How do you stay motivated on weekends?

dblirondog

I find it pretty easy to stick with my meal plan and exercise during the week when I’m working. But how do you continue on weekend, holidays and events? So much temptation and more free time.

And I’m mostly talking to people who desire to continue throughout these times. I know some people feel like it’s ok to “live” and just let it go. But for me, mentally that’s not a good option. Especially when I’m in the early stages of a program. I’m weak and need extra incentive.

cwolfman13

When I'm losing weight (right now) I tend to keep somewhere around a 750 calorie deficit during the week and closer to maintenance on the weekends which just kinda nets out to be around 1 Lb per week loss. On weekends I give myself a little more wiggle room as we will usually have take out or go out on either Friday, Saturday, or Sunday...typically we have Friday night pizza and movie night at home and every two to three weeks we go out to brunch on Sunday as well, but I don't spend the whole weekend indulging in takeout or restaurant food. Brunch is easy because it ends up being one of two meals that day.

I don't really have a "meal plan", but eat pretty well most of the time and enjoy eating well...eating well nutritionally doesn't have to mean boring and uninspired food, and unfortunately a lot of people have a very myopic view of "healthy eating" I pretty much eat the same stuff when losing weight as I do in maintenance...the difference tends to be serving size or an extra snack or two or a desert or something...otherwise, it's the same food.

As free time goes, weekends are the time when I actually have time to do fun things I can't do on the weekdays like go mountain biking or hiking in the mountains or going for a good long group ride with my cycling buddies, etc. It is also when we as a family do our weekly deep clean of the house and any yard maintenance (I live on an acre) that needs to be done. I am pretty well occupied most weekends.

As holidays and events go, these are occasions and I treat them as such. They aren't ever going away. I don't really worry about them as occasions are immaterial to the big picture. I indulge, but I've never been one to just go crazy either. I've never been one to stuff myself to bursting as I hate that feeling. I have a good plate of food that I'm satisfied with and enjoy it and enjoy the company. I personally think most holiday food is pretty healthy anyway...it's just that people go overboard and you're in full control of that...nobody has to stuff themselves until they explode and I personally don't understand why some people feel compelled to do so as it takes the enjoyment out of an otherwise elegant meal/occasion.

steveko89

Personally, if I'm logging exhaustively I'm pretty much on-plan or at least at not damaging my efforts. It's less about motivation and far more about the expectations I have, and the baseline habits and behaviors I've developed.

nanastaci2020

For me its important to share my goals/objectives with those I'm close to. It helps if they know, and it helps me to stay on track because I know that they know. Because then if I get lazy I have witnesses to the event lol.

88olds

Motivation has limits. Try making better plans. I like the gym on weekends. Especially during football season. When I find myself just rattling around the house trying to stay out of the kitchen I look for a dirty job to do. The best household jobs start with a trip to Home Depot. Try golf. It’s the black hole of time. Money too.

klbaussie2

I am retired, live in the boonies, happily married, and we have tended to isolate ourselves, even before Covid, due to logistics mainly. Then, the week before Thanksgiving a very popular restaurant in the area burned down, so now there is even less to do. So my days are pretty much the same, no matter what day of the week it is. My main issue is the evenings. I fight depression constantly, and boredom (yet, I like my life the way it is now), and that is when I tend to over indulge on cookies, cake, snacks etc. Everything that is bad for me, in quantities that make them even worse!!! I do quite well during the day, and have no trouble fighting temptation, but come the evening ........., well you know what happens. So, I understand the problem of the weekends, but can not offer any constructive advice. I wish I had a local mentor, such as they have in AA and similar programs. My DH can't help, because anytime I ask a questions of any kind, I end up with an hour long lecture of how he would, or has in the past, handled the situation. I think I am letting my "down" period get the better of me. I will cheer up, no matter what.

AnnPT77

Motivation is a fickle B-word, so I don't like to rely on it, personally, as a way to avoid indulgence.

I admit, I don't have weekends (retiree), and you might think that makes it easier to establish all-week patterns, but undisciplined, hedonistic flake that I am, it's more like having all weekends, all the time (whoo-hoo, retirement!).

My first reaction, reading your post, is that you need a new (or resumed) hobby/hobbies. Ideal are things that require clean hands (sketching, needlework, playing a musical instrument, etc.), or create dirty hands (painting, carpentry, gardening, etc.). Maybe take on a home improvement project? Reorganize the garage or basement? Another option would be something that gets you out of the house and away from food: Hike, bike ride, bird watching, whatever. Do something active. Do some non-food de-stressing thing: Yoga, go find a hot tub/sauna, even take a hot bath.

Food can be a hobby, but not if it's defined as bored eating. More positive, if it appeals to you, is to define a food-hobby that involves trying new things, looking for delicious, affordable, nutritious, calorie-efficient new options. Got a farmer's market? Go there. If not that, ethnic or specialty grocery? Explore it. Pick out something new, some new veggie, fruit, lean meat, figure out how to use it, see if you like it.

Or, prep some food for the fridge or freezer for the upcoming week: Freeze muffin-tin frittatas, breakfast burritos, quinoa bites - things that will work well in your weekday life. Research options, go buy ingredients, prep.

If you're going to re-think your life patterns, think it through as a positive: Not "how do I avoid trouble", but "how can I maximize enjoyment in productive, positive ways".

LiveOnceBeHappy

I still choose to go out to restaurants and such, but I will choose to eat something like a salad when I do. I will often plan what to eat before I go by looking at the menu online, if I know where we're going. For me, the fun is being around people and talking and hanging out that's important, not the food choice. Of course, I have occasionally gone off the rails, and that's okay too. But I've only gone past my calories maybe 5 times since August. I also gave up drinking alcohol. I've had a couple drinks but mostly I just don't drink anymore. It's too many calories, and I'd rather have food!

I never, ever think of any of my choices as depriving myself, btw. I am choosing to lose weight and be healthier, so it's just choosing one thing over another.

dblirondog

I appreciate all of your feedback! I survived the weekend and I'm stronger for it. And I've lost 8lbs. I feel good!