Thinking about xmas food and sw!!

[raquelscatt]

I have been on SW since September and have currently lost 16lbs. I still have a long way to go!

Every year, for as long as I can remember, the whole of December turns into one big eating binge, party food, mince pies, loads of alcohol, etc, etc. Basically I give up on SW then regret it in January and end up starting on the sw trail again!!

I also buy loads of Iceland party food, sweets and really fattening foods before xmas day which we just pig out on over xmas and into the new year.

I am already thinking about this year and am vowing not to do it again. I just go crazy cos its xmas!

What kind of foods do you have in over xmas, to see you over a few festive days without doing too much damage? I want to enjoy xmas but no end up regretting it!

I need some tips please!

 

[evilpenguin]

This happened to me last year and it's not happening again this year. I refuse to even look at the xmas stock in the supermarkets this year. The only day I'm having off is xmas day, and that's cos I'm not cooking so can't control everything! I'd be 100% all the way through if I could. I'll just have a flexi day and pretend alcohol is 0 syns for the day lol.

Last week I saw my favourite cheese (wensleydale with cranberry) in Lidl and just walked right past the stand, my mum was like "you can't deprive yourself through xmas" and if this had been last year I would've grabbed all the cheese and ran happily to the till with my mother's approval. But not this year. How is it depriving me when I'll just end up off the wagon and undo all my hard work? Seems like a punishment to indulge myself!

Haha sorry for sucking all the fun out of xmas food and treats

Oh and sorry for not really answering your question! I've no idea. Just buy your usual SW shopping? If you want treats get low syn things like fun size choc bars etc? Don't buy party food! It's delicious but I wouldn't even want to think of the syns

 

[chun-ky]

I am really boring and dont buy anything different! I never have lol. Usualy end up eating all the naughty stuff at relatives houses! Not this year!
We are having christmas dinner at home this year and the only thing that will be un-SW friendly on the xmas dinner is the streaky bacon on the pigs in blankets
I could not resist if i had all the fab xmas foody stuff in my kitchen. 1 mince pie would turn into the whole packet in 5 mins!!
I am planning on making an eaton mess for xmas pud (mirangue, fresh raspberrys and strawberries and fat free vanilla yogurt). The roast potatoes will be baked in fry light as always, actually prefer them this way now! And meat and veg is FREE .
If i fancy some cheese i will buy a few small pieces of my fave cheeses from the deli, instead of big blocks that i will eat and eat! That way i can limit the damage!
May get a tin of chocs in for the kids, but it will be the ones i dont like, maybe quality streets (yuk!) Christmas is one day and i think its soo easy to want to spend a fortune on all the lovely stuff we see lining the shelves at the supermarket!! I have also decided to do my christmas food shop online, that way i hopefuly wont be tempted to add a load of expensive high syn food that we really dont need!
But, saying all that, it is just one day out of the year, i think if you stuck to plan all day everyday except christmas day, where you had what you wanted then it really isn't gonna do that much harm xx

 

[evilpenguin]

But, saying all that, it is just one day out of the year, i think if you stuck to plan all day everyday except christmas day, where you had what you wanted then it really isn't gonna do that much harm xx

Yeah it's one day, but the supermarkets around here have been selling mince pies since October. They've had the top of their cabinets stacked high with advent calendars, boxes of chocs, mince pies, crisps etc for ages too, as if the shelves before weren't tempting now we're surrounded by all this junk lol. So if you are anything like me, the xmas day off will start on Dec 1st and end sometime in February. I'm not letting that happen this year

 

[ermintrude]

- Shop online to avoid the temptation of crappe in the supermarkets. Yes it costs 3.50 - that's a lot less less than you will spend on crappe if you turn up at the shop.

- Let yourself have a normal Xmas Day. Xmas dinner really isn't all that bad for you other than roasties, gravy, crackling etc as its mostly veg! You can either decide to have the day off and have normal Xmas dinner (which is what ill be doing as Im at my mum's) or you can reduce the syns a bit by doing SW roasties, low fat sausage, trimmed bacon, no crackling etc etc.

- Don't drag Xmas out for 3 weeks after Xmas Day. This is a lot easier if you dont buy all the crappe in in the first place. I wont be buying any chocolate/party food etc. I *will* be having buffets at night, especially Boxing Day and New Year, but Ill be making my own stuff (lean meat, low fat chipolatas, SW versions of nibbles such as pakoras, bhajis, mini pizzas etc - check out the buffet thread. I will have some wine, but that's fine as it will balance out as Im controlling the rest of my food.

- Oh and *expect* to gain a bit. Almost all of us will. The point is putting on a couple of pounds is fixable within a week or so. If you go off plan entirely you won't put on "a couple of pounds", youll put on a stone and that takes a lot longer to shift.

 

[Sinead6uk]

Yeah it's one day, but the supermarkets around here have been selling mince pies since October. They've had the top of their cabinets stacked high with advent calendars, boxes of chocs, mince pies, crisps etc for ages too, as if the shelves before weren't tempting now we're surrounded by all this junk lol. So if you are anything like me, the xmas day off will start on Dec 1st and end sometime in February. I'm not letting that happen this year

This is my problem too - i've told myself it's one day off but actually i'm already in the Christmas mindset of things. lots of nights out, lots of alcohol and takeaways. Really need to get a grip or like you say this could go on till february! arrrgghhhh!! :break_diet:

 

[Walter Bishop]

This has been worrying me too. My partner is of the mentality that 'sod it, its Christmas!' but he doesnt realise how long it takes me to lose a few pounds!

I am torn between eating the cheesecake and celebrations that we have got for him and making my own low syn versions. I want to enjoy Christmas but I want to feel in control and not end up just eating because things are there and regretting it.

 

[Kathy73]

I'm craving the cheese board already. Going to ask consultant on Thursday how to deal with it! Don't know whether to have my cheese board day n get it over with rather than ending up nibbling at it every time it comes out. The kids n hubby all love love love the Christmas cheese board. Boohoo!!! ???

 

[Pickle81]

Christmas is always a food/booze fest in my house. And, it always sends me back to square one (plus one). This year, I have decided that Christmas is just one day! I will have my own selection of goodies (so I don't start on the kids') and whatever i don't eat Christmas Day will be forced down my OH's throat on Boxing Day. At the end of the day, it's a choice. I choose to lose all this weight, have an amazing wedding and hopefully a new baby. I can't trust myself to 'have a few days off' so I won't.
And, I will enjoy my Christmas Day treats a darn site more than the rest of my family who will spend 10 days feeling sick and bloated! (Plus, my WI is the Tuesday after Christmas and I will force myself to go. I'm not paying a fiver just to go home and eat crap!)

 

[hannata]

I'm planning to have a few occasions off - the christmas market i'm going to on friday (will get a FEW treats enough for that day only) my works christmas dinner (just one bad meal) and christmas day/boxing day. Outside of that I just want to get back on sw.

I have only started sw recently so I dont want to end up back to square one after christmas..... i could only imagine the horrors of going back to class after christmas being HEAVIER than I started lol

I want to get my 26lbs (club 10) in 26 weeks, so having a big plus in the timeframe won't really do me any favours towards that!!!

 

[Auburn]

I'm gonna try and stick to plan, for once... I have 3 flexi syn days planned -
This Saturday is a kinda family reunion, a meal at Pizza Express followed by a twirl round the International Market (hello German sausage!)
My works Xmas do - 3 courses and some drinks
Xmas day - I intend to have as few syns as possible, but allowing for a few extras..

It's once a year, so its a treat, but at the same time its once a year, not worth falling off plan completely!

 

[evilpenguin]

You should all become students, it's so much easier to stay on plan when you don't have any money lol

 

[ermintrude]

I *am* a student (of the 'senior' kind ) - but the reason Im staying on plan is cos I have time on my hands to cook!

 

[chiefbridesmaid]

I survived Christmas last year on SW on track and lost 3lbs Xmas week and I was at my mums house. It's only one day & tbh I still enjoyed the food etc, last year for breakfast i had bacon, mushrooms & scrambled eggs. Dinner starter I had chicken chilli soup, dinner was normal with SW roasties, just had to syn the stuffing. Dessert was strawberries with vanilla mullerlight, squirty cream 1syn & a digestive biscuit crushed on top 3.5syns. In the evening I had a turkey sandwhich with my hex b. I didn't have any alcohol but I did the next day on Stephens day. It's all about planning and damage limitation, I still had an amazing day & will be following the same menu this year even though hopefully I'll be at target

 

[Supergirl1980]

Wow chiefbridesmaid, to lose weight Xmas week is amazing! I'll be happy for a sts that week. At the moment I am trying to convince hubby that christmas is only one day and that I don't need to go overboard for a while week. Am am very much looking forward to a mince pie or two!

 

[miss_emmajane]

Past Christmas' I have just got totally off plan and had gains, I have gotten back on track but I don't want to do the same this year.

I have asked for no chocolates or sweets, and instead my favourite fruits like pomegranates etc. And I am going to flexisyn only Christmas day and Boxing Day ... no dragging out to Christmas week/fortnight/month. After all its only a day like any other, shouldn't be a bingeing excuse as I have made it in the past!

 

[Chipmunk89]

I very rarely drink, not even at xmas so alcohol is never a problem for me. My main downfall is all the chocolate, I usually stuff my face with it all day and a lot of the time leading up till Christmas. I've resisted buying the big tins so far this year. I might buy a small box to enjoy with the family when I do my Christmas shop, but I will only be treating myself to a few and I won't be eating for the sake of it when I'm not even hungry, which is something else I do at Xmas.

I'll be with my OH's family on Christmas Day and my parents on Boxing Day so I'll be having two roast dinners as usual but I'm going to do my best to follow the plan for all other meals.

I'm not even going to try to keep track of syns for those two days though.

 

[Shirleen]

On Christmas day I will allow myself the day off as I'm not giving up my stuffings 3types, the gravy made with meat juices and giblets stock, the kilted sausages, or the roast pots and parsnips, we generally have a glass of Bucks Fizz with dinner, and I sometimes have a cherry brandy in the evening, last year it was so needed as we were all ill!
For pudding I just love Birds Trifle!!! I'm a heathen!
In the evening I like my turkey sarnies on White bread with butter and Mayo!

But boxing day it'll be cold meat, mash and pickles!

 

[Annabelle]

Just reading through all of this I want to applaud you all... you have amazing willpower! I think it's absolutely fabulous you are planning to follow Slimming World over Christmas and I think you should all be proud of yourselves for that! I have told myself I am having the full week off to eat what I like.. and now feeling really ashamed of myself! Good Luck hope all goes well

 

[rootsfran]

I will be trying to eat all free food Christmas day to save my syns for Sausage rolls and chocs and velvet crunch tea.

Breakfast will be scrambles egg and smaked salmon.

Paxo is 1 and a half syns for 25 grams, have some syn free chipolatas from Joes's and will wrap them with lean bacon, have some gravy sorted from a casserole and frozen, everything else for Cjhristmas dinner will be free, will make a syn free Cheesecake for dessert.


Tea will be velvet crunch, scotch eggs, Sausage rolls, cooked meats, cheese and a few choccies, will see how much fruit I can get in during the day and will have plenty of veg with dinner.