christalbot
New Member
Thanks, that's such good news. I do 2 self catering holidays a year in Tenerife and am trying to cut down on stuff to take. Do you know what it's called and what section it's likely to be in?
Spain free and low syn foods.
- Thread starter fillymum
- Start date
fillymum
synful soul
I think it is by the coffee. I don't use it but I know for sure they have it as I buy my husbands sweetners there. The sweetners are called Ciclamato y Sacarina and it is Mercadona's own brand , Hacendado.
christalbot
New Member
This thread has been most interesting to scroll through. Thanks for all the info re yogurts etc. I wont have to waste so much sun time now I know what I'm looking for. Going for my first dose next month, can't wait!
LairocseLady
Full Member
Does anyone know what porridge I could use as a healthy extra b. I don't have any Iceland near so would probably have to be something from mercadona or a Spanish supermarket. Thanks
Hi
I am new to Spain (living in Barcelona) and im new to slimming world (first day)
I am extremely confused, due to being in Spain i am following the diet online.
I am so confused as to what plan i am on? what i need to do etc..
Please can someone help me
i have no idea what im supposed to be doing today...and am i right in understanding that pasta is a free food? (really?!)
I am new to Spain (living in Barcelona) and im new to slimming world (first day)
I am extremely confused, due to being in Spain i am following the diet online.
I am so confused as to what plan i am on? what i need to do etc..
Please can someone help me
i have no idea what im supposed to be doing today...and am i right in understanding that pasta is a free food? (really?!)
fillymum
synful soul
They are copas de avena and I am not sure what the syn content or otherwise are. You could look in Carrefour, Aldi or Lidl. A good yardstick is 20 xcalories = 1 syn.
However I will try and find out for you.
Hi
I am new to Spain (living in Barcelona) and im new to slimming world (first day)
I am extremely confused, due to being in Spain i am following the diet online.
I am so confused as to what plan i am on? what i need to do etc..
Please can someone help me
Unless you are more specific with what you are doing it is difficult to help you on here. Do you have any of the books ??? It is fairly simple really.
If you are following he diet on line surely I is all mapped out there for you.
Pasta is free on green days but that is just the pasta and not what you add to it.
If you give us a bit more information we can try and help you.
Hi There
Sorry, ive just had a good luck through the website and i think i am on extra easy which i understand is a mixture between the green and red days?
From what i understand is:
You eat as much as the free or super free foods as you like in unlimited quantities? (whats the difference between free and super free foods?)
You choose 1 option from the healthy extras 1 from list A then 1 from list B
Then you have syns which you have no more than 15 daily.
I am unsure of the following things:
1) Pasta, rice & potatoes are free and can be eaten in unlimited quantities? (very surprised to see this..may be because im an ex WW follower)
2) How does using salt work? Is it a syn?
3) Using extra virgin olive oil, again is this a syn or a healthy extra?
4) Dont understand why cereals are syncs and milk?
Does anyone know if and where i can buy those 1calorie cooking sprays in spain?
LairocseLady
Full Member
Thanks fillymum I found them in Dia can have 35g as a healthy extra b, hopefully fills me up more than cereal or toast.
LairocseLady
Full Member
Hi isha I have some sheets with all the info on super free etc it's on my work computer if I can upload documents to this I will do when I am working tomorrow. This forum is really good for support or just a browse for ideas and inspiration, I don't post much but like to read lol
I'm back doing sw since last Tuesday and have lost 4 . 5 lbs in my first week even after having pizza on Saturday night ooppss. For me the diet works if you stick to it, it's more of a lifestyle change and eating healthy. Onwards and upwards lol
I'm back doing sw since last Tuesday and have lost 4 . 5 lbs in my first week even after having pizza on Saturday night ooppss. For me the diet works if you stick to it, it's more of a lifestyle change and eating healthy. Onwards and upwards lol
Aww thanks LairocseLady, good luck with your journey, which plan do you follow? How you know which is best for you? Im doing extra easy x
LairocseLady
Full Member
Thanks isha ;-)
To be honest I didn't read about Green or red days I read about extra easy when I joined online last year and it just suited and still does (when I am behaving myself lol) I printed all the sheets from the Web page and always have them to hand to double check I'm always reading them to try learn more.
The best of luck hope it all goes well, summer will here soon, scarey bikini time!!!! Eeekkk
To be honest I didn't read about Green or red days I read about extra easy when I joined online last year and it just suited and still does (when I am behaving myself lol) I printed all the sheets from the Web page and always have them to hand to double check I'm always reading them to try learn more.
The best of luck hope it all goes well, summer will here soon, scarey bikini time!!!! Eeekkk
Yeah i have also printed off the sheets whcih tell me about some of the free foods and a list of the healthy extra and then syns!
How much is the weight loss per week on this (i understand it must vary from people to people)
I used to do weight watchers last year so for me actually believeing that carbs such as pasta, potatoes and rice are eadible in unlimited quantities is hard! i think in the back of my mind, i feel guilty for doing it!
Today is my first day but to be honest i just followed my normal day as i have been trying to eat healthy for a while and as i had a blood test this morning and had to have it on an empty stomach i missed breakfast. so just got into work and had a pear and 2 clemintines
For lunch i made made pasta over the weekend, which i made by frying onions in extra virgib olive oil and then adding in lean mince beef, peppers, mushrooms tomato puree spices, garlic ginger pasta and salt...and ive had another pear and about 3 more clemintimes. I only seemed to have fruit with me today! I think im still okay in terms of following the diet. I classes the oil i used in the pasta as a syn today? or is it a healthy extra?
Normally i would have skimmed milk with 2 weetabix bars...would that be a syn or a healthy extra? i know the diet seems abit funny with cereals? then i have the sweetner from mercadona that is split up in little saches its a hacenado one...cant remember the name.
How much is the weight loss per week on this (i understand it must vary from people to people)
I used to do weight watchers last year so for me actually believeing that carbs such as pasta, potatoes and rice are eadible in unlimited quantities is hard! i think in the back of my mind, i feel guilty for doing it!
Today is my first day but to be honest i just followed my normal day as i have been trying to eat healthy for a while and as i had a blood test this morning and had to have it on an empty stomach i missed breakfast. so just got into work and had a pear and 2 clemintines
For lunch i made made pasta over the weekend, which i made by frying onions in extra virgib olive oil and then adding in lean mince beef, peppers, mushrooms tomato puree spices, garlic ginger pasta and salt...and ive had another pear and about 3 more clemintimes. I only seemed to have fruit with me today! I think im still okay in terms of following the diet. I classes the oil i used in the pasta as a syn today? or is it a healthy extra?
Normally i would have skimmed milk with 2 weetabix bars...would that be a syn or a healthy extra? i know the diet seems abit funny with cereals? then i have the sweetner from mercadona that is split up in little saches its a hacenado one...cant remember the name.
Pommette
Trying - very!
Hiya I-sha. Okay so you're doing Extra easy. Then the diet goes something like this.
Each day you can have :-
* Superfree foods (most fresh or frozen fruit and veg - NOT dried or cooked fruit though - these are a HexB)
* Free foods (eggs, quark, fat free fromage frais, fat free yoghurt, virtualy fat free cottage cheese, quorn products, textured vegeetable protein (ie soya protein) tofu)
. . . NOTE: these are alwasy free, even on Red/Green days
* Free foods (meat, game, poultry, fish, seafood, pasta, rice, grains, potatos, starch veg, pulses, beans)
. . . NOTE: these are what get limited if you do Red/Green days
* 1 HexA dairy that is high in calcium (milk, cheese etc)
* 1 HexB high fibre foods (cereal, bread, crisp breads, dried fruit, cooked fruit, tinned fruit, nuts and seeds, EV Olive Oil)
* Free Store cupboard staples (bovril, stock cubes, liquid stock concentrate (but not gravy powder or granules - most have syns), tomato puree, garlic puree, hers, spices, marmite, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard powder (but NOT jar mustard)
* Drinks - you can have calorie free drinks like bovril, tea, coffee, low cal/diet fizzy drinks, no added sugar cordials, mineral water - but milk in tea/coffee has to come from your allowance or count 1/2 syn for a dash, 1 syn for a normal amount.
* 5-15 Syns - these are your extras that you can have and incorporate into your diet for things like gravy powder, mayonnaise, salad cream, tomato sauce, HP sauce, packet food mixes etc. As Fillymum said 1 Syn = 20 cals - so you can do quick calcs. But if you've joined online then you can use their Syn Calculator tool to get a more accurate syn value.
To answer some of your questions:
* What's the difference between free and super free foods?
Superfree foods are very satisfying and very low in calorie. Free foods are more bulky and are what satisfy your appetite
* You eat as much as the free or super free foods as you like in unlimited quantities? Sort of.
Free foods you should only eat at meal times. Use Superfree foods for snacks.
Fill one third of your plate with superfree foods and, where you can, make them your first choice between meals.
* Skimmed milk with 2 weetabix bars - this would be a HexA (milk - or party of HexA) plus HexB (2 * weetabix)
* EV Olive Oil - 1 level tablespoon = 6 syns OR 1 HexB. So if you're having cereal for brekkie then you have to syn your oil
* Does anyone know if and where i can buy those 1calorie cooking sprays in spain? Don't bother. They taste foul and they are expensive.
Get yourself a good pressurised oil sprayer and fill with EV Olive Oil. 1 spray = 1 cal.
The sprayers are available on Amazon.es or if you still have relatives in the UK you can get them really cheap in Dunelm.
* How much is the weight loss per week on this (i understand it must vary from people to people)
How long is a piece of string? It all depends on a) how strictly you stick to plan b) how much weight you have to lose c) how much you cheat d) what foods affect you
A normal loss is 1 to 2 lbs a week. In your first couple of weeks if you stick to it religiously then you should lose more.
If you forget to weigh/measure your Hex's and allow yourself treats then it will slow right down - if not stop.
I do mostly Red days - as processed carbohydrates affect me badly. So I steer clear of rice, pasta, cous cous etc
I use my full 15 syns per day and allow myself the odd treat - and I averaged under 1 lb a week.
But I wanted to lose it slowly to help adjust my brain to the new way of eating and help keep it off for life.
I've been maintainly (mostly) for over 2 years - just had a few blips this year as it's been a very stressful one and I'm still managing to stay around my 1st target (which I subsequently reduced).
Tips
Mince: Most mince in Spain needs to be synned.
It is only mince with less than 5% fat that counts as free and I don't think this is available in Mecadona or most other Spanish Supermarkets.
The one we get is in Mercadona is about 10% fat so I count 2 syns per 100g - so about 3 syns for an average sized meal portion.
Mince syns as follows:
Less than 12% fat = free
Less than 12% fat = 2 syns per 100g,
Less than 20% fat = 6 syns per 100g,
More than 20% fat = 9 syns per 100g.
HexB: For a cereal/bread etc to class as a HexB then it must contain 3 gm fibre per 100g and no more than 120 cals
Ryvita Wholegrain crackerbread are no longer a HexB - it was found they didn't actually have enough fibre.
Standard Original Ryvita are still fine as a HexB.
This info is useful if you shop in Lidl or Aldi - you can quickly check whether their "look-a-likes" class as a HexB.
There are 3 excellent threads that you might find it helpful to read
NEWBIES - http://www.minimins.com/slimming-wo...d-advice-new-comers-including-extra-easy.html
FAQs - http://www.minimins.com/slimming-world/116347-slimming-world-faqs.html
WRONG - http://www.minimins.com/slimming-world/182282-where-could-you-have-gone-wrong.html
Hope this helps. I have lots of electronic stuff that I could send you but at the moment I can't PM you (you need 50 posts I think).
If you want this then when you get there, send me a PM and I'll send you the info.
Each day you can have :-
* Superfree foods (most fresh or frozen fruit and veg - NOT dried or cooked fruit though - these are a HexB)
* Free foods (eggs, quark, fat free fromage frais, fat free yoghurt, virtualy fat free cottage cheese, quorn products, textured vegeetable protein (ie soya protein) tofu)
. . . NOTE: these are alwasy free, even on Red/Green days
* Free foods (meat, game, poultry, fish, seafood, pasta, rice, grains, potatos, starch veg, pulses, beans)
. . . NOTE: these are what get limited if you do Red/Green days
* 1 HexA dairy that is high in calcium (milk, cheese etc)
* 1 HexB high fibre foods (cereal, bread, crisp breads, dried fruit, cooked fruit, tinned fruit, nuts and seeds, EV Olive Oil)
* Free Store cupboard staples (bovril, stock cubes, liquid stock concentrate (but not gravy powder or granules - most have syns), tomato puree, garlic puree, hers, spices, marmite, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard powder (but NOT jar mustard)
* Drinks - you can have calorie free drinks like bovril, tea, coffee, low cal/diet fizzy drinks, no added sugar cordials, mineral water - but milk in tea/coffee has to come from your allowance or count 1/2 syn for a dash, 1 syn for a normal amount.
* 5-15 Syns - these are your extras that you can have and incorporate into your diet for things like gravy powder, mayonnaise, salad cream, tomato sauce, HP sauce, packet food mixes etc. As Fillymum said 1 Syn = 20 cals - so you can do quick calcs. But if you've joined online then you can use their Syn Calculator tool to get a more accurate syn value.
To answer some of your questions:
* What's the difference between free and super free foods?
Superfree foods are very satisfying and very low in calorie. Free foods are more bulky and are what satisfy your appetite
* You eat as much as the free or super free foods as you like in unlimited quantities? Sort of.
Free foods you should only eat at meal times. Use Superfree foods for snacks.
Fill one third of your plate with superfree foods and, where you can, make them your first choice between meals.
* Skimmed milk with 2 weetabix bars - this would be a HexA (milk - or party of HexA) plus HexB (2 * weetabix)
* EV Olive Oil - 1 level tablespoon = 6 syns OR 1 HexB. So if you're having cereal for brekkie then you have to syn your oil
* Does anyone know if and where i can buy those 1calorie cooking sprays in spain? Don't bother. They taste foul and they are expensive.
Get yourself a good pressurised oil sprayer and fill with EV Olive Oil. 1 spray = 1 cal.
The sprayers are available on Amazon.es or if you still have relatives in the UK you can get them really cheap in Dunelm.
* How much is the weight loss per week on this (i understand it must vary from people to people)
How long is a piece of string? It all depends on a) how strictly you stick to plan b) how much weight you have to lose c) how much you cheat d) what foods affect you
A normal loss is 1 to 2 lbs a week. In your first couple of weeks if you stick to it religiously then you should lose more.
If you forget to weigh/measure your Hex's and allow yourself treats then it will slow right down - if not stop.
I do mostly Red days - as processed carbohydrates affect me badly. So I steer clear of rice, pasta, cous cous etc
I use my full 15 syns per day and allow myself the odd treat - and I averaged under 1 lb a week.
But I wanted to lose it slowly to help adjust my brain to the new way of eating and help keep it off for life.
I've been maintainly (mostly) for over 2 years - just had a few blips this year as it's been a very stressful one and I'm still managing to stay around my 1st target (which I subsequently reduced).
Tips
Mince: Most mince in Spain needs to be synned.
It is only mince with less than 5% fat that counts as free and I don't think this is available in Mecadona or most other Spanish Supermarkets.
The one we get is in Mercadona is about 10% fat so I count 2 syns per 100g - so about 3 syns for an average sized meal portion.
Mince syns as follows:
Less than 12% fat = free
Less than 12% fat = 2 syns per 100g,
Less than 20% fat = 6 syns per 100g,
More than 20% fat = 9 syns per 100g.
HexB: For a cereal/bread etc to class as a HexB then it must contain 3 gm fibre per 100g and no more than 120 cals
Ryvita Wholegrain crackerbread are no longer a HexB - it was found they didn't actually have enough fibre.
Standard Original Ryvita are still fine as a HexB.
This info is useful if you shop in Lidl or Aldi - you can quickly check whether their "look-a-likes" class as a HexB.
There are 3 excellent threads that you might find it helpful to read
NEWBIES - http://www.minimins.com/slimming-wo...d-advice-new-comers-including-extra-easy.html
FAQs - http://www.minimins.com/slimming-world/116347-slimming-world-faqs.html
WRONG - http://www.minimins.com/slimming-world/182282-where-could-you-have-gone-wrong.html
Hope this helps. I have lots of electronic stuff that I could send you but at the moment I can't PM you (you need 50 posts I think).
If you want this then when you get there, send me a PM and I'll send you the info.
Last edited:
Hi thank you for your very informative email. I have had a quick sneeky read through whislt at work.
I am muslim and get all my meat from a halal butchers in Spain so its normally pretty okay in terms of the fat etc...
It makes my life slightly difficult with what i can buy and eat from supermarkets though
as cannot have any gelatine etc...I will have a proper read of this when i get home tonight
Hi everyone, I've just moved to Spain about a month ago, but just before I moved out I done SW back in the UK and lost 2 and a half stone. I want to keep going with it in Spain, but I'm finding it really hard. Especially as there are no classes.
Can anyone recommend any low syn crisps and convenient dinners that I can just pop in the oven? I have a mercadona, masymas and dia near me!
Can anyone recommend any low syn crisps and convenient dinners that I can just pop in the oven? I have a mercadona, masymas and dia near me!
Pommette
Trying - very!
Hi Laura - welcome to Spain. Whereabouts are you?
And well done on losing 2.5 stone! Go you!
You'll struggle to find low syn crisps in Spain - unless you have an Iceland anywhere near you. And even then you'll only find them occasionally.
And to be honest, prepared meals in Spain are few and far between.
There isn't the culture here of "ping" dinners or convenience foods. The Spanish prepare everything from scratch.
You might find the odd one in Mercadona but they are pants, and high in fat and calories, so I'd give them a miss.
You need to have a slightly different mindset in Spain and accept that you will almost certainly struggle to find low fat stuff and that you will have to cook yourself from scratch making the best of what you can get. Can you get to an Aldi or Lidl? As you will find some low fat stuff in here.
In case you haven't found it yet:
* Quark is available in Aldi and Lidl - but it's not 0% fat. I think it is the semi-skimmed variety and is 2% fat so would not be free, but only a few syns for a portion.
* 0% fat fromage frais is available in Mercadona - it's called "queso fresco batido" and you want the desnatada (skimmed) variety for 0% fat not the semi-desnatada variety (semi-skimmed) which does have fat in. Available is 4 x small tubs pack or a big tub.
* 0% fat greek yoghurt is available in Lidl - a big 500g tub for just over €2 and it's lovely. We've only recently had a Lidl arrive near us and I have fallen in love with the yoghurt.
* Mercadona own label 0% fat bifidus yoghurts are nice and are free. Half the price of Activia!
* Mercadona own label 0% fat "La Pastelera" yoghurts are really nice. Some are free but others are just 1/2 syn a pot.
Hope you're enjoying Spain. There's only really me now on the Spanish thread - most of the other ladies don't come on here any more.
Pommette
Trying - very!
after the gota fria, im feeling wintery and looking forward to soup and stew season!! i find winter far easier to manage food wise...bring it on
Whereabouts are you chica? Hope not Mazarron or Murcia which was quite badly hit.
We leaked a lot - but that's normal for our old Spanish house.
We just stuff buckets and old chopped off 5L water containers out and catch the drips!
