Extra Easy

Slimming World have pulled some witchcraft, and created a plan that lets you eat anything at all, in any quantity you like, and still lose weight. Well, anything except bread and cheese - you have to limit them. Other than that though, fill your boots!

OK, it's not quite that free! But reading it for the first time, that's the feeling you come away with!

It goes something like this:

You choose 1 Healthy Extra A (cheese or milk in the main) and 1 Healthy Extra B (breads, cereals etc) per day, and 5-15 syns. And eat as much as you like of lean meat, fish, eggs, fruit, veg, pasta, rice, pulses etc. Yes, on the same plate! You don't have to choose whether to have meat or rice with your curry, you can have both. As much as you want!

There has to be a catch, surely?

Is it one of those rigid, no good for nightworkers, 3 meals per day plans? Nope.
Can you only snack on carrot and celery? Nope.
Have we lost all the branded free foods then, that made life easy sometimes? No.
Aaaah, it must be a much more limited choice of food! Happily not! The sole proviso appears to be a recommendation that a third of your plate is filled with "superfree" food, essentially veg or fruit, although not exclusively.

I came away from class very excited about trying this! Chicken curry made with actual chicken? Jacket potato filled with tuna! Oh my word, I can make stew with potato in!!

However, haven't been able to do let myself do it. I've tried, but when I look at what I've eaten it's been fine for a green day, with (for example) tuna as a HEB. It's as though I've been given too big a gift. I've taken it out, looked and admired it, and put it reverentially back in the box.

It's nice to know it's there, it is going to come in handy on special occasions, meals out etc, but it's too good to use every day!