How do you get through the weekend???

kimjj1025

Hi! I really could use some advice. I'm a working mother with two young kids. I do really well all work week long. I'm log my food and exercise on MFP, I exercise, I drink water and I feel great! However, I've been really struggling to keep it up on the weekend. There are family and kid functions, cleaning and laundry, eating out, running around...I can't seem to keep it on track. Then there is the Monday morning guilt when you realize you might have undone everything you've done the week before.

What are some tips that you use to stay on track for the weekend? Not just with eating well, but with exercise too.

Thanks!!! :glasses:

dupaboo

I'm in the same boat and could use some helpful tips, too!

jacksonpt

Ultimately it comes down to self control/discipline. Yesterday I took my kids out for ice cream, but I didn't get anything. It doesn't always work that way, but to be successful, ultimately it has to (for me).

Some "tricks" I've figure out...

If I don't want to eat the food, I don't buy it at the grocery store. I'm a very disciplined shopper, but once it's in the house, all bets are off.

Learn how to pick decent foods off a menu, that way you can enjoy eating out. For me, this is usually a steak or chicken dish with little/no sauce/topping/etc. In most cases, the sauces are what kill you.

Take your own food with you. I frequently take bars, shakes etc to my kids events so I don't end up eating crap from the concession stand.

I try to stay busy, otherwise I end up sitting around thinking about what's in the cupboards.


In a lot of ways, it comes down to any other "risk" situation... do what you can so you don't find yourself in a situation you can't control.

bannedword

Losing weight is hard. Healthy living is hard.
Being overweight is hard. Unhealthy living is hard.

Choose your hard.

footiechick82

I work my butt off during the week, so I don't do much exercising on the weekend unless I'm up early enough to do so. I do have a dog, which REALLY helps because I'm forced to go out and walk him or he whines like no tomorrow :laugh:

I generally am too busy to dip my hands into anything 'bad'... I walk a lot and I drink my water and if I'm hungry I log it before I eat it so I know how many calories I am consuming and try to stay under my goal that day. This weekend I did really well (except for Friday- stupid Indian buffet ). The only time I go over is when I consume alcohol, generally.

I guess staying busy, preparing 'healthy' snacks to grab when hungry really helps. I usually have meals prepared (leftovers) from the week and I'm able to have that and not take out.

Jen21878

I meal prep twice a week. That could be a good option and then you carry meals w/ you while running around.

And exercise is all about making time. If you're serious about making yourself healthier and more fit, you will find the time to work out!!

micheleld73

If you have an idea of what you'll be doing on the weekends pre plan your eating as well. Know the menu of where you will go out to eat at and decide ahead of time what you'll have and stick to it. I would suggest doing the same with your at home weekend meals as well.

I've had to start refilling bigger bottles of water from the filtered water at work and bring them home on Fridays to ensure I drink enough on the weekends (I hate tap water and I feel guilty/wasteful drinking the small water bottles).

hammomh

Exercise-wise for the weekend, do it first thing! Get it out of the way as early as possible, before the kids wake up maybe? If you feel like it later on, you can always do a little more exercise (go for a jog/walk, play with the kids outside) burning more so no need to feel guilty in what you indulge in at the weekend.

Eating wise, if you are eating out, view the menu before hand and pick the best choice for you and Stick to it.

Portion out some snacks for yourself, dried/fresh fruit, nuts, whatever it is you enjoy and works in your own eating plan. Have them ready in the cupboard/fridge to just grab and pop in your bag for while your on the move. If you have your own snack ready, less temptation around.

kganc001

Play with the kids outside! Running around with them playing make believe or at the park is a great way to get both of you active!

Lyerin

Have good healthy food on hand to eat, including quick stuff. I always make sure that we have eggs, fruit, and vegetables on hand at home. That way, if I need a quick snack, I can grab something good as opposed to something unhealthy.

I also skip the sweets and treats, even when I'm home. If my kids get ice cream, I don't. Not because I "can't" have ice cream but because I choose not to. I would much rather continue my healthy habits than waste all my hard work on some stupid ice cream. I don't buy things that are hard for me to resist though. Ice cream isn't a particular favorite of mine, so it's easier to say no thanks. Milano cookies on the other hand, you won't find in my cupboard anymore.

I eat pretty much the same on weekends as I do through the week. I try to make good choices too if we go out. This weekend we had one breakfast and one dinner out. For breakfast we went to a place that offered steel cut oatmeal as a choice - that was my good breakfast. For the dinner, we went to a chain place (not my favorite) that has a series of entrees that are lower calorie. I picked one of those and worked it into my day. It helps that here all chain type restaurants are required to have the calorie counts on the menus, which makes choosing something lower calorie easier.

I think it helps that I don't feel deprived at all by what I'm eating. I still eat stuff I consider to be treats now, but a banana with a tbsp of peanut butter on it is a delicious treat for 200 calories, whereas a bag of Milano cookies has way more calories and leaves me feeling ashamed and sick. Air popped popcorn with a variety of seasonings is awesome, and my kids and I even discovered a local guy who sells a kind of popcorn at our farmers' market that is naturally buttery tasting! Great snack and again doesn't derail my efforts.

christinealexis

I treat it as any other day of the week...I plan..I plan my meals. My "off" day (for eating) is Friday so I might have a little more chocolate & pizza that day but overall I stay aware of what I am putting in my body.I still count calories. The weekends are no excuse for me to go crazy.

If I go out to eat, I try to check the menu before hand so I know what to order. But, really I love to cook and actually love staying in and cooking my meals.

cilu90

I have the same issues.
1)At family functions and parties, make sure what you are eating is on a plate. That may sound strange, but when you can see what you are eating and the amounts as opposed to grabbing a few chips and dipping, or having just a taste of that, it allows you to account for what you have without pulling out your MFP after every bite and not having any fun.
2) Get up, pull on some clothes and go for a 15 minute or more walk before everyone "needs" you. Its actually better than coffee to kick start a morning and allows you to think about ...well...anything. Do one after dinner, too, if possible or during half time at sports events. If you like to talk to other parents at that time, have them go with you.
3) Dont freak out! Its a weekend, relax and enjoy your family. Do one active thing at least with them, even if its just a game of frisbee in the park or a walk.

rmcminn89

I'm in the same boat. I've learned that just because we go out, does NOT mean that I can't eat too. Eat off the kids menu, get a salad (but watch what dressing and toppings are added), if someone wants ice cream, don't deny your family. I've been much more successful this time around in losing and sticking to weight loss because I dont have any foods that I "cant have". You can have everything in moderation!

aelunyu

I used to implement an old trick of the trade when I was dieting for something important, I'd never allow myself to have a cheat day on the weekend. I always did the cheat days on like a Tuesday, so even if I went crazy, it usually just meat me taking my lunch break at Souplantation and having like a 300 carb meal by myself. I avoided the weekend hazards of binge drinking and then having Chinese food at 2AM by doing this.

Which I guess the lesson behind that approach is Weekends are hard to manage for you because you give them significance. Just like swear words are given significance by the context in which they are used, many people see Friday night as a "release" and then they have a certain protocol (partying? eating out, abandoning diet?) associated with the feeling of "friday".

I love fridays like everyone else, and it's awesome to know you don't have to get up for work the next day. But I don't associate friday in any way to alcohol consumption or food. Once you break that habit, you'll never see weekends as a window to escalate bad habits.

dellaquilaa

Like other people have said - it just comes down to preparation and planning. I *try* to treat weekend days like any other day - but that doesn't always happen. Last night I made homemade mini lattice apple pies, for example! But I'm not going to beat myself up over it - that totally could've happened on a Tuesday, too. The big thing is to pack your snacks, opt for healthier options when you eat out (or take half the meal home, or split it with someone), and keep logging religiously.

KANGOOJUMPS

weekends are all about letting loose,, work extra hard during the week,