am going to have that full slice regardless if the salad is there or not but I know eating it will do my body good. Think this is why am prob not losing as I can't face adding to a breakfast that already fills me. Sorry in I sound confused but I think I know what I mean x

The breakfast question always turns into a debate because of how most people use their HEB and HEA choice for it, the argument always revolves around why add superfree when the amounts you are eating are already controlled by using the healthy extras. Maybe instead of having 2 weetabix you could have 1 with some fruit and either syn it or call it half of a healthy B choice, meaning you could have an alpen light or one slice of bread instead later (they were the easiest ways I could think of to split a B choice since I can't manage 2 weetabix). Hugs Crystal xx

 

[dancinglilly]

My consultant says for EE to work, you need to have a 1/3rd superfree with every meal, either in it (mixed into pasta or in a casserole ect) or on the plate seperate ( side salad or veggies ect)
Also that if you need a snack try & make superfree your 1st choice, so melon or pineapple for example. I have a big fruit salad in my fridge & grab a big bowl full if im hungry.
This has worked for me i hace lost 22lb in 7 weeks so i must be doing something right.
Amy x

 

[ScarlettStar86]

The only thing I don't understand is for example. Pre sw you eat two weetabix at breakfast which keeps you going til lunch. You then join sw and need to eat third superfree with breakfast so you add a banana to the two weetabix...surely this is adding to your calories? Does anyone ever not eat the two weetabix anyway? I get the whole superfree keeps you fuller for longer but sometimes I don't get why adding tomato and or spring onion would keep you fuller as you would prob still finish what you put on your plate? Know I usually do. Breakfast keeps me going majority of time so adding fruit or veg to it wouldn't do me any favours. I fully get other meals or certain meals but if I know I am having slice pizza, am going to have that full slice regardless if the salad is there or not but I know eating it will do my body good. Think this is why am prob not losing as I can't face adding to a breakfast that already fills me. Sorry in I sound confused but I think I know what I mean x

I agree it can be a strange one if the cereal fills you up enough already and its a measured amount for hexb then surely eating fruit with it just increases the amount you would eat. For me though if I had cereal pre slimming world it would be at least double what a hexb is and if I had weetabix I'd need 3 to fill me up so for me its perfect, just had 2 weetabix, with a chopped banana, handful of chopped grapes and some blueberries. Filled me up nicely but the weetabix alone would have left me wanting something else which in the past is where I would have had toast as breakfast no2.
I think personally if your measured hexb fills you up till lunch then there is no point adding fruit to make your 1/3 superfree as you are eating more then you need to be satisfied. However if your measured hexb doesn't fill you up, add 1/3 superfree. That's what I do and I've lost a stone so far so I'm happy

 

[shelly22]

Hi can someone just remind me what fruits are superfree as think im eating wrong ones for brekkie cheers x

 

[ScarlettStar86]

Hi can someone just remind me what fruits are superfree as think im eating wrong ones for brekkie cheers x

Basically its any fresh or frozen fruit except avocado x