Weekend down fall!

Sugar_Free_Veggie

Anyone else eat really well throughout the week, lose some Lb but then completely ruin it at the weekend?

We have a really active social life and each weekend it's out for meals and drinks, food festivals, gigs, etc etc. Each time I end up putting all the weight back on I lost in the week and then get so disheartened, just wondering if anyone else has this or any suggestions to moving forward.

Thanks guys

n_green_l

That's exactly my downfall too... all week I'm really good and the weekend is a challenge as I'm always out either at a gig, drinks etc. It's made my weight loss slower but I try to maybe just have the one night instead of two, do a bit more exercise and plan my drinks/food in advance so I don't go over too much.

yirara

Find a hobby, something that keeps you occupied during the weekend. Go hiking, exploring old industrial or historic sites, learn to programme, whatever you like. Just don't get bored.

SweatsOnSunday

Right there with you! And then the next morning, after a night out, I just do not feel like exercising at all.

I've started trying to earn "extra credit" by really pushing it hard in the week to offset what I know will be some bad days. And this weekend, I filled the fridge with fruit and veg, including a huge watermelon, so I can eat those things here during the day. But it is definitely hard to balance a weekend life with calorie counting. I'm not one of those guys who goes to a party and then tells the whole room that he's dieting, so he can't have the 220 calories in that beer, etc. I don't want the world to know I'm trying to lose. So the stealth factor adds another level of difficulty to all this.

kommodevaran

If the weekend ruins everything, you just have to be more disciplined and strict when the weekend comes. But make sure it's that and not the other way around - the "being good all week" that is leaving you disheartened. Undereating and/or feeling deprived will always lead to overeating.

SweatsOnSunday

kommodevaran wrote: »

If the weekend ruins everything, you just have to be more disciplined and strict when the weekend comes. But make sure it's that and not the other way around - the "being good all week" that is leaving you disheartened. Undereating and/or feeling deprived will always lead to overeating.

Agreed. Good point.

gamerbabe14

If I know I'm going out during the weekend let's say to a concert. I pre-log anticipated beer/wine/vodka sodas and then pre-log any anticipated meal. That way I can see how much I am over. If it's 500 calories, okay I will work out a little more on Saturday and Sunday to make up for it. Or bank some of those calories during my week. I live in a big city so usually means walking to dinner or the concert venue to burn extra calories. Maybe I'll take the stairs to my 7th fooor condo. Stuff like that adds up.

In short, pre plan your weekends. That way you can enjoy yourself but not at the expense of your diet.

tanya10166

I have the same problem. Food is easy to resist, drinks not so much. I'm just going to try to premeditate the drinks and bank the calories. Maybe even only allow one night a week for alcohol. Easier said than done but let's do it, vices totally impede fitness goals!

sardelsa

For me I eat a little less during the week and bank calories for the weekend. However that doesn't mean I go too crazy either, if I know I have an event or big dinner, I will typically eat less during the day and keep more active. And while my cals are lower during the week, I also don't deprive myself.. I make sure to incorporate foods I love and treats so I am not a tiger out of the cage come the weekend.

ChristyB1117

I also have this problem. What I have found to work is allow 1 time, and only 1 time I might be a little less strict. However, I still track it all. Keeps the entire weekend from being a free for all, but also allows for maybe 1 dinner out or a few glasses of wine. I track it to make sure I earned it throughout the week before, usually no more than 500 or so calorie. Means I limit what I drink and possibly order something a little better than that 1500 calorie burger and fries

carriebeenz

This is my exact problem. One step forward, one step back so going nowhere. I exercise lots during the weekend so I hope this counteracts the over eating. Probably bad logic!

cwolfman13

I'm a lot more loose with things on the weekend, but if you're actually undoing everything over the weekend then you must be going totally nuts with things.

I definitely eat more and have my indulgences on the weekends...but I'm also way more active. I'm usually up a bit on Monday, but that's water and waste...usually by Thursday or Friday I've hit a new low number.

MegaMooseEsq

This sounds very familiar. I spent a lot of time tracking calories before I started making changes, and a big part of that has been getting a hold of going out - I can easily double or more my calories on a night out and I'm not even restricting that much the rest of the week. I cut down to nights out a week and am working on keeping one of those nights tame while letting myself loosen up the other. I switched my drink of choice (both out and at home) from wine to cider, as I can't drink it as quickly so drink less, which usually means eating less too. Also, I try and eat at home before going out - a full meal whenever possible, but at least a solid snack to keep my eating out down. I think it's important to keep doing things you like, I just am trying to do it in a smarter way.

DamieBird

Maybe look at your goal on a weekly timeline instead of a daily one. For instance, if your goal is 1600 calories, you have 11,200 calories that week to use whenever you wish. If you consume more on the weekends, then cut back a bit or move a bit more during the week. You can have 6 days of 1500 net calories and then a weekend day of 2200, or 5 days at 1500 and two days of 1850 - you get the point.

It basically sounds like you're doing this, but you're averaging maintenance calories if you're up and down the same weight on the scale from week to week. There's no need to get discouraged by your efforts - you just have re-adjust to something that works a little better to reach your goals .

wdedoelder

Same issue here. I go out for Sushi and gain 3 pounds. It takes me 2 weeks to get back

ssmarquits84

Yes this was a bad weekend for me.

ssmarquits84

Everything seem to taste so good when you avoiding it.

ijsantos2005

I just stopped having fun on the weekends and got rid of all my friends. Worked for me.

kommodevaran

ssmarquits84 wrote: »

Everything seem to taste so good when you avoiding it.

Do you see the pattern yet?

TavistockToad

Work to your weekly goal do you can fit in treats at the weekend, and make saturday your weigh day.

Sugar_Free_Veggie

This is me! I don't think I'm going crazy but clearly I'm just over doing!

wdedoelder wrote: »

Same issue here. I go out for Sushi and gain 3 pounds. It takes me 2 weeks to get back

CattOfTheGarage

I work this by eating less during the week and more at weekends so that I hit my goal as an average over the week, not every day. But I also make sure my goal is not too restrictive, and I do exercise more on weekends.

Are you logging the weekend binges? That's a crucial part of the learning process. Once you've had to enter the numbers for all those sugary cocktails or lardy takeaways or whatever it might be, you start to get a bit less keen to overdo it.

evlmidget

I have the same problem. Weekends kill me. I to-do because I can lose a bit during the week...then weekend hits and I screw it all up

Silentpadna

wdedoelder wrote: »

Same issue here. I go out for Sushi and gain 3 pounds. It takes me 2 weeks to get back

Yeah, but sushi is so worth it.

sofchak

CattOfTheGarage wrote: »

I work this by eating less during the week and more at weekends so that I hit my goal as an average over the week, not every day. But I also make sure my goal is not too restrictive, and I do exercise more on weekends.

Are you logging the weekend binges? That's a crucial part of the learning process. Once you've had to enter the numbers for all those sugary cocktails or lardy takeaways or whatever it might be, you start to get a bit less keen to overdo it.

All of this! I am in maintenance now and this all still applies. Lifelong sustainable action plan right here.

SweatsOnSunday

You say sushi, I say General Tso. No matter what your vice, it still sucks.

prima_donut

I try to look at my calories as a weekly amount instead of a daily amount. once a week I add up all my calories for the week and divide by 7 to get my average daily amount. By sticking to 1000-1100 through the week I can have an average daily amount of 1400-1500. I also skip breakfast on the weekends and have a light lunch (freezer meal less than 250 calories or a salad) for lunch to allow more room for evening indulgence. Aim to drink spirits (in diet) or wine and track the food...I know it's hard because the temptation is to just say forget it. If I have had a large amount of carbs the night before I also use that as my opportunity to go for a run the next day...those runs are usually pretty good runs :-) good luck!