Christmas- some advice for SWers

[lucyhope]

Great thread, this will be my first Christmas on SW and I was getting a bit worried about visiting people, at least at home I'm in charge of the cooking and can make sure it's SW friendly. Some great advice. I'd forgotten about flexi days!

 

[Vitology]

Hi all

This will be my 3rd Christmas as a SWer and I thought it may help to give out a little advice that helped me (I have seen a lot of posts about this) as lots of people are talking about 'time off'

1. Time off is dangerous! Each year I saw loads of people say they were having a week off and almost every time most people REALLY struggled to get back on it in the New Year or simply dissapeared and never came back- if you treat this as being 'off' or 'on' you are not seeing it as a lifestyle change- just a temporary diet solution

2. The solution is flexi days. Every Christmas I allowed myself loads of flexi-days whenever I wanted. On some days I allowed myself 70 odd syns- I occasionally did this 3-4 days a week. The key thing is, despite the fact that you pobably won't lose weight and may even gain YOU ARE STILL ON PLAN as you are in control by accepting the fact that you are going to eat more syns, setting a limit (however large) and sticking to it- this is still being on-plan,in control and realistic

3. Rather than looking at things you CAN'T eat- focus on all the lovely things you can. Here is my traffic light system of Christmas foods:

Green Food- the stuff I will fill my house with and eat in abundance
Turkey, chicken drumsticks, prawns, smoked salmon, eggs, cooked and tinned ham, roasted (fry light) parsnips and potatoes, sprouts, carrots, syn free dips, rice salad, spiced cous cous, tangerines, pomegranites, syn free sausages wrapped in trimmed bacon, pickled onions, lean pork mince stuffing, crab, sushi, lamb shanks, 0% greek yoghurt with sugar free caramel syrup, pasta salad, braised red cabbage,

Amber food- HEXs
10 almonds, 6 cashew nuts, 7 roasted chestnuts, 16 peanuts, 9 hazelnuts, 71g dried apricots, 57g dried figs, 28g brie, 28g stilton, ryvita minis, pagen rolls, 42g camembert, 85g low fat soft cheese, 2 Boursin garlic and herb portions, a baked apple with 1 level tablespoon of mincemeat, 57g reduced fat hummus,

Red food- treats I will allow within syn allowance
Xmas cake/stollen- 8 syns for 42g
Mince pie- average 12 each
Pork pie- 10-15 each
Dates – 2 syns each
Quality street- 2 syns each
Baileys – 4 per 25ml
Light mayo- 2 syns per tablespoon
Low fat Christmas pudding- 13 syns per 100g portion
Low fat custard- 3.5 syns per quarter tin
Crackers for cheese- average 1.5 each

Good luck all!!!

Just looking at your red list! Morrissons do a pack of mini mince pies they work out at 5 syns I think :0)

Looking fwd to my 1st sw Christmas and your threads gonna help me a lot thank you :0)

 

[stillscrapping]

Great thread, thanks for resurrecting it.

 

[cupotea]

Hi Pizzle,

Flexi-days are when you allow yourself more syns, but keep a cap on them.

So if you decide to have 30 syns one day, just make sure that you keep a record of all your syns and stop when you get to 30, and continue your week, having the number that you would normally have.

It is to keep you still in control, and so you don't over-consume syns in that one day, and to stop you feeling guilty.

You may have a maintain, or even a gain, but at least you know exactly where its come from, and why you did it.

I usually have a flexi-syns day at least once a week xx

Ooh thanks for posting this - I didn't really get the flexi-syns thing, this has totally cleared it up for me much appreciated.

 

[I_dream_slim]

I expect your bored of hearing this but THANKYOU!! I needed to get this into perspective. I think we forget its one day, not a week or in my case previously a month...or two?

Im going to take your advice and not just say ill have a week off but try and do things properly-the odd flexi day but mainly stick to plan!

So...THANKS again!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MancBird]

I'm so glad someone resurrected this thread - CP is spot on, going totally "Off Plan" for a week or two is a recipe for distaster... do you really want to spend the next month (or 2!) shifting a 5lb Xmas gain?!?! I made this mistake last year, and I won't be doing it again... (she says, best laid plans...)

Traffic light all the way this year! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[ermintrude]

I'm so glad someone resurrected this thread - CP is spot on, going totally "Off Plan" for a week or two is a recipe for distaster... do you really want to spend the next month (or 2!) shifting a 5lb Xmas gain?!?! I made this mistake last year, and I won't be doing it again... (she says, best laid plans...)

Traffic light all the way this year! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Only five? Id be *happy* with five! I can easily put on between 1/2 stone and a stone in just one week if Im off plan

 

[FridgeRaider]

Ooooh I LOVE the traffic light idea! So thankyou for this post! I've recently rejoined SW after moving home andhaving half a year off from the plan, and with XMAS looming i am starting to look at SW friendly options, (such as Joes sausages and sausagemeat for pigs in blankets and homemade stuffing!) I'm adapting a few recipes i've found and synning those, then it's just the usuals you've listed such as Pork Pies,Mince Pies, Cake, QUALITY STREETS! and booze!!!

But again thanks (i'm a massive list lover ha ha ha!) x

 

[Dedee]

This thread is a life saver for me. I have started to become really worried aout christmas and how much damage I might do. I have such a long way to go and I am hoping that by the last weightin before christmas I may be near if not at my club10. The thought the I could sabbotage my weight loss over christmas had me a little stressed! I know from past form when I go off plan I go MAD and the chances of me returning to the plan will be low.
The amberlight idea is brill. I do think that christmas been on the weekend will make it easier. I am going to do a food diary in advance allowing myself flexisyns for christmas eve, christmas day and st stephens day (what we call it in Ireland). I will aim to stay within plan until the following week when I will allow myself 2 flexidays for the newyear.
This isnt written in stone and if something comes up I will adapt but I am going to do my very best to stick to it. Good luck anyone and please share any tips ye have!

 

[JosieE87]

Thanks for this, very helpful! xxx

 

[cocktailprincess]

Wow- great to see this old thread resurrected and i'm glad it is still of use to others- Even though i have been at target for over a year now, I still use these principles and will do again this Christmas. the secret to LONG TERM success is learning to adapt your life - of course we would all want to sit and have two weeks off and eat everything in sight- many will! But realising that you have a CHOICE is key- I have enjoyed the last 3 Christmasses thouroughly because of SW- never felt 'deprived' because feeling healthy and confident and in control is better than an extra mince pie- and believe me, I ate LOADS of good Christmas food- just chose it wisely

ps- Hi Leah!!!! Good to see you are still rockin' it!

 

[Fairymary]

Great advise here. If I am honest I was going to allow myself the week off and go off plan for Christmas but having read this I will work out a plan for the week of Christmas using the flexi syns. Thanks for all the help everyone.

 

[juejon]

im going to be extra good till xmas eve then its my sons birthday my plan is to have a few goodies but family share bags so we only get a couple as we are a big family lol and i hoping to fill up on free food before the goodies come out of the goodie box and i dont drink so at least that wont be a temptation

 

[mcv]

A very helpful thread, I have set my goal for Christmas which is to stay the same. I am going to cook loads of slimming world food and goodies and I am NOT going to buy in the crap! If it's not in the house I can't eat it!!!!!

 

[charleeds]

Great thread, so helpful. I managed to loose over Xmas and new year last year but then totally fell off the wagon when it was all over :-(