coping strategies?

[loolahoop]

hiiii

well next tues is my birthday (nothing special -27 ) and i just wondered if anyone had any strategies to cope with the food that people seem to love to over indulge in at birthdays etc!
i know on the tues hubby is gonna want to get a takeaway, then on weds i have to go to MILs for lunch (made by her, not the healthiest person!!) and cake! then at the weekend imgoing to see my family, which includes an all you can eat chinese and then cake etc with my mum then a night out with my sisters!!! the amount of syns i could clock up is already hurting my head!!

now i know chinese can be a good one, boiled rice/noodles, chicken in black bean sauce etc... but im just not so sure i can resist the salt and papper squid, the sweet and sour chicken/prawn balls, the ribs, the duck..omg!! lol then alcohol..oh dear which will probably result in more eating!! im actually really stressing about it! i want to have a good time and enjoy myself, but i also want to keep my weightloss on track!!

ok, the chinese i can keep in check, it will be hard but i WILL be good! but how do i refuse my own birthday cake from other people!?!?! they all know im trying to loose weight but i dont think any of em care n i hate making other people feel bad and lunch at MILs? and the night out drinking iwth my sisters? and hubby wanting a takeaway?

this will be my 1st night out eating and drinking since i started SW (yep i have no social life - joys of 4 kids! Lol) xXx

 

[clairebrookes]

I would do the following:

1. Follow the plan 100% all week trying to have at least 1/2 plate of super free each meal.

2. When you have your takeaway choose a low Syn option if possible and have salad ready to go with it so you don't eat as much.

3. Decide on what your drinking alcohol wise and how much your willing to drink and stick to it.

4. Have a smaller piece of birthday cake and enjoy it.

4. Choose mostly low Syn options at the Chinese, eat these first then go back for a couple of the higher Syn treats.

5. Finally remember that your birthday comes once a year... As long as your prepared to not lose for one week you should enjoy it.

 

[loolahoop]

thankyou clairebrookes i think i will deffo be following these! except maybe the last one! haha dont think im prepared to gain yet!
i was thinking of alternating alcohol with non alcohol? so say a v& diet coke, thats 4.5 syns isnt it (should check these things!) then have justa diet coke, hopefully the bubbles will make me feel too bloated to drink too much (dont usually do fizzy!)
as for the takeaway with hubby? what would be a low syn option? he will want pizza (he always does!) so would a chicken or lamb shish kebab be a good one if i didnt have the pitta bread? (dont like it anyway!) as this comes with salad anyway?
i am gonna keep my syns low next week so its not a major problem if i go over at the weekend (still hopefully not by too mch!) i just really hope i can stay focused!! also im hoping for a decent loss next tues (as it is my bday those scales better be nice!) as this will help keep me motivated!

 

[clairebrookes]

The chicken kebab would be perfect... They're quite low Syn. I'm also going to steal your alternating drink idea, I would struggle to drink a lot of alcohol if I filled up on diet coke...

Sounds like you have everything under control, have a good birthday

 

[AnnaFaraday]

Oh I do so agree with Jezzi! Why are you letting everyone else decide on YOUR birthday treats? You decide what you want, and tell them.

 

[loolahoop]

haha erm... coz thats just what im like *blushes* cant help it, im terrible for letting people walk all over me in life in general. thats another thing im hoping to get from SW , some new found confidence!! it has started working a little, but i still have along way to go! i will deffo go for the chicken kebab, he can have what he wants, im put off pizza from last time i had it.
i would LOVE for him to cook for me!! in fact i think id probably, literally, faint! he has never ever once cooked a meal for me n even if i asked him to he wouldnt but dont get me onto a hubby rant coz id be here all day!!

does anyone know how many syns are in an average piece of birthday cake? just so i can at least guestimate? xXx

 

[donna88]

It sounds like your plan is pretty good to be fair though

when it was my Birthday I had cake on the Tuesday (my Birthday) then stayed really good until Saturday when I went out and had enchilada's with a jacket potato, more cake and some ameretto and diet cokes. You seem to have more plans then me, but just stick to it when you can and enjoy your Birthday.

 

[donna88]

haha erm... coz thats just what im like *blushes* cant help it, im terrible for letting people walk all over me in life in general. thats another thing im hoping to get from SW , some new found confidence!! it has started working a little, but i still have along way to go! i will deffo go for the chicken kebab, he can have what he wants, im put off pizza from last time i had it.
i would LOVE for him to cook for me!! in fact i think id probably, literally, faint! he has never ever once cooked a meal for me n even if i asked him to he wouldnt but dont get me onto a hubby rant coz id be here all day!!

does anyone know how many syns are in an average piece of birthday cake? just so i can at least guestimate? xXx

Depends on how big the cake is, my sons was only a tiny smarties cake and that was 8 syns a slice. Mine one of them was 15 syns a slice (but we doubled those slices) and the other was again within your daily allowance.... but we went well over as the slices we cut were massive

 

[Princess_Stevie]

Claires advice is fantastic - exactly what I wanted to say to you myself!

Also, just something to think about. What is most important..that you might have a slight gain for one week out of fifty-two, or that you thoroughly enjoy your birthday? I know which is most important to me...

 

[sparty]

Princess Stevie is right - you need to decide what you consider more important. i.e. if you are sticking to this diet or not.
I am the opposite and would not want to have a blow out to celebrate a non-big birthday (I am 29 next bday) and then feel awful for the rest of the week and have my heart drop at WI. But ultimately the decision is yours.

Pick a kebab, indian or chinese if you must have a take away as they are lower syns. Do you really need cake on BOTH dates? How about you compromise with ONE small piece at one of the events. Maybe at MIL to keep her sweet! Your family will understand that you are stuffed to the brim with all that boiled rice and low syn black bean sauce dishes that you are going to pass on cake.

Have a word with your F&F and get them on board for future meetings - its not good to surround yourself with tempting situations and have people swaying your judgement. Use the alternating soft drinks approach and you will save yourself a lot of syns - try to drink a white coloured spirit and diet mixer if you can as they are lower syn than other drinks. Make sure you stay on plan for the week before and after (with as little syns as possible and absolutely NO days at less than 100%)

I went out for a 3 course dinner last night and planned it to the max. I looked at the restaurant menu and worked out the syn values for everything and managed to get away with only 10 syns - for the whole meal! Try doing the same with the buffet place you are going to and don't let yourself deviate from what you have prepared for. (Remember prawn crackers are 2 syns EACH!)

 

[loolahoop]

Claires advice is fantastic - exactly what I wanted to say to you myself!

Also, just something to think about. What is most important..that you might have a slight gain for one week out of fifty-two, or that you thoroughly enjoy your birthday? I know which is most important to me...

tbh i think not having a gain if i can help it is more important :/ well at the minute anyway, i only seem to loose quite little amounts and i know i gain fast! so im really scared of having say a 3lb gain then it taking me 3 weeks to get off!

Princess Stevie is right - you need to decide what you consider more important. i.e. if you are sticking to this diet or not.
I am the opposite and would not want to have a blow out to celebrate a non-big birthday (I am 29 next bday) and then feel awful for the rest of the week and have my heart drop at WI. But ultimately the decision is yours.

Pick a kebab, indian or chinese if you must have a take away as they are lower syns. Do you really need cake on BOTH dates? How about you compromise with ONE small piece at one of the events. Maybe at MIL to keep her sweet! Your family will understand that you are stuffed to the brim with all that boiled rice and low syn black bean sauce dishes that you are going to pass on cake.

Have a word with your F&F and get them on board for future meetings - its not good to surround yourself with tempting situations and have people swaying your judgement. Use the alternating soft drinks approach and you will save yourself a lot of syns - try to drink a white coloured spirit and diet mixer if you can as they are lower syn than other drinks. Make sure you stay on plan for the week before and after (with as little syns as possible and absolutely NO days at less than 100%)

I went out for a 3 course dinner last night and planned it to the max. I looked at the restaurant menu and worked out the syn values for everything and managed to get away with only 10 syns - for the whole meal! Try doing the same with the buffet place you are going to and don't let yourself deviate from what you have prepared for. (Remember prawn crackers are 2 syns EACH!)

ur right! im still gonna enjoy myself, but i can still do that and stick to plan!
im gonna have the chicken kebab (how many syns is that (no pitta))
then plan my meal at the chinese to be as low syn as poss...cant believe a prawn cracker is 2syns!!!!
and as for drinking, i may have 1 or 2 low syn drinks, wear my 6inch heels (that i cant walk properly in!) and pretend ive already had too much so people dont try n force me to drink! lol
as for cake, ill have a teeny slice with MIL and will allow max syns for that, then when its with my mum ill accept it and feed it to her dog when she not looking hahahaha!
ok i have a plan of action!! and im gonna give it my all to stick to it!! i know this is gona be a couple of days of max syns, which i rarely do, but im hoping this still results in at least a small loss!

 

[sparty]

tbh i think not having a gain if i can help it is more important :/ well at the minute anyway, i only seem to loose quite little amounts and i know i gain fast! so im really scared of having say a 3lb gain then it taking me 3 weeks to get off!

ur right! im still gonna enjoy myself, but i can still do that and stick to plan!
im gonna have the chicken kebab (how many syns is that (no pitta))
then plan my meal at the chinese to be as low syn as poss...cant believe a prawn cracker is 2syns!!!!
and as for drinking, i may have 1 or 2 low syn drinks, wear my 6inch heels (that i cant walk properly in!) and pretend ive already had too much so people dont try n force me to drink! lol
as for cake, ill have a teeny slice with MIL and will allow max syns for that, then when its with my mum ill accept it and feed it to her dog when she not looking hahahaha!
ok i have a plan of action!! and im gonna give it my all to stick to it!! i know this is gona be a couple of days of max syns, which i rarely do, but im hoping this still results in at least a small loss!

Good for you loolahoop! If you have a chicken shish kebab it's syn free on EE - that's right SYN FREE! The flavouring on the chicken is only spices so that is free. Get lots of salad to go with it and fill you up but hold the mayo lol. If you do have the wrap/pitta then count that as 7 syns.

Your mums dog will love you!!!

 

[Nettee]

I would say that people don't care as much as you think they do about what you eat. Don't get too worked up in your mind about the birthday cake - Maybe one small slice at your mil but after that you only have to say no thank you. Same at the chinese buffet - just have the low syn stuff - no one else will even think about it. If YOU want to then choose one of those things on your list of chinese treats and enjoy a little bit of it. Lunch with your mil - just don't have seconds. Have a word with your mum before you go - can you or she make some sort of low syn alternative birthday cake where you can blow out the candles? There is such a thing as half syn cake (I have never tried it). Or maybe a little pile of shop bought mini chocolate brownies each with a known syn value.

25g cake is 5 syns I think - it is not very much at all. When I had left over cake here I cut a 5 syn piece to look at to stop me from picking at the cake generally - at least with all the eating out you won't have left overs at home!

Night out - probably more tricky as the more you drink the less you care about the diet I find. Alternating diet coke and alcohol sounds good to me.

I am not trying to lead you astray but if you did gain 3 lb in a week it would probably mainly be fluid and would come off fast too like the 7.5lb did in your first week.

100% when you can
No other syns on the days when you can't
Don't stress about a sts or small gain this week.
Don't try to please other people!

good luck

 

[peacelily]

Have a lovely birthday whatever you decide food wise

 

[AnnaFaraday]

Here's a trick with the cake. Accept a slice, take a small bite, then when no-one is looking hide the plate behind a pot plant and if anyone asks, say you ate it all, didn't they notice, and it was lovely.

How do I know this works - because that's what I did the other day. (Perhaps the cake is still there . . . !)

 

[loolahoop]

Here's a trick with the cake. Accept a slice, take a small bite, then when no-one is looking hide the plate behind a pot plant and if anyone asks, say you ate it all, didn't they notice, and it was lovely.

How do I know this works - because that's what I did the other day. (Perhaps the cake is still there . . . !)

hahahahaha!!!!! actually made me LOL! good on you for the willpower though!! xXx