Eating on weekends tips ...

Untilproud11

Hi everyone
I have a big problem staying on track diring the weekend I do so good all week then my whole family eats out on weekends and thats when I end up overeating and wrecking all my hard work
Its just so hard to go to restaurants and not indulge.
And the worst is that by dinner time I already ate most calories as i cant wait that long
I usually have big breakfast and finish eating early evening
Its frustrating
Any tips ?

L1zardQueen

If I know I am going out to a dinner, I will eat a small breakfast or nothing at all. It is all about the planning.

Orphia

Always keep an eye on your weekly calories.

You can save calories during the week to use up at the weekend, or special occasions.

Diary>Nutrition>Calories>Week View>Net

Make sure your "Net Calories Under Weekly Goal" is as close to 0 as possible.

You want to be AT your net calorie limit. MFP sets that calorie limit to ensure you meet your weight goal in a healthy manner.

TavistockToad

I agree with watching your weekly cals.

I try to save 100-200 cals Monday to Thursday so I can eat more at the weekend.

My goal is 1600, I have 1919 to eat today to hit my weekly goal.

I only wouldnt recommend this if you're on 1200 cals.

Also, just because you're in a restaurant doesn't mean you have to eat 3 courses, you can still make good choices if you want to.

Untilproud11

Thank u all
The thing is that its never planned its last minute decisions and I don’t wanna be the only one staying home
Plus Im traveling a lot this summer and it makes things worse

TavistockToad

mita271 wrote: »

Thank u all
The thing is that its never planned its last minute decisions and I don’t wanna be the only one staying home
Plus Im traveling a lot this summer and it makes things worse

But it happens pretty much every weekend, so you can plan for it?

L1zardQueen

Plan better.

sijomial

You could indulge by having a special meal - just a special meal that isn't high in calories.
Think quality not quantity for your indulgence.

I had an amazing lunch last week that lasted over 3 hours but the amount of food eaten wasn't huge at all but each mouthful was fantastic in taste and presentation.

Or make your "big breakfast" a brunch to replace two meals but still be an event.

julie_bee_123

I go really small on breakfast and lunch on the weekends, and no snacks, so that I can go out to eat or have a great home cooked meal without having to stop myself from eating my favorite foods. I find it much easier to feel a little hungry in the morning and noon time than it is to feel hungry at dinner. And I like to save room for frozen custard for at least one day on the weekend.

Athijade

Learn to say no to eating out so much then. My work team goes out to lunch every Friday. I sometimes will go if I can make it fit, but more often then not I say no thank you. It saves me calories AND money.

You can also go and just make sure what you order fits into your calories. My target is 1600 calories a day. In the last couple of weeks I have had Primanti Bro and Five Guys. Next week I am going out for Mexican. All of those have fit! I didn't go until I knew that they would fit (well, Mexican is in the future, but I already know what I will order).

seltzermint555

It sounds like you are more at the mercy of family's decisions, but what I have done in the past six months has helped. I almost always eat more and "worse" on Saturdays, whether I get in a bunch of extra exercise or not. But for awhile I was letting that slide into both Friday evening and Sunday, and that meant my calories were out of whack for 3/7 days...not good. Now I do try to limit the excess on Saturday somewhat, by eating a small breakfast and having alcohol OR dessert instead of both. That partly depends on how much activity I get. But I totally adhere to my "normal" days on both Friday and Sunday, and don't dine out on those days unless it's preplanned for an event with friends/family. For example today is Sunday and it would be so easy for me and my husband to go out for brunch and then later get something quick for dinner out. Instead, I got up and made a low calorie filling breakfast at home and have a specific plan for lunch and dinner that is healthy but tasty. Planning can help a LOT. If I had no clue what we were gonna do for lunch, we'd wind up going out and eating a lot more.

steveko89

As others said, it's all about planning and shifting your mindset a little about what your "normal" routine is. For me, I'm always planning and logging at least two meals, if not a few days ahead. It sounds like this is part of your family's routine, maybe try to push for more planning to make things easier on yourself. If there are restaurants you go to frequently, look at the menus in advance and pick what you're going to get at a few different places (and stick to it).

It all comes down to choices, work towards making the best ones you can in any given situation.

seltzermint555

steveko89 wrote: »

As others said, it's all about planning and shifting your mindset a little about what your "normal" routine is. For me, I'm always planning and logging at least two meals, if not a few days ahead. It sounds like this is part of your family's routine, maybe try to push for more planning to make things easier on yourself. If there are restaurants you go to frequently, look at the menus in advance and pick what you're going to get at a few different places (and stick to it).

It all comes down to choices, work towards making the best ones you can in any given situation.

Definitely agree with this. When you go to restaurants, it's not like you always have to get the boring salad or grilled chicken. But you can balance things out even when dining out with family or when traveling. For example, if I'm really hungry I'll get a "regular" entree but maybe a fruit or salad side. And if I'm honestly not that hungry or don't have the calories to indulge, I'm perfectly fine with just getting an a la carte item or bowl of soup, something smaller. Saying no to shared appetizers or choosing just one piece to enjoy. Drinking only water or unsweetened teas. There are many ways to cut back on calories when dining out.

WinoGelato

mita271 wrote: »

Thank u all
The thing is that its never planned its last minute decisions and I don’t wanna be the only one staying home
Plus Im traveling a lot this summer and it makes things worse

But you already said this happens pretty much every weekend so you can:

1. Adjust the amount of cals you eat during the week, banking 100-200 every day (depending on current cal target) to save 500-1000 extra for the weekends
2. Plan for a lighter breakfast on the weekends if the typical meal out is lunch or dinner
3. Exercise on the weekends to get more cals to spend at dinner
4. Consider choosing restaurants you can walk to or that are in neighborhoods that you can walk around before or after the meal
5. Look at restaurant menus ahead of time to pre select what you want to eat so you can see how it fits into your daily allotment.
6. Talk your family into cooking more at home or planning non - eating events instead of eating out so much.
7. All of the above

emmamcgarity

When we are traveling, that means having three meals out which is difficult, to plan for. I start off looking for "heart healthy" or "light" menus as my initial strategy. Then I move to the "grilled" options. If that doesn't work, I try to look for a standard breakfast (2 eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and biscuit/toast) on the menu then ask about substitutions. Many places will allow the hashbrowns to be substituted with fruit if I am willing to pay an upcharge (which I am). They are also willing to serve the toast dry.


I try to fit in as much walking as I can, and as others have stated the weekly view on calories is extremely helpful.

ladyhusker39

I eat out constantly. I'm at a fast food burger place right now. The key is the choices you make and that's 100% under your control.

For example, I ordered a single burger with cheese and loaded it up with tons of veggies. I passed on the fries even though everyone else ordered them. 500 calories and I'm full until dinner.

It's really not that hard once you make up your mind to do it. I suspect by your comments that's what hasn't happened yet.

ITUSGirl51

I had to tell my family while I’m losing weight they have to support my weight loss goals by choosing dinner out at places that had the calories published. I really had to insist on it. They love me and wanted me to be happy, because I would get really grumpy if they wanted to eat out too much at places that were too fattening. I also would only go out once a weekend and eat very light the rest of the day. I also started cooking at home more and trying different things we don’t usually eat (like shrimp or steak) so we didn’t have to go out to eat.

If going out, pick a kids meal or just a burger (no fries!) with a side salad with no or very limited dressing. They are pretty low on calories and still really good. You can eat out and still lose weight. It does make it harder though.

Loveslupins

I try not to eat most of my workout calories during the week so I can splurge. Little on the weekends. I would rather do that then have to resist the trip to the beach for ice cream or a beer and hotdog at the baseball game.
Look at the big picture and plan accordingly.

Untilproud11

Great advice thanks u all
I guess eating less during the week will make things easier
And i will try to plan eventhough it’s extremely difficult

L1zardQueen

Try it, you can do it

kbmnurse1

I stay on track all week. Weekends I loosen up a bit.