Weekend cave ins

allienussbaum

I keep giving into my cravings on the weekends! I have such a good week that I tell myself it's okay, and then I step on the scale and I'm back to square one. Like yesterday, I was at a college football game and ate some (lying to myself, I ate a lot) of junk food.
Any advice on not giving into your cravings?

Tblackdogs

It definitely is a problem. Especially if you're young and social and go out a lot! For me what works is challenging myself NOT to eat at an event. It's like a little game I play by myself. I definitely don't broadcast to my husband or friends that "I"M NOT EATING ANYTHING" because then they think you're Debbie Downer. Try to have a great time with your friends but just drink Diet Coke or water. Also if you have to eat something, plan ahead. I find that a hot dog at a football game fits into my daily plan but nachos don't because it's harder to count the calories and the portion tends to be big. Also if you know that weekend nights are your problem, eat lightly and healthily all day and make sure to get some exercise. Then you can be a little looser at night. If the days are the problem, eat what you want at brunch or at a football game but plan to eat a really light dinner. Those are my two cents…

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

Just keep some back. Save around 120 a day during the week, that would give you an extra 300 calories a day on the weekend.

cwolfman13

i eat socially all of the time...if I know I'm going to go to a dinner party or to an event where I'll be eating, I eat lighter during the day. also, i'm way more active on weekends so this has never really been a problem.

keep in mind also that losing weight isn't a linear process...very often people mistake natural weight fluctuations for actual weight gain and it's usually not the case. even eating to maintenance can cause a bump on the scale because you're going to increase your glycogen stores and you're going to have more inherent waste in your system.

in reality, you would really have to go nuts to actually put on weight (fat) over a weekend...you'd have to eat a couple thousand calories above and beyond your maintenance calories, and even when people are splurging they don't usually do that.

rankinsect

If I were going to a football game, I'd plan the concessions I'd eat ahead of time, log them in advance, and eat what I logged without any shame. In order for my new lifestyle to be successful it has to be able to incorporate days where I do things with other people, sporting events, etc - I wouldn't give up junk food for a lifetime, so I won't give it up now. Rather, I'll find ways to work it in as part of my plan for that day.

PinkPixiexox

I used to have serious difficulties with staying on track at the weekends. In fact, I wouldn't even try to! I would eat and eat and eat and see it as a 'reward' for my strict week. This was totally the wrong way to go about things, I know that now - but it took me a while to find that healthy balance.

The truth is - you really can still enjoy the food you love. You can! Of course, moderation is key but that is something you will learn over time. And you will if you want to reach your goals.

One way that's helped me with the weekend cravings is calorie banking. If I have a few hundred left over from my days in the week where I haven't managed to eat up to my allowance, I'll add them to my weekend calories for indulgences. This has worked VERY well for me.

scolaris

Yes, there are a lot of different ways to accommodate what you are talking about. The biggest red flag in what you said? 'Lying to myself...' Believe me, weight loss only happens when we stop lying to ourselves.