Cheat days

[Aria2015]

So I started Slimming World last week and lost 3lbs whoop! I have about 16lbs (now 13lbs) that I want to lose so not loads but I want to lose it steadily if I can.

What I want to know is how do you manage cheat days? For example next week I have an afternoon tea booked to celebrate a special birthday. It's been booked for ages and I want to enjoy it. Do I just eat very little that day to compensate? Go without extra syns for the rest of the week? I don't anticipate having lots of cheat days like these. In fact it's just this and a meal next month but ideally I'd still like to lose those weeks.

Any advice appreciated!

[WorkingMumOnTheGo]

Well done on your weight loss so far! Personally, I would not compensate after a cheat day by eating little to no food because that automatically puts you in diet mode and then you will fall off the wagon. Remember: it is not a diet, but a lifestyle change.

Cheat days: go and have fun! Next day, get back on plan. Continue to have your healthy Extras, your speed and free food and your syns.

[FelixCited]

Personally I would go, enjoy myself but eat ‘mindfully’ stop when satisfied (not bursting)

Then if I was full later, not eat much for the next meal.

[Aria2015]

Thanks for the replies. I've had afternoon tea before and I'm not usually hungry after for any dinner so I probably won't eat much, or anything at all afterwards. I'll try and have something light mid morning, I want to be hungry but not starving when I go in case I gobble more than I want / need. I'll definitely get back on track the next day. It falls on my weigh in day so at least I'll have weighed in before and have the rest of the week to be good!! Fingers crossed a little cheat won't hold me back too much! Thanks again for replying!

[Masonbee]

I've had a couple of "cheat days"
Like you, they were previously organised things that I wanted to enjoy where healthy options weren't really accessible!

I had a syn free breakfast (baked oats or scrambled egg with grilled mushrooms /tomatoes and syn free sausages) so that I wouldn't be too hungry and overeat.

I also looked up the syn value of the food that I was going to (or likely to) eat in advance so I knew what my best options were and I could prioritise the food I really loved. I made sure I logged it as well.

Both days I ended up on about 40 syns overall. I cut down a bit on syns the other days that week, so I was using 5-7 on other days.
Both weeks I still had a loss overall, although I wasn't really expecting one!

HTH!

Enjoy your afternoon tea, it sounds lovely

[Groovee]

I tend to have a meal off plan if it's a special sort like my mum's birthday. Instead of reducing food, I try to eat lots of speed foods.

[newmum7369]

Put the cheat meal in a separate window of the day, have whatever you fancy and really enjoy it.

Don't count the syns, but don't have any other syns that day. Follow the plan as normal for the rest of the day and the rest of the week. As soon as you leave the afternoon tea, back on plan.

That's what I've always done and I lost 4 stone on SW. It means you don't feel deprived but if you go in with the mindset that you will only be off plan for that window of time you can only do so much damage. Pre SW I would eat badly all day/week because I knew I had a social event so couldn't possibly start eating healthily until afterwards. Trouble is there is always something coming up, which is why I was fat!

[CuriousHedgehog]

I had a hen weekend this weekend. The best thing I managed to eat was a Wagamama's and when I looked it up it was still 20 syns...

I had a lovely time though!

Trying Extra Easy SP from now until Friday to try and compensate. Weigh in is Friday so I have plenty of time and if I maintain I will be happy!

[Aria2015]

Thanks for the replies. I'll take on your advice and enjoy myself and then get back on track!!